"No no no no."

"Casca-"

She screamed, scrambling away. It was a blood curdling cry, animalistic, just like before when she-

"Casca it's okay- you're-"

She cut him off with another scream, dissolving into sobbing. "Stay away." She choked out, backing closer to the wall of the cave. Her eyes were wide, staring in horror, well, not quite at him, more like through him. Like she could see things no one else could.

At this point everyone was awake. Guts backed off, surveying the area to make sure there was nothing she could hurt herself on. Someone was up and asking what was wrong, was everyone okay? Were they under attack? Casca's screams and sobs echoed through the cave that was their makeshift camp. Guts was tugged away, he complied after he saw Farnese attending to Casca, trying to comfort her.

He was outside before he knew it, Isidro asking him questions while Isma and Serpico stood outside the cave as well, letting the mages and fairies try to calm their friend.

"Guts, what happened? Did-"

"I don't know." Guts finally said. "I didn't- I-"

A hand touched his arm, Isma. " . It's okay." He was fine. Could they not see that? Casca was the one- She was the one-

He stood up abruptly, mumbling, "I'll be back soon." and lumbered off into the surrounding woods, deaf to everyone's protest.

He needed to get out.

A night terror, she must have been having a night terror, his brain supplied after walking a ways. He'd had those before and they were a pain. Of Course she would. But it was so similar to how she'd been before. Yes, this time she'd been speaking, clearly a good sign, but she was so frightened. Frightened of him. He didn't want to scare her, but he also knew he probably should. He scared himself sometimes.

They were pretending right now, that everything was okay, her especially. She wanted desperately to go back to before, where he hadn't done those things and she hadn't lost herself. He did too. But this was just proof everything wasn't hunky dory yet. Honestly it probably never would be, but it could get better.

Casca had forgiven him for what he'd tried to do to her, somehow. She was stronger than him in that aspect, he still hadn't really forgiven himself for it, for his lapse in control. If he couldn't get better control of himself he really wasn't any better than a beast. She had so much faith in him, and unfounded amount. But it was times like these where it was clear even if she forgave him, she still remembered, and part of her resented him for making her remember. She'd never admit it, but he could tell.

Guts kept walking until his inner monologue died down a bit. He stopped and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He had overreacted and left his group, and Casca, undefended. Sh*t.

He hurried back, following his trail of destruction back to the camp. Everyone was eating breakfast, everyone except Casca.

Puck was the first to notice him and was about to greet him when Guts cut him off.

"Where's-"

"She's sleeping." Farnese said, "In the cave. We cast a sleeping spell on her to calm her down."

The tension left his body. "That's- good." He decided, setting his sword down to sit.

There was an awkward silence over the group until Farnese asked, "Do you- that is," Farnese took a breath, "You were the first one with her, did you see anything we didn't?"

Guts ran his hand down his face, "I don't know, I just, felt her start to cry and fight in her sleep and then she started screaming." He looked at his group, he was still rather emotional it seemed, "It was just a nightmare."

"She used to never have nightmares." Farnese said wistfully. She didn't seem to know what she was implying, that Casca was happier when she didn't remember. It was the truth, even Casca admitted as much, although she was thankful to them for bring her back. Guts dropped his eye again.

"Hey," Isidro broke the rather tense mood, "How do you make someone go back to sleep when they never woke up in the first place? And how does that stop nightmares?"

"Honestly boy." Ivallerra scoffed, and let Schierke explain.

"There are different levels of sleep and you only dream when you're in the upper levels, when you go deeper the dreams can't reach you."

"That doesn't make sense." Isidro argued.

"It makes total sense!" Schierke said.

"I think you made it up."

"And that's why it worked?" She gestured to the cave where Casca still slumbered.

"Maybe she did it on her own."

"My pa made tea for me when I had a nightmare." Isma contributed.

They continued bickering for a while until the morning chatter returned. Guts collected his breakfast, finally awake enough to be hungry.

When breakfast was almost over Casca emerged from the cave sleepy eyed murmuring good mornings. She grabbed her food and sat near Guts as she normally did. It was a little farther than normal, but she was acting as if nothing happened.

"Why'd you let me oversleep?" She asked, "You want me to miss breakfast?"

All eyes were on her.

"What?" She asked.

"Do you not remember what happened?" Guts asked.

Beyond a flicker of fear in her eyes, her face was honest, "What happened? I don't…"

"No dream?"

"I mean, not really." she cast her eyes around the group nervously, "I think had a nightmare, but I don't remember anything about it beside I was scared."

Serpico muttered something that sounded like, "To put it lightly."

"You mean you don't remember screaming bloody murder for like ten minutes?" Isidro asked.

"I- What?"

"You were having some sort of night terror. You looked awake and was screaming and crying." Guts explained.

"I don't remember that at all. Weird."

"Maybe that's for the best." Guts said quietly.

She nodded and chowed down. At least she had her appetite back. It had been steadily growing since they left elfhelm which Guts counted as a comfort. When breakfest was done and everything had been packed up Casca pulled Guts aside.

"What did I do?" She asked.

"We already told you."

"No," She hissed, "I did something."

Guts couldn't look at her. "It was me you were afraid of."

"You? No, it was from the nightmare-"

"-Which I was probably apart of. Casca you were screaming at me to get away."

"It probably wasn't what you think."

"I- I could tell."

"How?"

"You, the look in your eyes, they were the same as when I-" He stopped himself. They hadn't really talked about it, just enough for Casca to decide she didn't want to talk about it. She grew unconsciously smaller, uncomfortable. "When I almost lost control."

"But you didn't." She said. "You haven't. So why would I have that kind of nightmare about you of all people?"

He deflated, "I don't know. I just, never want to cause you pain. I worry."

She patted his arm affectionately, "To put it lightly."

He let out a sharp laugh, "How come you're an optimist these days?"

"I'm not an optimist, just not a total negative nellie." She held back a poorly contained smile.

He cradled her face with his hand to make direct eye contact, and the mood took a shift back to serious. "Can you just promise to be honest with me. I've never been all that delicate with feelings so don't feel any need to do so for me."

"Guts, I promise." She grabbed his hand, pulling it down to hold it loosely, "Now come on, we have to get moving, Rickert's not going to find himself."

A fond smile grew on his face despite himself and Guts followed her. Yes, off to find Rickert, and reunite what's left of the band of the hawk. One step at a time.

A/N: A little late for valentine's day, sorry. Should I put these in chronological order? I just thought of that, haha.