Bottled Dreams

Author's Note: The last chapter! Finally! This story series took an extremely long time to write, and I think it's because I liked the character so much that it took a while to figure out how to tell the right kind of story (and the right ending). This is definitely one of my most favorite stories and I hope you liked it!

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"Are you sure I can't come with you?" I pleaded with Henry.

"Yes, I'm completely sure. I need to focus on the test and you know how distracting you can be," he replied as we stood in the hallway near his classroom.

"What if I like super duper promise that I won't do anything? And on top of that, what if you suddenly realize you need something and I'm not there to help you?"

"Trust me, I'll be ok. Besides, it'll only take me a couple of hours."

He might not think that a couple of hours was a long time, but today, it would be an eternity for me. Today was the last day I had to get him to fall in love with me before I would be trapped in my bottle again. It was already late afternoon too! He hasn't confessed any love yet, and I needed every minute...no, every second with him, to try and make it happen. I simply could not lose a couple of hours on a day like this!

"Ok, but what if...and hear me out...I turn myself into a pencil that you can use. Or just the eraser? Or maybe I can make myself very thin and become a piece of paper next to you!" I said while trying to haggle with him.

He chuckled, gave me a small hug before pulling back and saying, "Hang out in the cafeteria and get something to eat for dinner. I'll find you when I'm done, ok?"

"Ugh, alright, fine," I said defeated.

Smiling at me, he turned around and walked into the classroom. I thought of using my magic to turn myself invisible and sneak inside, but I knew it wouldn't help the situation. Besides, if he somehow found out, I was sure he'd be upset with me and that was the last thing I needed right now. Sighing heavily, I decided to follow his advice.

It was a short walk to the cafeteria and while I didn't particularly feel like eating, my human body was surprisingly hungry. Grabbing a tray, I absentmindedly grabbed some food while my mind was far away. I kept replaying memories of our time together and the more I strolled down memory lane, the more my heart hurt. Was there anything I could have done differently to get him to fall in love with me? Maybe there was something I was doing wrong?

After building a small mountain of food, I walked out of the buffet line and didn't even notice all of the servants staring at my tray with wide eyes. Finding an empty table in the cafeteria, I sat down heavily. Putting my elbows on the table, I rested my face in my hands and sighed again. I missed him already. I kept picturing the smile he gave me earlier and it made my heart speed up slightly.

My stomach started to grumble and with great reluctance, I started to eat. The food made me feel a bit better and I tried to regain some of my optimism back. Instead of focusing on the past, I resolved to focus on the future. The day wasn't over yet and there was still a chance I could get him to fall in love with me! We were planning on going to some sort of dance the school was hosting later tonight after his class, and I knew that would be my best chance to work my magic. Well, not my actual magic, but the emotional or conversational kind. By the stars, why did I feel so sad when he wasn't around?

"Hey...mind if I sit?" I suddenly heard a voice say.

Looking up, my eyes widened in surprise. It was that succubus from the other week! She was holding a tray of food and looking very...well, like how a succubus would dress. What in all the hells was she doing here? Was she going to try to fight me about Henry? Damn, what was her name again? What did Henry call her...oh, that's right, Shauna. Well Shauna, if it was a fight you want--

"You don't have to glare at me like that, I came here to talk, not fight you," she said pleasantly.

"Oh...well, fine. I guess you can sit if you want," I said flatly and crossed my arms across my body defensively.

She sat down and after adjusting her red and black hair, she looked at me and said, "Listen, I actually came over here to apologize."

"Huh? Really?" I responded shocked since I never heard of a succubus apologizing before.

"Yeah, you knew what I am, but I truly had no idea what you were. I also had no idea that Henry was your master. If I knew that, I never would have tried seducing him like that," she said, and I was taken aback at how genuine she sounded. "I may be a succubus, but I'm not crazy enough to try to come between a djinn and her master. I wouldn't start a battle I know I can't win."

"That's rather nice of you to say, in a weird sort of way. I appreciate the apology though and I'm sorry if I hurt you back then," I replied in a friendly tone.

"Don't worry about it, it didn't hurt that much. Besides, once I found out who you were, I knew you could've done much worse. So I appreciate you holding back," she replied with a charming smile.

"You know, for a split second, I did think about turning you into a frog," I said, finding her smile infectious, and decided to lighten the mood a little.

"Well, even if you did, I think I would most definitely have been the sexiest frog in the world," she quipped back with a smirk and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Ignoring my reaction, she immediately followed up, "So, how are things between you and Henry? If I understand the curse of djinn correctly, aren't you trying to get him to fall in love with you? So where is he?"

"He's taking a test right now and wanted to focus on it without having me around. So now I'm here just waiting for him to be done," I said with yet another sigh as I looked down and poked at my food with my fork.

"Given your reaction, I take it he hasn't fallen in love with you yet."

"Nope, not yet," I replied while staring at my food, and when I thought of him, the pain in my heart returned.

Deciding that she was probably a good person to ask, I looked up and said, "Say, you are, or were, human. Do you know why my heart sometimes hurts?"

Stopping mid-bite from eating some of her food, she replied, "Your heart hurts? Like a heart attack? Shouldn't you just use your powers to fix it?"

"It's not a heart attack though, I honestly don't know what's wrong. I've used my magic to repeatedly refresh my body, but the pain doesn't go away."

"Well, what are you doing when it hurts?"

"It usually happens when I'm with Henry and we're out doing things together."

I noticed she was staring at me quizzically and then she slowly asked, "Ok...have you noticed it hurting at other times?"

"It sometimes happens when I think about him or picture him in my head like it just happened a little bit ago," I said.

"Right...now let me ask you this, how often do you think about him?"

"I guess like...well, all of the time actually. At least when we're not together."

Pushing her plate of food to the side, Shauna leaned forward and said, "Let me get this straight. Your heart hurts when you are with him, or when you think about him, and you just so happen to be thinking of him all the time. Hell, you're probably even doing it right now. Hey! Focus genie!"

Refocusing my attention back on her, she continued, "I can't believe you don't know what's wrong with you."

"What do you mean? What is it?" I asked in a serious tone.

"Girl, you are in love with him," she said bluntly.

For a moment, I just stared at her. Instead of thinking of a response, all I could do was scoff. What she just said...was simply...was just... preposterous! There was no way that could be true. A djinn falling in love with a human? No, that has never, ever happened before. It was just impossible. Nuh-uh. No way. How could she even suggest something so ludicrous?

"That's not true! Are you crazy? If you don't know why, you should just say so," I responded frazzled.

"Oh yeah, you're totally in love with him."

"Stop saying that!"

"It's true though! Why did you get so angry with me when I was trying to seduce him?" she responded back quickly.

"Because...I was just trying to protect him and--"

"Why can't you stop thinking about him?"

"I need him to fall in love with me, so I only think about him because I'm trying to figure out--"

"Let me ask you this then. If he falls in love with you, and you're free, will you be happy leaving him and possibly never see him again?" she said while staring directly at me.

Her question hit me like a bolt of lightning. Instinctually, I knew that I would be incredibly sad and depressed. However, I had a hard time reconciling that with what she was saying. The more I thought about it, the more my heart started to pound in my chest. A pent-up dam of emotions felt like it burst inside of me and I couldn't help but gasp before covering my mouth.

"Ahh, you're finally putting the pieces together, aren't ya?" she said arrogantly.

"What....how...why," I rambled as my mind felt like it was moving as fast as a flying carpet.

"Don't ask me, you gotta ask yourself. Is Henry the type of guy a girl should fall in love with?"

Her words felt like slaps across my face or like I was being dunked in cold water. The more my mind thought about it, the more my heart started to hurt. I was breathing hard and it was hard to keep my thoughts straight. It started to dawn on me that any girl would be crazy to not fall in love with him. He was perfect. Or did I only think he was perfect because I was in love with him? Gah, why was this so complicated!

"I think I need to go," I said as I stood up, feeling extremely dizzy.

"Wait, weren't you going to wait for Henry?" Shauna asked.

"I just...need to be alone and give myself some time to think. Thanks, Shauna. You're actually really nice," I mumbled.

Leaving my tray of food on the table, I quickly walked away. Turning a corner where no one could see me, I leaned my back against a wall. I was taking shuddering breaths while I raised my hand to my chest and felt my heart beating rapidly. All I could think about was getting away from here and going somewhere safe and comforting. Almost in a panic, I snapped my fingers.

Suddenly, I was in a small, but comfortably furnished room. The walls were made of glass and I knew I was back inside my bottle. I returned to the one place I always yearned to leave. It was the one place I allowed myself to dream of freedom. However, I spent so much time in here that it also felt warm and comforting. I was a bit surprised I brought myself here, but it was as good of a place as any to take a moment to pause and breathe.

With slightly trembling legs, I sat down on my small bed. Shauna's words were echoing loudly in my head and I kept replaying what she said over and over again. Pondering her words, I started to focus on my own emotions. I slowly started to realize that my heart only started to hurt when I got closer to Henry and not when I first turned into a human. Was it not a physical defect after all? Was my human body trying to tell me that I was falling in love with him this whole time?

I looked back at all the time we spent together and started to view all our interactions from a very different lens. Was I desperate to spend time with him because I was trying to get him to fall in love with me? Or was I doing all of that because I just wanted to be around him more? I tried to really figure out what was important in all of those interactions and all I could think about was wanting to see him smile or hold my hand. Was I actually that aloof with my own feelings?

Laying back in my bed, memories rolled through my head like one of those 'movies' that humans created. I started to realize that there was moment after moment where it was clear that I was falling in love with him, but I was so blinded by my own history with humans that I couldn't see it. Tears were welling up in my eyes while I thought about how stupid I had been. The frustration I had with myself quickly turned into anger, then again into sadness, soon regret, and then back to sadness. A whirlwind of complex human emotions were swirling inside me and it was hard to get control over myself.

Before I knew it, I was sobbing on my bed. I was crying so hard that my body started to spasm and jerk. I never shed a tear as a human before, and definitely never cried before, so this was a startling new experience. I wanted to stop crying, but I couldn't. It was like I had no control as my emotions washed over me. By the stars, why couldn't I stop crying? Why did I miss him so damn much? I wish he was here to hold me tightly while my tears drenched his shirt.

After what felt like hours, my sobs finally lessened and tears were no longer rolling down my cheeks. I wiped away any residual tears and took some deep, comforting breaths. As terrible as I felt earlier, I felt surprisingly better. It was like a huge weight was lifted off my heart and it felt much lighter than ever before. My angry, depressing thoughts dissipated and instead, I felt hopeful. I had a renewed confidence that I could make amends and do what I should have done a long time ago.

Sitting up in my bed, I suddenly heard a huge noise from outside my bottle. Looking out into Henry's room, I saw him storm his way inside. Startled, I stood up and walked closer to the glass wall. He had the look of someone who was deeply worried or concerned and I wondered what happened. Did something terrible happen while I retreated here? Was I lost in my thoughts for so long that his test was already over?

"Zoe! Zoe?" he called out.

I felt my cheeks burn while I smiled to myself. Was he looking that frantically for me? It shouldn't surprise me since I didn't meet him in the cafeteria like I said I would, but it still made my heart flutter. He really was an incredible guy. Not wanting him to worry any longer, I turned myself into smoke and poured out of the bottle. Once I fully drifted out, I reformed myself into my human body.

He watched my magical spectacle with wide eyes and once I fully reappeared, I said, "Hey Henry, sorry abo--"

Before I could even finish my sentence, he rushed over to me, grabbed my arms protectively, and said, "Oh, thank god you're here. When you weren't in the cafeteria, I worried that something happened to you, or you disappeared or something."

I smiled at him and said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."

"What happened? Why were you in your bottle?" he asked while staring into my eyes.

Every bone in my human body was screaming at me to tell him. To confess my love for him and explain how much he meant to me. However, my brain betrayed me. I started to imagine all sorts of different reactions and I was terrified that he may not feel the same way. What if he would let go of me and push me away? I tried not to think that way and wanted to tell him anyway, but it was like my throat was closed and I barely could get any words out.

"I...I...wanted to tell you that umm...I uhh, I...needed to get something, from my bottle," I eventually stammered out.

Stupid! Stupidstupidstupid. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I just tell him? Why did I feel so embarrassed all of a sudden? My legs felt super wobbly and my heart was beating so fast that I felt a little dizzy. If he wasn't holding me, I knew I would've had to sit down. I couldn't believe that I couldn't work up the courage to tell him. It wasn't like I had a lot of time left. Today was the last day! Even if he didn't feel the same way, I had to tell him.

Dropping his hands away from my arms, he said, "You couldn't wait until I was done with my test?"

Still embarrassed and feeling my face turn red, I looked away and replied, "I know, I guess I should've waited."

"It's fine, all that matters is you're safe. It's good that you're here too because we need to start getting ready for the dance," he said and I forced my head to turn and look at him.

The dance! I almost completely forgot all about it. We were both looking forward to it and spent a lot of time picking out our outfits for it too. Part of my heart sank though. I needed to find a moment to tell him how I felt about him, but the dance might make that a little difficult. I didn't like the idea of confessing to him with so many people around. I hoped that I could find a quiet moment during it to tell him.

"Oh, right. We should get changed then," I said warmly.

Without having any idea of the kind of turmoil going on within me, he smiled at me before turning around and walked to the closet seemingly carefree. I secretly sighed to myself before taking a deep breath and walked over to the closet with him. He handed me the dress I picked out and said that I could change in the bathroom while he got changed out here. Nodding at him, I walked into the bathroom and closed the door before leaning my back against it. Trying to get my heart to calm down, I closed my eyes and repeatedly told myself that I got this.

Taking off my clothes, I stripped down until I was only wearing a lace thong that I picked out earlier. Stepping into the dress, I pulled it up my body. Zipping up the back, I adjusted the dress and made sure it fit my body properly. When I looked up to check out how I looked in the mirror, I smiled widely at myself.

The dress was formal, but kind of sexy at the same time. It was strapless, backless, and had a daring sweetheart neckline that perfectly supported my C-cup breasts without a bra while showing a decent amount of cleavage. The dress tightly hugged my upper body, but the bottom was a flowy loose skirt that went almost to my knees. I loved this dress when I tried it on before and now I remembered why. I looked so damn cute in it!

Adjusting my teal hair, I decided to see if Henry was done getting ready as well. Stepping out of the bathroom, I saw him standing by the closet, already fully dressed. When he turned towards me, my jaw hung open. By the stars, he looked so damn handsome! Whoever helped him pick it out surely had some good taste!

He was wearing a beautiful button-up shirt that perfectly fit his chiseled body and highlighted his muscular arms and broad shoulders. He wore a form fitting vest that looked incredibly sharp and to top it all off, he wore a colorful tie that stood in contrast to the rest of his outfit. Sharp creased dress pants completed his outfit and they molded so perfectly to him that I was sure it highlighted his cute butt. I couldn't believe that I was going to a dance with someone as handsome as he was.

"Wow, that dress looks even more amazing than when you tried it on the first time," he said while his hands continued to fidget with his tie.

Smiling at him, I replied, "Thanks, you look incredible too."

"I would hope so, you helped pick it out and you have a great eye for fashion," he said while seemingly getting more irritated with his tie.

"Here, let me," I said, taking a few steps over to him.

His hands fell away from his tie as mine rose to help him fix it. As I tightened it and moved it into a better position, I became keenly aware of how hard my heart was beating. Being this close to him made me incredibly nervous for some reason and I felt my fingers tremble slightly. Finally adjusting the tie perfectly, I looked up at him and our eyes met. For a moment, we just stared longingly into each other while my heart continued to beat faster and faster in my chest. Once again, my heart was demanding to tell him how I felt, but I couldn't bring myself to say the words. Dammit, why was this so hard?

"There, it looks perfect," I said while looking away and taking a step back.

"Thanks...you umm...you ready to leave?" I heard him stammer.

"Yeah, let me just put on my shoes real quick," I said as I grabbed the shoes I bought earlier in the closet.