Chapter 21

"Raven!" Raven stirred in her sleep.

"Raven Aliece I don't have much time with you!"

Raven looked around "Ridge?"

"Hello little sister." Ridge said hugging her.

"Rayne said you wouldn't come back though," She said half afraid.

"Don't ever be afraid of me Rave! I couldn't bear it! I'm only here in your dreams and then only if you allow it!"

"I miss you Ridge!" Raven said hugging him.

"Your car is going to get rusty just sitting in the garage." He said ruffling her hair.

Raven started to sob.

"Don't cry baby! You have to go on with your life! You love racing! Just because I'm gone don't stop!"

"It isn't the same without you! You're the only one that shares my passion for street racing!"

"That's not true Raven."

Raven looked up at him.

"Ask Rayne about the Red Racer."

"What?" She asked.

"Just ask him! You're ungrounded from your car by the way. Just don't get caught racing again. Also don't shut the others out Raven they can help you. Tyler needs you!"

"Tyler's not going to want me any more!" She sobbed.

"That's not true! Tyler loves you! He knows Raven, and he hasn't changed his opinion of you!" He told her holding her in his arms.

Raven started. "How does he know? I haven't told anyone!"

"You shared a womb with someone. You two have been inseparable from birth. You two have always known how the other is feeling. Good or bad!" Ridge said rubbing her back.

"How could he tell the others?" She sobbed.

"He didn't mean to Rave! He's been sitting by your bedside every night hardly sleeping. Doing your homework and his own, and worrying about you! When Vincent confronted him about you he lost it."

He touched Raven's head and let her see what happened between Rade and Vincent.

"Then they don't care what happened that day? They still love me? There not ashamed of me?" Raven asked through her tears.

"Oh they care very much about what happened baby! Not in the way you think though! There pissed at Chase and Shane for what they did. If they weren't already dead they would be a dozen times over by now."

"But how can I forget it? I can still feel them Ridge!" She sobbed.

"Only time can heal you. The others can help you especially Tyler and Rade. Don't shut them out! Please baby!" Ridge pleaded.

"How can I?" She asked.

"Love conquers all Raven! Mother and Father send their love to you also. I must go now. Don't forget to ask Rayne what I told you! Wake up now. Rade needs you!" He said wiping the tears from her face.

"Wait! What about Roman?" She asked with a shiver.

"You have nothing to fear from him again! He passed on. He's under father's rule again." He said laughing. "He's going to regret the day he was born by the time father's done with him!"

He hugged Raven.

"Will I see you again?" She asked.

"Yes Raven. I'm always with you though in here!" He said covering her heart with his hand before he disappeared "I love you, now wake up!"

Raven opened her eyes overwhelmed by her conversation with Ridge. She saw Rade sitting by her bed with his head buried in his hands. She could hear him sobbing, and her heart broke. She reached over touching his leg.

"I'm not leaving her Rory! She needs me!" He sobbed not looking up.

"Yes I do need you!" She whispered.

He looked up in shock. "Raven?"

"Hold me please!" She sobbed.

"You sure?" He asked.

"Yes!"

Rade climbed in the bed and took her in his arms holding her close as she sobbed. It wasn't long before they both fell into a peaceful sleep.

Rory let the tears flow. He had just been going to go in and talk to Rade when Raven had spoken to him. He watched in silence till they fell into a peaceful sleep. He went to them making sure they were covered up. He kissed both of them on the forehead and went back to his own bed.

Rayne woke up to the sun blinding him. He groaned and rolled over. He had a headache from crying himself to sleep last night. He looked at the clock. 7:30 a.m. A Saturday and he couldn't even sleep in. He should have gone back to the dorms after the party. At least he of woke up in Audrey's arms then. He looked at the picture of the blonde goddess on his bedside table. He sighed realizing he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep.

He started to get up and his eyes fell on a picture of him and Ridge. He felt the tears well up in his eyes again. His dream came back to him. He had missed Ridge so much!

"You haven't raced for awhile?" Ridge questioned him.

"It's not the same without you Ridge! Hell you were my mentor!" He said through his tears. "You taught me everything!"

"Now it's your time to be a mentor!"

"To who?"

"You will know when that person asks you about the Red Racer!" Ridge said.

What had Ridge meant by that? Rayne wondered getting up and getting dressed. He ran into Ryder outside Raven's room. It had become their habit to check on her every morning. They smiled seeing her in Rade's arms. That meant she had started to heal. They headed down to breakfast.

"You all right Rayne?" Ryder asked. "You look like you had a rough night."

"I'm all right, just had trouble sleeping thinking about Raven. Things are going to get better now though I can feel it!"

Ryder surprised him by grabbing his arm and pulling him into a hug. Ryder had never been one to show his love freely for anyone including any of his girlfriends he had. Rayne was shocked to see the tears in Ryder's eyes as he pulled away and hurriedly wiped them away.

Rade woke before Raven did. He enjoyed holding her in his arms while he could. It had been awhile since he had held his twin, and he missed it. There was a bond between them that he had feared had been severed. He held her tighter knowing that bond was still there and more unbreakable than ever. He smiled falling back asleep.