No Longer Alone

Chapter Thirty-Five

***Damian's POV***

    I didn't know how much longer I could stay sane tonight.  She was going to drive me absolutely insane, and the worst thing was, I was fairly certain she had no idea that she was doing it.  Alex had evidently gotten the full story from Jen, which he still couldn't explain to me, just that we were to do our best to get her drunk enough not to dream, and that since he was in my corner, he was the better one to drink with her.  Personally I think he simply didn't want to be responsible for anyone that was drunk and wanted to be the drunk, either way I was stuck with them.  We had gotten the alcohol, and headed back to our hotel, there was no way that I wanted to be driving here, where I don't know the roads as well, while trying to control them in a car.  

    Currently, Nicole was trying to teach Alex how to do a dance called the Cupid shuffle, though she was pretty unsteady at this point, and I had been half sitting, half laying on the couch for the last half an hour watching her shaking her butt at me while dancing.  They were doing some steps to the right, with Nicole close enough I could reach out and grab her, when Alex stepped a little too far, bumping into Nicole and sending her tumbling into my lap.  Alex of course started laughing like it was the funniest thing he had ever seen, while I just mentally groaned at and tried my hardest not to be effected by her wiggling around on my lap.

    "Enough, dancing is not working out.  Why don't you two sit down and watch a movie with me now."  I couldn't take it anymore and placed my hands on her hips, stilling her.

    "Looks like I'm already sitting.  Alex go sit!  I wanna watch a movie!"  Nicole demanded before moving my hands to turn around and look at the tv while still on my lap.  Flipping through the choices, I saw one of my personal favorites, and I knew that Alex liked it as well, though sometimes it would put him to sleep as well but he often related us to some of the characters.

    "Oh Pride and Prejudice!  I love that movie."  Nicole muttered, and Alex looked back at me raising an eyebrow.

    "Then that's what we will watch."  Clicking on it to start the movie and settling back to get comfortable.  

    It was about thirty minutes in when she leaned back onto me, her head resting just below my chin. At forty five minutes, they were both out cold, with Nicole shifting some in her sleep to get comfortable, she was clinging to me and laying on me, and by an hour, I had fallen asleep as well, with my arms wrapped around her.

*******

    I was at the castle again, and I don't know why but I knew there was something different tonight.  Racing down the path that I had travelled in dreams so many times before, I reached the throne room in record speeds looking to the two glass cases, the two thrones.  It was vastly different than before, the shattered throne was hidden, a black shroud covering it top to bottom, and a quick glance to the other showed a throne made of some black crystal, with a crown sitting within the case, no longer hidden, but still inaccessible. Unconcerned for the moment, I turned back to the one that concerned me, walking towards the covered black case, my footsteps echoing in the hall.  Where is she.  I heard a whimper, and looked for the sound, finding nothing.

    "Please stop, don't...." Her voice echoed in the hall, still unable to find her I took another step closer towards the glass case. As I got closer I saw a thin trail of blood coming from the case, and I rushed to it, my heart racing with fear at that moment, pulling the shroud off I heard her sobs again.

    There she was inside the case, her hands a bloody mess as she attempted to pick up shards from the ground inside the case, piece by piece putting the throne together.  The crown that had been in there before was no where to be seen.  Her whole body appeared to be covered with scars, and I understood what my mind had been trying to tell me before.  Some wounds looked ancient and almost completely faded, but there were new wounds and new scars on her now.

    "Let me in Nicole, you don't have to fix it alone." I placed a hand on the glass, wanting to reach her somehow. "Let me help you, I want to help you."  She shook her head, tears running down her face looking at me.

    "You are already trying to make me dream again, that's too dangerous, I can't let you take my heart too.  I don't think I could pick up the pieces from that."  She looked down to my other hand that wasn't on the glass.

    I hadn't realized I was holding the tarnished and broken crown from before.  Her daughter called her a queen, but she didn't see it, her dream had been broken.  I set about showing her that she was wrong, polishing the crown the best I could with the shroud, trying to envision how the crown should look as I worked to bend it back into shape.  I could see her pause out of the corner of my eye, but I dedicated myself to this task first, even as she lifted a bloody hand to the glass, and started to shake a little, watching me.

    "Why don't you give up like everyone else...I'm nothing...I'm trash....please...don't hurt me...." I hear her cry again, and everything seems to shake harder.  With one last sob the lights go out  and I'm pulled from the dream.

******

    I wake with a start, wondering why it feels like the bed is shaking, and I feel over warm.  I look down to see Nicole trying to curl into a ball, shaking hard and crying in her sleep, asking again and again not to be hurt.  The dreams Jen had warned us about I would bet.

    Running a hand over her back I softly tried calling her name, but didn't get a response, so I moved my hand to hold her clenched fist, trying to unclench them, worried that she may injure herself, talking to her softly now, letting her know that she was safe, that I was here and would protect her.  Asking her not to leave an hurt me.  Her shaking seemed to slow, and her hand loosened enough for me to hold it so she couldn't do it again.  I kept talking softly, about how I had been looking for her without knowing it, asking her to help me.  Her hand clenched for a moment and I heard a low groan from her as she stretched out, eyes blinking, looking around startled.

    "What-" I put a finger to her lips stopping her, and then pointing to the floor where Alex lay passed out and to the tv that was still on.  She looked at them for a moment and blushed, probably remembering getting bumped into my lap, or some of their other antics through the night.  I stand up and stretch, motioning her to follow me.

    I head back to the bedroom of this hotel room, and pull a shirt out, handing it to her and pointing to the bathroom.  She nods and heads in to change, while I change into some shorts and a different shirt.  She comes out in my shirt, which is almost a dress on her.  I motion for her to take the bed and head for the door, but my heart stutted to a stop for a second when I felt her grab my arm.

    "Please stay...I'm...scared...to sleep alone tonight." It would take a harder heart than mine to ignore a plea like that.  I walked with her back to the bed, I wrapped my arm around her as she curled into my body, seeking comfort, and for the second time tonight, I fell asleep with the woman I was falling hard for in my arms.