1
"No...no! Stop!" Her cries were short bursts of sound that pierced through the air. "No, please..." She tossed in her sleep, fighting off an invisible enemy.
"Kayla, wake up." Nick rolled over, wide awake, heart pounding. "Kayla, honey, wake up." He shook her softly, dropping a kiss to her shoulder. "Wake up, baby."
Kayla let out another cry and woke up with a shout. Shooting straight up in bed, her breath came in ragged gasps. Nick scooted himself behind her, his chest flush against her back. He whispered soothing words to her and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. Her nightmares had been occurring for a week now. They started right around the time Nick was given clearance to start field work again.
Kayla's breathing slowed and she began to sob quietly. The bed shook with her tears and Nick sighed, resting his head on her shoulder. "Kayla, talk to me."
"I'm so scared, Nicky. I'm scared for you." She shook her head, emotion swallowing her words.
"Shh...why are you scared for me?" He asked quietly, rocking her slightly in his arms.
"I'm afraid of everything. I'm afraid its too soon, that you're not ready yet. I'm afraid you'll never be ready. I'm afraid something is going to happen to you. Or that you'll get scared and freak out." Her words were coming quickly, the thoughts that had been churning in her brain spilling out into the night.
"Hey, hey..." Nick turned her to face him, leaning over to hit the lamp on his night table. He pushed a stray hair out of her eyes and cupped her chin. "Kayla, honey, I know you're worried. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous myself. But I know I'm ready. Its been eight months since that night. And I've been back in the lab for three months. I want to get back in the field. I won't feel like I'm really back again until I get out there and do what I do best. Sure it'll be scary at first, but I'll be surrounded by people. No one works alone now, you know that. Grissom will be there, or Sara or Warrick. You trust them, don't you?"
She nodded, feeling slightly sheepish for letting her emotions run so wild. Their work was dangerous. They dealt with the worst kinds of criminals, and she knew the risks. She also knew that since Nicky's abduction, no one would let him out of their sight for too long. He'll be safer than anyone in the field.
Creeping her arms around his neck, Kayla buried her face in his shoulder, breathing deeply to take in his scent, a mixture of soap, aftershave and sweat. "Come on, lie back down with me." He turned the light off and lay flat on his back, bring Kayla down with him in the crook of his arm. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart.
"We make quite the pair, huh?" She said quietly.
Nick smiled grimly. It was one thing for couples to have things in common, it was another when that thing was kidnaping and imprisonment. His fingers idly stroked her arm, reveling in the feel of her soft skin. "Yeah, we sure do." He kissed the top of her head and she looked up at him. "It won't always be like this. We will be normal one day."
Kayla didn't respond. She wasn't sure they would ever be normal. They both had lingering fears, issues and baggage that would be dealt with and addressed, but would always be there under the surface. But she trusted Nick. She trusted his love. If he said they would be normal, she would have to believe it. After all, look at the success he had in recovering and returning to his job. Deep down, no one expected him to ever return in the same capacity, and certainly no one would have blamed him. But Nick was a fighter. He wouldn't let some asshole take over his life and ruin everything he had worked so hard to build. It was that strength of character and conviction that let Kayla allow herself to believe that they might one day be normal.
After a few moments of silence, Kayla whispered that she loved him.
"I love you too, Kay."
