Author's note: Hey, all! Now this is a one-shot! Everest and Jake rarely get attention around here, and this storyline came into mind (ironically, this also spawned a funny one-shot to put into "Various Mishaps") so I decided to go with it! Ironically, the night I wrote this I had a nightmare. I named this after a lullaby by Plumb. 3

~ Ashla

Everest was supposed to be snuggled up and warm... Supposed. She was warm all right. And while part of the heat was from her awesome pup house Ryder made for her; she was also sweating like crazy. She was wide awake, aroused by her familiar nightmares. After two hours of fading in and out of sleep, terrifying things taking over every time, Everest couldn't take it anymore. She stepped out her pup house to clear her mind.

It was summer in her new owner's mountain; so while it was still chilly, it was nice weather. "Just wait until fall hits," Jake had told her, "Snow doesn't wait for winter here."

Everest smelled the fresh, mountain air as she rested on the porch, looking out into the stars, Everest sighed. She wanted to cry, but she shook her head. She was a sturdy, arctic hardened, member of the PAW Patrol. She couldn't cry over a stupid dream...

Everest heard the door to the house open, and she saw the light from inside shining out. "Everest, dudette."

Everest knew that voice. Jake.

"You usually are sound asleep now..."

Everest kept looking into the night. Jake chuckled, "If you want to be anime level emo, be anime level emo inside, okay?"

Everest silently stood up and walked inside with him.

Jake scratched his head as he watched Everest get on her inside pup bed, located in the living room. She seemed so... haunted... lifeless. Something was wrong, he knew it. He was going to bring her inside no matter what, due to an incoming blizzard; but something else was wrong. Jake always had a hunch, even during that first journey they took to her igloo, that she was more than what met the eyes. She had more in her past than her laughs and smiles suggested. Jake just knew it.

He would prod her with hints of this knowledge, but he never pushed her. Jake knew she would open up in time. For now, that hyper pup who loved liver and rescues would remain a mystery. Jake just hoped that whatever happened to her before they met, Everest would be willing to look past them.

Tonight though, her eyes were glazed with a look of deep sorrow and fear. Jake already knew she was prone to nightmares. After digging that makeshift shelter back in the arctic, she fell asleep. She had kicked her hind legs; her mouth curved into an uncomfortable growl, and whimpered until Jake couldn't take it anymore and woke her up. Now, for the first time since that night, she had nightmares again. Obviously, since the excitement of the days since their meeting was finally fading; slipping into a new "normal." Everest would have time to think again.

Jake found that once again, he was unable to just watch her. He decided to try prying her, "What's been keeping you up, Everest?"

Everest shrugged, but didn't do or say anything else.

Jake frowned, "You don't want to talk about it?"

She looked on before pulling herself up into a sitting position. "Maybe?"

Jake walked over to her, relaxing onto his knees, "Nightmares?"

Everest nodded.

Jake rubbed his brunette hair, "You don't have to tell me about them. But do you think you can sleep tonight?"

Everest shuddered at the thought of trying to sleep again. She didn't feel up to talking, but she answered his questions. "No..." she said in a faint voice of intimidated worry.

Jake was sitting down now, "Do you usually get nightmares? How do you handle them?"

Everest scoffed, "All the time... I try to eat something then hit the hay again."

Jake smirked, "I know just the thing!"

He got up and walked into the kitchen. Everest followed. She saw Jake pouring what looked like milk into her drinking bowl. Everest tilted her head, "Milk?"

Jake turned to her, laughing, and set it down. "Even better... Eggnog! And it's alcohol free, so dig in!"

Everest was having more questions each minute. "Alcohol? Marshall said they use that to rub skin during shots." Everest shuddered, "Not looking forward to that..."

Jake frowned for a moment. They both remembered the incident when Everest learned about vaccines. Rocky and Zuma did a good job frightening her with tales of how these "plasma powered stingrays" would "harpoon" her hard. A conversation promptly reported to Ryder.

Everest looked down at the white liquid and took a lick. Her ears perked up as she took another lick. Before Jake could say "ski," Everest gulped the whole thing down. She licked her lips, not at all lady-like. "Wow!" Everest beamed, "Haven't tasted anything that good since-"

She stopped. Faintest of early memories flooded her mind; suckling against her mother. Everest's eyes watered over her mother, whom she barely remembered. Tears fell into her empty bowl as she silently grieved unspoken losses. For a moment, things stayed that way until she was met with a surprise, gentle hug from Jake.

Jake was prepared for the outburst when he hugged her, and it came. Everest started bawling. Jake pulled her into his lap as he leaned against the fridge. He watched the time as she lamented, soaking his shirt in her tears. For several minutes, Everest mourned, and Jake never let her go. He rubbed her back, his cheek against her head as she started to finally calm down. Jake didn't rush her to stop, already accepting the fact that this would be a long night. He cherished the moment, in fact, their silent embrace.

Everest finally broke the hug, rubbing her eyes with her paws, "S-sorry. I-I-"

Jake put his hand over her mouth, shushing her, "It's totally okay, dudette."

Everest gave him a weak attempt at a smile. Jake responded by moving things along, "Think you can try to sleep now?"

Everest's ears dropped as she looked towards the puppy bed in the living room. "No..."

Jake got up, "Okay, then." Jake motioned her to follow him. As they walked through the house, Everest heard a blizzard through the windows. Shivering at the thought of still being out there, she following Jake closely.

Finally, he opened the room to his door, shaking his pointer finger, "Just this once, okay?"

Everest totally saw through him. This would only be the first of many nights spent like this. Her usual, playful smile, shone through. "Got it, captain!"

Everest jumped on the foot of his bed, pawing the mattress for a moment, before spinning in circles.

"Why DO pups do that before sleeping?" Jake asked.

Everest slowed and laid down, curled in a fuzzy ball. "Sorry," she grinned, "Classified information."

Jake chuckled as he pulled his sheets over himself, "Okay."

It didn't take even a minute for Everest to fall asleep, knowing Jake was watching.

Jake smiled warmly as he watched Everest sleep; her sides steadily rising and falling. He knew what he was doing when he brought her home. While Jake had lived alone before Everest came along, he frequently kept in touch with family members. Most of them worried about him adopting a "wild dog," but Everest was far from that. She was lighthearted, happy, and generally well behaved. Even a few days into her time here, things were running smoothly. Even if there were tougher times up ahead, they could handle it together. Jake cherished his sleeping pup as he drifted away himself. Everest was smiling in her sleep. Jake too bore a joyful grin on his face. He still did not know her true origins, but he was happy to fill a void he knew she felt.

You'll be safe in my arms, little dudette...