He had one of those dreams again tonight. The light was dim, the setting even more so. He caught a glimpse of pale skin, felt soft fingertips, heard whispering, and he struggled to see her, to finally catch sight of the woman he kept dreaming of. He heard her laughter, and felt a kiss on his cheek...and smiled. Was being able to see her really so important? He knew that she loved him, and that he loved her...what else did he need? In the dream, he reached out to her, and felt her intoxicating warmth as she snuggled into his arms. Right here, right now, he was loved, he was safe and happy, and he wanted to stay here forever.
When he finally woke up, like always, he felt a wave of intense disappointment. Rubbing his eyes, he gazed around...and blinked in surprise, wondering for a moment whether he was still dreaming. Instead of the dark and quiet he expected, the world was bright and sunny, birdsong filtering in from through an open window. Confused, he made as if to sit up, but something was holding him back.
"Mmmmm..." The soft murmur caught his attention, and he glanced to his left...to see the figure curled up in the crook of his arm. As he watched, the figure stirred slightly, moving a little in their sleep so that the comforter slipped from their face. And as he gazed upon the face of the one beside him, he smiled, the familiarity of it all coming back to him. Very gently, Mwu reached out and brushed his fingertips across her cheek, suppressing a chuckle when his wife mumbled again, a small smile curving her lips. The weekend had just started, after all...she needed her sleep. Snuggling back down beside her, he nuzzled his face into her dark hair, breathing in the scent of roses. You were the one I dreamed of. Even when I couldn't even remember my own name, I remembered you. My Murrue...Wrapping his arms around the sleeping woman, he closed his eyes, settling back down to sleep.
When he awoke again about an hour later, he opened his eyes to see two pairs of bright blue eyes staring back at him. The owners of the eyes giggled, and he couldn't help grinning back. "Hey there, guys. Good morning.." he whispered. The older of the two children beamed, scrambling up onto the bed and hugging the sleepy man. "Morning, Papa!" Managing to untangle himself from his wife's arms, he sat up, placing a finger over the little girl's lips. "Sssshh. Mama's still sleeping.." Stellar's eyes widened, and she quickly clapped both her hands over her mouth. "Sorry, Papa!" she whispered, leaning over the side of the bed to remind her little sister that they had to be quiet. Shaking his head in amusement, the blonde man reached down to lift his youngest child into his lap.
"You two been awake long?" Stellar shrugged. "Maybe an hour or so. Lil woke up first, and she couldn't get in here 'cause she couldn't reach the door handle. So she snuck into my room instead.." She leaned forward and affectionately ruffled her toddler sister's blonde curls, making the little girl giggle. Mwu grinned, tugging back the covers and climbing out of bed carefully, moving slowly so as not to wake Murrue. Carrying Lily in his arms, he gestured to the door. "Shall we go make breakfast?" Stellar nodded happily, taking his other hand. "Are we going to wake Mama up?"
"Nah," was the reply. "Mama's been working really really hard lately. Let's leave her sleeping a while"
In the bright yellow-painted kitchen, he fixed a breakfast of boiled eggs and toast soldiers for his daughters, and sat down on the outside doorstep with a mug of coffee. His mind was still on the dream he'd had that morning, and he shook his head, trying to clear it of the lingering feelings of loneliness and guilt. He'd done his best to forget those two years, concentrating instead on being a good husband and father - on returning to the Mwu that everyone remembered. I dreamed of her. She was there for me when I thought I had nothing...and I never realised. I never told anyone about those dreams...I treasured them. A place where I wasn't Neo, wasn't a soldier..I could be whoever I wanted to be..because I knew that the one in my dream loved me no matter what...
"What matter, Papa?" The little voice beside him made him smile, and he drew little Lily down into his lap. "Nothing, sweetheart. I was just thinking. Have you finished your breakfast?" The two-year-old girl nodded. "All done," she chirped, and he noticed the mess of dried egg around her mouth. "I think you got more on your face than in it," he teased, getting up to fetch a washcloth from the sink. "Hold still.." Obediently, the toddler stood perfectly still while he carefully wiped her face clean. "Okay. Now, you and Stellar go play outside a little bit while I clean up, and maybe later after Mama wakes up...we can go to the park. Sound good?" That idea drew delighted laughing and chatter from the two girls, and they quickly dashed outside into the sunny morning. Keeping the door open so he could keep an eye on them, Mwu ran hot water into the sink to wash the dirty breakfast plates, whistling a cheerful tune. Whatever I dream about, she'll be there when I wake up. And I'll do the same for her.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts, his task, and watching over his daughters, that he jumped when he felt a pair of arms wind around his waist from behind. "Did we wake you up?" he asked cheerfully, and she stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. "I woke up because you weren't there.." she replied, resting her chin on his shoulder. "It's Saturday...you could have stayed in bed." He chuckled softly, reaching behind him to wind a lock of her auburn hair around his fingers. "The princesses wanted breakfast, and I didn't want to wake you up..." Murrue sighed, and nuzzled closer. "Sorry. I'm moving to morning shifts next week, so I'll be able to take care of Lily in the afternoons, and pick Stellar up from school. Plus, it means I'll be less tired.." Turning around, Mwu placed a gentle kiss on his wife's forehead. "You're tired because you always work yourself so hard," he scolded. "There are other people at work you can get to help you, but you always have to do everything yourself.." The young woman sighed, resting her head on his chest. "I know, I know.." Peeking back up at him, she smiled. "But I'm not working today. Or tomorrow. What shall we do?"
"Mama!" A tiny figure darted through the open front door, blonde curls ruffled by the breeze, and attached itself to Murrue's legs. Giggling, she glanced down at the little girl. "Morning, Lily sweetie..." Lily beamed happily, then pressed a finger to her lips. "Ssssh.." she whispered. "Lily hiding.." With that, the toddler moved to hide beneath her mother's robe. Murrue and Mwu stayed there together in each other's embrace, trying hard to suppress their laughter at their youngest daughter's stifled giggles. A few minutes later, Stellar ran in, smiling at the sight of her mother. "Hi, Mama! Have you and Papa seen Lil? We're playing hide and seek..and I can't find her!" Assuming an innocent expression, Murrue shook her head. "She hasn't been in here.." Stellar sighed, frustration clear to see on her eight-year-old face, and made as if to run outside again...until she heard her little sister's muffled giggling. "She's in here.." Searching around the kitchen, under the table, in cupboards, under the stairs, she looked everywhere for the fugitive toddler - and then caught sight of the tiny feet sticking out from under her mother's robe. "Hey, that's cheating!" Pulling aside the robe, she pouted at Lily. "You can't use Mama as a hiding place.." Lily just laughed again, scrambling into her mother's arms. Stellar scowled, until Mwu lifted her into his own arms, kissing her cheek. "C'mon. Admit it, if you were little enough, you'd hide there too, right?"
"Well. yeah, but..." The girl sighed, then smiled a little. He chuckled again, letting go of Murrue to carry his daughter outside. "Tell you what. Why don't you play hide and seek with me? I'm a champion at it, you know.." Stellar raised her eyebrows, clearly not convinced. "Okay then. But you have to be 'it' first, okay? Mwu nodded cheerfully, setting the girl down on the grass. "Off you go then," As Stellar raced off into the vast garden, he looked back at his wife and youngest daughter with a grin. Murrue smiled, pointing ahead to where the girl had run off to. He gazed at her for a few moments, taking in everything. His dream had come true...they were together. Her image no longer haunted him...instead it comforted him, made him feel safe and secure.
Loved.
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( Yeah, it sucks. But...:sighs:
Please read and review! )