Nathan was not expecting any visitor that early the following Sunday morning, nor could he recall placing any recent orders. He preferred to be left alone in his personal space after hardly getting any sleep the night before. The last thing he wanted was any intrusion from benevolent friends, trying to impose their companionship on a weekend. But whoever the caller was, the knock must be answered. With footsteps that felt heavy with reluctance, he staggered towards the door. As he pulled the door open, he could not be more stunned – whether his heart skipped a few beats at a time or leapt up to his throat, he could not tell. Nathan doubted he wore his characteristic equanimity without spilling out some of the bewilderment that thunderstruck him.

"Hi…I…I don't think you were expecting me…I am sorry to turn up without any communication…" Pam was blushing with embarrassment.

"By all means, please do come in," Nathan just hoped he did not sound too desperate; he was still dubious about her decision in regards to him.

He instinctively knew that she would want to revisit the room where he practiced the hypnotherapy on her, hence he led her there when he sensed her coyness to walk towards that room on her own. Once inside the room, she took in an eyeful of it – the curtain over the small window was pulled to let in some early morning sunlight, the candles were still on the table, but unlit. An empty mug with black coffee remains added to the Japanese table. Pam moved closer to the table and sat by it on the carpeted floor. Nathan courteously followed the action, facing her as he settled down.

"Are you always awake this early on Sundays?"

"I am not a big fan of sleep indulgence even on weekends, nevertheless I am not usually awake so early on a weekend. I drifted on and off sleep last night, finally decided to excuse myself from this inconsistence and got up at around 5 am." Nathan chose to be honest.

Guilt blowed a dent at her conscience, knowing that her unexplained actions must have caused the turmoil in him, costing him a peaceful night's sleep. "I didn't sleep too well myself."

Nathan raised an inquisitive brow her. "So what kept you awake?"

Instead of answering to the point, she decided to be rather eloquent on the topic that both of them were secretly impatient to crack on.

"Nathan, I am sorry for abruptly leaving you yesterday…I was overwhelmed beyond measures. The revelation…" Pam heaved out a sigh "overhauled me – I had to rearrange myself and come to terms with my past life, therefore I decided to run out on you. Once again I apologise."

"I completely understand," Nathan nodded in acknowledgement. "So could you put yourself together overnight?"

"Pretty much so… no wonder I had a troubled sleep…but worth it. I have ultimately walked through the door of the unknown and found the missing pieces… might not ever be possible without your help. I sincerely thank you for…everything" Pam managed a smile.

"So it wasn't a grand loss of your weekend time then." He tried to lighten the mood, but kept his developing reassurance from surfacing prematurely.

"I obviously don't think so… Pam tried to reflect his humour. "So when did you decide to get this tattoo?" she pointed at his exposed forearm.

"I accompanied a friend to a tattoo shop where I first saw this motif. I found it rather catchy, but wasn't too sure to get it inscribed on me." He casted his eyes down briefly before facing her back. "But after the revelation of my past life, I decided to give it a shot. Wanted to carry a physical trace in my present life."

Pam ran her fingers over the tattoo, feeling some fine strands of hair rising up against her fingers as she traced along ; she believed he even positioned his arm to offer her a better view of the tattoo to continue her titillating caress- she could not help but wonder what else of his might be responding. She lacked the confidence to continue the caress into something deeper, therefore removed her hand shortly – he must have been enjoying her touch because he abruptly opened his eyes and obviously became apprehensive from lack of contact. She cursed her nerves.

Clearing his throat, Nathan asked "So did you revisit your past life after our first journey together?" Not only did he intend to make the circumstance less embarrassing for them, but he also was curious.

"I definitely did. You must know that once you establish a successful "portal", "she threw 2 quotation marks in the air" the route gets much smoother. You can literally go back to any segment you want, given that it held some significance to you."

"Tell me about it!" All you have to do is focus. Although I had been told that it might not be the same for all, but I did not need any more formal hypnotherapy setups after the initial sessions. But you, my dear, needed just one session to be able to walk there as you please." Part of his infectious smile gleamed of smugness.

"Probably it helps immensely when its conducted by someone who played a significant role in your past life", Pam flashed a smile of gratitude at him "And not to mention your patience and perseverance." He gave a tight yet heartfelt nod and added "why don't you enlighten me on some of the events that I missed over a cuppa?"

"Did you ever make it to Calais?" Nathan asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Apparently I did; I recovered consciousness at Dover and we set off for Calais – just as you…Thomas…planned." Pam sipped her lemon tea as she continued. "The first few weeks were infernal. My only solace was the presence of the other nurses I knew from back home. It turned out that they were very supportive to me during this despairing situation. We had to run from one leaky roof to another; eventually we moved to a local infirmary and resumed our work."

"I understand; it must have been dreadful," his voice resonated with empathy. "I can relate to this because my life had been unpredictably precarious when I dropped out of college to move to the city," he let out a long sigh. I lived quite rough until I was recruited to be trained as a cop." A short pause ensued. "But I am glad that you survived the war; you had a French heritage - did you ever find any connections by any chance?"

"To be honest I didn't make any efforts to do so. I preferred working in solitude with my mates in the new environment." Pam took a longer sip and placed the empty cup on the table. "Besides, I was quite young when I was brought to live in English dorms; although I carried along some of my French tradition, thanks to my mates who descended from similar origin, I never actually got to know who my relatives were."

Nathan gulped down the remaining coffee and placed his cup beside hers. "Your French culture always fascinated me. I didn't descend from anything French but I loved sporting my modest French knowledge on many occasions." A quick tricksy spark twinkled across his emerald eyes. "Je le fais toujours, ma belle mademoiselle (I always do it, my beautiful miss)." He gently took her hand and kissed it, putting on a dramatic French air.

"Ça me fait grand plaisir de le savoir, monsieur (it gives me great pleasure to know that, Mr.)," she replied with equal drama and a shy smile. "So where does the French come from?"

"Mainly from school but I had to brush it up later on in life as well, as it massively helped in the intelligence department to know a second language. What about yours?"

"An interesting addition to my boring high school subjects. It can be quite handy in my profession too."

"Makes perfect sense, given the diversity of the community." After a short pause, Nathan asked, "So did you have a fulfilling life afterwards? Married? Children?"

"Nursing in those days involved very intense dedication and perseverance. We had strong affiliations with the Church and monasteries – while marriage was not strictly forbidden for us, pursuing personal life institutions wasn't very much encouraged. Things could obviously be different with Thomas around, but…" she trailed off and set her eyes squarely against his. "I did have a fulfilling life, continuing to serve for humanity," her last few words resonated an echo from a distant memory, the poignance of which speared him frozen on spot, leaving a soft plaintive smile on his face, "until I was ready to retire."

The earlier sunrays had been playing hide and seek of late and now seemed to be sound asleep in its hiding spot. Dark clouds, however, were busy demonstrating theatrics. Pam rather enjoyed the dramatic change in the weather – there – in that room. Without allowing her nerves any chance, she ventured the question that had been pricking her ever since the previous night. "There isn't much to deny that Thomas had deep feelings for Angelique; that he loved her to bits…" the rosy hues on her cheeks deepened, "then why didn't he verbally declare his feelings on that fretful night at the fortress, knowing that this was presumably the last time they would meet?"

Initially Nathan was caught off-guard, the pupils in his lucid eyes dilated against emerald rings and his fingers tightened in a clench; but gradually he relaxed, propped an elbow on the low table to loosely cup his chin with his fingers, clearly immersed in deep thoughts. Although the growing silence was getting a touch awkward for Pam, she took the opportunity to scrutinize him – long side-parted messy hair flowing slightly past the collar of his nightshirt, carelessly untrimmed facial hair with the visible corner of his mouth that is not hidden behind fingers a little downturned and a gentle frown that formed between his brows – as though he were a pensive hermit who escaped the chronicles of a medieval legend. He eventually looked up at her under long straight lashes, mercifully breaking the silence. "That would be agonising for both of us; Thomas wanted Angelique to run free, without any ties. Angelique's…I would rather use first and second persons…your devotion towards me was unquestionable too; making it official would complicate things."

"But didn't you want me to know?" Pam impulsively asked. Nathan looked down with a sad smile and slowly let out a long breath before he continued.

"I did want you to know. After you left the fortress, I felt it more than I ever did. Looking out from that balcony, I saw a shooting star – one final time. They say you make a wish on it, which I thought was a mere absurd myth, but at that turn of life, it wouldn't make any difference to take a chance on a folklore when everything else was on the line. Within a moment I had to choose between my two most ardent wishes – one was an opportunity to see you one last time to tell you how I felt; the other was for you to be safe from the war and always. I chose the latter."

Pam gaped at him dumbfounded, thoroughly moved by his choice in the wish despite the lack of concrete logic in it, but will her cosmic-exploring subconscious allow it to even matter at this point? Certainly not. "Did you do anything about your other wish?" Pam shifted in her position, demonstrating her eagerness to learn more.

"That night back in our camp, I scribbled down the contents of my heart on a note and asked a fellow soldier, who was expected to leave for Calais at one point, to post in it in the local newspaper if ever he would make it there. That left me with a tattered consolation that my message might be conveyed to you one day."

"To tell you the truth, during our journey an inexplicable urge took over me, making me run back to your regiment camp to… tell you how I felt, but…it was already too late." Pam stated, shoving aside any remaining hesitation that could have made her falter.

Melancholy breezed over his expression as he lets his gaze drop from her but he beams an optimistic smile as he looked up and said "I must admit, that was very brave of you!" Pam demurely smiled, feeling hot currents of sensations burning inside her from his sensuous smile.

Just then a thunder monstrously bellowed, startling them both; it was then that they realised how dark it got outside. Nathan promptly got up to pull the curtain over the small window. And as he reached over to the wall to switch some lights on, Pam interjected. "Nathan, let it be – why don't you light some candles instead?"

He whirled around and eyed Pam in the dark, who got up to stretch her legs. Instead of words, a barely visible delectable smile expressed his agreement. Producing a lighter form his pocket, he kneeled by the table to light the scented candles. Having done with the last one, he diverted his gaze towards Pam; he observed that she moved a touch closer. From his kneeling stance, he did not look all the way up towards her face but his eyes seemed to be transfixed upon her exposed legs below the midi dress. The warmth of his stare pleasantly tickled up her legs - he attempted to tear his gaze away but failed when she subtly teased by smoothing the toes of one foot up the exposed length of the other leg and down once her foot reached the inside of the hem of her dress. He got up on his full height, and looked downwards towards her face; she had to arch her neck considerably backwards to meet his gaze. The soft amber light from the flames gloriously illuminated his facial features – pale skin with a reddish glow set against light-brown stubble and outlined with darker messy hair – the flames that played varying shades in translucent emerald rings were not just the effect of the candles, but Pam perceived it as something much more profound. She paced yet closer and gave in to her rising oxytocin instead of cortisol, which was trying to get hold of her; finally knocking the nerves out that thwarted many actions previously, she reached up to touch his shoulder. Sumptuously her hand traced down over his chest, her palm indulging between sinewy pecs over thin layer of nightshirt, while the tip of her fingers nestled in coarse hair where the plackets parted; she looked up at his face in time to find his beautiful slender lips parting ever so slightly. Her other hand joined in to undo the buttons, without breaking eye-contact with him. With each touch, she watched with exulting fascination how his lips quivered with wanton desire – with an impish challenge in her eyes, she deliberately slowed her pace and provocatively made skin contact on the way down. But the tables turned as the release of each button revealed more skin – she parted the shirt all the way over his shoulders and down his arms, letting the thin fabric fall on the floor. The dark hair strewn on his chest grew denser towards the centre and tapered down to form his happy trail. She let one hand wander over the large expanse of his chest while the other contoured along the side of his lean waist – an intensely pleasurable sensation pulsed deep in between her thighs, as she rejoiced in the feel of his heaving chest under her palm, sliding her hand down to his rippling abs before letting it fall. It was then that he stooped a little to encircle his arms around her tiny waist - and in a swift motion, ebbed the gap between them. The moment their lips met, every dam of scruple blew with the gushing flood of desire that was held restrained for far too long from both sides. She relished in the feel of his bristling facial hair brushing against her soft skin as they savoured each other's mouth with growing intensity. He gently sucked on the full thickness of her lower lip, before exploring deeper into her mouth – his grip on her hair tightened as their tongues met, propelling him to arch his lower body forward towards her. Pam could feel something rock-hard desperately trying to push her downwards – and sensed that they were wearing far too many clothes to carry out what his body was insinuating. Taking advantage of the moment they withdrew to catch some air, she loosened one of the straps of her dress, entertaining him with her eyes to continue the process. He coiled the other strap ribbon around his forefinger and pulled the ribbon loose to undo the strap, leaving the dress clinging from the shirred bodice. Pam reeled in overflowing pleasure as his strong hands grabbed the fabric on top of her breasts and pulled the dress downwards, crouching on his way down. When the dress pooled at her feet, she stepped out of it – he nudged his face in between her knees, tenderly nibbling up the soft creamy-smooth skin of her thighs. As for the lacy fabric at the apex, he pulled it down with delicate care, looking up at her eyes to observe her reaction. She could barely keep her eyes open from the sensual ecstasy, so much so that she could not say if a ghost of a salacious smile crossed across his face. He turned her around and took a handful of her perfectly toned cheek, before rising up; removing the flowing red curls aside, he unhooked her brassier back. Pam turned back to face him, pulling the brasier off her breasts – and stooped down to help him out of his slacks. As his enormous erection springs free, he pulled her up into his arms and claimed her mouth back with carnal passion. Grabbing her naked arse, Nathan effortlessly swiped her off her feet, while they kept devouring one another's mouth. He pinned her against the nearest wall, fervidly grinding her shapely breasts, transmitting ravishing sparks on the brink of every nerve cell – her fingers dug into his tough dorsal muscles and she intertwined around his legs with one of her own to root herself firmly against him. He placed one palm flat against the wall with the arm bent to sustain his weight, while his other hand glided down her soft yet toned core to land on the smoothness of her most feminine part; and cautiously – ever so cautiously, slid a finger inside her. Squirming in delight, Pam held by his arm propped against the wall for support, feeling the delicious flex and release of the muscles as he intermittently readjusted his position. His fingers attentively played along, and it did not take him long to locate the sweet spot – numerous stars shot behind her closed eyelids, as he kept demonstrating yet another wonder that his fingers could conjure up. A magical orb of intensified pleasure was swelling deep within her under the spell of his fingers, eventually rupturing into the most satisfying climax; her whole body convulsed from the electrifying sensation, leaving her limp against him. For a good few minutes they stood there, holding on to each other. She could feel something build inside her again, sweet and strong, when he picked her up and rushed towards the mattress. He slopped her down and positioned himself atop; Pam watched as he lowered his face and delicately cupped hers in his hands, gently possessing her mouth in a gentle sensuous kiss before thrusting inside her tight but ready flesh. His gratifying thickness made a soft moan escape her throat inside his mouth. He withdrew slightly to thrust again – and again, and again – rhythmically picking speed up. Trailing kisses from her mouth to the side of her neck, Nathan buried his face in her hair in between the space of her neck and shoulder. Shortly he lifted his head to face her, possibly with the intention of reading her expression – his heavily lidded eyes, sweaty hair falling in spikes over his forehead and reddened lips – made Pam want him even more. She encircled her legs around his lean hips to tighten the seal of his thrusts. Propelled by riotous rush of androgens, his thrusts began to come with primal force – Pam's eyelids fell, lips parted and her neck arched backwards, completely surrendering to the supreme pleasure. She knew that she was about to be launched into space. The preponderance of the sensation was literally felt in her mouth as well; if the sensation could be described in terms of taste, it would be a warm and sweet ambrosia, softly pouring down in her mouth, releasing an array of aphrodisiac that streamed through her body at the speed of light. Her body continued to soar higher into space, orbited around a black hole and ultimately took a giant leap into it, culminating into yet another massive orgasm, not long before Nathan found his explosive release inside her, with her name an invocation on his lips. As the fiery trail of their climaxes lingered, they rolled out of the mattress – Pam felt as if she was falling from the edge of the world, a free fall while being one with him, where the concepts of gravity, air friction and aero-dynamics all collided into one another, reprogramming and customising to give her the most sublime of experiences that felt too good to be real. Gradually they spiralled back on Earth; their bodies untangled near the foot of the open door, where they lied on their backs, panting. Shortly as Pam partially crept up Nathan's body, he pulled her over himself, placing her head on his chest – she closed her eyes and tuned in to the sound of his heart that galloped like wild stallions set free in a valley, accompanied by jarring cacophony of his airways, together creating a rhapsodic rhythm that was the perfect background for her to peacefully doze off to.

"Have you tried a hand at gun flicking of late?" Pam asked, taking the wet towel off her body before climbing under the blanket laid out on the bed. Nathan was standing by the window of his bedroom, watching the incessant heavy showers, when Pam fired her humorous curiosity. He turned around her with a laugh, then said "It wasn't much encouraged during my time as a cop, although I never used a loaded gun." He moved towards the bed, stopped by the radiator to spread the towel over it that he pulled from around his waist and snuggled inside the blanket with her. Owing to the weather, the room temperature drastically dropped. Playing with a few blow-dried red locks, he said "You ought to exercise more privacy in social media…not everybody who seeks you out has a good intention." Pam giggled, recalling his electronic scavenge. "You certainly have a point; I will put in place some privacy." She wiggled down the bed to straighten her body, resting her head on the pillows; he mirrored the action, then turned sideways to face her. "I was wondering," Pam started, trying to fill in the last missing piece of the perplexity that was still void, "when one is bodily reincarnated with new flesh and bone, how does the new brain retain memories from the past life and how do the strong feelings…that of love…still make their way into the new life?" The question got Nathan pondering for a good few seconds as he stared blankly at her, before himself propped up on an elbow and answered, "From what I can manage to analyse, the concept is somewhat analogical to a software installed inside a new hardware. All it needs is a little prompt to get that software running. And as for the feelings of love…" he hovered up vertically over her with his hands on either side, "if it's pristine enough, the feelings are harboured in the soul, not in the flesh and bone – and the soul is immortal." He gently dipped himself down, making Pam blissfully lose herself in the entrancing aurora borealis that played in those emerald eyes.