A/N: MORE TREYLA ACTION! CHYEAAA! XDDD I was talking to my best friend XxAudaciaxX about how hard it would be to have a third child for a boyfriend: constantly fearing for his life, wondering if he'll even grow up to marry you, etc. I mean, seriously, how totally draining would that be? And I got to thinking about Layla: it definitely couldn't have been easy for her, especially since her deceased brother had been a third child. So I wanted to sum all that up and how she must've felt at the end of Among the Brave: her relief about how he would indeed grow up to be with her. So yeah. It got me thinking. xD Hope you guys like! 833 This will be pretty much in her POV, not in the first-person writing, but I think you guys know what I mean.

Disclaimer: I dun own the Shadow Children series! I could never pull off Trey's awesomeness o:

Layla had never expected to fall in love with a third child. She'd read in books that love had a way of finding you whether you liked it or not, but seeing firsthand her parents' loveless marriage, she had decided that was another fairytale in itself.

For once, Layla was glad to have been proven wrong.

The first time she'd met Trey, it was under...unlikely circumstances, to say the least. She'd enjoyed getting to know him as a friend but had been sure to keep her guard up. People had a way of sinking the knife in good and deep when your back was turned. Besides, even if he hadn't turned out to be a traitor, if she'd allowed him a glimpse inside herself, Layla had thought for sure the boy would take off running. He was a skittish sort, for sure. Probably not the type to engage in a romance, anyway.

Layla never wanted to fall in love, at that. It would hurt too much if her beloved died. She didn't know if she could take that kind of loss again. Sure, she'd had her crushes: back in school, a couple of boys had even kissed her. She hadn't thought much of it: just punched them good. If they could have their fun, she could have hers.

She didn't know exactly when she'd begun to fall for Trey. It just happened, over time. Layla would have had to be blind not to notice Trey's almost puppy-like crush on her, so eager to please. She'd thought it was cute but refused to look too deeply into it. He was a shadow. The last third child Layla had loved had been taken from her. She couldn't take that kind of risk again.

It was almost like one day she'd woke up and realized the feelings she harbored for Trey. She'd fallen for his dark hair and eyes to match, his small but built frame, his dignified, polite, and even awkward way of speaking, his intelligence far surpassing any teacher she'd ever had... she loved all of it.

It was almost uncanny, how much Trey reminded her of Tate at times. His fiery and bold spurts of courage matched that of Tate's, his quiet and modest intelligence... Layla liked to think Trey was what Tate would've turned out to be like had he grown up. Not in looks, exactly - Tate had more or less taken after her: he'd had russet hair and pale green eyes - but in personality.

One day, while studying nursing books with Theodora Talbot, Layla dared to ask the question that had burned in her mind for weeks on end: "Mrs. Talbot.. doesn't it scare you to love Mr. Talbot? Aren't you afraid he'll be taken from you?" She had hesitated before adding, "..Isn't it better not to have fallen in love at all?"

Mrs. Talbot, so similar to her in looks with her fiery red hair, had turned to study Layla with a serious, perceptive smile. "..I used to ask myself the same questions, Layla. But you know what I found out?" She didn't pause long enough to allow Layla to answer. "..There's an old aphorism: 'It's better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all.' You don't know how true that is. I love Mr. Talbot with all my heart, and it'll hurt worse than anything to lose him." She paused, a catch in her voice. "..But I've learned to seize the day. Why not have good memories to look back on when it's all said and done? ..Love is worth the risk, Layla."

Nothing else could have been said to bolster Layla's spirits as Mrs. Talbot's had. She saw the truth in the woman's statements and decided right then and there that she would be brave enough to take the risk. That very night she revealed her feelings to Trey, to excitedly learn he felt the same way. Unlike the dull boys in school who had given her a peck on the lips, Trey's kisses filled quickened her pulse, sent a rush of excitement through her, and filled her with passion. ..And Layla knew she'd made the right choice.

But even then, she'd refused to think about the future. She knew that there was no possible way she and Trey could grow up together and raise a family of their own. Not with the government they had. Somewhere along the way something would backfire and Trey, the love of her life, would also be taken from her. The haunting thought kept her up at night and followed her into her nightmares. It was something Layla absolutely hated to think about but had to, so she could prepare herself for when that day happened. But for then, she concentrated on her relationship with Trey and the unwavering joy it brought her.

..But then the dreams she'd refused to muse over came true, and it almost seemed too good to be true.

The government had been overthrown.

Layla wept joyful tears the day she'd learned of it. She'd always heard that the sun would eventually shine on the suffering, but she'd never really believed it up until now. Maybe God really did love them, as Matthias and Percy and Alia always pointed out.

And she could actually allow herself to dwell on the dreams she had for her and Trey. Maybe he would grow up to be a math professor... they could actually marry and raise a family of their own. Kids named Trahern Cromwell Torrance Jr. (Trey would always be Trey to her), Tate Marshall (after her late brother), and even little girls named Taylor and Kayla. They would be able to have as many children as they wanted: no limit would restrict them.

Maybe those things wouldn't happen, but they were definitely all possibilities now. Ones Layla could actually take hope in for her future.

Mrs. Talbot had most definitely been right. To take the risk of love had been the best choice Layla had ever made.

A/N: Yep. Pretty short, but I enjoyed writing it. So sa-weet! x333 Treyla is one of my all-time fave oc fandom. Idk why, it's just that their relationship is so real to me. I can't even explain it. ^^ Anyway, and yeah, I didn't mean to name their future daughter (the first name) after me xD But I was thinking of a good female name that was a mix between Trey and Layla. And I came up with Taylor. xDD So yeah. Please review, I would appreciate the feedback! ^.^~