In Darkness and In Light

On the Road again.

"ZAK!"  I screamed shooting up in the bed feeling my heart thudding like train in my chest. Hands grabbed my face and his voice soothed me down off my full fledge panic. 

"Don't cry, it was just a dream... I'm right here. Baby look at me?" He asked.

My body shook with sobs as I slowly looked at him. "I'm right here."

"Zak..."

"I know darling." He whispered.

His face wasn't all cut and bleeding, his body wasn't battered or bruised and he wasn't struggling to breathe like I had dreamt. No he was half asleep, tired face and supported bed hair.

"But yo-"

"No. Don't think about it." He hushed.

Looking down at myself, I pushed off all the bedding feeling claustrophobic and clammy.

"What is it? What are you looking for?" He whispered.

"Too hot. It's too hot." I breathed pulling at the neckline of my top.

"Okay." He answered before putting the fan on.

His face looked back at mine as I sat there breathing slowly to calm my heart. It felt so real... God it felt so freakin' real!

"Do you want me to get you a drink?" He asked.

"No, no I'll get it." I spoke going to get up but he was up like a shot.

"I'll get it, stay in the bedroom." He answered before leaving the room quickly.

I got up and went to the glass door opening it letting the morning air bite my skin.

"Here." Zak whispered passing me the bottle.

"Thanks. Sorry for waking you like that." I replied taking a mouthful.

"Nonsense..." He answered closing the glass door and leading me back to bed.

I wasn't tired but someone else was and after my abrupt awakening, I owed him a spoon or snuggle.

I watched Zak fix his pillows before climbing into bed again. I shot around the other side and decided I would be the big spoon for a change.

"Hmm. This is nice." He smiled as I cuddled in behind him.

I pressed a kiss on his shoulder before he rolled back to get a kiss on the lips. His eyes checked my face before he smiled and turned back on to his side letting me spoon him again.

******

I rolled back opening my eyes to seem Zak stood in black jeans and his red plaid shirt. A smile instantly filled my face as I checked him out.

"Plaid sir?" I grinned sitting up.

"Indeed. Someone wants me to wear it, so Ta Dah!"

"Looks good on, I like!"

As he continued sorting himself out, I lifted up my bandaged had to see that the dressing had been changed already and a light sheen of cream had been applied.

"I woke up before you... You don't mind me doing it.. Do you?" He asked sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No, no of course not.. I'm just a little worried about work. With all the equi-"

"I'm there and I rang Aaron first thing, he doesn't know how bad it is but he knows you've burnt your hand."

I nodded.

"I also told him about my attachment... And you attack." He sighed putting his hand on my leg.

"Hmm, what did he say?" I asked.

"Cleanse the house completely, that I should seek help about her now."

I tilted my head slightly looking at him "But you don't want to do that.."

"No you said we could live beside her right? I mean... She's been good up til now right? You said she only reacts when we are fighting?"

"Yeah."

"I uh.. I also seen her before that." Zak admitted making my eyebrows rise up.

"You never said."

"I didn't think it was wise... I didn't know how you'd react." He admitted.

"When?"

"After we made love, you fell asleep. I saw her at the door. She looked at you with a smile. So I checked your breathing and by the time I looked back, she was gone." He answered.

"Do you think she really wants to hurt me?" I asked.

"No. I don't know baby. But I won't let what happened yesterday, happen again. Okay?"

I nodded and pulled him in by his shirt getting a kiss.

"Get up and shower, I gotta take Gracie to the park and then we gotta take her to my moms."

"Okay." I mumbled against his mouth.

"Okay?"

"Okay, just one more.. One more kiss."

He granted the last kiss and despite my best efforts to pull him back to bed, he got up and produced a plastic bag.

"Let's get to it." He grinned.

********

I watched as Zak threw Gracie's ball across the park making her race after it. The sun was out and the breeze was light, I was enjoying it too much and want to stay here rather than get into an RV and travel.

I couldn't help feel all giddy when Zak put his arm around my shoulders pulling me in close, it was the first time he'd given public display so openly. Maybe it was because nobody was paying attention or that he simply didn't care. But either way, I loved it.

"You wearing your rosary?" He asked.

"Yep. I will be unless it's showering or going to bed." I informed him.

"Good. You had a nightmare last night. What was that about?"

"You, you were hurt, beaten badly and struggling to breathe. I was scared." I admitted.

"You don't think it's gonna happen do you?" I asked worried.

"What? No, no. I do think that it maybe from her touching you. She's probably triggered something that makes you upset to make you vulnerable. It just happens to be me. You just have to be a little tougher, okay?"

I nodded "I'll try."

"That's my girl." He smiled kissing my forehead before we continued our loop around the park.

Once Gracie was at Nancy's, we returned home just in time as Bacon pulled up with the RV.

"Zak come on!" I called from the front door.

"Hey chicken little." Bacon grinned taking the camera off my shoulder and tripod off me.

"Thank you." I sighed, I went to grab my case when Bacon growled at me. Causing me to retract my hand surprised.

"Did you just growl at me?" I asked.

"Yes. Now leave the cases, just get your butt in the RV and get comfortable."

"I can help-"

"Robyn." He spoke sternly making me lift my hands.

"I'm going, I'm going." I giggled heading to the RV.

Once inside I got myself set up and waited for Zak, picking up the info back I sat back with a small sigh and began reading through all the information we had on our latest investigation.

The Black Dahlia House.