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CHAPTER 27

Emma woke up that night to screaming, she sat up in bed and saw Aurora kicking in her sleep, her face was scrunched like she was in pain and every now and then she'd let out a small scream. Emma threw off her covers and ran over to wake up Aurora. She roughly shook the girls shoulder and called her name. Aurora woke with a jolt and it took her a minute to take in her surroundings and realize whatever horror she had seen in her dreams hadn't been real. Miss Peregrine rushed in as Aurora started crying and Emma tried to calm her down.

"What happened?" the headmistress asked wrapped in a floor length dark blue robe.

"I think she had a nightmare." Emma answered as Aurora brought her knees to her chest and sobbed. She was shaking like a leaf and Emma didn't have to ask what her nightmare had been about. Miss Peregrine started rubbing her back but her shaking didn't stop.

"Millard." She whispered.

"Can you fetch him Emma?" Miss Peregrine asked from beside Aurora. Emma nodded and rushed off into the hall. A moment later she came back accompanied by the invisible boy. He was wearing white pajama bottoms with blue stripes and an open white cotton button down. He rushed over to Aurora and Miss Peregrine stood, offering him her place. They both knew that even though things had been rocky between the pair they still shared a deep bond, and Aurora needed that comfort now. He sat beside her and Aurora practically launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder. Millard was stiff and seemed surprised for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her and started running his fingers through her hair while he whispered soothing words to her.

"Will you stay?" she asked between sobs and Millard turned to Miss Peregrine. The Bird nodded, usually she wouldn't allow something as scandalous as a boy and a girl sharing a bed but seeing Aurora in such a state was heartbreaking, especially for the headmistress who had come to care for each of the children as her own.

"Of course I'll stay." Millard replied and Aurora was visibly much calmer at that news. Miss Peregrine left the room as Emma returned to her bed. Millard climbed under the covers with Aurora and wrapped his arms around her as she nestled her head in his chest, letting the sound of his heartbeat lull her to sleep.

MILLARD P.O.V.

Millard hated waking up that next morning, as he opened his eyes and saw the sun shining brightly outside the window he realized that all the problems that still laid between Aurora and him had also risen with the sun. He sighed, he would give anything to let that night continue on, to simply lay in that warm bed with Aurora in his arms knowing that out of everyone in that house he was the one she found comfort with. She had turned in the night and now was lying on her back while he was laying on his left side, his right arm still slung over her waist.

He lifted his head and saw that Emma had already woken up, made her bed and left the room to start her day. He turned back to Aurora and just looked at her as the minutes passed and the room grew brighter exposing more of her features. He didn't know how long they stayed like that or at what point Aurora had woken up.

"You're staring, Millard." Was the first thing she said and Millard felt hope rise in his chest, the only way Aurora could know he was staring at her was if they were still just as in tune with each other as they had been twenty years ago.

"I'm gazing." He corrected as she turned onto her right side to face him resting her head in her palm.

"What's the difference?"

"Staring is creepy. Gazing is romantic."

She gave a heavy sigh and sat up, "Thank you for coming last night."

"Of course."

"But it doesn't change what I said yesterday."

Millard felt his heart sink at her words but that small voice in his head reminded him that he did have a lot to make up for, of course it wouldn't be resolved in one night.

"Then why did you ask for me last night?"

Aurora turned her gaze to the sheets and started fiddling with a lose string, "I needed to know you were alright." She said shyly.

"Why wouldn't I be alright?" he asked with clear confusion.

"In my nightmare. . . " she took a deep breath, "In my nightmare, it wasn't Victor. . . it was you. I was there and I saw the hollow kill you."

There was silence – except for a bird chirping outside – while Millard thought about what she was saying. How horrible, he thought, to have to find one friend dead then dream of witnessing another die. Couldn't the world just leave his sweet Aurora alone? Why did she continue to suffer, hadn't she already endured enough?

"I'm alright." Was the only thing he managed to say.

"I know. But last night, it was like I couldn't think clearly, I had to know – had to see that you were okay." She said before she got out of bed. Millard grabbed her wrist stopping her.

"Aurora –"

"This doesn't change anything." She said though it sounded like she felt sad about it, "I still need time." She explained, "I need you to respect that."

"Take all the time you need." he said before pulling her hand to his lips and kissing it, "But just know I'll wait forever for you."

oOo oOo oOo

AURORA P.O.V.

Aurora met with Miss Peregrine later that day to discuss getting a letter to her brother. The headmistress agreed that Noah had to be warned not to visit the island and to not worry when Aurora stopped writing. Miss Peregrine had offered to deliver the letter to the postman herself, she adamantly refused to let any of her wards leave the safety of the loop after what had happened to Victor.

It took Aurora the entire day to figure out what to tell her brother, it was the hardest thing she'd ever have to write. In the end she was quite pleased, the letter told him everything, every emotion she felt and all that had happened, but she was also quite sad. She was closing a door, a door that connected her to her family, and she didn't know if she'd ever get the chance to open it again.

My dear brother Noah,

Something has happened, one of the children here has passed away. He was out in the bog and a wild animal attacked him. The rest of us are safe, our home is far from where the beast was. I'm alright but I need to ask – beg really – that you never come here. If something happened to you or your family because you were looking to come visit me I'd never forgive myself. Please just know that I'm alright and I'll miss you dearly. Perhaps one day it will be safe enough for us to write each other again but if not I wish you all the happiness in the world. I hope you live a long and happy life with Anita, kiss your children when you tuck them in at night and tell them their Aunt Aurora loves them dearly.

Though there is a silver lining in all this sadness. Millard and I are 'on the mend' I suppose you could say. I'm not sure where we'll end up, together or apart, but he's trying and I sincerely hope my heart can heal enough to allow him back in it. So I leave you with that glimmer of hope and with a heavy heart I have to say goodbye. I hope you'll never forget me, as I can promise I'll never forget you. Tell mother I love her and I'm sorry for all the sadness I must have caused her. You both are always my family and know that nothing, not distance or time, can ever change that.

With all my love, your sister,

Aurora Abbott

oOo oOo oOo

That night after Emma had fallen asleep Aurora still couldn't even bring herself to go near her bed. She was terrified she'd have another nightmare but at the same time she was exhausted and knew she couldn't just give up sleeping. After much internal debating she crept out of her room and silently made her way down the hall. She slowly turned the doorknob and entered Millard's room, even at such a late hour Millard was still awake. He was sitting on his bed in only his pajama bottoms reading a book by the moonlit window. When she entered he turned to her.

"Aurora, what's wrong?" he asked knowing that at this time of night she wasn't here for a social visit.

"I – can I stay with you tonight?" she asked timidly wondering if she was making a mistake.

"Worried about having another nightmare?" he guessed and she nodded.

"I just, I can't wake up like that again. It was terrible enough the first time, I can't keep reliving it."

Millard put down his book and pulled back the covers. She took his invitation as she climbed into bed with him and laid her head on his bare chest. Even after all this time she still found moments where she marveled at his invisibility. To anyone it would look like she was resting her head on nothing but she could feel his chest rise and fall with every breath he took, she could hear his heart beating in his chest and she fell asleep feeling more whole then she had in the past twenty years.