April's POV  

Chapter song: "I Hope you Dance" by Lee Ann Womack

April walked into the dormitory and steeled herself to face her roommate. Cassidy was a friend but it wasn't like she could pour her heart out. Who would believe her? Besides, she didn't have the energy to explain.

She was instantly engulfed in strong arms that felt good. She breathed deeply for seemingly the first time in weeks. It felt good to be back in her room at school. Good to have something else to think about other than Peter and...

"Oh, April! I am so glad you are back. And I am so sorry about what happened. How horrible! Are you okay?"

As Cassidy gushed over her she recoiled in horror. The story they had contrived. She touched the almost faded bruise on her cheek. The evidence that something had happened. Cassidy thought she had been attacked, it was something she would have to deal with from her classmates. Was she ready?

"I am okay Cassidy. Really, I am. Just bruised a bit. They did not... Peter," his name choked out of her throat, "was there... he...I, well I am okay now." She stumbled through it and was ever so grateful that Cassidy did not push her for details. But instead pulled her back for another hug.

"I am just so glad you are back. I missed you!"

She began to unpack her things quietly listening as Cassidy rambled on about what she had missed during the weeks she was gone. She was glad and even smiled at some of the gossip that was flitting around about the other girls. But she was suddenly very tired and only wanted her bed. As Cassidy's insistence she went to the dining room to push the food around her plate and then felt blessed relief as they returned to the room and she slept.

She tasted the sweet wine, relishing the feel of it running down her throat. She exulted in the feeling of strong arms coming around her, lips brushing her ear telling her she was more beautiful than the stars that sung in the sky above them. The sweet sweet pleasure of him touching her body in the just the right way. The breathless feeling as the familiar passion overtook her as his body pressed into hers. The waves of ecstasy that spread throughout her again and again as she cried his name. His precious name, Peter!

The light touched her eyelids as consciousness overtook her. The dream faded away but her body was throbbing, feeling even her sleep the need she had for her husband. Husband? That thought seemed so far away, so long ago. A cramp deep within reminded her body that it had been a long time, and would be longer still until she was ready for that kind of intimacy again.

Sighing, she gingerly folded herself out of bed and went over to the desk. She was well aware it would be a bit longer until her body was completely ready for the rigorous dance exercises. Using the chair for balance, she stretched a bit and the pain subsided. She would try today though to see if she could dance a little more freely, she missed it so.

She sat and grabbed a pen and paper to pour out the feelings her dream evoked to Peter. She would send it without overthinking it praying it would open up a way for them to communicate together through letters.

~~0~~

April stood outside of the doors to Andre's studio, half dreading and half anticipating this moment. The advanced dance class has ended 15 minutes ago and all the students were gone. She did not want an audience for this meeting. Quietly pushing the door open, she nervously adjusting her sweater over the comfortable street clothes she wore.

She felt his eyes on her immediately. Andre had become a mentor but still she felt awkward about this meeting. He seemed to be able to look into her soul at times and she always wondered if he still wanted her. She knew she was safe, Peter had taken care of that months ago, but still there was an undercurrent there. He respected her talent and pushed her harder than the other students and she had always known he could teach her things she would need to know to succeed on the stage.

"April...it is good to see you. I had heard you were back." His Spanish accent flowed over her and she closed her eyes briefly at his friendly tone. She needed a friend right now. She smiled lightly and said, "I can't fully dance yet, but I thought I would stop in..."

He nodded. "You look pale. Were you terribly hurt?"

His tender tone and look of righteous anger in his eyes comforted her. She knew she was safe and breathed deeply in relief.

"Yes, and...no. Physically, I am healing. Emotionally?" her voice trailed off.

He gestured for her to sit and begin to question her gently. The canned story poured haltingly out of her. His dark, almost black, eyes bored into her and she wondered if he could tell she was lying. If so he didn't give an indication until he asked with an arch to his brow.

"And...Peter?"

She caught her breath and her eyes welled with tears against her will. "Peter...Peter is well. At his school. He....is, having a difficult time."

"I see."

Andre looked at her for some time and then stood and walked over to the gramophone. The music started and he stood before her.

"Come, dance with me."

He held out his hand. She looked at it in fear. Could she?

"I..." she stood hesitating, then nodded and took off her cardigan and slipped off her shoes. She wondered if she was truly ready, but knew she had to try.

He led her in slow, basic, light and easy steps. She felt different, moved differently she knew. It reminded her of being in Narnia, when she was first pregnant and didn't know. She felt clumsy and awkward. Based on the looks Andre was giving her, he knew it too. She pulled out of his grasp and turned her back. It was not working.

"April, you must start somewhere. Finish the dance."

The dance was familiar, an easy number she was used to dancing. She tried to lose herself in the music and soon a grace appeared, as her muscles remembered even if her mind was muddled. She barely registered his hands on her lifting her gently as the chorography demanded. He set her down and the music faded away. She came back to herself and realized he was staring at her strangely.

"Um, I need to...." she felt the need to escape and moved to gather her things. She stood with her sweater and shoes ready to flee when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"April, sit."

She sighed and slowly walked over to the chairs pushed back against the studio walls. She looked at the floor. She heard his frustrated sigh and raised her eyes in trepidation. Andre did not sit. He was pacing across the room. He stopped and stared hard into her eyes. She swallowed a lump and tried to speak but couldn't.

His eyes were hard and angry. A confused look was on his face. Finally, he spoke.

"April, I have danced with many women. You know that. I have been with...many women. I think you know that too."

April felt a blush heat her cheeks at his admission. It was one thing to guess and another thing for a grown man to speak of these things to his student. He continued, "I know a dancer's body and can tell when...well, I can tell lots of things."

He stopped pacing and looked into her eyes.

"I must know. Was it Peter? Was he the reason for your absence? Did he hurt you? Because if he did, sword or no sword, I will find him and bring him to justice."

April resisted the urge to giggle, she was a woman now, a Queen and lady. As hurt as she was by Peter's actions, she knew his love for her was pure. Her circumstance was exactly because of Peter but not the way Andre was thinking. She forced a gentle smile on her face and spoke slowly and softly as she had learned to do in Narnia.

"Andre, thank you for your concern. Peter did not hurt me, it is true that we..." she faltered, how on earth could she explain herself? Then the answer was clear, as much of the truth as possible and she hoped she could trust him. Andre was the key to her future career and she needed to tread carefully.

She continued, "I can see I need to tell you...I...I miscarried over the spring holiday."

She paused and watched Andre's face contort in confusion and disbelief.

"But...that would mean that you had...no April. That is not possible. Your innocence was intact, I know it. You would have moved differently. I know it sounds bizarre but I would have known."

She was puzzled at how intuitive he was, at how he knew her, when she really had shared so little with him, beyond the instruction and learning of dance.

"I know it sounds impossible, but it is true."

He sat in the chair near her and studied her. His eyes drifted over her body. He shook his head. "I don't understand. The other piece of this that puzzles me is your body is the same, lean and hard muscled like it should be. You have only been gone for three weeks. The pregnancy itself makes no sense, but the way you dance is as if you have not been dancing for months. It's impossible.

She sucked in a hard breath. "I cannot explain. Please, you must trust me when I say that I am well, that I will work hard to get back to where I was. I want this. I want my dream...I....I need it Andre, please."

She touched his arm gently. She was pleading. He had the power to kick her out of school. She felt so embarrassed that he thought her and Peter...out of wedlock...but to tell him they were married would make it worse. Married women were not allowed to attend school here. Plus there was no license, no way to prove it was legal here. What a mess she was in. She desperately wished for Peter.

He sat searching her eyes and finally spoke. "April, you have so much talent. Making your dream come true has been my dream as well. I long to see my students succeed, even though I may not always appear that way. I will keep this between us. If the administration discovered that you had been pregnant, well, the dream would be over. Promise me you will work hard. And it will be difficult. You are different now, you know that don't you?"

She nodded with tears of gratefulness and also frustration. She had felt the difference in herself when she practiced in Narnia. But with Andre's help she could turn that difference into something even better, more powerful than what she had before. Determination filled her and she smiled.

"Yes, I will work harder than I have ever worked and we will succeed!"

He stood and smiled back at her. "Okay then, you have 4 days to finish recuperating. Meet me here on Saturday and be prepared."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" April tried not to gush and couldn't resist hugging him.

He laughed and let her go quickly. "Just become a star. That will be all the thanks I need."

~~0~~

April was exhausted. She was dancing and training harder than she ever had. But her dancing was coming back, the stamina reappeared and technically she was great. There was however, a spark that was lacking, a love for dance that she seemed to have left in Narnia. She poured out her thoughts once again on paper to Peter. He had not been writing back. She knew he was hurt and upset but she was honestly just too busy and physically exhausted to think too much about it. It had only been two weeks since she returned to school. Surely, he would write to her soon.

She folded the letter and moved to snuff the candle. When she couldn't sleep at night, she would write to Peter. This night a sleepy voice called to her.

"April, you need to rest. You are working so hard, you will get sick if you don't get some sleep."

"Cassidy, sorry that I woke you. I just can't sleep. I...I miss him so much!" A sob caught and she tried to push it away, crying only made it worse. She knew that from experience.

"Oh April," Cassidy came over and hugged her friend. "Why don't you go see him? Perhaps your letters have not reached him. Perhaps he is hurting over what happened to you as much as you are?"

"He is stubborn Cassidy and I can only handle so much. I cannot take care of his emotions and mine too right now. When he is ready he will come to me."

Cassidy was silent and April knew she didn't agree with her. What she didn't know was that Cassidy was going to take action and very soon.