A few months later.

"Yes, I'm already there. " Ashley was saying into the phone. She was talking to Colin. "Yhym, Drew is with me. We will unpack some things and clean up a bit. Fortunately, the place isn't in the worst condition, so I think it'll settle down pretty quickly. " She said opening the door from the hall. "Sure, I'll call you. Yes, I love you too. " Girl smiled. "Bye, bye. " She hung up and walked in with Drew inside.

Ashley has been thinking about starting her own restaurant for a long time. Right now she was on the right track. Rin, Drew's brother, helped her find the perfect spot. The restaurant wasn't far from her home, which made her even more happy. There are a few things left from the predecessors inside, so getting everything ready will go much faster. Morley offered to help, not only with preparations but also with work. Both agreed that it'll be their joint restaurant. Girls started a big cleanup. They turned on the music to make the work go a little faster. When they finished, they started unpacking some needed items from the cartons.

"And how are you and Lucas doing?" Ashley asked. "It was sweet how he came to you then. "

"Hah. " Drew laughed. "Yeah, well. " Teenager smiled and blushed slightly. "I'm glad it's all clear now... And I'm glad to be with Lucas. I didn't think we would be a couple, but I don't regret it. " Said blushing.

"I'm glad it's good. " Russo smiled. "You two look cute together. " - She added and hid the plates in one of the cupboards.

"What about Colin? " Morley asked. "How is he feeling? "

Ashley sighed.

"He doesn't want to worry me, but I can see that he's not feeling well. " Woman replied and leaned on the table top. "He was supposed to tell me everything, but it seems otherwise. I know he doesn't want to worry me, but... " Brunette ran a hand through her hair.

"You know what? " Drew interjected. "Talk to his doctor. " She said.

"I thought about it too, but if Colin forbade the doctor to tell his relatives anything about his condition, I won't find out anything. " Sighed again. "I'll talk to him. " Said and headed towards the exit. "Will you close the restaurant? "

"Sure, go. " Younger Morley smiled what girl reciprocated.

***

"Ashley? " Colin's dad opened the door.

"Good morning, is Colin here? " Russo asked.

"No, but he should be back in a moment. " Older Harvey replied. "Come in, please. "

As they entered, girl sat down on the couch opposite boy's parents.

"Forgive me for asking, but I have to. " She said. "Has Colin told you anything about his condition? Or maybe you talked to his doctor? I feel that he's not telling me everything and I hope that maybe at least you know something? "

"All we know is that Colin has another appointment next week. He forbade the doctor to say anything else. "

"Ugh! Oh, no. " Girl got angry. "I'll talk to him. " She sighed.

"Who are you going to talk to? " Younger Harvey asked entering the living room. "Hello there. " Greeted his parents.

"You. " She pointed at brunet.

"Me. " The other replied and girl approached him.

"What did the doctor tell you? " She asked and looked into his eyes. "You didn't want him to tell us anything, so you have to tell the truth."She folded her arms over her chest.

Colin sighed.

"I don't let go that easily. " Girl said.

"I can see that. " Boy smiled. "He didn't say anything new. Same as always. No stress, a lot of happines, that might help me a bit. You know about the next visit. " Glanced at his parents. "So you probably already know too. "

"So what are you not talking about? " Teenager asked, boy looked at her with a question mark.

"You know everything. I'm not hiding anything. " He replied.

"Colin..." Boy's father got up and walked over to his son. "You know we love you and we worry about you. "

"Yes, dad, I know, I understand and I'm grateful. " Brunet looked at his parent. "I'm really not hiding anything, go ahead and talk to the doctor. He'll tell you the same as me. He didn't discover anything new that could save me. " Brunet walked past them and went to his room. Ashley sighed and ran after him.

Woman stood in the doorway of Colin's room. Brunet put down his sweatshirt and looked at his beloved.

"I know what you say..." He sighed. "Please, Ash, I don't feel like arguing. "

Russo walked over to him.

"If we had children... " Girl began so brunet looked at her. "And if... Suppose our son was ill... The same as you or whatever... We as parents would be worried about him, we would like to know all about his health... Are there any chances? What can be done...? It would break my heart to think that my son loses hope that he doesn't want to fight... The words you say hurt your parents and not only them." Ashley said. "It's hard for us too. Even if..."

Russo blinked several times to ward off tears.

"If there's really nothing to be done... I'd like to spend the last time you have with you. She said with tears in her eyes. "A joyful time, full of only good memories. Without sadness and tears... " Girl put her hands on boy's torso. "Wouldn't you want this? " She asked in a whisper.

Colin took his beloved's hands.

"You're right... I'm sorry. " He replied. "Of course I would. " He added and looked into the eyes of brunet. He touched her cheek with his hand and stroked it gently, then kissed her forehead.

Brunet went to the desk and grabbed the tickets.

"Then I did right to buy it. " He showed girl the cinema tickets. "Let's go to the cinema, all four of us. " He looked at the parents who had just come. "I'm sorry..." Said to them and they smiled.

"As long as it wasn't a horror. " Colin's mom shook a finger.

"Exactly. " Ashley nodded.

***

After the cinema together, Russo returned to her home and now she was sleeping well. In the middle of the night, she heard a loud knock on the front door. She heard noises, so sleepily got up from the bed and went to check what was happening. She spotted Colin's parents in the living room.

"What's happening? " She asked sleepily.

"Ashley. " Boy's mom immediately ran up to her. "Please tell me that Colin is with you. "

Young woman was greatly surprised at her words.

"No..." She replied. "Colin's not here. " She said.

"Did he call you? " The other parent asked.

"No. " She told. "But what's going on? "

"Colin's gone. " Nervous woman said. "He's not answering our phones. We don't know what's going on. We came back from the cinema, he went to his room, and then, when I looked at him, he wasn't there. We hoped he was with you or Lucas, but he's not with him either. "

Ashley immediately reached for the phone and called the boy. Unfortunately, the voicemail was activated.

After a few minutes, Lucas came home with Drew and Rin.

"We've checked all the places we came across. " Butler gasped.

"He's nowhere to be found. " Rin added.

Nathaniel walked over to his sister and hugged her.

"We'll find him. " He said. "You'll see. " He stroked his sister on the back. " Rin, come on, let's go check through the countryside again. Let's split up, he has to be found. "

Elder Morley nodded. Nathaniel kissed his sister on the forehead and went with Rin to tour the area.

"Let's go too, Ash. " Drew said. "The three of us will check the rest. "

Russo nodded, girl only picked up a jacket, didn't change, she went in her pajamas. Colin's parents were to go home and wait for him there.

"He's not here either. " Ashley said nervous as she left the school yard.

A moment later Lucas's phone rang.

"It's him. " Boy replied and girls ran up to him. "Colin, man where are you? We're all looking for you? "

"Lucas..." Harvey said. "I don't know where I am... I don't know what happened... Or how I got here..." Said in a whisper. "I don't know what's going on... "

"What do you see? Anything, any detail. " Ashley interjected.

"It's too dark, it's wet... And it's so cold. " Said hoarsely. "And that strange smell..." They couldn't understand further words through the disturbance. Colin must have lost range.

"And what now? " Drew looked at her friends. "How did he get there? "

"Maybe he was sleepwalking. " Lucas said. "It happened to him as a child, and now... "

"I know where he is! " Russo interrupted suddenly. "Those background sounds, I knew I'd heard that before, come on! " She exclaimed.

Ashley was right. Colin was by the old fisherman's house. Grandpa used to take her there when she was little. These characteristic sounds could be heard in the distance.

The three of them started looking around and calling for a boy. After a few minutes, young Russo found him. He was sitting cold under a tree.

"Colin! " She ran up to him worried.

"Ash..." He said hoarsely.

Woman hugged him tightly and the first tears ran down her cheeks. Teenager took his face in her hands.

"Are you okay? " She asked worried to which the other nodded.

Ashley called her friends, took off her jacket to cover boy with it.

Colin looked at her confused.

"It's okay, I'm with you..." She hugged him again.

"I'm sorry..." He croaked. "I don't know what happened... "

"It's okay..." She stroked his hair. "Luckily, you're safe. " Brunette sighed with relief.

***

Colin was hospitalized and spent several days there. Doctors examined him and administered and prescribed medications. Colin wasn't himself for a while. He didn't know what was happening, where he was, he was lost in it all. Fortunately, after a few days, he got much better. However, the nightmares, however returned again. Colin was afraid to fall asleep. He was terribly skinny and pale. He had no appetite or mood.

Today his doctor agreed to discharge him home. Her parents said he would recover faster at home. They hoped it would be so. When Ashley found out about it, she immediately came to see him. She knocked on the door of the room and stepped inside. Harvey had his back to her, arranging his clothes.

"Colin..." Woman hesitantly approached teenager. She looked at the desk and noticed that brunet hadn't eaten any of the sandwiches his mother had prepared. "You didn't eat anything again... "

"I'm not hungry. " He said and glanced briefly at girl, then walked around her to hide the clothes in the wardrobe. Brunet returned for one of the sweatshirts he had left. Woman overtook him and put on the sweatshirt he wanted to hide, then smiled triumphantly. Colin just sighed.

"I'll give it back to you when you eat at least one of those sandwiches. " She said and pointed to the prepared food.

Harvey stepped around her and tucked the sweatshirt behind her, then looked at her again.

"I'll need it. " He pointed to the sweatshirt that teenager was wearing.

"And I''ll need you. " Brunet replied and came to her lover. "And your mom's sandwiches are delicious, I've a hard time resisting them myself."

"Go ahead, eat. " Brunet said and he wanted to pass her by again, but this time Russo stopped him and pulled him to her. "I heard what the doctor said too. " She put her hands on boy's torso. "But do you remember what we talked about? They're supposed to be only good memories. " She took his face in her hands.

"Me eating a ham and jelly sandwich, it won't be a good memory." He replied and girl laughed.

"So I'll eat it and you take the second one with cheese and ham without jelly. " She said with a smile and then stroked boy's cheeks.

Brunet smiled faintly.

"Agreed. " He replied.

Russo nodded, then moved closer to him and kissed him softly.

"Thank you..." She whispered and looked into his eyes.

"Thank you. " He replied and kissed brunette on the cheek and then moved towards the sandwiches.

He handed girl sandwiches. They both took one and began to eat. After they finished, Colin went to the kitchen for a moment to retrieve the tray.

Ashley was still in boy's sweatshirt. Russo smiled to herself then sighed and put her hands in her pockets. Suddenly she felt there was something inside. Surprised, she took a small black box out of her pocket. She opened it the moment Colin returned to the room.

Surprised girl looked at boy, and he looked at her. Brunet sighed.

"So I hid it here, it's good I didn't lose it. " Harvey walked over to still surprised teenager.

"So that's what you didn't tell me about..." Girl guessed.

"It was supposed to be a surprise... " Brunet said. "I wanted to do it at the right time. "

"Is now the right time? " Ash asked with tears in her eyes. Colin looked at her, picked up the box, and smiled slightly.

Moments later, he knelt on one knee and looked brunette in the eyes.

"Will you marry me? " Harvey asked.

Ashley wiped away her tears quickly, then smiled warmly.

"Yes..." She said. "Yes, I'll marry you. " Brunet smiled, then took a silver ring from the box and put it on t girl's finger. "On one condition. " Brunette looked at him as he got up.

"What? " Boy asked.

"You'll eat two more of these sandwiches. " She said confidently at which Colin laughed. "Deal? "

"Deal. " The other replied, then moved the fiancée to him and placed a tender kiss on her lips.