mileven oneshots [completed]

nightmare

el has a nightmare.

"everything's going to be alright. i love you,"

~~~~

mike woke up to a scream.

el was screaming and sobbing all at once. she wasn't in the bed next to him. mike had awoken with a start. even though it was pitch black, the moon illuminated her outline. mike could see that el was sobbing, standing over mike, next to his edge of the bed. mike looked at el and her tear-stained eyes. her eyes were wide and her hands covered her mouth.

"el what's wrong?"

she didn't answer. she brought her hands down from her mouth. her hands were shaking. she looked horrified and pale, as if she just seen a ghost.

"el?"

then she ran away.

mike shot up from his bed and went after her, but he stumbled on a record player that was in pieces on the ground. he stared at in confusion, and then looked at the doorframe through which el disappeared through.

he stepped carefully towards the light switch and flipped it on.

mike stared at the disheveled room. there were things on the floor everywhere, including books, board games, toys, and broken glass. mike bit his lip and ran after el.

he heard her sobs coming from the bathroom. mike walked to the bathroom, and pulled down on the handle, but it was locked.

"el?"

"go away mike," she cried, sniffling.

he sighed and slid down on the door, his back against it. he didn't say anything for a while, then when the crying died down a bit, he asked, "are you okay?"

"i don't know" she replied, her voice muffled by her sobs.

mike stared up at the ceiling. el hadn't had a nightmare this bad since they got married five years ago. usually, her nightmares weren't as violent. usually, she would wake up crying, and mike would wrap her in his arms, and tell her that everything would be alright. may be there would be a book on the floor, but he didn't think that her psychic abilities would be tied to her nightmares and knock everything to the ground.

"daddy?" a small voice asked.

mike looked down the hall and saw his four-year-old daughter, charlotte, walking towards him, her shoulders hunched.

mike's eyebrows raised. el must've awakened her.

"what's up, charlie?" mike asked.

"is mommy okay?" she asked, kneeling in front of mike.

"she'll be okay. she's a strong woman," mike said, "let's get you back to bed, baby,"

charlie smiled as mike picked her up, carrying her back to her bed, running a hand through her soft black curls, "you don't have to worry about mommy, daddy's been taking care of her for a long time,"

"what happened?" the little girl asked as mike tucked her into bed.

"mommy had a scary dream. but, like i said, she's tough, " mike said, then kissed her forehead.

"will you stay with me until i fall asleep?" charlotte asked. mike smiled and nodded, and got in bed next to her. charlotte she said, "i hope somebody will care for me like you do for mommy,"

mike smiled, "they better. goodnight sweetheart,"

charlotte dozed off after a while, and mike slipped out of her bed, careful not to wake her. charlotte was not easy to wake up.

an hour after he had initially woken up, he returned to the bathroom door. he didn't hear anything from inside the bathroom, so he softly knocked on it.

"el? please come out. i want to see your beautiful face,"

there was no response, so mike retreated to charlotte's room to grab a bobby pin. charlotte liked ballet, and the only way they could take her thick curls was by holding it together with bobby pins. mike returned to the door. he called out again for her, but there was just silence.

"el, if you don't come out, i'm going to come in," mike said. yet again, no response.

mike separated the two ends of the bobby pins and placed them over the door handle. but then the door opened.

mike raised his eyebrows, as he saw his wife and her red, blotchy face standing in the creak of the door.

she let out a soft sob as she said, "i'm so sorry,"

mike gave her an apologetic smile and lightly pushed on the door so that he could come in the bathroom, then closed it softly behind him. she was standing in the bathroom, her arms crossed over her chest, her head drooping down, and tears leaking from her eyes, falling off her chin.

she sunk to the floor, her back to the bathroom counter, curling up into a ball.

mike kneeled in front of her, his hand on her arm.

"i can't believe i did that," she said, putting her head in her hands.

"honey, you didn't do anything. it's ok. it was just a dream. we can clean up the broken glass and get a new record player-"

"no! no! you don't understand," she said, the tears coming out faster, "i almost hurt you,"

mike tried to take her hands, but she pulled them away, saying, "i thought you were papa. i was holding all those things over your head, ready to-to drop them on you and i just can't-i don't- i don't know how i could've lived-lived with myself if i hadn't snapped out of it,"

she started sobbing again, then her eyes widened, "what if i hurt charlotte?"

mike grabbed her cheeks softly with his hands, "el-"

she started sobbing again, and threw mike's hands off. she crossed her arms over her knees and buried her wet face into them.

mike scooted next to her and leaned his head on her shoulder, his cheek pressed against her shaking body, he then said, quietly, "do you remember when you threw lucas in the air?"

el didn't look up, but her sobs became softer.

mike continued, "he was so mad at you. then you ran away and stole some eggos from a store," mike said, laughing at the end of that.

el let out a soft giggle, then looked over at mike. mike smiled at her, saying, "it was back when you couldn't really control your powers. lucas was mad at you for like, a day. but then, he understood that what you did wasn't your intention. you were only trying to help. and from then on, he trusted you. he gave you the same trust that i gave you when we first met. the trust i still have today. i know you never meant to hurt me. and if you want to do something to help you, i'll be glad to do it. whatever makes you feel like you're safe and happy, "

el smiled, and give mike a sloppy kiss, then he wrapped his arms around her, and she returned it with a small hung. mike ran his hands through her soft curls, and kissed her temple. he whispered,

"everything's going to be alright. i love you,"