As she started to wake she did not want to open her eyes and let others know she was awake just yet. She had to get her thoughts together. She had to remember what story she would tell this time to make them believe her.

She listened and very carefully opened her eyes so slowly. Until she was sure she was alone in the hospital room. Yes, it was a hospital room. She did not remember being taken there, but she had been many times and knew for sure where she was.

Very carefully, as not to hurt herself, she started to take inventory, trying to remember some of the events that had brought her here this time.

Yes she still had feelings. Hell yes. She hurt all over. She did not know which part of her hurt the worst. Wondering if her face looked as bad as it felt, she thought of other times she had been brought in and patched up as she liked to call it.

How many more times would she visit? How many more times would the doctors help her body heal? Did they not think her spirit was damaged? She was running low on energy. She didn't try and hide anymore. She didn't care if the others saw her beaten body. She wore the marks as a victory. She had taken and proven she did not give up. She had lived.

She was a fighter—granted not a good one—but she had lived. The beatings were over for now. She could go back to sleep and sleep in peace knowing she had days, maybe weeks, before the cycle would start over again.

Making herself a promise, she vowed this time would be different. Something would change and things would get better. She let her mind be taken away by the pain medicine. Dream, she almost said out loud. Dream. She would never give up on her dreams. They had taken her this far and that was a distance. After all, she was still alive.

No one could take the dreams away. She had to make herself dream only good ones. She had been told many times she was a dreamer. That was fine with her. She was proud of that fact. She was a dreamer.

So she settled down and let her mind drift to dreams of her other half. His wonderful, smiling brown eyes. Someday, the dreams would come true. Dream. Believe. She said it out loud as she started to smile. Dream...