On Her Own

Chapter 4

Richard woke up in the middle of the night. Rachel was still sleeping soundly, curled up against him. He sat up a bit on one arm and looked around the dark room before holding still for a moment, trying to decide what had woken him if it hadn't been Rachel. He brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face before laying back down and closing his eyes again.

A split second later his eyes flew open again. Someone had knocked on the door. Carefully lifting himself over Rachel, he got out of bed.

No sooner had his feet hit the floor, did she roll over and start muttering in her sleep.

Richard crossed the room and opened the door, figuring Toni had come back to the room for one reason or another.

It wasn't Toni.

"What are you doing here Grayson?" Roy asked crossing his arms over his chest, with a raised eyebrow at Richards half naked state.

"I could ask you the same thing, Harper." Richard replied crossing his arms over his chest and leaning in the doorway.

"What gives you the right to be here? Rachel asked me to swing by, but she didn't mention you would be here." Roy was glaring at him.

"Really, she asked you to stop by? Because she's my girlfriend after all. And we spend almost every weekend together. So I don't know how she could have forgotten to mention it." Richard replied sarcastically, wanting nothing more than to punch him.

"The only way she wouldn't have mentioned my being here, is if she didn't invite you over." Richard opened his mouth to add something else but Rachel whimpered behind him. With one hand on the door frame and the other on the open door, he looked over his shoulder to see her clutching at his pillow.

Looking back to Roy, he glared. "Go to your room, and just leave us alone Roy."

Richard stepped back and swung the door shut, turning towards his girlfriend who looked like she was having a nightmare. She was laying on the bed with the blankets twisted around her waist, whimpering and thrashing in her sleep. Richard kneeled down next to the bed, since there was no room for him at the moment, and brushed some hair behind her ear before running a light hand along her bare arm.

"What makes you special enough to spend the night with her?" The jealous voice carried quietly across the room. Roy must have stopped the door before it latched shut.

Richard replied quietly without turning away from Rachel. "I care about her, protect her," Here he turned to look at Roy, "She trusts me because I would never hurt her."

Roy just raised an eyebrow at Richard.

"What makes you think I would hurt her? She-" Richard stood up and stalked over to where Roy was leaning in the doorframe.

"Get lost Roy, or I'll make you regret coming here tonight." He jammed his finger into Roys chest. Richard wasn't sure how much longer he could control himself, so he turned around and went to kneel next to the bed again.

Rachel was shivering, he pulled the blankets up around her shoulders and took one of her hands in his, squeezing it softly.

Rachel started mumbling something softly in her sleep. He couldn't tell what she was saying.

"What's your problem?" Roy asked, walking farther into the room, light spilling from the open door casting him in shadow.

Richard took a deep breath and looked at Rachel. "My problem? What's your problem! I know you tried to rape her. And if I ever find out that you tried again, I promise to show you no mercy."

She stirred and pulled her hand from his, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "Richard?" Her voice was hoarse with exhaustion.

"I'm here Rach, I'm right here." He shifted from kneeling to sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

He watched her eyes move past him, and stop above his head.

"I'm here too. Hi Rachel," Roy stepped forward again so he was only a few feet away from the bed.

Richard glared at Roy again before moving closer to Rachel and draping the blankets around her, attempting to cover the fact that she was only in her sports bra.

"What are you doing here? You have no right to be here." Rachel was attempting to sound mad and failing.

He shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. "Just thought I'd stop by, hang out for a bit since our visit got cut short last weekend. I'll see you soon." Tuning away from the couple on the bed he left the room.

Rachel leaned against him once the door had shut, she was shaking again.

"I think he was hoping to catch you alone in here," Richard commented before he got up and made sure the door was locked.

He sat back down on the bed and nudged her to lay down. He pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her, running his fingers soothingly through her hair.

"He can't get back in here, as long as I'm with you he can't hurt you." They laid there for a while, both just glad that they were with the other.

"Richard?" Her voice was no more than a whisper, but it echoed loudly in the silent room.

"Mhmmm?" He pulled her a little closer to him and he felt her relax in his arms.

"I love you." He smiled at her in the dark and she smiled back.

"I know. I love you too, Rach. You mean the world to me." He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, pulling back with a warm smile.

"Go back to sleep baby, I'm here. I got you." He began running his fingers through her hair again.

"I don't want to sleep." He pulled the hand that was in her hair back when she shook her head.

"Rachel, it's late. You really should try and go back to sleep."

She shook her head again. "Please, just talk to me. About anything. I don't think I'd be able too sleep yet even if I wanted too."

He laughed lightly, she could be so stubborn. Even at, he checked the clock, two-thirty something in the morning. He humored her and spoke quietly as he told her old stories.

Somewhere around two hours later, Rachel fell asleep with her head resting on his chest. Closing his eyes, he let sleep drag him back under.

Rachel slowly opened her eyes the next morning, not wanting to wake up. Richard was asleep on his side facing her. She rested her forehead against his chest and smiled inwardly. Richard was here, and he was hers. She was safe.

She didn't know how late in the day it was but guessed it was somewhere around lunchtime. She just had no intention of getting up. Laying a hand over his heart, she let her heartbeat slow to match his. Closing her eyes, Rachel let herself drift off again as Richards arm slid around her.

What couldn't have been more than a half hour later the dorm room door opened and a girl with short black hair walked in. Richard turned his head and looked over at her. "Hey Toni." His voice was rough with sleep.

Toni looked over at her roommates bed to see her roommates boyfriend looking half asleep, Rachel sleeping with her head on his chest. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Isn't it a little late to still be in bed? Or were you two busy last night?" She whispered suggestively.

"No, nothing like that." He said as he pulled the blankets up a little higher around Rachels shoulders, covering her and himself. "We had a visitor, and Rach couldn't sleep afterwards. So we were up most of the night after that."

Toni nodded slowly, she had noticed that her friend and roommate hadn't been sleeping well lately. "Right, any ideas why?" She turned her back to Richard and started changing into some sweatpants and a tank top.

"I wish I could tell you…" He trailed off, running his fingers through his girlfriends hair. He wanted to tell Toni about Roy but it wasn't his place to tell her. He would do what he could, but he couldn't involve anyone else till Rachel was ready to share on her own.

Rachel shifted, pulling her head off his chest and curling into his side, whimpering quietly.

"I'm guessing she had a really bad night?" Toni asked worried, she knew Rachel really well, considering they lived in the same room together all week, every week. And Rachel only whimpered like that after a night of nightmares. "She's been barely sleeping at all these past few weeks. And she leaves the lights on at night now."

Richard was kind of shocked. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen this soft side of Toni before. But then again most people didn't seem to think Rachel had a soft side either. He was able to see how the two girls became such fast friends. "I know, there's something that's been going on and its been bothering her a lot more than she is letting on."

Toni nodded in agreement. "I figured. I've tried asking her what's wrong but she just tells me that theres nothing wrong."

Rachel nuzzled against Richards side, squirming around in her sleep for a few moments before jerking herself awake. Her heart was pounding loud enough that she thought Richard could hear it. She covered her face with one hand while pulling the blankets over her head and holding them there with the other.

"Rachel,"

Someone tugged at the blankets but she held them there tightly. "Rach, come on out." She curled further into herself when she heard his voice.

"C'mon love, it's just us…" Toni tried to goad her out, taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

Rachel just pulled the blankets more firmly over her head. A hand slipped under the sheet and rested against her arm. She jerked away from it.

The room went quiet for a few minutes before she herd the soft click of the door opening, followed by another, softer click as it shut again.

She felt a hand rubbing her back through the blankets. "Toni left." His voice was warm and smooth.

She closed her eyes and tried to breathe deeply. "Rach, it's alright." His hand found her shoulder and squeezed it lightly. He tried to move the blanket and this time, she let him.

Richard pulled the blanket, and folded it back once he could see her face. Her eyes were red and her face was blotchy with tear stains. Raven took one look at him before curling into herself and hiding her face. "Hey, don't do that. Don't go hiding from me."

He ran a hand through her hair, he knew she loved it and that it calmed her. "It's okay to be upset, and it's okay to cry. I want to be there for you…"

She slowly uncurled and really looked at him this time. "I'm here for you." And with that she let him hold her and sweep away the remaining pieces of her dream.

"You do know that you can't keep this from Toni right?" Richard commented. He was sitting with his back against the wall, Rachel sitting next to him, leaning against his shoulder with his arms wrapped around her.

She nodded slowly, and sadly. "I know…"

Richard frowned at her. "Alright, get up and get dressed."

She looked up at him, begging with her eyes to stay in bed. He playfully narrowed his eyes at her. "I mean it Rach, get dressed." He nudged her forward.

"But-" He silenced her with a soft kiss. He nodded his head towards her closet.

"Get dressed."

With an irritated sigh, she got up and got dressed. Richard followed behind her and dressed as well. He knew she was still thinking about Roys visit last night.

"You ready?" He asked when she was fully changed. She nodded and followed him out the door.

Once they door had shut behind them Richard grabbed her hand and took off running, dragging her behind him.

"Richard?" Rachel was laughing, trying to keep up with him.

Other students watched as they ran by.

"Where are we going?" They burst through the doors and out into the warm early winter air.

Richard looked at her over his shoulder and was pleased to see she was smiling, and for the first time in too long, it reached her eyes.

He slowed down as they reached a quieter area of campus. Slowing to a walk, he grinned and tugged on her arm. Rachel stumbled as he pulled her so she was walking next him, his arm winding around her shoulders.