Abby awoke after what felt like a couple of hours when she felt the bed dip down beside her. She opened her eyes, but it didn't make much difference as the room was so dark.

"Connor?" she questioned.

"I'm here, Abs," he answered immediately.

"Where?" Her hand came up to feel through the dark air in the direction of his voice. A moment later his hand caught hers and she felt him kiss her palm before pulling the covers back and sliding carefully into the bed beside her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, Abby."

"S'all right. How's your foot?"

"Sore. It's infected. I'm not allowed to be on it really for a few days. They gave me some cream for it to help with the infection and said to take some over-the-counter painkillers, but honestly, Abby, I think your kiss worked better for the pain."

Abby chuckled as she moved to cuddle against him, "And did you tell them that?"

"Course not. I didn't want all the paramedics kissing me now, did I?"

She giggled, "You probably didn't have to worry about that."

"I was playing it safe," he protested. "But it is sore Abby, and you promised a second dosage."

Abby smiled, "Yeah, I suppose I did, didn't I? Well, you earned it, Con, for pulling me out of that sea. You're my hero today." She leaned up and pressed her lips to his gently, before falling back against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Connor kissed her hair in return, cuddling her close. After a moment of silence, Abby whispered to him, "What time is it anyway?"

"Half twelve."

"Were they upset I didn't come back down?"

"Yeah, the coppers were. I was happy 'bout it. Gran went up to see what was taking so long, think she was worried. When she came back down she said you were sound asleep. The coppers wanted to wake you, said you hadn't signed some forms or something. I may have gotten a little angrier at them than is good, but Gran stepped in and stopped something bad from happening before I ended up in jail for hitting a copper or somethin' dumb. Then they tried to convince Gran to wake you and she said "Hell No," and that they could come back tomorrow if they need a signature. To be honest it's lucky we're not both in the slammer after a few things we said."

Abby smiled, pleased at his protectiveness of her. Still… "Connor, you know I'd prefer to have been woken than to have you locked up, or your Gran. But thank-you." She kissed his cheek.

"Only I blew it all anyway, didn't I, Abs? Seeing as I come in here and wake you up meself."

"Connor, there's a big difference between being woken up by a bunch of coppers for a needless interrogation, and being woken up by my best friend coming to chat and cuddle."

Connor frowned a bit in the dark, because even now after all the kissing she wouldn't refer to him as anything but a friend. 'Best friend' was nice of course, but it wasn't enough. He'd definitely have to have that talk with her at some point sooner than Gran's 'eventually' because all these contradictions between her words and her actions were enough to drive one crazy for sure. Not now though. The fact that she'd not questioned his lack of response told him that she was practically asleep again. When he felt her completely relax, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and then began to sob, letting all the emotions, fear, and pain that he'd pushed down for Abby's sake during the storm come to surface.

They were back in the water again, but this time Connor hadn't given her the chance to hold onto him. He'd told her to swim fast and then he'd swam away, ignoring her cries. She'd tried to keep up like he shouted for her to do, but she just couldn't; she was too tired. He'd abandoned her like everyone else.

Abby awoke with a start from the terrible dream feeling betrayed and hurt. She was so stupid for starting to trust him. It took her a few moments before she realised that he was at her side, sleeping and holding her tight. A quiet voice in the back of her head told her that he hadn't left her, it hadn't happened like that at all. Even if he hadn't been able to save her, the voice said, Connor would have drowned with her trying, and she knew it.

The voice in her head knew it anyways, and Abby herself would accept it come morning time, but her logic felt fuzzy and quiet at the moment and her heart was still clouded from the emotion of the dream and she found herself emotionally and irrationally acting upon her feelings as she pushed away from Connor and then slapped him hard across the face, twice. He woke up staring startled into her flashing eyes as she hissed, "How dare you?!"

Perhaps it was his stunned expression, or maybe it was the slap that she'd given, that finally put her at ease again. She'd have some explaining to do for sure and she hoped, but doubted, he'd let it wait until morning.

"Abby, I…" Connor sat upright and began wildly gesturing with his hands to express the question he was too confused to ask.

She shook her head; it was almost funny to watch really. "S'alright, Con." She tugged at his arm to get him to lie down again. "I didn't mean it. Go back to sleep."

He put his hand to his cheek where she'd hit him, "Doesn't feel alright, Abs."

"Sorry."

He lay back down, hesitantly, still touching his face gingerly and Abby hoped she hadn't hurt him too badly. "Con? I am sorry. Are you okay?"

He nodded, but his expression told her that he was worried and confused. She didn't blame him. In fact, he was taking it pretty well. If he'd woken her up like that she'd have been more than a little mad at him. She began to feel genuinely bad about it. He needed her to explain. "I just get scared sometimes, Con. I get bad dreams; you know that. I felt like you left me and I was angry and scared and betrayed; only it wasn't true."

Connor let go of his cheek and pulled her against him. "I'd never leave you, Abby."

"Yeah, I know. I'm learning it anyway. I'll get there eventually."

Eventually. There was that dratted word again. Connor hated it, but he couldn't do anything about it except make her promises he'd keep whether she believed them or not. He wondered how many promises he had to keep for her to trust him. Maybe there was some quota he had to meet. He could start making her loads of little promises that could be fulfilled on the same day and then he'd reach the hidden magical number and she'd trust him on the bigger ones. Or maybe it didn't work like that at all. Hell if he knew.

"What was it about Abs?"

"The dream?"

"Yeah."

She should tell him. She was a bit embarrassed by it; it was weird telling him what she'd dreamt about him, but she owed him that much at least after the way she'd lashed out at him.

"Oh Abs," he sighed into her hair when she'd finished telling him the details. "It'd never happen like that."

"I know, but I woke up as upset as if it had and I had to release that feeling somehow. If I bottle that stuff up, Con, it all adds up and gets worse and then I'll never trust you completely. I'm sorry I hit you."

"I can take it, Abby. I'd much prefer to be slapped than that horrid sounding other option."

She kissed him then. Said it was to make his face feel better. The kiss actually hurt a bit, but it made his feelings feel better. He'd never tell her it hurt. He didn't want to upset her and he didn't want her to stop.

He feel asleep wondering if Gran was right though. She might need more time before they talked after all.