Chapter 28: The Dream

Every review means the world to me, but PLEASE if you have an account log in so I know who you are and can properly thank you! Keep those reviews coming! 3 you all!

Auggie stayed at the office for a few hours that night before he couldn't take it anymore. He had to go home and try to talk to her. She was acting so strange. He knew in his heart that something was wrong and he had a feeling that it had to do with whatever she had done that day. He had to find out.

As he stepped into his house for the second time that night he called out softly, "Annie?" Receiving no response or something being thrown at him, he walked further into the house and laid his cane and messenger bag on the coffee table. Deciding she was probably in the bedroom asleep he began his careful trek back to it and tripped over something very large. He fell on his hands and knees on top of Annie.

Panic shot through him when he realized what he had fallen over. He reached out and checked for a pulse. It was there, steady and slow. Her breathing seemed normal. Carefully, he rolled her onto her back and lifted her head into his lap. "Annie?" he said as he stroked her cheek. He needed her to wake up. He needed to know why she was unconscious on the floor of their living room. While Auggie tried waking her, Annie dreamed.

Auggie was dressed very handsomely in a well tailored tuxedo. The man looked sexy in everything from his birthday suit to workout clothes. He smiled at her as she walked towards him. Her perspective floated to above the scene, as if she was a ghost watching everything unfold.

What she saw made her gasp. It was breathtaking. A lace bodice and sleeves covered her arms and shoulders leading to the sweetheart neckline of a crisp, clean white silk gown that flowed in a slight A-line poof that barely touched the floor. The hair on top of her head was the most golden it had ever been and curled elegantly to frame her face. A veil was trailing down her back and stopped just above the back of her knees. Flowers, purple orchids, were in her hands.

Annie watched herself approach Auggie, stop and face him. That's when the wedding party appeared as if out of nowhere. Her sister, Danielle, dressed in a dark purple long flowing gown, stood in the Maid-of-honor position right next to Annie and took the bouquet as she offered it to her. Joan stood next to her sister, dressed in a simple dark purple cocktail type dress that stopped at the knee. Next to Auggie, in the Best man position, was James Decker. Eric Barber stood next to him as another groomsman. The next two people she saw made her cry out in utter shock.

Annie and Auggie each had their own little girl on their side of the wedding party. They couldn't have been more than three years old or looked more like eachother. They had to be twins. They both had shoulder length golden hair like their mother and deep brown eyes like both of their parents. The two girls were smiling and giggling at some shared secret between the two of them. In unison, Annie and Auggie each turned to the girl on their side and picked them up in their arms.

"Anita, what are you and Aubrey giggling at?" Annie asked the child in her arms.

"The men, mommy. The men in the back there." Anita and Aubrey both pointed towards two men. Men Annie never wanted to see again. Annie put Anita down and placed her behind herself.

"Auggie..." she said. Auggie put Aubrey down and placed her behind himself.

Aleksandre and Alexei Belenko stood up. "Annie... Auggie... so good to see the both of you." Aleksandre pulled a gun from his jacket and pointed it at them. "I wanted to be sure I was here when I made you lose everything, Auggie. Just like you took everything from me." A gunshot echoed around them and Annie heard herself scream. Not the one in the dress but the Annie watching everything unfold screamed. She saw as blood seeped down that beautiful dress and was helpless when she saw herself collapse in front of Auggie.

Auggie bent down in front of her and held her in his arms, beginning to cry. "Annie..."

She reached up and held his face. "Auggie... we never got to dance again like you promised..." Her hand fell back down against her limp body.

"Annie! Annie! Wake up!" She could hear Auggie screaming her name but it wasn't the Auggie in front of her. The voice was coming from somewhere else...

"Annie! Please wake up!" Auggie was practically screaming at her.

Slowly, Annie opened her eyes and saw Auggie above her. Feeling her stir, Auggie spoke softer, "Annie?"

"Yeah, I'm awake, Auggie. I'm ok." She sat up but before she could move further he pulled her into his arms and held her.

"Annie, I don't know what's going on. Why you're mad at me or what happened to you today, but I love you and I'm not leaving here again. We have to figure this out." He pulled her face into his hands and placed a soft kiss against her lips. He could barely contain his excitement when he felt her return the kiss.

Annie pulled away from the kiss. Something about that dream had triggered something in her, some impression of a memory or something. "Auggie, I'm sorry. I know I acted weird. But... I think I know why..."