The days soon turned into weeks, the weeks into months. Before I knew it, Christmas time had rolled around. A light snow had covered the city and the temperature in the sewers dropped steadily as the days passed. Even with extra blankets and an old heater, it was cold in my room. I didn't mind, though. An effect of the mutation, as Donnie discovered with glee, was having a regular body temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
On one particularly cold night, I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to go find Leo, who was usually still up at this hour. I slipped on my socks and walked out into the main lair. Leo's room was upstairs, so I walked up the massive staircase into his room. He was asleep, which was unusual. What was even more unusual was that he was shivering and muttering in his sleep. He was having a nightmare.
"Leo?" I asked warily. "Leo, are you okay?"
He muttered in his sleep, breathing fast. "…not again…don't hurt them… don't…"
"Leo?" I approached his bed and set a small hand on his arm. He was covered in cold sweat. "Leo! Wake up!" I shouted at him, suddenly worried. He tossed his head back and forth on his pillow and jerked in bed. Whatever it was, it was a really bad dream. Suddenly, he sat bolt upright in bed and shouted, "DON'T HURT THEM!" He was panting and his eyes were wild. I stared at him, not sure what to do. After a moment, he came to his senses and looked around. Finally, his gaze locked onto mine. I saw fear, an inexpiable fear, in his big blue eyes. I lifted my hand to his face and studied him worriedly.
"What's wrong?" I asked. He laughed humorlessly and leaned his head into my hand.
"Nothing, little sister. Just a bad dream."
"Want to talk about it?" I asked.
"It won't help. Besides, I wouldn't want to scare you." He said sadly, laying back down onto his pillow. I'd rarely seen Leo like this, so unguarded.
"Fine then, " I teased him gently , 'keep your secrets. Seriously though, I'm willing to listen if you want to tell me about it."
"Thanks. I'm good, though. What are you doing up so late, anyway? Isn't it past your bedtime?" he was already yawning again and his eyes were drooping.
"Go to sleep, Leo. I'll go to bed in a little while." I patted his head gently and watched him drop off to sleep. I walked back into the lair and curled up on the couch in the living room with a mug of hot chocolate from the kitchen. I don't know how long I sat there, thinking in the dark. I soon finished my hot chocolate and was left with nothing but an empty mug in my hand. Setting it on the ground, I eventually pulled a blanket around myself and drifted off to sleep.
