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After the Nightmare
Dimitri held Anya close to him, comforting her. "I keep seeing faces, so many faces," she whispered over and over, sobbing into Dimitri's shirt. "It's alright, everything's O.K." Dimitri murmured, his mind racing. How could she have known about the curse? The only way she could have known was if, if....'No!' his mind screamed. He couldn't lose her. She couldn't be Anastasia! He could not lose her! He tried desperately to calm himself. This was not the time or the place. This was Anya's problem. And Anya could get sick out in the rain. "Anya, let's go back inside, alright? You could get sick out here."
Anya looked up at Dimitri, and tried to choke back her tears in order to speak. He sounded so....concerned. He had never seemed to really care about her before....except. Anya sighed. For the millionth time she caught herself thinking about the dance they had shared. How could she really think that he might care for her? He just wanted to keep her from getting sick. That would slow them down. "Anya? Anya?" She heard Dimitri call . Startled she looked up in to Dimitri's face. 'No,' Anya told herself, ‘he is actually concerned about me' "Yes?" "We have to go in now, Anya." "Right," she murmured.
They had just started to walk back to their cabin, when Anya fell. "Are you alright?" Dimitri sounded scared. "Yes, just tired" Anya said softly. "Maybe I should carry you back," Dimitri said, uncertain. "No, I'll be alright, “Anya said stubbornly. "Look, I am not about to let you get hurt because you're stubborn or because you don't like me," Dimitri said, the words tumbling out, “I won't let you do that. You're tired, and it is wet and slippery. Anya, I lo-" Dimitri caught himself. He was not letting something like that come out! Especially when he wasn't so sure that it was true.... Anya, however, had not been listening. 'He thinks I don't like him?' "Alright," she said wearily," I'm tired. Go ahead and carry me." Dimitri picked her up and carried her, half asleep, to the room. He pushed open the door and put her gently on the bed. Then he turned and went to lie down and go to sleep. "Good night, Anya," he called softly. "Good ni- Wait. You're going to sleep already?" "Of course, I am. I thought you were tired." " I am.....but I, I'm scared. What if I have another nightmare? What if this time you don't wake up in time?" Dimitri was surprised. Anya was never afraid! Up until tonight she had seemed fearless! He had thought nothing could scare her, and the this! If something scared Anya, well, it had to be pretty frightening! "What do you want me to do?" "Will you come sit by me for a while? Maybe if you stay with me, I'll feel better. If I was alone, I might get even scareder," she laughed, "I don't think that's even a word!" Dimitri smiled. She was obviously feeling better. He got up and sat down on the bed next to Anya. "So, now what?" Anya smiled. "Well, nothing I guess. Just sit there. It just comforts me, I guess, to think that someone cares. I mean, you're probably very tired, yet, you still stayed up with me," Anya closed her eyes for a second, and shuddered, as if remembering something unpleasant. When she opened her eyes, she wasn't smiling anymore, " No one cared about me at the orphanage. So, I guess that's why the idea of someone caring about me seems so strange." Dimitri was startled. that's how he had felt before Vlad had taken him in. Like no one cared. Sometimes, even now, he wanted more. Vlad just wasn't enough. He wanted a real family. "I understand exactly how you feel," Dimitri whispered, forgetting he could be heard. " You do?" Anya said incredulously, "But you're so...brave," she finished, thinking of all the other words she could have used, " and you have Vlad. In a way, you have a family, a father, at least. I have no one....." her voice trailed off. Pooka yawned. Anya smiled sleepily. "Pooka's right. It's late. And I'm tired," Anya sunk down in the blankets, "Good night, Dimitri. Good night, Pooka." Dimitri smiled, " Good night, Anya." He watched her fall asleep, the whispered, "Good night, princess." He leaned over, and kissed her on the forehead. He smiled wistfully. If she was the princess, she could never be his. Yet, even if she was, it didn't matter. She was his for now. Thinking about this, he lay down, and fell asleep, his last waking thoughts of Anya.

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