Part 2 Opener: Starting Over

"Nate!" she ran up to him as fast as she was able. "Please tell me you didn't sign up!"

Nathaniel turned around and gazed upon the woman he loved as she ran up to him with her skirts flowing out behind her.

She's not going to be happy he thought as she flew into his arms.

Before he had to tell her the bad news, he possessed her lips with his. That way the talking could be put off for just a little while longer. He didn't want to tell her what she didn't want to hear. It would kill him to leave her, but everyone was going. He couldn't allow himself to stay behind when his friends and budding country needed him.

"You did, didn't you?" she suddenly pulled back and fought to break free from his embrace.

"Helen, calm down. It's not as bad as it seems." he said, trying in vain to reassure her. He refused to let her escape his arms.

She balled her hands into fists and beat him on his chest. "No, I will not calm down! How could you!?"

"It's not going to last that long anyway, and before you know it, I'll be back." He held her tightly to him, "I have to do this, Helen. It's going to kill me to leave you, but I have to do this."

Her tear-stained face looked up at him as she said, "No, you don't! You can just stay at home and stay alive."

He chuckled at her as he wiped away the tears. "I'm not going to die. I'll be in the back almost all the time. Stop thinking like that."

She continually shook her head the entire time he'd tried to comfort her. "Don't leave me, Nathaniel, please!" she choked out a sob.

"I promise you. I promise I'll come back. Do you think I could stand to be parted from you forever?"

She let out a huff of a sigh and pressed her cheek to his chest. He tenderly cradled her to him, running his hand up and down her back, trying to comfort her.

He breathed in and said, "I love you, Helen."

The dream shifted. Before him stood Helen again, but she was nearly transparent, like a ghost.

"Helen?" Nate asked.

"Yes, Nate."

"What happened? Where are we?" he asked, looking around. They appeared to be in a nondescript place of some sort. It almost looked like a room, but the walls continually shifted and moved like they couldn't decide what they were made of.

"You're dreaming." Helen answered.

"I am?" He looked around in more confusion before he decided to just forget it and enjoy being with her, even if only in a dream. "You were mad at me. I'm so sorry. I wish I'd never gone to fight that damn war!"

Helen smiled kindly. Nathaniel wished he could embrace her, but he knew if he tried his arms would only go through her.

"I miss you, Helen. I never wanted to leave you like that. Not forever. I wish we could start again."

"We can. We are. I'm still with you." As she spoke, her ghostly form took on a more solid appearance.

Happily, he ran up to her and threw his arms around her waist. She held him tightly to her in return.

He pulled back to look down at her and was startled by what he saw. It wasn't Helen's brown eyes that smiled back at him, but Gabriella's blue ones.

"I missed you." she said and shrugged in simple explanation.

Nathaniel awoke with a start. Where am I? He looked around and realized he was in Gabby's room. The early morning light glinted off her pale hair as she lightly stirred against him. They'd stayed awake for hours the previous night making up for missed opportunities and had worked their way up to Gabby's room. Exhausted, they'd both fallen asleep.

I had the strangest dream! Something about Helen. Oh yeah, how she begged me not to go and fight. What scared me about the dream to make me wake up like that? Nathaniel struggled to remember, but the harder he tried, the more elusive the dream became.

Gabriella stirred again, and this time she awoke. She lifted her head in mild surprise. Then she smiled down at Nate when she saw it was him.

The smile... Damn it! Why can't I remember?

"Good morning." she said dreamily.

"Good morning." he returned and kissed her forehead. "Are you ready to put my plan into action?"

"Only if you're there to help." she answered with a yawn. She sat up and swung her legs off the side.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he sat up further.

"I need a shower." she offered as an explanation.

"Don't go yet." he said as his subconscious screamed at him to remember the dream, but the recall of it thinned out and vanished like smoke as he became fully focused on Gabriella's mouth.

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Helen's lovely fashion can be found here at All About Style.