Daddy's Little Princess

Chapter Nine - Finding Comfort

Her breathing was fast and ragged. Alex was hyperventalating. Her heartbeat pounded in ber ears, the speed of a hummingbird and the feel of a hammer. The world spun in sickening circles around her. Tears streamed down her face. A slight scream escaped her mouth. Fernando rushed into the room, hair sticking at all angles, dark bags under his worried eyes. He took her hand and lulled her back into deep sleep with his soothing words.

This is how Alexandria woke up for three days straight. On the fourth night, the nightmares were unbearable. She couldn't take it anymore. She rushed to the bathroom and sifted through the medicine cabinet, praying for something drowsy to take. She let out a sigh of releif as she found drowsy Benadryl. Alex was attempting to untwist the cap with my shaking hands when Fernando opened the door. Shock covered his face.

"What are you doing?" He whispered in horror. Her mouth hung open in shock and embarrassed regret, an flaming blush rose on her cheeks.

"Give me that." He demanded quietly, holding out his hand for the medicine. She clasped it to her chest and shook her spinning head vigorously.

"Alexandria." He growled, fury burning in his beautiful eyes. Seeing Fernando angry continued to be a frightening experience for her, it was so unexpected on his kind face. "Give me the medicine. Right. Now." I crawled backwards and curled into a ball.

He sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair. She pressed myself against the tiny space between the toilet and the shower and pulled her arms tighter around her knees. He walked foreward slowly and reached down to snatch it away, but his hand came in contact with her bicep. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Alex was back at That Night. He grabbed her right arm and wrenched her backwards. Her shirt was nowhere to be seen in the dark of the city night, and her torn pants were barely hanging onto her shaking legs. He bashed her against the brick wall, causing her to intake her breath sharply from the pain. The alley smelled of dirt and mold, and the potency of tobacco breath his breath made her gag.

"Shhhh, Alexandria. It's just me" He whispered. Her mind jolted. That wasn't his voice, this voice was apologizing and tender and laced with culture. Fernando. Her memory melted into the present. Fernando was pressed against the opposite wall, hands above his head.

"I am so sorry" Fernando said. She threw the medicine at him, which he caught with ease and tossed into the sink.

Tears stung her eyes and she stood up and walked over to him, eyes penetrating his, searching.

"I want you to sleep with me." She told him. The look of absolute shock slapped him in the face. It took Alex a minute to realize what he thought she meant.

"NOT LIKE THAT!" She yelled, smacking the back of his head. "I don't want to be alone tonight." His surprise wiped off and revealed a gentleman.

"I'm sorry"

"It seems like all we do is apologize to eachother." She tenatively grabbed his hand. This was contact she chose to make, and it wasn't sexual or hormonal or anything. Honestly Alexandria wasn't sure she'd ever be able to feel those emotions again. This was comfort. She pulled him to her room, arm anchoring him down into the bed with her. She curled up into a ball and he put a noticeable amount of space between them, but she could still hear his breathing and the faintness of his heartbeat as he plummetted into an exaughsted sleep.

She woke up using his chest for a pillow, his breathing slow and heavy as he was still asleep.

It was the first time since That Night Alexandria hadn't had a nightmare.