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Luce sank down at the side of his bed, careful not to wake him Maybe he hadn't always been so closed off and hard to reach She'd just seen hi to her at the critical moment before she died Maybe if she could just talk to him in this life, he'd treat her differently than the Daniel she knew did He ht help her understand Might tell her the truth, for a change

Then she could go back to the present and there wouldn't have to be any more secrets It was all she really wanted: for the two of them to love each other openly And for her not to die

She reached out and touched his cheek She loved his cheek He was beat-up and injured and probably concussed, but his cheek areous as ever His face was so peaceful in his sleep that Luce could have stared at hi bored He was perfect to her His perfect lips were just the saer, they were so soft she had to lean down for a kiss He didn't stir She traced his jawline with her lips, kissed down the side of his neck that wasn't bruised and across his collarbone At the top of his right shoulder, her lips paused over a small white scar

It would have been almost indiscernible to anyone else, but Luce knew that this was the place fros extended She kissed the scar tissue It was so hard to see hi helpless on that hospital bed when she knehat he was capable of With his wings wrapped around her, Luce always lost track of everything else What she wouldn't give to see them unfurl now, into the vast white splendor that seeht froainst her skin

Her head shot up She hadn't realized she'd drifted off until the stretcher wheeling squeakily down the uneven wood floor in the hallway startled her awake

What tih theonto the white sheets on the beds She rotated her shoulder, trying to loosen a crick Daniel was still asleep

The scar above his shoulder looked whiter in thescar, but it rapped in gauze At least, the wound see

The door opened and Luce jerked up

Lucia was standing in the doorway, holding three covered trays stacked in her arms Oh! You're here She sounded surprised So they've already had breakfast, then?

Luce blushed and shook her head I--uh--

Ah Lucia's eyes lit up I know that look You've got it bad for someone She put the breakfast trays on a cart and ca as I approve She tilted her head to look at Daniel, and stared at hi tiirl's eyes widening at the sight of Daniel for the first time, Luce didn't knohat to feel Empathy Envy Grief All of it was there

He's heavenly Lucia sounded as if she ht cry What's his name?

His nairl repeated,the word sound holy as it left her lips Someday, I'll meet a man like that Someday, I'll drive all of them crazy Just like you do, Doria

What do you mean? Luce asked

There's that other soldier, two doors down? Lucia addressed Luce without ever taking her eyes off Daniel You know, Giovanni?

Luce shook her head She didn't

The one who's about to go in for surgery--he keeps asking about you

Giovanni The boy who'd been shot in the stomach He's okay?

Sure Lucia smiled I won't tell him you have a boyfriend She winked at Luce and pointed down at the breakfast trays I'll let you do the meals, she said on her way out Findabout you and Daniel The whole story, all right?

Sure, Luce lied, her heart sinking a little

Alone with Daniel again, Luce was nervous In her parents' backyard, after the battle with the Outcasts, Daniel had seeh the Announcer In Moscow, too Who knehat this Daniel would do when he opened his eyes and found out where she'd come from?

If he ever opened his eyes She leaned down over his bed again He had to open his eyes, didn't he? Angels couldn't die Logically, she thought it was i back in ti up? She'd seen the Back to the Future movies and she'd once passed a test in science class on quantu up the space-tiht hu time

She didn't really knohat any of that meant, but she did know it could be very bad Like erase- your-whole-existence bad Or el-boyfriend bad

That hen Luce panicked Grabbing hold of Daniel's shoulders, she began to shake Lightly, gently--he'd been through a war, after all But enough to let hiht now

Daniel, she whispered Daniel?

There His eyelids began to flutter She let out her breath His eyes opened slowly, like they had last night And like last night, when they registered the girl in front of theed His lips parted You'reold

Luce blushed I a No one had ever called her old before

Yes, you are You're really old He looked al have I been--?

Then she reer But Daniel hadn't even met Lucia yet Hoould he have kno old she was?

Don't worry about that, she said I need to tell you so, Daniel I'uess, I always am, but this time, I came fromuh

Daniel's face contorted Of course You stepped through to get here

She nodded I had to