They arrived in Bright Falls after midnight. Sheriff Breaker was out in the field and the handful of deputies still conscious were still up to their armpits in the chaos that had enveloped their town. Wren and Jayden were handed two boxes of files and promised a call from the sheriff first thing. Hustled out with a harassed 'Goodnight' by a young deputy Jayden regarded the sheriff's office with bemusement as he gripped one of the two boxes.

"Recommendation?"

"Get a room. ARI still has to chew through a good chunk of data and we have some reading of our own to do."

Wren felt they should be doing more but she had to admit there didn't seem to be much else they could do. So she adjusted her grip on her box and lead the way back to their car.

The only hotel in Bright Falls proper was a claptrap shithole dubiously titled, The Majestic. Jayden went to arrange rooms while Wren parked the car and began to gather their things. Jayden returned cursing under his breath.

"What's the problem sunshine?" She asked.

"There's only one room left."

"Oh."

"He'll bring a cot."

"Flip you for the bed?" She suggested.

"I'll take the cot tonight, we can trade off." He sighed. He was so tired from the long trip that was sure he would sleep just fine on the cot. Besides, she would be driving them tomorrow so he wanted her rested and sharp.

She didn't argue too tired or too wise to even start that particular pissing match. The room was decent and, true to his word, the manager brought in a cot that looked comfortable enough once it was unfolded and made up.

She showered and was dressed in practical pajamas and in bed with the light off forty-five minutes after they arrived. Jayden took a long hot shower of his own, long enough that when he left the bathroom he could hear her light fluttering snores. Smiling he checked to make sure ARI was charging and dressed for bed. He normally only wore boxers and maybe a tank top to bed, but he had experienced shared living quarters on previous cases so usually packed pajama bottoms just in case.

He stretched out on the cot and let his exhaustion take the place of his usual sleeping pills.

She woke sometime before dawn and experienced the inevitable confusion of waking up in a strange place. Once her senses settled and her memory flooded back she relaxed and wondered what had woken her in the first place.

Then Wren heard it, a low gasping sound, her imagination immediately conjured an image of a landed fish. She shook her head then sat up and tried to locate the source. She was sleepily startled to see Jayden's cot then her still ragged memory filled in the blanks.

He was on his back and the sound, she now realized, was coming from him. She turned on her bedside lamp and slipped out of the bed. She approached him worried that he might be choking. His face was pale and sweaty, his hair wet though she assumed he had showered before bed.

As she approached the choking noise ceased and he seemed to relax. Not convinced, worried he might have simply stopped struggling and passed out, she reached out to check his pulse. Before she could touch him he started to mutter.

"No...no….not now...no." She pulled her hand away and frowned.

People that were choking couldn't speak, it was one of the ways to tell a true choking victim from someone that had confused their lungs with gills. As she watched his face twisted into something between fear and rage, he raised his hands as though warding something or someone off.

"No don't ...don't let go...don't…" He said, his tone was so plaintive, so needy that she shivered and almost woke him then and there. She remembered a bit of lore she had picked up as a child. Her cousin, Liam, had been a sleepwalker. She remembered her mother and Aunt Clara discussing the ailment during an afternoon visit. Aunt Clara had been adamant that the worst thing to do was wake the sleeper.

"It will only panic and frighten him. The best way is to simply take him in hand and return him to bed."

So, should she wake Jayden or leave him to his dreams? What if, she wondered, they were memories? Was he recalling the Mars case? Something else? What kind of life resulted in a man like Norman Jayden anyway? Probably not a happy one.

Jayden lowered his hands and seemed to be sleeping normally. She waited a few seconds to be sure then started the careful journey back to her bed in the unfamiliar room.

Then he sat up and screamed.

As the oldest of four siblings Wren was fairly used to the wide range of noises a human being is capable of. Happily for her state of mind and mental stability she had never heard a noise like the one coming from Norman Jayden, half yipping shriek of fear and half defiant roar it somehow morphed into a bone chilling noise that spoke of pain and fear on a primal level. It took all her willpower and training not to bolt from the room.

She immediately started back to him only for the awful cry to cut off as quickly as it had started. Heart in her throat and eyes wide she walked to his side again. He appeared to be innocently asleep. She waited to a count of 90 then gave up and went back to bed.

The next morning dawned bright and clear. Wren woke first and quietly showered then dressed. She couldn't remember if Liam was as rested on nights he had an episode of sleepwalking as he was on a normal night so she wasn't sure how rested Jayden was. Considering his scream in the night she assumed more sleep would be better. Once she was dressed she decided to wake him. She could review the abstracts Jayden had generated and printed the night before while he got ready. She checked her phone then Jayden's and didn't see any missed calls or text messages.

"Hey, wake up." She said gently and shook Jayden's shoulder. The older agent woke slowly eyes fluttering they finally opened and he focused on her then blinked hard and sat up. He was lean but strong looking rather than simply underfed. He rubbed at his eyes and coughed, a harsh wet cough, and put his feet on the thin carpet of the hotel room. He held his head in his hands as though exhausted or suffering a severe headache.

"You okay creepy?" She asked.

She heard him chuckle, he dropped his hands and looked up at her. She was caught off guard by his remarkable good looks again.

"I'll live." He said briefly then rose and walked to his suitcase. He moved with an athletic ease, pale skin gliding over visible muscle. He had a few scars though they did not mar his beauty.

"I'll go over the abstracts -"

"We need food, see if you can find out what's open around here." He said around a huge yawn as he walked into the bathroom.

She focused on the abstracts first. She needed a better grasp of the local issues and history before she ventured into town. If she wasn't prepared she might miss something key. She was on the last abstract when she heard the shower turn off. She realized that she hadn't seen Jayden bring any clothes in with him. As Wren was moving to put the paperwork away the bathroom door opened.

He wore a towel low around his waist. He paused in the doorway as she stared at him. "Learn anything?" He asked as he ran a towel over his short damp hair.

"Uh yeah - yes. This Jake Fischer, he disappeared the night the Wake's arrived in town."

"He also had a history of instability and was taking a mood stabilizer."

"It's still worth a look."

"Agreed but we should try to pick up Wake's trail first."

"Right, I'll see what I can find out about breakfast. Back in ten." She said while maintaining careful eye contact. She excused herself and walked to the main office.

"Hello?" She called as she entered. A boy appeared from behind the desk.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh well sure, I guess, do you know where we could get some breakfast?"

"There's the Oh Deer Diner in town but I don't know if it's open."

"Thanks kid, guess we'll find out."

As she was returning to the room her phone rang.

"Wren."

"This is Sam Mathews."

"Ah uh good morning sir -"

"What's your status agent?"

"We're still tracking down the local Sheriff, Jayden has a good handle on a spate of similar cases -"

"Sounds good and Agent Jayden? How is he?"

"Sharp sir, he has ARI up and running."

"You keep an eye on that bastard Wren. He never should have been reinstated you watch your ass. If he gets flaky you call me directly and report it."

"Yes sir, thank you for the notice sir."

"Find Wake and there's a promotion in it for you." He said and hung up.