The tall figure, hunched over his seat next to his sleeping friend, tossed the ideas around in his head. Sure, it was late at night - past three AM, no doubt - but there was one question, one lone problem, that he couldn't let go by without solving, and yet at the same time, couldn't bear to find out the answer. He feared that by learning the answer to his question, he may also find out about some terrible dark secret, or an evil being at work… and yet, it may also be something completely meaningless, something that he only thought could be plaguing his mind with horrid thoughts. He shook his head and stopped. 'No,' he thought, resolute. 'I'll worry about it once I find the answer.' And yet, he could not get that query out of his head, and it haunted him as he slept in wake.


How had he been hurt?

"Rigby!"

He opened his eyes to find himself chained to a chair, in a nigh pitch black room; the only source of light coming from a bright yellow rectangle far in front of him. The chains were thick and strong, as when he tried to move his arms and legs in order to free himself, he was granted no privilege of freedom. The chair was uncomfortable, and made of some poor wood; he did not like the feel of it, and he wanted to get away. He closed his eyes as he struggled to break free, but relinquished his efforts in seconds. There was no way he could escape. "Rigby!" The voice called out to him again. He opened his eyes.

He saw the tall silhouette of his friend, black against the bright light of freedom. "Mordecai!" He called out. "Dude, please… help me!" The figure reached out to him, appearing to be pulled toward the light.

"I'll help you, Rigby!" The figure shouted, straining to reach for the captive in the chair. But the figure was being dragged, the darkness expelling him toward the illumination at his back. The light was growing smaller, and the nothingness was engulfing the raccoon.

"Mordecai!"

"I'll come back for you, Rigby!"

"MORDECAI!"


The blue jay was brought out of his ponderings as he looked down to find his friend kicking, squirming, and losing himself in the bed sheets. Rigby was sweating and whimpering, with his arms stretched out in front of him, shaking, as if they were reaching for something and trying to grab a hold of it. Mordecai quickly shook him. "Rigby!" He whispered loudly in his ear. "Rigby!"

The raccoon's eyes opened, and the fit stopped. His dark brown orbs began to focus as he looked over at the one who had freed him from his nightmare. Without a single word, he swiftly moved over and latched onto Mordecai. The taller one could only stay still while he began to hear the soft sobs of his companion over his shoulder. He was unsure of why this was happening; was it because of the nightmare that had been wrecking Rigby? Was it what had happened the day before? Or was it something completely different, perhaps something related to that…

Rigby continued to cry quietly trying to hide his childish instincts. He so desperately wanted to be treated like a grown up; act the way Mordecai would, so that he could see that he wasn't a baby. He realized what he was doing, and let go of the blue jay, awkwardly sitting still with his hand on his opposite arm. "S…sorry." Now Mordecai didn't know what to think. When had Rigby actually apologized for something so trivial? What was going on with him?

"It's okay," he replied, putting a feathered hand on Rigby's shoulder. He then moved his hand onto his forehead. "Your fever's breaking. I think you'll be fine." Rigby relaxed and slid down until he was lying on his back, letting his head hit the pillow while his eyes became fixated on the ceiling. "You were… pretty badly hurt, dude," Mordecai said after a long period of silence. "You wanna tell me what happened?" Silence. "Rigby?"

Rigby continued to gaze upward, recalling the events from the day prior. He remembered what happened after Mordecai had left the room. He remembered what he had done with that piece of paper. He remembered what had occurred after he left the house in that jealous rage, running away from the prison he called a home, going as far as his legs could take him, as if he was going to keep up until he disappeared completely…

"Rigby…?"

He remembered how he had reached the spot where Mordecai and he would always hang out; the cleared area with the bench, the woods, and the pond. He remembered when the dark figure took him by surprise…and… what? He had been… he was…? His mind jumped, and he remembered how he became the mangled mess passed out on that very bench which held so many fond memories for him.

"Rigby!"

The call of his name brought him back to the present, and he shuddered. He drew in a shaky breath, and, in response, shook his head and said, "It wasn't anything… worth mentioning. I wasn't paying attention." Mordecai simply stared at him in disbelief. That wasn't a typical Rigby response. That wasn't something that he'd say; no, he'd blame it on somebody else, or get up and start yelling at Mordecai to mind his own business, or… or…

Mordecai shook his head and sighed. "Whatever you say," he said, getting up from the chair he had been sitting in and making for the doorway. Rigby jolted up in the bed, instantly regretting it as he felt pain from his injuries sear his skin, like it had been lit on fire.

"Mordecai," he called out in pain. The bird stopped and turned, facing the hurt raccoon. "Please… don't leave me." Mordecai smiled and returned to Rigby's side. There was a part of Rigby he knew; the part that wasn't afraid to tell what he wanted. Though the 'please' was new. "Dude, you can't stay up all night," Rigby said. Mordecai chuckled slightly.

"Dude, I think it's a little late for that," he said, looking at the clock which now read half past three in the morning. Rigby groaned.

"And I'm lying in your bed, too… you should just put me on my pile of stuff."

Mordecai chuckled again. "Your stuff's still gone, dude. Think you forgot that. But since you're so stubborn…" He got out of the chair and started to lie down on the bed next to Rigby. "Scoot over."

"Dude, what?"

"You don't want me to stay up all night and I don't want to kick you out of the only bed in this room. And I don't think either of us wants to have to deal with Benson if he finds us asleep on the couch." Rigby sighed in resignation and moved over on the bed, allowing enough room for Mordecai to sleep next to him. Mordecai settled himself underneath the sheets and covers, lying on his back. "Now, was that so hard?"

"No," Rigby scoffed, trying in vain to turn away from Mordecai so that he could lie on his side without inflicting pain on himself. He gave up after a few seconds. The sound of silence pervaded the room as the two remained still in the small and creaky bed. "So," he said, breaking the silence after what had felt like eternity plus a day, "how did things go with Margaret?" Mordecai drew in a deep breath, knowing that this was going to be a touchy subject with the raccoon; and not only because it was one of the reasons of their little fight earlier in the day. "That well, huh?"

"No, it… it was fine."

"Did you ask her yet?" Mordecai turned and gave Rigby a questioning look.

"What?"

"Did you ask her? Ya know?" He mimed putting a ring on his finger. Mordecai blushed, and fumbled with the sheets a bit.

"No. We've only been going out for, like, a few weeks. We're nowhere near that stage yet."

"That's something I don't get about you, Mordecai." The bird exhaled.

"What don't you get, Rigby?"

"You know you love her. You know she loves you. So why don't you just do it?" There he was again; that essence of Rigby that showed him to Mordecai as a child trapped in an adult's body.

"It's not that simple, dude," he replied, shifting his weight so that he was once again lying with his back flat on the mattress. "You'll understand it when you get there." Mordecai understood the meaning of his words, and why he was saying them to his best friend.

"Whatever you say," Rigby said, managing to find a way to lie on his side. He muttered something about the two having nice-looking children before drowsily closing his eyes. Mordecai smiled and pulled the covers on his side closer to his body.

"Goodnight, Rigby."

He thought the raccoon had fallen asleep already, and closed his eyes so that he could too escape to his own dream world. As he was drifting into sleep, he could almost hear his friend next to him.

"Goodnight, Mordecai."