Finding Rory

Chapter 8: Waking From a Nightmare

Rory awoke with a start in the middle of the night, her face streaked with tears and panic gripping her chest. It had been the same dream every few weeks for months - her grandfather was dying and she had to stand there and watch, but couldn't do anything to save him. She attempted to slow her breathing but couldn't calm down. As panic continued to surge through her body she made a decision - the only one that she was capable of making at the moment. She needed him.

She stood up and walked to Tristan's bedroom. She knocked hesitantly on the door and heard Tristan's footsteps coming toward her. He opened the door and she immediately fell into his arms, clinging to him like her life depended on it.

"What's wrong, Ror?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"It's the dream...it's always the same dream. My grandpa is dying and I can't save him," she sobbed. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"Hey, you don't need to apologize to me, Mare. I'll be there anytime you need me, you understand?"

Rory simply nodded and burrowed further into his chest.

"What normally helps when you have these nightmares?" He was worried about her; he'd never seen her like this.

"I usually call him," she whispered. "He talks to me until I calm down."

"Him? Who's...oh," Tristan stopped, realization dawning. "Do you want me to go get your phone so you can call him?" It was the last thing he wanted to do, but he would do it for her.

"No, I don't want to call him. Can you...can you just hold me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course, Mare," he whispered in relief as he kissed her forehead. She seemed unable to even hold herself up, so he picked her up and carried her over to his bed. He laid her down gently and crawled into bed next to her, and she immediately curled up to him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Shh...it's okay, Ror. I'm here. You're okay," he soothed. "I've got you, baby. You're safe with me."

He stroked her hair and rocked her gently as he held her until her sobs stopped and her breathing evened out, and when he was certain that she was asleep he fell into sleep next to her.

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Tristan began to wake Saturday morning and was vaguely aware that he was not in bed alone. He relaxed as he remembered the events of the previous night. It had been a while since he'd woken up with a woman in his bed, and he panicked for a moment before he realized that Rory was next to him. She began to stir just a bit and he couldn't help but smile and sigh in contentment as she subconsciously cuddled even closer to him in her sleep. She was so close to him that he could hardly tell where he stopped and she started. He'd never even dreamed that he might wake up with her in his arms this morning, and he was determined to savor every moment of the experience while it lasted.

Rory opened her eyes and blushed the moment she noticed her position.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to crowd you," she apologized as she began to pull away a bit.

"No way, Mare; you're not going anywhere," he chuckled, tightening his arms around her. "I mean, unless you really want to move," he added quickly.

"Nope, I'm perfectly happy right here as long as you don't mind. It's actually nice," she replied quietly.

"I happen to be quite fond of it."

"Just for the record, I don't crawl into bed with just any man in the middle of the night because I had a nightmare," Rory half-joked. The realization that she was in bed with Tristan Dugrey was setting in.