After Caim had left Quinn was able to hold her composure for about ten minutes before she broke down. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried so hard, probably the day after her parents had dropped her off at the orphanage when she realized that they were never coming back. She had the same feelings now too, the same feelings of abandonment and loss and longing. She didn't know how long she cried for but when the waterworks finally stopped she felt exhausted.

She closed her eyes and curled up in a small ball, wrapping her blankets around her as though they could keep out all the pain. She thought about how maybe the vodka hadn't been a good idea since it stripped her of all her barriers that were able to keep her true feelings and emotions away, but it had felt good at the time.

Despite that she was tired and her eyes were closed, she didn't sleep, merely floated just out of consciousness, and she heard when someone, most likely Caim, came to her room to check on her. He set a dish down on her bedside table and left as quietly as he had come, for which Quinn was grateful. She didn't sit up when he left, but remained in her cocoon until sleep finally overcame her.

The nightmares would not stop. They tormented her with their usual murder and torture scenes, but this time she was always there somehow, just beyond reach of saving her best friend. Sometimes Kitchie or Caim were there, but always in the background or shadows, their screams added to her mind's chaotic symphony.

Tremors shook her body and her wings fought against their harness. She reached out for Mark only to be restrained, which only made her scream more. She struggled against invisible bonds and the false whispers that hissed in her ears telling her to stop fighting. She would never stop fighting though, not until he was safe.

After what seemed like eternity the nightmares began to fade, and for once that only made her scream louder. She hadn't saved Mark yet and she didn't want to leave him in the torturous, hellish world of her dark dreams; she couldn't let him be sucked into the encroaching darkness and thrown into the abyss to be greeted by whatever monsters awaited him. She struggled against consciousness, fighting to stay in the world where she had a chance of helping him…

She was slammed back into reality as painfully quick as being slapped and she panicked for a moment as she tried to catch her breath. Her cheeks were wet with fresh tears and her throat was so sore that she knew she had been screaming in real life as well as in her nightmares.

Quinn blinked, trying to clear the blackness in front of her eyes, but it remained; someone must have turned off her lights and closed her curtains.

She swallowed and a shudder passed through her body. It was only then that she realized the presence of another figure behind her and she quickly rolled over. A hand gently touched hers and she gripped it tightly. "Caim?" she whispered. A dull glow appeared in the room and she found Caim lying next to her, if not half an arm's length away. "I'm here," he replied softly.

"How long have you been there?"

"Since a few minutes after you started screaming."

Quinn didn't want to know how long ago that was so she just held his hand tighter and nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. She shook her head. "No," she replied. "I don't need to relive it for the millionth time." She sighed and Caim moved a little bit closer to her. "Will you have more nightmares if you go back to sleep?" he asked. She shook her head again. "Thankfully no." He gave her a small smile. "That's good." She nodded and had the urge to move closer to him. She didn't thought, knowing it was weird and a leftover effect from the vodka. She also knew that it would probably make him uncomfortable. Instead she moved back a bit, still holding onto his hand.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Ok…" She was quiet for a moment. "Terrible. I feel terrible…"

Concern flickered in his eyes. "How? Like are you feeling sick or just bad…?"

"Just bad…" She closed her eyes and squeezed his hand. "We need to get them back, we really, really need to get them back."

"I know, and we will."

"We needed to get them back yesterday."

Caim laughed quietly and nodded. "Yeah, we did."

"I'm talking to Mr. Xavier tomorrow."

"You, and I, and quite a few others I bet."

"You sound like you've done this before."

He shook his head and this time Quinn wasn't sure whether he was brushing off her question or if he was honestly saying no.

She stifled a yawn with her free hand and snuggled up further into her blanket.

"Do you want me to stay here or leave?" Caim asked softly.

The words "Please stay" were out of Quinn's mouth before she realized what she was saying. He must have realized this because he gave her a kind smile. The light started to diminish as he spoke. "Alright," he replied.

"If you're not comfortable don't," Quinn told him hurriedly.

"It's fine, don't worry about me."

Quinn grumbled under her breath, having heard mark say it a thousand times, and the binds constricted once more around her chest. She accidently tightened her grip around Caim's hand and he squeezed back, letting her know that he was still there and she relaxed. She hadn't slept near another person since she had come to the Institute and she had forgotten the sense of security and protection that came with having another person there. She smiled and was glad that Caim couldn't see it in the dark.

With the security of Caim near her and the confidence that no more nightmares were going to plague her, she soon drifted off back to sleep with her friend's rescue still fresh in her mind.