"Name Three Things"

Emma awakened with a shake, clutching a cover to her chest. She let her gaze wander about in the dark, then found Dean sleeping on the floor to her right.

Her stare drifted up to the old brown ceiling. She took a deep breath while recalling her dream.

As a flurry of visions began filling her head, Emma's gaze softened, and her eyes fluttered closed. It wasn't long before a certain thought crossed her mind. I want my daughters back.

Emma sat beside Dean on the thick wet sand, settling her eyes on the morning sky.

"So," he said, clapping his hands with a grin. "What's on your mind today?"

Emma chuckled, licking her lips. "I realize that there's something we've never asked each other. It's probably a little late to do this now, but we might as well."

"All ears," he replied, nudging his shoulder against hers.

"You know that famous question about being stranded on an island, right? The one that people use when they're trying to learn what you like?"

Dean shrugged, looking rather playful. "What question is that?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "You know what I'm talking about," she insisted. "Let's say you're having a conversation with someone, and they ask you to name three things you'd want with you if you were stuck on an island."

Dean flashed a quick little grin. "So we're playing that game now?"

"Yeah we are," she teased. "What would your answer be?"

Dean stroked his chin, thinking back on the past. He paused to recall his most valued possessions. As a number of memories came to him, his grin began fading, and his voice went low. "I…" Dean fell quiet, trying to find the right words.

Emma began to notice a shift in his mood. He seemed a bit less pleasant than he was before. She leaned back and placed a hand on her knee, letting him know she was ready to listen.

"Before we came here, I actually did have three favorite things," he remembered. "My car, my surfboard, and my headphones."

Emma nodded, rubbing her shin. "Why were those things your favorites?"

Dean made a slight frown. "Back then, there were times when I didn't really want to be around anyone — and those things provided a means of escape. I could drive to a cliff, and be all by myself. I could go out in the ocean, and be completely alone. Or I could turn the volume up, and make the world go away."

Emma began imagining each of these things. She pictured Dean by himself in those private moments, which left her feeling a little disturbed. She knew that Dean wasn't simply a loner back then. He was a boy who'd been locked in a quiet depression.

"But it's like I said," he continued, "those were my three favorite things as a teen. I wouldn't want any of those things right now — not for the same reasons anyway. I'm not a guy who isolates himself like that anymore." He smiled at Emma and wrapped an arm around her. "Thanks to a certain girl."

Emma grinned back, leaning her head against him.

"So what about you?" he wondered. "If you were on a deserted island — which you happen to be — what three things would you choose?"

Emma turned her gaze to the watery horizon. Her eyes softened a little as she spoke again. "Right now, I wouldn't choose three things, I would choose three people."

"Who?"

"You and our daughters," she answered. "The girls from my dreams."

Dean lifted an eyebrow, recalling their recent discussions. They'd grown rather curious about parenthood lately, but Emma appeared to be incapable of having a child.

He lowered his voice to a gentle whisper. "Are you getting sad about your condition again?"

"No," she murmured, holding his hand.

"Because we're not even sure that you have one, Em."

Emma made a half smile.

"If we had the option right now," Dean said, "maybe we'd try adopting a kid."

Her face brightened a bit. "That would probably be nice," she replied. "I mean, I'd prefer to give birth to a son or a daughter who's a part of us both, but…" Her words trailed off, and she shook her head. "We should probably stop dreaming about this. Sorry I keep bringing it up. I know we resolved it a little while ago."

"It's okay," he said. "You can talk about it as much as you need to." He knew that Emma was a pretty emotional person. Certain issues, like the ones in her family, tended to stick with her for a while.

Emma let a deep breath come and go, then looked Dean straight in the eyes and smiled. "Whether we have a baby or not, I'm happy to have you," she reminded him.

"I'm happy to have you too."

Both knew that the other was aware of this. They just liked saying it from time to time.

Emma recalled the famous question from earlier: What would you want most if you were stuck on an island?

"About that question," she said, "it's interesting that people are supposed to name three things — because I know I can narrow it down to just one."

Dean wore a curious grin. "And that one thing is…?"

"The bond that we've created," Emma warmly said. "Island or no island, our bond is the constant that I wouldn't want to live without."

Dean drew Emma closer. "Me neither."

Emma brushed a hand along Dean's arm, then nuzzled against him as they cuddled together.