Aiden's POV

Today was the day April woke up. It had been nearly 6 months since the accident and she'd finally shown a physical sign of response. What had been a mere twitch of the fingers turned to increased breathing to the fluttering of eyelids to the final, perfect moment she opened her eyes.

Of course she was disoriented and confused at first – waking up to bright hospital lights and the intense smell of disinfectant dazed her. Doctors immediately swept into the room and ushered us out to check on her - mainly to check her memory. When Dr. Ramone exited with a small smile on his face, rare for such a passive man, a united sigh of relief sounded from each and every one of our lips.

I slowly edged my way into the room after politely letting her parents and sister in first. After 40 minutes of pure agony, I finally entered the room. April's back was to me and she was now wearing a clean gown, blending in with the pallid blue and white of the room. Her hair had grown longer and her bare arms were planted on either side of the bed to support herself. She looked too thin to even stand.

I felt my breathing quicken as I neared the bed and paused, hesitant all of a sudden. "April?" My voice came out croaky and rough and I started at how loud it suddenly sounded.

Her head jerked up and she turned slightly, almost painfully. I quickly stepped fully into the room and rounded the bed so I stood in front of her. She lifted her head, her eyes stirring with life after six goddamn months of being asleep. It could have either been my imagination or the catch of the light at that moment, but I could have sworn I saw them brighten. But the corners of her mouth stayed furled downwards. I slowly sunk into the familiar seat near the edge of the bed and searched her face for any sign of recognition.

"Aiden?" Her voice made my stomach jump and I sat forward eagerly at her somewhat dazed expression.

"I'm here," I reached out to place my hand on hers, but paused. She liked her personal space. I would wait, I thought to myself.

Despite her thin and paled complexion, my heart still shook back to life at the sheer sight and sound of her. Her waking up woke up some part of me too – some part that I thought was gone forever, but April Cruella Evans had managed to find for me again.

April's POV

I frowned, my entire body feeling alien and uncomfortable. It was as though an artificial heaven had been made right up for me already. I'd spoken to the doctors, I'd spoken to my family – but nothing they said registered in my mind. All I could think about was Aiden, the fox, Nina, the car going over the bridge. They whirled in my mind like a cloudy hurricane and never ceased to die down. I was numb, inside and out and I hated it.

"April?" My head jerked up at the sound of that voice I'd so badly wanted to hear – the one voice that set my mind into motion in order to finally process what was going on, the one voice that made my heart thud even more irregularly.

I tried to turn but it felt like my bones were made of glass and I couldn't seem to do it; my eyes stung at the helplessness I felt.

The next thing I knew was Aiden coming before me – I lifted my head and my eyes widened a fraction of an inch. This was the face I had been searching for the moment I woke up. He looked different... Like Aiden but different. He had gotten a lot thinner and his cheekbones jutted out sharply and his eyes were tired looking. He looked ill but relieved and his mouth opened and closed as he looked down on me. Probably because you look like something out of The Walking Dead, April.

"Aiden," my voice came out strangled and weak and I cursed it inwardly. His eyes lit up and he leaned forward eagerly, his pink lips curling up at the edges in a non-sarcastic way. I tried smiling back but my mind was buzzing far too much with questions.

"I'm here," my heart jumped at those words and his hand came out as though to touch me but he quickly jerked it back again, the muscles in his jaw visibly twitching as he leaned back again in the seat. I sighed softly to myself, a small stab of hurt in my stomach at that gesture. Silence passed between us, both locking eyes steadily.

"I – say something," I managed to say, my voice wobbling as I looked up at him.

He looked up me quickly.

"Sure," he leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees and intertwining his fingers so he could rest his chin on it. "What do you want me to say?" I shifted slightly so I could get comfortable. He made forward and gently placed one hand on the small of my back and the other on my waist, causing butterflies to flutter through my otherwise broken body. I shifted back, his arms supporting me and I felt a frown forming on my face.

"Sorry," I shrugged lightly. He looked up at me, his eyes huge.

"About what?" He replied, frowning slightly – I glanced down and noticed how close we were but for once, I didn't care – this made me feel safe.

"Me," I said again, my throat feeling like dry sandpaper as I spoke.

"April," he sounded exasperated. "Never apologise for yourself again. Please." His voice was soft at the end. Once I was settled comfortably, he sat back down again opposite me and I stared out of the window at the foliage of roses and gold spilling out into the late June sky. June – its June now. The last thing I remember was that it was December. I gulped at the sheer thought of that. I was dead to the world for 6 months.

"So," Aiden broke the silence. "What did you want me to say?"

"Everything. I want to know everything. What happened in these past 6 months, what happened after the car accident, if Nina is okay –" I looked up fearfully at him, my eyes widening.

"She's fine." He quickly interrupted upon seeing my expression. I let out a sigh of relief and felt the tight knot in my stomach loosen but not unravel. "Didn't the doctors tell you any of this? Your family?" He asked curiously as he peered up at me uncertainly. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation of the warm summer sun on my eyelids and then opened them again, a soft sprinkle of golden rays scattered on the hospital floor by my dangling feet.

"They did – but I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to process it – I think... I think the only person who I'll understand it from is you,' I whispered, shaking my head at how pathetic I sounded.

"Are you sure?" He sounded uncertain and confused all at once and I smiled at the small crease in his brow as though he was thinking hard about something. I reached out and gently placed my hand on his, squeezing to assure him. His eyes widened as he noticed my gesture and I gave him my most sincere look to show that I was serious.

After a few awkward moments, he smiled. "Okay." I smiled at his compliance and leaned back in preparation for the explanation, my hand firmly in his. "Well, you've been in a coma for 6 months because of the accident you and Nina had on the Roslyn Bridge that night after the meeting with Noah's pack," he cast his eyes down shamefully.

"You crashed into the bridge because some fucking fox got in the way and the car ran over into the bridge. The water was minus 5 degrees – it took the ambulance 10 minutes to get to you. You were picked up after Nina meaning you were colder. You had internal bleeding and haemorrhaging - several broken bones too. You fell into a coma after that." His voice stayed unnaturally calm but his words sent chills down my back. "Did the doctors inform you more about the damage? What you need to do now?"

I nodded slightly, my mouth slightly open at his words. 6 months. "Did –" I hesitated, biting my lip as I tried to order my mind, "When did my family come? Have you met them?"

"As fast as they could. Your younger sister had to go back for school but your parents stayed. They know who I am and I think they're fine with it..." He trailed off sheepishly, biting his lip as though nervous all of a sudden.

"And Nina? How is she?"

"Nothing more than some initial confusion and a few broken bones – she recovered quickly. I think they're on their way to the hospital now."

"They're?" I repeated.

I could see his jaw visibly tighten and I grimaced at the constant sound of beeping from the heart monitor. I shot it a death glare and picked at the tubes connected to my arms, hating the way it tracked every single beat of my heart and displayed it to the world. Honestly, I was scared my heart beat would immediately start jumping if Aiden came any closer to me. Now that would be embarrassing.

"Kayla and Nina," my mouth dropped. Kayla?

"Kayla?" My voice dripped with incredulity and surprise.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and avoided my eyes. "Yep," he popped the 'p' and didn't elaborate. I didn't urge him to talk anymore; I wanted to hear Kayla explain things to me herself. And I guess Aiden silently thought that too. I was too shell-shocked and aching to say much but smile inwardly to myself.

"And you? How are you?" I found myself asking tentatively, my eyes immediately scanning his face.

He laughed softly; the sound making my heart beat increase at the sheer adorableness of it. I glanced at the monitor and silently willed it to shut up already – I saw Aiden glancing at it too from the corner of his eye but he remained silent. "I'm fine April. Trust you to ask about everyone else but yourself."

"You don't look it," I commented thoughtfully, my stomach knotting at the sight of the stubble on his cheeks and jaw and even more sharply angled features of his face. "Have you slept? Eaten?"

"Gee thanks April, way to make a guy feel good," he scowled at me. I shrugged in response and gave him a coy grin. "And yes I have eaten and I have slept, so drop it."

"You look too thin Aiden – it's like your starving yourself."

"Well I'm not."

"Must you be so stubborn?"

"Yes." I scowled at him and yanked my hand back causing him to open his mouth to protest.

"Eat." I ordered, leaning back and crossing my arms over my chest. He mumbled something incoherently under his breath and ran a hand through his hair distractedly.

"2 hours since you woke up from a 6 month coma and you're already ordering me around."

"Actually wait. I have a better idea." He turned to look at me curiously, but my brain was already slowly chugging back to life. "Can I – can I go outside?" I felt my mouth tug up at the idea – I'd been deprived of sunlight and 6 months of my life. A little sunshine wouldn't hurt, would it?

"No. Your doctors wouldn't allow it; you're too weak to do anything right now. You just woke up from a coma, April. You're fragile."

"Aiden," I pleaded, "I haven't seen the sun for so long and I don't think you have either. Please?" My voice bordered on cracking and I felt my eyes travel to the window where the sun was slowly, but not yet sinking, my nerves jumping about in excitement to feel the familiar smell of summer in the air.

"April," he said softly, coming towards the bed and sitting beside me. "I can't – you know I would if I could but I don't want to damage your health anymore than it already is. I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes boring into the side of my face. I didn't turn to face him but stared ahead at the wall. "I care more about you than I do about the sun. The sun won't disappear from sight. Not for another five billion years."

"I just don't want to keep being told about my life, my health, my well-being. I just want some air, is that so bad?" I whispered. "I mean, surely I won't drop dead by just stepping outside." I tried laughing it off but his expression darkened. Judging by the look on Aiden's face, he wasn't pleased by my choice of words. I sobered and cleared my throat awkwardly. "If... if the doctors give me bad news after my scans, I don't want to be holed up in this hospital for any longer and I don't want you to be either."

"April," he almost sounded as though he was groaning. I looked down next to me and found him with his head in his hands, fingers tangled into his hair as though annoyed or conflicted. I touched the side of his face softly, running the hilt of my hand along his jaw gently. I heard him sighing softly at the sensation.

"I know why you can't take me outside. I know and it's fine. I understand." I said eyes lingering on the cerise tainted clouds and beams of washed out sunlight falling into the room.

"But," my head whipped up at this and I looked towards him in confusion. "Surely you don't want to go down in the gardens – it's pretty ugly down there and it smells of frickin' disinfectant. I think I know of a better place to go." He whispered in my ear, a smile sounding in his voice. His breath blew across my cheek softly, the familiar scent of cinnamon and woody pines intoxicating me. Immediately, my heart monitor went crazy and I heard him chuckle.

"Don't laugh." I frowned at him, embarrassment coursing through my body at the gesture that had a scary amount of effect on me.

"Get some rest now. A few days of getting your strength up won't hurt, Ap. The weather's been," he gestured to the window. "Like this for a while. I doubt it'll suddenly become rainy the moment you decide to step outside. Just a few days, okay? I promise. Then, I'll take you."

"You will?" I almost melted at his words next.

"I promised, didn't I Cruella?"

*-*-**-*-**-*-**-*-**-*-**-*-**-*-**-*

A few days later:

My mouth fell open. The wind gently blew at the sleeves of my light gown. I inhaled and breathed in the scent of freshly bloomed freesias and honeysuckle growing in clumps hundreds of meters below me. I shakily stood up, Aiden's arm gently looped around my own, supporting me and a smile played along my lips at the sight before me.

Miniature tower blocks, animated cars buzzing down the long, grey roads, odd patches of gardens, little specks of people and the plump, tangerine sun sunk in front of me. We were on the roof of the hospital, specifically a 'no-entry' type roof – I tried to protest, but Aiden hushed them away, his eyes darting across the corridors for any nurses, ready to catch and stop us.

The last thing I remember was driving onto Roslyn Bridge in the dead of winter. Now, I'm standing on the roof of St Mary's hospital, the clear June air buzzing around me, the scent of summer and heaven lingering upon the air, like a dreamy afterthought. It was scary and intoxicating at the same time – you fall asleep in the winter, you wake up in the summer. 6 months of family, friends, work, eating, drinking, functioning gone. Vanished in the blink of an eye. And yet I was alive. And with Aiden. This was perfect – this was dreamland.

"Like it?" Aiden grinned, his eyes twinkling.

"I love it." A few moments of welcome silence passed between us, our eyes wide and jaws hanging at a sight you wouldn't expect to see on a hospital rooftop. "Life moves pretty fast, so sometimes you stop and look around or you're going to miss it." I quoted Ferris Buller, his teenager craziness popping into my head at that very moment.

Aiden grinned down at me, a dimple creasing his cheek. "It doesn't take you very long to get nerdy, does it?" He mused.

I scowled and lightly shoved him, a sudden whirl of dizziness overtaking me. I stumbled clumsily but caught myself quickly, not wanting him to notice. "April – are you okay?" I couldn't respond my breathing heaving as it became increasingly hard to squeeze air through my tightening throat. "That's it, I knew this was a bad idea, come on, we're going back down." He sounded almost angry with himself.

"No," I managed to wheeze, clambering back until I felt something hard behind me. I sank down onto a concrete block and hung my head, my breathing slowly coming back to normal. "5 more minutes. Please."

"Ap-"

"Please."

He immediately let out a range of colourful vocabulary and then proceeded to say one more swear word to himself under his breath lightly. He grumbled: "you will be the death of me someday, you know that?"

"Don't say that. Who will be my human - well, werewolf punching bag then?"

Then, I grinned and quickly scrambled my mind for a topic of conversation to stop Aiden from worrying. "'I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.'" I coyly looked from the corner of my eye to see if Aiden knew what I was hinting at, and judging by his reaction, he had guessed right.

"Casablanca, right?" I nodded. "You're such a geek – and hey, this is not just a friendship." He protested, a natural pout forming on his lips. A spark of happiness shot up my body. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be... in love. But it felt heavenly.

I made a mocking noise and laughed softly at him – I liked it when Aiden was like this – carefree and relaxed... Happy. 'I'm gonna make him an offer, he can't refuse.'" He said, his voice turning gruffer and even deeper.

I turned my head, staring at him incredulously. "The Godfather... genius!" I said, pretending to raise my hands to the sky as though in praise. His cheek curving up to show he was now full-blown grinning. "I must say, it's a brilliant impression of Coppala – he'd be proud." I retorted sarcastically, earning me a glare. "Okay, okay I got one." I paused slightly, catching my breath. "I will find you, and I will kill you."

"Oh come on, that's easy. Taken!"

"Liam Neeson is a beautiful hunk of a man."

"Thanks, April."

"But you're prettier," I smiled, leaning up to kiss him softly on the cheek. His expression in that moment was priceless - Aiden Knight, infamous womanizer, looked like he was blushing. I cooed, pinching his cheeks and he scowled, but it was half-hearted.

"They may take our lives, but they'll never take out freedom." I sighed softly, one of my all time favourite movies Braveheart making my heart smile. Our fingers intertwined, my freak nature about hygiene momentarily disappearing as we watched the sun finally set.

"Oh, and one more thing. Please say we're not going to be like any of those sappy sweet couples? I mean I'm still April Evans, the girl who can't and wouldn't hold a conversation with a girl or boy alike, purely because I'm an idiot and you're still the mean, lean boy who would slap someone silly if they gave you a dirty look."

"Oh, so we're a couple now?" The smile rang through his voice.

"Yep," I said, popping the 'p.' Then, I said shyly. "You're stuck with me."

He looked down at me, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "Then I guess I'm in for a lifetime of hell."

I grinned and poked my tongue out at him, my body numb to all else but the wind. "You stop being such a... such a..." I struggled to think of something.

"Jerkface?" He offered.