He got up, half expecting Ally to stop him. He got to the door and let out a soft sigh.

“Larry,” She called after him.

He turned myself around, his eyes brimming with hope.

“The day I met you, I knew that you’d either make me or break me. Now I know which one you had planned all along.”

He turned away, closing the door lightly. He heard a small thud from inside the office labeled A. McBeal. “You can always count on Ally to bang her head.” he smiled softly. He stepped into the elevator. He didn’t want to hurt her… He was doing the right thing.

“You never know what you have until you lose it.” Larry read aloud from his fortune cookie. He looked up at his lunch date.

“Well… I guess you’ll have to know earlier.” Jamie smiled at him.

He was in Detroit, and it had been one very long month since he has seen or heard from Ally. He realized how true the fortune was. He had always known that he was lucky with Ally, but he had never truly realized that she meant everything to him. He had thought that he could live without her, but as the days wore on, he realized that he was slipping deeper and deeper into a hole that he was digging himself into.

“I do know.” He said, taking her arm across the table. She smiled happily back at him, not noticing the pain in his eyes.

“God he is cute.” Jamie thought to herself. “And he’s all mine.”

Ally walked slowly back to her apartment, alone again. She walked with her head down while she shuffled her feet along slowly. A man bumped into her from the side, pushing her into an alley.

“I’m so sorry! Are you alright?” The man asked quietly.

Before Ally could answer, a hand clamped down over her mouth, stifling her scream. The man that had bumped into her shushed her, and checked to see that no one was around.

“We won’t hurt you, just as long as your boyfriend doesn’t take the case against Rodney Wilkinson. We’ll be watching you and Larry.” He said as they ran away.

“Larry?” Ally thought. She hadn’t heard his name for over a month. Suddenly, it came to her. “What? Me and Larry?” She yelled into the darkness.

She walked trembling back to her apartment, and bolted the door once she was in. She walked over to the phone, and looked at the receiver, remembering the many times she had dialed his number and hung up before anyone had picked up. She dialed the familiar number and listened to the ringing. She would have usually hung up by now, but she had to be strong. It had rung three times before anyone picked up.

“Hello?” A woman’s voice asked.

Ally gasped to herself. Could she have been dialing the wrong number all this time?

“Hello?” She asked again.

“Jamie? Honey, who is it?” She heard a man’s voice ask in the background.

‘Larry. It’s Larry.’ Ally thought to herself. ‘And Jamie.’

“I don’t know… no one’s answering.” Jamie said.

“Here, let me.” Larry said taking the phone. “Hello?”

Ally tried to calm herself down. Larry and Jamie… Larry and Jamie…

“I hear someone breathing.” Larry said.

Ally pulled her mouth further away. She wanted to hang up, but she wanted to hear his voice. She found her hand frozen.

“Okay. Nice talking to you.” Larry said.

“Wait.”

‘Oh my god. Did I just say that?” Ally said to herself.

“Who’s there?” Larry asked. There was a slight pause, and then quickly “Ally?”

Ally slammed down the phone and backed up quickly, falling over her armchair, and lying in a heap on the ground.

The phone began to ring, and Ally groaned, not wanting to move. The answering machine picked up and Larry’s voice came on.

“I just got this really weird phone call. This person hung up… and I uh, well I called the operator to get me the number of the last person who called, and this is it. Ally… I know you’re there. Is there anything that you need?” There was a slight pause, then he continued. “Listen, I’m really sorry I haven’t called you it’s just been too hard, you know? And it was just too hard for me to… you know I can’t”

“Handle goodbyes” Ally said with him. She began to sob, and she heard the door open.

“Renee? So you think you could give me a minute?” Ally asked.

A man came around the corner, and Ally jumped up in surprise, knocking over her lamp.

She ran quickly to the phone and picked it up.

“If you don’t leave right this second, I will call the police.” Ally said, her voice quivering.

“Ally?” Larry asked.

Ally screamed and dropped the phone in surprise, she had forgotten about Larry.

The man started moving towards her, his hand outstretched towards her.

“Please go away.” Ally sobbed hysterically. “I’ll get you what you want.”

“Ally? Ally are you okay?” Larry’s voice yelled through the phone receiver, which lay on the floor.

“Who’s that?’ The man snarled menacingly.

“Larry” Ally said, shrinking away. The man grabbed her by the shoulders and led her to the phone, where he picked it up.

“Hello?” The man asked into the phone.

“Wh-Who’s this?” Larry asked, sounding as scared as Ally looked.

“I’m assuming she’s talked to you about our deal.” He said.

“What deal?” Larry asked trying to calm himself.

“You know what I mean. Do it or she dies.” He said as he dropped the phone and left the apartment, leaving Ally sobbing hysterically.

“Ally? Talk to me! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Larry asked frantically.

Ally kept on sobbing for a minute before she picked the phone up.

“H-hi” Ally tried to keep her voice steady.

“Thank god Ally! Are you okay?” Larry asked gently.

“Yeah I think so.”

“What deal?” Larry asked.

“Sweetie, we’re late. Our reservations are for 8:00!” Jamie said to him loudly, as Larry tried to cover up the receiver.

Ally got a strange look over her face, and hung up violently. She went to the hallway, locked the door again, and went to lie down on her bed. She assumed Renee had a date, or she would have been home earlier. The phone began to ring insistently, as Ally burrowed her head under her pillow. She knew that she had made a mistake, but she was frustrated. There were 3 men chasing after her, and she didn’t need Larry on top of all of her problems. She would call him and leave him a message. The trial was on Friday. She still had three days.

When she woke up the next morning, she was alone again. She went to check her messages, and saw that she had nine new ones. She pressed play, and began to listen.

“Ally? Ally pick up now! You’re in danger you have to talk to me.” After a minute of silence she heard a click.

“Pick up Ally. That was just Jamie and we were going for a casual dinner to talk about Sam’s progress in school, and how he’s doing. There is nothing going on. Ally, please. If you are in trouble I have to know. I want to help you. Pick up please.” After another moments silence there was another click.

“Hey Ally. It’s Renee. I hooked up with a guy named Jason, and I’m staying over at his place tonight. See you tomorrow!”

Ally listened absent mindedly to the next few messages, and looked into the mirror. Her hair was uncombed and mangled, her eyes were a bloodshot red, and her pajama bottoms were on backwards. She sighed heavily and went into the kitchen when she heard a key slide into the door. Someone was having trouble opening the door. She grabbed a frying pan from the kitchen. She hovered beside the door, waiting for it to open. When the person finally got the key in, it started to open slowly. She raised the pan and got ready to hit the person.

“Ally?” A mans voice said.

Ally dropped the pan. It was Larry. He turned around when he heard the pan drop, and hugged her tightly. She was afraid to let go, so she just clung onto him as tightly as she could. She breathed in his familiar scent and began to cry. God, she had missed this.

“Shh… It’s okay. I’m here. I’m back” Larry said comfortingly before he started to cry himself.

It was hours later before Ally spoke up about her problem. They had just sat on the couch, making small talk and speaking uncomfortably.

“Ally. I can’t stand this.” Larry said suddenly, breaking the long silence.

“What?” Ally asked.

“This silence!” He answered, frustrated.

“What? Is it my fault that you left me with a goddamn note again?” Ally yelled at him. “Is it also my fault that I loved you more then anything in the world and you broke my heart? Is it my fault that you haven’t called me in the past 2 months? Is it my fault that I’m going to get killed because of your stupid trial?” Ally asked and immediately shut her mouth.

“What?” Larry asked incredulously.

“Nothing.” Ally mumbled quietly.

“What did you say?” Larry asked in the same tone.

“You know… I think it’s time for you to leave.” Ally said standing up and walking to the door.

“Ally. Answer me. You’re in danger. What’s going on.” Larry asked again.

“If you take the case against Rodney Wilkinson they’re gonna kill me.” Ally mumbled in her hands.

Larry stood there with a blank statement on his face.

“Wow.” Ally thought. “Larry Paul is speechless.”

“I uh- huh. I gotta- I have to- I gotta –can I use your phone?” Larry stammered.

Ally nodded her head, and left him alone in the living room. She went to her bedroom while Larry looked after her with his haunting eyes.

The tears started falling again, silently, as she lay down on her bed and wrapped herself around her teddy bear. Not a minute later, Larry appeared at her door, and watched her. She looked like a little girl who needed the support of her parents. Her back was turned to him, and he gazed at her intently.

“Ally.” He whispered. “It’s done. It’s gone”

Ally nodded her head ever so slightly.

“I’m so sorry. I just-I thought I was doing the best thing by leaving you then. What if I’d left after we were married? Okay… not where I was going.” Larry shook his head.

“Okay.” Ally said simply.

“Please talk to me Ally.” Larry’s voice cracked.

Ally shook her head and turned around. “I’d like you to leave. You’ve caused me enough pain as it is.”

“I don’t want to leave.” Larry protested.

“Fine.” Ally said standing up. “I’ll leave myself.” She walked past Larry and out the door, leaving him standing there, stunned.

When Ally came home hours later, she found Larry sitting at her piano, playing a song.

She stopped short, and dropped her coat on the floor.

“I asked you to leave.” She said coldly.

“No, you said you’d leave yourself.” Larry said.

“Well-I… hmm.” Ally started to speak.

Larry smiled one of his half smiles. He knew that they made her melt. All he got in response was a cold stare. He looked down at the floor and began to sing the song he had written for her months ago.

“Chances are you’ll find me
Somewhere on your road tonight.
Seems I always end up passing by
Ever since I’ve known you, it just seems you’re on the way.
All the rules of logic, don’t apply.”

Larry glanced up briefly at Ally, and saw that she now looked hurt more then amused. He stood up and walked over to her.

“Ally. I never wanted to hurt you as much as I did. I love you, and I realized that I couldn’t live with out you. Despite what you may think, you’re still my life, my everything. If I could take it all back I would. I just want to hear you talk to me. Tell me that you don’t hate me, because Ally, I missed you so much, and you are my it. You are the one, and if you walk away now, then that might be it.” Larry’s voice broke.

Ally sighed and looked up at his eyes, which didn’t sparkle as much as they used to. He took his glasses off and wiped them on his tie, a sign that he was nervous.

“I don’t want to say yes.” She answered as his face fell. His eyes started to cloud over when she added tearfully “But I can’t say no.”

He smiled slightly through his tears, and hugged her. She hugged him back with as much ferocity as he put into it. He had missed holding his Ally. Ally let go and looked back up at him. He smiled and pushed her hair out of her face. She noticed that his eyes were shining. Not from the tears, but the sparkle was back. Their life was back.

“Are you gong to leave me again?” Ally asked.

“I would never. I wouldn’t be able to live with out you for another day.” Larry said as their noses touched.

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

He leaned in and kissed her slowly and tenderly, wrapping his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and ran her hands through his hair. It was all behind them. It was time for a new beginning.