CHAPTER SIXTY TWO

HEARTLINES

EMBRY CALL:

Quinn Taylor may no longer walk this Earth but he still managed to inadvertently take Kat away from me. She was here in body but I wasn't sure where her soul was. Her mind seemed to be closed off to me too but as Carlisle kept telling me there was no reason to believe she couldn't or wouldn't hear me. So I kept talking to her, singing to her and reading to her. What else could I do? She was my girl. She was the mother of my unborn child miraculously conceived from our first and only time. She had been this way since the bullet meant for me had shattered off Etienne's hard marble skin causing a shard to enter her temple. Her heart still beat, she still breathed but she was on a drip to feed her and the baby. The baby was strong and healthy. He appeared to be growing normally. Leah said I was definitely having a son, which made me smile in these difficult times. I hoped she was right when she told me about her visions of him. What would happen if the baby was ready to be born and Kat was still sleeping? I didn't want to think that far ahead. If Kat would only wake up life would be perfect. I would marry her and we would be the best parents ever.

Kat's parents were devastated. Both to find out she was in a coma and that she was pregnant. They soon got over the latter and just wanted what we all wanted. For Kat to open her eyes and speak to us. To know she was all right and not be stuck in this awful limbo. Mike and Angie had been nothing but friendly to me despite what they believed to have happened. I had told them I planned to marry their youngest daughter as soon as possible. Mike had shook my hand and Angie had hugged me. They were lovely people. They had to go back to Vancouver for a few days every week basically to keep earning money and make sure everything was okay back home. This morning they had said their goodbyes to Kat and I had promised to call right away with any news on her condition. They couldn't believe it when Carlisle had told them they didn't need to pay anything towards their daughter's care. The doctor had conjured up some story about doing a study on coma patients which would turn into a book eventually. I hated seeing the pain in Kat's parents sad eyes when it was time to leave her for a few days. I prayed every day that she would wake up. I cursed myself for letting Quinn fool me that day. I wished I had kept my beautiful Katherine in my arms and in my bed that afternoon. Maybe none of this would have happened. I knew my thoughts were useless though. It had happened and we had to deal with it. At least Quinn couldn't hurt us any more. Rebecca and I had seen to that. Permanently. It had felt good to tear his flesh apart. Rebecca was inconsolable about Kat too. Luckily she had someone to kiss away the pain now. Caleb, a new pack member had imprinted on her to her utmost delight. My sister deserved to be lucky in love for once in her life. I hoped the happy beautiful couple would marry soon and make gorgeous babies. The Elders did too but for their own selfish reasons!

I held Katherine's small pale hand as I told her about the dream I'd had last night. Every night was the same,when I dreamed I dreamt of her. I only slept a few hours a night as I couldn't bear to be away from her bedside. I told her how we had been lying together in our cave on First beach. It was a warm balmy summer's night and we had been swimming half naked in the sea. Now I was holding her close in our candle lit cave, using my special wolf heat to warm her soft smooth body against mine. In my dream we now wore no clothes, only a fleecy blanket wrapped around us. Her skin against mine was causing me to tingle all over and in my dream it felt so real as I gently brought my eager hungry mouth to hers in a much longed for amazingly beautiful kiss. We whispered I love you as we kissed perfectly, our passion rising quickly as our bodies melded together as one. I hoped Kat could hear me as I told her about my perfect dream of us together. Sometimes my dreams were very passionate. Sometimes I dreamed of us as a little family and other times I dreamed we were walking along the beach hand in hand just talking. The worst ones were my nightmares in which Kat was lost to me and I couldn't find her. I either ran through long complex mazes with tall dark trees lining the pathways, forever calling her name, or I dreamed of rows and rows of doors all with nothing behind them but brick walls. I hated those dreams. Thankfully they didn't occur very often. Mostly I missed her smile,her laugh and the mischievous twinkle in her sapphire blue eyes. I gazed at the vision of perfection which was her face and it seemed like she was just sleeping. I whispered to her as I laid my head next to hers. "Katherine Constantine, I love you so much, please come back to me" There was no response though. I stroked her small hand as I turned her palm upwards to face me. I traced the lines there, especially her heart line which was long. No indication of a short tragic life. Maybe she would come back to me after all. I kissed the smooth skin of her palm as I began to softly sing one of our favourite songs.

Goodbye to the sky,
I know I can't fly, but I feel love
do you know how I feel?
you are my Achilles heel.
hello to below, I feel love flow
like a river flow
you and I standing still
you are my Achilles heel.

With my mouth against the pulse of her soft wrist I continued to sing to her.

For there's a child in your eyes
and the child never dies
so keep the dream alive
with the aid of second sight
I can push with all my might
to make a statue in the sky
of my Achilles heel

(copyright Toploader Achilles heel – listen here! .com/watch?v=MeT2dZHjaJs&ob=av3n )

Etienne quietly entered the room to enquire if I wanted a human moment. I did desperately need a shower and a small bite to eat. I'd been here since waking at three a.m. this morning. I thanked him kindly for his offer. He replaced me next to Kat. I hated to leave her side. Etienne's pale features looked sad and lonesome. "Missing Leah?" I asked. He nodded with a wry smile. "Every single second" he exclaimed softly. I nodded back, understanding his words so well. I leaned over to kiss my love, planting my lips on her cool forehead. "I won't be long sweetheart" I whispered against her skin. Etienne smiled at me sadly. I had wanted to ask something for awhile but didn't know how to. Now I chose my moment to do it. I don't know why I picked Etienne to confide in. "What would happen if you changed her Etienne?" I asked quietly with my head lowered. Etienne shook his head. "I believe she would change and be healed Embry, but your son would not survive. How could he? Impossible for a baby to be changed before it is born to this world. I am sorry friend. I have considered that option myself." he replied. He didn't seemed shocked at all by what I was asking. I supposed with him being so old it was hard to shock him. I smiled weakly, " I hope it doesn't come down to a choice Etienne" The vampire raised his perfectly shaped eyebrows at me " A choice?" he enquired. "Between the baby and Kat!" I said with a strangled cry. I was scared something would happen and I would be forced to choose life. Would it be my choice? I shuddered. Etienne shook his head. "Please Embry, do not think thoughts like that. Go eat, shower and nap. I will talk to Katherine. " he smiled.

I left the room with my head hurting from thinking too much and lack of sleep. I would never ever ever regret meeting my Kat but I wouldn't wish this situation on anyone! I took a quick shower and grabbed a sandwich. The Cullen's kept a fridge stocked with human food for all of us visitors. I laid down on the large double bed in the room Bella had kindly given me, my eyes closing as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I fell into a dream of soft kisses and delicate sighs as my heart and soul dreamed of her once more.