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"Wandering to Love"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 8: Meeting the Love of his Life

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   “Dear Diary, There can be times when life can be so wonderful it’s like living in a dream.  Aranelion, though he was badly injured in that accident and comatose for two months, has returned to us, and asked me to marry him even as his voice was still weak from fatigue.  I love him so much; he makes life worth living no matter how dark times may get.  Of course, there are times when life can be very scary.  Tonight, with Aranelion getting out of the hospital tomorrow, Elianaron has stepped up to take his place.  I was told it was a friend of Daniel that shot him as he ran away from the bar.  I’ve never felt so hurt before in my life.  I know I may have hurt their feelings, but for them to take out their anger on Elianaron, and shoot him after he strikes back in self-defense just kills me inside.  I hope and pray so dearly that things get better for Elianaron.  He deserves a good life…he deserves peace, he…deserves love.”

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   Darkness surrounded Elianaron as he rested in his bed.  The only light in the room came from the dull glow of medical instruments that surrounded him doing everything from keeping time with his heartbeat to giving him oxygen.  Besides that beeping that had become all too familiar over the past two months, the near silent drip of an IV beside his bed provided next to all the noise, save for his deep breaths as he slept.

   He was not comatose, and yet he didn’t wake up, even as the ether from the operation wore off.  He had suffered worse before, with nothing to relieve the pain, so it wasn’t in an attempt to escape it to explain why he didn’t awaken.  Safe in his dreams, he was truly happy.  His weary heart wasn’t there to burden and frighten him.  He wondered when he’d be happy as his brother Aranelion was.  How much longer did he have to fight to find peace?

   He struggled with these questions in his sleeping thoughts, as his dreams were devoid of any story or reason.  They weren’t pleasant dreams, even if they provided him with sanctuary.  He needed real help…he was on a long road to no success in his current mindset.  He had nearly killed someone…sure, he had killed mutants, but that was in self defense for his life and avenging the echidnas.  This guy hadn’t threatened to kill him as much as he simply scared Elianaron like a bully would.

   Would he be able to live with himself if Daniel died?  What kind of person was Elianaron now that this had happened?  Was his father ashamed of him?  What about his poor mother?  What about his twin?  He knew Aranelion needed him, and look what he let happen to himself.

   “Elianaron you fool,” he scolded himself in his dream, “Never strike unless your life is threatened.  Sure, he hurt you, but you didn’t have to slash the guy.  You’ll end up in jail for sure.  The mutants are gone…you have no reason to fight anymore.  When are you going to settle down and live a normal life?  You’re not trying hard enough…maybe you’ll never find love if you keep this up.  What’s wrong with you?”

   As he took in the darkness and silence about him, Elianaron knew he would receive no answer, for if he had answers to these questions, he wouldn’t be there to begin with.  He could feel tears leaking from the corners of his eyes, and he clenched them shut in response, the gentle frown on his face quivering and melting on the verge of crying out.  However, before he could cry, he heard a voice.

   “Aww, you poor thing…why are you crying?”

   It was a sweet, soft, feminine voice, but it wasn’t his mother’s voice.  As he felt fingers running up through his Mohawk, then down to his brow, he knew this was a different female talking to him, and yet the voice was, vaguely familiar.

   Opening his eyes halfway, not enough to see the figure as his tears clouded his vision, he whispered, “You…you wouldn’t understand,” his voice scratchy and tired, weary with pain.

   “Oh!” the girl gasped softly, quickly pulling her hand away from his head.

   Sniffing and rubbing his tired eyes, Elianaron tried to smile, and replied, “No, it’s okay…you didn’t wake me.  I was just…well, I’m not sure what I was doing.  I guess I was scolding myself for letting this happen.”

   The girl, clasping her hands together over her heart, watched as Elianaron rubbed his eyes gently in an attempt to clear his vision and dispel his tears, and at the same time continued sniffing as the tears flowed.  It was as if he hadn’t cried in years, and in retribution for this, he could not stop them from coming.

   “Ugh,” he mumbled, continuing to try and stop the flow of tears.  “Stop stinging dammit.  Ugh.”

   “You poor thing…,” the girl said again.  Pulling a handkerchief from her sleeve, she bent over beside him and helped dry the tears away.  “You’ve got to keep your eyes closed until the tears stop.  They’ll wash away the sand left in your eyes, then once they hydrate your eyes enough, you won’t cry anymore…I hope you won’t I mean.”

   Elianaron listened to her voice as she dried his eyes.  He suddenly felt silly, crying like a child in front of this girl.  If it was his mother, it wouldn’t be so terrible, but Elianaron was a full grown hybrid echidna male, he shouldn’t be weeping like a child in front of a girl who was most likely his age.  It was embarrassing, even if it was all he could think to do.

   After a few moments, she pulled the handkerchief away and said, “There, that’s better.  Just, keep your eyes closed and let the tears do their job.”  Elianaron could hear her pull a chair closer to his bed, before she asked, “Why are you crying anyway?  Did you have a bad dream or something?”

   Trying to laugh as the tears kept leaking from his closed eyes, Elianaron said, “Bad dreams are for children…a nightmare for me maybe, but not a bad dream.”

   With a giggle, the girl replied, “Of course.  …Why were you crying then?”

   “…I guess part of it is that I’m going to prison for slashing this guy when my twin needs me.  I’m…despite all I’ve faced in life, I’m…I’m scared,” Elianaron admitted.

   With a gasp, the voice replied, “Oh heavens…Ell…you’re not going to jail!  What you did was in self-defense!  The cops already booked the guy who shot you!  Besides, Daniel is fine.  Your blade only pierced the top layer of skin.  He lost blood yes, but he’ll heal up much quicker than you.  You had a punctured lung, a broken rib, a bullet lodged in your chest, and a hole torn right through you with the second bullet, not to mention a broken nose.  Why on earth did you think you were going to jail?”

   Elianaron paused, feeling the tears slowing but not stopping, before replying, “They call that self-defense?  I’ve see much worse in a fight for survival…but if they call how badly I hurt him self-defense, I’ll take it.  My twin needs me, and so does my mother.  I can’t have them lose me because of recklessness.”

   “Oh my, you poor thing, no wonder you were so afraid,” the girl said again.  She leaned forward and dried more of Elianaron’s tears before adding, “All you have to worry about is recovering from your injuries and the surgery, and then you can get back home to your family.  The doctor says this isn’t the worse you’ve suffered.  …He says, you’ve had a rough road in life.  What you need is…,”

   “To settle down…get married and make babies and everything.  Bring home a paycheck, kiss my children, snuggle with my wife and tell her she’s my everything, which is exactly what Aranelion is doing right now.  I’ve always followed him…I’m on my way I reckon…I—I guess I was telling myself that this is the last time.  I’m tired of subjecting my body to such trauma…,” Elianaron offered, interrupting her.

   Gasping again, the girl pulled her handkerchief away from Elianaron’s face, and stammered, “I—I guess…if that’s what you get from it…”

   Smiling as best he could, Elianaron could feel his eyes cooling and relaxing, and as he slowly opened his eyes, he replied, “It’s what I should have said…to begin with.  Now I think I know why I recognize your voice…Hannah,” opening his eyes all the way to see her as he finished speaking.

   Sure enough, it was indeed Hannah sitting in the chair at his bed side.  Her face was red with blushing as she held her hands together over her mouth, looking at him shyly.  “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

   Laughing softly, Elianaron replied, “For what?  …I think I made that sound like a burden for me.  As the days go by, settling down and having a family is only sounding more attractive…and now that this is happened, it’s something I look forward to in earnest.  I’ve already cut thirty years off my life at this rate.  It’s just good that echidnas lived to be well over one-hundred years old on average…at this rate I’ll still outlive my wife.  I was hoping I’d cut it down by more so I wouldn’t have to be without her.”

   “Aww…that’s so sweet,” Hannah said, looking at him.  “Do you really think getting yourself this banged up to cut years off your life is worth it?  Maybe the fact that you’re a hybrid will cut down the years too.”

   With a happy sigh, Elianaron said, “Hannah, I don’t know if I’ve met my future wife yet, but whoever she is, someone so wonderful is worth suffering for, I know it.”

   Replying with her own sweet sigh, Hannah said, “That’s so romantic.  But Elianaron, I know that even your future wife wouldn’t want you to let yourself get hurt like this.  I know I don’t like it, and I don’t even know you that well.”

   “Ah heck, after all I’ve been through, this is kid’s stuff, right along with bad dreams,” Elianaron said with a laugh.  He started to sit up in bed, cringing as the pain in his chest stung at him, but acting as if it didn’t bother him.

   Leaping up from her chair, Hannah cried, “Oh Elianaron please!  Let me help you!”

   “Sit back down,” Elianaron said, “For one thing, you’re off duty, so you can’t say it’s your job until seven a.m., and secondly, sure, I feel pain, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.  After having your back broken and having your brother carry you to help over three days, nothing fazes you anymore.”

   Hannah still took Elianaron’s arm to steady him as he got comfortable.  “I can’t help it,” she replied, pouting, “I want to help you.”  Sitting back down after he was relaxed, she added, “I heard about that injury.  Aranelion nearly lost his leg, and you nearly severed your spinal cord, and yet you both survived the three day walk to help.  You two are amazing creatures.  What happened to you would have killed anyone else, or at least cost them the use of their legs.”

   “Ha, Air and I were laid up in bed for weeks after that.  We promised ourselves to never let it happen again.  Sure, we were injured, even hospitalized again, but to this day we haven’t been maimed once.  Our father would be proud of us I’m sure,” Elianaron said, his voice strengthening.

   Lowering her eyes, Hannah asked, “Did you take on this attitude before or after Camillia started dating your brother?  Or did you take it on because you lost her?”

   Elianaron’s eyes widened as he looked at her.  He slowly said, “I guess…losing her, even though I didn’t love her like Aranelion does, it…it woke me up.  I finally realized what was important, just like father did.”  Glancing at the IV as the last of the medication dripped from it, he continued, “Father loved to travel; if he weren’t a Captain of the Guardian I’m sure he’d never be home except for ceremonies.  I treated music and living for the day and my next party just like he did travelling.  It was the center of my universe, and it wasn’t until I lost Camillia that I realized that I was misguided.  When Father met Mother he realized the same thing, but was lucky enough to reach that understanding in enough time to build a strong and lasting bond with her, one that eventually produced Aranelion and me.  So yes…I took it on after I lost her, but it wasn’t in the hope that I’d get her back.  I had let go of her long before she let go of me.  I love both her and my twin, and I wasn’t about to deny them that kind of happiness even as I continue to search for it.”

   Looking back to Hannah, he laughed softly, shaking his head as he whispered, “That’s just another thing I inherited from my father I guess.”  Rubbing the back of his head, he coughed and asked, “That reminds me…why are you here if you’re off duty?”

   “Well I…I…,” Hannah mumbled, her ears folding back as she blushed again.  “Your mother wanted to check on Aranelion, and she didn’t come back…so I assumed she had fallen asleep.  Since the others can’t come back here…I just…I…”

   With a smile, Elianaron replied, “You decided to use your nurse’s badge to sit back here with me…even though you’re not family.”  Hannah could only nod at his words shyly, and yet this touched Elianaron’s heart.  Reaching for her, he gently touched her face with his hand, causing her to look at him quickly.  His eyes gazed into hers as he lowered his hand from her face, taking one of her hands in his own as he replied, “That’s sweet of you, you know?  We don’t know each other that well, and here you are spending your free time just to keep me company.  …Thank you.”

   Hannah finally smiled and replied, “It’s okay…I just…I didn’t want you to be alone.  …Actually…do you think that maybe…maybe we could…get to know each other better now?”

   Elianaron smiled and replied, “Sure…and to start, you called me Ell before; I want you to call me that all the time, and call Aranelion, Air.  Our names are an awful mouthful, so we like the nicknames better, especially for close friends.”

   Giggling softly, Hannah said, “Okay…Ell.  Hee hee…”  Glancing up at the IV, Hannah noticed the pain reliever was running low, and said, “Goodness, let me get another pouch to replace that one!”

   “Hold it, wait, wait, wait,” Elianaron exclaimed, grabbing her arm to keep her from running.  “If this is how I’m gonna feel with medicine, not having it can’t be much worse.  I can go without it until the nurse comes back.  You don’t want them to send you home for sitting here with me while you’re off duty do you?”

   Turning back to him, Hannah protested, “But…but Elia—I mean, Ell, you can’t go without pain relievers, you just can’t.  Your chest will hurt you so terribly you won’t be able to sleep.”

   Gently pulling on Hannah until she sat down, Elianaron looked her in the eyes, laughed and said, “Hannah, I had to sleep flat on my back for three days with a broken spine that with one wrong move could have killed me.  If I can handle that, I can handle this.”

   “But…”

   “Shh,” Elianaron interrupted, “I’ll be fine.  Just stay here with me, and we can talk until I’m tired again.  If the pain becomes too much…I’ll let you know.  Besides, it’s not your job to check up on me now.”

   Hannah’s smile wavered a bit as she tried to relax, getting comfortable in her chair.  She watched as Elianaron sunk down in bed a little bit, trying to find a comfortable position himself.  With uneasy eyes, she replied, “Okay…but only if you’re sure…”

   With a yawn and smile, Elianaron replied, “Definitely.  …Now, you say you want to know me better…well, I want to know you better too.  So, why don’t you ask me something first, and then that’ll lead us into a good conversation.”

   Laughing softly, Hannah finally relaxed, and replied, “Well, to be honest, I’d love to know more about those adventures of yours.  You told me about the war with the mutants and everything…but what else have you seen in the world?”

   “Ha, a more appropriate question is, ‘What haven’t I seen?’ because I’ve seen pretty much everything these lands have to offer.  My only sadness comes in the fact that we can’t see what lies beyond the coasts…well, we’ve seen some of the more popular islands, but that’s because we had a friend with a yacht to help us.  Air and I have gone far north beyond the Thornrush Mountains to the freezing arctic, and now that Feldmort is gone we were able to go into the southern canyons, all the way to the southwest coast.  You can ask me about anywhere…I’ll give you the rundown like a travel agent,” Elianaron explained.

   Hannah giggled softly and replied, “Then…tell me about your favorite place first.  There’s other things though, like, how did you travel like that with such minimal provisions…and like, how did you and Aranelion educate yourselves on the road?  I hear you both have high school diplomas, and are on a college level in your intelligence.  If I were on a constant vacation I’d never study.”

   With a grin, Elianaron let out a laugh and said, “Vacation?  Hardly.  It was our way of life.  Both Aranelion and I loved to learn.  Our mother schooled us right up until we left when we were twelve, and after that, we taught ourselves.  We had backpacks we would wear and carried around books for the most part, along with what little food we did bring.  We would read them to each other and quiz each other as we walked, and once we had read a book through, we would trade it for another.  Occasionally, we’d pick it back up again and review.  Over so long, we memorized pretty much everything, and once we decided to settle in Starshine Town, we took the test for the diploma, and passed it with flying colors.  It wasn’t such a big thing for us…it’s just another thing to show how curious we are about the world around us.  That’s why, on our second cross-country walk, we took hundreds of rolls of photos and had them developed after we settled here.”

   Taking in all that Elianaron said, Hannah was silent for a moment, and then replied shyly, “Would you show them to me?”

   Smiling, Elianaron replied, “Sure I will.  Once they let me out of here, and you get a free afternoon, I’ll take you to my apartment and we can get started on a mile-high stack of photo albums.  It’ll take up plenty of days.”

   Hannah returned his smile with her own and said, “I’d like that.”

   A yawn broke the momentary silence, erasing Elianaron’s smile for a moment as it rolled through him.  He laughed, and looking to Hannah he replied, “I guess I’m more tired than I thought!”  Pausing he added, “Okay, so what about you?  What got you into wanting to be a nurse?”

   “…Shouldn’t you be sleeping now?” Hannah asked.

   “Nah,” Elianaron replied, “Besides, my eyes aren’t tired yet.”  Despite what he said, Elianaron snuggled down under the covers and added, “Really, why did you decide to be a nurse?  Go ahead and tell me your story, and if we need to, we can get started again in the morning.”

   Hannah smiled, and began to tell the story of how she fell in love with the idea of being a nurse when she was only a child.  Even though it seemed pretty boring to her, Elianaron kept interested eyes on her as she spoke, even as they grew heavy with exhaustion.  It wasn’t just Hannah who admired Elianaron; the younger Brokenstar twin found himself already smitten with the squirrel girl.  She had such a shy voice with bright and beautiful brown eyes.  She was so kind and caring, as he had seen over the past two months that he had known her, practically living in the hospital she worked in while his brother healed.  On the inside, Elianaron was just as happy to get closer to her as she was to get closer to him.

   Over the next few days, Elianaron’s wounds began to heal.  Because Aranelion was discharged the morning after the shooting, he was able to visit his brother and spend time with him while Hannah worked.  Aranelion jokingly scolded Elianaron for letting himself get shot, but at the same time confessed how much he admired his brother’s strength, having never been shot himself.  It was the reverse of how Elianaron admired Aranelion for pulling through his coma, for the same reasons.

   Elianaron, however, wasn’t nearly as good a patient as Aranelion was.  Claiming he felt no pain, he began to protest having to remain in the hospital for the week that doctors wanted to keep him.  Only a smile and reassurance from Hannah could convince him to stop ranting, although a scowl on his face painted a clear picture of malcontent.  Aranelion saw this reaction, and began to wonder if Elianaron only stayed because of Hannah’s wishes, rather than leaving as he was more than able to.

   It was true; if Elianaron could prove that he was well enough to leave, the doctors would be more than willing to let him go, and Aranelion was more than confident that his twin could pull this off.  He was so certain of it, he didn’t even have to think about it.  There was no doubt in his mind that injuries that would keep a human, or anyone else, down for weeks, couldn’t keep Elianaron from doing back flips down the hallways as he sang songs in a different language…blindfolded.

   He knew his twin was ready to leave the day after the accident.  After suffering far worse than this and having to move on, it would take more than two measly bullet wounds to bring down Elianaron Brokenstar.  It was the same for both twins.  Infact, if Aranelion had not fallen into a coma, he probably would have left the hospital the next day, even with the injuries he suffered.

   And so, Aranelion decided to confront his twin about his suspicions.  It was three days after the accident, and Aranelion, now moving in with Camillia, came to visit with Elianaron after spending the morning packing up some of his belongings.

   He arrived, only to find Elianaron already busy talking to Hannah while she was on her lunch break.  Aranelion hid behind the outside of the door, peering his head in carefully as he listened to them talking and laughing.  Elianaron still refused medication, even while he agreed to stay in the hospital, and was now hooked up to nothing as he sat up in bed talking to Hannah.  The two now discussed whatever caught their interest, and it appeared as if they had known each other this well for months as opposed to a few days.  Sure, they were on a first name basis while Aranelion was comatose, but they had gotten so close in three days…Aranelion’s instincts told him exactly what Aerealei had perceived that night as she watched Hannah walking away.

   It wasn’t just Hannah who liked Elianaron…Elianaron felt the same way.

   Finally, Aranelion stepped into the doorway, knocking on the door beside him to get their attention as Hannah and Elianaron doubled over with laughter from their latest conversation.

   “Umm, excuse me, I hope I’m not interrupting anything…important,” Aranelion said, smiling sheepishly.

   The two looked to Aranelion, and then to each other as they tried to calm down.  Hannah, as she cleaned up what remained of her lunch, replied, “It’s okay Air.  I was getting ready to get back to work anyway.  It’s just, your brother is so funny; I could listen to his stories all day long.”

   As the twins made eye contact, Aranelion’s smile strengthened.  “Ah that’s Ell; the funny twin.  He can cheer anyone up…even me in my darkest of moods.”

   Laughing again, Elianaron replied, “Aww come on Air…you’re not that hard to get out of brooding.  I haven’t tried tickling Hannah yet either.”

   Hannah looked between the twins and giggled as she stood up, watching as Elianaron grinned at Aranelion, whose face melted into an embarrassed blush and smile at what was said.  Walking to the door, Hannah said, “Now, now boys, don’t go embarrassing each other.  Hee hee, you two are so close…it’s incredible.  Your children are going to be more like siblings than cousins.  It’s so sweet…”

   Her voice trailed off as she glanced back at Elianaron, the two becoming locked into a gaze that would have remained unbroken for some time had Aranelion’s watch not beeped at the top of the hour, reminding Hannah once more that her lunch break was over.

   “Oh dear…I better get back to work…,” Hannah said.  She paused, and after throwing her trash away in the trash can, she walked back up to Elianaron, and quickly kissed him on the cheek, whispering, “I’ll be back later okay?”

   Elianaron, who had closed his eyes, opened them as she pulled away.  He smiled at her and nodded, saying, “I’ll be here, you can count on that.”

   Giggling Hannah headed for the door and said, “But hey, you’ll only be here a few more days!  Then you can show me all those pictures!  I’ll see you tonight Ell!”

   “Bye,” Elianaron said with a wave as she left.  He slowly returned his attention to Aranelion, who stared at him curiously.  Elianaron’s face flushed red, as he knew that Aranelion had seen everything from the kiss, to the sweet words, to simply how close he and Hannah had become, and also recognized that Aranelion had come to confront him about it.

   Letting out a sigh, Elianaron sat up higher in bed, nodded at a chair and said, “I already know what you want to say Air.  Go ahead and sit down and ask away.”

   Aranelion shook his head and laughed softly as he sat down.  He looked to Elianaron and said, “If you already know why, then let’s skip the formalities and get to the deeper issue.  …How long has this been going on Ell?  Were you two this close while I was comatose?  Did you forget to tell me?”

   Looking to his twin, Elianaron shook his head and replied, “No, we’ve only gotten this close in the past three days.”  Pausing, Elianaron looked out through the window at the city’s skyline and added, “I met her while you were in your coma, but we never said more than hello and goodbye as we went through the days.  She…she was in my room that night when I woke up from the surgery, and she was just…so sweet and kind.  She wiped the tears from my eyes…she offered two ears to listen to whatever I had to say.  I mean, she was off duty and was using her badge just to be able to sit with me while Mom was sleeping in your room.  Over the past three days she’s begged to hear every story of my life that I can remember enough to tell her, and she…she’s so precious to me.”

   Elianaron’s words fell short as he lowered his eyes.  Aranelion gazed at him with wonder, in awe of how close Elianaron had become to this girl in such a short time.  This wasn’t the simple infatuation Elianaron had for Camillia; Aranelion could tell his twin was on the verge of giving his heart to Hannah, if he hadn’t already.  What Aranelion wanted to know was what moved his heart to love her so greatly so quickly.

   Placing a hand on Elianaron’s shoulder, Aranelion replied, “She sounds very important to you Ell…as if you value her as I value Camillia.  Is this true?”

   After several moments, Elianaron looked back to Aranelion and replied, “I—I told her that night…that I wasn’t sure if I had found my true love…but…now I’m not so sure this hasn’t already occurred.”

   Turning around to face Aranelion completely, Elianaron continued, “When you first saw Camillia…not face to face, but that morning on television at the bed and breakfast…she spoke to your heart.  I thought she was cute sure, but she didn’t take over my entire being as she did with you.  You two were destined to be together…and nothing could keep that from happening.  I knew it; that’s why I was more than ready to step down.  I was still searching for the girl who spoke to my heart and embraced it with love like I’ve never felt before.  It’s too early to speak of it that intensely, but already…Hannah’s heart is calling out to mine in a gentle whisper.”

   Aranelion smiled at Elianaron.  Shaking his head, he said, “You remind me of how I felt about Camillia.  Every night when I’d think of you two together, I’d try to be happy, but couldn’t ignore the fact that I wanted to be with her.  Now that we’re together, I’m at peace with my heart.  I do think…if you give this relationship the chance it wants…it’ll lead you to happiness.”

   The twins looked to each other and smiled.  Hugging Elianaron, Aranelion added, “Just remember…no more accidents.  We’ve both promised Mother that we wouldn’t be getting hurt like this anymore.”

   With a laugh, Elianaron hugged Aranelion in return and said, “That’s a promise I’ll keep, and make sure you do as well Air.”

   Pulling out of the hug, the brothers gazed at each other for a brief moment.  Their smiles and hopeful eyes spoke for them.  They knew at last that what they were searching for their entire lives was finally coming true.  They had long found acceptance, and at last, were getting settled into stable lives.  They had homes, they had safety…and now, they both had love.

   Finally, Aranelion broke the silence and began talking about moving in with Camillia.  It would be the first time in their lives that the twins didn’t live together, but was something they were ready to accept.  They would still live in the same building anyway.

   After a few more days, Elianaron left the hospital, moaning about how he was ready to leave from day one, only to be teased by Hannah about it soon after.   At last the twins would be able to spend time with their mother, who had waited over two months for the visit to even start.  Before jumping head on into this visit, Elianaron was quick to make plans with Hannah.  Everyone around could already see the kind of path their friendship would take…they could see the bond it would quickly become.

   Aerealei stayed for three more weeks, celebrating the holidays with her sons, before finally returning to Valordian.  This meant it was time for the twins to settle back into their normal lives.  However, that didn’t mean that things would remain the same.

   While Aranelion moved in with Camillia, Elianaron spent more and more time with Hannah, and the circle of friends, including Auron and Lairen, and Isaac and Lucie, grew ever closer.  As the preparations for Aranelion and Camillia’s wedding were underway, Elianaron found himself sowing the seeds of his own romance.

   He knew it was finally coming true one night as he and Hannah were watching television together, a little over three weeks into the new year.  The ending credits began to roll, and as Elianaron let out a yawn, he raised his arms in the air.  Lowering them, his arm fell around Hannah’s shoulders as she rested her head on his shoulders in a light sleep.  A smile came to his lips as he gazed at her.  They had gotten so close in those past several weeks,  he was only more certain of what he told Aranelion that day in the hospital.

   He was in love with Hannah…he couldn’t be more in love with her, although up until now the three words were foreign from both their lips.

   Gently he bent his head down to kiss her on her own, causing her to rouse as he pulled away.  Smiling at her, he felt love overflowing his heart, and he whispered, “I want you to know…I love you Hannah.”

   And yet, something happened then that he wasn’t expecting.  Her smile melted and began to quiver as tears formed in her eyes.  His own smile waivered a bit as her reaction puzzled him.  He asked, “Hannah?  What’s wrong?”

   Shaking her head, Hannah tried to smile through her tears as she eased herself up where she sat.  Once she did so, she leaned forward and kissed him.  As her lips met  Elianaron’s, he could feel his very being ready to explode with joy, as this was their first kiss, and of course, the first for both of them.

   After a few moments, she gently pulled back, and as she sniffed away the tears, she replied, “Nothing…I just…you don’t know how happy I was to hear you say that.  I—I love you too Ell…so much.”

   When Elianaron could only offer a smile as his reply, he pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly.  For some reason he could feel tears forming in his own eyes, and yet he understood them this time.

   A low rumble of thunder could be heard, causing Elianaron to open an eye as he held Hannah.  He slowly reached for the remote control beside him, and turned the volume down on the television set; he then reached for the blanket in Hannah’s lap, and as he wrapped it around them, he whispered, “I’m just so happy…that I finally found you Hannah; after all these years…I’m home.”

   The two remained in each other’s arms as a gentle rain began to fall, accompanied by an occasional roll of hushed thunder, eventually falling asleep where they sat together.  With Elianaron’s words, the dreams of two small boys had come true.  At last, both Aranelion and Elianaron had found what they were searching for; more than acceptance, more than peace; at long last, they had found love.

Description
"Wandering to Love"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 8: Meeting the Love of his Life

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   “Dear Diary, There can be times when life can be so wonderful it’s like living in a dream.  Aranelion, though he was badly injured in that accident and comatose for two months, has returned to us, and asked me to marry him even as his voice was still weak from fatigue.  I love him so much; he makes life worth living no matter how dark times may get.  Of course, there are times when life can be very scary.  Tonight, with Aranelion getting out of the hospital tomorrow, Elianaron has stepped up to take his place.  I was told it was a friend of Daniel that shot him as he ran away from the bar.  I’ve never felt so hurt before in my life.  I know I may have hurt their feelings, but for them to take out their anger on Elianaron, and shoot him after he strikes back in self-defense just kills me inside.  I hope and pray so dearly that things get better for Elianaron.  He deserves a good life…he deserves peace, he…deserves love.”

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   Darkness surrounded Elianaron as he rested in his bed.  The only light in the room came from the dull glow of medical instruments that surrounded him doing everything from keeping time with his heartbeat to giving him oxygen.  Besides that beeping that had become all too familiar over the past two months, the near silent drip of an IV beside his bed provided next to all the noise, save for his deep breaths as he slept.

   He was not comatose, and yet he didn’t wake up, even as the ether from the operation wore off.  He had suffered worse before, with nothing to relieve the pain, so it wasn’t in an attempt to escape it to explain why he didn’t awaken.  Safe in his dreams, he was truly happy.  His weary heart wasn’t there to burden and frighten him.  He wondered when he’d be happy as his brother Aranelion was.  How much longer did he have to fight to find peace?

   He struggled with these questions in his sleeping thoughts, as his dreams were devoid of any story or reason.  They weren’t pleasant dreams, even if they provided him with sanctuary.  He needed real help…he was on a long road to no success in his current mindset.  He had nearly killed someone…sure, he had killed mutants, but that was in self defense for his life and avenging the echidnas.  This guy hadn’t threatened to kill him as much as he simply scared Elianaron like a bully would.

   Would he be able to live with himself if Daniel died?  What kind of person was Elianaron now that this had happened?  Was his father ashamed of him?  What about his poor mother?  What about his twin?  He knew Aranelion needed him, and look what he let happen to himself.

   “Elianaron you fool,” he scolded himself in his dream, “Never strike unless your life is threatened.  Sure, he hurt you, but you didn’t have to slash the guy.  You’ll end up in jail for sure.  The mutants are gone…you have no reason to fight anymore.  When are you going to settle down and live a normal life?  You’re not trying hard enough…maybe you’ll never find love if you keep this up.  What’s wrong with you?”

   As he took in the darkness and silence about him, Elianaron knew he would receive no answer, for if he had answers to these questions, he wouldn’t be there to begin with.  He could feel tears leaking from the corners of his eyes, and he clenched them shut in response, the gentle frown on his face quivering and melting on the verge of crying out.  However, before he could cry, he heard a voice.

   “Aww, you poor thing…why are you crying?”

   It was a sweet, soft, feminine voice, but it wasn’t his mother’s voice.  As he felt fingers running up through his Mohawk, then down to his brow, he knew this was a different female talking to him, and yet the voice was, vaguely familiar.

   Opening his eyes halfway, not enough to see the figure as his tears clouded his vision, he whispered, “You…you wouldn’t understand,” his voice scratchy and tired, weary with pain.

   “Oh!” the girl gasped softly, quickly pulling her hand away from his head.

   Sniffing and rubbing his tired eyes, Elianaron tried to smile, and replied, “No, it’s okay…you didn’t wake me.  I was just…well, I’m not sure what I was doing.  I guess I was scolding myself for letting this happen.”

   The girl, clasping her hands together over her heart, watched as Elianaron rubbed his eyes gently in an attempt to clear his vision and dispel his tears, and at the same time continued sniffing as the tears flowed.  It was as if he hadn’t cried in years, and in retribution for this, he could not stop them from coming.

   “Ugh,” he mumbled, continuing to try and stop the flow of tears.  “Stop stinging dammit.  Ugh.”

   “You poor thing…,” the girl said again.  Pulling a handkerchief from her sleeve, she bent over beside him and helped dry the tears away.  “You’ve got to keep your eyes closed until the tears stop.  They’ll wash away the sand left in your eyes, then once they hydrate your eyes enough, you won’t cry anymore…I hope you won’t I mean.”

   Elianaron listened to her voice as she dried his eyes.  He suddenly felt silly, crying like a child in front of this girl.  If it was his mother, it wouldn’t be so terrible, but Elianaron was a full grown hybrid echidna male, he shouldn’t be weeping like a child in front of a girl who was most likely his age.  It was embarrassing, even if it was all he could think to do.

   After a few moments, she pulled the handkerchief away and said, “There, that’s better.  Just, keep your eyes closed and let the tears do their job.”  Elianaron could hear her pull a chair closer to his bed, before she asked, “Why are you crying anyway?  Did you have a bad dream or something?”

   Trying to laugh as the tears kept leaking from his closed eyes, Elianaron said, “Bad dreams are for children…a nightmare for me maybe, but not a bad dream.”

   With a giggle, the girl replied, “Of course.  …Why were you crying then?”

   “…I guess part of it is that I’m going to prison for slashing this guy when my twin needs me.  I’m…despite all I’ve faced in life, I’m…I’m scared,” Elianaron admitted.

   With a gasp, the voice replied, “Oh heavens…Ell…you’re not going to jail!  What you did was in self-defense!  The cops already booked the guy who shot you!  Besides, Daniel is fine.  Your blade only pierced the top layer of skin.  He lost blood yes, but he’ll heal up much quicker than you.  You had a punctured lung, a broken rib, a bullet lodged in your chest, and a hole torn right through you with the second bullet, not to mention a broken nose.  Why on earth did you think you were going to jail?”

   Elianaron paused, feeling the tears slowing but not stopping, before replying, “They call that self-defense?  I’ve see much worse in a fight for survival…but if they call how badly I hurt him self-defense, I’ll take it.  My twin needs me, and so does my mother.  I can’t have them lose me because of recklessness.”

   “Oh my, you poor thing, no wonder you were so afraid,” the girl said again.  She leaned forward and dried more of Elianaron’s tears before adding, “All you have to worry about is recovering from your injuries and the surgery, and then you can get back home to your family.  The doctor says this isn’t the worse you’ve suffered.  …He says, you’ve had a rough road in life.  What you need is…,”

   “To settle down…get married and make babies and everything.  Bring home a paycheck, kiss my children, snuggle with my wife and tell her she’s my everything, which is exactly what Aranelion is doing right now.  I’ve always followed him…I’m on my way I reckon…I—I guess I was telling myself that this is the last time.  I’m tired of subjecting my body to such trauma…,” Elianaron offered, interrupting her.

   Gasping again, the girl pulled her handkerchief away from Elianaron’s face, and stammered, “I—I guess…if that’s what you get from it…”

   Smiling as best he could, Elianaron could feel his eyes cooling and relaxing, and as he slowly opened his eyes, he replied, “It’s what I should have said…to begin with.  Now I think I know why I recognize your voice…Hannah,” opening his eyes all the way to see her as he finished speaking.

   Sure enough, it was indeed Hannah sitting in the chair at his bed side.  Her face was red with blushing as she held her hands together over her mouth, looking at him shyly.  “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

   Laughing softly, Elianaron replied, “For what?  …I think I made that sound like a burden for me.  As the days go by, settling down and having a family is only sounding more attractive…and now that this is happened, it’s something I look forward to in earnest.  I’ve already cut thirty years off my life at this rate.  It’s just good that echidnas lived to be well over one-hundred years old on average…at this rate I’ll still outlive my wife.  I was hoping I’d cut it down by more so I wouldn’t have to be without her.”

   “Aww…that’s so sweet,” Hannah said, looking at him.  “Do you really think getting yourself this banged up to cut years off your life is worth it?  Maybe the fact that you’re a hybrid will cut down the years too.”

   With a happy sigh, Elianaron said, “Hannah, I don’t know if I’ve met my future wife yet, but whoever she is, someone so wonderful is worth suffering for, I know it.”

   Replying with her own sweet sigh, Hannah said, “That’s so romantic.  But Elianaron, I know that even your future wife wouldn’t want you to let yourself get hurt like this.  I know I don’t like it, and I don’t even know you that well.”

   “Ah heck, after all I’ve been through, this is kid’s stuff, right along with bad dreams,” Elianaron said with a laugh.  He started to sit up in bed, cringing as the pain in his chest stung at him, but acting as if it didn’t bother him.

   Leaping up from her chair, Hannah cried, “Oh Elianaron please!  Let me help you!”

   “Sit back down,” Elianaron said, “For one thing, you’re off duty, so you can’t say it’s your job until seven a.m., and secondly, sure, I feel pain, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.  After having your back broken and having your brother carry you to help over three days, nothing fazes you anymore.”

   Hannah still took Elianaron’s arm to steady him as he got comfortable.  “I can’t help it,” she replied, pouting, “I want to help you.”  Sitting back down after he was relaxed, she added, “I heard about that injury.  Aranelion nearly lost his leg, and you nearly severed your spinal cord, and yet you both survived the three day walk to help.  You two are amazing creatures.  What happened to you would have killed anyone else, or at least cost them the use of their legs.”

   “Ha, Air and I were laid up in bed for weeks after that.  We promised ourselves to never let it happen again.  Sure, we were injured, even hospitalized again, but to this day we haven’t been maimed once.  Our father would be proud of us I’m sure,” Elianaron said, his voice strengthening.

   Lowering her eyes, Hannah asked, “Did you take on this attitude before or after Camillia started dating your brother?  Or did you take it on because you lost her?”

   Elianaron’s eyes widened as he looked at her.  He slowly said, “I guess…losing her, even though I didn’t love her like Aranelion does, it…it woke me up.  I finally realized what was important, just like father did.”  Glancing at the IV as the last of the medication dripped from it, he continued, “Father loved to travel; if he weren’t a Captain of the Guardian I’m sure he’d never be home except for ceremonies.  I treated music and living for the day and my next party just like he did travelling.  It was the center of my universe, and it wasn’t until I lost Camillia that I realized that I was misguided.  When Father met Mother he realized the same thing, but was lucky enough to reach that understanding in enough time to build a strong and lasting bond with her, one that eventually produced Aranelion and me.  So yes…I took it on after I lost her, but it wasn’t in the hope that I’d get her back.  I had let go of her long before she let go of me.  I love both her and my twin, and I wasn’t about to deny them that kind of happiness even as I continue to search for it.”

   Looking back to Hannah, he laughed softly, shaking his head as he whispered, “That’s just another thing I inherited from my father I guess.”  Rubbing the back of his head, he coughed and asked, “That reminds me…why are you here if you’re off duty?”

   “Well I…I…,” Hannah mumbled, her ears folding back as she blushed again.  “Your mother wanted to check on Aranelion, and she didn’t come back…so I assumed she had fallen asleep.  Since the others can’t come back here…I just…I…”

   With a smile, Elianaron replied, “You decided to use your nurse’s badge to sit back here with me…even though you’re not family.”  Hannah could only nod at his words shyly, and yet this touched Elianaron’s heart.  Reaching for her, he gently touched her face with his hand, causing her to look at him quickly.  His eyes gazed into hers as he lowered his hand from her face, taking one of her hands in his own as he replied, “That’s sweet of you, you know?  We don’t know each other that well, and here you are spending your free time just to keep me company.  …Thank you.”

   Hannah finally smiled and replied, “It’s okay…I just…I didn’t want you to be alone.  …Actually…do you think that maybe…maybe we could…get to know each other better now?”

   Elianaron smiled and replied, “Sure…and to start, you called me Ell before; I want you to call me that all the time, and call Aranelion, Air.  Our names are an awful mouthful, so we like the nicknames better, especially for close friends.”

   Giggling softly, Hannah said, “Okay…Ell.  Hee hee…”  Glancing up at the IV, Hannah noticed the pain reliever was running low, and said, “Goodness, let me get another pouch to replace that one!”

   “Hold it, wait, wait, wait,” Elianaron exclaimed, grabbing her arm to keep her from running.  “If this is how I’m gonna feel with medicine, not having it can’t be much worse.  I can go without it until the nurse comes back.  You don’t want them to send you home for sitting here with me while you’re off duty do you?”

   Turning back to him, Hannah protested, “But…but Elia—I mean, Ell, you can’t go without pain relievers, you just can’t.  Your chest will hurt you so terribly you won’t be able to sleep.”

   Gently pulling on Hannah until she sat down, Elianaron looked her in the eyes, laughed and said, “Hannah, I had to sleep flat on my back for three days with a broken spine that with one wrong move could have killed me.  If I can handle that, I can handle this.”

   “But…”

   “Shh,” Elianaron interrupted, “I’ll be fine.  Just stay here with me, and we can talk until I’m tired again.  If the pain becomes too much…I’ll let you know.  Besides, it’s not your job to check up on me now.”

   Hannah’s smile wavered a bit as she tried to relax, getting comfortable in her chair.  She watched as Elianaron sunk down in bed a little bit, trying to find a comfortable position himself.  With uneasy eyes, she replied, “Okay…but only if you’re sure…”

   With a yawn and smile, Elianaron replied, “Definitely.  …Now, you say you want to know me better…well, I want to know you better too.  So, why don’t you ask me something first, and then that’ll lead us into a good conversation.”

   Laughing softly, Hannah finally relaxed, and replied, “Well, to be honest, I’d love to know more about those adventures of yours.  You told me about the war with the mutants and everything…but what else have you seen in the world?”

   “Ha, a more appropriate question is, ‘What haven’t I seen?’ because I’ve seen pretty much everything these lands have to offer.  My only sadness comes in the fact that we can’t see what lies beyond the coasts…well, we’ve seen some of the more popular islands, but that’s because we had a friend with a yacht to help us.  Air and I have gone far north beyond the Thornrush Mountains to the freezing arctic, and now that Feldmort is gone we were able to go into the southern canyons, all the way to the southwest coast.  You can ask me about anywhere…I’ll give you the rundown like a travel agent,” Elianaron explained.

   Hannah giggled softly and replied, “Then…tell me about your favorite place first.  There’s other things though, like, how did you travel like that with such minimal provisions…and like, how did you and Aranelion educate yourselves on the road?  I hear you both have high school diplomas, and are on a college level in your intelligence.  If I were on a constant vacation I’d never study.”

   With a grin, Elianaron let out a laugh and said, “Vacation?  Hardly.  It was our way of life.  Both Aranelion and I loved to learn.  Our mother schooled us right up until we left when we were twelve, and after that, we taught ourselves.  We had backpacks we would wear and carried around books for the most part, along with what little food we did bring.  We would read them to each other and quiz each other as we walked, and once we had read a book through, we would trade it for another.  Occasionally, we’d pick it back up again and review.  Over so long, we memorized pretty much everything, and once we decided to settle in Starshine Town, we took the test for the diploma, and passed it with flying colors.  It wasn’t such a big thing for us…it’s just another thing to show how curious we are about the world around us.  That’s why, on our second cross-country walk, we took hundreds of rolls of photos and had them developed after we settled here.”

   Taking in all that Elianaron said, Hannah was silent for a moment, and then replied shyly, “Would you show them to me?”

   Smiling, Elianaron replied, “Sure I will.  Once they let me out of here, and you get a free afternoon, I’ll take you to my apartment and we can get started on a mile-high stack of photo albums.  It’ll take up plenty of days.”

   Hannah returned his smile with her own and said, “I’d like that.”

   A yawn broke the momentary silence, erasing Elianaron’s smile for a moment as it rolled through him.  He laughed, and looking to Hannah he replied, “I guess I’m more tired than I thought!”  Pausing he added, “Okay, so what about you?  What got you into wanting to be a nurse?”

   “…Shouldn’t you be sleeping now?” Hannah asked.

   “Nah,” Elianaron replied, “Besides, my eyes aren’t tired yet.”  Despite what he said, Elianaron snuggled down under the covers and added, “Really, why did you decide to be a nurse?  Go ahead and tell me your story, and if we need to, we can get started again in the morning.”

   Hannah smiled, and began to tell the story of how she fell in love with the idea of being a nurse when she was only a child.  Even though it seemed pretty boring to her, Elianaron kept interested eyes on her as she spoke, even as they grew heavy with exhaustion.  It wasn’t just Hannah who admired Elianaron; the younger Brokenstar twin found himself already smitten with the squirrel girl.  She had such a shy voice with bright and beautiful brown eyes.  She was so kind and caring, as he had seen over the past two months that he had known her, practically living in the hospital she worked in while his brother healed.  On the inside, Elianaron was just as happy to get closer to her as she was to get closer to him.

   Over the next few days, Elianaron’s wounds began to heal.  Because Aranelion was discharged the morning after the shooting, he was able to visit his brother and spend time with him while Hannah worked.  Aranelion jokingly scolded Elianaron for letting himself get shot, but at the same time confessed how much he admired his brother’s strength, having never been shot himself.  It was the reverse of how Elianaron admired Aranelion for pulling through his coma, for the same reasons.

   Elianaron, however, wasn’t nearly as good a patient as Aranelion was.  Claiming he felt no pain, he began to protest having to remain in the hospital for the week that doctors wanted to keep him.  Only a smile and reassurance from Hannah could convince him to stop ranting, although a scowl on his face painted a clear picture of malcontent.  Aranelion saw this reaction, and began to wonder if Elianaron only stayed because of Hannah’s wishes, rather than leaving as he was more than able to.

   It was true; if Elianaron could prove that he was well enough to leave, the doctors would be more than willing to let him go, and Aranelion was more than confident that his twin could pull this off.  He was so certain of it, he didn’t even have to think about it.  There was no doubt in his mind that injuries that would keep a human, or anyone else, down for weeks, couldn’t keep Elianaron from doing back flips down the hallways as he sang songs in a different language…blindfolded.

   He knew his twin was ready to leave the day after the accident.  After suffering far worse than this and having to move on, it would take more than two measly bullet wounds to bring down Elianaron Brokenstar.  It was the same for both twins.  Infact, if Aranelion had not fallen into a coma, he probably would have left the hospital the next day, even with the injuries he suffered.

   And so, Aranelion decided to confront his twin about his suspicions.  It was three days after the accident, and Aranelion, now moving in with Camillia, came to visit with Elianaron after spending the morning packing up some of his belongings.

   He arrived, only to find Elianaron already busy talking to Hannah while she was on her lunch break.  Aranelion hid behind the outside of the door, peering his head in carefully as he listened to them talking and laughing.  Elianaron still refused medication, even while he agreed to stay in the hospital, and was now hooked up to nothing as he sat up in bed talking to Hannah.  The two now discussed whatever caught their interest, and it appeared as if they had known each other this well for months as opposed to a few days.  Sure, they were on a first name basis while Aranelion was comatose, but they had gotten so close in three days…Aranelion’s instincts told him exactly what Aerealei had perceived that night as she watched Hannah walking away.

   It wasn’t just Hannah who liked Elianaron…Elianaron felt the same way.

   Finally, Aranelion stepped into the doorway, knocking on the door beside him to get their attention as Hannah and Elianaron doubled over with laughter from their latest conversation.

   “Umm, excuse me, I hope I’m not interrupting anything…important,” Aranelion said, smiling sheepishly.

   The two looked to Aranelion, and then to each other as they tried to calm down.  Hannah, as she cleaned up what remained of her lunch, replied, “It’s okay Air.  I was getting ready to get back to work anyway.  It’s just, your brother is so funny; I could listen to his stories all day long.”

   As the twins made eye contact, Aranelion’s smile strengthened.  “Ah that’s Ell; the funny twin.  He can cheer anyone up…even me in my darkest of moods.”

   Laughing again, Elianaron replied, “Aww come on Air…you’re not that hard to get out of brooding.  I haven’t tried tickling Hannah yet either.”

   Hannah looked between the twins and giggled as she stood up, watching as Elianaron grinned at Aranelion, whose face melted into an embarrassed blush and smile at what was said.  Walking to the door, Hannah said, “Now, now boys, don’t go embarrassing each other.  Hee hee, you two are so close…it’s incredible.  Your children are going to be more like siblings than cousins.  It’s so sweet…”

   Her voice trailed off as she glanced back at Elianaron, the two becoming locked into a gaze that would have remained unbroken for some time had Aranelion’s watch not beeped at the top of the hour, reminding Hannah once more that her lunch break was over.

   “Oh dear…I better get back to work…,” Hannah said.  She paused, and after throwing her trash away in the trash can, she walked back up to Elianaron, and quickly kissed him on the cheek, whispering, “I’ll be back later okay?”

   Elianaron, who had closed his eyes, opened them as she pulled away.  He smiled at her and nodded, saying, “I’ll be here, you can count on that.”

   Giggling Hannah headed for the door and said, “But hey, you’ll only be here a few more days!  Then you can show me all those pictures!  I’ll see you tonight Ell!”

   “Bye,” Elianaron said with a wave as she left.  He slowly returned his attention to Aranelion, who stared at him curiously.  Elianaron’s face flushed red, as he knew that Aranelion had seen everything from the kiss, to the sweet words, to simply how close he and Hannah had become, and also recognized that Aranelion had come to confront him about it.

   Letting out a sigh, Elianaron sat up higher in bed, nodded at a chair and said, “I already know what you want to say Air.  Go ahead and sit down and ask away.”

   Aranelion shook his head and laughed softly as he sat down.  He looked to Elianaron and said, “If you already know why, then let’s skip the formalities and get to the deeper issue.  …How long has this been going on Ell?  Were you two this close while I was comatose?  Did you forget to tell me?”

   Looking to his twin, Elianaron shook his head and replied, “No, we’ve only gotten this close in the past three days.”  Pausing, Elianaron looked out through the window at the city’s skyline and added, “I met her while you were in your coma, but we never said more than hello and goodbye as we went through the days.  She…she was in my room that night when I woke up from the surgery, and she was just…so sweet and kind.  She wiped the tears from my eyes…she offered two ears to listen to whatever I had to say.  I mean, she was off duty and was using her badge just to be able to sit with me while Mom was sleeping in your room.  Over the past three days she’s begged to hear every story of my life that I can remember enough to tell her, and she…she’s so precious to me.”

   Elianaron’s words fell short as he lowered his eyes.  Aranelion gazed at him with wonder, in awe of how close Elianaron had become to this girl in such a short time.  This wasn’t the simple infatuation Elianaron had for Camillia; Aranelion could tell his twin was on the verge of giving his heart to Hannah, if he hadn’t already.  What Aranelion wanted to know was what moved his heart to love her so greatly so quickly.

   Placing a hand on Elianaron’s shoulder, Aranelion replied, “She sounds very important to you Ell…as if you value her as I value Camillia.  Is this true?”

   After several moments, Elianaron looked back to Aranelion and replied, “I—I told her that night…that I wasn’t sure if I had found my true love…but…now I’m not so sure this hasn’t already occurred.”

   Turning around to face Aranelion completely, Elianaron continued, “When you first saw Camillia…not face to face, but that morning on television at the bed and breakfast…she spoke to your heart.  I thought she was cute sure, but she didn’t take over my entire being as she did with you.  You two were destined to be together…and nothing could keep that from happening.  I knew it; that’s why I was more than ready to step down.  I was still searching for the girl who spoke to my heart and embraced it with love like I’ve never felt before.  It’s too early to speak of it that intensely, but already…Hannah’s heart is calling out to mine in a gentle whisper.”

   Aranelion smiled at Elianaron.  Shaking his head, he said, “You remind me of how I felt about Camillia.  Every night when I’d think of you two together, I’d try to be happy, but couldn’t ignore the fact that I wanted to be with her.  Now that we’re together, I’m at peace with my heart.  I do think…if you give this relationship the chance it wants…it’ll lead you to happiness.”

   The twins looked to each other and smiled.  Hugging Elianaron, Aranelion added, “Just remember…no more accidents.  We’ve both promised Mother that we wouldn’t be getting hurt like this anymore.”

   With a laugh, Elianaron hugged Aranelion in return and said, “That’s a promise I’ll keep, and make sure you do as well Air.”

   Pulling out of the hug, the brothers gazed at each other for a brief moment.  Their smiles and hopeful eyes spoke for them.  They knew at last that what they were searching for their entire lives was finally coming true.  They had long found acceptance, and at last, were getting settled into stable lives.  They had homes, they had safety…and now, they both had love.

   Finally, Aranelion broke the silence and began talking about moving in with Camillia.  It would be the first time in their lives that the twins didn’t live together, but was something they were ready to accept.  They would still live in the same building anyway.

   After a few more days, Elianaron left the hospital, moaning about how he was ready to leave from day one, only to be teased by Hannah about it soon after.   At last the twins would be able to spend time with their mother, who had waited over two months for the visit to even start.  Before jumping head on into this visit, Elianaron was quick to make plans with Hannah.  Everyone around could already see the kind of path their friendship would take…they could see the bond it would quickly become.

   Aerealei stayed for three more weeks, celebrating the holidays with her sons, before finally returning to Valordian.  This meant it was time for the twins to settle back into their normal lives.  However, that didn’t mean that things would remain the same.

   While Aranelion moved in with Camillia, Elianaron spent more and more time with Hannah, and the circle of friends, including Auron and Lairen, and Isaac and Lucie, grew ever closer.  As the preparations for Aranelion and Camillia’s wedding were underway, Elianaron found himself sowing the seeds of his own romance.

   He knew it was finally coming true one night as he and Hannah were watching television together, a little over three weeks into the new year.  The ending credits began to roll, and as Elianaron let out a yawn, he raised his arms in the air.  Lowering them, his arm fell around Hannah’s shoulders as she rested her head on his shoulders in a light sleep.  A smile came to his lips as he gazed at her.  They had gotten so close in those past several weeks,  he was only more certain of what he told Aranelion that day in the hospital.

   He was in love with Hannah…he couldn’t be more in love with her, although up until now the three words were foreign from both their lips.

   Gently he bent his head down to kiss her on her own, causing her to rouse as he pulled away.  Smiling at her, he felt love overflowing his heart, and he whispered, “I want you to know…I love you Hannah.”

   And yet, something happened then that he wasn’t expecting.  Her smile melted and began to quiver as tears formed in her eyes.  His own smile waivered a bit as her reaction puzzled him.  He asked, “Hannah?  What’s wrong?”

   Shaking her head, Hannah tried to smile through her tears as she eased herself up where she sat.  Once she did so, she leaned forward and kissed him.  As her lips met  Elianaron’s, he could feel his very being ready to explode with joy, as this was their first kiss, and of course, the first for both of them.

   After a few moments, she gently pulled back, and as she sniffed away the tears, she replied, “Nothing…I just…you don’t know how happy I was to hear you say that.  I—I love you too Ell…so much.”

   When Elianaron could only offer a smile as his reply, he pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly.  For some reason he could feel tears forming in his own eyes, and yet he understood them this time.

   A low rumble of thunder could be heard, causing Elianaron to open an eye as he held Hannah.  He slowly reached for the remote control beside him, and turned the volume down on the television set; he then reached for the blanket in Hannah’s lap, and as he wrapped it around them, he whispered, “I’m just so happy…that I finally found you Hannah; after all these years…I’m home.”

   The two remained in each other’s arms as a gentle rain began to fall, accompanied by an occasional roll of hushed thunder, eventually falling asleep where they sat together.  With Elianaron’s words, the dreams of two small boys had come true.  At last, both Aranelion and Elianaron had found what they were searching for; more than acceptance, more than peace; at long last, they had found love.