Ward had known something was wrong when she came to the door earlier, when they'd brought her the laptop. She was nervous, trembling, she had tears in her eyes...

It was only when he and Watch had started back down the steps that it had clicked.

"They don't have a daughter!" he and Watch had said, almost in unison, pausing on the steps.

He had watched his older partner's eyes widen. Watch had more years with The Guild, and was able to put two and two together more quickly than himself.

"Cover me!" Watch had barked, turning and racing back up the steps.

It was all Ward could do to keep up as Watch slammed headlong through the door and pounced on the armed intruder.

Once inside, Ward took the responsibility of keeping The Councilwoman safe, overwhelmed with relief at his partner's intuition.

Now he sat on the far side of Mrs. Monarch's bed and removed his knee-high red boots, and then his uncomfortable, buckle-laden Guild jacket, leaving only his black cowl and a skintight black undershirt beneath.

He turned toward Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, and she smiled, and patted the space beside her.

"Thank you so much, Ward," she said softly as he slid under the covers beside her, "Sorry to be so needy."

"Believe me," the blond agent said, blushing a little, "I do NOT consider this a hardship."

She laughed, and he smiled, pleased he was able to make her happy after her terrible, frightening evening.

They lay there in silence together for a long time, Ward on his back with his hands laced across his chest. Mrs. Monarch started on her back. Then she rolled onto her side. Then onto her tummy. Then back onto her side again.

"Can't sleep?" he asked softly, reaching over to lay a hand on her arm.

"Sorry," she said, rolling onto her back again and sighing, "I keep seeing his face every time I close my eyes."

She looked over at him, and he could see the hint of tears in her breathtaking, aquamarine eyes.

The Guild agent thought for a long moment, and then turned on his side to face her.

"Would it help if I... if I held you?" he asked hesitantly.

She blinked, and his heart fluttered a little. Had he crossed the line?

"I can't ask you to do that," she said softly, but her expression showed an obvious longing to accept his invitation.

"You don't have to ask," he said with a sweet smile, "I offered."

He opened his arms, and after a moment of hesitation, she slid across the space between them and nestled against his chest.

Ward closed his eyes as she snuggled against him, wrapping his arms protectively around her, automatically breathing in the sweet scent of her hair.

The stress of her ordeal caught up with Mrs. Monarch quickly, and it seemed that the moment she felt safe, she was able to relax. It was only a minute or two before her breathing evened out, and she slept in his arms.

Ward lay awake for an hour or more just holding her, listening to her breathing, relishing the fact that he made her feel safe enough to sleep.

He'd had a crush on her from the first moment he'd seen her as Lady Au Pair, all those years ago.

He was barely twenty years old, then... a baby, by super-villain standards. Brand new to The Guild, Agent Watch's apprentice and protegee. She had been just a few years older than he...

If things had been different... if he'd had more confidence and courage... if not for Phantom Limb... perhaps she may have...

Suddenly, she gasped, and her body stiffened in his arms.

Ward was pulled out of his nostalgic fantasy, his attention immediately and completely focused on the woman in his protective embrace.

She gave a small, frightened whimper, and trembled in her sleep. She was dreaming.

Her slight figure twitched in Ward's arms, and he tightened his hold around her, gently rubbing her back, his other hand nestling in her hair.

"Shhh," he breathed softly into her hair, "It's OK... I'm right here... you're safe."

She cried out again, reaching up to clutch at his shirt, pressing her face into his chest.

"I'm not gonna let anybody hurt you," he murmured, pressing his lips against her cool, damp brow, "Shhh."

She stiffened one more time... and then relaxed against him, snuggling her head up under his chin with a contended sigh. In mere seconds, she was calm and still again, soothed back to sleep by his words and his touch.

Ward melted. He closed his eyes with a happy smile on his face, and soon joined her in slumber, dreaming beautiful dreams about the sweet, lovely lady he still somewhat adored.

A few hours later, Watch leaned over his partner, and gently shook him by the shoulder.

Ward's eyes flew open with a start, and he clutched Mrs. Monarch to him.

"Whoa, easy," Watch's voice said, softly, his hand settling on his partner's brow, "Just me, buddy."

"Watch?" the younger man breathed, blinking sleepily up at him.

"Yep," he replied, "Everything's fine, but it's time for you to stand guard. I need to sleep."

"Oh right, right," Ward said, shaking off his sleepiness and carefully disentangling himself from the sleeping Mrs. Monarch. He slid out from under the bed-covers and moved to collect his boots and jacket, and then headed for the door.

"Anything to report?" he asked as Watch set about removing his own boots and jacket.

"Not really," the older man said, "Heard a rat or two... and there's a pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen, so help yourself."

"Thanks, man," the blond agent said, with a salute, "And sleep tight!"

He moved out the door and closed it behind him.

Watch finished removing his jacket and slipped carefully beneath the covers, not wanting to disturb the Councilwoman. He knew she needed rest after the terrifying assault she had been through.

He settled down next to her and was almost asleep, when she suddenly shifted in the bed.

Watch froze, waiting for her to settle back down. Instead, she moved across the space that divided them to nestle up tightly against his body.

He chalked it up to a warmth thing. It was quite chilly in the master bedroom, and she was probably just cold without Ward to cling to.

But all the same, he wrapped his arms around her and held her, a gentle smile spreading across his jagged face.

She was so soft and warm... she felt so small and fragile in his arms... and her hair smelled of green apples and honeysuckle...

He closed his eyes and dreamed of a sunlit orchard from his childhood, darting in and out between the fruit-laden trees. He was playfully chasing... someone... a shadowy, unseen, delicate figure with an unusually deep voice and blue-black hair...

"NO!"

The frightened cry jolted Watch from a sound sleep, and he sat up in the bed, every nerve jangling, instantly on the alert. As an older and more experienced Guild agent, he was quicker to awaken than Ward.

"NOOO, WATCH!"

He turned to the figure in the bed beside him. Mrs. Monarch was sobbing, tears flowing down her silken cheeks, crying out for him, but still sound asleep.

"Ma'am?" he called softly, gently pulling her up to cradle her against his chest, "It's all right, Mrs. Monarch... you're safe... I'm here."

"Watch," she sobbed, turning her head to press her face into his chest, but still asleep.

The sharp-jawed agent was torn. Should he wake her up? She needed her rest so badly... but this nightmarish state hardly seemed restful.

"Nooo, don't hurt him...," she wept.

Making a decision, Watch moved one hand to gently slap at her flawless, eggshell-smooth cheek, calling gently to her.

"Ma'am? Mrs. Monarch? Sheila?"

Saying her given name felt strange and unprofessional, but she seemed to respond to it most of all. Her brow furrowed, and she turned her beautiful face toward him.

"Sheila?" he called again, a bit more loudly, "Wake up, now. Everything's OK... I'm right here."

Her beautiful aquamarine blue eyes opened, and she looked up at him, sleepily blinking her thick lashes.

"Watch?" she breathed.

"It's me," he said, with a relieved smile, "It's OK, everything is fine."

She blinked again, and a tear slipped from her eye to run down her perfect cheek. Without thinking about it, Watch reached down and swiped it gently away with his knuckle, and she reached up to take his large hand in her small, delicate one.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, "I had a dream... that man... he had my gun... and he... he shot you..."

She closed her eyes, and more tears slipped from beneath her eyelids. Watch just pulled her more tightly against his chest, and stroked her hair back from her face with his free hand.

"It was just a nightmare," he said gently, "I'm fine."

"Sorry I woke you," she breathed, those stunning eyes opening to settle on his, once more.

"You're so beautiful," he blurted suddenly, immediately followed by, "Oh, shit..."

He immediately went red in the face, eyes wide, his heart pounding, stomach churning, wondering what on Earth had come over him.

She just gazed up at him, and then a slow, sweet smile spread across her perfect lips.

"Thank you, Watch," she murmured, "I think you're pretty wonderful, yourself."

"Thank you, ma'am," he mumbled, trying to will down the furious blush that now burned his face.

She suddenly sat up and kissed him, full on the lips, which didn't help his blush disperse at all... but did send a flood of sweet, warm, tingling joy through his entire body.

She pulled back from the kiss, and smiled up at him as he gaped at her, giddily.

"Wha...what was that for?" he asked, fumbling comically over his words.

She shrugged.

"I just realized I never properly thanked you for saving my life," she replied, laying back down, reaching up to trace his pointed features with one alabaster finger.

"You're welcome," the hardened, professional Guild agent said, as he laid back down beside her, and pulled her into his arms.