Gray light, piercing its way through a filter of early spring rain, gradually began to fill the cabin. Michelle opened one eye and noticed that the clock on the wall read 9:30. She gave a slight groan and snuggled back down in the covers. She didn't want to get up quite yet. It was so cozy and warm in bed and-
Michelle suddenly came completely awake. Last night. Danny. She looked over to the other side of the bed.It was empty.Panic began to rise up in her. Had the whole thing been a dream? Where was he?
"Danny?" she called out.
"You're awake."
Michelle sagged with relief as Danny walked toward her from the fireplace where a new fire was crackling.
"I'm sorry, baby." he said as he slid back into bed."I didn't want you to be cold when you woke up, so I thought I'd start a fire."
Michelle crossed her arms, a pout he knew well on her face. "I was a lot colder waking up without you than I would have been without a fire. You scared me to death! I thought you had left or that last night had just been another dream-"
"Another?" Danny asked teasingly, lifting an eyebrow.
Michelle flung her pillow at him and he laughingly deflected the blow."Does this mean the honeymoon's over?"
Michelle smiled and let him pull her into his arms."You think I'm gonna settle for this plain ol' cabin for a honeymoon,Mr. Santos? I seem to remember being promised Mallorca."
Baby, we can go to the moon if that's what you want." he murmured as he placed nibbling kisses along her jaw.
"Mmmmmm....doesn't matter where so long as you're there." she sighed.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Danny kissed her then and with that kiss the night before came flooding back.
Danny noticed her pinkened cheeks as the kiss ended."What are you blushing about?"
Michelle looked up at him through her lashes."I was just thinking about last night."
Danny's eyes began to darken and Michelle shivered a little, knowing what that look meant."What about last night?" he asked thickly.
Michelle's blush deepened and Danny laughed."So now you're shy, is that it?"
Michelle laughed too."I guess. You must think I'm pretty stupid to be shy around you after...after last night."
Danny brushed dark gold strands off her cheeks as he said "I could never think you were stupid,Michelle."
Michelle leaned forward and kissed him soundly."I could get used to this." she said as she laid back in his arms.
"What?"
"Waking up with you."
Danny chuckled softly. "You better get used to it.I plan to keep you occupied with that for the next 50 years or so."
Michelle raised her head to look at him, a gleam in her eyes."Is that all you plan to keep me...occupied with?"
Danny pressed a kiss against the hollow of her throat as he rolled her beneath him."Oh, I think I have a few more ideas..."
* * * *
He had the first nightmare the next night. He was running through endless corridors all of them black and cold. He was screaming her name.Where was she? Why couldn't he find her? Then a sharp sound. He turned. She lay there, her body crumpled at his feet.Her golden hair surrounded her pale face like a halo. And all around her was blood. "No!" he screamed. He held her against him her blood seeping through his clothes. Frantically his eyes searched the dark hallway for her killer. A figure emerged from the shadows. "Why?" he screamed at the figure."Why did you do this you bastard?"
"You know why,Danny." the figure whispered.
He clutched her lifeless form closer to him."Who are you?" he demanded fear giving his voice an edge.
"You know that too."
The figure moved into the light.
"No! No!" he cried as the figure's identity became clear.
It was himself.
Danny sat up in bed,a cold sweat drenching him.
"Danny?" Michelle murmured sleepily beside him. She came more awake as she realized how upset he was."Honey, are you alright?" she asked sitting up next to him, one hand smoothing his hair, the other pressed to his chest.
"I...I just had a nightmare that's all." he said still gulping for air.
Michelle pulled his head to her heart. "Shhh...it's alright now. It was just a dream."
"I know." he said, his pulse gradually returning to normal."It was just-it was just so real."
Michelle's hands continued to stroke his hair, his back."What was it about?"
Danny was silent for a while before simply saying,"You."
Michelle's hands stilled for so short a moment it was nearly imperceptible. But Danny felt it.
"What about me?" she asked quietly.
"You were...gone."
Michelle tried to ignore the little tremble that went through her and placed a hand under his chin, lifting her eyes to hers."I'm not going anywhere,Danny.I told you that.I'm always going to be by your side, whether you want me there or not.I promise."
She gently laid her lips on his.The kiss was more an effort to soothe him than anything else but, as was usual with the two of them,it quickly developed into much more.
Michelle noticed a sort of desperation in his kisses, in the way he ran his hands over her body as if he was trying to remember every nuance of her. She felt the same desperation towards him, though. She wished she could memorize the exact shade of his eyes when he looked at her as they made love. She wanted to make sure she never forgot the way his hair felt in her fingers.
She was so scared of losing him. And she knew he was terrified of losing her.
Afterwards,they laid in each other's arms staring into the dark,both of them trying to imprint this night forever on their minds.
"I'll never leave you, Danny." Michelle murmured again right as she drifted off to sleep."I promise."
Danny lay awake a long time after that turning her words over and over in his mind.
She would never leave him, no matter what.
No matter what his family did or how dangerous it got,she would remain by his side.
She promised.
The question was, was it a promise he could let her keep?