He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew he was in the forest of purgatory running and running not daring to look back to the creature that chased him. It was the same dream he had every night and each night he lived just a little more of it. He runs until he can't take another step and that's when the forest surrounding him turns to blackness like an abyss that threatens to swallow him if he so much as takes another step. He closes his eyes and when he opens them she is standing in front, his beautiful leftenant. He had fallen in love with her in this crazy world that much he knew. He had known it since the day he nearly lost her to the weeping lady. So much had transpired that day, he learnt of yet another secret that Katrina had been keeping from him and this one tipped him over the edge, for on this day he learnt that Katrina had lied to him about the death of a woman he loved as his own sister. She sees him and lets out a sigh of relief. " Crane " she breaths as she looks at him as though she hasn't seen him in years but their reunion is cut short because she freezes and her gaze is no longer focused on him but past him. He turns around and sees Katrina except it's not Katrina he knows that from all the times he has had this dream it is moloch disguised as her. He knows what he must do, he turns around and sprints as fast as he can towards Abbie, once he reaches her he hauls her over his shoulder and continues to run as fast as he can, he knows she is more than capable of running but last time he was here she was pulled beneath the earth by a lost soul. He hears the creature running after them knocking down entire trees as it hurls itself towards them. He hears an ear piercing screech that is worse than the pied pipers weapon and drops to his knees, his only thought being to protect Abbie he throws himself over her and braces for what he expects to be the first of many blows.

He woke up on the couch his eyes darting open as he gasped for air. He spun around at the sound of the door behind him swinging shut expecting to see someone there, but he finds no one. He looked over his shoulder to see that Abbie had fallen asleep and that her head rested on his shoulder. He carefully made his way out from beneath her, gently laying her head on the arm of the couch and covering her in a blanket before venturing out into the cool night air to make sure no evil was lurking about.

He stood in the cold night air a good ten minutes before he was satisfied that he had simply failed to properly latch the door last night after he carried Abbie into the house. He quietly made his way back into the cabin this time double checking that the door was latched and locked. He returned to the couch and found his dear Leftenant sleeping peacefully. He couldn't help but take all of her beauty in, it was moments like this that made him want to confess all of his feelings right then and there there had been many occasions just like this one where he came so close to giving her his heart on a silver platter but the fear of rejection terrified him and he would never let anything come between their bond, no matter how much he longed to hold her and kiss her beautiful lips and stroke her hair, but no he must let anything come between them even if sometimes all he dreamt about was holding her and freeing her from all her pain and suffering.

He was brought back to reality by the sound of murmuring coming from his partner. He knelt down by her side and carefully watched as she squirmed, her brows furrowed. He knew she must be having a nightmare, she got them regularly he knew that but she never told exactly how often, he knew she was probably trying to keep him from getting worried. It wasn't until she screamed his name that he decided to wake her up.

" Leftenant" he whispered, gently shaking her shoulder, when she wouldn't respond he shook her shoulder a bit harder. " Abbie " he tried, this time her eyes shot open and once she realised who he was she wrapped her arms around his neck so tight he missed a breath. He wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her down. " It's alright, i'm here now, you're here with me, your safe" he said softly.

At the sound of his voice she began to calm down and her breaths came easier, now she was here with him she knew she was safe. She unwrapped her arms from around his neck and looked up to his eyes. " Did i wake you?" she asked softly.

" No " he said moving to sit next to her on the couch still keeping one arm around her shoulder. " Nightmare?" he asked although they both knew the answer.

" Yeah" she said weakly as if she might cry at any moment. He noticed the tone of her voice and his heart broke for her, he had never seen her so disturbed by a nightmare. " It is alright, your here with me now, i wont allow anything to harm you" he promised. She leaned into his chest and he wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulder pulling her closer while she slowly fell asleep in the safety of his arms. Once he was sure she had fallen asleep he moved his arm up from her waist to her neck and slid his other hand under her knees gently lifting her from the couch and proceeding to carry her into the bedroom. He knew she wouldn't mind especially considering there was only one bed and he would never allow her to sleep on the couch. He gently placed her on the side of the bed nearest to the door and covered her with the blankets before he put on the flannel pants she had gotten him last year own and jumped into the other side of the bed. He sat awake staring at the roof letting all of his thoughts flood his mind, most of them revolved around Abbie until he too proceeded to fall asleep.

He dreamt of life after the war, a life where he and Abbie were happily living their lives out, together. It was the first time he had, had a dream other than the nightmare in over two months and it was a welcome relief allowing him to get some much needed sleep.

When she woke it took a minute to register where she was but once she did all she could do was smile which almost seem inappropriate after yesterdays events... almost. She tried to get up so she could freshen up and make breakfast before he woke up,

when exactly did i go from picking him up for work to oh i better get up now so i look nice and can make him breakfast before he wakes up? she asked herself.

As she went to sit up she was pulled back down and after pulling back the sheets she saw that it was because his arm was protectively curled around her waist. She couldn't help but think how cute it was, but then she was struck with fear,

WHAT IF I'M STILL IN PURGATORY?!, WHAT IF THIS IS ALL JUST A MIND GAME?!

" CRANE, CRANE" she screamed, violently shaking his shoulders so he would wake up.

" ABBIE" he said immediately sitting up and searching the room for any sign of danger, once he was confident they were not in immediate danger he turned back to his companion. " Mis.." he started but immediately seeing the fear in her eyes he reconsidered. " Abbie, what's wrong?"he asked softly. She looked at him, his eyes were gentle and extremely calming and his face was growing more concerned with each second that passed.

" Is this real?' she asked throwing her hands up in the air " Is any of this real?". She slowly reached her hand up gently stroking the side of his face " Are you real?" she asked this time softer, less frantic.

" Of course it is" he said the confusion clear on his face " Of course i am, what would make you think otherwise?". he brought his hand to rest atop hers on his cheek, they fit together perfectly a fact he couldn't concentrate on for as long as he would have liked. He looked into her eyes searching for anything that would hint as to what was wrong but all he saw was disappearing fear.

" I, I don't know, i'm sorry " she said looking down to embarrassed " I woke up and i thought i was still in purgatory ".

" I assure you Abbie that i am real and that you are here with me, you are home " he said softly " i will not allow anything to hurt you i swear" he said and suddenly all her fears dissipated. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her chin on her shoulder. " Thank you" she said. They stayed like that for at least ten minutes her leaning her head on his shoulder and he with his head atop hers and arms wrapped tightly around her. In the end it was Abbie who pulled away, it took all her strength to pull away from something that felt so right but she was staring and come to think of it she hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before.

" I'm gonna have a quick shower then i will make some breakfast before we head out " she said.

" Of course " he said releasing her from his grasp " i shall await your return ". She smiled and jumped off the bed making her way into the bathroom and it wasn't until then that he finished his sentence,

" My love".

Two seconds later her head popped around the door frame and his heart skipped a beat thinking she had heard him and he tried impossibly hard to think of something to say with no avail.

" Do you still have those clothes i left here the other week?" she asked.

" Of course" he said relieved " i shall retrieve them for you now".

" Thank you" she said with a smile. He returned a moment later with her clothes and a fresh towel.

" Here you go" he said passing her the clothing and towel.

" Thanks Crane" she said before disappearing into the bathroom.

As she stepped into the shower she swore she could see her heart beating out of her chest, Had she actually heard him right? Did he just call her my love?. She couldn't believe that he had it was after all only yesterday that he had a wife and a son, well sort of a son. That was the only reason she had asked about the clothes, just to see the reaction he had to her popping her head around the door frame and judging by the reaction she got he had said something he didn't want her to hear, but could he really have called her his love? She decided to try and connect the dots,

True, yesterday he killed his wife to save her life True, yesterday he allowed her to kill his kinda son for the greater good.. Okay so what Mills he got rid of their biggest problems and you just happened to be there that doesn't mean anything True, last night he willingly slept in the same bed as her when they both know she would have been fine on the couch True, she woke up with his arm around her and then she thinks she hears him call her his love.. okay so something was up but it was Crane wasn't something up.. But what if he felt the same way she did?,

She had to do something because not knowing was already eating away inside.

Okay so just ask him what he said pretend you didn't hear him properly and watch how he reacts, he'll either tell her thinking she didn't hear him or he'll do the thing he does with his hand when he's nervous and quickly come up with some lame excuse for what he said.

She quickly finished up in the shower and stepped out quickly drying off and getting dressed faster than she had ever done before. She stepped out of the bathroom and made her way into the lounge room looking for Crane.

" Crane?" she called as she couldn't see him anywhere, she waited a minute but got no response so she ventured out into the crisp morning air. She looked around not going past the porch and immediately saw him kneeling down in the gravel of the driveway, if you could call it one.

" Crane?" she asked " What are you doing?".

He looked up from the ground and over his shoulder to see Abbie coming his way doing a kind of walkish, dancish hobble thing which he thought was quite hilarious, He tried and failed to reframe from laughing. She stopped and looked up her brow arched. " Oh you think this is funny ?" she said ' just wait till i get to you" she said and continued to make her way towards him. He stood up and waited for her to come within two feet of him.

" And what will happen if you can't reached me?" he teased. She was about to pounce onto him something she was sure he wouldn't see coming when she stepped on a very large, very sharp rock.

" DAMMIT!" She exclaimed as she dropped to the ground pulling her knee to chest and holding a hand over her bare foot. Her cry of pain caught his attention and he immediately was at her side lifting her from the ground.

" What are you doing?, it's just a cut" she exclaimed in surprise.

" I am taking back to the house to tend to your wound" he explained. By the time they had made it inside and he had placed her down on a chair she had given up trying to get him to put her down. He had just re- emerged from the bathroom with an alcohol wipe and a bandaid when she spoke.

" What were you doing out there?" She asked as he kneeled next to her foot which now sat on the chair in front of her.

" There appears to be a foot print and i believe i know who it belongs to" he said his words full of dread as he cleaned her wound.

" Who's?" she asked slightly wincing away when the wipe made contact with her foot.

" It would appear the horseman paid us a visit" he said applying the bandaid and standing back up.