Nancy had always had nightmares for as long as she could remember. They were a common thing, having sometimes been too scary for Nancy to get herself back to sleep all on her own. When she spent a week at a time without sleeping soundly at night her mother got very worried.

"Nancy darling are you alright? I noticed you had your big light on in your bedroom until all hours last night."

Nancy shrugged not knowing how else to tell her mom how the dreams made her feel when they were really very bad.

"I got scared." she said and her mother rolled her eyes.

"That's what the nightlight is for."

"I had it since I was six mom. Aren't you at all concerned about me?" Nancy asked over dinner that night.

"Why dear?"

" Because parents should wonder about why their child has wet the bed every night since they were born and the bed wetting thing continues into their adult lives like until they are thirty or whatever and it still keeps going on and then they die."

"You aren't gonna die tomorrow Nancy. Grow up."

"I know. That's what I keep telling myself." she said as she ate the rest of her mashed potatoes and chicken for supper. Nancy got up washed her dish and said "I'm gonna take a bath okay? It's so cold in here and I gotta get warm."

"Nancy turn the water off when you are done."

She nodded and went upstairs.

Nancy laid her head back against the tub so that her hair fell down into the tub.

She fell asleep and started dreaming.

She saw a man in his beauty with wings the size of giant swans and white like the clouds she liked to watch on a summer's day. He had a belt around his waist and a white robe and sandals on his feet.

"God?"

He said nothing only took her hand and put it to his cheek as she stood there watching him.

It was her spirit guardian. A good, safe person that was sent only to protect her and to make her smile and feel good. He was not scary at all and he looked very familiar to Nancy.

She woke up and got on her bathrobe and went to her bedroom.

He smiled when he saw her.

Glen Lantz, Nancy's boyfriend had the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. They looked cozy together in the picture that she had on her mirror glass.

It showed Glen with his arm around Nancy who had her own eyes shut kissing his cheek. His eyes were down as if he were embarrassed.

They were in love and the relationship was very serious much to the dismay of Glen's parents. They were old school and didn't believe in anything circa 1935. He often felt like he was sneaking around being with Nancy in public but nobody said anything for fear of Glen getting angry. He guessed that was the case with other people though Glen didn't know.

He understood about Nancy's bad dreams and often tried to get her to relax enough to go back to sleep after they happened.

He was into meditation of some kind. Visualizing things happy and safe in order for her to get back to sleep. He was in the middle of playing one of those guided imagery meditations through the giant white headphones that Glen always wore.

" You are loved". the voice on the recording said slowly and carefully as if Glen needed to have them say the words that slow so that he could understand it more and he did. "You are guarded and you are safe."

He took a deep breathe and Nancy thought she heard the faint sounds of Glen snoring.

"Wake up sweetie. I'm the one who needs sleep right now remember?"

He didn't rise so she leaned over and kissed him hard on the mouth and Glen drank her in. He loved everything about Nancy and showed her as often as he could.

" Mmmm more baby."

"No. Get up. I gotta go to bed and mom doesn't like the light being on all night."

"Why is she so bothered by the light if you need it to feel safer?' he asked confused.

"Because not everyone in the world is as nice as you are Glen. I love you anyway and thanks for trying."

"You're welcome Nancy. Baby I know you need the light to feel safer and go to sleep. I also know about the whole wet blanket thing and don't worry that's not something that bothers me either. If you gotta do it then you gotta do it. It's not a crime to do anything if you need to do it so that you can feel safer."

"I love you for that too." she kissed him again. "I had a dream about you just now actually."

He became intrigued wanting to hear everything.

"What did we do?"

"You are an angel sent to protect me and make me safe and happy enough so that I can go to sleep peacefully through the night.'

Glen smiled. "Glad I could help you out then."

She sat on the bed and they held hands. Glen's crop top brushed over Nancy's wrist and she touched his stomach.

Glen shivered.

"That tickles baby. Don't make me crazy when I have to focus."

"Sorry." she said winking at him. He knew she wasn't sorry for loving him for the way he made her feel at night.

" I love you even if you are nutty as a fruitcake. You are supposed to be asleep right now anyway. It's getting close to midnight. When's the last time you had good shuteye?"

"Last week. Seven days to be exact."

"That long?!"

"Yeah."

"God Nancy. Just let me have you in my arms for as couple hours and that's gonna put you out good. We could relax together. I could massage you or something."

"Great idea." and Glen started to do so. Nancy waited as he worked and leaned back against the bed.

"Good job."

"Thank you sweetheart."

There was kissing and other things that followed and Nancy fell asleep calmly and steadily inside Glen's arms. He turned the light off only leaving Nancy's rainbow nightlight on for light if she were in need of it. He had a headlamp too just in case.

About an hour or two after this Nancy got scared and woke up.

"GLEN! HELP ME!"

He started awake.

"What's wrong baby?"

"Shadows everywhere. Help I'm so scared."

"Okay sweetheart look right at me. Just me. Feel that?"

He wrapped his arms all the way around Nancy and picked her body up placing her inside his arms and against his bare chest. His heart was underneath her ear and she heard it pump still wildly from their excursions earlier that night.

The sex was great and it had been what she had needed after a stressful day at school.

Glen always knew how to get her going.

She smiled as he held her face to his chest and breathed slowly so she could rise and fall with his breath coming in and out of his chest.

"Baby. You're safe with me. You're safe right now okay? There's nobody else here just you and me. You feel me around you? Touching you?" Glen touched her cheek and ran his hands down her body as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled herself up higher onto his football player body. She was his monkey when she needed to be and he could suffer through being a tree long enough to get her to relax.

"Nancy listen to me. You are alright. You are okay I promise.

Nancy squealed scared of the shadows and things in her bedroom. They were all just dresser stuff in the daytime but Nancy got confused at night which Glen knew because it was hard for her to see. She widened her eyes and cursed as Glen felt wetness cover an arm and she sank back down onto his body.

"Nancy you alright there?"

"See what I mean about teenage bed-wetter being a bad thing to tell your parents?"

"It's okay here let me help you out." Glen covered his body with a new sheet and she helped him switch them out for dry ones.

"Glen do you think you could stay here with me and protect me? I liked that before."

"I'll do anything for you baby girl" he said kissing her again longer this time. The light was off but the nightlight was very strong and Nancy didn't need any physical light to see Glen's heartbeat light up the room.

It was bright red and white and gold. Pure light and love in it's rarest form and it was all for her. He loved her through anything and everything and Nancy was beside herself with joy and peace.

He eyes fluttered sleepily and she buried herself inside Glen Lantz's bare chest and listened to the beating of his heart which matched her own beat thudding in her ears.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.'

"Rise and shine Nancy." Glen shouted. "I made you breakfast."

He had made coffee and oatmeal and toast for her with a little flower in a vase.

"Oh you didn't have to do that."

"i know bit it's you and I did anyway." Glen donned a pink flannel shirt and looked down in an embarrassed yet very happy smile and she could tell he was blushing for her.

He always looked that way when he blushed.

She swooned as she ate breakfast.

"You gonna eat babe?'

"nah, I'll grab something on the way to school." He turned to walk out the door.

"Glen. Today is Saturday."

"Gotcha. Ha ha." he laughed. "i' m just kidding you. He ruffled his hair and sat down in bed next to her.

"Here's the deal okay. You and me stay here until you feel absolutely safe and loved and everything and then tonight you have a sleepover at my house. "

"Why?"

"Because." he looked serious at her and Nancy got worried.

"You been having bad dreams too?"

"I just really don't think you should be alone Nancy. Not after you have a bad dream."

"I have you protecting me. You are my Guardian."

"But please?"

"Yes please." she said and he hugged her.

Later that night Glen wore the same pajamas and she wore a red nightgown and they stayed awake until one of them fell asleep.

"You sure I won't get scared tonight?"

"Not when I am your protector."

"I love you so much Nancy. Thank you for doing this for me."

"Anytime Glen. she said and they kissed each other hard sinking lower into the blankets.

" Because you love me enough to do anything for me. Even return the favor."

"And you love me."

He kissed her mouth until the sun came up.

Neither one of them has had a nightmare since that day.