Goodnight

************************************************************

Goodnight, sleep tightNo more tearsIn the morning I'll be hereAnd when we say goodnight,

*********************************************************************

I sat there twirling a piece of my darling Maggie's hair around my finger mindlessly, watching the sun disappear behind the trees. I sighed, entranced in my thoughts. As I reached a corner of my mind that I wished wasn't there, my track of thought was broken by Maggie's voice. She was talking in her sleep. I smiled and listened.

"You can't take him. Don't take him" She yelled, crying. She was still asleep. I panicked. I was startled at her outburst and fell off the bed with a rather loud 'thump'. This was enough to make her stir. She sniffled but otherwise stayed asleep.

"Don't go. I need you, Delos." She whimpered. My chest hurt and my eyes stung, I wish I could tell her that I was here, that nothing would happen to her, not ever again. It killed me (metaphorically of course) that I couldn't. I don't know how she would feel. Probably anger. Sigh. She rolled back over on her side, not facing me. I stroked her hair soothingly. She quieted down a bit.

"Why did you have to leave?" Was the last thing she whispered before she settled down and stopped rolling. Tears were streaking down her otherwise pale face, silver in the moon's white light. I felt a tear roll down my own cheek but did nothing to stop it. I missed her. I missed her so much. I wanted to be able to talk to her, to kiss her, to hug her, even an argument was better than this. I had never in my life hurt this much. I searched her dreams. No, nightmares. The only people were her, Miles, Jeanne, Arcadia, and myself. We were in a field. The dream was cut off. She was crying again. I thought she would open her eyes.

"Maggie. Are you awake?" I asked really low. More silver tears.

"Is it really you, Delos?" She still had her eyes closed tight, but it was obvious she was awake.

"Yes, it's me." I answered. She opened her eyes.

"It really is you." She hugged me close. I hugged her back.

"But, but you're dead." She choked through her tears.

"Technically yes, I did die. But the problem is, I didn't stay dead. Only in the daylight am I actually a ghost. During the night, I am as real as you." I explained as her cries turned to hiccups.

"I knew it. I could always sense you, but I thought I was insane." She said almost sheepishly.

************************************************************

Dry your eyesBecause we said goodnight,And not goodbyeWe said goodnightAnd not goodbye

*********************************************************************

"You aren't insane, Maggie. I've been here all along. Now please dry your eyes." I gently pulled away. She nodded and used the hem of her night gown to dry her eyes.

"I love you." She said softly. I smiled at her.

"You complete me." I told her.

"How," She took a deep, shaky breath, "Are you, you know, alive?" She vaguely gestured to my body.

"I'm not alive, just here." I told her nonchalantly. I shrugged my shoulders. The way she looked at me then almost made me afraid. The rage in her eyes overcome shock, happiness, sadness, everything. She smacked my arm.

"You should have told me you were sort of alive." She sobbed, falling into my chest crying.

"You told me goodbye." She whispered when her cries came to a stop.

"And yet, I meant goodnight."

"You mean it, you're not going to leave me again?" She asked, kind of squeakily.

"Sweetheart, I never really left." I consoled.

"Promise me you won't leave." She mumbled.

"I never did."

"Just promise me!"

"Okay, Shhh, I promise. I'll never leave, even if my afterlife depends on it."

"Thank you."

"It's alright now. You can sleep without nightmares can't you?" I was wary because I was afraid she would cry out in her sleep again.

"Yeah."

"Okay then, goodnight, darling." I gently kissed her forehead as she crawled back under the covers.

"Goodnight, Delos." She yawned. Then she fell back to sleep with a smile on her face.