Wrote this a long time ago but for some reason I never typed it up. Finally, nagged myself into doing so. No real plot to this, sorry.

Lyra was in her room sobbing. It was the first anniversary of the day she and Will had parted. She could remember the feel of his lips on hers, the warmth of his arms around her, and knew that she would never know it again. She couldn't understand why the universe could be so cruel to keep them apart. If she tried hard enough it felt like he was still there with her.

"I love you," she whispered softly to the empty room. Her eyes searched the room half hoping to find him there hiding in the corner with a sleigh grin. There wasn't much in the room besides the bed, which she was sitting upon. There would definitely have been enough room for the both of them had he been there. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair! In the beginning Lyra had spent many hours yelling to the world, asking the simplest and most used question: why? She had been like the kids who constantly asked that question. They never truly expected an answer, but ask for question's sake. That had been Lyra, begging the universe for an explanation, without hope of receiving a reply.

As the months fell away, she gave up on the universe and its silent self. She grew quiet. Sometimes when the she couldn't hold it in any longer she would yell and scream at the other boarding girls. On those slim occasions the girls remained still. No one could give her answers or solace; she knew that. It pained the girls to see her so tortured. It had been bad when she had lost Roger, but this was by far worse. Then Will had come into her life. Will had made it better. He had made everything better. The loss of him had drained her in every way. She had no spirit left. She had been a mischievous child. She had always had a flame burning with her which drove her onward. Now it had burned out allowing only sorrow to accompany her. She never laughed, rarely smiled, barely ate, and sleep came hard.

The worst times of all were when she had the dreams. They always came when she felt she could possibly move on. Each dream was different but the essence was the same. Will was always there. She always found him again somehow. How they met varied and what happened after as well. It wasn't the dream that upset her, it was the time right after that did. She would roll over, feel the emptiness beside her, and the world would collapse. Violent screams and convulsions would rake her being.

Today had been surprisingly easy considering it was their anniversary. She had finally stopped crying and was trying her best to sleep. When she awoke there was a welcoming pressure beside her. She turned to see a figure lying next to her. Out of shock she jumped out of the bed and onto her feet. The man stired, opening his eyes slowly. He was obviously calmer than she about the situation. As his eyes finished focusing, he too jumped up.

A whisper came from his lips, "Lyra?"

It was more of a question than anything and he stared at her in disbelief. Lyra glanced around for his deamon to help her recognize the stranger. To her surprise what she found was a large, beautiful, silver cat. She whirled back toward the stranger. It couldn't be true. But it was. As she took him in, her doubts disintegrated. His eyes were the same; sparkling as always. A year had changed him but he was still the same.

"Will!" she cried throwing her arms and self around him. Pan had also noticed Kirjava and ran to her. He buried his little ferret head into her fur. It was so warm. Little giggles escaped Lyra's mouth as she pulled Will to her. Will's hands caressed her back as he repeated over and over, "Is it really you? Can this really be happening?" Real or not he didn't care. What mattered was that for this moment she was here with him. He cupped the back of her head with one hand, keeping the other securely on her back's center. He pushed her face up to meet his. The kiss that passed between them was like lightning. Somehow this kiss tasted of fresh strawberries just like their first kiss. So much had separated them, time, space, dust, angels, but they still knew the feel of the another. They fit together in perfect union, like chain links, creating one breathing entity. Somehow the four of them were all pieces of the same whole.

Will broke their kiss bringing his lips instead to her neck. His tongue swept little circles on her soft skin causing her to give a small gasp. She pressed his face closer and herself closer to him in turn. It had been too long. Way too long. They couldn't stop touching each other. They were no longer the kids that had meet each other. Loneliness had aged them beyond their years. Kisses were not enough to satisfy the hunger which dwelled within them. Only the feel of naked flesh could prove that the other was real. The touching became more insistent as Will searched other hidden places. The longer it went on the more the exploitative Lyra became. To know every part of each other gave a beautiful feeling of satisfaction. Finally, the need was ebbed. They were able to be content just lying near each other.

The sun's rays woke Lyra. She stretched a bit feeling in a state of bliss. She turned over for a new day. What she found shocked her.

The ending is left up to you. Is she surprised to find that Will is really there or the fact that he isn't? When I stared writing this I knew that Will would show up and I hadn't meant for it to appear as a dream but the further I wrote it seemed like a dream. Only Lyra knows how this ends so interpret as you will :)