Leanne's POV

I open my eyes and smile seeing Michael sleeping soundly beside me. It's been a few days since Micheal trusted me to show me his burns and since he has, he's seemed a little more himself and even started sleeping better.

I know it still bothers him and I saw the scared look on his face when I first saw and I can't believe he'd think I'd leave him over something like that. He seems a little more himself, but he's still been pretty down about everything. I understand he has depression and he's going to have times like this, but I wish he'd talk to me about how he's feeling instead of just letting thing's build up all the time because I hate seeing him like this and I want to help anyway I can, just like he's helped me.

I quietly get out of bed and tiptoe downstairs to start breakfast and just as I'm about to start cooking, Michael walks in. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Nah, this little guy did" he says carrying Bugsy, then opens the back door and let him go outside.
"Breakfast will be ready soon" I smile and he walks over and wraps his arms around me. "Baby, you know you don't have to do this. I'm suposed to be taking care of you"

"I know I don't have too. like doing things for you"

"Why?"

"Because" I smile turning around to face him and wrap my arms around his neck. "I love taking care of you way you take of me" I smile and peck him. "Now sit down. Breakfast will be ready soon" I smile breaking away "I love taking care of you too" he smiles slightly and kisses me back then goes and sits down as I continue what I was doing.

After breakfast Randy comes over to sit with me while Michael goes to work. I've told him he doesn't need to and i'll be ok by myself, but after what happened last time I was left alone, he's really edgy about leaving me by myself.

"Do you have it?" I turn to Randy, once Michael has left and he nods. "It's all in my car" he smiles

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Michael's POV

I'm in my car and as I'm driving, I keep thinking about what Leanne said to me about taking care of me. It does make me feel good all the little things she does for me and in a way I understand why she said she loves taking care of me because I really love taking care of her too and it makes me feel good knowing that I'm making her happy, but in other ways I don't understand why she'd want to take care of me because I don't deserve that, unlike Leanne who does deserve to be loved and taken care of.

I pull up outside the nursing home and sit and wait for a few moments, still unsure whether or not I should go inside or turn around and go to work like I told Leanne I was doing.

I sit thinking to myself for about 10 minutes then take a deep breath and sigh and finally get out of the car and make my way inside.

"Here she is" a nurse smiles taking me into one of the rooms then leaves and there's an old frail woman sitting up in the bed.
"Hi..  um... my names Michael. I'm a friend of your granddaughters" I mumble, not really sure what to say to her. "The nurse said" she smiles slightly as I walk over and sit beside her bed. "I was surprised when one of the nurses said somebody wanted to see me. It's been a long time since I had a visitor" she smiles slightly and I smile back the same way.

"So what can I do for you?" She asks "I um... I'm not sure" I mumble. "Has something happened?" She asks and I nod. "I don't know if anybody told you about your daughter Mary, but..."

"I know" she sigh cutting me off. "I heard that whore house of hers burned down too" she scrunches her face. "What about my grandaughter? How's she?"

"Leanne's ok. She's still a little shaken after the fire but..."

"Wait what!?" She cuts me off and looks at me confused and shocked "you just said that you knew" I frown confused "about Mary, but what does that have to do with Leanne?" She frowns and I don't say anything for a moment. 

"She was in the fire" I mumble "what!?" She gasps "Why? Why would Leanne be anywhere near some filthy brothel? She's in care" she frowns and I don't say anything for a moment.

"She was never in care. Mary had custody of her and was forcing her to work at the brothel" I mumble. "How exactly do you know my grandaughter?" She frowns and I don't say anything, looking at the ground. "How?" She says sternly and I take a deep breath and sigh heavily and decide to come right out and tell her everything.

After telling her everything that's happened she sits quietly staring at me. "If I wasn't so weak, I'd strangle you to death right now" she says shakily. "I had no idea how old she was at the time or that she was being forced, but I swear to you, I love her more that anything and I'd do anything for her and.."

"Your not really a friend of hers are you?" She cuts me off and I shake my head. "I'm her boyfriend. We've been living together for the past year now and.."

"Boyfriend?" She scoffs. "From what you just told me. You bought her and then set her on fire! That's you idea of love!?"

"I didn't know she was in there and I ran back in the second I knew" I say and she suddenly start coughing really badly. "My water" she says pointing at a glass on her night stand and I quickly turn and get it for her and she drinks it all then sits trying to catch her breath. "Should- should I get someone?" I ask nervously and she shakes her head.

"She's a baby!? How can you love her and be with her in that way? And how old are you!?" She scrunches her face in disgust, ignoring my question. "I'm 26 and I know there's a big age differnce but..."

"A big age difference!!? She's a 9 year old little girl!" She snaps and I look at her confused. "Leanne's 17"

"No she's not" she frowns confused "the draw. Bring me my photo's" she points at the draw and I walk over and get them and she searches through them. "See? That's my grandaughter. Right there" she points at a little girl who looks about 8 or 9 sitting on a swing smiling"

"Leanne's grown up alot since then" I say softly, seeing the confused look on her face "no. She's right there" she points at the picture again and I take out my phone and show her a picture I have of the two of us and she looks at it confused. "That's Leanne!?" She says surprised and I nod. "She's so beautiful" she smiles. Then starts crying "Why was she with Mary?"

"Her parents passed away" I say softly unsure if she knows. "I know that, but I thought she was in care"

"Mary got custody after they died" I explain and she starts crying. "I should have been there for her" she whispers shakily. "Why haven't you been around? Leanne thinks you died along time ago" I ask and she sighs heavily. "Because I was a horrible person" she mumbles "I um.. I used to be a heroin addict. I tried to stay clean, but one day it got too much for me and..." she pauses and starts crying "I stole money from her little piggy bank" she sobs "Leanne never told me that" I frown confused "because she never knew and that's why I left. Because I didn't want her to see me that way. I ruined my children's lives with the heroin and that's why they were taken into care and that's why Mary turned out the way she did. My baby's were so badly abused in that place and all I cared about was the drugs and I messed up my poor children because of my own selfish ways she sobs "and I didn't want to do the same to Leanne"

"Your not to blame for the way Mary turned out" I say softly. "You said Ryan went through the same thing and he turned out ok. He did amazing things and he raised an amazing, beautiful daughter and from what she told me he was the most loving and doting father anybody could ask for" I say softly.

"You've obviously spent to much time with Leanne if your trying to see the good in me" she chuckles slightly then looks at me confused. "How did you find out about me?" She ask and I tell her about Alex and Kelly and the deal I made with the police for helping them.

"Why can't that monster just leave her alone?" She croaks "I don't know" I mumble "she in jail now though"

"At least that something I supose" she mutters then looks up at me. "Seems like your a good person after all" she says and I shake my head. "There's nothing good about me. I put Leanne through so much and almost killed her. Good people don't do what I did to her" I sniffle wiping the tears from my face. "You said you didn't know at first"

"I didn't. I swear" I tell her honestly. "From what you've just said, you don't sound like the perverted, cold hearted person I thought you were a moment ago.. sounds more like a good person who made alot of mistakes" she says softly "I swear I never meant to hurt her" I croak "and I believe you. Your not a the bad person you think you are Michael" she shakes her head. "You saved a little girls life and you saved Leanne's life... twice! First from Mary and then you risked your own life to save her again and I'm guessing you haven't told her what really happened to her parents?"

"No?" I shake my head "Why not?"

"Because she thinks their death was and accident and they died instantly. Telling her the truth would only hurt her more"

"Have you told her about me?"

"No"

"Why not?" She asks "because I was scared you'd be just like Mary and you'd try and hurt her an take her away from me" I mumble "well I'm not. I'm a person that made alot of mistakes. Just like you have" she smiles slightly then looks at me seriously. "I don't want you to tell Leanne about me"

"Why not? I thought you'd want to see her" I frown confused "I would. More than anything"

"I'm sure she'd want to see you too" I say softly "I know she would and that's the problem"

"What do you mean?" I frown even more confused. "I'm very sick and I'm weak. This was the last time Leanne saw me" she says pointing at the photo she showed me earlier. "But if your sick then maybe she can help you and i'll help you too and..."

"You can't help me" she cuts me off "nobody can..  not now. And I don't want my grandaughter coming here and seeing me like this. I want her to remember me as I was"

"But.."

"Why didn't you tell her about Anna and Ryan?" She cuts me off. "Because I don't want her to be hurt anymore than she has already" I remind her of what I already told her "and what do you think her seeing her last blood relative slowly waste away until that last time she comes to visit me and I'm gone?" She says and I don't say anything.

"If Leanne thinks I died along time ago then let her think that. She doesn't need to know the truth. Just like she doesn't with Anna and Ryan. Her memories of of the three of us are happy and filled with love. Promise me you'll let her keep those memories" she asks and I nod "I promise"

"I'm tierd. I'd like you to leave now" she says and I nod, getting up from my seat. "Ok. I'll come and see you when your feeling a little better" say turning to leave.

"Michael?" She says and I turn back to her. "I don't you to come back"

"I can't just leave you here alone. Not when your sick and have nobody" I shake my head.

"Your the only person Leanne has left and you need to be with her and be happy. You've both been through enough heartache and I don't want to be another reason for that. Promise me you'll take care of her"

"I promise"

"And promise me you won't come back" she says and I don't answer her for a moment

"I promise" I mumble and turn and leave.

After leaving the nursing home, I get back in my car and burst into tears. I was praying to go in there and find some cold hearted woman, just like Mary and have a reason not to tell Leanne about her, but instead I found a sweet, caring old lady who loves her and wants the best for her. I may have my excuse not to tell Leanne about her like I wanted, but for a completely different reason and now I feel terrible for promising not to tell Leanne about her.

****
Leanne's POV

"Thanks again for helping me with all this" I smile at Randy. "It's no problem. Are you sure this will work?" He asks and I nod and smile. "Michael's been so down and full of self hatred for so long now and he needs to see this and see for himself that he's not the bad person he thinks he is" I smile and he smiles back.

I hear the front door open and smiling walking into the hall to greet Michael.

"Hey! Your back" I smile giving him a hug and peck his lips and he smiles back slightly kissing me back.

"I'll see you guys later" Randy says walking into the hall. "Your leaving already?" Michael turns to him. "I got some stuff I need to do" he smiles an quickly leaves and Michael doesn't say anything an pulls me closer to him, hugging me tightly.

"Your crying" I say softly wiping his tears away. "I'm sorry" he mutters. "For what?" I frown confused "for everything.. for being a terrible person" he mumbles. "I have surprise for you" I say breaking away from his tight embrace. "For what?" He says confused. "Because I love you and you need to see this" I smile wiping away the fresh tears from his face then kiss him softly "I love too" he mumble and I take his hand leading him into the living room.

"Where did you get all this?" He smiles slightly walking more into the living room. "Randy helped me" I smile seeing his face light up for the first time in a long time.

"I can't believe you did all this he smiles kissing softly then turns back to all the things around the room.

"Oh my god! This is my first baseball trophy!" He smiles "my brothers spent everyday for months helping me practice for that game" he smiles proudly.

"And this is the t-shirts we had printed for the fun day at the park!" He smiles. "You know I was the one that drew the picture on the front? I think I was about 10 at the time"

"Really? That's amazing!" I smile looking at the design, suprised  that a child could have done this.

"Mhm... and we made five thousand dollars for the hostpital!" He smiles proudly then turns his attention to the photos in one of the boxes. "This was from the time I taught Janet how to ice skate. She fell a few times. But got the hang of it really fast" he smiles then continues looking through everything.

It's getting late and Michael and I are snuggled up on the sofa and he's showing me all the photo's that were in one of the old boxes Kathrine and Joesph gave me and I can't help but sit and smile as he smiles while telling me a little story about each photo of all the thing's he's done throughout the years.