Gilligan blinked awake when he felt Roy's grip on him tighten. He turned around and frowned in concern at the look of anguish on his face. "Roy?"

He was having a nightmare. The first mate had had enough in his life to know when to spot one. He gently shook him. "Roy wake up. It's only a dream!"

"Let him go Balinkoff…!" Roy growled in his sleep.

Balinkoff? As in the mad scientist? They hadn't seen him since the zombie ring thing! Why would his partner be dreaming about him?

"Roy come on. You're scaring me! Wake up!"

"NO!"

Will was startled when Roy shot up and looked around frightened.

"Hey...hey hey hey look at me! It was just a dream," Will said soothingly and rubbed his shoulders "Honey it's ok."

Roy swallowed as he looked at the sailor. "Will?"

"That must have been some nightmare. Wanna talk about it?" Will asked concerned.

The Professor sighed. "I'm not sure where it came from. We were at Balinkrff's castle. Just us and he wanted to me to work for him. I refused and he had Igor put you on a bed and tie you down." He swallowed. "He then...he said that if I didn't he'd hurt you." He looked at Will and hugged him. "My voice left me. I was frozen. He activated a machine and you screamed…"

Gilligan returned the embrace and kissed his cheek. "It's ok. I'm ok. I'm not gonna leave you."

Roy nodded and swallowed as he lay back down and pulled him close. "I can't lose you Will...ever."

Will frowned in concern. "Roy…"

"I need you Love. Without you I'll go right back to my isolation."

"I'm not going anywhere. Honey I love you."

Roy nodded and took comfort from his lover's warm body. They lay in silence before he heard Gilligan's breathing even out in sleep. He looked down and ran a hand over his sailor's slim frame checking for invisible injuries. He let out a shaky sigh of relief and rested his forehead against the younger man's. The dream replaying in his mind.

Where HAD that come from? Hehhadn't given the mad scientist a thought in a few years. Was it a premonition? A fear that Will could be used as bait for him? Maybe. He knew that Boris Balinkoff had to have learned about Roy's intelligence in those two encounters they had had with him.

Whatever it was Roy remained awake for the rest of the night watching over his partner as he slept and watching out for any dangers that would dare come to try and harm him.

That would be over his dead body!