| TITLE: Imagination AUTHOR: Kasey RATING: PG, S/M SUMMARY: Mallory tries to fall asleep. DISCLAIMER: Once upon a time, these awesome people worked in the White House and didn�t belong to me. NOTES: Actually, this is based on something that actually works�Don�t ask, it�s sorta bizarre. And it�s more innocent than you might think just by the summary and title and sick minds out there�Just read on before you make some puritanical judgment, okay? Cool! THANKS TO: Disney and Lieutenant. You guys are the best! ~*~The Admiral~*~ I should be asleep right now. It�s like three in the morning, I should be asleep. And yet here I am, staring up at the ceiling and wondering why I�m not asleep. There�s irony for ya. I think about calling Sam � after all, he�s probably just gotten home from the White House, what with the insane hours he works�Nah. Then I�ll sound desperate or something. Besides, if by chance he DID get off relatively early � as in before 11 � he�d be really pissed at his one full night of sleep being interrupted because I�m still awake. So let�s recap the things I�ve tried to do to try to fall asleep. There was first the counting sheep theory. Only I�ve always had a bizarre sort of aversion to sheep, having to do with Dad taking me to �Uncle Jed�s� farm when I was little and this adorable little lamb deciding my fingers looked like plants. So I tried counting dogs. But the barking kept me up even more. Yes, I realize I have the imagination of a ten-year-old. It�s my job. Second I tried to read, but since I couldn�t find any of my usual books, I started with the longest book I could find. Even laughing at Amy�s limes and crying when Beth died did nothing to make me more tired. But I did get to reread Little Women for only the 132nd time. And yes, I know it�s an exact number. But I�ve read it 6 times a year since I was 8. And then some. Thirdly, I decided to try to bore myself to sleep. And knowing how half the time I was almost asleep listening to Dad go on about something hopelessly complicated and political, I decided to turn on C-SPAN and go from there. Until the guest and host got into a debate about school vouchers and I started defending my position. Yes, I know they can�t hear me, thank you very much, but it made me feel better. Just not any more tired. And so here I am. Except I have an idea. And this one might actually work. See, a friend of mine told me a technique once that�s supposed to work when you can�t sleep. And she said she thought of me. Because it involves imagination, visualization, all that good stuff. And the best part about the mind of a ten-year-old is their incredibly vivid imagination. Seeing as how I have managed to keep my imagination intact, unlike a lot of the people I went to school with who are now working as stockbrokers or something, it�s worth a shot. So. You�re supposed to think about and visualize something � a place, a thing, a person � that makes you feel happy and safe. So what should I pick? Rainforest? Ocean? Nah�The whole nature thing has never been me. And so I decide to close my eyes and let the scene come to me. And it does, as if my subconscious has finally caught on to what I�m trying to do. While my mind had still been unsure of where my safe-haven was, I guess I�d really known all along. Where I�m imagining myself is in Sam�s arms. I can feel myself snuggling against him, his arm protectively around me, holding me close as though he refuses to let me go. My head rests lightly against his collarbone, and I swear I feel his gentle breath ruffling my hair slightly. His hand gently rubs my shoulder slightly, making me relax even more, and I feel as though I could stay there forever. And within minutes, I am asleep. |