Stephen was dreaming.
He knew he was dreaming because it was a lucid vision without easily definable boundaries. The world he was in was less defined than reality, with splotchy, blurred edges and a gray cast view. He was walking, somewhere, but he knew not where the path would lead. Looking all around him, he was alone, truly alone. He panicked and called out for Grace, yet after several attempts, the little genie never showed up. Was she gone forever?
"Stephen?"
He looked all around, hearing the booming voice reverberate throughout the entire dream world he inhabited. It was like a voice from the heavens calling out for him, and commanding his attention. Perhaps this really was the afterlife?
"Hello?" He asked out loud.
"Stephen?" The voice boomed once more. He found himself being sucked out of dreamworld. The path quickly disintegrated as did the blurred edges of the land around him. His dream was now gone, and Stephen awoke on the floor, feeling the smooth carpet against the rest of his body.
"Stephen, can you hear me?" The voice asked one more time. He couldn't place it just yet, but his eyes were still closed. Was it his mother? Did she find him after all the events of the day? His heart dipped while remembering the last look on Grace's face. The look of abject terror. Perhaps the last look he'd ever see of her.
Realizing he'd have to open his eyes sooner than later, he creaked open one eyelid, letting in the late afternoon sun as it illuminated his former room. His hand drifted naturally to his head, covering his eyes from the sudden onrush of light, and he was forced to close them again.
"Too bright," he murmured, while shifting around to his side.
He heard a giggle off to his right, a familiar noise, and one sound he had been longing to hear. There was a hand on his chest, and another holding his free hand at his side. Having spent the last two months hearing that giggle daily, he knew instantly who it belonged to.
Casting open both eyes, he found himself nearly face to face with the bright, blue ones that had so set his heart aflame. Grace looked back at him with a confident smile, and her eyes twinkled of their own accord after seeing his awakening. She looked just as beautiful as he remembered. He squeezed her hand tightly, as he looked about the room. It looked just as he left it.
"Are we dead? Or is this real?" He asked, looking around and praying it wasn't the afterlife.
Grace smiled, "We're alive. You've been out for the past half hour. I feared the worst at first, but you were just sleeping. It seems that my power can only come into this world with your mind at rest, and...," she took a deep breath. "It can only exit the world the same way."
Stephen sat up straight, watching her with wide set eyes, "Does that mean we did it? Are you free?"
She giggled, "I can't feel it anymore. There was always this extra sense inside of me, a well if you will, that I could draw from. I can't feel the well anymore. It's gone. I'm no longer a genie."
"But you're alive. And you're you," Stephen said, reaching out to touch her arm, and her leg, just to make sure she wasn't some vision of an angel. She laughed as he explored her body.
"If you want to see more, just say the word, baby," she winked, while spreading her legs slightly.
Stephen chuckled, before finally looking up in her eyes, "Grace, I love you."
She stopped her giggling, and reached out to caress the side of his face. Her expression turned to adoration and she gently stroked his cheek. "And I love you, Stephen. Because I choose to. Not because the magic binds me to you. I love you because I choose you, and I choose you forever."
They collided into each others arms a moment later, and Stephen pulled her down to the floor. He kissed her tenderly, mixing each successive kiss with different levels of passion. She was real, and she loved him. She was no longer a slave to him, and for that, he couldn't have been happier.
Breaking their kiss slightly, Grace whispered against his lips, "I will admit, it will take some getting used to about not being able to read your mind when I want."
Stephen chuckled as she pressed her lips against his once more. He murmured against her mouth, "The things we do for love."
They remained on the floor for quite some time, neither bothering to move the few feet over to the bed. It would have been too far to go, and too long without the other pressed intimately against them. Stephen held her close, stroking her long, light brown hair, and rubbing her back tenderly. Grace clung to him, pressing an endless series of loving kisses against his lips. It was as close to heaven as he could ever devise. The best part was that now they were safe, and no longer had to worry about magic or wardens or the Order once more. Right?
Stephen whispered against her lips, "Grace, are we truly safe now? We don't have to worry about the wardens finding us?"
She nodded slightly, and used her finger to trace the outline of his mouth. "They are pulled towards the feel of magic. Wishing makes it worse, but they can track just by the pull. I think when you used the wish outside yesterday, that's what let Hanif know who we were. The pull of magic could only take him so far, that it took wishing to deduce who we were."
"I'm sorry," he said, instantly. He wished he never would have made that wish so brazenly.
Grace shook her head, "If you never would have made it, then we'd still have him out there hunting us. This is for the best. Despite my fear of being free, this is the best outcome. The wishing, the spark of magic inside me, is completely gone. They will never be able to find us now."
"Thank God for that," he sighed, audibly, earning another giggle from Grace.
"Now that my wishes are gone, you're probably regretting not getting that pile of money while you could, aren't you?" She looked at him coyly.
Stephen broke out in a laugh, and then shook his head, "No, I don't need a pile of money. Or a fancy car, or to live forever. All I wanted since you came into my life is to live with you by my side until my last breath. I only ever wanted you, Grace."
Tears let slip from her face, as she let out the happiest of smiles, "That's one wish I can grant."
If they could have stayed wrapped up in each others arms for eternity, it wouldn't have been long enough. Yet, the slow setting of the sun announced the eventual end of daylight, and soon after, the front door opened and a familiar voice was heard.
"Stephen, you here? Grace?" His mother called out.
They parted with a small laugh, both nearly breathless from time exploring each others body. Stephen pulled himself up, and then helped Grace after, before emerging into the hall to find Theresa Willow standing near the kitchen in her work scrubs.
"There you two are! How did the move go today?"
Stephen glanced out at the truck. Nothing had moved from this morning when the warden had surprised them both after their fight. He looked sheepishly to the ground before answering. "Erm, we didn't get to take the stuff over to the new place yet."
Theresa blinked, with her expression turning to confusion. "You were just packing up your room though, right? You were so close to being done right before I left. What were you two doing all day?"
Before Stephen could begin to think, his mother threw up her hands. "Wait, wait, wait, don't answer that! I'm not sure I want to know."
"Erm well..," Stephen started, before feeling Grace's elbow gently poke his side.
"Sorry, Theresa, we'll spare you the details," she finished, throwing a wink to him as she finished.
Stephen toyed with the idea in his mind for a moment, but ultimately decided to spare his mother from all the happenings of the day. It was truly under the bridge now, with Grace's powers gone, and nothing to worry about. Besides, telling the whole story would only scare his family, and that was the last thing he wanted or needed.
"Yeah, sorry Mom," he replied, trying his best to put some color into his cheeks to play along.
Theresa just laughed, "I was young once too, you know? I remember how it is. At least you two will have your own place from now on for your own... activities."
Grace just smiled brightly, "And maybe give you some more alone time for your own.. ah.. activities with Jim from now on."
Stephen nearly choked, while Theresa turned red in the face as well. He had never seen his mother look so embarrassed. "That thought had crossed my mind, too, Grace," she agreed.
"Okay, gross," replied Stephen, making a face. "We'll get going now, and be back later!"
"If you're be back in a couple hours, dinner will still be warm! Don't get sidetracked again," Theresa called out, as the two of them hurriedly shuffled towards the front door, and emerged outside.
Grace fell into his side naturally. "I hope you don't mind. I don't think we needed to have worried her with the real events of today."
"No, I agree. Better not to scare her," Stephen commented in approval.
"Shall we go set our stuff up in our new place?" Grace opened the door to the moving truck, and nodded her head off towards it.
"That sounds like a great idea, babe," he smiled.
They were at the new apartment in just about twenty minutes. After a quick stop in the rental office, Stephen picked up the keys, and begin to unload their belongings. As he picked up two boxes from the truck, he and Grace made their way to their new home. Just shy of the front door, she stopped short.
