Red Hand Annie

Prologue

*please play song while reading, thank you*

Setting: around same time that epilogue of picture perfect left off-maybe a little bit after; late in the night, the bedroom in the apartment above the diner, Annie tossing and turning in her sleep...

(Inside her head)

"Here ya go," Will says handing me the new table order as I pass the finished one through the window, "thank you baby sister."

"..." I glare at him, "I hate you."

"You love me," he thinks to me

"Get out of my head and go deliver the food before it gets cold!" I snap in my thoughts

"Yes ma'am,"he says aloud

"Waaaaa-a-aaaaaaaaaa!"

"Red!" Someone calls me as I hear them bolt down the stairs from the apartment above

"?" I step out of the kitchen

I smile at him holding our waling child and snicker at the priceless look of panic on his face; before he can say a word about my laugh, I throw the dishrag that's in my hands over my shoulder and take our crying baby from him. I rest the child in both arms-gently, but firm-holding the dear thing close to my chest as it uses my large stomach as a pillow and my heartbeat as a lullaby. The waling child soon calms and looks at me with its blue eyes-the same blue eyes as it's father and myself-I can't help but smile down at it lovingly with my now red eyes...

"I still don't understand how you do that," he says quietly

"..."I look up smiling at him, batting my lashes and eyes still red

"You're one amazing doll," he says coming closer to me

He cups my cheek gently with his real hand and brushes his thumb along me face with a smile that makes my heart race and I blush hard with butterflies in my stomach. He comes behind me, gently rests his head on one of my shoulders and carefully wraps both his real and metal arm around my large stomach and our child in a loving, protective embrace. "He's hopeless" I think with a smile..."then again, I wouldn't trade seeing his smile everyday for anything else..."

"Mommy!" Comes Lucas' voice from ahead of us

"..." I look up at my now three year old

"Illy says "the foods urning," what's that mean?" He asks

"..." I stare at him confused for a moment, "urning?"

"I said burning," Will's voice enters my head

"!!!" I panic at the realization handing my babe to its daddy, kissing his scruffy face & skidding off into the kitchen

I hear laugher from behind me as I smile shaking my head and take the messed up order off the stove top; I turn around playfully glaring at the metal armed man leaning against the doorway of the kitchen-a smirk on his face & our sleeping child in his arms-I roll my eyes and shake my head as my smile grows bigger as I move closer to him. I pull him as close as possible with my huge belly and the baby in his arms. He smiles his pearly whites and stand straight as I wrap my gloved hands carefully around his neck-just beneath his perfect shoulder length brown hair-stretch onto my tiptoes and kiss his perfect lips.

Annie snaps up right in bed-heart pounding out of control-in a sweaty panic as she looks around the dark room, only to find Lucas in his crib asleep and her stomach still only at three months pregnant. She looks at the bed next to her-no ones there-it was only a dream-a beautiful dream. Annie feels her heart sink as it slows down a bit; unable to go back to sleep, she lies awake: starring at the ceiling and not forgetting a single shred of her dream.