"I forgive you."

With those words, as fast as the maelstrom had appeared, it withdrew, leaving Nick on the floor, curled in a ball and shaking from the intensity.

Katya looked at him, if had been in his body, he would have been bruised and bloody, almost battered beyond recognition. She could tell what he had been through had shaken him to the core. He was so weak he could barely move. She saw him try to get up, only to collapse to the floor again as his shaking arms couldn't support him.

He whimpered and Brian's head whipped in his direction, "Nick? Is that you?"

Nick tried to raise his head, but couldn't. His voice was weak and hoarse as he talked, "Y..yes."

Brian squeezed his eyes shut, willing the tears not to fall. "I wish I could see you."

Nick managed to pull himself up from the floor a little, "No you don't, I look pretty bad right now. But Brian you can if you really want to. You just have to see."

Brian kept his eyes closed and concentrated on Nick. On the sound of his voice, the friendship he had with him, on his desire to see him. He opened his eyes and looked over the room. It was as if he had opened his eyes for the first time. The flashes of light that he had always seen around people for as far back as he could remember were now staying.

He looked in wonderment at his band mates who were sleeping a few feet away. Each of them had a halo of light around them. It blew his mind. He turned to look at his friend's body on the bed and saw that he had no light. But why was that? Did it mean that Nick couldn't come back? Did it mean his friend was dead?

He heard a whimper and looked down on the floor beside his chair. There was a heap of pure light. Looking more closely, Brian saw that the light was in the shape of Nick. He reached his hand out tentatively, reaching for Nick's shaking shoulder. A startled gasp left his lips as his hand went right through his friend.

Nick moaned as Brian's hand passed through him, the sound of his blood moving and his pulse throbbing filling Nick in the split second it took for the hand to pass through his illuminated form. He lifted his head and met Brian's eyes, "I'm so sorry, Brian. I'm so sorry." He slumped back to the floor, too weak to hold himself up any longer.

Brian fell to his knees on the floor by Nick's spirit in a panic, trying to pick him up, to hold him, to help him in some way, but he couldn't get a hold on him.

Katya watched. Nick was getting weaker. He needed to go back or soon he wouldn't have the strength to. She slid down from where she had perched herself and silently treaded over to where Nick and Brian were. She crouched on the other side of Nick, opposite of Brian.

Brian seemed to notice her for the first time and his mouth fell open. She reached over to him and concentrated on making contact with his solid flesh. Her hand slowly slid his jaw closed. Without a word to him, she looked down at the shaking form between them and lifted Nick's head until he was looking at her, "You need to go back now. Any longer and you'll be too weak."

Nick looked at her and nodded, "How?"

She placed his head on her lap again and stroked his hair, "Just close your eyes and concentrate on being back in your body. Just have the desire to be there and you will be. You just have to concentrate on being in your body. Not on the beach, not in any other place, only your body."

He nodded weakly, "What if I get lost?"

She brushed a wayward strand of hair off his forehead, she'd miss this. It had been so long since she had touched anyone and now he was going and bringing touch with him. She truly would miss it. "Focus on something. Something in your body or a sound that you can only hear through the ears of your body, something you can only feel with your skin."

Nick sighed softly, "Brian?"

Brian looked down at him, "Yah Nick? I'm still here."

Nick sat up with help from Katya, "Sing for me. Hold my hand and sing for me. I'll follow your voice. Please Brain, I'm so scared of getting lost."

A tear slid from Brian's eye and made a trail down his cheek, "Ok Nick, you just come back alright? When you do, I'm going to hug you so hard that they are gonna have to keep you an extra day to recover."

Nick smiled a little, "I think I need to go now. I...don't feel so well."

Brian and Katya watched as his light seemed to be flickering a little. They met eyes and Katya held tighter to Nick as Brian sat back up on the chair and held the lifeless hand in his, "Ok Nick, now." Brian closed his eyes and started to sing.

Somewhere there's a river looking for a stream Somewhere there's a dreamer looking for a dream Somewhere there's a drifter trying to find his way Somewhere someone's waiting to hear someone say

I believe in you, I can't even count the way that I believe in you And all I want to do is help you to Believe in you

Nick looked up at Katya and she smiled down at him, "I'll still be here. Just believe you can hear me and you will. Believe you can see me and you will."

That seemed to settle his mind and he closed his eyes and concentrated on Brian's sweet voice singing softly in the room. He knew that Brian was trying to give him support and strength, meaning every word he was singing.

Somewhere there's an angel trying to earn it's wings Somewhere there's a silent voice Learning how to sing Some of us can't move ahead We're paralyzed with fear And everybody's listening But we all need to hear

Katya closed her eyes and willed all her strength to Nick, as if her will alone could get him back to where he belonged. She felt Nick starting to shift in her arms and opened her eyes just in time to see him looking up at her as he faded away.

I believe in you I can't even count the ways that I believe in you And all I want to do is help you to Believe in you

I will hold you up I will help you stand I will comfort you when you need a friend I will be the voice that's calling out

Nick felt himself travelling for what seemed like miles and miles, a whooshing sound filling his ears as he seemed to go so fast that he almost felt like he was free falling. Still he concentrated on Brian's voice, knowing that it would get him where he needed to go. Brian had never let him down, he knew that he wouldn't start now.

The wind in his ear faded as he came to a stop and warmth cocooned him and the steady beat of his own heart provided back beat to Brian's singing. He knew he was back in his own body. It felt different after having no body at all. He now knew what Katya meant about babies crying because they weren't used to having a shell. He felt like crying himself. After the freedom, this felt paralyzing. But the thought of what he'd done to everyone who loved him cemented in his mind that he had made the right decision. He laid there, listening to Brian's voice, listening to the words he was singing.

I believe in you I can't even count the ways that I believe in you And all I want to do is show you I believe in you And there are just so many ways that I believe in you What else can I do but believe in you? All I want to know is if you Believe in you.

As Brian's voice faded, he felt a movement on his hand and opened his eyes. He saw the clear blue eyes of Nick's looking back at him.

Without a word between them. Brian scooped Nick into his arms and crushed him in his embrace, his shoulders heaving with silent sobs. Nick held onto Brian just as tight and felt the tears sliding down his own cheeks. He lifted his head just enough to whisper two words in Brian's ear.

"Thank you."

*song used is Believe In You - Amanda Marshall ~from the CD Tuesday's Child*