Chapter 2

Later that night, Pitch carried "Little One" to the king-size bed that he had been sharing with the teenager since he found her. Pitch remembered that night well. When he showed her the room she would be staying in, she started crying and shaking. She clung to the front of Pitch's robes, begging with wide eyes not to be left alone. Pitch was once again hit by wave after wave of the teenager's fear. It was nauseating, the fear, and Pitch for the life of him could not figure out why. It bothered him greatly then, as it did currently, that such a frail girl got through his barriers, that such a fragile little thing could break down the walls he spent so much time building … just by looking at him with those amazing, icy blue eyes. Pitch glanced down at the sleeping girl he was carrying in her arms. He had noticed she had been having nightmares but they always dissolved into peaceful dreams when Pitch comforted the girl as she slept. Pitch wondered if this meant that her subconscious trusted him. It was a strange thought, someone trusting him. He pulled the blanket up to her chin carefully so not to wake her. The Nightmares then decided to start making a ruckus. Cursing under his breath, Pitch left the bedroom hoping that she would stay asleep. She needed all the rest she could get to heal properly. When he returned after threatening the Nightmares into silence, the poor teen was in the grasp of one of her night terrors. Pitch rushed to her side and brushed her light blonde bangs from her forehead. She was covered in a cold sweat, trembling as she slept. Pitch wondered what could possibly be haunting her. He had thought about peering into her dreams before, but never had. Now he couldn't resist. Pitch closed his eyes and touched their foreheads together. He wasn't prepared for what he saw. In the dream he saw a crowd surrounding the teen and a bloodied, lifeless body.

"Monster!"

"The Freak killed him!"

"Murderer!"

The crowd was yelling such things at her and throwing stones and some good-sized rocks. And all she did was beg and plead, with the voice Pitch so longed to hear, that it was a mistake, an accident, she didn't mean to. She didn't even fight back or defend herself even when on of those rocks cut open her forehead. The crowd got closer and closer. When one man pulled out a knife, she finally got up and ran away. The teen ran as hard as she could through a moonlight forest, but the man was gaining fast. She tripped over a tree limb. Pitch's heart sank as the man stepped down hard on her left leg, breaking it at the knee with a sickening snap. It was then Pitch realized that this wasn't just a dream. This night terrors, were her memories coming back to haunt her. The man started slashing at the teen's arms and legs. She finally tried fighting back but it was too late. The blade was nearing her neck. Pitch broke the connection. He didn't want to see…. that. He was so disgusted. How could anyone do that to someone so defenseless, to his "Little One"? He lay down next to her and pulled the teen in to his arms. At least she was sleeping peacefully now. Pitch sighed, he was beginning to realize how attached to her he was becoming.

`Oh well, I'll deal with that in the morning.' He pulled her closer and fell asleep with the feeling of her body pressed against his right side.