As the days turned into weeks, I never faltered from Jaidav's side, as it turned out he was even more like Kartik then I had bargained for, as he gushed of his love for cricket at our countless visits that became regular. Yet, as much as I tried not to see it, his sentences became shorter, and his fits of laughter softer.

Leukemia was something I'd never planned to handle. I was just a stupid nurse who seemed to only be good for checking up on him, as doctor's continuously debated on what would be best for him, but I wanted to do more. If even these doctors where not sure, then what prevented me from doing a better job then them? I had studied, I went to school. It infuriated me and pained me to see him so. He had changed in such a short time due to his blasts from the sickness, his inefficient amount of red blood cells leaving him bruised, sick, and weak…and it only worsened. There would be an answer though.

"Gemma, do you ever miss India?" He asks me suddenly, snapping me out of my daydream, and I'm caught off guard. India was a sore subject for me, but he seemed infinitely curious about it, so I could only sigh and answer his questions. I'd grown soft for the little bugger, it seemed.

"Everyday," I admitted as I shuffled the cards in my hand as we began another game. "But it's much cleaner here, that's certainly a plus." I say jokingly at him, but when I do, he does not return my smile.

"I would've liked to see it." He says somberly, putting down his cards, he does not look at me.

"What a silly thing to say, considering you have nothing stopping you. We can go there! You and I, one day." I insist fervently, and I ruffle his hair, though it's thinner now.

"But I'm not stupid!" He pushes my hand away, and his chin juts out stubbornly. "I know that I'm sick, and mother say's I'll be fine and you say I will be fine…but-but," He begins to sniffle and as tears arise, he furiously hides his face in the crook of his elbows, trying to wipe them away. "I'm not stupid." He finishes stubbornly, refusing to say what I refuse to believe, the both of us persistently fighting this dim reality.

"Shh, shh..." I gently pull away his arm, but still he turns his head to hide the proof of his tears, I want to tell him it's okay to cry, but such a cliché would most likely make a boy his age even more upset. "Come on," I coax, "let me see that handsome face."

Reluctantly, he lets me wipe away his face with a small hanker chief.

Sometimes, there are just things that you have to do when someone needs you, despite if it's against your better judgment, despite what you've been told to believe, you just need to.

"Jaidav…what if there was a way you could see India right this moment? Would you like that?"

He raises his eyebrows.

"How would I do that? Mother says it would take months to go by ship, and I think she will notice if I'm gone for that long."

"Too true, but I know a way there that only takes moments. I think we can sneak it by her, if it's only for today." I wink, and his grin reappears suddenly.

"Really?" I nod, and he laughs eagerly.

"You just have to trust me, do you trust me?"

There is no hesitation in his answer.

"Yes."

I smile, and as I look around the room, I am filled with a nervous sensation that I was not accustomed to. I have not entered the realms since I had been there with Kartik, moreover, called the door of light, if I could still even do that.

I close my eyes, and suddenly the room falls away from me, the breath that fills my lungs is laced with power and my senses heighten, I had forgotten what the magic felt like, but it was still there, dormant, but there. I find it, and let it loose, and when I open my eyes, I see it. The familiar faint glimmer surrounds one of the windows of the room, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Jaidav come with me."

He takes my hand, and I slowly help him out of his bed, but he has to lean against me, sputtering a few coughs. It causes my pulse to quicken, and I wonder whether I am doing the right thing.

"Would you believe me if I told you India was just beyond this window?"

We stare out of the floor length window, looking out at the fall leaves of the courtyard, he looks at me doubtingly.

"I would call you a liar, because those are trees Gemma." He stubbornly states, pointing as if I couldn't see.

"Well, we'll just see whose right about this one. Bet me?"

He considers it.

"Ok, bet."

I opened the window, and the two of us are engulfed in a new light, strange to me, until a familiar smell wafts to my nose, I keep my hold firm on Jaidav's small hand.

It was all silence for a moment, with an exception of Jaidav's ragged breaths, that slowly turned calm, and color flushed his face. Standing up straight, his eyes stared around in confusion. I try to pull him further along, but he resists.

"It's okay," I assure him, and slowly he follows, and I find myself in a clearing of the realms. They were just like I remembered, full of beauty, yes, but with a hint of sadness now. I saw faces then, faces of my mother, father, Fee, Pippa, Ann…crossing my mind like shooting stars, until a small voice brings me back to the present again.

"Where are the elephants?"

I laugh, and concentrate on the trees further ahead, magic blazing, I feel the shifting and changing of the land occur beneath my feet, and once I open my eyes again, there's a faint elephant call in the distance, and Jaidav smiles excitedly, I let him go as he runs towards the trees.

"Jaidav! Jaidav wait!" I laugh, picking up my skirts I run after him, and I feel my hair escape its ties, unfurling behind me like an unruly crimson flag.

Just through the trees there was a bustling market place made up from my very best memories of India. Jaidav is in wonder as the sights engulf him. A man charms a snake out of a basket, elephants walk down the streets carefully carrying precious goods, and the smells that filled the air were new, at least to him.

"Gemma look!" I turn my head to see Jaidav approaching a newborn elephant, his hands touching its trunk cautiously, though I would not let it hurt him.

We spend what feels like hours exploring this place made from my memories, and I answer all his questions, although it's not as easy as it sounds.

"What's this used for Gemma?"

"How come he has such a funny looking sword?"

"He just walked across coals! Like fire! Did you see that?!'

"They eat WHAT?!"

At this question, Jaidav reached for a morsel of food on a stand, and my hand quickly snapped out to stop him.

"I know it looks good, but it would be for the best if we did not eat anything here." I smile nervously at him, "Plus, I bet it tastes gross anyway."

He frowns for the first time all day.

"But…I'm hungry Gemma."

I sigh.

"Perhaps we should head back then."

I say this gently, but immediately he is heartbroken.

"Can we return soon?" He sniffs, and I pat his head.

"Don't look so down, of course." The promise slips out before I can help it. "If you keep moping, I'll just have to take Ms. Brown instead." I warn, and immediately he laughs and shakes his head.

"That's a punishment for you, not me."

I shrug, and we go to leave, Jaidav runs ahead, and I watch him, amazed that the realms could be a place of happiness again.

The crowd slowly starts to disappear behind me, the illusion fading away, but not before a figure appears before me, causing my breath to stop short. It's as if time stops, and standing in the crowd ahead, amidst all the moving people, is Kartik.

Kartik.

He stays still, yet I cannot move towards him. I try to call out, but I have no voice and no idea what to do; only my eyes call out to him. As if he feels it, his eyes slowly turn to me, and he sees me. His eyes are just the same as I'd remembered them. I mouth his name, and he smiles at me.

Still running forward, Jaidav stops right in front of Kartik. Kartik's eyes slowly move away from mine and toward Jaidav, as he crouches down so that they're face to face. Though the crowd moves, I am not distracted. I watch as Kartik says something to Jaidav, causing him to laugh, and then Kartik stands, and pats him on his head, turning to leave.

The block moves, and I sprint toward Kartik's retreating back as he walks away, but the illusion is disappearing faster and faster and Kartik fades away with it. Before I know it, it's only me and Jaidav standing in an empty field again. And he's gone with the magic.

I stare out into the clearing as its Jaidav's turn to grab my hand.

"Let's go home."

I swallow my tears, and nod silently.

As we step back through the light, Jaidav's color slowly fades away again, and his breath just as shallow as before, I must carry him to bed.

I tuck him in as always, and as I turn to leave, he asks,

"Will I see you tomorrow Gemma?"

I smile at him.

"I'll be here. Get some rest, Jaidav."

He coughs, and closes his eyes looking pained.

That's when I realize that in the end, no matter how real it feels, an illusion is just an illusion.

He breathes in raggedly.

And, that there are some things that even magic can't fix.

Hii there! thank you for all the reviews! :)

I dont know tooo much about medicine back in Gemma's time era, but i'm going to do my best =P

Next chapter, i'm wondering what would happen if the Rakshana found out Gemma was taking Jaidav into the realms, and how they followed her to America?

And stay tuned for more Kartik :)))