Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize aren't mine and neither is the world they live in

A/N: This is the last part of Dreams. Yeah, I know it has an open ending, but like the others I promise that I will finish it. I think I need to re-work the way I've got things organized. Sorry for the long lag in update time, but my computer has been out of comission. But, it works now so we're back in business!

And, on to the story...

Kaeli turned to face the wall. She couldn't believe that Kiree was saying. Donnovan? It wasn't possible. He was killed in the fire all those years ago. And if he wasn't dead, why did he wait until now to show up? If he truly loved her, what caused him to run away? "Because he probably thought that you were long dead," Kiree answered her thoughts.

"I hate it when you do that," Kaeli said softly.

"Do what? I've known what you were thinking since we were children. It's not a vamp thing, its a twin thing."

Kaeli sighed. "Not that, have a logical answer that is most likely correct."

"What can I say? I'm just that good," Kiree replied with a grin. Kaeli surprised herself by smiling as well.

"I just..." Kaeli trailed off. Her thoughts were a mess, chasing each other through her mind and not making any sense. "I've mourned him. I've moved on. And now I'm supposed to smile and act like nothing ever happened? Like my life is the same? I can't and I won't. Tristin changed everything. I'm not Kaitlyn anymore and I can never be her again. Even if I could, why would I want to be that helpless?" She wanted to bury herself in the pillows and pretend that Donnovan was still only a memory.

"No, you're not supposed to act like nothing has happened. You've both been through a lot. Donnovan might act like nothing's changed, but I think he's a little whacked. Our quiet little poet has become a circus freak."

"You've got to be kidding," Kaeli couldn't picture that.

Kiree laughed. "When I went into Alexia's room he was standing on his head and trying to walk on his hands. It was rather amusing."

Kaeli finally turned to face her sister. "I can only imagine."

After nearly three years of traveling with Tristin , Karianna and Kaitlyn find themselves in America. They cannot not believe their luck. Everything is going perfectly: they are happy, Tristin never asks for anything in return for his generosity, and they have seen many new places and things. Tristin enters the room where the girls are sleeping with a servant behind him. The little man carries two big boxes, which Tristin gives to the girls. They open the boxes to reveal fine dresses. Karianna's is a deep blue and Kaitlyn's is a rich green. Their eyes meet over the gowns. How could Tristin have known about these colors? Instead of asking, they jump up to thank Tristin and hug him. He smiles and leaves them to dress. The servant follows him out of the room.

"Do you think he would notice if we switched dresses? I don't know that I can wear this color again," Kaitlyn asks. To this day, emerald green reminds her of the day she was given to Donnovan and nearly tears her apart.

Karianna has the same sentiments as her sister. Sapphire blue is too painful of a color to wear. "I wish we could, but I have a feeling he would notice. He seems to know more than he should."

This is the first time that they voice their concerns about their companion. They want to trust him for all the good that he has done, but there is something unnatural about Tristin. His alabaster skin is flawless such than any woman would kill to have his complexion; his eyes are not merely a dark hue, they are black as a moon less night; and he moves with a grace that mere humans do not normally possess. Each girl dons her dress, but all joy is gone from them. Tristin does not notice when he returns to escort them to an unknown destination. The same servant that carried the dresses stands by the carriage to help the ladies in. Another man waits inside. Kaitlyn sits beside him. Like Tristin, there is something unusual about this man. He is of black hair and eyes but his skin has a golden glow to it as if he has seen too much sun. "Good evening," he says with a hypnotic voice. Kaitlyn cannot take her eyes off of him. Karianna, who sits beside Tristin, appears to besotted with their traveling companion. His arm is around her shoulders as she leans against his body. Their behavior borders on inappropriate, but Kaitlyn has seemingly lost all inhibitions as she allows a stranger to kiss her. Neither girl notices that they arrive at their destination until the carriage door opens to a brightly lit mansion.

Many of the guests at the fĂȘte move in a stupor; they act in ways unbecoming of themselves. They did not care. Though there is no alcohol, they are acting like drunken fools. Kaitlyn allows Tristin's friend to pull her away from the crowd to an upstairs room. She cannot think of anything but him. "Tell me your name," she asks huskily when they stop before a closed door.

"Do you really need to know?" He replies, one hand cups her face and the other rests on the doorknob. Kaitlyn does not reply as he kisses her again. The door opens at a touch to a bedroom. The door closes silently. No sounds are heard from within.

Karianna is still at the party, unaware that her sister has gone missing. Tristin has gone to speak to someone else, but she is not alone. A striking young woman commands Karianna's attention. The woman had introduced herself as Suzanne. Her hip length hair is somewhere between pink and red, entirely unnatural. Her ivory bodice is cut low enough as to almost expose her nipples and the wide skirts to the dress match her hair color perfectly. The flippant tone to which she relays some anecdote is irresistible to Karianna. It doesn't cross her mind that she should not be attracted to a woman, and even more specifically to this woman. They do not even leave the room. A alcove suits Suzanne's intentions as well as a secluded room. No one bothers the later unconscious Karianna.

Kaeli apprehensively brought herself to Alexia's bedroom, she really wasn't sure that she was ready to face Donnovan again. "KAITLYN! My beloved! My Katie!" There wasn't any time to duck away from the vaguely familiar blur launching itself in her direction. "I've missed you so! Why did you leave me?" It wailed, attaching itself about her neck.

"Donnovan? Is it really you?"

He stopped sobbing into her shoulder and looked at her. "Why wouldn't it be?" His tone was quizzical and there was no evidence of his tears. He looked like a confused child. There was something odd about him.

Before anyone else in the room could say anything she brought them back to her appartment. Shoving everything off the bed, she set Donnovan on the edge of it. Emotions that she refused to consider lurked just below a calm exterior. "What has happened to you?" She asked softly.

Cocking his head to one side, Donnovan replied, "What do you mean? Nothing has 'happened' to me. I haven't changed since we were married seven years ago." He shook his head as he spoke, his brown curls swaying lightly.

"Donnovan, beloved, it has been nearly five-hundred years since we were married. You were killed in a fire seven years after we were married."

"No, no," he interrupted. "The Dark Man came and took me from the fire. He saved my life. He took me to his house and treated my burns and then... Well, I don't really remember anything until I found Alexia in Kari's kitchen wiating for me. And Kari went to get you. And now we can be together again! The Dark Man told me that you were dead, but I did not believe him. I knew that you were still alive!"

There was an innocent hope in his eyes that nearly broke Kaeli's heart to see. "Who is the Dark Man, beloved?" She felt rather much like she was interrogating a child.

"He never told me his name. I had gotten a burn on my neck so he lanced the wound with two needles while I slept to relieve some of the infection and gave me some thickened wine to drink and I slept. And then I was here." He grinned broadly revealing elongated canines.

Kaeli wanted to cry. Oh my sweet Donnovan! What did they do to you? She set her hands on his shoulders and pushed into his mind. Someone had erected very strong walls about his memories. She battered her way through them and into his life for the past five-hundred years. Gasping, she dropped her hands. Donnovan's face held a much different expression. "No! That's not me!" He cried. "I didn't do those awful things!"

Kaeli forced him to unconsciousness and returned to Kiree's side. "I need your help."

Kiree jumped at the sudden presence. "What is it?"

"He had blocked his memories since the fire. Kiree, it's awful! He was going insane and I think I might have just pushed him over the edge. I don't know what to do."

"Take me to him," Kiree said, taking her sister's hand. They returned to Donnovan and Kiree probed his thoughts for herself. "Oh dear. This is going to take a lot of work to help him. Are you sure that you want to? After all, he just flipped everything upside-down for you."

"I wish I could be as detached as you sometimes. I don't want to do this just because it's Donnovan. I can't leave him like that. It's my fault the barriers came down and I refuse to just make him ignorant again. He would remember in time anyway. We can't leave him like this, it's too dangerous. He would probably revert to old habits. If we can keep him from killing more, shouldn't we?" Kaeli knelt by Donnovan's stilled body.

"I can't say no. We need to take him somewhere that he can't hurt anyone if he lashes out or gets loose. But first, I need to tell Alexia that I'll be gone." Kiree disappeared without waiting for Kaeli to reply.

Alexia wasn't quite sure what to make of all that had happened. Gabriel had proposed, Donnovan had made a mess of their lives for a few days, and her aunts had taken him somewhere to try and heal him. Now the wedding was put off indefinitely because Alexia refused to get married without her aunts there. At least her The Crucible had gotten off without a hitch. Now all she had left with school was to graduate and that was two mere weeks away. "Hey kiddo, how's it going?" Jarius asked from the kitchen door. Alexia had laying across the chair, staring into space. She'd forgotten he was there. Since Kiree had left last week, he'd still been staying at the house. Alexia couldn't figure out if he was doing it because Kiree had asked him to or just because he liked the company. Either way, she wasn't complaining. He was really nice and she enjoyed spending time with him when she could. It was almost like having a father around.

"Just doing some thinking."

"Want to go bowling?" He grinned mischievously.

Alexia couldn't help but laugh. "Bowling?"

"Hey, if Gabriel can do it, so can I," he acted all puffed-up.

"Alrighty," she jumped up from the chair. "Lemme get some shoes and we'll go."

A bright summer day in a sunny field. A crowd gathered expectantly. Soft music is playing. A beautiful young woman stands at the end of the aisle with her beloved waiting at the altar...

Alexia woke from her dream with a grin. She couldn't wait for that to happen. "Soon," she told herself.

Alrighty, that's all folks! Don't forget to review to give me inspiration! Thankies much!