Beyond Time - Emily and Hughes

"Hughes!"  She raced after him.  Why was he such an idiot?

"Leave, Emily!" he yelled back at her.  "I've got this!"

Stopping just short of the field he was running across, she ducked.  "I hate guns," she muttered, before shouting, "You'll get killed!"

"That's kind of the idea!"  His coat flew behind him.

It happened in slow motion.  A blinding flash of light, and he fell lifelessly to the ground as she screamed.

Then anger took over, and she was merciless.  The enemy was slaughtered.  When she reached Hughes, he was gone, his sapphire eyes staring lifelessly at the cold grey sky.

She wept.  Beat on his chest, begging, pleading for his life to be returned.  Cursing his stupidity.

They were supposed to be together forever, but he was beyond time now.

"Emmy.  Emily.  Come on.  Wake up."

She surged forward in bed, gasping.  Hughes tilted his head, his eyes concerned.  "You okay, Leelee?  You were crying in your sleep."

Her hands went up to wipe at her eyes, and she felt the sticky tear-tracks on her cheeks.  "Yeah," she muttered.  "I just – nightmare."

He was alive.  Alive, those eyes she loved so much twinkling in the half-light of the predawn.

"Do you want to talk about it?"  His hands pulled hers from her face and he peered at her, clearly worried.

"Not much to say."  She shrugged.  "You.  Dead."

Suddenly she was in his arms, face crushed against his chest.  "Oh Leelee.  It's okay."

Eyes closed, she took a deep breath.  He smelled of woodsmoke, strong and oaky, with just a hint of sage.  "I know," she whispered.  "I don't want to think about it."

He ran his fingers through her hair.  "I could distract you."

Of course he'd be thinking about that.  "I dunno," she began, but then his lips found that spot, just there behind her ear, and she groaned.  "Okay, okay, you win."

Despite waking up so early, she was late to work that morning.