Rafael heard the crack of gun fire and woke sharply. It was only a bad dream, he reminded himself but for some reason that simple fact didn't help slow his breathing or the pounding in his chest any. He could remember looking up at the barrel of that gun so vividly in his mind. He could also hear the crowd cheer as the man holding the gun prepared to fire the weapon into his head and end his young life. The memories shook Rafael to the core and he didn't know what to do. He looked at his hands then at the wall separating his room from the one belonging to his older brother Jack. He knew that he could turn to Jack for anything and the older boy would understand and try to help him and in this moment he needed support.

Rafael swung his legs out of bed and walked out of the room, his hands still trembling at the memories that played in his mind.

Jack woke in confusion at the extra weight that had just settled in his bed. He turned in confusion to see that Rafael had crawled in his full size bed.

"Raf, what's wrong?" Jack asked, his eyes showing with concern.

"I… I had a dream." Rafael said and Jack noticed that the younger boy's voice was almost as shaky as his hands.

Jack sat up fully in his bed.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I… I was back on that stage, the… the man had the gun aimed… aimed at my head." Rafael had to swallow back his tears as he spoke "He pulled the trigger this time, Jack…" Rafael choked out.

Jack felt like someone had just dropped a brick into his stomach and all he could do was hug his brother as the younger boy cried. He couldn't imagine what it was like for Rafael to have experienced what he did at the hands of the FOH. This wasn't the first time Rafael woke with nightmares, but this was the first time he had actively sought Jack out for comfort, and Jack couldn't turn his back on his baby brother when the younger boy clearly needed him.

"That will never happen." Jack assured Rafael as he cried "I'll never let them hurt you, not as long as there is breath in my body." Jack vowed as Rafael's sobs eased.

"Really…?" Rafael asked looking up at his older brother. His tear filled brown eyes seemed to search his older brother's grey-blue eyes for some kind of encouragement.

"Really" Jack assured him wiping the tears from the younger boy's eyes.

Jack felt Rafael relax and realized he was exhausted both physically and emotionally.

"Lay down, Rafael, you can stay with me tonight." Jack said without a single second thought.

"Are you sure?" Rafael asked wiping at his eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure." Jack replied taking the younger boy's glasses and setting them on the bed side table "Dry your tears and let's get some sleep, okay?" Jack started to lie down.

"Okay." Rafael replied laying down by his older brother, his head coming to rest on Jack's arm.

Jack lay there awake for a few moments, he understood why Rafael feared the friends of Humanity and why the young boy had nightmares about that day, but Rafael didn't realize his friends wouldn't let him face that again. There were so many ready and willing to step up in Rafael's defense, but the young boy remained ignorant of exactly what lengths the bots, gargoyles and even the other humans would go to keep him safe. Jack figured it was best Rafael remained ignorant of the fact that they would lay down their lives to protect him as he would see it as him being a burden to them when that was far from the truth.

Rafael's eyelids began to droop and soon Jack followed the younger boy's example and fell asleep.

It was five in the morning when June went to check on her boys. She instantly became frightened when she found Rafael's bed empty. She ran to Jack's room and nearly cried with relief when she saw both boys in the bed asleep. Jack was holding Rafael protectively as he slept. She figured Rafael had gone to Jack after having a nightmare and Jack just let the younger boy sleep in his bed for the rest of the night.

She sighed, she knew Rafael was having nightmares but foolishly wanted to believe they would pass, and so far that had not happened. She then resigned herself and went to call Charles in New York and ask him if there was any way someone could come and talk to Rafael about what he went through and help him deal with his nightmares. She also decided that since it was Saturday she would let the boys sleep in a bit, she was sure their partners wouldn't mind any.

She then looked back at the two boys and smiled. Rafael had snuggled in under Jack's chin sometime during the night and the older boy just wrapped his arms around the younger to hold him close in case the nightmares came back and June felt her heart swell with pride, these were her boys and she couldn't be more proud to call herself their mother.

The End