Disclaimer in chapter one

Her dreams were filled with voices. Heat and flames, enveloping her body. Murmurs and infernos were soon replaced by an icy cold mist, making the voice's piercing screams all the louder. She shivered in the dark, all alone, helpless.

"G-garnet?" She choked out. "Garnet, where are you?" Her desperate whispers did little to extinguish the blood-curdling screams. Then the fire was back, burning her, and she was the one screaming as fire ripped her apart. The voices became cold murmurs, speaking of her sins in barely audible voices, sins that she had never committed, but they blamed her all the same.

It was anything but relief as the voices and the flames disappeared altogether. She was enveloped in darkness, alone and scared. I'm dreaming, she thought desperately, this has to be a dream. As that realization came to mind, she forced her eyes open, and sat up in the darkness.

For a second, Pearl thought she was still dreaming, but she felt the plush of her bed beneath her and knew she was awake. She was shaking violently, and a cold sweat drenched her body. She glanced over at the dim green glow of her clock, which read 2 AM. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and go back to sleep, but she was so afraid. Afraid of what she might see if she closed her eyes. Pearl pushed her blankets aside and stood up slowly. She was breathing heavily as she made her way over to Garnet's bed, had walking always been this difficult? She knelt down next to Garnet's bed and poked her comrades cheek.

"Garnet?" She whispered. Garnet gave a soft moan before opening her eyes.

"What is it Pearl?" She said softly into the dark.

"Garnet I had a nightmare and I'm scared. I can't go back to sleep."

"You can sleep with me if you want." Garnet offered, hoping to give her friend some form of comfort.

Pearl shook her head even though Garnet couldn't see. "No Garnet I can't, it'll just come back, and I can't, I can't deal with it! I'm scared of the fire and my head hurts and I'm hot and cold at the same time and I just want it all to go away!"

At her words, Garnet sat up and turned on the lamp. She looked down at a shivering Pearl, sitting on the floor, cheeks flushed, eyes glazed over. She pulled the poor girl up onto her lap and felt her forehead.

"Pearl, you're really warm, I think you're sick again. Can you lay here for a minute while I go get the thermometer?" Garnet asked worriedly.

Pearl shook her head and grabbed Garnet's shirt. "Please Garnet, no, just stay here with me, don't go please."

Garnet sighed. She couldn't stand seeing Pearl so scared, and she wouldn't be able to get up without further aggravating the girl. "Okay." She said softly, pulling Pearl closer and running her fingers through her hair. It felt like forever before Pearl's breathing finally evened out, and Garnet was able to set the sleeping girl down on the bed and get the thermometer out of a drawer in a bathroom.

"100.2 degrees F. Not too bad." Garnet said to herself. She wrapped the blanket around her fevered friend. "Goodnight Pearl." Garnet whispered, laying down on the floor. She would take care of Pearl in the morning, but for now they both needed to sleep.

A/N I'm not at all dead, I promise. I was really busy. Next chapter is fluff, but I won't update for a few days tho.