A/N: This takes place a day or two after #3, as with all the others, you should be able to read it without reading the others. For the record, Flash has figured out that he might have some competition for Shay's affections, and John is still fairly oblivious. Shame on you, John.

Part: 4/10

#4: PRAYER

" You should be resting, Hawkgirl," Shay was sure that Superman had meant only to be helpful with his suggestion, but it came off as an order. She narrowed her eyes, an expression that was not hidden due to the fact that she wasn't wearing her mask. It was just weighty enough to irritate the bruise that covered the left side of her face.

Another sip of tea swallowed, and her irritation at being treated like a cripple was forced down.

" I'm not tired,"

" It is almost one in the morning," J'onn contributed from where he was bent over a computer console. Though he was the only one with any medical training of any kind he wasn't treating her as though she might crack if placed under any stress.

" I'm not tired," she ground out, setting her glass down before the urge to use it as a weapon overwhelmed her.

" Good, you can watch 'Return of the Balloon Man III, IV, and V' with me! I've been planning a marathon for days, but no one is ever available," Jay was suddenly in front of her, juggling the three movies, a broad grin on his face. She raised an eyebrow. " C'mon, Balloon Man is the best, in IV they defeat him by filling him with helium and making him float up threw the atmosphere where he freezes solid only to thaw as he plummets back to earth in the beginning of V!"

" Flash, you're not helping." Superman was scowling, arms crossed firmly over his chest.

" You're invited too, Supes, bring beer!" Jay was in front of the DVD player now, and didn't witness Superman exasperated sigh.

" Maybe another time, call me if there's trouble," and the big man left. Jay looked around, planning on extending the invitation to J'onn, but the green-skinned man was gone.

For a moment, silence, and then Shay dropped onto the couch, a six-pack in her one hand, and a jumbo pack of chips in the other. " You have learned the earth-ways well, grasshopper," Jay declared as he plopped down beside her, flicking the movie on.

" Shut up," she said as he grinned, picking the six-pack up and examining it.

" Hey, this is the good stuff!"

She grinned, " Of course."

*

She beat on the invisible walls that held her, screamed in frustration when they refused to give even after she threw herself at them. Outside, out of her reach, her friends were fighting a force of formless enemies. She rammed her shoulder against the wall of her confinement again, but nothing changed save a splitting pain in her side.

She took a deep breath, tried to still the wild beating of her heart. It was ok, everything was ok. She was trapped, but she could see, there was still light. The others were beating on the outside of her box, pleading for her help, and she brought her hammer to bear, slamming it into the walls over and over as frustrated tears fell from her eyes.

And as she watched, horrified, the colorless walls became opaque; the color denser and denser till darkness swallowed her. She screamed, and jerked into wakefulness, her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment she couldn't place where she was, in this dark room, the buzz of white noise off to her left and a rumbling sound behind her.

She pushed to her feet, turned on a light and sighed.

She had fallen asleep midway threw the second movie, and apparently Jay had too, because it had never been replaced with the third. She turned the television off, drug her hands threw her hair, and turned to look at Jay.

He was snoring, head tilted to the side. Along her back and side she could feel the heat of where she must have been resting against him. The air seemed unnaturally cold without him to warm her, and she shook herself before draping a blanket across him, and turning out the light.

The nightmare had left her shaken, and she fidgeted with the loose Philadelphia Eagles shirt she wore, before walking down the hall. She wasn't sure where she was going, just trying to put the terror from the dream somewhere that she didn't have to feel it.

Her heart rate was finally slowly, and she rubbing thoughtfully on her stomach, which radiated the warmth of Jay's removed arm. She was half asleep, and wondered absently what time it was, and how long she'd been wandering around. Her eyes drifted closed, and she opened them just as she walked into a broad, warm, something.

" Shay?" John sounded surprised, but he caught her as she started to sink to the floor anyway. His hands on her elbows were large and strong, and she grinned sleepily. " What are you doing all the way back here?" She shrugged, wondering, again, where she had managed to get to. He sighed, and she watched the way it caused his bare chest to expand with exhausted fascination.

He must have just showered, her mind informed her, and she wondered why he had been showering at this ungodly hour. " Let's get you to bed, if you're not sleeping already," he left her go, and she glared indignantly at him.

" I'm not tired," she didn't want to sleep, not again. He arched an eyebrow, and reached out to lightly push her shoulder, she bated him away. " I'm not."

He reached past her bating arms, tilted her chin up so he could look into her face. " You're right, you're not tired, you're exhausted." He was only aware that his hand had lingered to long on her chin, his gaze searched her face too long, when she licked her lips and it sent a sharp thrill threw him.

She moved suddenly closer to him, slid her arms around his neck, and rested her face against his neck. Involuntarily he wrapped his arms around her, and she pulled her legs up to latch them around his waist. He bit his cheek, swore under his breath. " Fine then, take me to bed," the rough purr of her voice danced across his chin.

He started down the hall, desperate now to get her safely into her bed and away from him. Oh, yes, he'd thought about having her this close, but not like this. She was as good as drunk from exhaustion. The walk to her room was one of the most deliciously painful things he'd had to do in a long time.

Carefully, he slid her into her bed, and made it to the door before her soft whimper made him turn.

" Please, it's so dark," she was sitting up, and he couldn't resist the almost-plea in her gray eyes. He took a step closer to her, against every rational thought in his head. " Don't leave me alone in the dark." His will broke, in a few quick steps he had crossed the room, and then stopped himself at the side of her bed.

" I'll make a light," he forced out; moved to her nightstand and carefully formed a globe of light that he hoped would last till morning. He forced himself to turn, to ignore the other implication of her plea.

" John," he didn't turn, he wouldn't allow himself to. " John, don't leave me alone," he swore under his breath even as he felt himself turn, sit on the side of her bed. She seemed to relax, and lay down. A few minutes later he heard her breathing level out, and ran a broad hand threw her hair, across her finely boned face.

After what felt like hours he finally lay down awkwardly on top of the covers, propped up on one elbow to watch her sleep. It was even sweeter, more painful, than carrying her down the hall had been.

" John." she murmured in her sleep, and he smiled faintly.

" .Flash." And suddenly he was sitting upright, his eyes wide. He stared down at her and refused to believe.

Damnit.