Rick stretched his arms over his head, yawning as he tried to fall asleep yet again. Ever since the kidnapping, the drug deal, and the gunfights, he hadn't been able to sleep a full night. Kim was in the room next to him, which didn't help him trying to sleep either. After the FBI had busted their drug deal, Rick had figured he would be sent to jail. Miraculously, Kim had somehow begged her father to intervene on his behalf, and his sentence was reduced to six months of community service and an added year of probation. All in all, he thought he had gotten off lightly. Rick planned to turn his life around for good now. He was starting over at a new college, and things were looking up.
When Kim's mom was found dead, Jack had arranged for himself and Kim to be taken to a house in a secluded part of New York state, to hide until everything blew over. Kim had begged for Rick to be brought along, and her father had agreed. Rick figured he was so blinded by grief he didn't know what he was doing anymore. That's how Rick found himself laying in bed in the middle of the night, trying to sleep. Nightmares plagued him, and he really wasn't sure how Kim was managing to sleep after all that had happened. Climbing out of bed quietly, Rick stealthily walked into Kim's room. He stood in the doorframe, trying to get his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
"Rick?" Kim's quiet voice startled him out of his thoughts.
"Kim? What are you doing awake?"
"You really think after everything that's happened, that I would be able to sleep?" Kim asked with disbelief in her voice.
"No, I guess not. I can't sleep either." Rick responded quietly.
"I just can't do it. Every time I close my eyes, I see Gaines. I see my mother dead. I hear the gunshots." Kim's voice trailed off as she dissolved into tears.
"Hey!" Rick soothed her softly as he moved to her side at the bed and took her into his arms. "I'm here. I'm not going to let anything happen to you again, I promise. It's all going to be okay." Rick rubbed up and down her arms and stroked her back and hair gently, trying to calm her.
"Will you stay with me tonight?" Kim asked through her tears.
"Of course baby. Of course." Rick kissed her forehead gently and laid down with her, wrapping his muscled arms around her slim waist. If anything, he came out of this whole thing a lot better off than he was. He came out with the girl of his dreams, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to her again. He was going to protect her forever.