The Trouble with Time, Epilogue

Alice comes awake slowly. Her bed is the coziest, most comfortable thing in the world, and the bright light of a snowy winter morning is turning the insides of her eyelids red. For the first time in a year she doesn't feel like time is the enemy, that it's slipping by faster and faster just to cause her trouble. For the first time in a year she feels like sleeping has actually made her less tired.

She squirms a bit, hoping to find a spot where her eyes would be in a little bit more shade. She can't find one, so she reluctantly gives up on sleep and opens her eyes. For the first time in a year Vanessa's face is right there, so close to hers. She smiles to herself, her heart aglow and soaring, too big to fit in her chest right.

She simply lies there for a while, watching Vanessa sleep next to her. She takes in the curve of her jaw, the shape of her mouth. The curls of her ear. The handful of freckles over her nose and cheeks, so light you don't necessarily notice them until you notice them. The way her red, untied hair flows around her, the color seeming even redder than usually in the morning light. She loses herself in those familiar features for an eternity.

Vanessa stirs, blinks, sees Alice there, looking at her. She closes her eyes again, smiles a sleepy, happy smile and cuddles close. And they stay there for another eternity, warm and snug and happy and together, and nothing else in the world matters. Alice can feel Vanessa's heartbeat, pulsing against her arm, and she smiles. She is soft and warm in her arms, and fits there so perfectly all Alice can do is marvel.

And then Vanessa stirs again, breaking their perfect little bubble, and sits up. She looks at her, feeling a pang of disappointment, as she pulls her sleep-messy hair up and into a loose bun.

"We don't have to get up, you know," she tells her. "No one is expecting anything of us today. We can just stay in bed."

"We could," Vanessa admits. "But I need to pee." She grins. "And I'm starving."

The look on Alice's face must be something as she realises there's probably no food in the house, or if there is it's probably gone bad a week ago, because Vanessa laughs at it, delighted. She hadn't known how much you can miss a sound until she hears that laugh.

"We can go get some," Vanessa assures her and bends down to kiss her. "We have all the time in the world now, to do anything we want to. I don't really care what it is we do. As long as we do it together."

She vanishes into the bathroom, and Alice stays in their bed for a little bit longer, savoring the moment, the smell of Vanessa on the sheets.

Then she gets up, ready for whatever the rest of their lives will throw at them, because whatever it will be, as Vanessa said, they will do it together.