Thanks to Bristlefrost for the review! :)

We've got a kid!Lab Rats story today! Also, this is another alternate prompt. Partly because I've got an idea for a longer story for one of the original ones that I want to write someday.

ENJOY!

Alt 10. Nightmares (455 words)

Chase kept his gaze trained on the floor as Adam returned from the bathroom. It was the middle of the night, Bree was fast asleep. They should be too. Adam had been up until just now, and Chase-

Chase didn't want to think about sleeping.

He could hear Adam hesitate by his capsule door, could feel his eyes on him. Chase didn't need to look his brother to know that he was frowning. He could see it in his mind, the confused pull of his eyebrows, the worried line of his mouth, the way his gaze would keep flickering to and from Chase.

"Go to sleep, Adam."

"Yeah, but... What about you?"

Chase didn't respond. Instead he kept his focus on the thing in his hands. It wasn't much, just the discarded prototype of an invention Mr. Davenport let him tinker with. Right now though, it worked more as a distraction. A way to keep the darkness and frightening images that loomed at the edges of his mind at bay. Chase couldn't sleep. He didn't even dare close his eyes.

"You're not sleeping. " The statement sounded more like a question as his brother's confusion grew.

"I don't want to," Chase replied. It was a weak excuse and Adam saw right through it.

"Mr. Davenport told us to."

Chase could feel his shoulder rise, tension running tight through his back, as Adam stepped closer.

"Why aren't you sleeping, Chasey?"

"I can't, I'm scared." The words slipped past his lips without Chase's consent. The silence that followed felt almost as threatening as the idea of sleeping did. Chase sagged in defeat as Adam finally walked around him. The look on his face worse than Chase had imagined.

"... I had a nightmare," Chase admitted with a sigh. There was no logic in keeping that a secret anymore, he'd already said he was scared.

"Aww, Chasey..."

To the younger boy's surprise, his brother was suddenly smiling.

"Come on!" With one quick pull of his arm – barely giving him enough time to put down the prototype – Adam dragged Chase up on his feet and into Adam's capsule. It wasn't as tight a fit as one would think. Not yet anyway, but once they got older-

Suddenly Adam wrapped his arms around Chase, pulling the younger boy close against his chest. Chase didn't really understand why they were both in Adam's capsule, but this was nice. He found himself leaning into the embrace, his own arms coming up to hug back.

"It's okay, I get nightmares too," Adam whispered in his ear, like it was a secret just for the two of them. "That's why I always hug you and Bree and Mr. Davenport. It makes it less scary."