A/N: I know, I know, I wasn't going to write another sequel. I was going to
end it at four stories, and I'm not even finished with Revelations, but...
well, I just had to write this. There's still one loose end that needs to
be tied up, and I can't do it at any point in Revelations.
I wanted to write a story for Derek and Amelia. First because I thought it might be interesting to touch on what happened to them, and second because I thought it'd be interesting to look at what went on between them. We already know what happened to them, but I never said much about their relationship, besides that they were married and it was obvious in Secrets Revealed that Derek still missed her and loved her.
I wanted to write a story about the wonderful innocence of first love, mixed with the adventure of feeling something that's strictly forbidden. What if two people from two completely different backgrounds, two completely different times, could share something that went beyond reason, beyond death. Beyond even time itself?
Summary: The year is 1860, the United States is preparing for its most devastating war to date, and the de Silva family is beginning to lose hope on almost all fronts. They've finally begun to accept that their son Jesse isn't coming home, and they're starting to wonder if their second youngest daughter will ever stop climbing trees and riding hell-for-leather through the fields on horseback long enough to find a husband.
The answer on all fronts seems to be a resounding no.
A/N: BTW, if something has *** around it, it's a flashback kind of thing.
Prologue
Amelia de Silva opened her eyes and stared at the door leading out to freedom. Freedom she would probably never know again.
It was dawn. There were no windows in the room she'd been locked in, no light coming through the slit beneath the door to tell her that it dawn, or noon or midnight. But she knew in the same way she'd known since she was a little girl, getting up without having to be told. It saved her life on any number of occasions.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and Amelia was relieved when she recognized them. If she was on this Earth for a thousand years, she would never forget that sound.
When the door creaked open, the figure that entered wasn't that of one of the scientists coming to check on her—to make sure she was still there, and certainly not out of any concern for her welfare—instead, it was the only person she'd ever loved. Would ever love.
Derek looked anxious as he closed the door quietly behind him. He strode toward her, coming to sit down on the bench beside her. She ached to turn and look at him, but she couldn't, could only stare straight ahead. He took her in his arms and pulled her against him. "Oh, Melly," he whispered into her hair, using a nickname he'd given her so long ago. She wanted to cry, hearing him use it again. There so much she needed to tell him. So much she'd kept from him for too long. But it was already too late.
She couldn't touch him, could only lay still as he stroked her hair, murmuring softly. It was like being a prisoner in her own body—though she'd left her body behind long ago.
Amelia wanted so badly to tell him the truth—all of it. She wanted to tell him all the things of the past that she could never bring herself to tell him before. She remembered the agony of seeing him again after so long...
*** "Ah, can I help you?" Derek peered at her, looking concerned. Amelia was fairly certain that she looked awful. Well, anyone would, she supposed, if the man they loved for so long looked at her as if she were a stranger.
Amelia closed her eyes. "You don't remember me, do you?"
"I—no, sorry. Should I?"
It felt like her heart was being ripped out. She had gone so long without him, loving him without knowing when, if ever, she'd see him again. But he didn't remember her.***
Amelia smiled inwardly. No, she thought ruefully, of course he hadn't remembered her.
After all, in this life, he'd never known her. She'd never had the luxury of forgetting.
***
A/N: Confusing? Ah, well... For the record, I have to warn you (before you hate me later): This isn't going to be a very happy story. Well... okay, it's bittersweet. And it's meant to be that way. But, I just wanted to warn y'all.
I wanted to write a story for Derek and Amelia. First because I thought it might be interesting to touch on what happened to them, and second because I thought it'd be interesting to look at what went on between them. We already know what happened to them, but I never said much about their relationship, besides that they were married and it was obvious in Secrets Revealed that Derek still missed her and loved her.
I wanted to write a story about the wonderful innocence of first love, mixed with the adventure of feeling something that's strictly forbidden. What if two people from two completely different backgrounds, two completely different times, could share something that went beyond reason, beyond death. Beyond even time itself?
Summary: The year is 1860, the United States is preparing for its most devastating war to date, and the de Silva family is beginning to lose hope on almost all fronts. They've finally begun to accept that their son Jesse isn't coming home, and they're starting to wonder if their second youngest daughter will ever stop climbing trees and riding hell-for-leather through the fields on horseback long enough to find a husband.
The answer on all fronts seems to be a resounding no.
A/N: BTW, if something has *** around it, it's a flashback kind of thing.
Prologue
Amelia de Silva opened her eyes and stared at the door leading out to freedom. Freedom she would probably never know again.
It was dawn. There were no windows in the room she'd been locked in, no light coming through the slit beneath the door to tell her that it dawn, or noon or midnight. But she knew in the same way she'd known since she was a little girl, getting up without having to be told. It saved her life on any number of occasions.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and Amelia was relieved when she recognized them. If she was on this Earth for a thousand years, she would never forget that sound.
When the door creaked open, the figure that entered wasn't that of one of the scientists coming to check on her—to make sure she was still there, and certainly not out of any concern for her welfare—instead, it was the only person she'd ever loved. Would ever love.
Derek looked anxious as he closed the door quietly behind him. He strode toward her, coming to sit down on the bench beside her. She ached to turn and look at him, but she couldn't, could only stare straight ahead. He took her in his arms and pulled her against him. "Oh, Melly," he whispered into her hair, using a nickname he'd given her so long ago. She wanted to cry, hearing him use it again. There so much she needed to tell him. So much she'd kept from him for too long. But it was already too late.
She couldn't touch him, could only lay still as he stroked her hair, murmuring softly. It was like being a prisoner in her own body—though she'd left her body behind long ago.
Amelia wanted so badly to tell him the truth—all of it. She wanted to tell him all the things of the past that she could never bring herself to tell him before. She remembered the agony of seeing him again after so long...
*** "Ah, can I help you?" Derek peered at her, looking concerned. Amelia was fairly certain that she looked awful. Well, anyone would, she supposed, if the man they loved for so long looked at her as if she were a stranger.
Amelia closed her eyes. "You don't remember me, do you?"
"I—no, sorry. Should I?"
It felt like her heart was being ripped out. She had gone so long without him, loving him without knowing when, if ever, she'd see him again. But he didn't remember her.***
Amelia smiled inwardly. No, she thought ruefully, of course he hadn't remembered her.
After all, in this life, he'd never known her. She'd never had the luxury of forgetting.
***
A/N: Confusing? Ah, well... For the record, I have to warn you (before you hate me later): This isn't going to be a very happy story. Well... okay, it's bittersweet. And it's meant to be that way. But, I just wanted to warn y'all.