Show: Jericho

Time Frame: The night that Eric and Jake get home from Rogue River.

Pairing: Jake and Heather

Disclaimer: I do not own Jericho or the song Dream On by the Oak Ridge Boys.

Status: Complete

Authors Note: Ever noticed that Heather never seems to worry anyone on the outside, well I think she might be bottling it up inside. What if she decided to cry for someone she cares about on the outside at the same time Jake decides to take a walk.

If you can find my nod to the Lost I'll give you three cookies.

Also spoken lines will be" " , thoughts will be ' ' and lyrics will be bold.

Dream On

Jake kept watch for a couple of hours after his family had fallen asleep and was beginning to feel sleepy himself. 'I better check on the town. It'll keep me awake and alert me to any problems that aren't near our house at the same time.' He thought getting of the couch and grabbed the gun before opening the door and heading out on a walk around the town.

Jake didn't really think about where he was walking to and was surprised to see that his feet had led him to Heather's road. 'Well since I'm here I'll just check her house real quick before continuing on my rounds.' Jake thought as he walked down three houses to where Heather's small house stood. 'Just to make sure she got home okay.' He reassured himself firmly.

Jake walked up to the door and stopped when he heard the sound of someone crying. Jake was already knocking before he was aware that he had even moved his hand. 'Well I've done knocked I can't leave now, might as well see what's wrong.' Jake thought as the door opened and Heather appeared in the doorway wearing a United States Marines tee-shirt that was far too big for her, but made the perfect shirt to sleep in. "Jake? What's wrong? Does your dad need more ice? Is he okay?" Heather asked quickly as she moved the back of her hand along her cheek to wipe away her tears. 'I hope he doesn't realize that I was crying.' Heather thought already knowing that the thought was in vain.

"Dad's doing as well as can be expected, thanks to you. The doctor, April and Mom are with him. I'm not so sure if you're okay though. I was on a walk and decided to see if you'd made it home okay and I heard you crying. What's the matter?" Jake asked gently.

"Nothing." Heather answered quickly, too quickly. "Heather?" Jake said in a firmer voice determined to find out what was bothering her and not completely sure why it mattered to him.

I think Tommy's dead." She said told him her voice breaking as she spoke. Jake quickly wrapped his arms around Heather and led her over to the couch. As he sat down next to her he asked in a confused voice "Who's Tommy baby?"

"My brother. I'm sorry, I'm soaking you jacket and shirt." Heather said trying to hold back her tears and be brave. "It's okay; I would like to take my jacket off though." Jake said pulling away from Heather long enough to remove his jacket.

"What made you think of your brother? Did you get some information about him when I was gone?" Jake asked.

"No, but I've been so busy since the bombs were dropped that I haven't let myself think about him. About what could have happened to him. Then you go out on a mission today that he would have gone on if he was here and until you came home safe today and I saw how happy your family was to have you and Eric back I wouldn't let myself think of the fact that I'm probably all alone in the world now." Heather tried to explain her tears making her eyes shine brightly in the candlelight.

"You don't have any family alive outside of your brother?" Jake asked his arms wrapped tight around her. "My mom died when I was little and my dad died a few years ago. My mom was an only child and my all my grandparents died before I was born. My Uncle Mick moved to Australia before I was born and he died last year. My cousin Claire spent all her life there but was coming to the States a couple of months ago to have her baby. The plane she was on dissapeared." Heather explained and began crying again at the thought of all the family she had lost.

Jake let Heather cry for awhile as he tried to ignore the effect that having her in his arms was having on him. "Where was he at?" Jake asked. "What?" Heather asked startled by the sudden question.

"Tommy. Where was he?" Jake asked. "On base at Fort Knox's in Kentucky. He's a Marine." She explained in a proud voice as she pulled out of Jake's arms and moved away from him in an attempt to show Jake that she was fine.

"He should be fine then. As far as we know nothing in Kentucky was hit and if he's a Marine he's able to take care of himself. Marines are hard to kill after all." Jake said happy to see that his words had caused her to stop crying, however he didn't like the sadness that lingered in her eyes.

"What would Tommy do if he was here and you were sad?" He asked. "He'd hold me and tell me everything would be okay." Heather answered quietly. "Why?" She asked.

Jake slipped his arm around Heather's shoulder and pulled her back close to his side. "Lay your head down on my shoulder." Jake sang quietly. "What?" Heather asked already doing as he said. "It's a song my dad sings to my mom when she's sad." Jake explained as Heather relaxed against him.

"Would you like me to sing it to you? It always makes my mom feel better." He added trying not get his hopes up. "Yeah, that'd be nice, no one has sung to me since my mom did before she died." Heather's voice was sleepy as she snuggled closer to him. "How's the song go?" She asked causing Jake to smile as he began to sing.

"Lay your head down on my shoulder. I won't let the night get colder." Jake sang as he pulled a blanket from the back of the couch with his free hand and laying it over Heather.

"I'll protect you, I'll be keepin' trouble far from where your sleepin'." During this verse he realized that he'd left the gun on her front porch. 'I'll get it when she goes to sleep. I'm not leaving her right now. Having her curled up against me feels to right to leave right now.' He thought.

"Until you wake in the mornin', you've got the world to yourself. Dream on. Dream about the world we're gonna live in one fine day." 'I'll do what I can to bring normal life back to you.' Jake vowed silently losing his smile at what had been taken from his hometown and America.

"Dream on, spend the night in heaven, I'll be here to light your way. Someday tomorrow we'll smile, but little girl in the meanwhile, dream on." Jake looked down at Heather and smiled at the sight of her, with her head resting on his shoulder and her mouth curved in a sleepy smile.

"You're a princess chains around you, I'm a hero who just found you." 'The princess part is defiantly true and I seem to end up being a hero for you, even if I'm not really a hero to anyone else.' Jake thought.

"'Til a brand new day must wake you, let imagination take you. Go where the music is playing, I'll be along in awhile." Jake finished the song quietly with a now sleeping Heather wrapped securely in his arms. After Jake was sure that Heather wasn't going to wake up, he got up, opened the door and grabbed the gun Paden had given him. Jake walked back over to the couch and propped the gun against it as he sat down, wrapping an arm around Heather and fell asleep a short time later with his head resting against hers.

The End