12. The Dream

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A week passed by since Sawyer and Rory admitted their feelings for one another. Rory and Sawyer had been spending most of their time together while Stevie stayed in her room most of the days with Henry. Since Stevie was still upset Rory planned on going to the library again to hang out with Sawyer. She was on her way to the library when she saw Delilah running toward her with a distressed look on her face.

"Whats wrong?"

"It's mom," Delilah cried.

Rory followed Delilah back to her family's suite. Huffing and puffing as she ran through the door to her parents room. Rory dropped to her knees beside her mother's bedside. She reached out for her mother's hand. Diane smiled as she felt the warmth of her daughters hand. Diane looked paler than usual and her strength was almost non-existent.

"Momma?"

"I'm going to be okay sweet girl."

Rory stood up and crawled into her mothers bed and nuzzled up next to her. Delilah stood in the doorway. She was worried about her sister. Rory had always been her strong older sister who never cried. Even when their father was sick Rory was calm and composed. Delilah knew that this time it was serious. That their mother was worse off than their father ever was.

Delilah walked out of the room. She was trying to be the strong one for once. Delilah went off to find Sawyer and Stevie. She figured Sawyer would be the easiest to find. She would just have to go to the library then he could help her find Stevie.

"Sawyer!"

"Hey Delilah are you okay?"

"It's Rory... our mother-"

Sawyer didn't even have to hear Delilah finish before running off to find Stevie. Putting their fight aside he knew that Rory needed them both right now. Sawyer threw Stevie's door open and saw Henry on the ground with his sister in his arms as she sniffled. She looked up at Sawyer surprised.

"Why do you look like you've been running?" She asked.

"It's Rory!" Sawyer paused, "...its her mother."

Stevie and Henry got to their feet faster than humanly possible and Stevie pushed past Sawyer and began to run to the family's accommodation. Sawyer and Henry lagged behind by only a second. Once the three arrived they stood in the living room. Sawyer looked into the parents room where Rory and Diane were. Everyone was on edge.

"I'm going to go get the royal physician," Henry broke the silence as he walked toward the door to leave.

A couple minutes he returned with the physician. He walked over to Diane's bedside and placed his hand on her forehead.

"She's burning up... Rory will you take the blankets off of your mother?"

Rory did as the man told her. Her eyes were puffy from crying and her head throbbed. The physician checked Diane's temperature among other things to assess her health.

"How has your appetite been?"

"She barely eats," James replied for his wife.

"Well my suggestion is to make sure she drinks plenty water and gets some soft foods like soup in her system or she will die of starvation... even if she isn't hungry... she will have to eat... James can I speak to you and Diane privately please?"

Rory left the room and shut the door. She sat down on the couch and quietly stared out the window in front of her. Rory's younger brothers and sisters sat beside her. Inside the room it wasn't any happier.

"With Diane's condition I do not think she will make it another month," The physician delivered the bad news to James who started to tear up. Diane didn't say a word. She just laid there shocked by what had just been said.

"What is wrong with her then?" James cried.

"I cannot tell for sure but it seems to be some sort of an immune disorder," The physician said.

In the living room Rory just stared off into space completely zoomed out. Her siblings tried to comfort her to the best of their abilities, but they too were upset.

"She was fine two days ago!" Rory finally spoke, "What happened in those two days to make it so that she's so much worse off?"

Everyone was silent.

"I don't understand!" Rory cried.

"Mother will make it... she a very strong woman!" Delilah smiled as she placed her hand on Rory's back.

Rory just kept crying. She knew what was going to happen now. She wasn't sure exactly what was wrong with her mother but she's seen enough people get sick and die to get her hopes up.

"I'm going to take Rory back to her room... if that's okay?" Sawyer suggested, "She needs to get some rest and calm down a bit..."

"Good idea," Delilah said as she got off the couch and lifted her sister up.

Rory just stood there. Completely devastated by the current situation. Sawyer grabbed her hand and lightly squeezed it before pulling her into a hug. Rory hugged Sawyer back as she buried her face in his chest. Sawyer just held her for a while as she cried. He rubbed her back as his way of letting her know that he's there for her no matter what.

"How about we get you to bed now?" Sawyer suggested again.

Stevie and Henry just stood by not knowing what to do. They were thankful Sawyer knew what to do. Rory nodded her head in response as she continued to sob into Sawyers chest.

"Alright let's go," Sawyer said as he took Rorys hand and guided her out of her families room and back to hers. Stevie and Henry lingered a while longer to see if they could get any information on Diane.

A few moments later the physician walked out of the bedroom and into the living room.

"Stevie... I assume you want to know what's going on so that you can tell Rory later?" He asked after looking around the room.

"Yes please," She said.

"Let's go for a walk... I'll let James tell his children," He said as he walked toward the exit of the room.

Sawyer and Rory arrived at Rory's room. He opened the door and walked her in.

"Do you need to change?" He asked.

Rory shook her head no. Sawyer came into her room and moved the covers so that she could get in.

"How's your head?" He asked.

"Not good," Rorys voice was hoarse now from the crying.

"I'll go get you a warm compress!" Sawyer said as he left the room.

He returned with the warm moist cloth and placed it on Rory's forehead and then he pulled the covers over her. This was something he was not new to. He had comforted Stevie in this manner many times. Stevie was weaker as a child and was usually bedridden due to a common cold or a small injury but as she grew up she got stronger and Sawyer had to worry less and less about her, but when she did get sick or hurt he was always there by her side making sure she had everything she needed to get better. Rory was no different. He wanted to make sure Rory had everything she needed to feel better and that was his only concern right now.

"I'm going to go grab you a glass of water and then I'll be back," Sawyer smiled as he left again.

He returned and handed Rory the glass. She took a big gulp of water before setting it down on the bedside table and laying back down.

"Do you need anything else before I go?" Sawyer asked in a low voice so he didn't make her headache any worse.

"Can you stay with me?" Rory asked.

"What do you mean... Rory that's not allowed," Sawyer said shocked at her suggestion.

"Just until I fall asleep... please?" Rory pleaded.

"Okay... but the second you fall asleep I'm going back to my room," Sawyer said as he shut Rory's door.

He walked around and blew out the candles and then he walked around the bed and sat beside her. She adjusted so that she was now laying her head on Sawyers chest. The steady rhythm of his breathing calmed her anxiety and made her nerves calm. She felt more and more tired with each breath Sawyer took.

"Thank you for being there for me Sawyer," Rory smiled lightly.

"Of course Rory you know I will always be there for you!" Sawyer said.

Sawyer looked down and realized she had fallen asleep. He decided to wait a few more minutes so that she would hopefully be in a deep sleep. While Sawyer waited he felt Rory move in her sleep. This concerned Sawyer a little.

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"Sawyer I love you!" Rory smiled.

"I love you too Rory!" Sawyer replied as he held Rory's hands.

It appeared that Rory and Sawyer were both very well dressed and Rory was wearing a white gown. They also appeared to be much older. In the crowd you can see the King and Queen. Stevie was beside Rory and Henry was beside Sawyer. Rory's family as well as her mother were found in the same row as the Queen and King.

"Do you Sawyer Draco King of Valistor take Loralie iris Hydale as your wife and Queen?"

"I do," Saywer smiled.

"Do you Loralie iris Hydale take Sawyer Draco King if Valistor to be your husband?"

"I do!" Rory smiled.

~¤~

"I do!" Rory mumbled in her sleep.

It startled Sawyer a bit, but he realized she was just dreaming...

'I do? I do what?' he thought to himself.

Sawyer figured she's well enough asleep now to move. So he tried to move but as soon as he did Rory clang onto his shirt. Sawyer smiled as he sat back down.

'I wish I had my book...'

Before Sawyer knew it he too drifted off to sleep. His dream wasn't as cute and romantic as Rory's though. Sawyer dreamt about the Kingdom of Valistor being thrown into chaos under his rule due to poor decision making on his part. It was a worry he's had for quite sometime now and now it even made its way into his sleep which was supposed to be peaceful. He woke up suddenly after seeing Stevie beheaded in front of him. He gasped as if he hadn't been breathing and launched upwards moving Rory with him.

"Sawyer are you okay?" Rory asked.

"Yes of course," He reassured her, "I don't even remember what happened," he laughed it off.

"Well I'm here if you need to talk... are you tired?" Rory asked as she cuddled back up to Sawyer, "because you can go to your room if you get too tired."

Sawyer was too comfortable where he was at the moment and he feared his nightmare would only be worse if he was on his own. So he stayed with Rory. He sank down in the bed a little so that he was now laying down comfortably instead of sitting there. Rory was already asleep by then and few moments later Sawyer too drifted back to sleep, but this time he had a pleasant dream about having tea with Rory on her first day at the palace.

The next morning Rory woke up still cuddled in Sawyers arms. She felt a little embarrassed that she asked him to stay, but it was what she needed. Then a wave of sadness washed over Rory as she remembered why she asked him to stay with her. She cuddled up to Sawyer even more, if possible and laid there until he woke up.

"Good Morning," Sawyer smiled as he turned on his side to face Rory, "How did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you for being here," Rory blushed.

"Of course... you would've done the same for me... do you still have a headache?"

"No... I feel much better... thank you for taking care of me."

"You know I will always be here for you."

"I know."

"I'm going to go grab us breakfast... you stay here we'll have it in bed!"

Rory smiled as she saw him leave the room.