"Fate brings people together no matter how far apart they may be. Separated as we are, thousands of miles between us, we come together as if willed by destiny."

***

He slowly opened his eyes to find himself staring up at a crystal clear blue sky and the sound of waves breaking upon the shore. After a moment, he sat up and looked around to discover he was on a golden sandy beach that stretched either side of him as far as the eye could see. Taking a moment to gather himself, he got to his feet and held his hands out in front of him as he realized he was all alone in this beautiful but strange place.

Listening to the whisper of the breeze, a sudden feeling of unease came over him as a memory flared brightly dancing and flickering just out of reach. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what had happened to him. A fire. There had been a fire and something had gone wrong. Something terrible. Something that had changed everything.

And now he was here.

Above, that crystal clear blue sky was slowly beginning to turn dark.

***

People were still milling around the canteen as Jyn sat by herself with the first light of dawn flickering through the windows.

Everything was quiet now. Time had returned to its natural rhythm as she eased back in her chair and closed her eyes. So much had happened in the previous hours that her mind was still trying to make sense of everything as she took a sip of coffee from her plastic cup.

The incident was over and the hospital had finally been able to stand down from its alert status. The initial intake had been treated and discharged with most now being housed in various shelters by the local authorities. Only ten had been admitted including the two girls who had been the last to be rescued along with their mother and older sister.

Then there was him. The man. The Fire-fighter.

Jyn slowly opened her eyes.

He shouldn't be here. How could he be here?

But he was. She was sure it was him. The name. That small scar. The past had slipped into her present and it felt like someone had reached inside her chest and was gently manipulating her heart which was suffused with an aching warmth that was beginning to consume her.

Jyn smiled to herself as she remembered something her mother had once said to her many years ago. She had been fourteen and they had been out on an Autumn walk together. To her mother, Jyn always knew she was a curiosity. Luminous but reserved. Quiet but confident and aware of her place. So very much a child of China.

It was early morning with the sun breaking through the September clouds. They were sat together on a wooden bench overlooking a small mist-covered lake. "Even though you are here, daughter," said her mother. "Sometimes you feel so very far away."

"Do I?" Jyn replied as she looked across the still water.

Her mother smiled. "Is it a boy?"

Jyn kept silent but nodded. Even though it had been four years, it was always about a boy. That one special boy. Looking down at her hands, she considered her words. "I met someone," she whispered. "Not now but a long time ago. Back when I was much younger," She glanced at her mother who was looking at her with a small smile on her lips. "And something happened."

Resting a hand on her daughters, her mother gave a squeeze of encouragement for she sensed her daughter was troubled about something. "Remember what I used to tell you when you were a little girl?" she reminded her gently. "From me came you. Forever as one. Sweet Jyn, speak freely of things on your mind."

Jyn nodded. Her mother was wise beyond her years and was a reflection of her own mother upon who the Hidoka family line revolved. "He was a Gwelio. A white boy. Older. But he was different somehow. Not like the others. We were," She stopped for a moment trying to think of the right words. "Playing a game. And he found me and said something. Something I have never forgotten. Even all these years later."

Her mother didn't say anything for a second. "And what he said is important to you?"

"Yes," whispered Jyn as she looked into her mother's eyes. "It is the only thing that matters, mama."

Sensing the quiet determination of her daughter, the older woman nodded. "Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I feel yours is just beginning, my Jyn. If it is meant to be then it is meant to be. In time, you will discover if the path you walk in this life is the path you seek."

Her mother spoke in the old tongue and saw the world in the old ways where wisdom and honor were simple truths to be lived by. Who she was and what she would become was something that would be defined by those words.

Another voice spoke to her.

"Nurse," it said as Jyn opened her eyes and looked up to see one of the canteen staff smiling down at her. The memory of her mother slipped away as she returned from her past. The woman laid a hand on her shoulder. " It's been a long shift. You need to go home and get some rest."

She shook her head slightly. Rest? How could she rest knowing he was here. Knowing that he was seriously injured and in a coma? All she wanted to do was to be near him. To be there when he woke. If he woke. She closed her eyes. That was something she didn't even want to think about. To have the one true meaning in her life taken away before she could do or say anything.

But the lady was right. She was exhausted both mentally and physically. The sensible thing to do would be to go home and get some sleep. And the one she was, above all else, was sensible. Resigned, she nodded and got up to go collect her things from the locker room.

Today was done. Tomorrow would bring what she brought.

***

"Not looking good."

Jyn looked up at the registrar as she signed in. The reception area was still busy with a section cordoned off for the media who were waiting for further updates. The car park was packed with satellite vans from different stations from all around the world and it felt like the hospital was under some sort of siege. And all because of one man.

Trying to keep her emotions in check, Jyn read the duty board. As expected, she was assigned as a backup for the main team handling intensive care. "Has his condition changed?" she asked.

The woman sighed. "Nearly lost him a couple of hours ago," she replied. "He was gone a long time before they got him back. Never seen anything like it. A huge effort. All the top people were there working on him. Right now, he's listed as critical but from what I understand they don't expect him to live for much longer."

Jyn didn't say anything but nodded. Despite everything, she knew how badly he had been injured and what the likely outcome was going to be. She had been there during the initial diagnosis from the consultant surgeons who had first attended to him and had listened intently as they discussed various options as she and the other nurses had cleaned the patient up and made him comfortable even if he was in a deep coma.

When they were done, she stopped for a moment and stared at him. Free from his charred uniform and equipment, he looked so innocent and helpless lying there connected up to the life support system keeping him alive. Though it had been over ten years since she had last seen him, she could still see the resemblance of the boy she had met briefly so long ago.

He had grown into a handsome man with thick, tousled brown hair and a slightly angular looking face with a firm jawline. His skin bore the marks of the fire and had a red tinge to it especially around his eyes and she could see that, wherever he was, he was dreaming. And in her heart of hearts, she knew It would take a miracle for him to recover.

But the funny thing about miracles...

***

The Fire-fighter had been moved to a side room within the intensive care department where he could be monitored more closely and in private.

After exchanging notes with the head nurse from the previous shift, Jyn walked into the room and stood looking at the man in the bed. The only light was from the various electronic displays which lent the room a strange, yet soothing, reddish-orange glow with the soft beep from his heartbreaking the clinical silence.

Staring at the rise and fall of his chest, she thought he looked at peace. That he wasn't really here at all but in another place. A place away from the pain. Perhaps it was for the best he remain there she thought but then that would mean he would be no longer be in the world where she was.

Her colleague came in and began to check the drips and tubes keeping him alive and recording the results on both a tablet and the clipboard at the end of the bed. When she was done, the older nurse turned to Jyn.

"His breathing has changed," she noted as they both looked at the patient. "Only a matter of time now. He won't feel a thing as he's heavily sedated. Hopefully, his family can get here in time."

"Family?" asked Jyn.

The woman checked her watch and nodded. "Next of kin from America. His mother and sister, I think. Should be here in a couple of hours."

The idea of family raised an obvious question. "Does he have a wife?"

"Uh, not sure. Don't think so," she mused. "Least not as far as I know. Time for a coffee?"

Jyn shook her head. "No, think I'll just get my things and head home. You go. I'll clean up here and I'll see you tomorrow."

The other woman nodded. "Okay. Catch you later," she said before she left the room to leave Jyn alone with the man in the bed.

***

Walking to his side, Jyn stared at his right hand before taking it in hers. He was warm to the touch and every now and then his fingers would involuntarily twitch which brought a smile to her lips. It was a small thing. A silly thing. But it somehow made him feel more alive to her.

There was so much she wanted to say but she didn't even know if he would hear any of it. This man who had been such an important part of her life even when he wasn't there for most of it. But she felt she had to say something.

"The snow," she began. "Do you remember the snow?" She sat on the bed beside him still holding his hand. "I remember the snow. And how hard it was to run when you came after me. The moment I first saw you I knew I wanted it to be you who caught me. I don't really know why. But when you did I was so happy," Jyn closed her eyes as she relived the memory. "I felt it in here," she said, holding his hand over her heart. "It was then I knew. That I understood. And when you asked me that question I realized that I had to wait before I could answer it."

The memory of their brief time together was the dream that had bound her to him and now that dream was about to come to an end. A sad, heartbreaking end and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

But she knew there was one thing she had to do. One final moment between them that had to be done and that was to answer the question he had asked her a long time ago. Reaching up, she brushed the hair from his forehead and moved closer to him so that her lips were close to the side of his face.

And as the universe turned, she whispered her lost love for him as if she was saying a final goodbye.

Behind her, there was a bright flash of light.

***

Joss Vandenburg stared up into the black void with his world becoming smaller and smaller as it continued to shrink all around him. He knew his end was coming as the sum of his existence washed over him. Who he was. What he had done. The life he had lived was slipping away and there was nothing he could do about it.

He stood there on the sand, closed his eyes, and waited.

"Ni hao," said a soft voice behind him. "Hello."

Surprised, he turned and saw a girl walking towards him. For a brief moment, he thought she was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. A last memory before the end.

The girl was naked and her long black hair swirled around her like a veil as it shimmered under the fading light. He stared at her for what felt like an age before it finally dawned on him who she was.

He was about to say something but she stepped closer to him and put a finger to his lips. The girl looked up and he could see the infinite in the deep black of her eyes. He felt his heart beginning to fade and his breathing shallow as his spirit ebbed away. With his last breath and tears running down his face, the night came for him.

Taking his hand, the girl looked into his eyes and smiled as the light within her wrapped around them both as she spoke to him. It was the reply to the question he had asked her long ago.

"Wo dengle," she whispered. "I waited."

***

People were staring at her.

It was the following day and, as usual, Jyn had dropped into her local supermarket to get a few things before she began her shift at the hospital. Despite everything, she had managed to get a few hours' sleep and was up and around by mid-morning having breakfast and making sure she was ready to go.

As she approached the self-service section, two men holding cameras suddenly approached her and began taking photos as she stopped in shock wondering what was going on as the other customers stood around watching. Had something happened?

One of the assistants came up to her. "Are you alright?" she asked as the photographers continued to move around her with flashbulbs going off. The woman turned to another worker. "Go get security," she told her and they both watched as the younger girl nodded and ran off.

Jyn turned to the older woman. "I'm sorry," she began. "But I.."

"You don't know?"

Confused, Jyn shook her head. What on earth was going on?

The assistant took her arm and together they made their way to the section where the magazine and newspapers were displayed. People continued to stare at her as they approached the stand.

Jyn stopped.

On every tabloid and broadsheet front page was a photo of the Fire-fighter in his private room and there comforting him as he lay in his bed was a dark-haired woman leaning over him with her face close to his and who looked like she was whispering something to him.

Illuminated by the soft lights around them, the image made her look ethereal and spiritual like some mythical sprite meant to guide a lost soul back to the land of the living. Somehow, someone had gained access to the intensive care department and had taken a photo of her private moment with him.

The assistant went over, picked up a copy and handed it to her as Jyn stood there in a complete daze as she stared at the newspaper. Confused, she looked up at the woman who smiled at her.

"He woke up," she told her. "Late last night. They're calling you his guardian angel."

***

In the darkest of nights, he heard a soft voice whisper.

Looking up at the black void that surrounded him, he realized that the naked girl had disappeared and he sensed that he was floating. Above him, needles of light streaked across space like multi-colored shooting stars as the midnight turned into a deep majestic red.

Something had changed. He could feel it. It felt as if he was being pulled from the edge of a vast abyss towards another place. Another destiny. Something had come for him. To guide him back to where he was meant to be.

Something or someone.

The dark was slowly turning to light and he gasped as his senses suddenly overwhelmed him with tears running down his cheeks. He opened his eyes to a kaleidoscope of submerged color as he took his first deep breath of pure oxygen.

He had returned from wherever he had been. He blinked but his vision was nothing more than a watery mirage as he tried to swallow and winced at the pain. He could just make out ghostly shadows moving around him with the sound of raised voices as he tried to say something to let them know he was there. But he was tired. Exhausted. And the comfort of sleep wrapped herself around him to keep him safe.

He was home. Back to where he should be.

And all because of the dark-haired girl in his dream.

***

Everything and everyone stopped when Jyn entered the main hospital lobby escorted by the Police who kept the baying press and crowd at bay.

This young Chinese woman was the center of attention as she stood there blinking at the frenzy of lights and questions being shouted towards her. The blonde Policewoman who had been in the backseat of the car with her put a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" she shouted above the din.

Wide-eyed with confusion, Jyn nodded. It only seemed like five minutes ago she had been stood in the supermarket with the manager saying he was going to call the Police as things were getting out of hand with people wanting to see the "whispering girl" who was on the front of every newspaper and being talked about on every morning news and entertainment show.

A familiar face stepped in front of her. "Come this way, Jyn," said the nurse. "To the restroom. It'll be quieter in there."

Jyn nodded and smiled gratefully at Connie as they made their way through the reception area where people were standing watching as they took photos or recorded the moment on their phones. Closing the door behind them, Jyn sat down at a table as the younger woman stared out of the window at the situation outside.

"Well," said Connie with a laugh. "That's one way to make an entrance. Looks like you got famous."

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked the Policewoman who was updating her superiors over the radio as another two officers came into the room. "We've been told to remain here until everything calms down. Hospital security will take care of the press and tv."

On the table in front of her was a newspaper. Picking it up, Jyn stared at herself on the front page under the headline "Angel of Light" with the byline "Hero Fireman back from the dead." and read the story about what had happened. She looked up to see the others in the room staring at her.

"Do you want to see him?" asked her friend.

***

He was awake but still dreaming.

Those dreams were memories he was remembering as his mind continued to recover and a way his sub-conscious was helping him begin to heal. He knew he was in a hospital. In a bed. Hooked up to God knows what that had kept his body alive even when he wasn't there. He still felt weak and could barely raise his head from the pillow. Even opening his eyes was a huge effort. Time was the most important thing to him right now. He knew it would take time to recover.

It was then he sensed someone was in the room with him.

Propped up on the pillow, he opened his eyes to see the silhouette of a woman with long dark hair curled over her right shoulder standing at the bottom of the bed watching him. He tried to blink away the tears and to say something from behind the mask he was wearing to help with his breathing.

The woman remained silent but continued to stare at him as he hesitantly reached up and tried to remove the mask. Quickly, she moved to his side and took his hand in hers as she pressed a finger to her lips and shook her head. Through his blurred vision, he could barely make out her features but it was the dark amber of her eyes that captured him with a silent promise as she looked down at him.

She laid his hand down and put hers together as if in prayer before resting her face on one side telling him he should go to sleep. He nodded and closed his eyes somehow knowing she would be there for him and keep him safe.

Then he felt the soft touch of her lips on his forehead as he let himself slip into the land of dreams.

***

A long, long time ago in a place where Gods and Diety walked, a girl sat upon a rock staring out to sea waiting patiently for a sign. Beside her, the Domo stood watching as the night gave way to the dawn of the new day. The day when the girl would answer her calling and begin her long-awaited journey. At last, the moment whispered to her and she stood before her teacher with her long black hair flowing around her like a mountain stream.

"Do you hear the voice of the spirit?" the old man asked her. "If so, then your wait is at an end."

Turning to the Sun God sat high in the early morning sky, the girl smiled and spread her arms wide as she transformed into the Fenghuang and soared into the wide blue yonder to fulfill her destiny.

***

Beneath the old Victorian gas lamp, the group of friends stood talking as a gust of wind blew flurries of freshly fallen snow around them. "He's gone," said the boy to the Chinese girl who stood there in her black coat, blue knitted scarf, and red bobble hat.

Jyn stared at him as she felt her heart skip a beat. "Gone?"

The boy looked at her and nodded. "Back home with his family. He was my cousin."

Gone? How could he be gone? She had only just met him yesterday. And now he was gone?

"Home?" she asked.

The boy pointed over her shoulder. "Uh-huh, that a way. Back to America."

Jyn turned and looked to where he was pointing. America? But that was on the other side of the world. A million miles away from here. "No" she whispered as she fell to her knees in the snow and began to cry.

***

"Hey, Bozo," said a familiar voice as someone slipped their hand into his.

Slowly opening his eyes, Joss saw his sister sitting to his right watching him as he smiled and squeezed her hand. "Hey," he replied with his voice barely a whisper. His throat still felt raw and saying anything at all made him wince with pain.

"Water?" asked Carly.

He nodded and felt her ease her hand behind his head to support him as she brought the glass to his lips and he took a few sips that felt like heaven. When he was done he looked around the room.

"Where's mom?" he asked.

His sister rolled her eyes. "Probably being a pain in the ass," she sighed. "Talking with the consultants and various other people in charge here. Keeping them on their toes. You know what she's like," Seeing her brother look around the room with a frown on his face, she rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"

It had been three days since he had woken up.

And In those three days, he had lain there in his hospital bed quietly watching and listening to everything and everyone around him as he felt himself getting stronger and more aware of his surroundings.

Physically, his body had been repaired with each broken bone bolted and fused with his shattered pelvis pinned and plated back into place. His vision was still slightly blurred but the Doctors had told him they expected his sight would improve over time.

But something had changed. Something was different. The world around him wasn't quite the same somehow and the reason seemed to be just out of reach to him.

As had become routine, the hospital staff moved around him as strangers became familiar faces even if he didn't know all their names. The door to his room opened and in walked his mother with two consultants, Strickland and Baxter, who stood to his right going over the latest test results and discussing his overall prognosis which had gone from critical care to rehabilitation.

For Joss though, his mind was elsewhere as he stared intently at the tv on the wall that had been switched on and was tuned to one of the major news networks. To his utter astonishment, there on the screen was a portrait photo of him taken at his graduation five years ago back in the USA.

What the hell?

His sister saw the surprised look on his face. "Don't you know?" she asked him. "Has no one told you what happened and about what you did?"

He shook his head as he continued to watch the news report and the footage of a Fire-fighter inside a burning apartment rescuing someone. It took a moment for him to realize that the Fire-fighter was him.

His mother came over and sat beside him. Taking his hand, she nodded at the screen. "You saved those two little girls, Joss," she told him and he saw there were tears in her eyes. "I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you. We all are. You did a very brave thing and the whole world saw you doing it," She brushed the hair from his brow. "My son. The hero."

Stunned, Joss looked around the room. Everyone was looking at him as he tried to take it all in. "Everybody?" he asked.

Carly laughed. "Brother, you have no idea."

***

"Do you think you should go in today?"

Jyn turned to her friend. "Why not?" she replied with a shrug. "What else would I do?"

Connie stared out of the window at the group of photographers below. They had been camped outside of the apartment they shared ever since the press found out where Jyn lived a couple of days ago. The attention was not only crazy but a little bit scary for the two of them even though the Police were involved and the hospital had arranged for transport to pick them up.

"You switched shifts?"

Jyn nodded. "They thought it best if I do nights so there are fewer people around. It's the sensible thing to do I guess due to the circumstances and everything. They also think the best way forward is for me to do an arranged photocall with the press," she explained. "Don't think I can do that, to be honest. Things could get out of hand."

"With him?"

"Yes," replied Jyn. "Otherwise what would be the point?"

Connie walked over to the pile of newspapers that were on the coffee table and picked the one on top showing the intimate photo of her friend and the man in the bed. The image had a fairy-tale hint about it. Like it had been painted with deliberate care and love. She glanced at her friend who stood looking out of their window.

What a remarkable young woman she was. No wonder she attracted attention wherever she went. She had often wondered why her friend was deliberately single and who seemed to want to be alone. Maybe, after the events of the past few days, she would discover that reason.

Looking at the photo on the front page of the newspaper, there was one thing she wanted to ask her friend. "What did you say to him?"

Jyn turned at the question. What should she tell her closest friend? That she had answered something this presumed stranger had asked her a long time ago? That moment in time was her most cherished memory and the thought of it had become a place where she found herself most at peace. It gave her comfort. A feeling of warmth on a cold night.

"Remember when I told you I already belonged to someone?"

Connie stared at Jyn. She did remember but she had always imagined that had been just an easy excuse to avoid going out with someone she didn't want to go out with.

"You mean.."

Jyn nodded.

"He's the one I belong to."

***

Flames burst into life and he found himself surrounded by a wall of heat that sparked and flared as the fire came for him. Reaching up, he grabbed his face mask and tried to calm the terror he was feeling.

He was dreaming again and he was back inside the fiery nightmare that had nearly taken his life. Above, it was the clearest of nights with the burning embers a brilliant orange and yellow against the pitch-black canvas as they flickered and fluttered on the breeze.

As before, a sense of increasing panic began to overwhelm him as he tried to escape from the inferno. But there was no escape because there was nowhere else to go as he held up his gloved hands and watched as they began to smolder and smoke with the intense heat. Everything felt so real as he collapsed onto his knees staring up at the night sky.

Somehow, he felt as one with the universe and watched as the air around him appeared to shimmer as something began to take shape a short distance in front of him. For a moment, he thought it was some sort of golden bird but then it became something familiar. It was her. The girl who had brought him back from the abyss. She stopped before him with her long black hair swirling around her alabaster nakedness as she placed a hand on his right cheek as he stared up at her.

In the deepest, darkest corner of his soul, The spirit smiled.

***

"Wake up," said a voice.

Gasping at the intensity of his nightmare, Joss opened his eyes and stared at the silhouetted figure standing over him as he struggled to breathe with his heart loudly pounding in his chest. It was late and the only light in the room was a small lamp on a table against the far wall.

"Shhhhh," the girl whispered. "You're safe now. It was only a dream."

He nodded before realizing she was holding both his hands tightly as he looked around the room in confusion. "A dream?" he muttered as he began to relax and she let him go.

Reaching across him, Jyn switched on the reading light above his head and saw he was covered in sweat. Taking a wipe, she cleaned his face and made him more comfortable as he sat back against his pillows before she went to the bottom of his bed to check the clipboard for the latest medical update.

Satisfied, she glanced up to find he was looking at her and she suddenly felt the distance between them become so very small. It also occurred to her that this was the first time they had been alone together ever since she had shyly waved to him in the snow all those years ago.

"Hello, Mr. Vandenburg," she said simply as he continued to stare at her in silence.

***

As he looked at the dark-haired nurse, the Fire-fighter knew that his life would never be the same again as she stood there in her uniform. Her long thick black hair had been bound and braided with the end frayed like a fan that hung over her right shoulder and as he continued to stare at her he saw her blush and drop her gaze.

The pure whiteness of her skin seemed to glow under the soft light and all he wanted to do was just sit there and look at her. Breathtaking was the only word he could think of that would do her justice as his gaze was drawn to the nametag pinned to her uniform

He finally found his voice. "Hello," he replied.

"How are you feeling?" asked Jyn.

He gave a rueful wince. "Been better."

"Yes," she smiled. "I can imagine," Continuing, she moved a hand across her face. "Eyes?"

Joss blinked. "Uh, improving, I think," he told her. "The other nurse gave me some drops earlier. Things seem to be clearer and the ache has pretty much gone."

"Can you see me?" said Jyn. "How do I look?"

Joss smiled at the question for the answer was obvious. "You look absolutely perfect" he wanted to say. Instead, he said "Halliday."

Amused, Jyn gave him a little formal Chinese bow and put her hands together in front of her. "Hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nǐ," she replied. "Nice to meet you. May I continue to see how you are?"

Joss eased back against his pillow enjoying the way her character came through in the way she spoke and framed things. "Sure, okay."

For the next couple of minutes, he sat watching as the nurse took each hand and turned them over as she examined them. Wriggling his fingers, she squeezed some lotion out of a bottle into her hands and began to rub and massage the cream into the hard skin that had formed because of his burns.

Seeing she was concentrating on what she was doing, he took the opportunity to look at her properly as his eyes roamed over her deep black hair as she sat on the bed beside him. The contrast with her unblemished skin was striking and he would have loved nothing more than to run his fingers through it to feel its weight and texture. He imagined she was Chinese as his eyes moved over her face with its distinctive features. Dark eyes. Delicate cheeks. Pert nose. Full red lips. Pure white skin. She really was perfect.

His gaze dropped to the hint of cleavage and he felt the change in his mood at the obvious secrets that lay hidden inside just waiting to be discovered. It took him a second to realize she had stopped doing what she had been doing and he glanced up to see her watching him with those piercing dark eyes.

"Uh," he mumbled as there was a knock on the door and in walked a young woman who stopped and looked at the two of them holding hands.

"Oh," said Carly, sounding surprised. "Hello."

Slightly embarrassed, Jyn got to her feet and grabbed a wipe to clean her hands. "Hello," she replied quickly as she stepped away from the bed and pretended to smooth down the front of her uniform. She had already learned that this was his sister who had arrived a day after his accident from America along with their mother.

Turning to the man in the bed, Jyn grabbed the tray. "There, Mr. Vandenburg. All done," she said and gave his sister a smile as she walked past her and left the room.

Carly watched the nurse leave and turned to look at her brother who was staring intently at the young woman as she closed the door.

"Do you know who she is?" she asked him.

Joss looked at his sister. "Who she is?" he asked confused. "Isn't she one of the intensive care nurses on the rota to keep an eye on me?"

"You really don't know?" she wondered.

Joss shook his head. What was she talking about? Was there something they weren't telling him? What was going on? What made that girl so different from all the others?

"Carly?" he said.

His sister didn't reply but left the room and came back a couple of minutes later holding something in her hand. "I think you should take a look at this," she told him as she held up an old newspaper for him to see.

Joss stared at the front page.

But it wasn't the two people in the photo that he was looking at.

It was a name. The name of the nurse in the photo.

The "Angel of Light" was called Jyn Halliday.

"Jyn," he whispered.

After all these years, he had found her.

***

The world is so very different when she is sleeping.

Back home, Jyn stood looking out of her apartment window having returned from her late-night shift at the hospital. She was still in her uniform as she took a sip of orange juice and looked at the old framed parchment in her hand. On it was something her mother had written for her father before they had married a long time ago.

As was Chinese tradition, it was a message of devotion from one lover to another.

"I don't need paradise because I found you nor dreams because I have you. Together is the only place I want to be for I cannot love you more than I do today but I know I will tomorrow."

Jyn had read those words so many times she knew them off by heart. As she looked up at the night sky, she whispered a silent prayer to the spirit that created her and hoped the path she was walking in this life was the one she wanted more than anything.

***

Two further days passed and the auditorium was packed.

Every seat was taken and the room was full of the world's press and media who were waiting for the news conference to begin as the Fire-fighter was brought in through a side entrance where he was met by the hospital communications manager.

"Mr. Vandenburg," he nodded to the man in the wheelchair. "Welcome to bedlam," he quipped. "Alright, so the plan is I'll go out and make a statement on behalf of St. Bernards and give the media the latest update then I'll introduce you first so that the press can get their photos or whatever out of the way. Taking questions is entirely up to you if you feel up to it. Let's see how it goes. Hopefully, everyone can then move on with.."

Joss looked around him. "What about the girl," he asked. "The nurse?"

The official glanced at the people with him. "Well, as I said, the plan was to do this together and from what I understand, Nurse Halliday has yet to arrive. We'll get this thing started and see how it goes."

Joss nodded but didn't say anything as he was wheeled out in front of the world's media who all wanted their photos or interview with the hero of the hour.

***

After an initial introduction, the media were then allowed to ask questions which covered everything from the accident itself to how he became a Fire-fighter in the first place as well as more personal questions about his private life which Joss answered with a "no comment" before the official moved on.

Then someone asked, "What do you remember of what you did?"

Joss shifted slightly in his wheelchair. Despite the painkillers, he could still feel the ache in his lower body where his bones had been bolted together. He was on a small stage with his sister by his side along with other hospital officials and staff.

"Uh, well," he began as he looked up at the mass of tv cameras, reporters, and press who filled the four circular tiers of the auditorium. He had already posed for the photographers when he first came into the room and only now and again did flashbulbs go off when he agreed to answer a few questions despite his obvious fatigue. "To be honest, not much. Just brief flashes really. Like the ragdoll. Finding the other girl in the cupboard under a pile of clothes. The bright light. The loud bang," He frowned and shook his head. "That's pretty much it. Apart from the dream."

"The dream?" asked the reporter.

Joss stopped. What else should he say? How could he talk about that without sounding like a complete loon? But it was true. He did remember the dream. And the girl with the long dark hair who spoke to him inside it.

He shrugged and shook his head. "Ah, it was nothing. I think that's enough for now."

At the sound of the side-door opening, everyone in the room turned to see a young Chinese woman standing there in her nurses uniform. Instantly, the auditorium exploded into a firework display as every camera turned in her direction.

Blinded by the flashing lights, Jyn stood frozen to the spot stunned by the reaction as someone came to stand behind her.

It was her best friend who gave her a hug. "You okay?" asked Connie.

Jyn nodded. She was far from okay. How could she not be? Everyone was staring at her and she suddenly felt completely overwhelmed by it all. Despite her misgivings, there was only one reason she was there and he was sitting in his wheelchair looking at her along with everyone else. Beside him, there was an empty chair waiting for her to join him. The public not only wanted to see the hero and his "Angel of Light" but they wanted to see them together.

When he smiled at her she knew everything would be alright as one of the organizers came towards her so she could be brought onto the stage to be introduced to the media so that the news conference could continue.

Walking towards him, she felt more confident in herself and somehow understood that he would let nothing bad happen to her as she took her seat and glanced at him.

"Hey," he winked which made her smile shyly at him and the room disappear again into a world of electronic flashes and thunderous clicks followed by a thousand questions all asked at the same time. It took the official a moment to bring everyone to order as he explained who the nurse was and her role at the hospital.

And as all this was going on, the only thing Jyn was thinking about was how she was sat next to the man who had chased her in the snow all those years ago.

***

And then, finally, came the one question everyone wanted to ask.

"What did you say to him?" said the young woman reporter who was sat a few rows from the front of the stage where Jyn was sitting. "Everyone wants to know what you said to him because he woke up a short while later. People think it was because of you that he did so."

Jyn felt her heart pounding in her chest. Not sure of what to say, she stared at the woman who had asked the question and then around the room at everyone looking at her. Imagining her mother sat at home back in China watching her, she knew she would tell her daughter to speak the truth.

Glancing to her right, she saw Joss was staring at her waiting for her answer. Then she realized that the answer was just as important to him as it was to everyone else watching and waiting. There was another burst of bright flashes and clicks as she raised her head.

"Mr. Vandenburg was in a place he wasn't meant to be," she said carefully. "I simply told him he was a good man and that he should come back to the people he loved and who loved him. The Fenghuang spirit heard my voice and granted my wish."

Jyn stopped, wondering if she had said too much. Everyone in the room sat in total silence looking at the young Chinese woman who bowed her head slightly and turned to the man in the wheelchair who was staring at her.

Then, as if in slow motion, she watched as he reached across with his hand and laid his on hers as the room for them both disappeared not only physically but emotionally into a world of bright white light.

***

Back in his hospital room, the auxiliary staff were helping Joss get back into his bed and settled after the news conference had ended.

He was exhausted with the effort and lay there propped up against his pillows as the people around him tended to his every need but his eyes were only on the one that mattered. The one who meant more to him than anything even if she didn't know it yet.

"That was an interesting experience," she smiled, relieved that it was over. "Maybe now things can get back to normal and we can move on. It is late and I am done here. I shall see you tomorrow, Mr. Vandenburg," She saw him raise an eyebrow. "Joss," she said with a shy nod as she went to leave the room.

"Nurse Halliday."

Jyn stopped at the door. "Yes?"

Joss stared at her for a moment thinking about what to say as there were still other people in the room and this really wasn't the time or the place. But he wanted her to know one thing.

"I do remember the snow," he said simply.

Their eyes met and it meant more than anything to him when he saw her smile.

***

Time heals.

A day turned into two, then three slipped into four followed by five and six which become a week. For Joss Vandenburg, it was not only a time to recover but a time to think and consider everything that had happened and what was going to happen to him in the future. Before him, life sat waiting. Waiting for him to take the first step of many along the path of his choosing.

He was in a small garden in the rehab section of the hospital. Listening to the birds singing and watching the butterflies dancing amongst the flowers and shrubs. Still in his wheelchair, he closed his eyes and raised his face to the afternoon sun which sat high in a cobalt sky.

After everything, it was nice to have a moment alone.

Behind him, he heard a click.

And someone walk up behind him. Instinctively, he knew who it was and he could sense that tightening feeling across his chest and a surge of warmth flood his heart. A shadow fell across him as the young Chinese woman came to sit on a wooden bench opposite.

"Hello," she said in that endearingly formal way she had.

The man in the wheelchair didn't say anything but simply stared at her.

Jyn, her long black hair flowing free, was dressed in a smart red jacket, a white Chinese blouse, pleated knee-length black skirt and matching shoes. She tilted her head slightly as she looked at Joss with the intensity in his gaze taking her breath away.

"Is everything alright?" she asked him.

Joss sat forward never taking his eyes off her.

"I know who you are, Jyn Halliday," he said.

Jyn gasped and felt her heart ache in her chest.

"The snow," Joss remembered. "I chased and caught you in the snow."

The Chinese woman nodded. "And where you asked me something," she whispered.

The memory was as fresh to him as when the moment had happened. Yes. He had asked her a question. A question he had never forgotten despite all the years that had passed. "Did you?"

"Yes," whispered Jyn. "Yes, I waited," Her eyes met his. "For you."

Joss stared at her. "So did I."

At his revelation, Jyn got to her feet. "When you went back home, I remember thinking America was so far away," she said, turning to look at him. "I was so very sad at that moment thinking I would never see you again."

"I have a confession," he told her. "I made a promise to myself a long time ago that one day I would come looking for you. That whatever it took. However long it would take. I would find you again. And in the end, you found me," Joss reached forward and took her hand. "And saved me."

Nodding, Jyn could feel a tear running down her cheek when she realized he had always wanted her just as much as she had always wanted him. And like her, he had waited.

"Please stand up," she whispered.

Doing as she asked, Joss got to his feet and looked down at her. Then to his surprise, he watched as she knelt at his feet and reached for something inside her coat pocket.

It was a length of rope.

Jyn looked up at him.

"I have always been yours," she breathed. "From the first time I saw you," Then she handed it to him as he finally understood the kind of woman she was. The kind he was meant for. Slowly, he looped one end of the rope into a noose and looked at this woman he had loved for as long as he could remember.

Jyn clasped her hands together and held them up for him.

The years had faded away and their past became their future. A future that bound them to each other as he slipped the noose over her hands and pulled it tight.

Then, slowly, he urged her to her feet and brought her close so they could share a first kiss as the Fenghuang spirit sat high in a tree watching the whims of fate bring their love full circle.

***

End.