Broken Doll {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 26

When I passed out, I truly expected my rest to be fitful and ailed by nightmares, but there was no sign of Bay crowding my unconscious mind, no sign of my father, and no sign of Tobias dying in my arms. While it wasn't exactly an unwelcome change, it was strange. I had my mother's unpredictable and unsteady immune system, normally when I had a fever, my mind was left vulnerable, played tricks on me by reintroducing all of my trauma, showing me hallucinations and prompting panic attacks.

The scar on my left arm, where I'd carved glass through the skin, was the effect of being left alone with a bad fever. To most other people the fever wouldn't have been that serious, barely low-grade, but with my immune system so messed up, even low-grade fevers left me reeling.

This time, though, for some reason, I didn't have any bad dreams, no nightmares or terrors. Instead, almost instantly after losing consciousness, I found myself somewhere sunny, and after staring for a minute, I realized it was Austria. Not just anywhere in Austria, but Vienna; Tobias' mansion.

The eight foot cast iron fence was set up around the perimeter of the large backyard, tall trees and shrubs planted to act as a veil, keeping any eyes outside from looking in. The ground was covered in perfectly manicured emerald grass, a cobblestone walk winding through it to branch off in different directions through the garden, leading to a gazebo at one end, a small pond at another, a shed filled with tools, flower-beds and rose bushes. If the garden of Eden existed, it would hold nothing over my husband's home.

I stared for a long time, seeing if I couldn't spot anyone from the Syndicate walking around, but it looked to be mostly vacant. After a moment I recognized where I was, lying on the hammock hanging on the back porch, and rolling my head up I saw I was stretched out beside Tobias, my head pillowed on his chest.

His arm was curled around my shoulders, the other folded over his stomach and his hand holding mine, our fingers twisted together. I stared at the ring on his hand for a long moment, sliding my thumb over the surface to feel the diamonds and smooth silver. It felt so real, Tobias' warmth beside me, that for a moment I almost believed I was really there.

I stayed there silently for a moment, at first not comprehending that this was a dream, and slowly pushed myself up to hover over Tobias, just to look at him. My perfect love. His eyes had been closed, but they opened in response to me, and a smile took to his lips as he lifted the hand that had been holding mine so he could instead touch my cheek.

He didn't say anything at first, I considered that maybe dream Tobias couldn't talk, but he kept his hand on my face. It felt so real, as if it was really him. His hand was warm, I could feel the callouses on his fingers, like I'd essentially memorized his touch in the nine years we'd known each other.

I reached my own hand out to rake my fingers back through his black hair, my thumb tracing down his jaw. His face was smooth, flawless, skin toned olive, lips soft as I slid my thumb against them, no lines or wrinkles near his incredible hazel eyes, no scars or bandages to be seen wrapped around his head. He looked almost exactly the same as he had when we first met, and I couldn't help but think this dream was so strange.

"Are you going to wake up?" he spoke finally, his voice gentle, and I found myself simply staring at him.

"Wake up?" my brow furrowed lightly as I looked around the yard, then back down at my husband, my hand still cupping his cheek, "But this is... so nice," I said, "Lying here like this with you... like nothing is wrong... nothing else matters or exists."

"I know, it's beautiful," Tobias agreed, but he wasn't looking at the yard, his eyes still locked with mine, "This is what's waiting for us when the war is over, my love. We could do this every day. Laze around, lie together in a hammock," he smiled, "Wake up, darling. We can't have this until everything is over."