It is late and Bradford finds himself sitting in front of the fire, or what's left of it. He finally brings himself to get up and place another log on the smoldering embers. Stoking the coals he feels a wave of warmth wash over his face. "That should do it," he says softly out loud, as he leans the poker against the stone of the fireplace. Falling back into the large leather chair he glances out the window. The snow is still falling - has been for hours. Will mean a lot of work in the morning, but for now he's just going to sit and enjoy the crackle of the fire and most of all the quiet.

As he gets comfortable again he hears the shuffling of feet on the hardwood floor behind him. He grins. "Did I wake you?" He asks.

She comes into his view. His Maggie. She is wrapped in a large red and white quilt, her hair tousled from sleep which he can still see in her eyes. Her legs are bare and she wears white knee socks on her feet. She climbs into his lap, covering them both with the blanket. "Why don't you come to bed?" She says nuzzling against him. She is shivering, her teeth chattering in his ear. He can't believe that she hasn't gotten used to this by now. Come to think of it, she lived in this type of climate most of her life, how is it possible she is still cold he thinks. He slips his arms around her, holding her giving her a little squeeze.

"I was watching the snow," he tells her kissing her forehead.

"You can watch it from bed, Central."

He grins at this. After all this time, she still calls him Central and even at times Bradford. Though Central is reserved for those times when she is slightly annoyed with him. "Is that an order, Commander?" She makes a face and elbows him gently in the ribs letting him know he's not funny. He laughs.

"It's cold and you're warm. Come to bed," she kisses his cheek as she pushes her feet down into the side of the chair. He lets his warm hands slip to touch her outer thigh under the blanket. "See you're so warm."

He kisses her chuckling, "maybe if you put something a little warmer on." His hand continues to slip up her body to his old ARMY t-shirt she insists on wearing to bed.

"That's what I have you for," she tells him, unintentionally raising her voice when she feels his hand slip up under her shirt to tickle her stomach.

"Shh- you'll wake her." He tells her, kissing her, trying to quiet her. She giggles, telling him it is his fault.

They hear the floorboards creak above them. Then there is the sound of little feet on the stairs. He gives her a look which says see what you did. She pouts her lips at him and he kisses them sweetly. He loves her so he thinks. "I'll get up. You stay here - I wouldn't want you to miss the snow," she says poking him. She climbs out of the chair taking her cloak with her. Grabbing the end of it he gives it a playful tug. She looks back at him giving him her stern Commander look.

He hears her say, "Come on - back to bed you." There is some whispering as he hears the footsteps climb the stairs. He looks at the fire and thinks he'll get up and make them pancakes tomorrow morning. Let her sleep a bit to make up for coming to bed so late. The boards upstairs creak and he knows they're in the bedroom.

There is a sudden loud bang from above. He looks up at the ceiling. "Maggie?" He calls out, starting to get up. She doesn't answer. "Everything alright up there?" He yells up to them again. There is another noise out back like a door slamming and then a scream. He can't tell which one of them it is and he doesn't care. He's on his feet running for the stairs. "Maggie?!"

He can't seem to move fast enough. Getting to the top of the stairs, he can see a bright light outside. The snow and light is blinding. Why hadn't he seen it? Dashing down the hall he hears her scream. This time he knows it's her. He hears crying too. Bradford's heart is racing as he reaches the bedroom door. As he enters he sees the window open, the curtains blowing as snow falls on the lacquer floor. The room looks empty. Going to the window he looks out and sees a Muton carrying her limp body. "Maggie!" He yells. The sound of his voice has no effect.

Turning away from the window he goes for the door. He steps into the hall and he sees a figure at the end. The shape is one he knows all too well. The Sectoid reaches out for him with its mind and Bradford prepares mentally for the pain and the fight. "You won't take her!" He tells it, gritting his teeth. The force of its thoughts knocks him to the floor. He feels the wind knocked from him.

He staggers to his feet and hears the shot. The beam strikes him in his gut and he goes down again. The pain is nothing to the pain of seeing her being carried away. Bradford tries to get up. He tells himself he needs to. She is ordering him to - Ordering Central to get up. He closes his eyes and feels tears drop down his face, he says softly, "Not again, no not again."

Then he feels a hand take his. A small hand. He opens his eyes and sees that little face. She has her mother's eyes - it breaks his heart. There are tears in those eyes - big, what would Maggie call them - crocodile tears. He reaches out to wipe them away with his thumb. He tries to calm her - he close his eyes. He has to think, to get up - to…

"Please don't leave me...please…" she cries to him. Her little fist pounding his chest. "Please don't…Please don't go." He hears her getting further away - he reaches out for her. Bradford can't lose her, not her too. Then he hears it...her voice…

"Central...Central…"

He jerks awake in panic.

Looking around, he tries to get his bearings. He's in the Commander's quarters. It was a dream he tells himself. A dream. He looks to his left and sees her sitting up next to him. She looks scared. He looks down at his body that should be covered in blood - she is gripping his hand. He reaches out to her and grabs hold of her, pulling her close. He can feel her heart racing the same as his. They are both trying to catch their breath.

"What happened?" He whispers. He can feel her tears on his shoulder. She is shaking. "It was a dream...shh...it was a bad dream…" He strokes her hair.

CHIRP.

She takes a few deep breaths and looks at him as she reaches for the comm. He asks her if she's okay and she nods to him, before opening the line. "Commander here," she says and she can't tell if her voice sounds normal.

"Sorry to disturb you Commander, but you asked for me to inform you when the patient woke," Tygan says over the comm.

Glancing over at Bradford she takes another breath. She still feels quite shaken. "Yes. Thank you Doctor."

"If you would like to come down now, or if you would prefer to wait until morning," he says.

"Now I think, if you can give me some time."

"Of course. I believe that Central should join us."

"I'll contact him. We'll see you shortly. Commander out." She shuts the comm, seeing her hand shaking a little. She's still not sure what happened. Bradford reaches out to her, touching her arm and she turns back to him.

"I'm sorry I woke you - I had the strangest dream," he starts and then is quiet for a moment. "I was in a house - well, it felt like my house. It was snowing out and I was sitting in front of a fire. Then you came to me…"

"In a red and white quilt?"

He looks at her, his mouth slightly open. He should know better than to think it's not possible and still he does. "Yeah. How did you…" he says slowly.

"I had a dream I woke in a bed - our bed and I was alone. I was wearing your ARMY tee with white socks. I got up and pulled the quilt off the bed and wrapped it around me. It was cold. I wandered into the other room and found you in front of a fireplace in a big leather chair." She tells him. "I got in the chair with you and begged you come to bed. You tickled me and I cried out."

He takes her hand, "And we heard someone upstairs get up?"

She nods, "I got up and told you to stay put. I found a little girl at the bottom of the stairs. I told her she was going back to bed and she told me there was a monster in her room. She said we needed you and I told her nonsense, I could handle a monster. We went upstairs and she led me down the hall. We walked in the room and there was nothing. I told her see. She ran and jumped on the bed. We heard you yell to us from downstairs and I said she got me in trouble. As I stepped into the room, the door slammed behind me and there was a…"

"Muton," he says. He feels his blood go cold. "How the hell…"

"I don't know," she mutters. "I woke up and you were still asleep, clearly upset. You said my name and then you said they wouldn't take me again. I tried to wake you."

"You called me Central?" He asks. She whispers yes. "I heard you and that's when I woke up."

"What happened in the rest of yours?" She asks him. He touches his abdomen and shakes his head. He looks over at her and shrugs saying he doesn't remember. There is no doubt in her mind he is lying, but she isn't going to push him. He was extremely agitated as she watched him sleep. Whatever happened before he woke had upset him.

He gets up and goes into the bathroom. She hears the water in the sink running. When she walks to the door she sees him splashing water on his face. "You okay?" She asks. He looks at her in the mirror, the water dripping down his face. She thinks he might have earned a few more worry lines just this evening.

"Yeah," he says turning off the water. He dries his face and goes to her. "You?" He puts his arms around her resting her head against his chest.

"I am."

He kisses the top of her head. "We should probably go see Tygan before he sends out a search party for us." She snickers at the thought.