The moon shone down, illuminating the water. Its dim rays glistened on Rand’s shoulders, though his dark, mop of hair was somehow still dry. It was a relief to know that he had yet to succumb to the cold, and the current hadn't managed to pull him under. The further out he got, the more she struggled to see what was happening in those dark depths as she stood shivering at the river’s edge.

She held her jacket across her shoulders, clinging to the last vestiges of warmth. He had the boy by now, this she was sure. He’d turned back to her, and she could see the glint of determination in his features. As long he kept his head above water she felt it was best not to join him, to save her energy, her warmth for when he might really need her.

“Come on Rand!” she cried as he seemed to falter, the water splashing up into his face. Please, oh, please make it safely to shore. She glanced up at the moon, for the first time taking in that ominous beacon lighting this venture. No, not simply lighting them. The moon, she’d brought them here.

The moon always shone down on her dreamwalks. It was the glowing goddess of the night that would summon her to walk through her dreams into the lives of those who needed her. Though as much as the wayward souls she often rescued by simply being placed in the right place at the right time, needed her, she needed them as well. The act of rescuing those in need gave her purpose, but more than that... it had given her Rand.

Rand, who was beginning to struggle once more. His strokes were slowing. She knew that feeling, the leaden limbs, all too well. The way the cold made her body freeze up, and eventually stop. He'd halted in his faltering progression, the water lapping at his face. He pulled at the boy, struggling to keep his face above water as well.

"RAND!" Ellette screamed, "don't you dare stop!" She could wait no longer, she pulled loose her jacket and flung it towards their pile of clothing on the shore. He sputtered, a spray of water sparkling in the moonlight as he searched out the source of her voice. "Don't stop!" she screamed once more, leaping into the water, the cold biting into her immediately. She gasped, her heart thundering in her chest. Adrenaline was her only hope, and she prayed it would give her the strength to do what was needed.

She gulped, barely keeping her head above water, and cried out again. "Come on, come towards my voice," she pleaded. He wasn't far now, and she fought against the current, her teeth chattering involuntarily. He'd started moving once more, and she was thankful. She wasn't sure if she could possibly help them at this point. She wasn't nearly strong enough to pull him, a grown man, as well as the boy to shore.

As she approached, Rand reached out to her, desperate, barely seeming to register her. "Come on," she choked out, encouragingly. "We're so close." She paddled closer and pulled that frail, nearly lifeless child to her. "Can you follow me if I take the boy?" She asked, searching his face for some acknowledgment. He nodded faintly and she smiled against the chattering of her teeth. "Let’s go, then." She urged, stroking as fiercely as she could, dragging the boy alongside her. It wasn't long before she could feel the sandy bottom of the river under her feet. She turned, grinning in triumph, to find Rand trailing behind far behind.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" she cried out, dragging the boy to the shore as fast as her frozen limbs would allow. "Don't you dare stop, Rand," she choked, all but throwing the child's near lifeless form onto the grass. She knew he needed attention, and possibly resuscitation, but she couldn't leave Rand. She checked him briefly, content to find that he was breathing, still alive. She dove into the water once more, her body protesting. The cold hurt, ached all the way through, and settled in her bones. Yet she forced herself on.

She caught up to him just as he'd begun to slip under the water. He was solid, heavy... far too heavy. Pulling him to her, slapped his face hard, much harder than she'd done in her dream. His eyes widened, brought around by the pain and he seemed to finally register her wading beside him.

"Rand, that kid is going to freeze to death on the shore. What would be the point then?" she managed to say through chattering teeth. He nodded and coughed. As he stared at her, awareness returning to him, a fierce light seemed to grow in his eyes. Or was that just the strange reflection of the moon, she wondered, finding it hard to meet his gaze.

"Where's the shore?" he choked out, and she nodded in the direction, never releasing her grip on his arm as she began stroking back towards where she knew the shore lay. Even so, her body was freezing up, literally, and she could feel the tears of desperation trickling down her face.

"Come on," she begged of Rand and to her own, sluggish, stiff limbs. "We can make it," she chattered, a desperate attempt at encouragement to keep moving. The water lapped at her face and she could feel her consciousness slipping. It was so dark, so cold... she just wanted to stop, to give in, to sleep.

It was then she felt an arm around her, firm around her waist, and a voice in her ear. "You can't stop now," Rand whispered, and her heart thundered in her chest in response. They would make it out, together. She fought to find her feet, to plant them down on the bottom of the river bed as he pulled her along.

"Thank you," she muttered, as they clung to one another, finding their staggering way to shore. The air was even colder than the water had been. She grabbed at her jacket, the closest article of clothing, and pulled it around her shoulders. Rand staggered to the pile of clothing and tossed her jeans as he pulled on his own sweater.

"Work on the boy." He urged, shuddering as he pulled on his jeans. Ellette crawled to the limp form of the child, checking his vitals. By some miracle, he was still breathing. He was pale, his eyes dark pits, his lips blue, yet he was breathing, still alive. She worked on her jeans and began rubbing his icy arms and legs.

"He's breathing, but he's freezing!" She managed to chatter out. "We've got to get him somewhere warm." She said, rubbing his arms and body as vigorously as she could. Her hands were clumsy, stiff, and numb. It was doubtful her efforts did much for him, her hands felt no warmer. "Where... Where can we take him?" She exclaimed, panic growing in her once more. She pulled off her jacket, as much as she hated to, and wrapped it around him.

It seemed so hopeless. She pulled the boy to her, barely managing to get him upright. She was weak. The cold, the terror, had sapped all strength from her. Rand came to her side, kneeling beside them. Without a word, he took the boy from her and staggered to his feet.

She struggled to her own feet, her arms wrapped tight around her body. Her shirt was shirt plastered to her, seeming only to absorb the frosty air. Rand, though, managed to stumble on, making his way to the walk path up the hill. She trailed after him as best she could.

There was a light ahead, what was it? It wasn't the moon... no... was it a building? A vehicle? She tripped, blinking hard as the freezing cold made her body stiff and unresponsive. Rand turned back to her, somehow, miraculously still going strong, determination painting his features. That determination cracked when he caught her weakly stumbling after.

"Don't stop!" She cried out, "don't stop for me." she pleaded, though part of her clenched in fear for him. What if she wasn't beside him when it came time to wake?

He nodded, and plodded on, slowly, unfaltering, towards that source of light she couldn't quite place. Her vision blurred, her limbs unresponsive. She fell hard, even though she'd managed to put her hand out to brace herself, the impact stung painfully. She laid there limply for a good while before even being able to struggle upright once more. Once she did, she could hear voices... Rand's and another man. It was faint, but not far off. She managed to sit up, rubbing her arms, blinking towards the comforting sound of voices.

A flash of light caught her full in the face, and she stared blindly at the source. Rand's voice again then... he was beside her, pulling her to her feet. "Ellette, the park guard found us..." he told her, and she clung to him, making her faltering way up the path.

How was it he was so strong? Hadn't he been floundering in the water? Wasn't he frozen and exhausted too?

The car was incredibly warm. The comforting warmth made her so groggy, she could barely focus. She was only dimly aware of her surroundings, of Rand beside her. His attention was focused on the child. They’d stripped the boy down, getting him out of his clinging, wet garments, and had him wrapped in a blanket that the guard had provided them with. Working to both dry him and warm him, he rubbed vigorously at his arms, his legs, his chest, and face, each little by little. The color was coming back to his features, there was hope for him yet.

The car came to a stop, and the driver climbed out. Within moments, the emergency room bay was alive with action, and a gurney was brought out to take the boy from the car. Rand relinquished him reluctantly and sat helplessly watching as they attended to him, rushing their charge into the hospital.

This had meant something more to Rand than she’d realized. Though she yearned to reach out to him, to ask what was going through his mind, she didn’t care to interrupt his moment. A familiar tingling started up along the base of her neck, and she placed the feeling immediately.

"Rand," she whispered, "I think it's time to go..." She caught his hand, praying with all her might that he would be crossing back with her. He turned to her, and she felt herself fading. No! she thought. It was too soon, too fast. Had she caught his hand in time? Would she pull him back through to the waking world?

It was strange, the transition from dream to reality again. It was like coming out of a very intense dream. Simply put, waking from a waking state was disorienting. She blinked, the room slowly coming into focus, her surroundings registering as home. They were on the couch. They, that's right. Rand was beside her. She turned to him. His eyes were still shut, his head tilted awkwardly to the side, in her direction.

She sighed and sat up straight, tears threatening to breach her eyelids. She was so exhausted, so pained from her experiences. None of it mattered, though, if he didn't make it back. She took his other hand, holding them both cradled in her own, waiting for what felt like forever. Surely he would wake soon. Any moment.