AB/BtVS FF: Nightmares in Waking Life 4/?
TITLE: Nightmares in Waking Life
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRINGS: All the pairings from the previous two stories---and some new ones, too
SPOILERS: Up until Micah for AB; the whole TV series for the Buffyverse; Alive at Last and Living Underground.
WARNINGS: A little bit of fur... bdsm... the usuals for Anita's crazy, crazy world.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone---except for any original characters that I whip up to do my bidding ;)
NOTE: This story is a sequel to Living Underground.
Previous chapters: 1, 2, 3
PART FOUR
Richard inhaled deeply as he roused from sleep and even though he could still smell Willow's lilac scent on the bed linens, he knew she wasn't in the room anymore.
He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. A quick look at the alarm clock on the bedside table told him he'd only been sleeping for an hour---but it felt as if he had slept for much more than that. He yawned and licked his lips as he looked around the room. The door was ajar; he knew, through the pentumvirate, that Willow was in the outer rooms and through his ties to the pack, he knew that Emily was with her and that Patrick was in the small room with the security equipment. Dawn was with Willow and Emily and as he moved closer to the door, he could hear them talking.
"Thanks for the ice cream," Willow told Emily and Dawn. "I put Richard's in the fridge."
Richard heard Willow moving around the kitchen. He took that time to find his clothes. He was fastening his belt at his waist when he heard Willow rejoin the conversation.
Emily had asked where he was. Willow replied: "He's sleeping. He looked exhausted, so I thought I'd let him rest."
"Oh, good," Emily said on a sigh of what sounded like relief. "He's been working too hard lately. At first I thought it was pack business... then I thought maybe schoolwork. Maybe it's a combination of the two. I dunno. But, he looks so stressed out. And he's up when I go to bed and up for hours when I wake up..." she trailed off again.
Willow spoke next. "Sounds like you're really worried about him."
"I know it's not cool, but... he took me in so I could be in the same city as my sister, and he's a great Ulfric." The teenager paused and then added, "Plus, he's not half bad at the whole science teacher gig."
"He's a good man," Willow agreed.
Richard blushed as he shrugged into his shirt.
"I don't want to see him get burnt out or anything from dealing with too much on his own," Emily said very quietly. Richard barely heard her words. "I... just... I don't know if you noticed or... or if you can watch him, but---"
"He's capable of looking after himself and the pack," Willow interrupted gently. "You need to trust him. He's been doing it for years and he's only getting better. But, you're right. We're not all alone. We're pack. And, part of that means we can help him." She paused, then added: "All you can do is let him know you're there for him. I won't question him and I won't spy on him. If something's going on... if he wants to share, then, he knows I'm at his side."
"Thank you, Lupa."
"Emily..."
Dawn spoke next. "If either of you sniffs me---"
A shriek drowned out the rest of her words, followed by Emily's laughter. Richard guessed that the teenager had pounced on the university student, to sniff her hair or neck in a playful and teasing sort of way. Willow chuckled a little, then she warned them not to be too loud because they could wake him from his nap.
He shuffled away from the door just in time. Willow had come back to her bedroom and peeked inside. When she found him buttoning his cuffs, she shut the door and put her hands on her hips.
"You're supposed to be sleeping," she whispered.
He smiled. "I woke up. I got lonely."
Willow's scowl melted into a little smile. "Yeah, me, too... that's why I came back to check on you."
"How's your ice cream?"
"Sitting on the coffee table," she told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You should get some more rest, if you need it..." she trailed off and looked into his eyes. He wondered if she could see the sleepless nights and worries in his face, the same way he did in his mind---but he did not ask the question, so Willow never gave him his answer. She smiled and kissed his lips once, chastely. "Do you want to join us out in the living room?"
"Maybe in a minute," he told her quietly.
"Gonna pretend to wake up after I leave again?"
"I don't want Emily to think... I was eavesdropping."
She smiled again. "Even though you were?"
"Details, details..."
He dropped his head and stole another quick kiss. "Go, before your ice cream melts, okay?" he urged her in a whispering voice.
"Promise you'll come out?"
"I promise."
"Good," she purred.
She left the room after another kiss.
Richard watched her leave and then turned his back when he was alone in the room. He walked to the window and drew back the curtain. The sun had almost completely vanished below the horizon. The vampires would be up; soon, he would have to go home, to his homework and his bed and his nightmares.
Emily was right; he barely slept anymore. Each time he closed his eyes, he saw a combination of horrific memories and creations in dreams so awful they left him gasping for breath and either sweating or shivering. For instance, one night he would be with Raina and Gabriel, then he would be running through the woods and being hunted by Edward and Anita, then he would be back in the cabin and rescuing Willow, before being chased from his classroom with guns full of silver bullets, torches, and pitchforks. The series of images was always upsetting, no matter the combination, so he slept less to prevent them from haunting him.
Three shrieks of fear shook the werewolf king from his thoughts.
At first, he wasn't sure what had happened. Then, he felt it.
The ground was shaking. Missouri was too close to the New Madrid seismic zone to avoid the odd earthquake; there hadn't been one in a long time so Richard had forgotten about the possibility of such an event. True, Willow had caused one a couple of years ago---but he didn't think it counted.
Afraid it could be more serious than a low rumble, Richard tore from the room. He burst into the hallway seconds before Patrick did, and the two werewolves rushed into the main rooms as they heard glass shatter.
Willow was surrounded by the two younger women; they were hugging her as their world rattled.
"Get down!" Richard bellowed.
Three pairs of wide, white eyes turned to him---but no one moved.
He motioned towards the table and Patrick followed his lead. Together, they managed to drag the three females under the sturdy dining table that seemed big enough to seat six or eight people comfortably.
Willow and Dawn were under Patrick's body. Emily seemed to be trying to claw her way into Richard's body. She was shivering; he wondered if she had ever experienced an earthquake before.
He felt the rise of Emily's beast and he growled before pushing her powers back inside her body.
"Do not shift," he told her in a low voice. "You're safe. I will keep you safe."
Emily whimpered and whined, more wolf than human in that moment.
He sighed and dropped his head to nuzzle her cheek with his. "It's okay," he whispered. "I promise."
"I thought... I th-thought the teachers were joking at school when they gave us the earthquake review thing," she mumbled.
"Not so much," he murmured gruffly.
Once he was sure Emily wasn't going to shift under the table, he turned his head and looked at Willow. She was pale---so was Dawn, but her eyes were closed. Willow's eyes were open and they were full of fear and things RIchard knew he didn't understand.
He reached out with one hand and sought hers. She uncurled her hand from Patrick's shirt and wove her fingers around Richard's to give them a little panicked squeeze.
"It's gonna be over soon," he promised.
"I hope so," she whispered.
He let down his guard and he immediately felt Jean-Claude, Asher, and Anita reaching out for him. He nudged against Willow's soft barriers and he saw her eyes lose some of their fright as she felt the same connections.
We're okay, Richard thought.
The relief and echoes of the same sentiment travelled back to him and to Willow as the earth stopped shaking.
A few sirens and other noise overtook the low rumbling as it faded away. Richard sighed and rubbed Emily's back after releasing Willow's hand.
"Patrick?"
"Yeah, boss?"
"Let's get this place cleaned up and then we'll start calling around the pack," Richard suggested. "We'll triage damage, like the last time this happened."
"When was that?" Willow asked quietly.
"Years ago," he said. He smiled a little at her. "It's been so long, I pretty much forgot we can get 'em from time to time." He reached out and brushed his hand through her hair. "We're okay."
She nodded. "I know... thanks," she murmured.
Patrick eased off of her and Dawn and then he scooted out from under the table. He cleared some of the glass away and then helped the two women up. Richard gathered Emily into his arms and crawled out to survey the damage.
Two broken windows, an unsettled bookcase, and some cracked dishes. Some broken light fixtures and no power. But, they had running water and nothing else seemed to be damaged.
"Not bad," Patrick said. He shrugged. "I'll see about getting those windows repaired after I finish checking on the others." He looked at Richard as he put Emily down on her own two feet. "You should go home, see what needs fixing, first."
Richard sighed. "Yeah... in a bit."
He looked at Willow and Dawn. He was about to suggest that he take them to the Circus until they could have the windows repaired, but Willow took the words out of his mouth.
"I need a bath and Dawn could use some real rest before classes tomorrow," Willow said, "so, I think we should go to the Circus tonight."
"Underground. Oh, that's safe."
Richard smiled at Dawn. "That underground lair's been around longer than... than you can imagine. Jean-Claude isn't the first Master of the City to call it home. It's seen more earthquakes than any of us."
"Promise?"
"The others are all there, and they're fine," Willow assured her.
"You've talked to 'em already? How---oh, right. Yeah. Okay."
Willow smiled and hugged Dawn. "It's gonna be okay," she promised.
"I hate earthquakes," Dawn mumbled.
"Me, too... makes me think of Sunnydale," Willow whispered.
Richard almost interrupted them and asked what happened in Sunnydale, but Willow beat him to it by sending him images of a floor in what looked like a library, breaking open and shaking their world as monsters poured out of it. He caught glimpses of a different school, but the same area, and the darkness threading up through an opening. Then he saw a startlingly bright and sunny day, with the ground swallowing a city.
"Earthquakes here don't mean a hellmouth's opening, Willow," Richard said quietly.
She turned and looked at him. "I know... but, still... it... reminds me of how it can be."
"I know."
He walked over to the women, with Emily trailing nervously behind him. He put his hand on Willow's lower back and she turned into his body. When she pressed her face into his shirt, he shuddered and sighed; he lowered his face to her coppery hair and inhaled deeply before sighing again.
"Thanks, Richard," she whispered.
"You're okay," he murmured.
"Now, yeah," she replied quietly. She put her free hand on his stomach and slowly lifted her head to look into his eyes. "Guess we should pack our bags, huh?"
"If you want some of your things from here, yeah," he told her with a little smile. "While you do that, I'm going to go downstairs and check to see if my car's okay." He glanced down at Emily. "You want to come with me or stay in here?"
"I think I'll come with you, if that's cool."
He nodded. "Sure." He kissed Willow's forehead. "Be ready in ten minutes?"
Willow and Dawn shared a look and then the witch told him that they'd be ready. He kissed her once more, nodded to Patrick, and then took Emily out of the apartment.
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRINGS: All the pairings from the previous two stories---and some new ones, too
SPOILERS: Up until Micah for AB; the whole TV series for the Buffyverse; Alive at Last and Living Underground.
WARNINGS: A little bit of fur... bdsm... the usuals for Anita's crazy, crazy world.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone---except for any original characters that I whip up to do my bidding ;)
NOTE: This story is a sequel to Living Underground.
Previous chapters: 1, 2, 3
PART FOUR
Richard inhaled deeply as he roused from sleep and even though he could still smell Willow's lilac scent on the bed linens, he knew she wasn't in the room anymore.
He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. A quick look at the alarm clock on the bedside table told him he'd only been sleeping for an hour---but it felt as if he had slept for much more than that. He yawned and licked his lips as he looked around the room. The door was ajar; he knew, through the pentumvirate, that Willow was in the outer rooms and through his ties to the pack, he knew that Emily was with her and that Patrick was in the small room with the security equipment. Dawn was with Willow and Emily and as he moved closer to the door, he could hear them talking.
"Thanks for the ice cream," Willow told Emily and Dawn. "I put Richard's in the fridge."
Richard heard Willow moving around the kitchen. He took that time to find his clothes. He was fastening his belt at his waist when he heard Willow rejoin the conversation.
Emily had asked where he was. Willow replied: "He's sleeping. He looked exhausted, so I thought I'd let him rest."
"Oh, good," Emily said on a sigh of what sounded like relief. "He's been working too hard lately. At first I thought it was pack business... then I thought maybe schoolwork. Maybe it's a combination of the two. I dunno. But, he looks so stressed out. And he's up when I go to bed and up for hours when I wake up..." she trailed off again.
Willow spoke next. "Sounds like you're really worried about him."
"I know it's not cool, but... he took me in so I could be in the same city as my sister, and he's a great Ulfric." The teenager paused and then added, "Plus, he's not half bad at the whole science teacher gig."
"He's a good man," Willow agreed.
Richard blushed as he shrugged into his shirt.
"I don't want to see him get burnt out or anything from dealing with too much on his own," Emily said very quietly. Richard barely heard her words. "I... just... I don't know if you noticed or... or if you can watch him, but---"
"He's capable of looking after himself and the pack," Willow interrupted gently. "You need to trust him. He's been doing it for years and he's only getting better. But, you're right. We're not all alone. We're pack. And, part of that means we can help him." She paused, then added: "All you can do is let him know you're there for him. I won't question him and I won't spy on him. If something's going on... if he wants to share, then, he knows I'm at his side."
"Thank you, Lupa."
"Emily..."
Dawn spoke next. "If either of you sniffs me---"
A shriek drowned out the rest of her words, followed by Emily's laughter. Richard guessed that the teenager had pounced on the university student, to sniff her hair or neck in a playful and teasing sort of way. Willow chuckled a little, then she warned them not to be too loud because they could wake him from his nap.
He shuffled away from the door just in time. Willow had come back to her bedroom and peeked inside. When she found him buttoning his cuffs, she shut the door and put her hands on her hips.
"You're supposed to be sleeping," she whispered.
He smiled. "I woke up. I got lonely."
Willow's scowl melted into a little smile. "Yeah, me, too... that's why I came back to check on you."
"How's your ice cream?"
"Sitting on the coffee table," she told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You should get some more rest, if you need it..." she trailed off and looked into his eyes. He wondered if she could see the sleepless nights and worries in his face, the same way he did in his mind---but he did not ask the question, so Willow never gave him his answer. She smiled and kissed his lips once, chastely. "Do you want to join us out in the living room?"
"Maybe in a minute," he told her quietly.
"Gonna pretend to wake up after I leave again?"
"I don't want Emily to think... I was eavesdropping."
She smiled again. "Even though you were?"
"Details, details..."
He dropped his head and stole another quick kiss. "Go, before your ice cream melts, okay?" he urged her in a whispering voice.
"Promise you'll come out?"
"I promise."
"Good," she purred.
She left the room after another kiss.
Richard watched her leave and then turned his back when he was alone in the room. He walked to the window and drew back the curtain. The sun had almost completely vanished below the horizon. The vampires would be up; soon, he would have to go home, to his homework and his bed and his nightmares.
Emily was right; he barely slept anymore. Each time he closed his eyes, he saw a combination of horrific memories and creations in dreams so awful they left him gasping for breath and either sweating or shivering. For instance, one night he would be with Raina and Gabriel, then he would be running through the woods and being hunted by Edward and Anita, then he would be back in the cabin and rescuing Willow, before being chased from his classroom with guns full of silver bullets, torches, and pitchforks. The series of images was always upsetting, no matter the combination, so he slept less to prevent them from haunting him.
Three shrieks of fear shook the werewolf king from his thoughts.
At first, he wasn't sure what had happened. Then, he felt it.
The ground was shaking. Missouri was too close to the New Madrid seismic zone to avoid the odd earthquake; there hadn't been one in a long time so Richard had forgotten about the possibility of such an event. True, Willow had caused one a couple of years ago---but he didn't think it counted.
Afraid it could be more serious than a low rumble, Richard tore from the room. He burst into the hallway seconds before Patrick did, and the two werewolves rushed into the main rooms as they heard glass shatter.
Willow was surrounded by the two younger women; they were hugging her as their world rattled.
"Get down!" Richard bellowed.
Three pairs of wide, white eyes turned to him---but no one moved.
He motioned towards the table and Patrick followed his lead. Together, they managed to drag the three females under the sturdy dining table that seemed big enough to seat six or eight people comfortably.
Willow and Dawn were under Patrick's body. Emily seemed to be trying to claw her way into Richard's body. She was shivering; he wondered if she had ever experienced an earthquake before.
He felt the rise of Emily's beast and he growled before pushing her powers back inside her body.
"Do not shift," he told her in a low voice. "You're safe. I will keep you safe."
Emily whimpered and whined, more wolf than human in that moment.
He sighed and dropped his head to nuzzle her cheek with his. "It's okay," he whispered. "I promise."
"I thought... I th-thought the teachers were joking at school when they gave us the earthquake review thing," she mumbled.
"Not so much," he murmured gruffly.
Once he was sure Emily wasn't going to shift under the table, he turned his head and looked at Willow. She was pale---so was Dawn, but her eyes were closed. Willow's eyes were open and they were full of fear and things RIchard knew he didn't understand.
He reached out with one hand and sought hers. She uncurled her hand from Patrick's shirt and wove her fingers around Richard's to give them a little panicked squeeze.
"It's gonna be over soon," he promised.
"I hope so," she whispered.
He let down his guard and he immediately felt Jean-Claude, Asher, and Anita reaching out for him. He nudged against Willow's soft barriers and he saw her eyes lose some of their fright as she felt the same connections.
We're okay, Richard thought.
The relief and echoes of the same sentiment travelled back to him and to Willow as the earth stopped shaking.
A few sirens and other noise overtook the low rumbling as it faded away. Richard sighed and rubbed Emily's back after releasing Willow's hand.
"Patrick?"
"Yeah, boss?"
"Let's get this place cleaned up and then we'll start calling around the pack," Richard suggested. "We'll triage damage, like the last time this happened."
"When was that?" Willow asked quietly.
"Years ago," he said. He smiled a little at her. "It's been so long, I pretty much forgot we can get 'em from time to time." He reached out and brushed his hand through her hair. "We're okay."
She nodded. "I know... thanks," she murmured.
Patrick eased off of her and Dawn and then he scooted out from under the table. He cleared some of the glass away and then helped the two women up. Richard gathered Emily into his arms and crawled out to survey the damage.
Two broken windows, an unsettled bookcase, and some cracked dishes. Some broken light fixtures and no power. But, they had running water and nothing else seemed to be damaged.
"Not bad," Patrick said. He shrugged. "I'll see about getting those windows repaired after I finish checking on the others." He looked at Richard as he put Emily down on her own two feet. "You should go home, see what needs fixing, first."
Richard sighed. "Yeah... in a bit."
He looked at Willow and Dawn. He was about to suggest that he take them to the Circus until they could have the windows repaired, but Willow took the words out of his mouth.
"I need a bath and Dawn could use some real rest before classes tomorrow," Willow said, "so, I think we should go to the Circus tonight."
"Underground. Oh, that's safe."
Richard smiled at Dawn. "That underground lair's been around longer than... than you can imagine. Jean-Claude isn't the first Master of the City to call it home. It's seen more earthquakes than any of us."
"Promise?"
"The others are all there, and they're fine," Willow assured her.
"You've talked to 'em already? How---oh, right. Yeah. Okay."
Willow smiled and hugged Dawn. "It's gonna be okay," she promised.
"I hate earthquakes," Dawn mumbled.
"Me, too... makes me think of Sunnydale," Willow whispered.
Richard almost interrupted them and asked what happened in Sunnydale, but Willow beat him to it by sending him images of a floor in what looked like a library, breaking open and shaking their world as monsters poured out of it. He caught glimpses of a different school, but the same area, and the darkness threading up through an opening. Then he saw a startlingly bright and sunny day, with the ground swallowing a city.
"Earthquakes here don't mean a hellmouth's opening, Willow," Richard said quietly.
She turned and looked at him. "I know... but, still... it... reminds me of how it can be."
"I know."
He walked over to the women, with Emily trailing nervously behind him. He put his hand on Willow's lower back and she turned into his body. When she pressed her face into his shirt, he shuddered and sighed; he lowered his face to her coppery hair and inhaled deeply before sighing again.
"Thanks, Richard," she whispered.
"You're okay," he murmured.
"Now, yeah," she replied quietly. She put her free hand on his stomach and slowly lifted her head to look into his eyes. "Guess we should pack our bags, huh?"
"If you want some of your things from here, yeah," he told her with a little smile. "While you do that, I'm going to go downstairs and check to see if my car's okay." He glanced down at Emily. "You want to come with me or stay in here?"
"I think I'll come with you, if that's cool."
He nodded. "Sure." He kissed Willow's forehead. "Be ready in ten minutes?"
Willow and Dawn shared a look and then the witch told him that they'd be ready. He kissed her once more, nodded to Patrick, and then took Emily out of the apartment.