Night Terrors
Disclaimer:
As always, I own nothing. If I did Marti & Julian would probably be married by now, hehehe (or at least engaged).
Rating:
K+
Genre:
Hurt/Comfort/Romance
Pairing:
Marlian (Marti/Julian)
Author's Note:
This story takes place sometime in the future. After Marti graduates Lancer and marries Julian. Also, this will be a (quite possibly very short) one shot. The idea just sorta hit me while I was making a Hellcats video of J-Lo's "On the Floor" video. So, it also probably won't be all that great. But, if this should happen to be well received, I might make this into a series of one shots surrounding Marti/Julian nightmare scenes. Let me know if anyone's interested in that.
The sun was bright-almost too bright. It nearly blinded me as I watched a most terrifying sight unfold right before my very eyes. I saw a silver Volvo S40 driving down the street. It was an older model, a 2000 model year. I knew because I knew that to be my wife, Marti's, car. As I saw her slowing down to make a turn, I watched in horror as a large Chevrolet Trailblazer slammed into her from behind. The resulting impact spun Marti's car in several circles before it flipped over onto it's roof. For a moment, my entire body felt completely paralyzed. Shaking all the horrifying images from my mind, I regained my mobility and ran as fast as my legs would allow.
I only made it halfway to the car before it burst into flames; leaving me only enough time to dive out of the raging fire's path. Raising my head from the pavement, I feel the tears streaming white hot down my face as I watch my wife's car going up in flames-Marti still inside, burning alive. I can't take it anymore as I scream all my anger and denial while some good samaritan pulls me away from the wreckage.
"MARTI!" The next thing I know, I'm sitting bolt upright in my own bed, back home. Before I can sort out what I have just seen, I feel the blankets shifting rapidly around me as someone else jerks awake next to me.
I see a comfortingly familiar head of messy blonde curls shake groggily next to me before the most beautiful voice I have ever heard speaks up just as groggily. "What? I'm right here." Her voice is ever so slightly irritated from being awoken so suddenly. That would be my fault. I think to myself. I'm slowly starting to piece things together when I hear a softer voice speak from the doorway.
"Dad? What's going on in here?" My little girl asks. I must have awoken her, as well. Thankfully, Marti took care of Nikki for me.
"Come on, sweetie." Marti spoke as she rose from the bed and crossed the short distance between herself and Nikki. "Daddy's fine. Let's just go back to bed, okay?" I can't help but smiling as I watch Marti take my daughter (our daughter, I correct myself) by the hand as she lead her back to her own room down the hall from ours.
Running a hand through my hair, I heave a sigh as I realize that what I had just seen was nothing more than a nightmare. A particularly horrifying nightmare. But, a nightmare nonetheless. I think to myself. But, I still can't get rid of the fear gripping at my heart as the sight of Marti's car going up in flames continually loops through my head over and over again. I don't know what I'd do without her. I honestly don't know what I would do if I ever lost Marti. It would most likely be just Nikki and me from then on. I just can't see myself ever loving anyone the way I love Marti. She is truly a one of a kind. There could never be another woman like her. But, I am soon jolted from those heartbreaking thoughts as she returns to our room.
As she slides back into our bed, I feel her position herself next to me as she slips her arm around my shoulders and pulls me close to her. Needing the comfort of her full embrace, I pull her over to sit on my lap as she wraps her legs around my hips. Our arms encircle one another as I bury my face in her beautifully mussed blonde curls; taking comfort in inhaling her intoxicating scent.
"Julian." I hear her utter my name, but, I can't tear myself away from the comforting contact of her skin on mine. I need the contact to prove to myself that it really was just a dream. "Julian, what happened? What's wrong?" Marti knows something is bothering me. She always knows when something's not right and will not hesitate to call me on it-which is just one of the millions of things I love about her. By now, I can feel the warm tears slipping down my cheeks, moistening her neck, as she pulls away. Positioning my chin between her thumb and index finger, she forces me to look her in the eye. It is in that moment that I silently curse myself for allowing the tears to slip from my eyes as Marti gently wipes them away with her thumb. She doesn't need to be bothered with my weakness. I can't tell her that I woke up screaming all because of a stupid nightmare.
"It's not important." I reply as I attempt to convince her with a tender kiss up on her forehead. But, one look in her eyes tells me she isn't buying it.
Marti shakes her head as she replies "No. No, I know you, Julian. You don't cry over nothing. And, you sure as hell don't wake up screaming in the middle of the night over something that's 'not important'." As I look into her eyes, I know I cannot deny her anything. She takes my face into both of her hands as she begs me to answer her. "Julian, please...Just, tell me."
With another sigh, my head drops from her hands to look at my lap-where she intertwines our fingers. "I...I had a nightmare." My voice is small. Ashamed. I hate feeling weak and vulnerable. Exposed. When I finally look up to meet her gaze, I am relieved to see her not judging me.
"It's okay." She replies, tenderly caressing my face with her fingertips. "Go on. Tell me what happened." She verbally nudges me to continue.
I take a moment to gather my thoughts. God knows I never planned on informing my wife-be it Marti or anyone else-that I had just seen her die in a fiery crash. "You...You were in an accident..."
"What kind of 'accident'?" she asks, prompting me to continue reliving my hellish nightmare. I shudder involuntarily at the images running through my head.
"You were driving. You were headed..." I trail off, trying to figure out how to best describe what I saw to Marti. "...west on Zoo Boulevard. I watched as you slowed down to make a turn. Then a...A Chevy Trailblazer rammed you from behind." I pause to collect myself as Marti reaches both hands up and around my shoulders from behind, pulling herself to my chest, as I position my chin atop her head. "Your car began to spin-multiple times-before it flipped over onto it's top." My voice begins to quiver as I continue to describe my nightmare. "I tried to run to you. To pull you away from the wreckage, but...the car went up in flames before I could reach you."
Marti pulls away and cups my face in her hands again, directing my eyes to hers. "Hey." She replies softly. "Look at me. I'm right here, see? I'm right here with you." She explains, taking hold of my hand and placing it over her chest where I feel her heart beating beneath the skin. "And very much alive." My eyes gaze at the three stone diamond wedding set on her left hand and I smile as she guides my hands a little lower to rest upon her barely there "baby bump" as she and her friends so lovingly call it. "And, so, is this little one." My smile extends from ear to ear as she leans into caress my lips with her own smooth as silk ones. Perhaps I should have nightmares more often.