Chapter 13: Must be dreaming

Bella PoV

Dream Sequence

And still I kept falling…

The parade of faceless people began again. First it was man, he had a calming demeanor about him, but something tickled at the edges of the calm, an almost electric curiosity.

Then there was a girl who looked as cold as frost felt, but it didn't feel like an empty cold, it felt more like a guarded fortress like cold, protected.

She was followed a boy, he seemed quiet and calculated, though he seemed further away than the others, as if he was merely an observer to whatever was happening.

Next was a spritely girl, she was much shorter than anyone I had seen thus far, she seemed to bounce on the balls of her feet, perhaps she was excited about something.

Then there was a woman, like the woman with chestnut hair from earlier in this falling, but not the same.

Just when I thought surely, I would be falling forever, the falling stopped. I landed, not quite gracefully in the arms of another of the faceless strangers who had passed by me in my descent to wherever I had now ended up. This boy, though faceless felt familiar, yet I couldn't say I knew him. I felt at ease in his arms, which confused me, I couldn't recall ever having been in the arms of any boy, let alone held fully off the ground like this.

A trail of light appeared before the boy's feet and we began to move, rather swiftly, following the glowing path. He carried me as if I weighed nothing and began to ascend towards the clouds. He set me down on a fluffy cloud and I wish for nothing more than to be in his arms again, but all too soon he had vanished. I could feel his absence the moment he left, and it concerned me, did I even know this boy?

My mind was racing a million miles a second over the feelings I was having for a faceless stranger, nevertheless as I lay on the clouds, I entered a dreamless slumber.

Edward PoV

As Alice and I made our way out of mother's room we practically raced our way back to Marie, and to Carlisle. We made it to my door at the same moment, bumping shoulders as we attempted to enter through the doorway at the same time. We were both eager to get an update on Marie and to inform Carlisle that mother wanted to speak with him.

Carlisle looked up as Alice and I attempted to push our way through the doorway at the same time. We must have looked ridiculous because I could see the laughter in his eyes even as he tried to stifle the chuckle that was rising in his throat. He swiftly brought his index finger up to his lips to quiet so as not to wake Marie.

I conceded and allowed Alice to enter first, following swiftly on her heels. She immediately darted back to her previous position beside Marie and left me to speak with Carlisle. She of course would be listening, and though I longed to care for Marie the way Alice could, propriety said otherwise.

"How did your talk with your mother go Edward?" Carlisle asked while glancing from Marie to the door.

"Ahem…" I cleared my throat, "It was good, I suppose. Mother seemed to be rather well informed already." I said cutting my eye to Carlisle.

Now it was his turn to clear his throat, he appeared sheepish, as though he hadn't expected to be caught. Within a moment his demeanor changed, he seemed to grow taller and more stoic. The Dr. was in.

"How was her cough?" He asked and calculations seemed to dance in his eyes, though I could also see the care and admiration in them.

"She only had one bad fit while we sat with her, it was wonderful Carlisle!" Alice beamed at a whisper from her place beside Marie. Her expression turned melancholic, "Is it bad that I'm afraid to allow myself to hope?"

Carlisle turned to Alice and his expression softened. We were extremely lucky to have gained a man such as him as a stepfather. He truly did care for Alice, Rose, and I as if we were his own children.

"No, my dear, though I personally find that it is never bad to hope. While our hopes may not always come true, without them life becomes stagnant and miserable."

He turned his attention to me once more and again I saw as the more doctorly façade came upon him.

"It is good to hear that she only had one bad fit while you kept her company. I have been noticing an upswing in her condition over the last few days, but I was hesitant to share my observations with you children until I could confirm what I was seeing, on the off chance that it was my own wishful thinking affecting my perceptions of the situation." Carlisle cleared his throat once more, and I took a moment to glance at my sister for conformation before I gave Carlisle my reassurances.

"No harm done Carlisle. We rather appreciate that you took your time so as not to fill us with false hopes, as you know we received enough of those with our father before he passed." I reached out my right hand to clasp Carlisle's shoulder to confirm my words.

I felt as though now was as good a time as any to change the direction of our conversation, as I knew Carlisle was wanting to see mother just as much as she must be wanting to see him. I also wanted to try and alleviate some of the tension that had crept into the room with Alice's and my arrival.

"Mother did mention a few things before she bid us to come fetch you Carlisle. She was hoping that I would play for her a bit this afternoon, do you think that perhaps," I implored, "you could help bring her down to the parlor for the show?"

"If she is still feeling up to it by afternoon, and as long as we have ample blankets and firewood to keep her warm, I see no reason why your mother would be unable to attend a famous Edward Cullen performance." Carlisle teased.

I glanced to Alice, and we shared a look, I couldn't remember the last time I had seen Carlisle jest with anyone so freely. I strengthened my sense of hope that mother was well and truly on the mend this time.

Bella PoV

Dreaming continues

I found myself in a place that wasn't quite familiar. I had no memories of the place that I had found myself in, yet it had a distant feeling of home. Once again, the calming man was there, and still he had no face. This seemed to be a common occurrence with my dreams as of late. Things were a bit different this time though, the man was alone this time, and he circled the clouds on which I was resting.

Logic might say that I should have been terrified, but there was nothing about this man that elicited fear in any way, not even when he began lightly poking and prodding me. All the while he was mumbling under his breath, as if keeping note to himself.

Out of seemingly nowhere the spritely girl and the familiar boy, who I now noticed had the most unusually beautiful coppery hair, barreled into view. They began to speak with the man, and suddenly I felt myself being whisked away to some other place.

I found myself seated at a table with the chestnut-haired woman, we sat opposite one another and seemed to be sharing a cup of tea. There was piano music coming from somewhere nearby. I turned my focus to the woman, who just like all the figures of my dreams had remained faceless, but I could tell that she was smiling at me. She reminded me of a mother, she just had an energy to her which makes me feel safe and wanted. I basked in the glow of her warmth and before long the piano faded out and I found myself falling back into the place of slumber where dreams can't enter.

A/N: Hello lovelies, I would like to thank you once again for your patience. I know that in my author update I said my hope was to get this chapter out two days ago, but that didn't happen. It took a bit longer than planned for me to get this chapter to a place where I was happy enough with it to share it with all of you. Please enjoy, and bear with me as I continue to work to figure out a regular upload schedule. 3

~Rylandra