Nero was up early the next morning. He was busying himself in the kitchen preparing breakfast and brewing a pot of strong coffee, knowing he would need it. He was exausted. He had once again been awoken in the middle of the night by Dominico tossing, turning and whimpering in his sleep.
And once again, by the time he reached the boy's room he seemed to have settled. It still didn't stop Nero from remaining awake for hours afterwards worrying about his son.
He looked up at the clock on the wall, still a bit too early to call, and he had left 1 message already, with her answering service, begging her to call him as soon as she got in.
He was making Dominico's favorite for breakfast. Pancakes with maple syrup and fresh berries. He was hoping this small jesture would cheer his son up a little. Pancakes always made Dominico smile.
He looked up from the stove when he heard Vincent coming down over the stairs.
"Have you not called Dominico for school yet?" Vincent asked, walking into the kitchen.
"No, father. He had another fitful night last night. I am letting him rest a bit longer. I am concidering keeping him home today anyway."
Vincent looked over at Nero and noticed how tired he was. "You were up all night again weren't you?" he asked, watching his son cooking breakfast for his grandson.
Nero shook his head and sighed. "I can't keep this up much longer, Father. I am exausted, but I am so worried I can't sleep."
Vincent nodded his head in understanding.
"Hopefully she will have some sort of answer for you, Nero, or at least some advice," Vincent said, placing a hand on Nero's shoulder.
"Thanks, Father, for everything. I don't know what I would do without you," Nero said, taking the last of the pancakes up and placing them on the stack he had already prepared.
"I should go get Nico up for breakfast," he said, placing the serving plate on the table and walking towards the stairs.
Vincent watched his son as he climbed the stairs. He was completely exausted, and trying not to show it. Vincent was worried, not only for Dominico, but for Nero as well.
Nero approached his son's bedroom door and knocked softly. "Dominico, it's time to get up."
He opened the door and walked over to Dominico's bed, "Come on, sweetheart, you have to get up, it is time for breakfast."
Dominico didn't budge, so Nero gently shook him. Dominico shot up and pressed himself against the wall on the other side of the bed. Nero was not expecting this reaction and it took him totally by surprise. He jumped up and went around the bed to calm his now panicking son.
"Dominico! Oh my Goddess. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you!"
Vincent had heard the commotion and had ran up the stairs in time to see a trembling Dominico in the arms of a very upset Nero.
"What happened?!" Vincent said, approaching them.
"I don't know. He wouldn't wake up so I gently shook him. He must have gotten a fright because he leapt out of the bed and pinned himself against the wall," Nero said, running a hand through his son's hair.
By this time, Dominico had calmed down and was hugging his Mama to give comfort as much as recieve it.
"Mama ok?" he asked in his sweet shy voice.
"Yes, Dominico, I'm fine," Nero said, hugging him tighter. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
"No, Not Mama," he said, trying to convey the idea that it wasn't Nero that had scared him, at least not directly.
Vincent watched the scene unfold in front of him. There had to be a reason behind this, and there had to be a solution to it.
"Well breakfast is getting cold, and I suggest we get some pancakes eaten before Cid Highwind gets here. Elsewise there will be none left for a certain long haired teen," Vincent said, knowing it would break the tension building in the room.
Dominico stood straighter and walked over giving his grandfather a hug. "Thanks, Papa."
"Oh, don't thank me child, your mama did all the work this time."
Dominico was the first one down the stairs and to the table. Nero's hope that the pancakes would put a smile on his son's face was soon satisfied. Dominico looked happier than he had the past 2 weeks, dispite the fright the child had gotten moments before upstairs.
In fact it seemed like a perfectly normal morning. It lasted as long as the pancakes. All too soon the meloncoly that plagued his son the past 2 weeks returned about an hour later. By that time, Dr. Jonas had returned Nero's call and an appointment was booked for Dominico later that morning.
Two hours later Nero and Dominico arrived at Shinra medical, and were escorted to a private examining room.
Dominico sat on the examing table thinking about the dream he had night. It started as it always did, with the jagged black rock valley, the high walls and the monster.
Once again he ran for his life, positive the creature would catch him, and as usual when he was at the end of his endurance he found himself in his dreamscape with the unknown entity.
This time though he was determined to discover what it was, and he began to watch the shadows around him.
That's when he noticed it. A shadowy figure, without much substance moving through the trees. He decided to follow it and find out what it was once and for all.
It kept just out of his range of vision every time he approached where he thought it to be. He stopped and took a deep breath to calm himself, growing frustrated with the search.
He slowly opened his eyes and looked ahead of him and saw what he thought were a pair of glowing green eyes, not unlike the shade of Yazoo's staring at him from the bushes a few feet in front of him. He blinked and they were gone.
Suddenly he heard soft foot steps approaching him from behind, coming ever closer.
As they approached his fear grew. Suddenly he felt a hand grab his shoulder. At that point he awoke in his room being held by his very worried Mama.
Nero had thought it was him that frightened Dominico so badly but it wasn't. It was this unknown entity running around his dreamscape. Dominico was not sure of what it wanted, but now he was thinking it may not mean him any harm. It was probably just as scared of Nico as he was of it. But what was it, and why was it there?
Dominico had to find these answers and soon.
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