A/N: Okay so I know its been a while...a long damn while...lol...but hopefully this will make up for it. So here is where I left off...even tho I stopped posting before this...so...yeah...finally I don't know what to say in my author notes...go figure...I guess a year's worth of writers block on some 10+ stories will do that to a person. LOL. Anywhoo...Enjoy! (Hey I actually wrote this last week! WOOT!)

Aaron watched his mother climb the stairs to her room. He turned off the lights and started to head up the stairs to check on Hannah. He slowly opened her door and he sat in a nearby chair so he wouldn't wake her. He watched her sleep for a while. Some of it seemed peaceful. He had never seen her look so peaceful in the long years they had known each other. It was strange...they were only 16 and those years had seemed to be long for them...it almost depressed him. But then he thought of how Hannah's life would be now that she was free from her father and how much faster time would seem to go by.

After about fifteen minutes or so Aaron quietly wandered three steps across the hall to his own room for some sleep. He hoped Hannah's dreams would remain as peaceful as she had looked only moments earlier. But given the recent news story all about her...he started to doubt it.

Good dreams and bad dreams, one after the other seemed to flood Hannah's sleep. The good ones had come and gone for now, but the bad ones were just beginning. Over and over she tossed and turned trying to get whatever monsters that were torturing her away. Finally it was more than she could bare...she had to wake up. She shot up, gasping for breath. She heard glass kinking from the side of her bed and she jumped when Aaron rose to his feet. Standard reaction...she screamed causing him to jump, dropping the glass he had just picked up.

"Hannah! Calm down! It's okay." Aaron said sitting on the edge of the bed quickly to calm his frightened friend.

"Aaron what are you doing in here?"

"I woke up when I heard the glass break. I guess you knocked it over when you were moving around. More bad dreams huh?"

"Yeah. Hopefully I'll have better ones later." Hannah said as Aaron bent down to pick up the broken glass once again. "Oh, no Aaron let me clean it up. I knocked it over."

"Don't you worry about it. I'm already up...you're still in bed, so sleep." He said smiling.

"But-" :sigh: "I'm not going to win this am I?"

"Nope, not a chance. You just get some sleep. You need it more than I do anyway."

"Yeah I guess you're right...but I don't want to sleep. I almost feel like...if I have another nightmare my head will explode."

"Yeah...that would be bad...don't do that." He said smiling toward her frindly glare. "I'm gonna go get rid of this mess, you try to get back to sleep and I'll check in before I go back to sleep. Okay?"

"Okay." Hannah said laying back down as Aaron left the room.

Hannah closed her eyes and tried to sleep...but she was afraid to now more than before. She was tired. She was too tired to sleep and tired of being tired. But every time she slept she had more bad dreams, making her more afraid to sleep again. She prayed that soon it would go away and she would be able to sleep through the night. A thing she had'nt been able to do in a long time. Even before her father died...just not as bad.

Aaron dumped the pieces of broken glass in the garbage and dried his hands. He couldn't help but think of Hannah. His best friend, his only true friend, and she was in more pain than anyone could wish on their worst enemy as far as he was concerned. Slowly he walked back to Hannah's room and stood next to her bed and watched her sleep. He took her hand lightly and whispered to his sleeping friend.

"Don't you worry. You'll be fine soon. I'll help you no matter what it takes. I'll always be here for you, I promise." He said about to turn around when Hannah squeezed his hand.

"Aaron?" Hannah looked up at him. "Can you stay in here with me? Only for a little while."

Aaron smiled. "Of course, how could I say no?" He said going into his room to get his own pillow and blanket. He stayed next to his best friend because she thought it would help her sleep. He hoped it would. As he got comfortable next to her, she took his hand.

"Aaron?" Sha said groggily.

"Uh huh?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything you are." Hannah said as she drifted to sleep. For the rest of the night, she slept peacefully knowing Aaron was there with her. Finally she felt comfort, and most of all finally she felt safe.

A/N: Okay so? Love? Hate? Is it a love/hate relationship or what? Now for all you sickos out there who think I'd write about two 16 year olds 'sleeping' together and what-not...shame on you. That would TOTALLY ruin the story because then Hannah wouldnt be allowed to stay with Aaron and then it would ruin my entire plotline...so no...before anyone asks...nothing happens...which we will all find out soon enough. Hope y'all liked it! Peace love and CSI!

Sweet Jorja