4

Note: Sorry for the short chapter, but I figured a small update was better than nothing. I will have absolutely no time until mid week to write.

[Kat]

A soft rustling brought me fully awake, and that's when I remembered. Patrick was here, and I'd been dreaming about him...in vivid color, and as a full participant. It had been way steamier than usual. and I was soaked in sweat. My dream was a series of unconnected vignettes, like the part about me thanking Sully...it was like I had been in the body of Jayne the pastor, praising him for a job well done.

Patrick stirred in his sleep and I breathed a sigh of relief that at least he hadn't witnessed me in the throes of a dream. Because I was loud, and my voice sometimes carried across the hall and woke up Bianca.

With the house quiet and everyone down for the count, it was the perfect time to fire up my computer, jack in my headphones, and swoon over the latest installment of God and Country. It had been my Monday night ritual for the past year, and soon it would be over when the curtain went down on the tenth episode. I had four more delicious installments, and then all I'd have were memories and a small handful of exquisite fan fic written by my online bff.

I'd been in ostrich mode for the past week, but burying in my head in the sand wasn't working. It only delayed the inevitable feelings of disappointment, frustration, and anger over how clueless these mouth breathing network goons were. But hey, this was a perfect opportunity to stand up and make them take notice, even if I was captain of a sinking ship called Cancellation.

[Patrick]

Something nudged my consciousness and interrupted a very sexy dream where I'd been this close to sleeping with Kat. Our walls had been down and her tongue was down my throat when I was jerked awake.

I automatically looked over at the bed.

Empty.

But I sensed her close by and my dark adapted eyes picked up a sliver of light from across the room. It drew me upright, and I looked between the bed and her desk, wondering if I should pull a Goldilocks and steal the warm, sweet-smelling spot in the center of her double bed.

It was so tempting, but curiosity won out and I followed the light, which came from underneath a Kat shaped blanket.

What the hell was going on?

I hunkered down and caught sight of an enraptured Kat, dark eyes totally glued to some video on her computer. Her mouth curved into a pleased smile, quickly followed by a scowl and a frustrated sigh. She started chewing on her lip, and tapped her keyboard a few times. I heard the Windows shut down chime through her earphones and stepped back a bit, waiting until she emerged.

Kat took two steps and collided with the wall of my chest. My hand snaked out to muffle her startled cry and I whispered, "Sorry."

"What are you doing up?" Her whisper was almost comical with its hint of outrage as she pushed me away from her.

"I could ask you the same thing."

I returned to my cold, hard sleeping bag and watched her snuggle under the covers. "Couldn't sleep," was all she said as she settled beneath the duvet.

"If you say so." Amusement colored my tone and elicited the desired response.

"Meaning what?" Kat retorted.

My snicker stirred some furious movement on her part. "You talk in your sleep."

I could almost feel her fingers clenching. "I do not," Kat hissed.

"You sure about that?" My grin widened at her sudden intake of breath.

"OK, so what if I do? It's not like I say anything coherent."

"Wrong again."

That brought her bolt upright and her glare was almost palpable. "Tell me what I said," she ordered.

"Naw, I'm going to savor this," I joked, deliberately tossing our old exchange into the mix.

"Not if I kill you first," Kat warned.

I turned over and faced her with a smirk. "Can't stake what's already dead, Buffy."

She threw a pillow at me, which I threw back with a silent whoop of laughter. Our exchange turned into a full on pillow fight, which ended abruptly when the hallway door swung open and the light was snapped on by an irate Wally with a pointing finger.
*****