Their fingers twined together, an incredibly intimate act for a mesmer and the fact that Mark held his hands to comfort him meant a great deal to him. It allowed him to take in a deep breath and articulate his feelings more clearly. "I wasn't kidding when I said it, I don't know... I don't think I'm strong enough to do this without you."

It took an incredible effort to swallow, but he managed it following a deep breath. "You're always with me," he repeated as he brought those hands to his mouth and kissed them. "Always with me." The harder he concentrated on that, the more real they felt. "Make me promise, love. Make me promise that I won't give up. We won't give up, no matter what happens."