Demons (An AU Nathan Gardner Story)

Chapter 21 - Henry

Fingers traced along Sydney's curves; they were light, sensual, and nearly torturous. Lips grazed her skin; a soft, warm tongue stroking her neck, collarbones, then breast. He was hard against her, sliding along her damp folds, but not entering her. The aching her body felt for him was maddening, yet somehow wonderful. She wished she could see him, but the room was dark. She tried to speak, but her voice was missing...then came the pain.

Nathan? She assumed the body was his.

"Fucking whore." David's voice echoed in the room and Sydney struggled to scream.

"Sydney, open your eyes. It's a bad dream, you're okay..." Fingertips brushed her arm. "...you're okay."

Sydney opened her eyes and Nathan's blurry face was near hers. Her lips trembled and tears fell. "Nathan..."

"I know, honey..." He kissed her forehead. "...I'm here." She slept through the night, and he was grateful.

"I'm so...fucked up," she croaked, that new, ever present pain burning her throat.

"If you weren't, I'd be worried." He gently placed her glasses on her face and she sighed. "Better?" She nodded. "I needed to wake you for your meds, but your dream beat me to it."

She sighed, her heart slowing and the dream fading. She saw a questioning look on Nathan's face. "What?"

Nathan scratched at his ear, feeling awkward. "You asked me to screen your phone and...well, I kinda need to ask who 'Nope' is."

Sydney cringed. "How many...calls?"

Nathan looked down at Sydney's phone. "Fifteen...ish."

"My mother...Christmas..." She winced as she swallowed. "...guilt."

"You call your mother 'Nope?'"

"Keeps me from...even thinking...about answering the phone." How she wished she could speak in complete sentences again.

Nathan's heart broke. As many fights as he had with his parents, he always knew that the bad times were temporary and that they'd make up in the end. "Oh, Syd..." He cupped the unbruised side of her face. "You don't want her to know anything? I'm not judging, I promise." She shook her head as she concentrated on looking at the comforter. "Syd?" His voice became more gentle. "I heard from Arlen while you were asleep, too." His eyes told her all she needed.

"Not...coming?"

He shook his head and couldn't help it as his eyes watered a little. "There's a severe storm coming in, flights are grounded and..."

"I'm...sorry." She fought her own tears, hating to keep shedding them.

Nathan took both of her hands in his and held them tightly. "What do you have to be sorry for? The whole damned universe should be telling you that it's sorry."

"Christmas. Family time."

In that moment, he wanted to kiss her more than anything, but knew it was wildly inappropriate. "Syd, I would do anything for you - this certainly isn't the exception."

There was a soft, but panicked knock at the door. "Dad?" Susan's worried voice was on the other side - deja vu from the previous morning.

"Come in, Susie Q." Nathan saw his daughter's eyes and joined in her panic. "Honey, what?"

"Grand-pa just pulled up. I think we ignored too many phone calls."

Nathan felt queasy. "Shit." He brought Sydney's hands to his lips and kissed them both. "Now I'm sorry." He looked to his daughter. "Stay up here with her, please. This isn't anything you have to deal with." The doorbell rang and Nathan's stomach dropped. This was not the right time for a confrontation; he already knew exactly what his parents were assuming. He left the room, not thinking about how disheveled he looked.