All usual disclaimers apply.
*-~*
~*Flashback*~
Dwayne stirred lazily in the king size bed of the cabin where his family was staying at for vacation. As he did so, though, he realized that Dani was sleeping peacefully next to him as his arms held her protectively. With a small, lazy smile, he watched her sleep and heard as her breathing was soft and easy; a sign that she was in a deep sleep.
'God, she's beautiful.,' he thought, smiling.
The cabin was still and silent, an obvious sign that his little four year old boy was still asleep. If he were awake, the sound of cartoons would be heard from anywhere in the cabin, or he would have jumped in bed with them. Heh, in short, Dani would be wide awake by now. But everyone was asleep except for him.
He wasn't alone, though, even if he was the only one awake. His wife was there, in his arms, and his son was in the room across the hall from them. They were all safe.
Everything was perfect.
As he watched Dani sleep, he was doing all he could to not kiss her: if he did that she'd surely wake up, and she needed to sleep. Besides, she looked too peaceful to wake up. Very gently, however, he caressed her cheek before, gently, brushing her hair away from her face; tucking it behind her ear.
Suddenly, Dwayne saw how a small smile started to slowly spread itself across her face. She was awake, and feeling how her husband kept caressing her cheek with his thumb. Dwayne, at this, kissed her cheek softly before kissing her lips very lightly to gently wake her up from her sleep. Once she opened her eyes, he smiled at her and kissed her again. "I love you."
Dani smiled and kissed his cheek after kissing him back each time. "I love you too, sweetie." Snuggling close to him as he held her protectively, she smiled up at him. "How long have you been awake for?"
Kissing her forehead, Dwayne smiled and said, "Long enough to know that I've never loved you more."
Sharing another kiss, they held each other closer to each other. When they had gotten married, they had been in love with each other. In fact, neither of them knew that they could ever love anyone so much. And now. Now they loved each other more than before. Pulling back slightly, Dani smiled and kissed him again before resting her head on his shoulder as Dwayne held her around her waist. "I love it here, Dwayne. I wish we could stay here longer."
With a small smile, Dwayne kissed the top of her head before holding her closer. "I know, baby, I want to stay longer too. I have to go to work, though."
"Yeah, I know. But.that storm is starting today, remember? We can't be driving in that weather."
Dwayne sighed, resting his cheek gently on the top of her head. "We'll be fine, Dani, really. I'll drive really carefully, and nothing will happen. Everything will be ok; I promise. You believe me.?"
Nodding, Dani grinned slightly and kissed his cheek. "Of course, Dwayne. That's not even a question." She brought a hand up to his hair and gently started to pass her fingers along his hair, knowing that he loved that. She noticed how Dwayne grinned and buried his face in the crook of her neck, and, also grinning, she held the back of his neck with her other hand. She loved him so much. Whenever she just saw him or heard his voice, she could feel how her heart did a full flip and the so-called 'butterflies' would start fluttering in her stomach. Every time they held each other, she felt so complete. It was something so indescribable that it was hard to fathom. That, however, was what she loved about loving him. It was something that thrilled her, something that nothing would ever end, that she adored the feeling. "Dwayne.?"
Dwayne turned to her, smiling. Caressing her cheek gently, he kept holding her with his other arm. "Yeah, sweetheart?"
"We'll always be together.right.?"
Taken aback by the question, Dwayne looked at her in surprise. What had brought that question up? But he knew that they would always be together. That nothing would ever separate them from each other. Smiling reassuringly, he nodded. "Yeah, honey. We will always be together. Nothing could ever separate us. Ever." Kissing her again, Dwayne pulled back only very slightly to touch her stomach gently, grinning. "Besides.we could never leave our children alone."
Laughing lightly, Dani kissed his lips before snuggling close to him again. "We don't know if I'm pregnant."
Grinning, Dwayne wrapped his arms around her waist. "Ah, you will be soon. Because our little Alex needs a little sister."
They both laughed before they kissed each other, still holding each other. Neither of them knew what was going to happen, and neither of them knew if Dani was truly pregnant.
And neither of them knew what was going to happen later tonight.
~ ~ ~
Waking with a start, Dwayne looked around, breathing heavily and his breathing shaky. He didn't know how or when he had fallen asleep, but now he wished that he hadn't. That was the exact reason why he didn't want to sleep anymore. Dani had been there. He could still feel her in his arms. He could still feel her warmth and the easiness in her breath. He could still feel her hair in his hands. How her warm skin felt under his touch.
How his hand could still feel how it had touched her stomach, in the hope that a little baby girl was growing there.
Shaking his head, he got out of bed as quickly as he could, stumbling as he tried to get away from the bed. When he got to the wall, he leaned against it, feeling his tears falling down his cheeks and how powerless he felt. How scared 'The Rock' felt. How grief felt like it was ripping his heart apart.
"Ah," he heard someone say again. It was the same voice. "Had a dream of your family, did you? I thought you had made 'improvement'."
Startled, Dwayne turned to the corner of the room where the voice was. Shaking his head, he slid down to the floor. "Leave me alone. Leave me alone."
The voice kept talking. "You *do* know you could put an end to your misery, right? It's really easy. All you have to do won't take long. And all you have to use is ready for you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Go to your dresser."
Hesitating, Dwayne stood up and walked to his dresser slowly, feeling how his tears wouldn't stop falling. When he got to the dresser, he saw how something was shining. It seemed like the moonlight was giving him the answer to his problems. The key to end the puzzle was there, waiting for him. The blade of a pair of scissors laid there, motionless on top of the dresser. As he looked at them, he frowned slightly; not knowing how they had gotten there. Turning to the corner of the room where the shadow had been, he saw how, once again, it was gone. The voice wasn't there urging him to pick it up. Now it was up to him.
All he had to do was pick it up.
*-~*
~*Flashback*~
Dwayne stirred lazily in the king size bed of the cabin where his family was staying at for vacation. As he did so, though, he realized that Dani was sleeping peacefully next to him as his arms held her protectively. With a small, lazy smile, he watched her sleep and heard as her breathing was soft and easy; a sign that she was in a deep sleep.
'God, she's beautiful.,' he thought, smiling.
The cabin was still and silent, an obvious sign that his little four year old boy was still asleep. If he were awake, the sound of cartoons would be heard from anywhere in the cabin, or he would have jumped in bed with them. Heh, in short, Dani would be wide awake by now. But everyone was asleep except for him.
He wasn't alone, though, even if he was the only one awake. His wife was there, in his arms, and his son was in the room across the hall from them. They were all safe.
Everything was perfect.
As he watched Dani sleep, he was doing all he could to not kiss her: if he did that she'd surely wake up, and she needed to sleep. Besides, she looked too peaceful to wake up. Very gently, however, he caressed her cheek before, gently, brushing her hair away from her face; tucking it behind her ear.
Suddenly, Dwayne saw how a small smile started to slowly spread itself across her face. She was awake, and feeling how her husband kept caressing her cheek with his thumb. Dwayne, at this, kissed her cheek softly before kissing her lips very lightly to gently wake her up from her sleep. Once she opened her eyes, he smiled at her and kissed her again. "I love you."
Dani smiled and kissed his cheek after kissing him back each time. "I love you too, sweetie." Snuggling close to him as he held her protectively, she smiled up at him. "How long have you been awake for?"
Kissing her forehead, Dwayne smiled and said, "Long enough to know that I've never loved you more."
Sharing another kiss, they held each other closer to each other. When they had gotten married, they had been in love with each other. In fact, neither of them knew that they could ever love anyone so much. And now. Now they loved each other more than before. Pulling back slightly, Dani smiled and kissed him again before resting her head on his shoulder as Dwayne held her around her waist. "I love it here, Dwayne. I wish we could stay here longer."
With a small smile, Dwayne kissed the top of her head before holding her closer. "I know, baby, I want to stay longer too. I have to go to work, though."
"Yeah, I know. But.that storm is starting today, remember? We can't be driving in that weather."
Dwayne sighed, resting his cheek gently on the top of her head. "We'll be fine, Dani, really. I'll drive really carefully, and nothing will happen. Everything will be ok; I promise. You believe me.?"
Nodding, Dani grinned slightly and kissed his cheek. "Of course, Dwayne. That's not even a question." She brought a hand up to his hair and gently started to pass her fingers along his hair, knowing that he loved that. She noticed how Dwayne grinned and buried his face in the crook of her neck, and, also grinning, she held the back of his neck with her other hand. She loved him so much. Whenever she just saw him or heard his voice, she could feel how her heart did a full flip and the so-called 'butterflies' would start fluttering in her stomach. Every time they held each other, she felt so complete. It was something so indescribable that it was hard to fathom. That, however, was what she loved about loving him. It was something that thrilled her, something that nothing would ever end, that she adored the feeling. "Dwayne.?"
Dwayne turned to her, smiling. Caressing her cheek gently, he kept holding her with his other arm. "Yeah, sweetheart?"
"We'll always be together.right.?"
Taken aback by the question, Dwayne looked at her in surprise. What had brought that question up? But he knew that they would always be together. That nothing would ever separate them from each other. Smiling reassuringly, he nodded. "Yeah, honey. We will always be together. Nothing could ever separate us. Ever." Kissing her again, Dwayne pulled back only very slightly to touch her stomach gently, grinning. "Besides.we could never leave our children alone."
Laughing lightly, Dani kissed his lips before snuggling close to him again. "We don't know if I'm pregnant."
Grinning, Dwayne wrapped his arms around her waist. "Ah, you will be soon. Because our little Alex needs a little sister."
They both laughed before they kissed each other, still holding each other. Neither of them knew what was going to happen, and neither of them knew if Dani was truly pregnant.
And neither of them knew what was going to happen later tonight.
~ ~ ~
Waking with a start, Dwayne looked around, breathing heavily and his breathing shaky. He didn't know how or when he had fallen asleep, but now he wished that he hadn't. That was the exact reason why he didn't want to sleep anymore. Dani had been there. He could still feel her in his arms. He could still feel her warmth and the easiness in her breath. He could still feel her hair in his hands. How her warm skin felt under his touch.
How his hand could still feel how it had touched her stomach, in the hope that a little baby girl was growing there.
Shaking his head, he got out of bed as quickly as he could, stumbling as he tried to get away from the bed. When he got to the wall, he leaned against it, feeling his tears falling down his cheeks and how powerless he felt. How scared 'The Rock' felt. How grief felt like it was ripping his heart apart.
"Ah," he heard someone say again. It was the same voice. "Had a dream of your family, did you? I thought you had made 'improvement'."
Startled, Dwayne turned to the corner of the room where the voice was. Shaking his head, he slid down to the floor. "Leave me alone. Leave me alone."
The voice kept talking. "You *do* know you could put an end to your misery, right? It's really easy. All you have to do won't take long. And all you have to use is ready for you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Go to your dresser."
Hesitating, Dwayne stood up and walked to his dresser slowly, feeling how his tears wouldn't stop falling. When he got to the dresser, he saw how something was shining. It seemed like the moonlight was giving him the answer to his problems. The key to end the puzzle was there, waiting for him. The blade of a pair of scissors laid there, motionless on top of the dresser. As he looked at them, he frowned slightly; not knowing how they had gotten there. Turning to the corner of the room where the shadow had been, he saw how, once again, it was gone. The voice wasn't there urging him to pick it up. Now it was up to him.
All he had to do was pick it up.
