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In Australia when Anna was laying on her deathbed, she didn't feel cold like many would think. She felt warmth around her, she wasn't shivering nor in pain. Her head didn't hurt or her lungs didn't burn but she was in peace.

She didn't feel pain now either which only confirmed her thoughts― that she had died. If Anna was being truthful, she never expected to die a painful death but a quick one, like blinking an eye.

The feeling of Isiah's lips haunted her and she could still taste the aftertaste of the cigarettes he had smoked earlier. Anna wondered did she take it all in then ― when he had kissed her for the last time. She should've told him why she loved him. What were the things that made her knees grow weak whenever he was near her.

Her mother's voice rang in her ear for reasons Anna couldn't explain. Her mother was most likely dead by now ― the noose around Polly's neck must had taken her life already. 

Anna wasn't going to heaven, she knew this much. The nuns had told this to her many times, so did her foster parents and every other soul she has ever ran into in her past. Imogen was the first one who disagreed with all those people and when Anna had cried herself to sleep one night for accidentally breaking a vase, sobbing how she will most certainly end up in hell, Imogen told her she was being ridiculous.

There was a soft if not even gentle lightness in her heart. She had no idea why she felt so calm and collected when thinking of death. The only thing that made her feel sadness and loss was how she won't be able to say goodbye to her mother. How she cannot kiss Isiah again or kick Thomas' sorry arse for being a dick.

Polly's voice was ringing in her ears again. Anna felt something touching her cheek, a warm and loving touch. Her mother's voice however was not the only one she could hear but Isiah and Imogen were there too. Now this made no sense to Anna since Isiah and Imogen were very much alive.

Hearing Polly made sense since she was dead, just like Anna will soon be. But Isiah and Imogen were well and alive and yet Anna could hear them too. Anna could hear them talking about her

They weren't there for too long but Polly's voice stayed. It spoke to her with a shaky voice. Words of love and fear filled Anna's head and she if she physically just could, she would had cried. But she was laying still on her hospital bed, breathing so slowly that it was almost invisible.

What felt like small drops of rain fell on Anna's face ― the rain drops were the tears her mother shed. There was nothing but darkness around Anna as her eyes were tightly closed and have not been opened in days.

Over the years Anna has seen nightmares of a woman in a form of a shadow. Her long and skinny arms would often come and reach for Anna and up until now, Anna has never realized what it means but now she was beginning to.

Maybe it was death. The woman was death or her mother, dead and calling for her. Calling for her to come home.

In her short life Anna has seen a lot. She has been through a lot and yet she felt like there was so much left to do and see. How she had only just fallen in love and how she would still want to experience life.

"I love you baby and I am probably being very selfish right now but you can't give up. You can't leave yet because I haven't had enough time with you. Isiah hasn't either and neither has Imogen. No one has."

Anna heard her mother speak again.

The words cut her so deep in to her heart. The more she listened to her mother's words, the more Anna came to realize that perhaps her mother was not dead. That she was there with Anna's cold, tired and unconscious body. Polly wasn't in prison anymore, waiting for her death but free and in London.

If Polly was free and in London it meant that Anna's plan had worked. A new sense of lightness entered her heart and as it did, her lungs filled with more air. And then some more.

Her sense became sharper and she suddenly felt how someone's head was on her chest. The familiar scent of her mother's perfume got stronger and the darkness surrounding Anna started to fade away. Second by second she started to feel more and more and whatever nightmares or dreams had haunted her were soon gone. The memories of her past were still clear and vivid in her mind but the pain they usually cost was gone.

She no longer wanted to cry when her mind entered her horrific past. If anything she wanted to laugh. How much did she have to pay for the mistakes of other people. How her entire life had changed because of a woman who was angry at her mother so she called the parish. How many times did she take the fault for someone else's doings.

A sudden breeze of fresh air traveled through her entire body, filling her lungs with life. She felt her toes, her fingers and feet. She felt how her hair was tickling her nose and how her hand began to move and eventually rested down on someone's head.

Polly thought someone had entered the room when she felt a hand on top of her head but when she couldn't hear the door close, she knew no one had entered the room. The only person in the room with her was Anna and the realization of this made Polly nearly jump up from the bed. 

In just seconds she was staring at Anna's wide open eyes and the sight of her made Polly weep. She wept like she did on the day Michael and Anna were taken from her. Like on the day when she was told that Anna was dead. 

"Oh my sweet girl," whispered Polly with her hands shaking just under her chin. 

But Anna didn't say anything. She just stared at her mother like she was some stranger. The happiness on Polly's face faded away as reality took over ― Anna did not recognize her. The way she was looking at her was how they first had looked at each other at Thomas and Grace's wedding, they were just strangers then.

"Anna, it's me... It's momma," Polly said.

Anna was frowning and shaking her head, confusion shining from her eyes as Polly tried to figure out what to do. She thought nothing could hurt her as much as seeing Anna in her sick bed but this was close. 

Polly took in a deep breath and stepped closer to Anna's bed again. 

"You weren't feeling well and have been asleep for some time now," Polly tried to explain. "But you are awake now and... and I'm sure this is all very confusing but I need you to remember me. I'm your mum, your momma and..."

"Momma, it's okay," Anna said suddenly and her confused face broke into one of happiness. "I just needed a moment. I-I thought you faced the noose."

"Oh no," Polly shook her head and quickly sat down on Anna's bed again. 

She automatically reached for Anna's cheeks and cupped them between her palms. 

"I'm fine," said Polly and sighed. "It's you we've been worried about."

Anna tried to smile, put on a brave face and pretend she had not been scared. When sleeping, she had been in peace with her own possible death but not with the one of her mother's. Just the mere thought of Polly's limp and dead body hanging made Anna's head spin.

"Y-you really are here," sighed Anna and her unshed tears started to fall down her cheeks and landed on Polly's hands.

"Of course my love," said Polly and placed a kiss on Anna's forehead. "You will not get rid of me this easily. Just promise me that you won't pull out a stunt like this ever again."

"I didn't mean to," grinned Anna but her smile was still weary.

Polly bit her lip, forcing herself to keep her emotions on hold ― she didn't want to scare or worry Anna any more. She wanted to rejoice her daughter's miraculous recovery.

"Are you feeling all right?" Polly asked, her one hand moving on Anna's shoulder to check if it was still burning hot but it wasn't.

"I am," said Anna and pushed herself to sit so that her back was leaning against the bed's headboard. 

She wanted to ask her mother about the prison but chose to hold her tongue ― there was no need to travel back to the past again. They stayed quiet for a moment, trying to wrap their heads around the fact that they were both fine and free. It was a silence neither of them wanted to break, they feared that perhaps it was all still a dream. 

Anna dared to look away from her mother and took a look around the room. She didn't recognize the room but realized it must be a hospital room since she was not at Imogen's.

Imogen.

"Is Imogen all right?" Anna asked suddenly and broke the silence at once.

Polly nodded and smiled softly at her daughter.

"She is well. Just worried that's all," she told her. "I can go and get her if you want."

The offer surprised Anna. She knew her mother didn't have anything against Imogen but did perhaps feel some resentment towards the woman who's been with Anna while she herself wasn't. 

"Really?" 

"Of course darling," said Polly, curling a stray hair near Anna's cheek around her finger. "I will go and get her now. Everyone needs to know you are awake."

Though Polly didn't want to leave Anna alone even for a second, she left the room to inform the doctors and family that Anna was awake. 

Anna was soon alone in the room. She took in a deep breath and exhaled and she did so, more tears escaped her eyes. She let herself cry now the way she didn't want to before, in front of her mother. She didn't want to let her mother see exactly how distraught and scared she had been. 

She bit the inside's of her cheeks to make sure no one could hear her cry. Trying to focus on something else than what she was feeling, Anna tried to think of happy thoughts. 

Isiah was the first person who entered her mind and Anna couldn't help but smile. She thought of his eyes which looked at her always with such softness and kindness he shows to no anyone else. 

"Anna?"

The object of her thoughts had entered the room. When ― Anna did not know.

There's been around two times perhaps when Isiah has cried. The first time when he was a child and fell down a fight of stairs. The second time was when his mother passed away. And now there was a third time. 

Isiah had already lost all the hope and believed that Anna was never going to wake up. He would never get to kiss her again, see her beautiful eyes or hear her heartfelt laughter. But now he was looking into her eyes and saw how the corner of her lips started to form a smile that could light up even the darkest and deepest corner of the earth.

"H-hi," smiled Anna.

"You woke up," Isiah said. "W-when did you...?"

"Just now," answered Anna and slowly started to get up from the bed.

"Does anyone know?" 

Anna nodded and pushed the blanket, which has been keeping her warm, away and on the floor.

"Polly was here. She went to tell everyone. You must had missed her," explained Anna.

"I missed her yes," said Isiah and when he saw Anna standing up, barely managing to do so without the support of the bed, he ran to her in mere seconds.

He had his on arm around Anna's waist when her knees gave up and she almost fell on the floor. Isiah frowned with worried expression and wondered should he call for some help immediately but before he had a chance to do so, Anna spoke up.

"I'm fine," she said and smiled again. "Just a little lightheaded still."

Isiah didn't look convinced.

"I promise," said Anna and brushed her lips against Isiah's. "I am not going to die anytime soon."

The promise tasted sweet on Isiah's lips. He pulled Anna closer just so he could hear her heartbeat and the sound that should be so normal and uninteresting was one of the most amazing things Isiah has ever heard. It was an assurance that she was well.

"Good 'cause I blame you for making me fall for you. I don't like it, makes me feel fucking stupid from time to time. Sitting here and waiting for you to wake up," said Isiah, his fingers tracing up and down Anna's arm. "But that is what I do now, think of you all the time. You are everything Anna."

Anna chuckled. "I am not everything."

"You are," said Isiah and though he wanted nothing more than to kiss Anna again, he helped her to sit down on the chair next to her bed. "Which is why you need to take it easy now. So sit there."

"I'm not a damsel in distress," commented Anna with an arched brow.

Isiah lifted up his arms. "Of course you aren't. You just like to take very long naps and scare the living life out of everyone."

"Usually no one cared," shrugged Anna and looked out the window. "I was just one less child to worry about."

"Well that is not the case now."

Anna's face lightened up when she heard Imogen's familiar voice enter the room. The newly recovered brunette turned to see the woman whom has been the closest thing to a family before finding the Shelbys and Polly.

"And you better get use to it. Having people who care and love you," Imogen stated sternly but lovingly. 

"I don't know. I sort of liked being alone," smirked Anna and glanced at her mother who had entered the room just seconds after Imogen. "I'm only joking mum," she added when noticing the distressed look on her mother's face.

"Good to know your humor wasn't affected by this little incident," said Imogen.

"Oh nothing ever will," Anna added and felt Isiah's hand on her shoulder. "So are we having a doctor to check on me so I can leave this place?"