Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Roseanne was jerked awake by the persistent knocking at her door. She shot up, her heart racing, sure someone was at her doorstep.

"Who's there?" she called out, caution heavy in her voice.

With Owen burning the midnight oil at the lab, she was on her own. If a burglar was at her door, she had no one to back her up.

The knocking paused for a moment, but the visitor remained silent.

Seeing that Roseanne wasn't budging, they resumed their knocking.

"If you won't speak, I'm not opening up."

"...Anne." Murray's voice came through, laced with a weary chuckle.

She was as stubborn as ever.

"...What do you want?" At the sound of his voice, Roseanne couldn't help but frown.

"Let me in. We need to talk. I promise I won't do anything. If it makes you feel better, leave the door ajar..."

"There's nothing between us worth discussing." Roseanne cut him off, clearly unwilling to open the door.

Despite his repeated knocks and pleas, she ignored him completely.

patient today, persisting in his knocking even as Roseanne, fresh from her shower, picked up her phone in frustration. "Hello, officer? There's someone incessantly knocking

Peace at last...

lay down to

prepared a hearty breakfast of pancakes and bacon, dressed, and headed

there for the next couple of days,

to dodge Murray's potential knocks, and partly to really

before the

birds with one

she stepped out, darting out from the nearby alley to block her path. Roseanne was

her, his face a mask

sleepless night

under his once

at Roseanne was a mix of love, resentment, frustration, and

getting a lecture on civic duty. Happy now?"

enough to give the illusion he was

eyes calm, betraying no emotion: "First off, I wasn't playing a game; you truly were bothering me. Secondly, your 'education' was because of your disturbance in the

didn't you open

never open my

I who don't know you?! What about the past six years?" "You said it