“Deniece, I am headed home.” Kevin announced as he placed a chart on top of the ones that were already piled on the nurses’ desk. 

“Dr. Collins – “ 

“No, no, no. Whatever it is, I don’t want to hear about it. I’m done; I am through and nothing but nothing is going to stop me from walking out that door. The doctor is most definitely not in.” 

“Kevin – “ 

“Deniece, please have pity – I am so far beyond tired I don’t even know what day it is anymore. Couldn’t Gail handle this one?” 

“I don’t think so.” Deniece responded with a smile. “I think this one needs your special touch.” 

Kevin’s sigh was one of pure defeat. “This is my last patient and I really mean it this time. I guess the sooner i get started the sooner I can leave, just show me which way to go.” 

Deniece indicated the small room behind Kevin. 

Kevin had already opened the door to the room before he remembered he didn’t have the patient’s chart. Kevin looked back over his shoulder at Deniece but she wasn’t at the desk any longer. Deciding to start talking to the patient anyway, he turned on the light to the darkened room, and there asleep on a cot was Lucy. Startled, he turned around as Deniece poked him on his shoulder. 

“What is Lucy doing?” 

“Well I am no doctor, but I think that’s commonly referred to as sleeping.” Deniece replied. 

“Thanks so much for that helpful comment. But why is she sleeping here?” 

“She said something about promising you that she’d wait for you.” 

Kevin thought back. “But that was two patients and – “ Kevin looked at his watch. “Six and a half-hours ago.” 

“Hence the sleeping.” Deniece replied, giving Kevin’s shoulder a pat. “I think you can handle it from here Doctor.” 
Kevin leaned over Lucy, almost hating to wake her because she looked so at peace. Gently he kissed her on the forehead. 

Lucy jerked awake, taking Kevin aback with how sharply she sat up; her whole body now tense. “Where am I?” 

“The hospital. I’m sorry I took so long – “ 

Lucy wasn’t listening; she was touching her arm, the cot. “This isn’t a dream right? I mean I don’t know if you can dream in Heaven or not but this feels real. I’m real.” 
“That must have been some dream.” Kevin’s teasing stopped as soon as he realized Lucy was really upset. “Lucy, it’s okay.” He took her in his arms, Lucy was shaking. “I’ve got you.” 

“Oh God Kevin, I was so scared and then – this isn’t some sort of trick is it? I’m really not dead?” 
“If it helps, I’ll pinch you wherever you want just to prove to you that you are very much alive.” Kevin pushed Lucy’s hair away from her teary eyes. “It was just a dream Lucy, apparently a very bad dream but just a dream. You are here and everything’s fine. I think maybe this is the worst case of pre-wedding jitters I have ever seen.” 

“Wedding?” Lucy asked, pulling away from Kevin but still very much shaken. 

“Yeah, our wedding. You know the one that is taking place 23 days from today.” Kevin checked his watch. “Make that 22.” 

“We’re not getting married.” Lucy took a few steps away from Kevin. “In fact, we’re not even together. This is some kind of trick or your idea of a cruel joke. Or some sort of mind game you and Caleb and Livvie – well it’s not going to work. I know what I have to do and nobody is going to stop me. Least of all you.” 

Kevin stepped in front of Lucy, blocking her way out the door. “I think what you need to do is sit down, you’re upset.” 

“Don’t touch me!” Lucy yelled at Kevin as he reached for her. “Don’t you ever touch me again!” 

“Problems?” Deniece asked, poking her head in the door. 

“Nothing, none it’s okay.” Kevin said to Deniece as Lucy pushed by them. 

“I’m going home. I’m going home and I’m going to find Rafe and I’m going to figure out what is going on here.” Lucy announced as she struggled into her coat. 

“Good, that’s a good idea. We’ll go home, you’ll feel better when you get back to the Lighthouse.” 

“I’m going to my home.” Lucy replied. “And you’re not invited. Go find Eve, I am sure she is desperately needing your shoulder to cry on.” 

Kevin watched, stunned as Lucy practically flung herself out the emergency room doors. 

“Someday you are going to have to tell me about how the two of you hooked up. That must be some story.” Deniece commented as the doors shut behind Lucy. 

“It’s simple really. I was doomed from the moment I laid eyes on her. Thank God.” Kevin picked up his jacket. “I’d better go after her.” 

“Good luck!” Deniece yelled after him. “You’ll need it.” 

“Lucy? Lucy?” Kevin pounded on the front door. “I have my own key you know, so you might as well let me in.” 

“Go away!” Lucy yelled. “Go play footsie with Eve.” 

“What on earth?? Lucy, open this door.” 

“Go away!” 

“You know that’s not going to happen. Lucy we obviously need to talk, so please just open the door. Lucy? Lucy?” 

Lucy was standing there in front of him, eyeing him warily. “For someone so desperate to talk to me, it certainly took you long enough to get here.” 

“I forgot my keys back in my office and had to – never mind all of that. The important thing is I’m here. You look calmer. And really good in that bathrobe I might add.” 

“I took a bubble bath, it seemed the right thing to do.” Lucy wrapped the bathrobe around her tighter. “And now I’m going to go change.” 

“Don’t go to all that trouble on my account, I like you in that bathrobe.” 

“I know. Which is why I am going to go change.” 

Kevin tried to follow Lucy into her bedroom, but she shut and then locked the door behind her. “Okay Lucy, can you please clue me into what is happening here? This morning you were going on and on about what flowers you wanted to decorate the Lighthouse with and now you won’t even talk to me. All this over a dream? And what is this about Eve?” 

“It wasn’t a dream. Why aren’t you with Danny anyway? Who is watching him? And where is Rafe? I really need to talk to him and I called and called and he hasn’t come.” 

“Rafe’s back in Transylvania where we left him as far as I know. He did say he was coming down for the wedding. And Danny is with Eve and Ian, where else would he be? Lucy, maybe it would help if you would tell me about the dream.” 

Lucy opened the door, adjusting the straps to her dress. “I already told you, it wasn’t a dream. But why should you listen to me now? You never have before.” 

“ I am listening - “ Kevin sighed. “Can we just sit down and talk about this? Because I really have no idea what is going on here. And what does Eve have to do with your – whatever it is?” 

“I don’t know Doc, you tell me. Eve comes to you with Danny and you fall all over yourself helping her out But when I need you to believe me about Christina you just slam the door in my face.” 

“The most eloquent response that comes to mind is – huh?” 

“Okay, so Christina wasn’t real. But you didn’t know that for sure at the time and she was very real to me. You were so busy helping Eve reunite with Danny that you wouldn’t have noticed me if I had burst into flames right in front of you. Which is pretty much what happened to me as a matter of fact.” 

“Let’s take this one step at a time. Why would I need to reunite Eve with Danny? We couldn’t pry Danny out of Eve’s arms long enough to give him a hug the night before last at Eve and Ian’s dinner party.” 

“Eve and Ian had a dinner party? Together?” Lucy asked, ever bit as confused as Kevin. “And we were there? Together?” 

“You don’t remember? Lucy, is it possible that you bumped your head somehow? Maybe we should take you back to the hospital.” 

“No, I don’t need a hospital or a shrink for that matter. This is not a hallucination or a dream or a vision. It really happened. I was dead, Livvie killed me and Caleb was there and James and you had turned against me and it was – is - real.” Lucy sat down, looking up at Kevin. “All of this happened to you too and you truly don’t remember do you? What the hell is going on?” 

“Good question. I wish I knew. You were fine when I tried to say goodbye at the hospital and you insisted on waiting for me. You were so excited about the wedding and Livvie and Jack getting engaged and – “ 

“Livvie and Jack are engaged? She’s not with Caleb?” 

“Lucy, Caleb is dead. Don’t you remember up on the hospital roof? He’s dead and he’s gone. I think I know what this is. This is another one of those residual dreams you’ve been having from time to time. It isn’t real. Just like when you dreamed Livvie was pregnant with Caleb’s baby.” 

“But he’s not dead Kevin. I know you don’t believe me, you never have, but he’s not. He’s the reason Eve and Ian broke up and they lost custody of Danny. He’s the reason Valerie has come between Jamal and Allison. He’s the reason this town has been torn apart and so many lives are so dark. He’s the reason that I am dead, or I was dead. At least it felt like I was. I think I need a drink.” 

“None of those things happened Lucy.” 

“It had to have. I remember every moment so clearly. Even the moment I slept with – “ 

“You dreamed you slept with someone? Who?” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Lucy lowered her head to her knees. “What is happening to me?” 

“It’s okay Lucy. It’s all right. We’ll figure this out together.” 

“No, it’s not all right. It’s not even close to being all right. I don’t think anything will ever be all right again.” 

“Because of a dream?” 

“Quit saying that! It wasn’t just a dream! It was real. It was horrible. And I am still furious with you so stay away from me!” 

“Let me get this straight, you are mad at me because of a dre-” Kevin stopped mid-word as Lucy lifted up her head to glare at him. “Lucy, I love you. Only you. And Caleb isn’t here, and everyone in town is fine. They’re still a little shaky over what happened, but they are fine. Let me make you some hot chocolate, that and a good night’s sleep and you will feel so much better in the morning.” 

“Thank you Kevin, that is just what I needed. Some good old fashioned patronizing.” 

Kevin silently counted to five. And then ten. And then he sat down beside Lucy on the couch. “Okay why don’t you tell me what you think happened.” 

“I think I know what this is, I had a premonition. We aren’t going to make it Kevin, I know that now. That’s what the universe is trying to tell me, no matter how much we love each other something is always going to stand in our way.” 

“Lucy I refuse to believe that and I don’t think you believe that either. I don’t know what is going on here; I don’t know why you have these memories of things that never took place. But I do know what our future is, and it’s not me with Eve and you with – who did you say you slept with again?” 

“Ian.” Lucy mumbled. 

“Excuse me?” 

“Ian.” Lucy said louder. “But if you are telling me the truth about nothing I remember being real, then it never happened so you aren’t allowed to get mad at me.” 

“I’m not mad. I’m just trying to figure out why you would ever sleep with Ian when I’m around.” Kevin looked over at Lucy. “I saw that. You smiled.” 

“I’m not dead. I’m not dead and we’re not apart and Livvie and Jack and everyone is okay.” Lucy put her hand on Kevin’s shoulder, staring into the empty space that was right in front of her as a thought occurred to her. “Rafe did this for us, I just know he did. I must be the only one who remembers what happened because Rafe is giving us a second chance.” 

“If that’s true, if it really wasn’t a dream, then you died.” Kevin looked at Lucy. “I can’t allow myself to let that sink in, you could have really died and I really could have lost you forever.” 

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I was really dead Kevin but something happened – I don’t know what. But if this is some kind of second chance then I need to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. Of course it’s not really history because it didn’t really happen. I mean it did happen but now it hasn’t happened because something changed so it’s not history anymore. But the point is, I lived through it once and I don’t want to ever again so we have to get a few things straight.” 

“The very scary thing is, I followed all of that. What is it that we need to straighten out, other than the fact you aren’t allowed to die on me?” 

“I need to ask you a couple of questions. If you could go back in time, to before Ian and Eve were kidnapped would you? If it meant you could still have the life you and Eve had together.” 

“No, I wouldn’t.” 

“Doc, I need you to think about this. I need you to be sure about your answer. Our future together depends on it.” 

“I don’t need to think about it Lucy. I am where I want to be, with the person I want to be with. Eve is in my past, and that’s where she belongs. You and only you are my future, besides the fates worked it so we could be together, who am I to argue with the wisdom of the universe?” 

“Okay, so what would you do if Eve appeared at the Lighthouse door with Danny in tow and asked for your help?” 

“Well I wouldn’t slam the door in her face.” 

“So far, I got to tell you Doc, I am not thrilled with your answer.” 

“I’m still her friend Lucy. I couldn’t not help her out, anymore than you could turn away one of your friends. But I wouldn’t let her disrupt our lives. I’d listen to her; I’d help her if I could. But my main priority is you and our wedding and I would let her know that. Eve has other friends and more importantly a husband that loves her, and I would remind her of those things.” 

“Okay, I guess I can live with that.” 

“So everything is okay?” 

“Almost. What if I came and told you Caleb was really alive and that I needed your help to fight him, what would you do then?” 

“Grab the nearest sharp object and follow you out the door because I would know better than to even try stopping you from fighting him.” 

“Even if everyone else told you I was seeing things? Even if Caleb being alive sounded really unbelievable to you?” 

“Lucy, think about all the things you’ve told me tonight. I believe every word you’ve said. Even the part about your dying, as scary as that is to me.” 

“So you don’t think it was a dream anymore?” 

“I only have to look into your eyes and I can see how real it was. I am just sorry that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me to be, even if I can’t remember why I wasn’t.” 

“That’s okay, you are here now and I am so very happy that you are. And that I am.” 

“You know,” Kevin commented, scooping up Lucy so that she was much closer to him. “I am willing to prove how much I love you, just give me the go ahead.” 

Lucy touched his face with her hand, her eyes already closed, his lips so close to hers that she could already taste them. “Prove away Doc.” 

Kevin’s lips touched hers gently at first, but Lucy was hungry. Hungry for his touch, hungry for the way his hands felt on her bare skin, hungry to feel the way that only Kevin could make her feel. She needed to drive the demons away, the memories of the fights and the darkness and she knew that this was the best way to do that. She wanted to kiss all of Kevin, to let his hands explore every inch of her. 

“It scares me to think about how close I came to losing you.” Kevin whispered as he trailed delicious little kisses down the front of her neck and inching ever lower. “Promise me you will never leave me.” 

Kevin was kissing Lucy back with the same passion and need. Lucy impatiently tugged at his shirt, and somehow he managed to shrug out of it without depriving Lucy of his touch. He scooped her up in her arms, carrying into the bedroom where they fell together on the bed, his bare skin setting fire to her bare skin, their bodies entangled in the covers and each other and both of them lost in feeling, touching, belonging to each other. 
 

“I called him the old fashioned way this time, I used the telephone.” 

“And what did cousin Rafe have to say?” 

“He told me not to question miracles.” Lucy wrapped her arms around Kevin. “And he asked me to save him a front row seat at the wedding.” 

“There’s something more isn’t there?” Kevin asked, “What did he say that made you cry?” 

“There’s a lot more, I had to wheedle it out of him but he told me the whole story. What I remember is what really happened. Caleb was here, he had Livvie under his spell, and he pushed all of us to self-destruct although sorry to say none of us took a lot of pushing. Even the part about me dying really happened.” 

“So what changed things?” 

“You did or rather we did. Rafe said that when you found out I was dead and he was an angel – “ 

“Rafe is an angel? How did I miss that?” 

“- that you went to him and you begged him for my life. You told him you would do anything if he would bring me back, even exchange your life for mine. That this world needed me more than it needed you. And while you were doing that, I was asking his superiors for the exact opposite, for them to keep you safe and to take the feelings of guilt and pain away from you. Together, we proved to everyone that our love was stronger than Caleb’s tricks, that it survived all the doubts and lies and misunderstandings. That’s why what happened, happened. We were the ones that destroyed Caleb because of that love and we are why everything Caleb accomplished was erased.” 

“I wish that Rafe had erased what happened from your memory, the way that it was erased from mine. I hate that you remember so much pain.” 

“No, I’m glad I remember. Because now I know just how powerful love really is. We proved Caleb wrong; we destroyed him by the power of our love. That’s a great thing, why would I ever want to forget that?” 

“By the way, about you sleeping with Ian – “ 

“I think I hear Siggy calling me.” 

“Oh no you don’t. Siggy isn’t even here; he’s at the Lighthouse where we both are going to be very soon. I’ve already called the hospital and cleared my schedule, I am yours for the day.” 

“You didn’t have to do that.” 

“Yes I did. You and this wedding are the most important things in my life.“ Kevin sat down on the kitchen chair, pulling Lucy on his lap. “I want you to be as sure of us as I am and if we need to spend all day talking to accomplish that then that’s exactly what we are going to do.” 

“”We could do that.” Lucy replied, tugging a bit at Kevin’s shirt as she smiled down at him. “Or we could skip all the talking and spend the day in bed.” 

“I just love the way you think.” Kevin laughed as he pulled her head down toward his for a kiss. 

The End