Glad people enjoyed the last chapter. So I have a slight confession, this chapter is much shorter than I remembered it being. Sorry. It's a good one though. I hope you think so too.

Chapter 7.

Joey woke suddenly, it was still dark outside and when he glanced at his phone it was about three in the morning. He wondered what it was that woke him up. Even as he thought that his door quietly opened and he moved his eyes to it quickly, partially sitting up, "Lauren?" he said. She said nothing so he flicked on a lamp and saw her in the doorway. He could see she was upset. He was standing by her before he even made the decision to move and when he was closer he saw the tears on her face. "Talk to me, babe..."

"I had a bad dream..." she whispered, unable to look at his face.

His hand brushed down the side of her face, his thumb wiping away some of her tears. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?" he asked her softly. Her shoulders slumped and she shook her head. "What do you want to do, Lauren?" he said.

"Could I stay in here?" she said so quietly he barely heard her. "With you?" she added.

"Sure," he replied automatically. After a brief pause his conscience kicked in and he wondered why he'd been so quick to say yes. "If you're comfortable with that, it's fine with me." She nodded, her eyes never lifting from the floor. Joey led her over to his bed and helped her into it, pulling the covers up over her. He walked over to the other side of the bed and climbed in, keeping some space between the two of them as he laid next to her. He knew that this should feel awkward but it really didn't and he wondered what she was thinking about it. He reached over and turned off the lamp, plunging the room back into darkness. He heard her breathing even out after about ten minutes and he knew she was asleep. He couldn't sleep though, his thoughts were running haywire. He had the distinct impression that sometime over the last twenty four hours his feelings for his cousin had shifted into something other than familial. He wasn't sure he was quite ready to quantify what they'd changed to but he had a slight suspicion he could be in for a difficult time over the next few days. He also couldn't stop asking himself if Lauren was experiencing the same feelings but then mentally slapped himself because he knew the chances were she wasn't thinking much of anything.

*JL*JL*

Joey woke for the second time that day and again it was a different experience to any other. This time he was more than aware of someone else being in the bed with him and it took several seconds to remember who it was and why she was there. In that moment he froze briefly as everything sunk in. A little part of him rejoiced in the moment but he also hoped Lauren wouldn't freak out when she woke up. He opened his eyes and stared down at the girl who was currently lying on his chest, his arms wrapped around her. She was beautiful, even bruised and battered. The bruises were even more evident today than they'd been the day before, darkening to a purple-black colour. Despite all this Joey could see there was a small smile on her face as she slept on him and he hoped it would still be there when she woke up and realised where she was.

He lay there with her for some time, revelling in the experience of holding her in his arms. He held his breath though when he felt her wake. He felt the moment she became aware because she froze in his arms and he loosened his grip on her slightly, giving her the opportunity to pull away from him if she chose to. She relaxed against him quickly and his arms moved back to where they'd previously been. She moved her head so she could see his face, seeing him staring at her. "Hi." She whispered.

"Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah," she said, although he noticed she wasn't looking at him again.

"Do you want to talk about the dream you had?"

"No." She said, biting her lip apprehensively.

"It's okay. I just thought you might feel better about it if you did." He said, brushing his fingers through her hair.

"I can't." She whispered.

"Okay." He said, letting the discussion drop.

"What time is it?" she asked.

He glanced at his phone, "About half ten." He told her, as surprised as she was at the time they'd slept till.

"What time do you have to go to work?"

"About half five, so I can set up. There's a private party there tonight."

"When will you be home?" she asked, her voice shaking as she spoke.

"Around midnight, I hope. I just need to clear up and cash up once the party ends." He watches her face as he speaks and he doesn't miss the flicker of fear that appears. "Will you be okay on your own tonight?" She nods but he's not sure she's telling the truth. "I'll have my mobile with me if you need me," He reassures her, his arms pulling her a bit closer to him.

"I'll be okay." She whispers but it sounds like a lie.

TBC

A/N: So Joey's beginning to realise he feels more for Lauren than just as a cousin. Next chapter later today... yes I know I said only one today but this was short and the next ones relatively short too (but very important to the storyline). So surprise!