FALL

Sansa stood over the patient, checking the monitor and shaking her head at the slow rhythmic beats.

"We'll have to take him off soon."

She nodded at Doctor Nox's words.

She was a healer, not a surgeon or doctor. But even she could tell that this male's minutes were slowly coming to their final ones.

"This is your first..." Doctor Nox cleared his throat, unable to finish the sentence.

He moved towards the male, sighing and shaking his head when he found nothing positive.

"The family has already been by."

"Let me do it."

Doctor Nox looked at Sansa critically.

"Are you sure?"

She moved closer to the elder male, taking his hand in her own. Even if he couldn't feel her warmth, something inside her wanted him to still have a presence next to him.

"Yes. I'm sure."

Doctor Nox watched her for a few seconds, evaluating Sansa before nodding and leaving the room.

She sat down next to the male, leaning her head down.

"Simon...I wish you all the happiness the Moon may offer. I wish you a safe journey to your soul's rest and an eternity of peace waiting for you ahead."

She smiled, rising to stop the machines and slowly unplug the last one.

Something changed in the room.

Sansa gasped, dropping the chart she was holding.

She stood still, closing her eyes as she felt a shadow of something slip by her. She didn't know what it was. She couldn't understand the feeling of it. It brushed her cheek. Faintly but there.

She opened her eyes, whirling around, tears coming to her face as she frantically searched the room.

"Night?"

She immediately felt foolish for calling out his name.

She shivered, remembering the feeling that she had felt just moments ago.

Doctor Nox entered the room, freezing at the tears on Sansa's face.

"Sansa..." there was something close to respect and disapproval in his tone.

Sansa quickly whipped away her tears, wanting to explain, but at the same time knowing it was better not to.

Doctor Nox only shook his head and patted her shoulder, telling her she could leave the room if she needed to.

She nodded and numbly walked out.

But she didn't have the heart to tell the doctor that it had nothing to do with the soul that had passed away.

*   *   *

Sansa raced into the woods, eager to see him again.

She frantically looked around, trying to spy if he had for once beat her there.

Still no sign.

She sat down but quickly got back up, pacing the forest floor.

Her body was too worked up- too nervous and excited.

What would she say? What would he say?

She paused to touch her lips, trying to remember the feel of his own.

Would he kiss her again?

She resumed her pacing, smiling silently to herself. She would occasionally turn to the spot he would appear in. Maybe he was silently watching her, not saying a word.

He did that one time. She had been angry at first, disappointed that he had wasted time in not letting her know that he had been there. They were wasting precious time if he remained silent about his presence.

But he had only shaken his head, saying any time with her was not a waste.

Looking back, Sansa wanted to shake herself at how obvious the mate bond between them had been. It was just different. There was no romantic stare or glazed eyed attraction. Their bond was something deeper. She saw it for what it was.

Maybe it was because he had been a part of her life since she was a child. He had been ever-present. Always there. She wondered vaguely if she had even replaced him as a father figure at one point, but quickly dismissed the notion.

Night had never been a father figure to her.

She had always been attracted to him.

Even as a child she had found him oddly beautiful.

She looked up at the setting sun, frowning at the site.

Where was he?

She sat back down, dismissing the fearful thoughts that were starting to rise in her head.

But as the hours began to pass, Sansa felt a fear grip her chest. It clung to her like the cold in winter. She couldn't shake it off. The question whirled and repeated over and over in her thoughts.

He's late. He's late. He's late.

She didn't dare leave.

Even when the wrong night appeared before her, she remained sitting under her tree, her knees locked tightly to her chest as her arms gripped them there.

She was too scared to leave.

What if he came the moment she was gone? What if he came and she wasn't there because she had no faith that he would arrive?

He had told her- looked her square in the eye and promised- that he would come.

She blinked back her eyes, dimly becoming aware of the emerging blue in the distance.

Dawn was arriving.

With it, she heard the shuffling of feet.

She whirled around, and gasped, coming face to face with a brown wolf.

The wolf shook out its fur, growling low at her before stepping into the shadow of the woods.

Sansa could hear the change occurring.

Warren stepped out then, anger clear on his face.

"Where the hell have you been all night?"

She flinched at his last word, the action catching his attention.

He looked around, smelling the air.

"Were you...did you meet someone here?"

"Why would you ask that?" Sansa whispered.

"I can smell someone else here..."

Sansa stood, frantically looking around.

"Someone else was here?"

Warren stilled at the tone in her voice, his movements becoming cautions as he stepped closer.

"Not recently...it's just an odd scent...I've never encountered it before..."

Sansa sighed. Of course, through the years Night's scent would become infused within these woods. Just this small area. Even she could smell him now that Warren had pointed it out. You had to concentrate. To focus. And even then, the smell was not something Sansa would not think to belong to a person. She knew now what it smelled like. It smelled like-

"Death." Warren finished her thoughts as he searched around the area, his eyes wide in growing fear. "Sansa it smells like death here."

He turned to her then, his fear now aimed at her.

Sansa flinched from it.

Warren had never shown fear towards her. Not when she told him of Night. Not when she went on and on about him or continued going into the woods.

She knew now that Night had never come close enough to her to have his scent stay. Her heart hurt with the truth of it. Except for that one time. That one time.

But the rain had washed it away.

She closed her eyes, taking it in again.

She knew it now. She had been able to connect it the first time when he came close enough for her to scent it.

It was something she had only smelled once within the clinic before that. Now she had encountered it multiple times.

"It's not what you think Warren."

"Explain it to me. Where were you?"

"I was here."

"With who?"

"No one," Sansa's voice closed on her, tears threatening to spill. She pulled them back, clearing her throat.

"Hey," Warren stepped closer, concern overshadowing his face. "Did someone hurt you? Tell me the truth Sansa."

"No," she shook her head, not wanting to tell Warren her truth and have it dismissed as a lie.

A pained expression rose on his features as he took her in. Slowly he took her arm, leading her away.

Sansa jerked back, pulling away from his grip.

"No!"

"Sansa, come on, let's go home."

"No! I can't!"

Warren growled, a frustrated sound rising in him, "Enough Sansa."
"He may...he may still come..."

"Who?"

Sansa looked up at Warren, fear in her eyes as he watched her.

Something clicked in him as he processed her words.

"It's not...You're not talking about your imaginary friend are you?"

"He's real!"

"Sansa!" Warren grabbed her arm forcefully now, trying to drag her away, "Stop this!"

"No!"

Warren stopped, breathing hard as he looked down at her struggling figure. He sighed, gripping his hair tightly between his hands. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply before shaking his head.

"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry I- I'll stop."

He let go of her, raising his hands in the air to show proof to his words.

Sansa froze, watching him carefully for any sign of movement.

"Tell me what happened. I'll listen. It's okay Sansa."

At his words, Sansa felt tears come to her eyes.

"I'm not crazy."

Warren felt his heart break at her whispered words.

"I know."

"I don't make things up."

"I know."

"I...I don't see things."

Warren nodded his head, feeling his own throat tighten as he watched her slowly sink to the forest floor.

"I know."

Sansa looked up at him, pure relief on her face at his two words.

He bent down, whipping away the tears from her eyes.

"Tell me everything kid. I'll listen."