Hello darlings! I'm back again with another chapter.

Bullets flying over his head. Chaos. People yelling and screaming, grown men crying. Him crying.

There was nowhere to take cover, no piece of rock or metal big and sturdy enough to shield them from the ratt-tat-tat from the enemy machine guns. Hiding behind a way too small rock, hoping for the best was his only viable option. It wasn't his first time being shot at, hopefully wouldn't be his last either, but it was scary. He was scared.

Towards the west, his right, Sergeant Tomms was laying on his back, clutching his neck. Jack wasn't sure if his superior was still alive. Judging by the amount of blood seeping into the dust beneath him, his chances were slim.

Jack felt his eyes water up and cussed himself. Real soldiers don't cry, therefore he shouldn't cry. Only reason to cry was when you got shot yourself, or if you lost a limb. That was the two reasons to cry around here, unless you were a sissy. Jack wasn't a sissy. No sir.

He swallowed hard and gripped his gun tighter. In one quick move he tossed himself around and started answering the fire. Twelve seconds later he had taken out four of the enemies. His eyes was still watering. –Must be some sort of pollen around here.

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Nick could hear his brother toss and turn from across the room. He heard the hiccups and the gasps coming from his twin, but he wasn't sure of what to do.

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"Back-up's coming!" someone yelled, Jack felt a faint tug of relief. Help was coming.

An explosion sounded. Shaking the ground beneath him, throwing him off balance. Gravel and dust rained down on them, but the worst part was Private Wesson landing over him and the sticky, warm feeling that crawled down the side of his chest. Not to mention the shudders and the rasping sounds Wesson let out as his lungs filled up with blood and he died on top of Jack. Nightmare fuel.

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"No… no…" Jack murmured, lashing out with his left hand.

Nick felt a ball of guilt build up somewhere in his gut. His brother was in some kind of nightmare, and Nick didn't leap into action to wake him up. Mostly because he remembered the last time Jack had been home, and he had tried to wake him up from a nightmare and ended up in a quite uncomfortable headlock. He was a little weary of physically waking Jack up.

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Jack cried out. Having someone die next to you is horrible, having someone die literally on you is even worse.

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Nick couldn't any longer when Jack started screaming. He slipped out of his bed and hurried over next to him.

Sweat was beading on the bear parts of Jack's upper body. He tossed and turned, something that would probably come back to haunt him when the painkillers he had taken earlier wore off.

Nick bit his lip and leaned over his twin. He let out an unsteady breath just before he placed his hand on Jack's good shoulder.

What happened next seemed to happen in warp speed. Within a second Nick was pinned up against the wall next to Jack's bed. Jack's eyes were wide and wild, his chest was rising and falling rapidly. His left forearm was pressed against Nick's neck.

They were frozen like that for a couple of seconds until Jack's injuries caught on to the rapid movements and the pain started to present itself.

He folded in on himself, left arm coming up to guard and support the right one. A low, almost primal growl rolled out of his mouth.

Nick was left rubbing a hand over his throat.

"Crap, man. Are you okay?"

Jack didn't really have to answer, it wasn't difficult to read his posture.

"Will. Be." Jack gritted out, his left hand now hovering over one of the wounds at his shoulder.

"You had a…"

"-Nightmare. Yes." Jack nodded, sucking in a breath between his teeth. "I kinda figured that. Damn that hurt!"

"Sorry."

"I'll be fine."

"Was it the shoulder thing you dreamt about?"

Jack shook his head. "No, this was another mission. One I didn't get injured on, didn't even get a splinter…"

"But…?"

"But I was lucky, lots of other guys wasn't."

"Wanna bounce some thoughts off of me?" Nick asked, "Chat about it, get it off your chest?"

"Not right now." Jack exhaled.

"Okay… But if you want to or need to…"

"You're there, I know."

"Good…" Nick nodded, then his right hand went up to rub at his throat, "Damn Jack, you're strong…"

"Hope I didn't hurt ya'"

Nick shook his head, "If, and that's if, I get a bruise… I can always say I was out with some girl…"

Jack smirked, "No one would believe you…"

"Yeah, they probably would…"

"Okay, but maybe not on a Tuesday night." Jack smiled, as he relaxed more and more. The burning pain in his shoulder ebbed away to a steady throb.

"It's Friday."

"Then why are you home?" Jack feigned shock, "Shouldn't you be out, actually checking up girls?"

"Nah, my brother's home from war…" Nick shrugged, "Much more fun to hang around with him…"

"Aw, Nicky…" Jack grinned, "Trying to make me tear up?"

"Only cause I know it works…" Nick delivered an obnoxiously wide grin, then he shook his head. "No, I mean it. I'd rather spend my time at home with you. At least until you're ready to go out for a beer or two."

That almost brought a tear to Jack's eye, and he had to swallow once or twice to be confident with his voice. He blamed the painkillers he was on, those things messed him up.

"Thanks bro…"

"Now, it's a quarter past one A.M…" Nick shrugged. "Think you can get back to sleep without…"

"Another nightmare?"

Nick nodded.

"No." Jack sighed, "Not yet."

"Okay. Let's go downstairs. Have some coffee, a bite to eat. Watch a little late night television. Try again in an hour or two, or fall asleep on the couch. Whatever happens first." Nick said motioning for Jack to take the lead.

"Thanks man…"

"You'd do the same for me…" Nick shrugged.

Hope you enjoyed. Have a nice day!