Title: Falling Apart

author: Cindy Ryan

They must've sat there for over an hour. Tim's left hip had gone numb, but it was a small price to pay. Lucy's sobs had quieted, but her right hand remained clutched to his shirt as it rested on his chest. Not knowing what else to do Tim ran soothing circles along Lucy's back.

"Thank you."Lucy said breaking the silence her voice raw.

"What partners are for."Tim responded softly.

Lucy shifted and pulled away from Tim. He instantly felt the loss and tried to shove that alien feeling down. In the moonlight Tim could see Lucy sit back against the bed wiping her face with the bottom of her shirt. She looked so small and frail such the opposite from who she was.

"I guess Jackson called you."Lucy surmised with a sniffle.

"He was worried."Tim replied as he sat back against the closet. "Said you were having a nightmare and he couldn't wake you."

"Oh."Lucy responded quietly. "That explains being on the floor."

"Want to talk about it?"Tim prompted gently.

Lucy drew in a long breath and released it.

"I was back there; it was so dark and there was no air."Lucy explained in a haunting tone.

Tim saw a shudder go through his partner's small frame. He reached over and tugged free a blanket that was half off the bed anyway. Tim drew the blanket to him. Lucy's words hit him like a physical blow. Logically he'd known what she'd endured, but now he was hearing it. A knot of guilt formed in his stomach. Tim tried to push the guilt aside. Lucy needed him. This was the time to make things right; to help her.

"He zip tied my hands; did you know that?"Lucy continued shakily. "I got free, but by then it didn't matter."

Tim felt bile rise and he swallowed it down. Lucy hiccuped another sob and Tim scooted closer. He wrapped the blanket around her and drew her back to him.

"In the...the dream the darkness seemed to be enveloping me; suffocating. Then the barrel would shift and it wasn't because of the rescue but I was falling deeper where no one would find me."Lucy said her voice dropping to a whisper by the final word.

"Boot..."Tim began.

"It was so real."Lucy said as she shifted back against Tim pulling the blanket closer. "When the dream finally stopped...for a moment I couldn't tell where I was. I thought that the rescue hadn't been real that I was still..."

Tim cursed Rosalyn silently for her killing rampage that created a follower. Lucy was shaking now and Tim heard sniffles as she tried to hold back the tears.

"I feel like I'm falling apart."Lucy admitted as she lifted her head to look at Tim.

"You're not."Tim replied adamantly as he reached out to wipe away tears. "You're smart and strong..."

Lucy laughed bitterly.

"I don't feel strong."Lucy said brokenly.

"I know, but you will get through this."Tim promised huskily as he pulled Lucy back into an embrace.

Lucy rested her head on his chest. Tim placed his back against the closet with his feet under the bed. They were still sitting like that when the first rays of dawn came through the window. Tim was the only one awake; Lucy had fallen back to sleep and hadn't had any more nightmares. For that Tim was grateful. Listening to his rookie's breathing was almost putting Tim to sleep. Fortunately Jackson's soft knock on the door kept that from happening.

"She's asleep."Tim said to the youth's unasked question. "Help me put her on the bed."

Tim was so cramped in the small space that he knew he wouldn't have been able to safely transfer Lucy from the floor to the bed without help. Jackson scrambled forward and gently scooped Lucy up into his arms. Tim got painfully to his feet ignoring the aches and that his right foot had fallen asleep. He pulled back the sheets as Jackson placed Lucy on the bed. Then Tim picked the blanket up off the floor and tucked it around his partner. He watched her for a long moment before he nodded to Jackson and the two men crept out of the room and Jackson silently shut the door.

"Thanks for coming."Jackson commented softly as they moved to the kitchen. "I heard her crying; she okay?"

Tim rubbed a hand along the back of his neck as he looked back at the closed door. His silence answered for him because Jackson swore.

"In her dream she was back underground."Tim said bleakly. "It shook her; thinks she's falling apart. Makes me want to pull Caleb out of hell so I can kill him one more time."

Jackson nodded glumly.

"It's going to be a tough few days for her."Tim continued grimly. "We're going to have to rally; make sure somene is always there when she needs us and when she thinks she doesn't."

"Got it."Jackson confirmed then his cell phone beeped.

"Damn, I have to go in."Jackson said as he read the text. "Grey wants my report by eight."

"I'll stay with her."Tim offered.

"Thanks."West replied as he headed to his room.

Twenty minutes later Jackson left. Tim rummaged through the kitchen until he found coffee. He started the coffee machine. Using an ap on his phone he ordered breakfast to be delivered from a nearby twenty-four diner. Tim ordered some things that if Lucy woke later they'd keep in the fridge and could be reheated. Once the coffee was done the food arrived shortly after.

As he ate at the breakfast bar in the silent apartment Tim found himself picking at the food not really tasting it. Lucy's tear filled brown eyes kept passing by his mind's eye making the knot of guilt in his stomach tighten. Tim put the fork aside and closed the container. He put it in the fridge. Lucy's words from earlier echoed through his troubled thoughts.

'I feel like I'm falling apart.'

No matter what Angela or anyone said Tim was as much at fault for Lucy's trauma as Wright was. Caleb may have been the one to put the lid on the barrel but Tim had pushed her in a direction she hadn't wanted to go. She'd wanted to go home and sleep. Following her T.O's advice had put Lucy in hell. A hell Tim couldn't even imagine. The little she'd told him had made his blood run cold.

A cry from Lucy's room had Tim running. He pushed open the door to see her once more caught in a nightmare. The sheets were tangled around her small frame. Her face was pure anguish. Not letting himself think to much Tim moved quickly to his partner. He gently gripped her by the forearms holding her still.

"Boot, it's okay. You're safe."Tim said gently.

Lucy struggled for a moment longer and then stopped. A few minutes later her eyes opened. His rookie was disoriented at first then she recognized him. Tim could see when all the memories clicked into place because her face paled.

"Was just a dream, Lucy."Tim commented softly as she sat up. "You're going to be okay."

"I'm glad you're here."Lucy replied her voice hoarse and near breaking.

Tim sat on the bed and pulled Lucy into an embrace.

"You're going to be alright, boot."Tim said once more.

No matter how rough it was for her Tim silently promised that he'd be there; every step of the way.