Tristan: "I thought you were asleep."
Emily: "Tried, but couldn't. What about you?"
Tristan: "Didn't even try. Plus I have all my bedding in the laundry."

Tristan: "Come on- I'll get a fire started. We can keep each other company."
Emily: "How're you feeling, by the way?"
Tristan: "Better than I've felt in years, to be honest."
Emily: "Good- I think it's going to take us all a while to stop worrying about you though."

Emily: "I've never known anyone who's died and come back to life before."
Tristan: "It's... an experience."

Emily: "I bet. I'm... very glad you're alright."
Tristan: "I am too- you have no idea."
Emily: "And thank you for letting us all stay here tonight. We needed this as much as you did."
Tristan: "I don't doubt that for a second."

Tristan: "By the way, does Mary always have 'overnight kits' in the trunk of her car?"
Emily: "Mary is the walking definition of 'always be prepared'. Which is actually rather frightening."
Tristan: "Well it worked out rather well for tonight, I'd say."

The hours passed quickly by, little pockets of conversations playing out between comfortable silences. Emily soon found herself spellbound by the crackling of the logs in the fireplace, her eyelids slowly becoming heavier and heavier. She felt safe here, as if she were wrapped in a cocoon of heat and light.

Tristan: "I just heard the dryer go off- I'm going to go make my bed real quick."
Emily: "Are you coming back down?"
Tristan: "Absolutely."

Emily fought hard to stay awake, but soon gave in. She was emotionally and physically drained, she didn't have the strength to hold back sleep any longer.

Tristan knelt before her, smiling. As much as he wanted her to be there with him awake, he knew she needed to sleep. She was wearing herself out- it was blatantly obvious every time he saw her.

She felt like nothing in his arms- he wondered how a creature so frail could have so much strength hidden within her. He was once again overwhelmed by the scent of vanilla, though now the despair was less apparent.

As he finished making sure she was tucked in completely, he felt that maybe he'd finally been able to make a connection.