Sweet Dreams - Ace Merrill

Please.

The four younger boys stopped the skipping and joking as they began walking through unknown territory.

They huddled somewhat closer together as they walked around, eyes glancing everywhere.

"Where is she?" Vern mumbled as they saw other people walking along, just not her.

The others shrugged.

"Can't we just look for a baby?" Vern asked as he glanced up at the others.

"It's a baby you moron!" Teddy snapped. "They all look the same!"

Chris held a hand up to stop him. "We'll just look for her and I'm sure if we find her, we'll see the baby."

They all nodded in agreement as they continued walking through the streets.

"These houses are fucking massive..." Teddy mumbled as he glanced around. "How the fuck are we gonna find her here?!"

Yet just as his question came Chris slammed a hand over his mouth and nodded down the street.

They followed his gaze as they saw her. She was indeed clutching what looked like a baby but there was someone else with her.

He was talking to her and it didn't look too friendly from their end.

Vern flinched as they saw the guy quickly swing his arm up and land a smack on her cheek.

"Oh fuck no!" Teddy snapped as he moved Chris's hand and went to go over there.

Chris and Gordie quickly grabbed his arms and yanked him back.

"Like you could take him on!" Chris snapped in his ear as they looked back over at the couple.

They watched as the guy took a hold of her arm. He began walking her down the street, towards them.

"Calm Teddy..." Chris mumbled as the pair approached.

"He hit her though..." Teddy grumbled as all four boys couldn't deny the want to protect an innocent girl from him.

"You gonna fucking move?" The guy snapped as he looked down at the four boys.

Vern instantly moved aside as Gordie slowly took half a step to the side. Yet Chris and Teddy found themselves staying firm.

They watched as the girl slowly looked up at them, the baby crying in her arms as she locked eyes with Chris.

"Move out my way." He snapped again as he groaned, hearing the baby's constant crying. "Shut him up!"

Vivian desperately tried to get John to stop crying but he didn't. She couldn't concentrate. Her eyes remained fixed on Chris's.

"You can't just hit a girl you know?" Teddy snapped at him.

Chris saw the panicked looked on the girl's face as the guy slowly let her go, taking a small step closer to Teddy.

"Oh I can't?" He questioned sarcastically. "Who's gonna stop me? You and your little buddies?" He gestured to the other three.

"My brother." Chris bit back.

The guy scoffed. "And who is your brother? Big bad and scary is he?" He laughed, taunting the youngest Chambers.

"Both their brothers are cobras!" Teddy quickly responded, pointing at Chris and Vern.

Vivian's face lit up.

"Oh that's cute, let me guess they sent you to come save Ace's little lady?" He asked, glancing between the two of them.

"You know she wants me to take the baby right? Because funnily enough I can give it a better life than she could." He spat out, glaring at her.

"Every proper mum wants what's best for their child." Chris snapped as he looked down at Vivian, desperately trying to calm the crying John.

"But this ain't it." Chris finished as he looked back up at the man.

"You don't know shit about what's best." He spat out.

His hand went go Vivian's hair as he clutched it tight in his fist, yanking her closer to him.

The four boys clenched slightly as they saw the pain flash over her face.

"Now. Out my fucking way." He snarled out at them.

"This ain't best." Chris glared straight at Vivian as she stared back at him through watery eyes.

He saw her glance down at the baby before back up at him.

"Please." He saw the small word come out of her mouth.

Before any of them could do or say anything, she quickly pushed her arms out. Chris dove, taking the screaming baby.

The man instantly flung Vivian backwards by her hair, sending her down on the ground as he took a step closer to Chris.

"Give me my fucking son." He snarled out as Chris took a step back, trying to balance the crying baby, who was so desperately trying to break free.

Chris glanced down at Vivian as he looked back up at the man.

"You'll have to catch me first." He snapped out as he instantly took off running.

Trying so desperately to hold the kid tight to his chest he ran, his best friends by his side as they heard shouts after them.

Chris was fast, faster than his friends. But carrying a crying, squirming baby he struggled.

He pushed himself hard as he realised the shouts were getting quieter.

The four boys came to a slow halt as they turned and saw they weren't being followed.

Teddy grimaced down at the baby, who was screaming his lungs out as he couldn't stop crying.

"Make it stop!" Teddy shouted as Chris attempted to balance the baby, trying to bounce him slightly.

"I'm trying!" He shouted back. "I don't know how!"

Vern stood with a scared look on his face as his hands covered his ears.

"Lemme help!" Gordie shouted over the cries as he came closer and tried to help Chris hold the baby.

Teddy groaned as he stepped closer and together the three all managed to get the baby comfortably resting in Chris's arms as they all softly spoke to him.

Chris continued to try gently rock the baby as the three tried singing, talking and pulling funny faces to get the baby to stop.

Eventually he did as he stared up at Chris, a small smile on his face as Gordie wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"Hey he's kinda cute." Chris mumbled now John had stopped crying and was attempting to smile up at him.

"When he's not crying yeah." Teddy grumbled.

Vern slowly removed his hands from his ears. "Man that was one loud cry! I've never heard a baby cry like that, sincerely!"

"Want me to make you?" Teddy snapped at him.

"Oi stop you two." Chris snapped as he looked down and grinned at the baby.

"Let's just get him somewhere safe." He mumbled as Gordie nodded.

"Do we take him to your brother?" Vern asked as the four began to walk back to Castle Rock, keeping a close eye out for anyone who may try take the baby.

Chris shrugged slightly.

"I don't think it was Ace that gave her those bruises..." Teddy mumbled as he remembered when they had first seen her with the cobra.

The others shook their heads slowly as they had the scary realisation that Ace might be the good guy in this story.