Nowhere was a great void facing them. A place in the world that didn't exist, that they didn't exist. Perhaps for the past few months they had lived outside of the world, sheltered in a place that was as much nowhere as that void. Another world where they had found peace and happiness if only for a short time.

Percy stiffened at Maggie's touch a physical pain slicing through him with her words. But he softened, his arms wrapping around her, holding her close to his chest so she couldn't see his tears. He wouldn't make this harder for her. He'd already done that enough in their lives. He wouldn't tell her he loved her, or how much he wished that child had lived, how much he wished their love had survived. It had lived, a short burst of a firework, the smoke lingering in the sky long after it was gone.

Kissing the top of her head Percy took a decisive step away from Maggie. His body ached to return to her, but instead he held himself steady. What did he say to her as it all crumbled away? How to make it easier for her when he couldn't say every phrase that he wished he could? How did he go on living his life as he had without her in it? How had he done it before?

Words stuck in his throat and before he could make it worse for either of them he put his hat back on and walked out the door.