"Strange Sleep"

It was the first time Amra felt like he actually had some sleep. When he opened his eyes Caliope was gone from his side, and he sat quickly looking around for her but she wasn't anywhere to be found. How could he have lost track of time and things for so long? It was as if he closed his eyes and when he opened them back, a day had gone by without noticing. He waited in silence; half confused and half worried, expecting something else to happen. When he heard Caliope's laugh outside, he walked towards the window and saw her resting on a blanket in the garden, near her Pronab and Vanessa were sharing some laughs as well.

He took a deep unnecessary breath and looked back inside the room. Everything was in order; the bed was a mess but everything else seemed to be just as any other room would be. He sat on the bed and remembered how passionate his last memories were, Caliope could not remember many things but she could feel their connection, and their bond was as strong as ever. Would that be enough?

"Good morning..."

He lifted his eyes and smiled at her as she walked through the door. She brought with her a glass of juice and gave it to him as she leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Good morning... how are you?"

"I think I am good, definitely better than yesterday... and you?"

"I am good now that I see you... it was nice hearing you laugh..."

She sat next to him and smiled, took a hand of him in hers and looked at his knuckles as she felt a little nervous. "I started remembering things and it got me very excited."

"What things do you remember?"

"I remember more about Vanessa of course, and Pronab, and Elaine... I remember pieces of our trips? The places we visited before coming here... a sunset in a far land..."

He smiled as he drank his juice and listened to her, nodding. She wrapped her arms around him as he put the empty glass on the side table, and he quickly put an arm around her. She smiled up at him.

"I remember you... not everything, but I remember how we met, when I started working for Elaine... I remember us... I am so happy things are coming back... and I have to tell you something..."

"Yes?"

"Thank you..."

He perked a brow at her. She giggled and blushed under his eyes. "...for what?"

"For all the patience and courage you showed during this stressing situation... it hasn't been easy for me, but I didn't remember... you knew everything and you still were patient with me and caring..."

Amra smiled "That is because I love you... I can't see you hurt, as it hurts me..."

Caliope nodded "I know... I could feel that connection even if I didn't remember..."

"So your memories are coming back... it means there was nothing lost..."

"There is one more thing... but please promise me you will keep it just between us?

He perked a brow looking at her "I will if that is what you want."

"I don't know why but I feel it would be better if... just for now at least... we keep it as a secret... I mean... I trust them, all of them... Elaine feels like a mother to me... but..."

"I understand my love, you don't need to explain further..."

"Let me show you..."

She took a deep breath and rested her hand over the end of the bed. Amra followed her with his eyes curious, and watched her take several more deep breaths. She started to move her fingers in a slight wiggle motion, and from the wooden corner, a small branch of ivy started to materialize and expand. Amra's eyes widened as she manipulated the ivy branch to a bigger size and then follow the trace her finger made. In thin air, the ivies grew on a path forming a shape, when Amra could get past the shock, he saw she was drawing a heart. She giggled nervously and he squeezed her hand.

"My love...! those are similar to..."

"Yes, the ones I had somehow manipulated in my mind when Gusion invaded it... I just can't..."

She sighed as the intricate work of natural art started drying and dropping to the floor. She rubbed her hands as she shook her head.

"I can't hold it for long and... my hand hurts after doing it..."

"It is amazing... and you are just starting to manipulate it... with practice you will be able to control it and make it last longer... I have no doubt you will."

"I woke up feeling something weird in my legs, and when I sat down, I saw the ivies around me... at first I got scared, but then I noticed as I kicked them that they vanished easily, and when I tried to rub my legs I saw how my own hands drew more of them."

"I understand why you want to keep it just between us, and I think it is wise to do it for now... it will become an advantage in the future... I am very proud of you my love."

She smiled and hugged him tightly, he kissed her forehead and she sighed. He lifted her chin up and kissed her lips watching her arms drop to her sides and feeling her give in to him. He parted from her as he shook his head.

"If we keep like this I might never leave the room..."

"I wish I could remember more... it is getting frustrating how some of the things are clear and some others just dark and clouded... there is so much I want to remember, about us..."

He caressed her cheek and she shivered, biting her lower lip. He shook his head and chuckled, making her look up at him once more. "In due time... for now, there is already much happening... stop biting your lip for one, it makes me want to take you..."

She blushed deeply and was about to bite her lip then took a deep breath and avoided it. He smiled leaving in evidence some disappointment. She chuckled.

"Can I ask you some questions?"

"Of course you can..."

"As I remember a few things, I have some questions rushing to my mind... we were once at Greece?"

"Yes, Santorini..."

"I don't remember when or how, but I heard something like... a 'Black Sun'?"

Amra looked surprised but he nodded slowly. "The first time Gaius had to engage directly into a fight was when a dark Angel interfered with humans in a more direct way. He tried to take control of a particular person, and this person influenced a world war."

"Do I know the person you are referring to?"

"A name... I believe Himmler."

Caliope gasped and he got worried.

"What is wrong?"

"He was of great importance in history, I remember the class lessons in school. I guess that makes sense now..."

"What else you wanted to ask?"

"I think that is all for now, but as more comes back to me, I will want to ask you more..."

"Do you remember how we used to communicate with each other in a room filled of people?"

She perked a brow and looked at him shaking her head. He nodded and closed his eyes, almost immediately she heard him, this time his lips weren't moving. 'We managed to talk to each other directly in our minds... like this...'

"How did you do that?!"

'Try to do it... focus in me... try to open your mind to just talking to me in thoughts and keep your lips closed.'

She swallowed hard and nodded; closed her lips and looked into his eyes in silence. They had their eyes locked to one another. After some seconds she sighed.

"This is so frustrating!"

'You will make it love... perhaps not now, maybe without noticing, you will do it again...'

"You have such high trust in me, I feel terrible... I am disappointing myself..."

"You are not, you in fact are making such progress it is very impressive... have a little faith in you, as we do."

She sighed once more but managed to smile a little, he leaned over and gave her a small tender kiss on her forehead. He got up and offered his hand to her, which she took eagerly, and they both headed out the room.

When Elaine saw Amra and Caliope walk in, she smiled widely. Caliope blushed a little but managed to smile and wave to all.

"I am so happy to see you both! Caly, Vanessa tells me you are starting to remember?"

Caliope nodded "Yes, I am, slowly, and not as much as I would have wished..."

"It will come in time then, the good news is that you are remembering, so the most certain thing to say is that you willingly forgot as a defense mechanism, when you felt you were in danger."

Pronab smiled "I think that makes perfect sense."

"Yes it does, I guess..." Caliope shrugged shily.

"Good, because we will need you to be relaxed and easy for the next couple of days, we are rushing our return home, things need to be moved forward."

Caliope nodded, still unsure of what going back would mean. Amra sensed her small hesitation and leaned closer to her, an arm tightly wrapped around her shoulder.

'You will be safe, no matter where we go... I promise you...'

She smiled and looked up at him, giving him a nod in return. She sighed and looked around until her eyes met Pronab, who replied with a warm smile.

"Where is Nessa?"

"Probably about to get some sleep, it is late and she was up for a long time worried about you."

"I will have to talk to her tomorrow, will you please keep a look on her? I remember... you two have become closer... please watch over her."

Pronab lowered his gaze and nodded smiling; there was no need for him to say another word, they both understood each other well.

"Thank you."

"Speaking of sleep, you should get something to eat then get some rest as well..."

"I have one question, Elaine?"

"Yes my dear?"

"When do we get back?"

"In two days, I want to give you a bit more time to recover the best you can... But we need to go back and rush the main meeting."

"Who is 'we'? I mean, who else is coming besides us..."

"I was hoping for at least Maxwell and Vanessa, she already said yes. You wanted someone else to come?"

Caliope smiled and shook her head. "The most important ones are..."

"I need to make a call, so if you all excuse me please, I will see you tomorrow." Pronab winked at her and got up to leave the room.

"Good night! I could get something to eat before sleeping, I guess..." Caliope said as she looked around for food.

"That is good news, I want you rested." Amra said with a smile.

She sat on the table as Amra walked to the kitchen and returned minutes later with a plate. Elaine was smiling as she watched the scene, Caliope blushed as he sat next to her and started to feed her cuts of different cheeses and other delights.

"Can we take one of the Meng Generals with us?"

Elaine chuckled "Good luck proposing that to them!"

"What do you mean?"

"Why would you want 'at least' one of them?"

"Because I remember how strong they are, how important their aid would be for us..."

"It is almost impossible, for only one to come... they work together, is not that they can't be without the other one, is that they chose to be always together, and that is how they are stronger... they complement each other..." Elaine replied.

"Will they follow us then?"

"I will ask them personally if that is what it takes, they are strong allies and we need them." Amra assured her as he brought a glass of juice and gave it to her.

"They will come if you want to darling, I think they will need no further encouragement than the mer invite to go, they enjoy the danger."

"I am trying to not feel afraid to that, they seem almost too eager for it..."

Elaine smiled "They are, indeed... we might end up going all together if it comes to this."

"And we will be all staying where?"

"I will have to arrange some place for all of us while we proceed with details of our meeting, but our home can't be it... I want a place where we can all be together, without giving them invite to our private space..."

Amra chuckled "a Hotel?"

"After what happened in the last one we were in? I would rather seek something less obvious; don't worry, I will figure something out... You my dear ones, eat, rest, enjoy... I will take care of it."

"Thank you Elaine, really..."

Elaine smiled at her and nodded, blowing them both a kiss as she headed outside the room. Amra caressed Caliope's hair softly, and encouraged her to eat a few more bites before she felt full.

"I think I am ready to get some sleep... will you sleep with me?"

Amra was taken by surprise with her question, he nodded and smiled at her but could not forget now how he felt time slip away from him earlier. He knew that there was something else going on, something that had made him lose track of time. They laid together on the bed and he watched her quickly fall asleep, his tension grew and he felt extra tense even at the possibility of him losing time again. It wasn't the fact that he felt asleep what bothered him; no, it was the fact that he never sleep, and even when he was meditating and detached from worlds and time, he was always aware of things happening around him. This was a new situation he never went through, and he now decided to bring the subject to Elaine as soon as possible.