May 1, 2032
Michael was thrown into the cell like a garbage sack. He certainly did feel like garbage after the beating he had received at the hands of Billy. He crawled towards one of the walls and just sank against it. He began to nurse the injuries he had received and realized how much he really hurt.
"You came back?"
Michael froze. Elena? He heard her voice right behind his left ear from the wall clear as the pain he felt. For a second, he couldn't see where the voice came from because of the shadows that were thrown from the lantern outside but he soon spotted the hole in the wall.
Elena was on the other side in her cell with Sidra sleeping in her lap. She had been brushing the little girl's hair thinking about him. Now he was on the other side though none of them could see each other.
"Well, yes, of course." Michael replied still surprised. "You continue to surprise me, Michael."
Michael wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Thanks, I guess…"
"What you did was stupid." she said yet Michael could sense the appreciation in her voice. Indeed, she did say it with a smile on her face.
"It was the only thing I knew I had to do. I don't regret it."
"You could still run away, you know," she continued. "You've got the powers."
"You know, I actually haven't thought of that," said Michael temporarily forgetting the pain. "What do you suggest I do?"
"How about you bash your head in there with something?" "All I see is the toilet."
"How about you drown yourself in there?"
"I think the smell would kill me before I tried that."
They shared a hearty laugh and Michael felt himself relax. He had been so tense about meeting her not knowing how it would go but it seemed to be going well now.
"So, you weren't lying then, huh?" said Elena. "About you not knowing you were a respawner."
"I wasn't. I had no idea and I still have no memories before the night you found me."
There was a brief silence and Michael found himself being really tense. He wanted to apologize to her about that incident with Chuck and yet found himself overthinking it. The silence was becoming uncomfortably long too until he just blurted it out.
"I'm really sorry, Elena, about everything that happened with Chuck. I just didn't know that you guys had a history and… it just was really bad timing. I'm so sorry."
Elena accepted his apology. After all that she'd been through, it seemed to her that all that was behind them. She was going through too much to even bother about it. "It's fine. I was just really angry at him. He and I weren't really on the best of terms…"
She didn't say anymore and although Michael was curious, he didn't push the topic anymore. He was just glad that she had accepted his apology.
They both exchanged their accounts of what had happened since their capture. Elena did not mention the incident of attempted rape on her (the thought of it just made her stomach churn) and Michael left out his encounters with Rose (the memory of it was still fresh and it both hurt and embarrassed him). Elena, too, knew that the deal Michael had made with Billy was a trap.
"There is no way he's going to let us free, especially you. Your powers are too valuable for him to let go of. There's definitely a catch to this. Either way, you've got no choice."
"You think I should go for it?" asked Michael. He hoped somehow Elena would disagree.
"Let me remind you, Michael," said Elena bluntly. "They are not people. They are monsters. The world would be better off without them."
Michael sighed. "Well, they certainly LOOK like people and that just makes it difficult." "I understand. But if I was in your position, I would go for it."