NIGHTMARE

DISCLAIMERS

1. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.

2. This is a femmslash story. If you don't like that sort of thing, you won't like this.

3. Apologies if this premise has been done before, but I've never come across it. This is pre-New 52. Hope you enjoy.

Dinah Gordon-Lance awoke with a thump against her arm. Groggy, she rose her head from her pillow, eyes still half-lidded. Next to her was the reason for her interrupted slumber.

Her wife Barbara lay next to her, still asleep but far from content. She was tossing and turning her head, eyes tightly closed, with her jaw clenched. She then began murmering words of distress. As her vision cleared, Dinah took in the sight... then realised what was happening.

Instantly her senses focused and Dinah was wide awake. She rose further and took a silent gasp. Her beloved was having a nightmare. And the blonde knew exactly what it was about.

She reached over and tried to settle Barbara. Still shaking her head, Barbara's mumblings became more coherent. "N...nnno... st... stay a... ww... way... "

"Babs," Dinah whispered. "Babs, wake up." She gently shook her spouse attempting to rise her steadily. Instead, the redhead kept fidgeting.

"No!" she suddenly yelled, eyes still shut tight. "Stay away! S... stay away! Leave... leave us alone!"

Feeling her nerves breaking, Dinah tried to cajole her lover again. "Honey... wake up... you need to wake up." This was not the first time this had happened.

"W... why?" whimpered Barbara, as tears emerged from her closed eyelids. "Stop... please stop... get away... get away!"

"Barbara, stop," said Dinah, more forcefully. "You must stop. Wake up. Please... you need to wake up!"

Suddenly, a quick but loud scream burst from Barbara's lungs. The blonde winced, but not out of surprise or even the slight pain it gave her ears - almost enough to rival her Canary Cry, she would have mused under different circumstances - but instead from the agony it was causing to her heart. To see her wife in such distress hurt more than any physical injury ever could. "Babs, please!" she cried after Barbara had quieted, "Please, you need to wake up!"

Still not obeying, the sleeping redhead raised her hands up and infront of her face, as she continued shaking her head violently. "No! Stop it! Stay away!" She then began waving her hands, as if trying to brush away something from her face. "Stop it! STOP IT!" After a pause, she lowered her shivering hands and made fists so hard her knuckles white. "Stop smiling... STOP SMILING!"

Dinah had had enough. She whipped the sheets away and flipped over, straddling her wife and grabbing her wrists. "Barbara!" she shouted. "Barbara, wake up! WAKE UP!"

With that, Barbara's tear-filled eyes shot open. She took a deep gasp, her chest heaving under Dinah's. Her eyes darted around, never focusing. Her breathing became quicker and her whole body was trembling.

Dinah sighed. "Barbara, are you alri... "

"Stay away!" Barbara yelled. "STAY AWAY!"

Dinah was shocked. "Babs... ?"

"Stop it! Stop SMILING! STOP SMILING!"

Dinah's blood ran cold as she realised - Barbara was not fully awake. She was caught in a haze between consciousness and sleep. Her eyes were open, but she was not with Dinah - she was still in her nightmare. Dinah's heart skipped. She tried to restrain the shaking body beneath her, holding the redhead's arms steady despite their thrashing. "Babs, it's me! It's Dinah!"

Showing no recognition, Barbara continued her seizure. "Leave us alone! Go away! Stop it! Stop... stop LAUGHING!"

"Baby, please," Dinah said, her own eyes watering. "You must wake up. It's me - it's Dinah." This was by far the worst one yet. Barbara rarely had the nightmare - at least not since they were married - but when she did, it was just a slight fidget. Maybe some mumbles, but nothing extreme. And she always calmed quickly if it shocked her awake.

But this was different. Barbara was hyperventilating. Dinah had to get her awake before she did herself harm. "Barbara, it's only a nightmare! Wake up! Come on... come back to me... "

Something seemed to click. Barbara's panicked eyes stopped their erratic darting and looked at the blonde. Her breathing slowed slightly. "D... Dihn... "

"Please, honey," whispered Dinah as she released her hold on the arms and held her wife's head steady with both hands. "Please stay with me. Stay with me. You're alright. You're safe. Just listen to my voice... "

Eyes started to blink. Her body settled. Then, with a final deep gasp, Barbara sucked in a huge gulp of air. Her breaths then began to calm.

Dinah held back a sob. "Listen to my voice... you're safe. You're safe. Come back... come back to me... "

After what seemed like hours, Barbara's eyes blinked again. She then looked at Dinah, as if for the first time. "D... Dinah... ?"

The relief the blonde felt was immeasurable. Letting out a sigh, she started to caress her wife's cheeks. "Oh, baby... can you hear me... ? Are you with me?"

Still slowing her breathing, Barbara looked around her, but now without the panic of before. "Di... Dinah... oh God... I... he... he was... I... "

"I know," soothed Dinah. "It's OK. I'm here. You're safe."

Fresh tears poured down Barbara's face. "I... he... he didn't stop... he wouldn't stop... stop smiling... he just kept... he just kept laughing... "

"It's OK... it was just a nightmare. You're safe now."

The redhead covered her face with a hand. "Oh God... it was so... so vivid. He was stand... standing over me... the blood was ev... every... "

Dinah gently took her spouse's hand away and stared into her green eyes. "I know. I know. But you're here now, with me... safe."

"I'm... I'm sorry," whined Barbara. "I'm so, so sorry... I'm so stupi... "

"Barbara," interrupted the blonde. "Stop. Just calm down. Take deep breaths... close your eyes and steady yourself. You're OK now." She began giving kisses to her wife's sweat-covered forehead.

Barbara began to shake again. "He just stood there... " she sobbed. "He just stood there smiling... He was... was as clear as you are now."

"It was just a nightmare... " Dinah reassured. "Please, just relax. You need to calm yourself... " She began to move away, to give Barbara some space, but was stopped by a forcefull grip on her arm.

"No! Don't leave me! Please... just stay close... I need you close... "

Dinah struggled to keep further tears at bay. "Whatever you want," she breathed as she resumed her previous position, as well as her loving kisses. "I'm here. I'm not going to leave you. Just take as long as you need."

Barbara nuzzled her face into the blonde's neck. "I'm so sorry... I'm such a fool."

Raising her wife's head to face her, Dinah silenced her a hand and smiled lovingly. "You're not a fool, my sweetheart." After delicately wiping fresh tears away, she leaned down and planted a lingering kiss on Barbara's brow. "And I'm sorry... for not being there to protect you."

After a moment's quiet, Barbara whispered, "Well... we weren't together then... "

Glad that Barbara was trying to lighten things, Dinah chuckled. "You know what I mean. But I'll aways be here now." She stared at her beloved, heartbroken that such pain had been inflicted on her, and that the wounds were still so deep. They always would be. "I'll never let him, or anyone else, ever hurt you again."

"I know," Barbara said. "Thank you." After a pause, she spoke again. "I'm afraid... I won't be getting back to sleep now." She sounded embarrassed.

"That's OK, me neither," Dinah breathed as she stroked Barbara's hair. "Mind if I keep you close, though?"

Now calm, Barbara smiled. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"That's something you never need to worry about," assured Dinah.

"Even with the nightmares?"

"My nightmare is not being with you." Dinah then leaned down again and kissed her wife, this time on her inviting lips.

THE END