"You're afraid to die. You're afraid to live. What a way to exist"
-Electra Heart-

In the chaotic din of the diner, Maya's heart raced as she frantically searched for a means of escape. Spotting a gleaming knife in the nearby kitchen, she lunged for it, her hands trembling with adrenaline as she sawed through the rope binding her wrists. With a relieved groan, she massaged her aching wrists, the pain a stark reminder of the hours of captivity she had endured.

As the kitchen door swung open, the sudden rush of officers filled the diner, their shouts blending with the cacophony of gunfire. But James showed no signs of stopping, his determination fueling the chaos that threatened to consume them all.

Maya's gaze darted towards the commotion, her eyes widening with a mix of relief and fear as she spotted Derek in his FBI vest, a beacon of hope in the midst of the mayhem. A fleeting smile tugged at her lips, a brief moment of reassurance until horror struck like a thunderbolt.

"Derek!" Maya's cry echoed through the chaos, her voice raw with emotion as she watched helplessly, her world crumbling as Derek's body fell to the relentless barrage of gunfire. The weight of loss bore down on her, tears stinging her eyes as she grappled with the sudden, brutal reality of the situation. In that moment, amid the turmoil and tragedy, Maya's heart shattered, the bond between teammates forged in the crucible of danger and camaraderie now torn apart by the merciless hand of fate.

_____

"Reid! Wake up. Please, wake up" Natalie begs under her breath as she looks down at the blood that stains her hands from when she was helping stop the bleeding coming from his neck.

_____

Maya looks out the door that the preacher ran out of and proceeds to chase him down, despite Derek and JJ not knowing she's even here. Her boots hit the ground hard as she chases him down.

When the preacher looks behind him a few times, he fires his gun, causing it to slow Maya down since she has to find cover before she gets hit with one of his bullets.

JJ and Derek have a foot chase with the preacher, and Maya, eventually following them into an abandoned building. Maya follows him into the abandoned building as well and before he can turn around and fire his gun, she jumps off a random chair and tackles him to the ground, causing him to fire aimlessly around the building.

"Ahh!" Mills cries out before Maya punches him across the face multiple times.

Maya hears multiple footsteps behind her, "FBI! Hands where I can see them!" Derek shouts as Maya has her fist raised in the air, ready to hit Mills once again. "Hands up, now!" JJ shouts and Maya slowly stands to her feet as she looks down at the man she knows as James breathing heavily and blood pouring out of his mouth from the punch Maya sent to his face multiple times.

"Turn around and show yourself" JJ orders and Maya slowly turns around, revealing herself and letting out a breath of relief as both Derek and JJ slowly lower the guns in their hands.

"Maya?" Derek questions, a slight questionable smile spreading on his face as he takes a step forward. "Hi" Maya greets as she takes a step forward, the dried-up blood on Maya's forehead becoming visible to JJ and Derek.

"What happened?" JJ asks until she looks down at Mills on the ground and widens her eyes, raising her gun. "Gun!" JJ shouts before two gunshots go off, one of them being from JJ shooting Mills in the head and the other being fired before Mills was killed.

Maya stumbles forward as she feels a sharp pain in her stomach. "Maya. Maya, you okay?" Derek asks before Maya knits her eyebrows in confusion and looks down at her stomach, blood seeping through her shirt.

"He- He- I- He shot... me" Maya mumbles as she looks up at Derek, her breathing becoming uneven.

"Maya!"

_____

"Hey, how is he? Reid? Hey!" Alex asks frantically as she kneels down next to Natalie, checking on Reid with her. They both notice that he's losing a lot of blood from his neck wound. Alex tries to hold his attention and convince him to stay awake, but it doesn't work.

"Ethan! Ethan!" Alex shouts sadly, tears forming in her eyes. Natalie looks to her questionably before looking up for any sign of a medic.

"Where the hell is that medic!?" Natalie asks as she looks around, desperately wanting Reid to get some help, and fast.

_____

"Maya! Maya. Stay with me, alright?" Derek asks as he catches Maya before she falls to the ground and holds her close. "We need a medic, now!" JJ says into her mic so the team and officers can hear her.

Two officers rush into the abandoned building, seeing Mills is down but Derek holding a woman they don't know of.

"Get a medic!" Derek demands. "Okay! Just so you know another one of yours is in bad shape" Vicky, one of the officers informs before Maya grabs onto Derek's arm and grips it tightly as she looks into his eyes. "W-who?" Maya asks, wondering what member of the team is also hurt.

"Uh, Reid- Reid was shot. We need to get both of you to the hospital" Derek states before two medics rush into the building.

"Derek- Derek, I-" Maya stammers over her words before her strength weakens. JJ watches from afar, her hand cover her mouth in shock as she looks to Maya who doesn't look too good.

"Save your strength, okay?" Derek says as the two medics quickly but gently move Maya onto the stretcher and proceed to move her out of the building. "You go with her. I'll see what's up with Reid" JJ says as her and Derek go their separate ways. Derek going into the ambulance with Maya and JJ rushing to see what's wrong with Reid.

"Hotch, Maya was here and she was shot by Mills but she's going to the hospital. Reid is in bad shape but they're working on him" JJ informs Hotch and Garcia over the phone on a three-way call.

"Maya? Maya was there?" Garcia asks softly, now worried about both Reid and Maya, who she didn't even know was in Texas.

"How did Maya get here?" Natalie asks as she watches Reid get driven away in an ambulance. "No idea. We'll have to ask her when she pulls through" JJ says as an officer walks up to her and Natalie, "The fastest route to the hospital is highway 17" The officer informs which Natalie and JJ thank him for before rushing to the same SUV, JJ being behind the wheel, ready to take them both to the hospital to see how Reid and Maya are doing.

_____

In the ambulance, Maya's eyes refuse to stay open but that doesn't stop her from trying to keep them open. "Agent Regan, it's best you rest now" One of the paramedics inform but Maya refuses and takes off the oxygen mask they have out around her nose and mouth.

"Derek-". "Maya, I'm right here, okay? I'm not going anywhere so you can't either" Derek says before the paramedics place the oxygen mask back over her nose and mouth.

"She's losing a lot of blood" One of the paramedics says as they start trying to stop the bleeding. Maya opens the palm of her hand and tearfully looks to Derek. He looks down at her hand and, with no hesitation, places his hand in hers.

Even after all this time apart, they still cared for each other and the feelings they have for each other never went away. Never.

_____

At the hospital, as Reid and Maya are both being treated and in surgery, Alex is freaking out a little. Natalie sits on one of the chairs, her leg bouncing up and down worriedly as she bites her nails vigorously, worried sick about Reid.

"It should've been me" Alex mumbles and Natalie shakes her head, not wanting Alex to think that way.

"No, it's not. Don't say that- It shouldn't have been anyone, especially not Reid and especially not you" Natalie comforts, placing a hand on Alex's back reassuringly before JJ walks into the waiting room.

"Have you checked on Maya?" Natalie asks as she stands to her feet, rubbing her hands on the sides of her pants nervously. "Yeah, uh, they're almost don't with her surgery" JJ says as she holds a bag that holds Maya's things.

"How's Morgan?" Natalie asks and JJ shrugs her shoulders, not really knowing what to say. "He's just worried about her. We all are" JJ answers as she takes a seat in one of the chairs, trying to hold back her tears for both Maya and Reid.

Garcia makes it to the hospital and hugs JJ, Natalie and Alex one by one. "How are they?" Garcia asks. "Still in surgery" Alex answers and Garcia sighs sadly but hopeful that they'll both pull through.

"How's Derek?" Garcia asks. "Not really talking to anyone" JJ answers and Garcia nods her head understandingly before Derek walks into the waiting room, informing them Hotch wants to talk with the whole team.

"Do you guys mind if I stay here?" Natalie asks and JJ shakes her head, not minding at all. "But call us with any news" JJ states and Natalie nods her head before watching the team walk away to speak with Hotch. Garcia reassuringly places a hand on Derek's back as they walk side by side together.

_____

The team begins talking and they know there's no way Preacher Mills could have killed those people that were found in the diner because his car was clean. But what they really want to know is how Maya got involved in this.

Hotch remembers Garcia bringing up that Mills works with witness protection cases. Maya could've been his only case since it's obvious she was in Texas the whole time. He must've been on edge and knew he couldn't leave her alone or the director would be looking for her.

They then go back to the three victims that were found in the diner, two of them being prostitutes. Derek brings up when him and Reid went to the bar to talk to the workers and the bartender, Diana, was one of the bosses who took care of the girls and made sure they brought in money every night.

The team announces they're going to track down Diana to see what she knows about all of the dead sex workers, but turns out, she was gone before they even got there.

_____

A couple hours later, Maya's surgery was done, and Derek, Garcia and Natalie were out in the waiting room together. "Maya's surgery is done and you can see her now" The doctor informs as he walks out into the waiting room.

Derek walks towards her room, Garcia and Natalie following behind. Derek gets to her room first and sees her lying on the hospital bed in a gown and fresh out of surgery.

He slowly walks towards her bed and reaches his hand out to push the hair out of her face and behind her ear. "She's going to be okay" Garcia says as her and Natalie look down at Maya, a smile spreading on their face, happy to see her and happy to see that she's okay.

A knock is heard at the door and it's another doctor. "Dr. Reid is out of surgery if any of you'd like to see him" The nurse states as she waits outside. Natalie looks down at Maya and grips her hand in hers, not wanting to leave her so quickly.

"You guys can go. I'll stay with her" Derek reassures and Natalie slowly nods her head before leaning down and placing a sisterly kiss on top of Maya's head before leaving the room with Garcia and going to Reid's so they're able to give an update to the rest of the team.

Derek clears his throat and pulls up a chair next to Maya's bed and watches her like a hawk, making sure her breathing isn't a bit out of place. Tears fill in his eyes, but he refuses to let them fall because he knows Maya wouldn't want him to cry.

Frankly, Maya would want him to go out and find the real person who started all of this, but he wasn't leaving her. Not now. Maya was one of those girls who breathed fire when confronted but loved so gently that it made you forget she could.

_____

Meanwhile, Rossi and JJ search Diana's house, and discover that the first thing she packed as a picture of a little boy. Her child, or someone otherwise significant? Then it's over to the station, where we discover that Anders, one of the officers did, in fact, bring her in, claiming to have caught her as she fled town.

One problem: Her truck was still at her house... JJ tries to get some info out of Diana, but she won't talk, and scoffs at the idea of protection. Then she really clams up when the acting sheriff walks in. Weirdly suspicious.

_____

At the hospital, in Reid's room, Garcia brings Reid Doctor Who toys to see when he wakes up. Including two Daleks, which are kind of a scary thing to wake up to, really. Natalie smiles down at the little toys and looks over to Reid, tears immediately filling her eyes.

"He's different, you know? And not that weird kind of different like- like cool kind of different. I've never met anyone like him, and I don't think I ever will" Natalie confesses as she looks over to Garcia who smiles brightly at Natalie's words.

"Reid will do that to ya" Garcia jokes making Natalie chuckle sadly before sniffling in her tears.

Natalie and Garcia look down at Reid while the machines beeps, being the only sound in the room. "Kind of thought that would be his cue to wake up" Natalie declares as Garcia nods in agreement before letting out a sigh as she walks over to the window in the room and looks out of it, desperately waiting for Reid to wake up.

Natalie then grabs her phone out of her back pocket and exits the room, giving JJ a call so she can give the information about Maya and Reid back to the rest of the team.

_____

Meanwhile, the team has a small meeting. They figure that Diana's son must be being held hostage somewhere, which is why she isn't talking. This makes her seem pretty cold, since it looked like she was about to flee town when Anders caught up with her.

Their plan: find the kid, get her out of the city, use her testimony to bring down the corrupt police department.

_____

Maya stumbles forward as she feels a sharp pain in her stomach. "Maya. Maya, you, okay?" Derek asks before Maya knits her eyebrows in confusion and looks down at her stomach, blood seeping through her shirt. "He- He- I- He shot... me" Maya mumbles as she looks up at Derek, her breathing becoming uneven.

That's the only memory that flooded Maya's mind as she was unconscious and unable to speak or move until... suddenly, she let out a huge gasp of air and began to breath heavily. She tried to sit up but when she did, she felt a sharp excruciating pain flow through her entire body which instantly laid her back down.

"Ah!" Maya cries out, Derek immediately waking up and standing up from the chair he was lying in. "Maya, hey. It's okay. You're at the hospital" Derek reassures as he places his hand on the side of Maya's cheek, making sure she can see him.

Maya lays her head back slowly while Derek grazes his thumb on Maya's cheek softly. Her breathing slows down and the pain slowly starts to go away as she relaxes herself and slows down her breathing.

"You're okay" Derek informs before Maya harshly swallows a lump down her throat.

"I'm okay" Maya repeats after Derek, trying make sure she believes it too.

"Its been awhile" Maya says as a smile forms on her lips, making one form on Derek's too, forgetting how she can make any sad moment a happy one. "Way too long" Derek adds, joining in on the banter before Maya remembers Reid was hurt during the shoot-out.

"Reid!" Maya shrieks, quickly sitting up but feels the excruciating pain once again which forces her back down. "Reid is okay. He's in a room down the hall" Derek says he pushes Maya's hair out of her face and gently brushes it behind her ear.

"But he's okay?" Maya asks with a slight groan as she adjusts herself on her hospital bed. "Yes, he's okay" Derek reassures once again ensuring that Maya work on herself for now since she did just get shot.

"Don't worry, it's not my first time being shot" Maya says, practically reading Derek's worried mind as she gently rests her hand on her stomach and takes in a deep breath and slowly exhaling.

Meanwhile, Derek knits his eyebrows in confusion and worry at Maya's statement but decides not to question it.

"I thought it was a joke" Garcia says in the doorway of Maya's hospital room. Maya notices Garcia holding a tray of food that doesn't look appetizing and cringes at the sight of it.

"I hope that food isn't for me. I'm not eating that" Maya states before Garcia smiles brightly and rushes into the room, placing the tray down and walking to the side of Maya's bed until she was close enough to give her a gentle hug.

"Oh, I missed you so much" Garcia cheers as she kisses Maya's cheek lovingly, leaving some lipstick residue. "I missed you too, Garcia" Maya says, giving Garcia the same energy back.

"How's Reid?" Maya asks, the tone in her voice changing from happy to worry. "He's awake and it looks like he's going to just fine. I hope the same for you" Garcia says as she rubs Maya's shoulder, hoping for a smooth recovery.

"And Natalie?" Maya asks, roughly clearing her throat afterwards. "You know she's here?" Garcia asks as she looks to Derek who looks even more confused. "Uh, I seen her and Reid on the news like in the background" Maya confesses to which Garcia nods her head slowly.

"Well, she's fine. She's with Reid right now" Garcia answers as she grabs the tray of food, ready to leave the room.

"I'll, uh, tell her to stop by" Garcia reassures before exits the room, her heels clicking as she does so.

In the same hospital, Reid jokes about how he'll look like Boris Karloff once he's out of the hospital. Natalie chuckles as she looks towards the doorway of Reid's hospital room. "What's wrong?" Reid asks and Natalie sighs before rubbing her eyelids stressfully and putting her attention back on Reid.

"Nothing, I- Um, it's just-" Natalie stammers over her words before she feels Reid place his hand on top of hers as a sign of reassurance.

Natalie takes in a deep breath before exhaling, ready to finish her sentence. "Maya is down the hall and I wanted to see if she's awake but, I wanted to make sure you're ok-". "Wait, what?" Reid questions as he takes in what Natalie just said.

"Um, Oh! You don't know. Maya was in the diner and helped chase down preacher Mills. Mills shot her before JJ shot him" Natalie explains and Reid looks to Natalie worriedly.

Garcia enters the room, setting tray of food on top of the adjustable table in front of Reid's bed. "It's probably not good but, you need your calories" Garcia says as she moves the toys on the table out of the way, so Reid is able to reach his food.

"I went to see Maya, she's awake" Garcia informs and Natalie slightly widens her eyes in shock but happiness.

Natalie is about to leave to go see Maya until, "Natalie, also, please go help the team. I'm fine" Reid reassures and Natalie lets out an understanding sigh before she nods her head, willing to follow those directions and get back out into the field.

_____

Garcia discovers that the madam's mother has a first grader enrolled in school, which must be the kid. So maybe she was going to drive over to her mothers to grab the kid. It also turns out a year ago the old sheriff died in the hospital of a drug interaction, after being shot in a drug raid gone awry.

The team jumps to the conclusion that the sex workers witnessed the murder of the previous sheriff, which is why they all had to die.

The team is still sure that Anders, one of the officers, is out for Reid since Reid is the only one who survived the shooting besides Maya, which not many people know about.

_____

"I'm going to get some coffee" Derek informs before he leaves Maya in the room by herself, only she's not by herself until Natalie enters just a few seconds later. "Thought I would come see you before I went back to the team at the station" Natalie states as she walks closer to Maya's hospital bed, getting a better look at her.

"So... you're the one who replaced me?" Maya asks jokingly, leaving the sisters to laugh until it slowly died down. "I mean, who else would've?" Natalie asks, jokingly being cocky about 'taking' Maya's job. "Well, I'm glad it was you and no one else. I mean, I did consider you to Cruz" Maya shrugs and Natalie's jaw drop as she looks to Maya.

"What? No, you didn't" Natalie states, in disbelief.

"I did. I knew your smart ass had the credentials for both detective and agent so... I thought you'd put one of those credentials to use again" Maya says before Natalie gently but roughly nudges Maya's shoulder, making her slightly groan in pain.

"Careful, I had to tackle that man to the ground. It wasn't easy" Maya says as she gently rubs her shoulder, making Natalie laugh until her phone began ringing and it was a call from JJ. An important one.

_____

Meanwhile, Garcia puts Reid in a wheelchair and gets Reid's gun out of his personal effects, just in case. Moments later, Garcia pulls a hospital fire alarm and tries to escort Reid out amidst the ruckus while Natalie keeps her and Maya inside the hospital room with the lights off.

"Natalie, what the hell is going on?" Maya asks quietly, not sure how to react to this situation.

"Right now, we can't trust Texas PD and one of their officers is out to get Reid and we don't know if they're out to get you too. This is all so we can bring their justice system down" Natalie explains but not fully, still leaving Maya slightly confused.

In the hall, Derek comes up behind Garcia who is wheeling Reid out of the hospital along with a bunch of other people who are exiting as well. "Hey, do you-". "I know, baby girl. I got the call while I was getting coffee" Derek says as he watches their surroundings and reassuringly rubs Garcia's back as he walks by her and Reid's side.

____

Later, Anders catches on that the agents know about a man on the inside and with Diana's sons safely squirreled away, Diana finally talks.

Anders runs all kinds of crime and contraband through the pool hall, so he needs her alive. But she passively confirms that she and at least the first two serial killer victims witnessed the old sheriff's shooting. And a bunch of other cops at the station are corrupt as well, but not all of them, so Hotch and JJ are able to take Diana out of there.

Now, part of Anders' plan was overcomplicated and made it less likely for him to succeed. Diana says that Anders will want to clear all of his cash out of the junkyard he uses at the edge of town before fleeing, but Hotch thinks he'll arrange a distraction to make sure he gets away.

_____

After the alarm distraction, all the patients, workers, and visitors were now inside the hospital going back to their normal routines and what they were doing before. Hotch thought it was best if Derek and Natalie stay at the hospital since they still aren't sure if Maya and Reid are in the clear.

Anders's plan was ruined but that doesn't mean he isn't smart enough to make a new one right on the spot.

"This soup is disgusting" Maya voices as she places the spoon back into the bowl and refuses to eat the food. "It's hospital food. All of it is disgusting" Derek states as he drags the adjustable table away from Maya, happy that she even ate some of it because that means she's slowly regaining her strength back.

"How was it... in witness protection?" Derek asks and Maya sighs as she shrugs her shoulders, not really knowing how to respond to that. "Boring. Very, very boring" Maya answers, locking eyes with Derek which causes an immediate smile on her face.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you" Maya confesses as she looks down at Derek's hand that's on the side of her bed and swiftly places her hand in his just for the comfort of knowing he's there.

"I missed you... a lot. It was so hard having to say goodbye to you" Derek admits and gently rubs her thumb across the top of Derek's hand, happy to see him after all this time. These last few months have felt like years of them being apart.

There's just something about each other that they're scared to lose one another, because they know they would never be able to find this type of feeling with anyone else. This type of feeling being love...

_____

Later on, Natalie calls Hotch to let him know that Reid is fine, and they hang a lantern on the 'distraction' thing.

At the junkyard, there's a gunfight with Anders and his henchmen. JJ shoots the driver of the truck they're trying to escape with, and it turns out the precious cargo is... immigrants.

Why were they taking immigrants with them?

The fight continues but there can only be one winner and it wasn't going to be Anders. Hotch and Anders go at it in the junkyard and Hotch shoots him dead once he gets the upper hand. All the bad guys are gone... for now.

Case closed.

A COUPLE DAYS LATER

Reid and Maya are going to be okay. They both went into surgery and came out okay and now it was time to get back out there. Maya had a talk with the director and senate committee, and they agreed to take her out of witness protection and allow her to join the team again since Alex turned in her badge and has decided to resign from the team.

Sad goodbye but some people just can't take it.

A knock-on Reid's door makes him question but he answers it anyway and reveals it to be Natalie. "Hey" Natalie greets as she holds up a gift basket with all types of treats and household things.

"Hi, come in" Reid urges as he allows Natalie to enter, closing the door behind her.

Natalie stops and admires Reid's look, looking at the scar on his neck. "Wow, you do look like Boris Karloff" Natalie admires and Reid nods his head jokingly before Natalie sets the gift basket down on one of the side tables. "Why'd you come by? Not that I don't want you too" Reid questions and Natalie smiles at his intent to make her feel welcome.

"I wanted to tell you the news before anyone else did" Natalie confesses as she rest her hands in the back pocket of her jeans. "You're leaving, aren't you?" Reid asks, the tone in his voice sounding like he doesn't want to believe it himself but he's smarter than that. He always knows someone's next move.

"You really do know everything" Natalie jokes before she lets out a sad sigh. "I know I haven't been with the team long, but it was amazing while it lasted but... I think I remember why I stopped being an agent in the first place" Natalie shrugs.

"It's not because I'm not strong enough or I don't believe in myself but... I'm in more danger and the people I love, my friends and my family are in danger too. I mean, Olivia was kidnapped by her own mother" Natalie rants before Reid pulls her in for a hug. She didn't know how to explain the feeling she felt when his arms wrapped around her body. It felt right for both of them. And they both needed it.

Reid makes Natalie feel a way that can only be described as seeing sunlight after days of rain. She met him and he made her wonder why she ever thought she didn't deserve the world.

It was a short-lived feeling but that didn't mean it was over and she couldn't feel it with him again. There is still time, and they still have many years to go. They'll see each other again but right now... isn't the right time. It was time to say to say goodbye... for now.

_____

Meanwhile, Derek has allowed Maya to stay at his apartment with no hesitation. Maya was moving her stuff into the guest room when she realized she hadn't seen Derek in a while. She left the guest room and seen he was sitting on the couch. Maya decided to join him and seen he had a beer in his hand, but he hadn't taken a sip yet.

"Rough night?" Maya asks as she takes the beer out of Derek's hand and sips it herself before handing it right back.

"I just keep thinking about you getting shot. I was so scared that I was going to lose you again" Derek admits, unable to look Maya in the eyes. "I was just thinking about all of our moments together and I couldn't remember tell if I liked you the first moment I saw you, or if it was the second or third or fourth. But I remember the first moment I saw you-".

"I love you" Maya confesses, managing to get Derek to look at her with his dark brown eyes.

"It wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you like this. When I first met you I wouldn't have ever imagined myself with you. I wouldn't have imagined me even looking at you twice but it's happened. You mean more to me than I ever expected" Maya states as her eyes fill with tears that she refuses to let fall in the moment.

"You taught me a lot about love, even when you knew I couldn't give it to you and maybe I don't know what the future holds for us or even looks like, but I pray that you'll still be in it" Maya concludes and just when she's finished Derek places the palm of his hand on Maya's cheek and slowly leans in, placing his lips on hers.

There lips move in unison and the kiss is raw, mutual and passionate. Neither of them want to pull away from each other unless it's to take a breath and continue kissing again. Maya loved him because he took away the sadness other people caused. She fell for him because he saw the best version of her, even when she couldn't.

They both pulled away from the kiss and looked deeply into each other's eyes, not looking away for a second. "I hope this means I don't have to stay in the guest room" Maya jokes before Derek shakes his head, his laughter being low but genuine. "No, not at all" Derek insures as their laughter dies down.

"Oh, and I love you too" Derek confesses and Maya scoffs jokingly. "I would hope so. I mean, I did just pour my heart out" Maya says as she places the beer Derek has in his hand on the coffee table in front of them.

"Could you say everything you said all over again? I want to hear how amazing I am just one more time" Derek begs as Maya places her legs on each side of Derek while she sits on his lip.

"Someone's getting a little too confident" Maya jokes, her voice being soft as their faces move closer and closer to each other and then they did the simplest thing in the world. They both leaned in and kissed one another just one more time and it felt as if the world cracked open.

It's the connection you just can't explain...

"Souls tend to go back to who feels like home"
-N.R. Hart-