"I can't sleep."
"Try to, anyway."
"I miss our nest. I miss the smell of our blankets."
"Sweaty and unwashed for months?"
"No, you dingus. They smell like us... like home."
Jim smiled fondly, shaking his head in amusement. The hours had passed slowly, and it was nearing late afternoon. Despite receiving another, milder dose of pain medication, Claire was too uncomfortable to actually sleep, and Jim was too on guard to allow himself to do the same. He couldn't let himself forget the fact that a life or death battle was just around the corner, and — though he knew the outcome would result in their victory — numerous enemies could pop up at any moment. Every unexpected noise had him jumping, ready to protect his vulnerable mate at a moment's notice.
"Lay down with me," Claire requested, attempting to scoot her body over to give him room.
"Like this?" he chuckled, gesturing to his human disguise, his father's personage now adorning him. With the nurses coming in every hour or so, he couldn't afford to look like his own human form; too many people would recognize the son of Dr. Lake.
"I don't care what you look like," she insisted, patting the space she had created invitingly.
"I care," Jim said, but he obliged her request, anyway, sliding his slightly taller body into the small bed along hers. Resting on his side, he loosely hugged his arm across her belly, rubbing it gently. "Sleep."
Claire closed her eyes, resting her head against his shoulder, and silence followed for several minutes as she tried to sleep against him.
"...I still can't sleep."
"Want to talk about it?"
"My inability to sleep, despite having not really slept in three days?" she asked in a sarcastic tone, opening her eyes to gaze up at him. "Besides, I slept for a couple of hours this morning."
"Honey, two hours of sleep isn't going to make up for three days of no sleep, on top of severe blood loss," Jim said, leaning forward to kiss her forehead gently. "What are you anxious about?"
"I'm not—"
"Claire," he interrupted in a patient voice, leaning back and lifting his hand to brush her hair back from her face. "I look different, but I can still feel your soul."
"I know..." Claire sighed, biting her lip in slight guilt. "I guess... I miss everyone... Blinky, and Dagny, and little Nyrys, and Glug, and even Bagdwella!" At this, she gave a watery laugh, tears beginning to slide down her cheeks. "And I miss our blankets, and our nest, and I don't want to relive all of this!"
Jim felt the genuine fear welling up in her, and he quickly responded, pulling her lightly into his chest. "Shh... we'll be back there soon, and then we'll be in New Jersey, and we'll find the Heartstone, and I promise, I will build you the most amazing home and nest any troll has ever seen. You'll be the envy of every female in the pack."
Claire laughed, reaching up to roughly wipe her tears away, sniffling. "I've seen the way some of those females look at you and at me; I think I already have their envy, because I have you."
Jim scrunched his nose up in distaste. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Claire smiled, pleased with the honest confusion he was feeling. "Mm... well, let's put it this way: I'm pretty sure those females are just waiting for me to die of old age, so that they can have you."
"Yeah, right..." Jim rolled his eyes, grinning. "If that's true, then they don't know sorcerers and sorceresses are practically immortal. You would think the presence of Merlin and Morgana would have cemented that fact."
