Maddie lay in bed sleeping peacefully, her back against Danny's chest, his arm wrapped securely around her. His sleep, though, was anything but peaceful.

Danny is standing in the middle of an open field facing two men. He knows he is in danger, but so far there is nothing more threatening than an uneasy calm between them. Words are exchanged and the two men suddenly draw weapons, pointing them directly at Danny.

He twitched in his sleep, eyelids fluttering as he unconsciously recognized the dream. This was a different version with slightly different events, but the essence of it remained the same.

He reaches for his own gun, but finds the holster on his hip empty. He freezes momentarily, but the first bullet whizzing past his head shakes his mind free and he runs for his life across the field.

His movements became more pronounced as his brain commanded his limbs to run, but didn't quite succeed in making them do so.

The two men chase after him, slowed only by their steady attempts to shoot him. Danny runs faster, believing he is pulling away from his pursuers, that he is going to escape them, but when he reaches the end of the field he finds it surrounded by an electrified fence. If he tries to climb the fence he'll be electrocuted, but if he doesn't the two men will kill him

Danny was almost thrashing now, desperate to get away from the attackers in his mind. Beads of sweat formed on his skin and he clawed at the sheets. Maddie was beginning to become aware of his turmoil, not yet awake but no longer completely asleep.

He wracks his brain for a way out, desperate to save his life, but nothing comes to him. The two men catch up with him and have him cornered, drawing their weapons and grinning victoriously…

Bang! Danny sat bolt upright in bed in a cold sweat, eyes wide, heart racing, and breath coming in ragged gasps. He tried to untangle himself from the sheets, but his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't get a good grip. Resigned to his position, he pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his head in his arms, trying to regain his composure.

Lying beside him, Maddie felt his sudden jolt and awoke. "Danny? You okay?" she asked sleepily.

So accustomed was he to dealing with the nightmare alone that he didn't hear her. She sat up and slid her arm around his bare back, kissing his shoulder and calling his name again.

"Danny?"

He recoiled, startled by her presence, but recovered quickly. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to wake you up."

She noted his irregular breathing as she brushed a hand over his damp, pale face. "It's okay…what happened? What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothin's wrong. I'm fine."

"Something's not right," she told him, a smile forming on her lips. "You're not supposed to be sweating and panting without me."

He smiled crookedly despite the residual fear still coursing through his veins. "Never again will I sweat and pant without you. We're too good together."

"I'll second that emotion," she grinned.

He shook his head again, trying to clear the images of the nightmare from his mind's eye. "It was just a bad dream, that's all. I just need a minute to calm down."

"You wanna talk about it?"

He started to shake his head yet again and brush her off, but then changed his mind. "I've had this one before," he began. "Or the same type of dream, anyway. Someone's always chasing me with a gun, and just when I think I'm gonna get away, I end up cornered in some situation with no way out."

She rubbed his back gently but didn't reply, letting him talk it out in the comfort of her embrace. He leaned his head against hers, taking her hand and holding onto it tightly. He was still breathing rapidly, but was no longer gasping, and the shaking of his hands began to subside as he allowed himself to relax into her.

"I've been having dreams like that since I was a kid," he told her quietly. "And every time, I wake up sweating and I can't breathe. I can't figure out why I have 'em, and I can't make 'em stop."

"C'mere," she instructed, wrapping his arm around her and pulling him back down on the bed. Resting her head against his shoulder, her arms went around him and she held him securely. "We're in this together, you and me," she assured him. "No matter what happens in life or in your dreams, I'll be right here with you."

His hand moved slowly over the smooth skin of her back and shoulders, holding her the way a child clutches a teddy bear—seeking solace and protection from the most precious thing in life. The terror of the nightmare began to fade into the smell of her hair, the warmth of her body, the strength of her love.

His fingers moved from her shoulders through her long hair, contentment gradually replacing the panic written on his features.

"I've never told anyone that before," he confessed.

She looked up at him. "Not even when you were little?"

"Not even then. There wasn't anyone I could trust enough to tell."

"But you're telling me now."

He nodded, continuing to gently play with her hair. "I am."

She smiled softly. "I'm glad you did."

"Me too," he replied, a little surprised at himself.

He leaned down and kissed her warmly, thanking her without words, the way he often did. She grinned at him sleepily, leaving a kiss on his scarred shoulder before turning over. Without missing a beat he shifted to his side and wrapped an arm around her as though they'd done it a million times before, and together they slowly drifted back to sleep.

Danny is standing in the field again, facing the same two armed men in the same eerie calm. Within moments they draw their weapons, pointing them directly at Danny.

Unconsciously, his heart rate rose and his breathing became shallower in anticipation of what he knew was coming.

He reaches for his gun, but finds the holster on his hip is empty yet again. He freezes for a split second, but the sound of the first shot snaps him out of his funk and he begins to run across the field.

He moved a little as he slept, not quite tossing and turning, but becoming more active as the dream progressed.

The two men pursue him, slowing only to fire at him as they run. Danny begins to pull away, noticing that the shots are becoming more erratic and further apart. He begins to think he will escape, that this time he'll make it out of the field. Before the thought even fully emerges in his mind, though, he spots the electrified fence and a wave of defeat washes over him.

His heart was pounding now and he began shaking, knowing what was about to happen.

He slows to a jog, the two armed men still several yards behind, and eyes the fence. His mind races, trying frantically to find a way out. He knows there isn't one, but his self-preservation instincts kick in and he wheels around, examining the fence from every angle. Something is different this time…

Danny pulled his arm tightly around Maddie as the scene played out in his mind's eye.

Positioned near the fence is a group of people wearing body armor and drawing weapons. Maddie stands among them, a determined expression on her face.

"You're safe now, Danny," she tells him. "You don't have to run anymore."

The armored group surrounds him, weapons aimed at the two men still chasing him. The men briefly contemplate a shootout, but quickly realize the odds are not in their favor. When ordered to drop their weapons, both comply, raising their hands in the air and keeping them there until they are placed in handcuffs. They are led away, throwing menacing glances at Danny over their shoulders, but with no real threat to back them up they elicit only satisfied smiles from the group.

Danny's eyes blinked open and he returned to consciousness much more calmly than before. His heart was still beating fast but not pounding, his breaths still coming quickly but with little difficulty. As he became more aware of his surroundings he realized that he and Maddie had shifted positions during his subconscious adventure. He had moved toward the edge of the bed in an effort to flee from his attackers, but she had rolled over and held on, wrapping her arms firmly around him.

He kissed her hair, wondering what he had ever done to deserve her while simultaneously thanking god she was with him. Her lips curved into a small smile at the gesture, something that happened whenever he kissed her sleeping form, but never failed to bring a smile to his own features.

"We're safe together," he whispered in the darkness. "I won't run anymore."