The morning air carried the sound of her sobs to the shadows where he kept watch.  Her sorrow, deep and heartfelt, was not lessened by all the years which had passed.

There's a thousand words that I could say
To make you come home
Seems so long ago you walked away
And left me alone
And I remember what you said to me
You were acting so strange
And maybe I was too blind to see
That you needed a change

Stefan watched her as she stood before the simple marker.  Both her hands were filled with flowers which she slowly bent and placed upon the immaculately kept grave.  With no regard for her elegant Dolce & Gabbana outfit, she sank gracefully to the ground beside the grave.

Was it something I said, to make you turn away
To make you walk out and leave me cold?
If I could just find a way
To make it so that you were right here
Right now

Slender fingers reached out to trace the carved marble.  The distance could not hide their tremors from Stefan’s fervent gaze.  It had been exactly a year since he’d last looked upon her.  Though bittersweet, the sight of her now was like manna from heaven to his tear-filled eyes.

I've been sittin' here
Can't get you off mind
I try my best to be a man and be strong
I drove myself insane
Wishing I could touch your face (touch your face)
But the truth remains you're gone
(You're) gone
(Baby, you're) gone
(Girl, you're gone...baby girl, you're)
Gone
(You're) gone
(You're...)

“I led you to this.”  Her choked words wafted back to Stefan.  “As surely as a lamb to the slaughter, I led you to this.  Because I trusted him, you let your guard down.  Because I loved him, you gave him the benefit of the doubt. ” 

Now I don't wanna make excuses, baby
Won't change the fact that your gone (no, no)
But if there's something that I could do
Won't you please let me know?
The time is passing so slowly now
Guess, that's my life without you
(Guess, that's my life without you)
And maybe I could change my every day
But, baby, I don't want to

‘Because I loved him…’  The words cut Stefan with the ease of a scalpel.  He hated hearing them even as he relished the sound of them.  Here, in this solemn place, was his only chance to hear her confirm that their love once existed.

I'll just hang around and find some things to do
To take my mind off missing you (take my mind off missing you)
And I know in my heart you can't say that you don't love me, too
Please, say you do
Yeah...

Stefan’s heart bled as he watched her place a tender kiss upon the cool marble.  She whispered her goodbyes and rose gracefully to her feet.  Once again, as every year, she turned unerringly to the shadows where he stood.  And just waited . . . for something his very soul cried out to give her.  But could not.

I've been sittin here (sitin' here)
Can't get you off mind (get you off my mind)
I try my best to be a man and be strong
(My best to be a man and be strong)
I drove myself insane
Wishing I could touch your face
(Wishing I could touch your face)
But the truth remains
(Truth remains you're)
Gone
(You're) gone
(You're) gone
(You're gone)
(You're) gone
(You're) gone

A flash of memory . . .

“Did you?”

Stefan stood a mere breath away from her, but the distance between them seemed like an eternity.  “Is  your love for me so weak that I have to say the words?”

“Is your sense of pride,” she countered  sadly, “so strong that you won’t?”

What will I do
If I can't be with you?
Tell me where will I turn to
Baby, who will I be?
Now that we are apart
Am I still in your heart?
Baby, why don't you see
That I need you here with me
Ohh...

He should have . . . That was the hell of it all.  If he had to go back and do it over, Stefan didn’t know that anything would change.  For the last six years he had reviewed it over and over in his mind.  There was nothing that could change.

“Damn you!”  Stefan softly cursed as he looked down upon the grave at his feet.

“Can you help?” 

By the time he had come to Stefan for help it was too late.  His grand scheme to topple the empire had gone awry, and now, instead of riches and independence, all that faced him was murder charges, prison and shame.  Not to mention the fall of a business dynasty.

And so Stefan had done the only thing he could.  Because he loved her.

I've been sittin here (sitin' here)
Can't get you off mind (can't get you off mind)
I try my best to be a man and be strong
(My best to be a man)
I drove myself insane
Wishing I could touch your face
(Touch you, baby)
But the truth remains
(The truth remains you're gone)

The news of his unexpected and unforeseen takeover had rocked the business world.  Beneath the immense distractions that his takeover provided, Stefan was able to cover all tracks of the disastrous plan that had gotten him involved in the first place.  Behind the angry words and bitter accusations of people he’d once coexisted peacefully with lay a secret that would have destroyed the woman he loved.  Her hero had tried to conquer his world, and failed.  He had thrown his lot in with Helena and suffered the consequences. 

In the end, the guilt had been too much for him.

I've been sittin here (sitin' here)
Can't get you off mind (can't get you off mind)
I try my best to be a man and be strong
(My best to be a man)
I drove myself insane (ohh)
Wishing I could touch your face (ohh)
But the truth remains
(Ohh...baby, the truth is you're)

Justus Ward

Beloved Brother

At least Faith would never know the truth about her hero.  She would never know that Justus had closed his eyes as Helena brought about Edward Quartermaine’s death.  She would never know that the brother she idolized had so completely lost his way in his quest to take what the Quartermaines would not willingly give.

Instead, she would spend the rest of her life believing that Stefan had betrayed them both.

It was a price he paid.  Because he loved her.

Gone
(You're) gone
(You're) gone
(You're gone)
(Baby girl, you're) Gone
(You're) gone
But the truth remains you're...