There was no dreaded moment of forgetfulness this time when she wasn't quite aware that Aaron was gone; even in her sleep she had held on to that truism. So, when her eyes fluttered open, and the familiar voice calling her began to register, she was more confused than she had been ever before. "Aaron?" she whispered.
She shot up to a sitting position, and realized he'd been cradling her head on his lap and stroking her hair. She looked at him skeptically, glancing back at the house, confused. "How are you... here?" she asked cautiously.
"Well, I woke up, got dressed, and then I walked out here. And you were asleep in the grass, so I decided to wake you up to let you know I'm feeling better," he said slowly, the accent gone.
She noticed his eyes were blue again--not the same icy blue they usually were, but definitely not green anymore. She was still skeptical. "But, you were... dead," she reminded him.
He seemed to consider her statement. "Well, I'm not anymore," he finally shrugged.
She took his arm and turned it over. The streaks of green had subsided, retreating back toward the entry point, but they were still there. She ran her finger over the bulging green vein, and then looked into his eyes again.
"Cadence," he said pulling her toward him. "I'm alive," he assured her. "And it worked--you fixed me."
She choked back a sob. "You're alive?" she asked. Tears began to stream down her face again. "You're alive." She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I'm alive."
"Oh, my God, you're alive. I thought..."
"I know," he said, still holding her. "But it's all over now. And I promise you, I will never leave you again."
"Oh, you're damn right you won't," she agreed. He was kissing her then, and all of the grief she had poured out into the universe began to return as an overwhelming feeling of relief and gratitude. She held his face in her hands and smiled before leaning in to return his kiss. He scooped her into his arms, and she suddenly realized he was lifting her. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"Taking you to bed," he replied pointedly.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked, thinking of his health.
"Oh, yes," he assured her as he crossed the threshold. "It's the best idea I've had in a very long time."
After he made love to her, Cadence rolled over, still unable to believe that she had gone from utter despair to complete exhilaration in such a small amount of time. The dark cloud of Elliott's loss would continue to perpetually hang over her, quite possibly for the rest of her existence, but the weight of her personal loss was put in perspective, to a degree even her dear friend would certainly understand, when she found herself without either of them. Now, the semblance of wholeness had returned at least such that she could finally find her breath again.
"Are you still feeling all right?" she asked, wrapping the sheet around herself and turning her gaze into his bluing eyes.
He grinned at her for a second before responding. "I'm a little tired," he admitted, "but I'm not sure if that's the serum or the workout you just gave me."
She blushed and looked away for a moment before returning her eyes to his. "It's just all so surreal. I really thought I had lost you. But now, here you are. I don't understand."
"I don't either, honestly," he admitted, propping his head up on his hand and looking down at her. "Maybe it was some sort of hibernation. Maybe my body had to completely shut down in order to rebuild itself. I'm not sure. But I do know that I am definitely alive, and I don't really feel too differently than I did before."
Cadence considered his explanation. It seemed to make sense, though she wasn't completely sure he hadn't actually died and gone through some sort of Resurrection process himself, much like when a human turns into a Vampire. She was, however, certain he was not a Vampire. Still, the story he had told about his wife, Aislyn, came to mind, and she couldn't help think about the similarities. "This must be a little too familiar for you," she said placing her hand on his chest.
"Eerily so," he admitted. "Except for in reverse. And, I assure you, I am not a Vampire."
"I know you're not," she replied. "But I'm going to have to keep a careful eye on you--to make sure you're not evil," she teased.
"Sounds good to me," he agreed, leaning over to gently kiss her on the nose. "I don't want to ever be without you again either, Cadence."
"Good," she smiled. "At last we can agree on something." She reached up, placed her hand on the back of his head, and drew his lips to hers. He kissed her passionately, and just when she was about to give herself to him again, a sudden realization hit her. "Shit!" she exclaimed, pushing him off of her and shooting up in bed.
"What?" he asked as alarmed as she was.
"I totally forgot to tell the team you're alive! As far as they know, you're still dying!" she replied, tossing herself back onto the pillow.
He laughed. "You sure you want to be the Hunter Leader? Forget stuff like that, and they'll throw you right off the team."
"It's not funny!" she yelled shoving him playfully. "They're probably beside themselves with worry."
"They were. Until I checked in with them a couple of hours ago. They're fine now," he assured her.
Cadence's eyes widened. "Jerk," she said, pulling the cover over herself and crossing her arms.
He was still laughing. "I'm sorry, Cadence. I didn't mean to upset you." He coaxed her back into his arms, and she laid her head on his chest.
The rhythmic motion of his hand rubbing softly on her arm was almost enough to lull her to sleep. Thoughts of Elliott flooded her head, and she did her best to fight off another fit of tears. "Did anyone say when the memorial is going to be?" she asked in a melancholy voice.
"No. Hannah said they were waiting for us to get back. She recommended I stay here another day or two to make sure I'm feeling up to flying back, but I think I'll be ready to go tomorrow. Not that I wouldn't just as soon stay here with you forever." He kissed the top of her head gently. "But this entire experience has definitely taught me that I can't run away from my problems.
She tipped her head up a bit so she could look at him. "You've never been one to run away from your problems," she reminded him. "A few moments of weakness doesn't make you a coward--it makes you almost human."
"And I was almost human, I guess," he realized. "The whole thing was stupid. I should have talked to you about it before I did it. I just... knew you'd talk me out of it."
Resting her head back on his chest, she said, "That's because I'm always right."
"I'll have to remember that," he replied, realizing she was teasing.
"Do you mind if we stop by my parents’ house on the way back? Hannah said last she'd heard, no one had told Cass about Elliott, and I really feel like I should be the one to do it."
"Of course, babe. Whatever you want to do," he assured her, solemnly.
Within a few minutes, Cadence was asleep, the anguish and elation of the last few days finally proving to be too much. Aaron held her throughout the night, rest no longer a necessity for him once again. While he was certain Cadence's concern that he was "evil" was not the case, he was also aware that something was still different. It was as if his senses were heightened to the point that he could hone in on individual crickets in the yard. He was able to see in the dark without utilizing his night vision, and despite the fact that his body had been through so much recently, he could feel the revitalization coursing through his veins. He was hopeful that Christian and Jamie could possibly run some tests once he returned to headquarters to let him know precisely what was happening inside his body now that this strange concoction had entered his bloodstream.
