ғᴏᴏᴛsᴛᴇᴘs | ᴋᴍ ✔︎

A Dream Within A Dream

"You say my name like you know my dark side."
- ELLIE GOULDING

"Wake up." A deep voice said, gently nudging Cody as she fought to stay asleep. "I said wake up!"

Upon hearing the sound of retreating footsteps, Cody opened her eyes. She couldn't see anything, the darkness in the room refusing to ease, she felt blind. She was cold, the raggedy thin blanket over her body wasn't helping to conserve any body heat at all. The footsteps were coming back and in fear of the unknown Cody squeezed her eyes closed, curled herself up into a ball. Instincts told her to get up and make a run for it but she was afraid, although she couldn't see, she knew the room. There was only one room in the world that could fill her with dread.

Before she could react, ice cold water was poured over her body, drenching her and freezing her to her bones. She jolted upright, jumping to her feet and wrapping her arms around her small, bruised frame.

"When I say wake up you better wake the fuck up!" Her uncle screamed in her face. "Hope you had a nice dream, it's over now. Get my breakfast."

Cody watched her uncle leave the room. She remembered the dream she had - her mother came back, she got to escape the clutches of her evil uncle and diabolical aunt. She was happy and now she's back here. Shrugging the momentary happiness of the delusional dream, Cody changed into dry clothes before heading downstairs to the kitchen to make her uncle breakfast. 

She was preparing his regular coffee when he walked up behind her. Cody turned around instead of listening to her gut which pleaded with her to curl up and hide, but she looked him in the eye. Only when he placed both his hands on the countertop, effectively trapping her where she stood, when she broke eye contact. She felt his breath on her cheek and neck, could smell the stench of his breath and his body heat. This time only one tear fell from her eyes.

"Cody."

Upon hearing her name being spoken softer, the brunette opened her eyes to find her best friend, Jack, leaning over her. The blonde's brow furrowed in concern.

"What?"

"You were having a nightmare, you basically punched me." Jack insisted, trying to lighten the mood, but even she didn't smile.

She handed her best friend a cold glass of water and turned the bedside lamp on. Cody took a good sixty seconds to simply breathe and scan her surroundings. She didn't have a dream within a dream, this was reality and she was safe.

"Is my mom still here?"

"Yeah, where else would she be?" Jack asked gently rubbing her friend's back. When she received no response she offered, "Want me to wake her up?"

Cody checks her phone to see that it's a little after three in the morning and shakes her head, "No. Let her sleep. I'm gonna get a refill."

The young Morgan was out of the bed and on her feet, quickly but quietly leaving the room before Jack could process it. Downstairs in her designated sleeping locale - the couch - the sound of feet hitting the stairs woke Kristie. Sitting up she spotted Cody making a dash to the kitchen, and knowing Cody sleeps like a rock, she was almost immediately concerned.

She stood to make her way to the kitchen after the youngest Morgan, passing Jack who had followed the brunette downstairs before she herself spotted Kristie, giving her a small but sad smile before retreating back to Cody's bedroom.

"Hey." The Dash player softly announces her arrival, but lightly grimaces when she notices Cody flinches. "Are you okay?"

Cody relaxed as Kristie's arms wrapped around her from behind, finding the moment of comfort that she was looking for. She lets the older woman run her arms up and down her arms before she turns around and hides her face in Kristie's neck.

"I am now."

"What happened?" Mewis whispered then placed a kiss to Cody's temple.

"Just a bad dream." The Morgan girl mumbled tiredly, her face still buried in Kristie's neck.

Letting the woman in her arms have a moment of silence.

"It's been a while since you had a bad dream. Do you want to talk about it?"

Watching from the stairs, Alex and Jack were smiling and whispering. It was a side to the relationship Cody and Kristie have that no one gets to see and anyone that didn't know either woman would maybe be confused, but those that do understand Cody's past and Kristie's need to protect and comfort the younger woman.

"Too bad Jeri doesn't see this side." Jack mumbles, a fond twinkle in her eyes as she watches her best friend's hands clenching the back of Kristie's shirt.

"Maybe, but I have a feeling she would still threaten Kristie." Alex shrugged. "You should get some sleep, Jack."

"What about you?" Jack asked, turning to face her best friend's mother when met with silence. "You're just going to stay there aren't you?"

"Yeah."

Shaking her head, Jack took Alex by the hand and led her back upstairs, "C'mon, you have a warm bed waiting for you. Kristie's got it covered, Cody isn't gonna talk about anything tonight, ask her about it in the morning...err..or just 'later'?"

Alex smiled at Jack and let the small blonde lead her back to her own bedroom. They stopped at Alex's door. "You're a good kid, Jack. I'm glad Cody's got you." 

"Shut up." The Carter girl fumbled over her words, then proceeded to push Alex into her bedroom before she went back to Cody's room.

Downstairs Cody was sitting on the kitchen island while Kristie made her hot chocolate, handing over a steaming mug. Mewis smiled, standing between the Morgan girl's legs and gently rubbing her thighs.

"Are you gonna talk to Alex about it?"

Cody released a breathy chuckle, "You seen them on the stairs, too?"

"Yeah." Kristie smiled. "They weren't exactly quiet."

"I'll talk to her about it. I'll have about a week with her before the roster is announced and well...I think we both know she'll be on it."

"I'm glad you're both bonding, you're different when you know she's near." Kristie kissed Cody's forehead, smiling at the baffled expression on the brunette's face.

"What do you mean?"

"You seem...relaxed, like you know you're safe. You're more sure of yourself, confident and comfortable."

"Hmm...yeah, that's like the complete opposite of you when Jeri corners you." Cody chuckled. "What were you two talking about anyway?"

"Oh, nothing." Kristie kisses Cody, silencing her. "You should get some sleep, I'm sure Jack is waiting for you."

And so she did. Cody washed her mug before kiss Kristie goodnight before retreating to her bedroom and as expected Jack was sitting in her bed waiting.

"Finally, get in here. I can't sleep without my best friend."