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Chapter Twenty-Five

When she opened her eyes again she was back in that cell from before. This time she was not alone though. She could feel another presence behind her. She slowly turned onto her other side and came face to face with Thomas.

This was Thomas now and he looked far worse than when she had seen him earlier. "Tommy!" she whisper-yelled. She scooted over so she could cup his face and check for any more serious injuries.

He groaned and eased one eye open. "Claire?"

"Yes, love, it's me. I'm here," she said as he stroked his face.

"What are you doing back here?" he asked.

She shook her head and let one small sob be pulled from her body. "I'm not here, Tommy. This is a dream." The realization had hit her only seconds ago. This is what the gypsy had been talking about all those weeks ago. She hadn't had any dreams in what felt like so long she had almost forgotten.

Becoming more alert now, Tommy moved to sit up more. "A dream? What are you on about?"

She shook her head some more. "Nothing, love. Are you alright? You look terrible."

Tommy looked at her. "I'll be okay. How's Margaret?"

Claire smiled. "Good. Wonderful. I have a nephew."

"That's great," Tommy said smiling and then quickly winced as he had split his lip open again.

Claire touched a finger to it, "Careful, dear. You're bleeding."

Without thinking, Tommy leaned into the hand that Claire had rested on his face to inspect his cut mouth. He closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy the feeling. She studied his face to try and figure out what he was thinking.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked.

He flashed his eyes open. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm ready to leave though."

She sighed. "And you will as soon as you wake up."

He scrunched his eyes at her. "I am awake, Claire. Are you feeling alright?"

She smiled at him this time. "You're not awake though, I promise you. It just feels like you are."

"You're talking nonsense, Claire."

"Says the man that uses oil for horses and black powder to heal his sicknesses," she teased.

He only stared at her trying to see if she was joking or not. Finally, he shook his own head. "You're not making any sense."

"You'll understand soon," she said.

He raised a hand to her face. "Whatever you say." His face became puzzled again. "How did you get in here?" Claire only smiled at him. "Claire," he said becoming somewhat annoyed.

"I've told you, Thomas. You're dreaming. I'm dreaming. Our dreams have tangled together. If you don't believe me, ask the gypsy."

He tilted his head in confusion. "The gypsy?"

"Nadia," she answered. "I went to see her after I had a dream similar to this one some time ago."

"What dream?" he asked.

"It was a memory, really, but, yes. It was a dream where I woke up beside you in my old room. We were kids again. You had snuck up through my window the night before and stayed with me. You woke up and said –"

Tommy finished her sentence, "'You smell like lavender flowers.' I remember. I had that same dream. It was the night before I saw you for the first time at the pub."

"Exactly," she said and smiled again. "We were together then like we are now."

"I don't believe it," he said, his voice sounding breathless. Nothing surprised him, but this. This was doing the impossible.

"Why not? You believe in curses and omens. You believe in old remedies and the craft. At least you used to."

"But this is something that I can see and touch," he said as he reached out a hand to stroke her arm in proof.

Claire looked at his outstretched hand resting on her arm. "Yes, but that's all in your mind. I'm not actually here. I'm asleep at the hospital. And you're in this dreadful cell beaten and in pain."

"I don't feel any pain now."

"That's because you don't feel pain when you're asleep."

"Then I don't want to wake," he said as he continued to rub her arm with more feeling now.

"I'm afraid we must. You need medical attention and I don't know what became of my brother's."

"They're okay. Campbell kept them in their cells. He spent all of his time with me."

"I can see that," she said giving him a once over again.

"As for medical attention, I'll just take some of that oil for horses and black powder you mentioned earlier and that will fix me right up."

She chuckled. "We'll see about that."

The room began to sway slowly. "What's going on?" Tommy asked.

"I believe one of us or both of us are waking up," Claire answered.

"What will happen?"

"Polly and I will be on our way as soon I get up to come get you and the boys. We'll be here quick as lightning."

"Alright." And before she disappeared from his view, he leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

Claire woke with a hand on her lips. Blinking her eyes slowly, she sat up. Had she imagined that last part or did Thomas really just kiss her?

There was only one way to find out. With that, she got up and went in search of Polly, passing a window where she could see the sun creeping it's slow ascent over the horizon.