^This song is my dad's all-time favourite. It's from The Man from Snowy River. 

I stood in front of the parliament house with Christian on one side of me. His hand found mine as he murmured, "It looks bigger than it does in pictures."

My eyebrows raised, "I was about to say it looks smaller than it does in pictures..."

Christian exchanged a glance with me before a shrill voice shouted, "Natalie, Christian, hurry up please!"

I turned my head and found Dr Demonico frantically waving to us to come to her at the doors. Tourists were walking around her, confused. 

Christian pulled my arm slightly to get me to move and we walked quickly up to Dr Demonico. 

She beamed, "Good. You both made it in one piece. How was the reunion?"

"Surprising," Christian said.

"Amazing," I whispered. 

Dr Demonico nodded once, "Well, come along, important business to get to today."

I struggled to keep up with her despite the fact that she was also in heels. The woman sure moved fast. She led us to a private elevator and it took us up to the top floor. I knew the layout of the parliament house from English so I knew we were headed to the office suites. 

A man stopped us as we exited the lift, "Your ID badges please?"

Dr Demonico quickly showed hers but I winced. I said to the man, "We don't have ID badges..."

"No ID badges, no pass," the man said firmly. 

Dr Demonico huffed, "Troy, these our Natalie Roberts and Christian Park. Surely, you remember them?"

"Nope," Troy shook his head, "No ID badges, no pass."

"Let them through," a deep voice said. We all glanced towards the prime minister. I let out a small sigh of relief. 

Troy stuttered, "B-but, Prime Minister, they could be a threat."

"These two teenagers, Troy, are more significant to the world than I am at this stage so stop worrying," Simon scolded, "Come along, you three."

Troy looked utterly confused as we were led away from him. I gave him an apologetic smile before I was in a room with another dozen people. 

"Take a seat, please," Simon asked, "And we'll be running through today's agenda."

I took a seat next to the blonde woman from the airport and the camera guy whilst Christian moved to sit between Dr Demonico and Dr Weston on the other side of the room. 

The Prime Minister nodded his head and took his own seat at the head of the table, "Alto Emus is an experiment first thought of back in 2010 by Dr Demonico and Dr Weston, here. It's design was to keep our population controlled and to ensure each person on the Earth suited another. It doesn't actually change the pairs' bodies but does, however, implant something called a dreamscape."

He gestured to Dr Weston. The familiar guy stood up and continued, "A dreamscape is, literally, your dream landscape. It captures how what a person dreams can change their emotional, physical and psychological attachment to a person. It doesn't force two people together, however, the doctors do come up with the pairings based on an extreme psychoanalysis."

He sat and Dr Demonico took his place, "We first found Miss Natalie Ann Roberts at the Food, Sleep and Wellbeing Centre Sydney. Her late father was in hospital," I winced slightly at them just giving away my information, "she was struggling with mild anorexia, moderate sleep apnea and severe anxiety, all at the young age of just fourteen. This was in 2013. Mr Christian Xavier Park was discovered in The Mental Health Institute Sydney just before New Years' Eve in 2012. He was suffering from mild bipolar disorder, severe insomnia and mild depression, again, at the age of fourteen. From what we see here, their old problems collided with each other. We didn't force them together in our experiment but gave them a little drug to stimulate a dreamscape with each other in it. Before they'd even met each other they'd created a safe place within their dreams inside one another to fall back into."

I shivered in my seat. Mainly, because they were completely right.

She took a seat and the prime minister stood up again, "Everyone can see that the effects are completely harmless. Christian and Natalie have both found a resolve in each other because of this drug we call 'Dreamscape'. We believe that by introducing this to the world through world leaders and Daring Incorporation, we can put a slight control on the world's ever-growing population and make sure everyone in the future ends up with that... special someone."

Now I see why they did it. To be honest, it's a good idea but I'd never have imagined I'd be a... a test subject? 

"Therefore, we're presenting all this material to the world leaders in the conference next March," Simon said, "If this is going to work, we need everyone to be on board for this."

Dr Demonico smiled and stood, "And it will work. We have Natalie and Christian to prove so."

She sat back down and I wondered if you had to stand to talk.

Christian didn't, however, when he opened his mouth, "I have a question for anyone willing to answer."

Dr Weston nodded, "Go ahead?"

Christian stood, though I think it was for the melodrama, "If you didn't, and I refer, change my body or Nat's, you only gave us this stimulated Dreamscape then how on Earth do Nat and I manage to sleep together, catch each other's sickness and practically know what each other's emotion is by merely looking at each other. Care to share?" With that he sat down, perplexed. 

I couldn't blame him. I was too. How on Earth did they change us but no our bodies?

Simon smiled a bit and then sat, "Dr Demonico?"

Dr Demonico stood up with a deep breath, "When we said you developed an emotional, physical and psychological attachment to each other before you'd even met... we were being literal. Your emotional attachment is that your brains are reacting in such a way to this Dreamscape that your able to feel what the other person is feeling. Psychologically, you're adapted to know when to sleep because the other person is sleeping or you know when you need to eat because the other person is eating; of course, it wouldn't happen if you had didn't need to. Physically, your Dreamscape shows that you two are each others' safe places so when one person is sick, the other one is; when one person is injured, the other feels a slight amount of pain; when one person is... is dead, the other feels dead inside."

Those final words resonated inside of me. 

Christian dies and I would feel empty. I die, he would feel empty...

"That's the only price to pay with Dreamscape."

I took a deep breath but my breathing wouldn't slow down. It came out in shakes and my vision was slightly blurry. That single drug had messed with me so much. I'm sick to the ground with it. 

My breathing was too quick. I couldn't get enough air into my lungs. 

The walls seemed to be approaching me, making the room smaller and smaller. I needed fresh air. 

I stood up quickly to get to the door but only managed three quaking steps before I misstepped and fell harshly to the ground with a loud yelp. I curled my arms around my knees. I couldn't breathe. Not enough air, or room. 

I took one last big breath. The pounding in my head got to too much. I blacked out. 

***

"Dad?" I whispered, "What are you doing here?"

The man with salt and pepper coloured hair gave me an eye-crinkling smile, "Hi, Blossom."

"Dad," I repeated, "Y-you're dead. You aren't real."

"I'm plenty real. What was that thing Gandolf said? Just because it's happening in your mind doesn't mean I'm not real?"

I sniffled slightly. I hadn't even realised I was crying, "It was Dumbledore, Dad... And he said, 'Of course, it's happening inside your head but why on earth does that mean it isn't real?'"

"Exactly," my dad chuckled and tucked my hair behind my ear, kissing my forehead softly, "I love you, always, Blossom. Let that boy treat you well."

"H-how do you know him?" I stumbled across my words.

"I live in your heart, Blossom," Dad said, "I see everything to do with you."

"No," I shook my head, "You're a figment of my imagination," I whispered, "It's the Dreamscape."

"I repeat, just because it's happening inside your head, why should it mean it isn't real?" Dad winked, "I like that boy. Treat him well, Talie."

"Dad," my eyes widened, "If this is real... how are you talking to me?"

"I never said it was real, just that it was a possibility," he chuckled, "I might be a figment of your imagination but you knew me well enough to know what I would say."

"True," I whispered.

"Now," Dad soothed, patting my hair, "You're currently knocked out from a panic attack. Take a deep breath and calm down. Think of that boy and Shawn."

I did what he said and closed my eyes. I counted to ten as I took a breath in and then to ten as I took a breath out. 

"Good girl," Dad cooed, "I love you. Goodbye."

"Bye, Dad," my voice cracked slightly.

***

I tightened my arms around my legs as I felt the wetness crawl down my face. 

"Dad," I whimpered. 

Someone's hand rubbed my shoulder and I jolted to a sitting position, looking around for anything. 

I flinched when I remembered where I was. Slowly, I stood up and I murmured, "S-sorry... panic attack."

Dr Demonico frowned, "Natalie... you haven't had a panic attack in two and a half years."

I nodded slowly, "I-I know."

"Are you okay?" Christian asked, eyebrows creased together.

I could practically feel the worry pouring off of him as he stared at me.

I nodded again, "I'm alright."

Christian narrowed his eyes, "Sure."

He didn't believe me. That much was obvious.

Dr Demonico crossed the room, "Come on, Natalie, let's get you back to your room and get you checked up."

I smiled shyly at her. The prime minister said, "Good idea. Hopefully, we'll see you tomorrow."

***

Dr Demonico was quiet for a long minute as she checked my vitals in my hotel room. When she eventually put away the stethoscope, she began talking, "What did you feel like?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you had your panic attack, there was an awful lot of screaming. Were you in pain?"

"I always scream in panic attacks. I've grown used to it," I murmured, "It's like I can't breathe and there's nowhere to go."

"What did you see when you blacked out?" she asked, staring at me.

I gulped and took a deep breath before answering, "My dad."

"Your dad?" her eyebrows popped up, "As in a memory?"

"No," I frowned, "A figment of my imagination..."

Dr Demonico didn't say anything else. Instead, she checked to see if my pupils were dilated. Then she stood up, "Get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow."

I nodded obediently. I began taking off my shoes and blazer but she stopped at the door, "Oh, and Natalie, did your father mention Christian?"

I pressed my lips together and honestly replied, "Yes. He said to treat him well."

Dr Demonico looked at the door frame, nodding slowly, "Your dad... I'm sorry, Natalie, but he's a figment of the Dreamscape."

I sighed loudly and gave her a sad smile, "I'd sort of suspected that."

Dr Demonico took a step into the hall, "Goodnight."

***

Song: Jessica's Theme - Bruce Rowland.

xx Sharky.