Reflections 2

By: Karmyn

Rated: PG

Summery: Steed contemplates his future with Emma.

Disclaimer: Not mine, never have been, never will be.

Note: This one was planned before Reflections, but Emma demanded her story be told first. Now

I've managed to nail this one down again. For any of you who may be wondering what ever

happened to "Righting Wrongs", it's still resting, pining for the fjords. I've got something

planned in another fandom and then maybe I'll get back to it.

Feedback: Of course. You know where to find me.

I knew I was in a hospital before I even opened my eyes. When you've been in as many as

I have, you develop a sixth sense about such things. They all smell the same, disinfectant, with an

underlying odor of blood and death. No matter how often they clean, they can never get rid of

that lingering metallic odor of death. But I was still alive. Somehow I had survived another

impossible case, but was I safe? In my weakened state I could very easily have fallen into the

hands of the enemy. Perhaps they were just keeping me alive to torture me.

This place was familiar, very familiar. The Ministry Clinic. I had spend more time here

than I cared to. And I wasn't alone. I could feel a soft hand on mine, smell the subtle scent of

perfume, one I hadn't smelled in three years. I opened my eyes and for a moment I was sure I was

dreaming. Emma? Was she really here? "Emma?" I managed to say. She smiled and touched my

face. No wedding ring. Could it be true? I had heard that she and Peter had divorced, but never

heard all the details. Perhaps no one wanted me to get my hopes up.

My Emma, the only woman I ever really loved. She was back. "Letter?" I asked. My

throat was terribly dry and it hurt to talk. I needed a drink, preferably brandy, but there was none

available at the moment. There was some water on the table beside my bed, but I couldn't reach

it. Emma handed me a cup of water. There are times I swear that woman could read my mind.

Something I loved about her.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I got your letter. That's why I'm here."

I loved her still and maybe, just maybe we had another chance. The years without her had

been so lonely. There had been other women, but none had ever meant as much to me as Emma

had. Relationships never lasted long and were never as fulfilling. It was just sex, nothing more.

But it had never been like that with Emma. I really did love her, even if I had never told her until

I sent her that letter. The biggest mistake of my life was letting her walk out the door three years

earlier.

But she was back now. She stayed with me until the doctor made her leave. We didn't

talk much although I'm sure we both had plenty we wanted to say. It was nice just being with her

again. She kissed my cheek before she left and promised to be back the next day. I slept better

knowing I would see her again.

That night I had a dream unlike any I had ever had before. I usually don't remember my

dreams, but this one seemed different, special somehow. I was standing at the altar of a church

and Emma was standing beside me. In the pews I saw some of my family and friends seated, my

brothers and sisters with their families. This was some special occasion, but what was it? The

vicar appeared, carrying a bundle which I quickly realized was a baby. Then I noticed the

baptismal font. So this was a baptism. Who was this child? Was this some strange prophetic

dream or just wishful thinking? As the vicar approached, I got a good look at the baby. It looked

somewhat familiar and I realized the baby reminded me of my own self at that age. Then it

opened it's eyes and I saw they were brown, the same warm brown as Emma's. This was our

child being baptized.

I remembered the dream the next morning, but said nothing about it to Emma. Saying

something about it would jinx it, make it never have a possibility of coming true. We talked of

other things, of our lives the last three years and of our love. We knew we had been given a

second chance and this time we would make things right. This time I would not let her go.

I was released from the hospital two days later and Emma helped me out. She came with

me to my flat and made me lunch. After we finished eating she tried to get me to go upstairs to

rest but I had other ideas.

"You and I have some unfinished business," I told her. Then I gently took her face in my

hands and kissed her. I didn't get a nap that afternoon, but we sure had fun.

The End.