Chapter 10

--Harper--

After another two days in the hospital, they cleared me to go back to classes. It was exciting to get back to learning to fight, and practicing flying with weights. So we would be able to carry people if need to be. It was hard to keep the history in my mind straight, I was annoyed with it. And as Christmas break approached so did finals. I wasn't sure I was going to pass, I was stressed out. I didn't want to lose my flying classes and my fighting classes. I needed those to be a good guardian. Sometimes I would stay behind at the school to study while Gabriel went home to spend time with his sister and his mother. He still hadn't made up his mind if he was going to go to his father's for the holidays but I was sure he would at least call his dad. He did help him pull me from a coma. He owed him at least a phone call. My dad was excited for me to come home and mom was warming up to the idea that I wasn't going to be a healer. I think my near-death experience brought her around, she wasn't happy about my choice but at least she was beginning to respect it. I was sitting on my bed with my phone out on my pillow and my book on my lap. I was on the phone with Gabriel, he was kind of trying to tutor me from home. We both knew I needed to pass these finals to be able to keep the classes I wanted. I turned the page and he was explaining the study guide to me, going through question by question.

"The answer are in the book, you just have to know kind of what each section is about." He wasn't angry, he was stressed about his father. And not wanting to upset his mother.

"Gabe, just call him. I'm sure your mother will understand, and even if she doesn't she won't be angry at you, she can't be. He is your father."

"I've spent so much time hating him. I hate the fact that I ran to him..." I sighed and closed my book knowing we weren't going to get anymore of the study guide done until he had talked himself in submission about the subject.

"Gabe, you know he was the only one in the entire city probably that you could have learned from. And it saved my life, you at least have to thank him for that. I know you don't like the fact that you have this ability, and I am not telling you that you have to ever use it again. But knowing you can gives you a boost in the guardian world. Your mother won't be angry for thanking him." He sighed and I heard him run his hand over his face.

"I don't know, I haven't even approached the subject with mom yet, I don't even know where to start. I don't want to upset her, hearing anything about him always upsets her and that's not what I want." I didn't exactly know what to tell him. I wish I could make this easier on him, I wish that he wasn't so torn about the subject. But I could understand why, he was on his mother's side and I don't think it was right of Michael to leave them like that, but Gabe felt like he should thank him for teaching him. It was a very heated debate between us. I got up off my bed and put my book on the desk. I ran my hand through my hair.

"How are your nightmares?" I looked back to my phone and I wanted to tell him I was fine.

"Better..." But I knew it was a lie, and so did he. He is a dream sailor he pulls me from my nightmares almost every night. He knows, but what he doesn't know is that after I wake I don't go back to sleep. I've been getting tension headaches, fatigue is starting to set in.

"We only have two more days before break--" Before I head home, my father apologized that they couldn't come to get me. But they were sending a car. I would rather be with Gabe, and playing with Kayla. Mom would be in the summer home, and Dad would pretend like she was going to come home. He would work late in the office, come home and go straight to bed. The annual Christmas party would be held at his work. A very big affair. People got dressed in their finest clothes and I would host them because Daddy would have to work. I wanted a family like Gabe's.

"I know, I'll be there when they come get you. I promise." I smiled and wiped away a stray tear.

"Alright back to history." And our lesson continued. Trying to work through the packet.

Two days later I was standing outside in the brisk winter air. My own breath created puffs of white smoke around my face. People were getting in cars, and I saw my car pull up and I stretched in my toes to try and see Callie's Van. I checked my phone he hadn't texted me back. The driver took my bags and held the door open for me. I looked searching, he waited patiently for me to get in.

"Waiting for someone?" I smiled at the driver, and nodded but inside I was falling apart. Where was he? Slowly the school emptied and we were the last car to wait. And I let out my last breath of hope and slid into the car. He shut the door and got on the front seat. The driver looked sorry for me. He was just trying to be nice, but it didn't really help. I was worried, upset and a little angry. He told me he would be here, I trusted him.

"The snow makes it hard to get around Miss. Try not to be too put out." I nodded and looked down at my phone. No messages. He forgot. We started out from the school and I looked back. And saw him drop from the sky, his cheek and nose red from the wind. His hair was wind blown and he looked like he was breathing hard. He jogged to a stop and he stood in front of the school watching my car leave. I turned around in my seat watching him for a moment. I tapped the drivers seat.

"Stop the car!" He did and I flung the door open. Gabriel would never let me down. I ran back to him and he opened his arms to me. I slammed into his arms, and he held me tightly. His wings wrapping around my body to keep in some warmth. I pulled back and his lips met mine. Cold to warm, he cradled my head and his kiss was soul searching. It awoken a hunger in me that would never be satisfied. I pulled back and he was breathing heavily.

"Mom's van wouldn't start I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was almost too late." I shook my head and cling to him. He held me tightly and the driver beeped.

"Miss we will miss the flight if we delay much longer." He called out the window.

"I'm coming." I looked at Gabe who was searching my face.

"I'll be here when you get back," He kissed me again before I pulled away, and walked from his arms. He slipped a box into my hand and before I could turn around he launched up into the air. I ran back to the car, the small box wrapped in beautiful silver paper with a blue bow. I shut the door and the driver started to go. I held the box in my fingers, a small card attached to the back. I pulled it open and read inside.

I will miss you. You'll be too far away for me to dream sail, I'm sorry. But I hope you do get some sleep.

He worries too much about my habits, I sat the card down. It was a family card with him Callie and Kayla sitting together smiling. I ran my finger over his face and turned back to the box. I carefully unwrapped the little box and inside sat a small dream catcher. My heart swelled and my eyes leaked with warm tears. That boy would be the death of me. I sat back on the seat and looked out the window. I didn't want to go home, this was my home now. After an hour car ride and a rush through airport security I was on a three hour plane ride home. The dream catcher tucked safely into my purse. I walked through the airport and followed the driver with my name on the sign. He told me he would be here to pick me up. My phone started to ring, and Gabe's face flashed across the screen.

"Hello?"

"Harper! Did you like his present I helped him pick it out." Kayla yelled excitedly into the phone. And I smile adjusting my phone.

"I love it thank you, both of you." She giggled.

"I got some new dolls for us to play with when you come back? You are coming back right." I smiled at the fear in her voice.

"Even if I have to fly there myself." She sighed with relief.

"Oh good--" I heard Gabe in the background looking for his phone.

"Gotta go, talk to you soon." She hung up and I smiled settling into the backseat of the car. My heart ached. I missed them.

My parents weren't home when I arrived home, but I had expected that much. I walked up to my room. It was the exact way I had left it. That didn't surprise me one bit, I looked at the deep Royal blue walls, and the plush white carpet. I sat my bag down on my bed and walked to the small bathroom connected to my room. All of my things were where I had left them. Nothing had moved an inch. I shut the light off and walked back out into my room. I peeked into my large closet and it was missing the clothes that were waiting for me at school. But everything I hadn't taken was still here. I sat down on my desk chair and pulled my laptop out of my bag. Since it was quiet I might as well try to study. I sat waiting for it to boot up and the silence started to really bother me. I felt like something was going to jump out at me. I picked my phone up and I thought about texting Gabe but I didn't want interrupt his family time. I turned back to my computer and shut the lid. Who was I kidding? I wasn't going to study. I flopped down on my stomach on the plush mattress that I had actually missed. Wondering for a movement if they would allow me to bring it back to school with me. I shoved my fists under my pillow and laid my head down. I looked out the window to the back yard. Empty. I had almost forgotten how lonely it was here.

(((Gabriel)))

I was sitting in my room on my bed. A book spread open to the page that I needed and my packet resting on the folder in my lap. I paused for a moment before reading the same question for the 4th time but not really understanding what I was reading. This was the first time in almost 6 months that I had truly been apart from Harper and it was odd. This is usually would have spent my break, getting ahead on school work. Studying for exams, but for some reason it felt lacking. I wasn't satisfied with studying like I had been before. I sat my head back against the headboard and cast a longing look at my phone. I could send a quick text to see how her flight was, it was the courteous thing to do. I reached for my phone as a second thought crossed my mind. She wouldn't want bothered probably catching up with her friends. She has been away for nearly half a year. I shouldn't bother her yet. I turned back to my book wanting it to offer some kind of distraction. I flipped a couple of pages trying to catch my own attention. But I ended up shutting the book and pushing it to the other side of the bed, I moved down laying back on the pillows, looking up at the ceiling. I closed my eyes and even thought it was hard to adjust to them at first, I was glad I had the contacts, they did make a difference in combat. I closed my eyes, she was too far away for me to check on her dreams. I felt the worry shift the center of my focus. She wouldn't be getting a lot of sleep. Her nightmares remained the same, never changing. She couldn't shake that fear, and it was hard to keep her dreams happy. Sometimes we didn't have a problem, other times they gave her no rest. I drifted into sleep, and it was like my mind was still awake while my body rested. I was going to turn on it off, to actually rest. But there was a tug on the side of my attention. I turned and looked there was a soft outline of a familiar mind. I reached out, extending my mind and there she was. Nightmares and all. I eagerly dove into her mind into that dungeon where I would be hanging. And she was there, stuck in the corner. I walked over to her and sat down on the wet, cold floor. I pulled her onto my lap, and her head rested against my shoulder. Her sobbing stopped, her trembling slowed. And the dungeon slowly faded and as the comfort from my mind reached hers we were in a meadow, sunlight streaming down from the clouds. I laid us back in the grass and her breathing slowly calmed and went even. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me. When I dream sailed on her, she was never fully aware of me in her dreams. Never knew it if was real or not. Which was the side effect of dream sailing. She would never actually know if I touched her dreams. But at this point I was just glad to give her mind some kind of peace from the harsh images that always put her in a terrible mood. I relaxed in her mind resting my mind a bit while keeping tabs on her dreams. I withdrew from her mind and the ghost image of me lying in the grass stayed and I returned to my room. I sat up and Kayla was jumping on my bed.

"You sleep like a zombie! Come on! Dinner is ready! We have company." I swept her legs out from under her, and she hit the mattress giggling. I rolled over wrapping her in the blankets, she squealed and kicked to be let out. I took a deep breath and she wiggled and I blew a raspberry on her neck and she laughed.

"No, no!" I smiled and let her out, letting her think she escaped me. She ran around the side of the bed, and I crawled after her. She smiled and ran around the corner. I tumbled out of the bed and she ran from my room. I got up, and ran after her. Chasing her down the steps, I caught her waist, as we ran into the kitchen. And I stopped short when my eyes landed on my father standing at the kitchen island, and my mother was very tense by the stove. Making dinner and not looking very happy. I looked between the two of them. Kayla wiggled to get down and I let her feet hit the floor.

"Mom-" I moved over to her and she looked at me with stressed eyes, and I was at a loss at how to make her feel better.

"Gabe we need to talk." My father walked towards the front door, and I squeezed mom's shoulder as I followed him outside.

"You can't just show up here, understand me." I blocked his path back into the house, and he folded his arms.

"Oh, and I am not allowed to come to see my own son?" I shook my head. He didn't get it, he would never get it.

"No, you're not. Because when you come here you stress mom out, you make her remember how she was good enough to keep you here. You're so selfish you can't understand that?" He looked from me into the window at the mom. Who was moving around pulling plates down and setting the table?

"Callie understands why I couldn't stay." I looked at him.

"Unbelievable, you're so dense. She knows you didn't want to stay. Vivian flaunted herself to you and you couldn't resist, you left and started a new family, because this one wasn't good enough for you, and even if you can't understand that now, I hope you realize that she doesn't want you here anymore. So please never come back here, it was hard enough when you left to comfort her." He looked at me with my own eyes, and sometimes I hated myself for looking at my mother with his eyes. He took a step back, not realizing how much of an impact he had on my mom.

"She will understand, I need to speak with you about Harper." I felt a bar of tension starting at the base of my spine and snapback straight.

"What about Harper?" He hesitated like he wanted to choose his words carefully.