Something was rubbing furiously against Santana's arm. She didn't know what it was, but holy crap it was getting close to her burn and it was really starting to hurt. Was those nails digging into her arm now? "Owww!" Santana shot up off the couch and looked down at her fore arm. Welts were forming from deep nail scratches. What the hell? Looking around her, Santana didn't see anything out of the ordinary until she looked at Rachel. The woman was lying there in cold sweats, furiously digging at her own arm now. Santana placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder, slightly shaking her to try and bring her out of whatever horrible nightmare she was having. "Rachel."

Stumbling up the steps and completely out of it Rachel tried to take in her surroundings. Did she know this place? It looked familiar. There were other cars around, was this a parking garage? The suit covered arms were still around her waist, holding her up. She groaned trying to form words, but none was coming out. They were going into an elevator now. Think! Where was she?! All the new building parking garages looked the same, she could be anywhere. Her body hit the floor with a thud as the elevator jolted upward. When had the suited arms let go of her?

Everything was black, a blind fold had been placed on her face. She was laying on something soft. A couch or bed maybe. Everything sounded like she was under water. She knew there were two men at least, one voice deep while the other a very distinct one that she knew if she could clear her damn head. She was crying now, and she wanted to speak or move. Just do something! There was a pinch on her forearm, she tried with all might to move her arm physically to knock the pinch away or scratch her arm. She felt some relief as she thought she finally reached her arm then it was moved away again. Trying again she seemed to be able to finally reach it and start scratching again. She could hear someone saying her name before it all went black again.

"Rachel? Please wake up. Listen to my voice, it's Santana. Rachel." Santana had been trying to bring Rachel out of the nightmare for ten minutes now, she was on the verge of tears herself. Rachel was crying and had been moaning and groaning and trying to reach her arm. Santana was worried she was going to break the skin soon. Her pajama top was soaked from sweat and she was shaking. Before Santana could back away from Rachel she bolted upright on the couch grasping at her pajamas.

That was going to leave a mark. Rubbing her forehead Santana backed away to give Rachel some space, she wasn't even sure if Rachel was awake. Not making any sudden moves Santana slid off the couch sitting on her knees. "Rachel?" She whispered.

Rachel's head whipped around to look at Santana, her eyes were wide and they were filled with so much fear. She slowly un grasped her shirt and reached her hand out to touch Santana's cheek. "Santana." Nodding her head in Rachel's hand, the few tears Santana had been trying to keep at bay finally fell.

She knew Rachel was scared and she felt helpless. Santana liked to be in control and this was something that she had absolutely no control over. She didn't know when Rachel was going to have a flashback or gain a memory. It was all so sporadic and for a split second Santana let it all rest on her shoulders. Then she was heaving it upwards again, she had to be cool and collective. Rachel needed her.

"Why are you crying?" Rachel spoke softly as she used her thumb to wipe away the tears. Santana just shook her head, Rachel didn't need to know that seeing Rachel in such a state had scared her. She didn't get scared...or at least she never admitted when she got scared.

"Do you remember anything that just happened?" Rachel shook her head and continued to pet Santana's cheek with her thumb. Her eyes were starting to clear a bit. "You woke me up scratching my arm and when I moved you started scratching yours. Do you remember what you were dreaming about?" Santana glanced down at her arm and moved it out of Rachel's line of sight. She knew that once Rachel's head became less fuzzy she would be really upset about what she had done and damn she was starting to get a headache.

Rachel dropped her hand from Santana's face and placed it in her lap. She nodded and proceeded to tell Santana everything that she could remember. It was as if everything was becoming clearer yet staying fuzzy at the same time. What if she never got full clarity about what happened that night? Without clarity, she would never know who it was that had tried to kill her. She may have to stay in hiding forever. That was a fate that she had yet to come to terms with, she loved working and she loved the city, but maybe if she started living like Santana or maybe even...with Santana, life wouldn't be that bad. It would actually be pretty great.

After Rachel had finished telling Santana everything, Santana offered to make them a late dinner. It was only ten o'clock and she doubted they would be going back to sleep soon. Rachel followed behind Santana and sat down at the island while Santana heated up some a jar of stew. Emptying the jar into a sauce pan, Santana became lost in her thoughts.

Who were these men and what did they want with Rachel? The over all question was, why did they want her dead? Sure Rachel made a good living being on Broadway, but she wasn't a multi-millionaire. Any money that Rachel had saved up would probably go to her father, unless she had a will saying otherwise. Nothing was going to get solved until they figured who wanted Rachel dead and why.

Santana turned around from the stove to get some bowls when Rachel gasped. She finally caught sight of Santana's arm and holy crap, was that a bruise on her fore head? When did that happen? Why had she just now noticed it? Rachel promptly stood up and rounded the island to come to a stop in front of Santana. She grabbed her face with both of her hands. "When did this happen?"

"Uh, when you shot up off the couch, I was a little too close and we knocked heads." Stepping back Rachel touched her own forehead and okay, yeah it was tender but she just thought the headache was from the dream and crying.

Rachel watched Santana with tears in her eyes. She was getting hurt because of these dreams or memories now. Maybe Rachel shouldn't sleep with Santana anymore. She didn't want to ever hurt Santana. "I'm really sorry. I don't ever want to hurt you. If you don't want to cuddle with me anymore when we sleep I understand." She really tried to stop the pout that was forming on her face. She wasn't a child that needed someone there to hold her hand all the time, but Santana was good company. Rachel felt the safest when Santana was by her side.

Santana was shocked, she would never admit out loud how much of a cuddle monster she was, but she didn't want to lose Rachel cuddles. "No, no, no, I want to. I like being close to you, especially if you need me."

"But I hurt you." Rachel looked down at the ground, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm fine Rachel, it was an accident. It's nothing that some pain meds can't cure." Rachel sighed as she wrapped her arms around Santana and buried her head against her neck. "I really am sorry." Kissing the top of her head Santana responded in kind. "I know. Let's eat."

The women sat down at the island after Santana had refilled Dax's food bowl. It was quiet with only the sounds of the fire that Santana needed to stoke, the clock and Dax eating away at his kibble. "Rachel, do you have any clue as to who these men are?"

Rachel sat her spoon down and took a sip of her water. "I feel like I know one of them really well, but I still can't see his face or distinguish his voice. If the damn memories would be more clear, I would just need once glance or one word to know exactly who he was."

"What's going to happen when you do figure out who he is?"

Rachel pushed her bowl away and covered her face with her hands. "I don't know. The city isn't safe especially if whoever these men are, are still there. I do know that someone will come looking for me eventually and they're going to be pretty surprised when there's no dead body out there."

Santana sighed as she gathered their empty bowls and put them in the sink. She could do the washing up in the morning. She walked back over to Rachel, resting a hand on her back. "Hey, either way it goes, no one is going to be coming around in this storm. So we still have time to try and figure this all out. But for now, how about I make us some tea and you change pajama shirts and we can lay back down in the loft."

Rachel smiled, peeking at Santana through her fingers. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." As Rachel went to freshen up in the bathroom, Santana walked over to the door and let Dax out. The snow had just started to fall, it looked nice for now, but Santana knew how quickly it could all change. Dax came running back over and rushed into the house getting comfy on his bed while Santana locked the door back and went into the kitchen.

It had been a great day that had ended on a bitter note. Santana would make sure that the night got sweeter. Rachel exited the bathroom while Santana waited on the water for the tea to boil. She smiled as she felt arms wrap around her waist. "You can go on up. I'll be behind you in a moment." With a small smile and a kiss on the cheek, Rachel walked upstairs and got comfy on Santana's bed. The loft was gorgeous, the huge king size bed sat sideways in front of the stairs, pressed against the wall next to the window. Santana would have climb onto it from the bottom to reach her side. On the other side of the loft was several short book cases filled to the max, a chest on one side and a cubby closet on the other. The space next to the chest was where Dax's bed was and he was currently pawing at it trying to fluff it up.

Rachel grinned as Santana topped the stairs and she scrambled to grab both mugs of tea so that Santana could get on the bed. Yeah, today they had had a great lunch date, Santana had asked her out again and even though their nap ended on a bad note, this was making it better. Despite everything else that was going on around them, for now things were good. Despite the danger that could be lurking ahead, things could hopefully only get better.

In New York City...

Marcus Porter sat at his desk looking out the window. The snow had really started to come down in the last hour or so. This storm was unexpected, but hopefully it would finish off everything he had set out to do. The media really loved that Rachel Berry was off enjoying herself at some cabin retreat, it was all going according to plan. He grinned as he straightened out his suit jacket and stood up, grabbing his brief case.

He was half way across his office when the door opened unexpectedly. A larger man stepped inside and shut the door behind him. "What's the word boss?"

"No word yet Dan. James is still at that ski lodge in St. Lawrence and hasn't heard anything about a lost Broadway star yet."

"You think the first storm done the trick?"

"It better have." Marcus replied as he picked his brief case back up and promptly left his office. When this storm passed and the roads became accessible again he had some devastating news to deliver and a pretty penny to collect.

I know this chapter is kind of different and it mostly focuses on the memory and directly after. But I needed the set up at the end and don't worry you will find out everything within time. Just hang in there with me.