"It's ridiculous that Doctor Hopper insists that I go back to my childhood," Dawn told her husband as they ate dinner that night, "I hired him to help me heal from it, not relive it again."
"And how do you expect to heal if you don't talk about what happened to you?" he asked and cut into his steak.
She sighed, she'd been hoping he wouldn't ask that but she should've known that he would, "I just don't want to relive those days."
"I know," he said, "But you don't talk about it to anyone. You don't talk about it to me, or the doctor, or…anyone. You lash out whenever someone brings it up-"
"All this coming from you," she muttered and drank her water.
"Exactly. If there's anyone that knows what they're talking about in this situation then it's me, darling. You don't want to grow to grow to be like me."
Dawn swallowed, he had a point there.
She took his hand, "I don't think you realize how horrible it was for me before you got me out of there."
She felt him tense slightly at the unguarded intimate gesture but he didn't pull away.
"I'll only talk about it if you're in there with me while I do it."
He stopped, "Why would you want me in there?"
"Because you're the only person that talks to me honestly and if you think that this is going to benefit me then you're going to be the one in that sits in that room with me and listens."
"I wasn't aware that we were in a marriage in which we tell each other what the other one is going to do with little or no choice."
"You know that's not what I meant," she said, "Not entirely anyway."
"And what exactly is it that you want me to do?"
"I just want you to know," she shrugged, "Because if I was ever going to tell anyone about what I went through then it was going to be you. It was never going to be anyone else."
Once Upon A Time
Winter passed and spring came. A time of new beginnings, a time for planting, a time for shearing the sheep of the wool they'd grown for the winter.
There was never an end of work that had to be done.
Dagian pulled her shawl around her shoulders and scanned the pasture for her husband. She found him sitting on the edge of the flock shearing sheep with Baelfire.
She approached them and beamed when her husband stood up. She knew he hadn't loved her when they married but was just adjusted to her. That'd changed since then. She didn't know when exactly but now he was quicker to smile when she approached. His eyes held a devotion to her that most women would envy if they bothered to look.
"Dagian," he approached her, "Are you alright?"
She smiled and nodded, "I need to talk to you."
"What is it?" he moved her away slightly from the others,
"Nothing's wrong, I just didn't want to wait till the day was over to tell you" she took his hands, "Darling-"
He seemed to read the news on her face because his eyes widened, "Really? You're sure?"
She felt the tears welling in her eyes and nodded, "The midwife confirmed it."
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly when he pulled back.
"I love you," he whispered.
She pulled back and rested her forehead on his, "I love you too."
Present Day
It was a pride thing, but Dawn hated apologizing to people. There was just something demeaning about the way they looked at you all smirking when you humbled yourself and admitted you were wrong (Even though she doubted she was wrong more often than naught))
But Archie was different. He was probably used to being lashed out at, but not by her. They usually had quiet peaceful conversations just as long as they avoided the topic of her upbringing.
"I lashed out at you the other day Doctor Hopper. And it wasn't meant to be that….angry. I am…so sorry. I honestly didn't mean for my anger to be directed at you."
He nodded, "Alright."
"I think I'm ready to…get this over with."
"Only if you think you're ready."
"Oh, I'll never be ready," her hand when to her husbands who was sitting quietly on the couch next to her, "But let's just get this over with."
