She woke to the smell of apple blossoms in the sun. How she missed the sun. The warm beams on her face. Being with him.

Ah yes. Him.

She rose out of her coffin to silence. The boys were out, eating dinner no doubt, and her Childe had yet to wake. She decided to take this time to think.

Why was he so confusing? Why did he have to mess with her emotions like that? Was he teasing her again, making her promises only to break them? He already had broken her heart before. If he did it again, she would never be able to forgive him.

Then there was another complication.

"Ronin..." She whispered, even though no one was around to hear her anyway.

What to do about Ronin? Sweet, mortal Ronin. She cared for him, yes, but she wasn't sure if she loved him the way she did Malavar.

Did she love Malavar? She had respected them when they were alive, yes. But love?

Could a vampire love? Was she herself even capable of it?

She loved Rachel, yes, but Rachel was her daughter. And she cared for Teddy and Kate most definately. But could she ever love like mortals?

A sadness covered her eyes when she thought that.

"How can I, when I myself am no longer a mortal?"

She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts. No, she would not think of this anymore. Not now. She wanted to change her clothes. She went to the closet and looked for something to wear. As she was glancing through her clothes, she stopped on one outfit. A dress. It wasn't a gown, no, far from it. It was a simple dress, one that she wore back when she was alive. Or at least, one just like it. It was purple, with red ribbons down the front to lace it up and white lace framing the trim. It was nicer than a peasant's dress, but still quite common. She had loved it so much. She remembered that he had liked it too. Not that he had said anything outright, no, but she could tell all the same.

It was the same dress she wore one time when they were once again forced to take a walk together. They wandered out into the gardens that bright spring day, along the path that led to the orchard. The apple blossoms were just blooming.

She smiled to herself and changed quickly. The dress brought back the memory of the dream, and all that it held. She didn't have anymore time to dwell on it for her Childe was waking. And there were things to be done. She pushed her feelings aside and waited for her Childe to rise.