Manhattan, New York, 1901

The Delancey brothers wouldn't stop hurting them. The blows to her head ache with every single strike, although they somehow start to become less painful. Blood webs across her face, and she knows how much he's suffering, too, as Morris forces him to face Oscar striking her.

"You're hurtin' her, ya fuckin' BASTARDS!" he screams. He tries to move, to punch Morris in the face, even though his hands are bound. She knows that he's still probably trying to free himself after he had somehow walked right into their apartment as they attacked her. "What more do ya want?!"

"Ya already did give us what we want: her." She hears Morris whisper sinisterly, pulling out his gun and motioning it to her. She knows what they mean. Before he had arrived back from his job, the two brothers had already taken something from her that could never be replaced...

"And boy," Oscar sneers, "did we have a good time with what she gave us."

She can almost hear his face twist in rage. "YOU SICK FUCKS! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"You're what's wrong with us." Morris growls. He places the gun to his temple.

She finally shows fear since the two broke in. "NO!"

BOOM

Katherine Plumber Pulitzer Kelly flies up in bed, her brown hair sticking to her forehead. She doesn't know what has caused her to awaken until she hears the soft patter of the raindrops on the window of the apartment. Of all nights it had to happen, it was almost perfect timing. She felt at her face, only to find no blood on her hands. Then she looks to her left to see Jack, her husband of five months, lying in their bed, sound asleep, not bound or screaming in aggression. She sighs in relief before remembering about what had happened just a few weeks after they had returned from their honeymoon.

The Delancey brothers had been following her around, flirting with her while she would walk to her job or as she would return from work. The flirting turned into aggressive taunts about her marriage-trying to pull her wedding ring off her finger-and then to threats, how they would grab her by the hair and pull her into the alley where they would do things to her that she didn't need to hear. But then they started making threats about not just hurting her but also Jack. This always scared her, but she never told Jack about any of it because she feared of him going after the two. If he did, it would break her heart even more.

She falls back and curls up into Jack's bare chest, letting his body heat warm her. She feels herself get more and more comfortable and is about to fall back asleep when the thoughts begin to enter her head again. She gives up. Why? Why can't she be alone? Enjoy the life that she has right now? Why do the Delanceys' words keep bothering her? She feels the tears roll down her face before she begins to sniffle.

Unfortunately, Jack wakes up to this. He groans tiredly before opening his groggy eyes, which soon open fully as he sees who is making these noises.

"Kath?" he asks, concern filling his eyes. "What's wrong?" She buries her face into his chest. "Hey, Ace, what's the matter?"

"Oh, God, Jack, I'm so sorry," she sniffs.

"Baby, what's eatin' ya?" he says. "You can tell me anything."

"It's the Delanceys." she whispers in between sobs.

Jack goes quiet. "What?"

"They've been threatening me, Jack. They keep saying that they're going to do some of the worst things to the both of us."

He stays silent for a while before finally speaking. "That's it. That's fuckin' it. I'm gonna kill those assholes."

"Jack, honey, please don't!" she says.

"Ace-" he starts.

"No!" Katherine cries. "Don't do it, Jack. They'll only hurt you further." She looked into his eyes. "Please."

Jack looks back at his wife, the smart reporter who had stolen his heart two years before. The girl who gave him something to believe in. He doesn't want two thugs to terrorize her, but he knows that if he does something about it himself, it would only hurt Katherine further. She also knows the danger of taking on the brothers, and no matter what Jack will do, he'll only return home with more cuts and bruises than on Oscar and Morris combined.

"Alright, baby," he says finally, "I'll leave 'em alone." He kisses the crown of her head. "But don' think I'm done with 'em."

He hears her chuckle into his chest. "I know. And believe me, I'll be filling my bags with rocks tomorrow morning."

It is his turn to laugh. "How much do ya need? The boys have plenty of them."

She looks up at him. "Really? Where do they keep them?"

"Oh, some under the beds. There's even an entire pile outside the building."

"Do you think they're willing to share."

"Definitely," he replies before pulling her back down onto the bed, "now let's just go back ta sleep. We both need ta wake up early tomorrow so we c'n go to our depressin' jobs: you write your articles an' I draw fer ya father as he breathes down my neck."

"I thought you weren't scared of my father." Katherine teases quietly.

"Well," Jack says, playfully, "I am a little." He kissed her softly. "I love you."

Katherine snuggles into his arms, smiling. "I love you, too."

Soon, they are both asleep as the storm outside unleashes its fury, but Katherine has no more nightmares for the rest of her slumber.