Chapter 10: Time Will Change Your Heart

Light seemed to pound at his closed eyelids, the purest form of luminescence floating through everything. He didn't know where he was, but he did know that wherever it was, he didn't want to leave.

Is this heaven? he thought.

Slowly, ever so slowly, his eyes cracked open, wincing slightly at the blinding whiteness come at him. He tried to bring his left arm up, so as to rub his eyes, but found it to be trapped under something.

He instead lifted his right hand, rubbed away the sleep that lingered in his eyes, and looked over to see what was pinning his arm.

What it was nearly took his breath away.

It was Evie.

She was lying there, snug against his side, arms wrapped around him. A single lock of her soft, dark curls lay on her face – her breathing was soft and easy, predictable from one who lay in an untroubled sleep.

He looked down at her face, realization dawning on him like the morning sun.

This wasn't heaven.

But it was as close to it as he would ever experience on Earth.

He leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. He didn't want to wake her; instead, he wrapped his left arm around her and brought her closer.

This was pure joy – nothing could ever surpass the happiness that flooded through his heart.

He looked down at the sleeping figure lying in his embrace.

He never told her (or anyone, for that matter) this, but he loved watching her sleep. Her beautiful face so relaxed, so untroubled...she was so at peace, and that instantly calmed whatever fears he had in his heart.

He looked back out the window, his eyes now adjusted to handle the sunlight pouring into their bedroom. It was a beautiful day – the sun was slowly rising, casting a million sparkles on the water of the lake behind their house, lending light to places where only darkness reigned.

He felt her stir slightly next to him...He watched as her gorgeous hazel eyes cracked open, then blinked softly a few times, her long lashes brushing her soft skin.

And then, she turned her eyes towards him. Her breathing seemed to grow heavier, and slightly faster. Her grip on him tightened as she tried to squeeze even closer to his muscular body. He could see unused tears begin to sparkle in her eyes.

Softly, she spoke.

"I...I thought that it was all a dream.....You coming back...I thought that it didn't really happen..."

The tears rolled slowly from her eyes, their soft trails left on her face. Rick, close to tears himself, reached down to her and wiped away the tears with his thumb.

In the blink of an eye, she reached up and held his hand to her face. It was as if she let go, he would disappear, back into shadow.

She let herself be hugged by him; she rested her head on his chest, her arms still wrapped around him, tears continuing to fall on his skin.

"I'm so happy you're back..."

If possible, her embrace upon him tightened.

"I'm never letting you go..."

Those words let loose the tears in his eyes. To think that she loved him enough to be so protective of him caused him such happiness that his insides hurt.

He still blamed himself for not being there when she needed him most. He didn't think that he would ever forgive himself for that...

...But now, it didn't seem to matter. They were back together, two halves to the whole again. And, slowly, the chasm that had breached by their sudden separation was beginning to heal.

Their love for each other was bringing them back to what they once knew.

He could feel her shaking slightly – he felt like doing the same, but now, he was determined to make up for his absence...He would be there to comfort her every fear, no matter where she may be.

"I'm here sweetheart, always. I'll never leave your side again."

More tears ran down his face, just as they did on her's.

He meant; he meant every syllable. There was nothing, absolutely nothing that would ever take him from her again. He knew it, felt it deep within himself.

She looked up at, eyes tearstained.

"Promise...?" she asked, her sweet voice dripping with anguish.

It hurt him inside to hear her in pain like that...but he pushed through it, through the pain that still lay with him. He nodded, blinking back his own tears.

She leaned up, her hold on his torso never lessening. She brought herself even closer to him, and kissed him.

Their emotions poured through one another, racing through their combined souls at an insurmountable pace.

Their love for one another placed this kind of connection between them – they could share their entire beings as only twin souls can.

Their time for healing had come – neither knew how long the process would last, but neither truly cared...as long as they each had the other by their side.

~{:*:}~

For Evie, it was incredibly difficult for her to understand the emotions running through...She didn't think that she could possibly describe them, should anyone be so inclined to ask.

The greatest one present, though, was fear – she could definitely feel that.

It was indescribable...to have him here, in her arms again, safe only because she would let nothing happen to him...

...And yet, through all that, the ever-black shroud of fear was descendant upon her. She could feel it, constantly, like a deathly cloud, always threatening to choke the life out of her.

She didn't understand why it was there – by all indications, it shouldn't be there. She had her husband here, next to her again...her son and her brother were safe...everything was just as it should be...

And yet, there was this incessant tingling in her heart, a warning that everything wasn't just as it should be...

She had truly had a dream, the first night they had spent together again. She had seen him lying on a pillar, deathly pale and unmoving. Slowly, she had walked over to him and laid a hand on his cheek...

...Before her eyes, he had disappeared, his eyes just beginning to open. Then, as he had come into full consciousness, he fell away, back into darkness, screaming her name and reaching for her.

She tried and tried to reach back for him, tears falling from her eyes, his name being cried from deep within her. But it was all to no avail...He fell further and further away, eventually falling out of sight.

She had slumped to the ground, familiar anguish tearing at her heart.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

And then she had awoke, her face damp from tears spilt, her breathing heavy.

Quickly, she had looked over to her right...

...And he was there, breathing softly, his hand interlocked with hers. The anguish in her heart quickly morphed into what is known as "happy sadness." She cried again, cried for the fact that the pain she had experienced had been remedied, cried because now, she was whole again.

Scooting closer to him, she tried to wrap him with her arms, desperate to act as though she were one with him. Now that he was back, she couldn't get enough of him – of feeling him in her arms, of seeing his face, of hearing his voice...

And now, suddenly, she began to realize where the fear was coming from.

...No one but her husband would ever truly understand what being ripped from the other half of her soul was like. It had left scars deep within her; scars that she wasn't sure could ever be healed.

*       *      *

Now, the fear had subsided a little. She lay here, basking in the morning sunlight, sharing an embrace with her husband.

Looking back up at him, she began to realize just how much she loved this man. She couldn't describe it, not in the words of men, anyway...

...Come to think of it, she wasn't sure if the tongue of the angels would be adequate enough to describe the feelings they shared for each other. It was that powerful, that all-encompassing...something that envelops an individual into itself and never lets go...

But, as she saw it, the greatest fact was that this love had brought them back to one another...It had been a prayer answered, a bridge to cross the canyon of loneliness and despair that had, once upon a time, run through them both.

And now, as they lay there, comfortable as they held each other...

...Everything seemed to be right once again.

Silently, Evie thanked whatever spirit lay above her. To be sure, she had thrown many curses at it since that day at Ahm-Shere. But now, it seemed that she had a lot to be thankful for...

She knew it, knew that she was grateful for it all. If she said a prayer of thanks every single day for the rest of her life, it would not be nearly enough gratitude for what had been returned to her.

But for now, she resolved to remain in his arms, thankful every single second that they had come back to each other.

And now, as life had returned to its normalcy, she vowed to spend every day showing her thankfulness, no matter what.

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A/N: Okay, this chapter is pretty pointless – it doesn't advance the story WHATSOEVER, it just lollygags around. It was meant, however, to cure me of some writer's block (after all, I haven't posted for this story in like a month – many sincere apologies – so I guess it served its purpose to get me back in the swing of things).

I think the next chapter will be the last; maybe an epilogue after that. I just think that I'm losing the ability to evoke emotion with this story. Believe me, it's been a lot of fun, but fun things can't go on forever...

Oh well, no sense thinking about that now. I shall see you all next chapter (which should be A LOT sooner, now that school's done).

Please review if you have a moment – I love hearing you guys; you're like family to me!

Adieu!

*Bachy A*

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