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My eyelids opened suddenly.  The things I was seeing did not match my last memory at all.  I remembered standing next to Desmond and Alec, watching as Gedeon drew in his last breath.  Now, I was staring through the gaps of a banister, looking at trees I had not seen in months.  I shot up, dropping a familiar quilt to the ground.  I fell asleep on a bench.  I was on a patio I’d sat on for years.  I was home.  I was in Jamaica. 

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 I whipped around to come face to face to the house I could have sworn burnt to the ground.  My hands covered my mouth just as the tears began to shiver out of my eyes.  How could this be true?  Did Desmond do this?  He talked briefly about having my house rebuilt, but something seemed off.  Where was he?  I brought my hands down and didn’t feel that familiar sensation of my wedding ring dragging along my skin.  I quickly glanced at my left hand and found my ring finger empty.  Where was my wedding ring?  I looked at my right hand and the other ring Desmond and I wore with the Italian inscription was missing as well. 

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 What was going on?  I tried to use my ability to find Desmond.  It didn’t work.  I couldn’t feel anyone at all.  Maybe there was no one within my three-mile radius.  No, that couldn’t be right.  I just heard a car go by on the road out front.  Was I losing my touch?

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 I ran inside and looked around.  Everything was exactly as it was before Luci burnt it down.  I gaped at my surroundings until something on the kitchen counter caught my eye.  There was a small, plastic bag sitting next to my purse.  I walked closer, praying I wasn’t right about its contents. 

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 “Oh, my God,” I mumbled, picking up the bag. 

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 About ten little, white pills fell to either side of my hand in the bag.  My skin shuddered violently.  Was I back on drugs?  This can’t be.  There is no way in hell Desmond would let me get addicted again. 

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 I had to be dreaming.  That seemed to be the only logical explanation.  I tossed the bag back on the counter and pinched my forearm rather hard.  That definitely would leave a bruise.  So I wasn’t dreaming?  Was everything that just happened fake and this was reality?  I grabbed my phone in search of the current date. 

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 A whimper fell from my lips as I read out loud, “April 4^th.”  The year didn’t match either.  If this was true, it’s two days before I met Desmond.  I quickly got to my contact list in my phone and gasped.  I had only five contacts again and none of them was Desmond.  No, he wasn’t just a dream.  My life as a Guardian definitely wasn’t a fantasy.  The phone dropped from my hands and I quickly lifted my shirt.  My stomach didn’t hold two scars from being stabbed.  My hand didn’t have the faint scar from slicing it open so I could save Desmond’s life with my blood.  I squeezed my biceps; they weren’t strong in the least. 

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 How could this be?  Could I really have dreamt over a year and a half of my life?  It all felt so real.  I could still feel the emotions I had for all the Guardians I met and befriended.  And Desmond, oh, my mate.  I still felt an enormous about of love for him.  It practically radiated from my heart. 

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 In the quite convincing dream, there were a few times when I could feel or actually dream when things were going to happen.  Maybe that’s what this was.  Perhaps I had a very detailed foresight into what was going to happen in my near future.  If that were the case, there was no way I was going to wait two days for Desmond to appear.  I knew where the hideout was.  I couldn’t forget.

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 I glanced out the patio door and smiled.  “Desmond.  I’m coming, baby.”

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 I ran out the open door and headed straight into the forest.  It was a few miles to the hideout and I wasn’t the in-shape Guardian I was in my dream.  After a while, I began to lose my breath.  I slowed down to a walk, not wanting to be a breathless mess when I saw him.  I hoped he wasn’t out here invisible somewhere.  I didn’t know how to use my ability yet so I wouldn’t know. 

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 I finally regained my breath when things started to look even more familiar.  I was less than a half mile away now.  My heart began to thump faster.  I bit my bottom lip as I wrung my hands together.  I wonder what he is going to say.  I wasn’t supposed to know they were out here so I’m sure me showing up on his doorstep is going to be nothing less than a complete shock.

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 A small part of me began to wonder if everything I dreamt was really going to happen.  If that was the case, I’d be able to stop so many terrible things from happening.  First and foremost, I’d out Jackson as a traitor so he could be dealt with.  None of us would be put in a predicament like the one we were in Maine so Axel and Belle would live.  But we couldn’t kill Jackson. I could get Melina here. Perhaps she could talk some sense into him before things got too far.  As for Daniel, oh, I couldn’t wait for Luci to show her face.  After explaining everything to Desmond and taking care of Jackson, I wasn’t going to let Daniel out of my sight.  There’s no way I’d let him be kidnapped. 

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 Come to think of it, if that entire dream really was true, I was Maria’s descendent.  I could tell Desmond that, he’d take me to Hydra Island to see Alec and we could end all of this before Luci was even let loose to destroy my life.  Wow, I was getting more excited by the second.  That dream was a blessing.  I didn’t even care that I had to go through the withdrawal again.  Going back in time, well kind of, was worth it.

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 I finally reached the hidden entrance of the hideout.  It was covered in bushes, flowers, and ivy just like in my dream.  I took a deep breath and walked in.  I paused to take in the sight.  Four miniature houses stood before me.  A larger building was in the middle behind the yellow homes and a lamppost in the very middle.  I didn’t even need to look; I knew to the right of me was the fire pit.  I did however glance to the back left corner.  Sure enough, the willow tree where I told Desmond I loved him for the first time stood there.

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 I was surprised no one was outside.  It was a beautiful day and if I remembered correctly, Axel and Brant liked to cook out every chance they had.  I noticed Desmond’s motorcycle parked by his house.  I walked over to it, praying he was there.  I wanted to see him by ourselves and explain everything to him without an audience. 

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 When I reached the front door, I patted down my hair and knocked.  I bit my tongue as I waited for him to answer.  After a few moments, I heard footsteps moving closer to the door.  I took a step back just as he opened the door.

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 “What’s u-” he trailed off, taking in who was standing at his front door.

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 He wore a tight, black tank top that showed off his miraculous biceps and a pair of long silver, sporty shorts.  My eyes moved up to his face, which was still in complete awe.  His full, bottom lip was separated slightly from the thin, top one.  His big, brown eyes were even larger as he continued to gape at me. 

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 He was speechless and showed no sign of ever speaking again.  I giggled under my breath and pulled open the screen door.  I held it open with my foot, which brought us to be only two feet apart. 

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 “Hi,” I finally said, grinning brightly at him.

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 It took a moment, but he finally responded, “Hello.”

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 “You look so nervous,” I giggled.

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 He licked his lips anxiously and scrunched his eyebrows together. “D-Do you know who I am?”

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 I dipped my head once and took half a step closer.  “You’re Desmond Kane.  You’re the Guardian Alec sent here to wait for me.”

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 The expression on his face was priceless.  The year and a half I just experienced in my dream was still fresh in my mind.  I knew everything about this man, but for him, me being on his doorstep had to be mind-boggling. 

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 “You’ve been here for almost four years, waiting for me to be ready.  You’re not alone though.  Axel, Belle, Nessa, and Brant are with you.  They’ll be helping out with my training when the time comes.”  He opened his mouth to say something, but I held up one finger.  “Yes, I know.  Jackson is here as well.  He is a completely different conversation,” I mumbled in a low tone. 

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 “Evania,” he murmured, shaking his head slightly.  He was still confused.

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 I moved closer and slowly reached for his hand.  I didn’t hesitate intertwining our fingers together.  A small smile fell from his lips when my skin touched his. 

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 “You’re Desmond Kane, the half vampire Guardian.  You hate that huge detail about yourself, but it’s made you incredibly strong, inside and out.  You’re practically invincible except for right here,” I said, placing my other hand over the vulnerable spot on his chest.  I smiled when I felt a single, powerful thump.

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 I removed my hand and continued, “You were there the night my parents died.  You were the one who told Daniel to save me.  That just so happened to be the same day Alec sent you here.  The same day you realized that I’m your mate.”  I chuckled nervously and looked at his chest.  “And you’re mine.”

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 His jaw dropped again, but only slightly this time.  His brown eyes were still mystified by my presence and knowledge of the situation, but became drastically softer.  He pulled me slowly into the house.  I went willingly, letting the screen door slam behind me. 

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 “You love me just as I love you,” I whispered intensely.  “We have a connection that goes beyond any normal relationship.  The bond between two mates can never be broken.”  I pulled his other hand into mine, effectively closing the gap between us.  “Even though it doesn’t make sense to you right now, I love you, Des, with everything that I am.”

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 He huffed out a low breath.  I could tell his mind was reeling.  I knew he was trying to download me for information by the way he was intensely staring at me.  It made me laugh under my breath.  I could have mentioned more, but I’ve gone too long without hearing his voice.  I had to give him a chance to say something.

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 He let go of one of my hands so he could trace his fingers delicately down my jaw.  The soft movement made my lips twinge into a smile and my eyes close.  “How?” he breathed.  “How is this possible?”

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 “I fell asleep and dreamt what’s going to happen during the next year and a half.”  The way his eyes protruded made me laugh again.  “I know how it sounds, but is anything I just told you wrong?”

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 “Nothing.”

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 “See, Des.  I know you probably think it’s impossible, but if I didn’t have that dream, in a few weeks you would have sat on my couch and just after turning invisible you would have told me that you were going to show me the possible in a world of impossible.”

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 He chuckled uneasily, never dropping my gaze.  “Evania, you know what’s going to happen?”

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 I shook my head.  “No, I know what I dreamt and I know what’s real.  I know what I can change and what can’t be touched.  I could have waited for you to come to me in two days, but I just couldn’t.  Even though this is my first real time seeing you, I can’t stand to be away from you.”

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 Instantly, his arms were wrapped around me and I was pulled close to his muscular chest.  I sighed, nuzzling closer to his skin.  The next sensation I felt was him kissing the top of my head.  I leaned my head back and became a willing prisoner of his gaze.  I knew we couldn’t, but I couldn’t help myself.  I stared at his lips for way too long.

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 “You know we can’t. . .” he trailed off, brushing his fingers along my lips.

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 “I know, but after I finish telling you everything, the good and bad, we’ll be counting down the days until we can.”

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 We sat on the couch, our hands still wrapped up together, and I told him everything I knew.  I didn’t leave out a single detail.  When I got to the part about Jackson being a traitor, I had to keep him from running out the door to take care of the situation right then.  When I told him about our wedding day, he flashed my favorite corner smile. 

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 It took hours for me to get through everything, but once I was finished, he really believed that I dreamt all of it.  Maybe it was because of my gene pool.  Being related to someone as powerful as Maria must have rubbed off in ways I never knew.  We agreed to tell the other four about Jackson and call Melina before the six of us flew to Hydra Island.  I wanted to waste no time in getting my training started and re-learning my abilities.  Hopefully in a few months, I would be good to go.  I planned to set the bar high for myself.  After all, I am Alec’s indestructible Guardian; he just didn’t know it yet.

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The End

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