TW: blood/frightening hallucinations, vague mentions of violence/torture/harassment (I suggest if you get easily triggered by the violence/torture, you skip over the nightmare Amu has, but it's quite vaguely written, since I don't feel comfortable writing anything more in-depth)

xiii

As Amu lay motionless and quiet on Tadase's couch, she was deep in thought. While anyone might have thought she was either sleeping or dead, she was actually just pondering a theory she had come up with in the span she had been lying there for. She had put enough facts and beliefs together and had finally come up with a theory as to how all of this was happening. It may not have been a theory that would make sense to others, but at least it made sense to Amu.

Though Saaya was unable to communicate while she was locked in a mental institution, Amu's theory was that she might have hired a couple of goons to hunt Amu down. As to the 'why', Amu suspected that Saaya had hired some hitmen to follow and harm her or perhaps even kill her. Anything to get Tadase back. Amu also thought that Saaya was preparing to either break out or lie her way out of the mental institute. After all, how could she continue dating Tadase while being in a mental institute?

Another, much less realistic theory that Amu had thought of last-minute was one that didn't fully involve Saaya at all, but instead involved something that made even less sense, but was still something that Amu ended up thinking about. That theory was that something more sinister, maybe even paranormal or supernatural was happening.

This theory likely originated in her feeling bad about placing so much responsibility on someone who was not completely mentally stable. Still, she knew how ridiculous the theory sounded and she knew it was just her brain not wanting to blame Saaya despite everything she had done. A theory was a theory, though, so she figured she'd exhaust all possibilities.

The only thing that kind of made sense with the supernatural theory was how the people hunting Amu seemed to always know where she was. Amu wouldn't put it past Saaya to pay an entire team of people to follow and watch Amu's every move, though, so it wasn't impossible for it to happen. As long as Saaya's mother didn't find out, she could probably get away with anything.

Despite both theories, Amu had a lot of questions swirling in her head. Why was Saaya going so far? Why was she so desperate? Even though she has been placed in a psych facility, is it possible she was still not taking her medication? Was she still delusional and believing Tadase was her boyfriend, or did she just think that because she dated him once, she owned him?

From what Amu understood, the breakup was what had caused Saaya to stop taking her medication but was Tadase really that important to her? Or did she just want some handsome arm candy to show off that, because she was rich and pretty, she had a handsome, popular boyfriend?

With all these thoughts swirling in her mind, Amu didn't realize Tadase had been calling out to her until he nudged her gently. The sudden action caused her to jolt up in surprise, holding her arms in front of her defensively. She obviously calmed down when she realized it was Tadase but part of her couldn't help but be a little annoyed that Tadase would scare her like that, whether it was on purpose or not. If it weren't for Tadase immediately realizing what he had done and gasping with wide, apologetic eyes, Amu probably would've been more mad.

"Oh no, did I scare you?" he asked, frowning. His eyebrows immediately furrowed in concern. "I'm sorry! You've been lying here like this for 15 minutes… I just wanted to check how you were..."

Amu managed a smile and shook her head. There was no way Amu could stay mad at someone like Tadase. "It's fine, Tadase-kun. I'm fine too. I was just thinking," she paused slightly, sitting up straight before continuing. "I should probably go shower and sleep. Maybe that will help me feel better."

Tadase eyed Amu for a second, making sure she wasn't lying but eventually nodded. "Alright. If you need anything, just call me. I'll come running."

Amu smiled dryly and stood up. As she got to standing, though, she immediately felt dizzy because of the sudden transition from laying to sitting to standing. To get the black splotches out of her view, she closed her eyes tightly before making her way to Tadase's room to get her pyjamas, albeit slightly wobbly at first. She then disappeared into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't help but grimace at how stressed, tired, and all but dead she looked. As if she didn't already feel kind of dead inside. The only thing holding her together from snapping, really, was Tadase.

She was about to get undressed when she had a rather dark thought. Wasn't there a movie where someone had broken into a house while the girl was showering and snuck into the bathroom to kill her? What movie was that again? The Shining? Phsyco? Amu never liked horror movies in the first place so she wasn't sure which it was. The latter sounded more correct. Either way, the thought was terrifying.

Amu quickly shook her head and patted her cheeks. As if that could happen! Both Tadase and Tsukasa were in the house, and knowing Ikuto, he was nearby too. Surely, if someone broke in, one of them would say something. Or at the very least, Amu would hear something. Plus…that movie was a work of fiction, right? It wasn't like people were suddenly deaf to all sounds when the shower was turned on. With that…somewhat reassuring thought in mind, Amu continued undressing and turned on the shower.

Stepping under the warm water felt nice. Especially after being in cold pool water for so long. The water did sting her wound a little bit, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Being in this warm water made her feel like she could actually think straight; without having to be in another city or having to distract herself from her own paranoia. It was relaxing for a while. Until it wasn't.

Right as she was finishing up, something happened that terrified Amu to the core. She had just finished washing off the suds from her body when the once clear water had turned into an opaque red that was much thicker than water. Was it…blood? Amu wanted to scream in horror but quickly covered her mouth, not wanting to concern Tadase. She felt like she was going to vomit. There was no way this was real. She was only seeing things because she was already paranoid about what she had thought about before stepping in the shower. This wasn't real. It had to be a hallucination or something.

"This isn't real, this isn't real." Amu began chanting as everything the 'water' touched turned blood red, including her own skin.

That was when she began to hyperventilate. This was a hallucination. It had to be. There was no other logical explanation for this being real. She was under so much pressure now that she began seeing things that weren't there. In an effort to calm herself down, she took heavy breaths and gasped for air as she tried to keep from vomiting or gagging. If she closed her eyes and opened them again, everything would return to normal, right? She slammed her eyes shut. When she opened her eyes again, it was just regular, clear water.

Amu sighed in relief. The relief was short-lived, however, as Amu's legs gave way as she crumpled on the shower floor. Though she didn't want to, tears started falling and sobbing followed. She cried and cried until the only water that was left was coming from the shower, still falling into her body. After about 5 minutes, she managed to stand back up. It was a struggle since her legs still felt like jelly, but she managed nonetheless. A knock on the door nearly caught Amu off-guard, and almost caused her to slip on the wet shower floor. She managed to catch herself before she could accidentally knock herself out or something.

"Amu-chan?" Tadase's soft voice reassured Amu. "You've been in there for a while, are you alright? I brought you some towels."

Amu took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes in a desperate attempt to appear like she hadn't been crying for the past 5 minutes, and that she hadn't just been scared out of her wits. "D-don't worry, Tadase-kun! I'm alright. I must have gotten lost in thought again. You can just leave the towels at the door. I'll be out in a bit!"

There was a moment of silence as Amu assumed Tadase placed the towels on the floor in front of the bathroom. "I'll be in the bedroom changing if you need anything else, then."

"A-alright…" Amu responded softly. She avoided looking at herself in the mirror as she walked toward the bathroom door.

She paused, waiting for a little bit until she figured Tadase had made it into his room before cracking the door open and grabbing the towels. During the short time it took her to crack the door, she could have sworn she saw a shadow move quickly across the hallway's window. Though she almost screamed at first, she dismissed the vision as nothing, putting it down to her paranoia causing her to hallucinate again, or an animal passing by. Still, she quickly closed the door and dried off before getting changed into her pyjamas and running all the way to Tadase's room just in case it wasn't an animal or hallucination.

She made sure to close the door behind her just in case. She fell against the door breathlessly, even though it wasn't even a far walk or run from the bathroom. Tadase, who had just barely finished changing before she burst in, looked at her confusedly. He watched her panicked face as she slid down the door. Until Tadase spoke, Amu had completely forgotten Tadase was there.

"Amu-chan, what's wrong?" he inquired quizzically.

Amu slowly looked up at Tadase, hugging her knees close to her chest. "I-I thought I saw something…"

Tadase tilted his head and walked up to her, crouching in front of her. "You saw something? What was it? Where did you see it?"

Amu shook her head. "I-I don't know what it was... I saw it pass by the window in the hall for a split second as I was grabbing the towels. I-it could have been an animal or something but it startled me…"

Tadase pulled Amu into his arms, holding her close. "Whatever you thought you saw or actually saw, I'll be here. So, don't be afraid. If you see it again, tell me. I'll have my father look around."

Amu couldn't help but melt into Tadase's chest as she felt the urge to cry again. She relished his warmth and clung to him tightly, debating whether she should tell him about the episode she had had not 10 minutes prior. It was one thing telling him about seeing a shadow passing by a window, which was normal and could have been literally anything, but trying to explain that she saw blood coming from his shower…without seeming crazy was a whole other thing. Still, she had promised she wouldn't keep anything from him. She took a breath. She knew Tadase would at least try to understand.

"A-actually…" she managed to stammer after a second, pulling away slightly. "There's something else I saw…but it might sound a bit crazy…"

Tadase looked at her sincerely. "What is it?"

Amu took another breath and looked at Tadase. "I don't want to say I'm crazy but…when I was showering…the water turned into—into what appeared to be…" she paused for a second to keep herself from crying or gagging at the thought, "...what appeared to be b-blood…coming from the shower. When I closed my eyes and opened them again, though…it was just regular water."

Tadase pulled Amu close again and caressed her hair. "It wasn't real, Princess. You were just seeing things. Maybe you need to take a couple of days off of school to rest. We can get a psychiatrist for you, too."

Amu swallowed, tears yet again threatening her eyes. "I-I know it was just a hallucination but…it really scared me…"

Tadase rubbed her back comfortingly, squeezing her gently. "No matter what happens, no matter what you see…I'm here. Scream my name and I'll come running. Even if it's over something that isn't there."

Amu nodded her head, burying her face in Tadase's shoulder. "I know you will. And I'm grateful for that. Thank you, Tadase-kun. If...if I start seeing more hallucinations…I give you full permission to take me to a psychiatrist."

Tadase smiled and pulled away just far enough to kiss Amu's forehead. "Alright, I'll hold you to that. How about we head to bed now? Would you prefer to sleep on my bed with me? Or on the floor?"

Amu chewed her lip, feeling blessed to have Tadase's gentleness. "I-I think I'll feel safer on your bed… I-if you don't mind, of course."

"Of course not!" Tadase gestured to the bed with a polite smile. "Ladies first."

Amu managed a small smile as she crawled onto Tadase's bed and snuggled herself under the covers, trying to avoid putting too much pressure on her injured shoulder. She felt the other end of the bed dip slightly as Tadase also got onto the bed, wiggling a bit to get comfortable. He turned onto his side to face. Amu couldn't help but notice, with a small blush, how close their faces were. It would have been embarrassing for Amu to sleep next to Tadase before, but now it felt as if she needed his warmth, gentle touch, and comfort to stay somewhat sane.

Tadase reached a hand out to brush some hair out of Amu's face. "If you need anything, or feel afraid from a nightmare, don't be afraid to wake me up or get closer." Amu nodded and Tadase leaned in, kissing her nose this time. "Alright, good. Now, sleep well, Princess."

Amu nodded once more and closed her eyes, still feeling the heat on her cheeks from the two gentle kisses Tadase had given her. When Tadase wrapped his arms around her, Amu's face heated up even more and her heart rate increased. Despite how flustered Amu was, comfort was much needed. The warmth of Tadase's actions lulled Amu to sleep as he once more wished her good night, then went silent after that. As she fell into a deep slumber, her mind was conflicted with Tadase's warmth, the sheer amount of fun she had with her friends earlier, and the terrifying events that night.

Even though Tadase's warmth would normally make her feel warm, she felt a weird sense of coldness. She also couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. During her last moments of semi-consciousness, she clung to Tadase, who must have sensed something was wrong since he pulled her closer, tighter. Unfortunately, even with that, Amu's dreams sent her to a dark, cold place.

Amu dreamt that she was in a dark, empty building that appeared to be abandoned. Amu, however, was not in her body; she was looking at herself from an outside perspective. She watched herself, running, lost, and desperately seeking an exit. The moment she thought she had found an exit or door, she found it blocked off, locked, or no more than a dead end. Finally, after another dead end, Amu got caught in the hallway with three tall figures circling her, cornering her with no escape. They grabbed her by the arms and dragged her back down the hall in spite of Amu's kicking and screaming. Amu couldn't stand hearing the echoes of her own cries, nor could she do anything but watch in horror as the men put chains on her arms and legs and threw her to the ground in a small, empty room.

The three figures began to kick Amu first around her ribs and stomach, leading her to curl up and almost vomit as she groaned in pain and clutched her stomach. Despite her pleas and her face pleading the men continued to kick her without a sign of mercy, ignoring her screams completely. The figures continued beating Amu with sharp objects, some even leaving them in her or taking them out rough and leaving her covered in cuts and bruises. Amu was left coughing and writhing in pain, covered in wounds, cuts and bruises.

Despite the fact that Amu didn't want to watch herself getting beaten, tortured or anything else, her vision acted like a fixed camera, which didn't allow her to move or look away, even as she watched the men leave the room, locking the door behind them. It weighed heavily on Amu's mind whether or not it was really a good thing she was simply watching her own torture take place. On the one hand, she didn't have to physically feel the pain she was watching herself undergo, but on the other, seeing herself suffer was just as unbearable.

With the men gone, all Amu could do was writhe in pain. Amu found herself in her dream body again after that point, and now she was experiencing the pain that she had witnessed seconds before and it was excruciatingly painful. Although she tried to bear the pain for a while, everything hurt so much. She struggled to move without pain shooting through her body. There was no doubt that most of her bones felt either broken or fractured. It felt almost as though if she moved too much, she would fall apart.

Blood pooled around her; her own, obviously. The sight of it made her retch and almost vomit. She was miraculously alive surrounded by all the blood. Perhaps that was the telling sign that everything she had just experienced was a dream. But that didn't make it any less harrowing. Nightmares were something she had trouble waking herself up from, unfortunately.

Suddenly, the scene changed and Amu, still bloodied, bruised and cut up by these figures, was being dragged by them once again. Amu was once again watching herself from above somewhere. Though Amu was uncertain of how much time had passed, it had gotten to the point where dream Amu could barely walk, explaining why the men had to drag her everywhere. The little hospital dress that she was wearing had been torn, leaving little to the imagination. While she was still unconscious, she would occasionally groan or moan in pain. She was probably in too much pain to remain conscious for long periods, which was painful for Amu to even watch, especially having felt some of the pain for a bit.

The figures stopped in a different room and one of them slapped Amu on the face to wake her up. They bowed in front of another dark figure who Amu could not make out from the 3rd person view she was forced into. The fourth person, perhaps the leader, had large red orbs for eyes, but that was the only identifiable feature. Dream Amu, barely awake, was, as well, forced to lower her head, despite being barely able to move her head much at all.

The four of them were speaking, but it was hard to understand what they were saying due to her position above them all. After some talking, and some apparent arguments, Amu was thrown before the higher power of being and once again, Amu was back into her dream body. After dismissing his three henchmen, the higher being picked up Amu forcefully and examined her like she was some kind of doll. After tearing off what little of Amu's clothing remained, the creature advanced aggressively on her, pinning her to the ground, causing Amu to let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Amu awoke with a start, breathing heavily. Her skin and parts of her pyjamas were soaked in a cold sweat, and her whole body hurt so badly that she had to feel every part of her body to ensure that nothing was broken or bruised. Upon trying to sit up, she realized that she couldn't move. She started panicking until she remembered that Tadase was still sound asleep next to her. In an effort not to wake Tadase, Amu moved Tadase's arm off her as carefully as possible. Unfortunately, she was not successful.

Tadase opened his eyes slowly when he felt movement next to him, and his gaze fell on Amu, who had not yet managed to sit up. By moonlight that seeped in, Tadase could faintly see that Amu's hair was covering most of her face, her cheeks stained with tears. Without even saying a word, he held her tight, knowing that she had had a nightmare. At first, Amu was startled by the action, but she soon buried her face into his chest.

Tadase rubbed Amu's back without saying a word. Amu burst into sobbing and buried her face even further into her boyfriend's chest. He continued rubbing her back in rhythmic circles, hoping they would help her calm down. Tadase really wished there was a better way to prevent Amu from having nightmares; evidently not even being beside her and holding her comfortable helped much anymore. Amu continued to cry while he held her head against him and ran his hand through her messy hair. He knew she was not ready to talk about her nightmare, so he could only be there for her physically.

"T-Tadase-kun…" Amu stammered through her sobs. "I-It hurts…"

He gently eased his grip, thinking she meant he was too tightly holding her. He glanced down at her with a frown. "What hurts, Amu-chan?"

"E-everything…" Amu sobbed.

Tadase wanted to shudder. He hated seeing Amu so upset and devastated like this. What happened in her dream must have been pretty harrowing. Tadase really didn't know what to do. This was due to his ex-girlfriend, shouldn't that make it partially his fault as well? He wished he could do something, anything, to help Amu.

He sighed once more and pressed a kiss to Amu's head, once again subconsciously tightening his grip on her. "I'm sorry, Princess. I really wish I knew what to do…"

He continued his embrace even after Amu's sobs stopped. The only thing he knew he could do was to hold her to let her know that he was there for her. Needless to say, he couldn't sleep at all after that. He wanted to make sure Amu was alright and that he could become aware of any subsequent nightmares in time to help her avoid them before anything had actually happened. Furthermore, he couldn't help but think about ways of helping her get through this.

A/N: there may or may not be a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter. :)

Also, in regards to the last part of Amu's dream, I purposely ended it ambiguously. I felt it was a good place to end but I also wanted readers to take the last sentence of the dream however they wanted. I'm hoping the vagueness of it is vague enough that this still classifies as T (but I'm willing to change it to M if necessary, I'd love feedback on that now, while I still haven't posted the...climax? though that's also vaguely written.)

Things are about to get serious now, no more cute fun and games. Though there will be some questionable and stupid actions by characters.

I hope you're enjoying this even a bit! I'm feeling a bit burnt out writing these but I don't want to leave this hanging, so the chapters will probably be posted sporadically. As I believe I've mentioned, though, after I finish this, this might be the last time I write anything for Shugo Chara/Tadamu. That won't be for a while though, since I still have chapters i need to edit (and re-edit after, with WordTune).