I promise

Seeing Ryan enter the shop, Leo immediately drops his gaze to his car, not greeting her and not looking at her. Instead, he continues to struggle with the engine, having a much harder time than he normally would have. It just seemed more difficult today. Everything did. The car... his life.

Sighing, he leans on the car, wiping some sweat from his forehead and leaving behind a smudge of grease. He didn't know where the problem was now. He'd fixed what he could and it simply wouldn't run.

"Need a hand?"

Leo looks up to Axel. "What are you doing here?"

Axel shrugs. "I could grip a ball this morning so I got released." His arm was still in a sling for now, but things were looking up and Misty seemed pretty positive. It was a good thing too - Axel knew she'd be gone for a week soon so he was just as glad that there had been improvement before she would leave. "Trouble with this junker?"

"You could say that," Leo grumbles, looking back down into the engine. "Is it too much to ask for something to work? Just one thing?!"

Axel bends a little closer with a wrench of his own. "Well you might try-"

"I don't need your help!" Leo spins back around again, annoyed with the intrusion. He didn't mean for his wrench to swipe Axel's bad hand, but intentional or not, the damage was done.

Axel drops his tool and doubles over, his eyes watering from the pain that coursed through his hand.

Leo couldn't feel any worse. "Aw man, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Axel tries to straighten up and breathe. "I'll just stay out of your way."

"Look, I just-"

"Leo - it's okay." Axel waves him off. "Your car. I should go anyway."

Lamely watching Axel walk away, Leo glares at the car and gives the tire a swift kick. He was so stupid.


"Mm-hmm." Eric shifts a little on the bed, knowing what was happening, even if he didn't open his eyes to see. "She'll kill me dead. Shoot me now."

Jim chuckles and preps his arm for a shot. "Okay. Here goes."

A wry grin comes to Eric's face as he feels the prick. "I expected it to hurt more."

"Well I can make the next one hurt more if you want."

"Oh, please." Eric grimaces. "I got enough of that." Quieting down as the two work, one might think Eric had gone to sleep again, but eventually, he shifts his head to see Angel just finishing up the bandage. "I know it's bad," he mumbles, his tone a little more serious this time. Though his vision was blurry, he could see the worry on the other faces and knew well enough from the pain that it was not good. "But if you-"

"You'll be fine," Jim interrupts. "Just rest and you'll be fine."

Eric frowns. "I wasn't finished."

"I know. Don't say it."

"I'll say what I wanna say." Eric licks his dry lips and looks to Angel again. "Gets worse, lemme go. Take the leg and I'll never forgive you."


Hearing Faith's words, Sparky could feel a little lurch to his heart. He mimics her movement as his palm caresses her cheek. He'd never felt like this in his entire life and he prayed and hoped with all his might that it would not be the only day he would hear those words from her.

"I love you too," he whispers. "And I'll be here... when you come home. I promise."


Scott sits in his car, parked in front of Dalton's house. Dalton was at work, but Scott had spent enough time at Carson's and now couldn't decide whether to go home or take Dalton up on his offer. Either way, he'd spoken to no one else today. He'd forgotten his phone at home but hadn't hardly thought a thing of it. Lunch with hope had been completely forgotten as well as he tried to sort through all that was going through his mind.

He pets Domino absentmindedly as she sits on his lap, content with the car ride. When would things be okay again?