Author's Note-Broken jaws? No fun. At all. I feel like shit but thought I should give you all a treat. If I don't respond to your questions, it's because I'm dead. Okay. Enjoy. NYLF xx

She hesitated beside the couch a few minutes later after taking her pills and catching her breath.

Rick looked at her and passed her the towel he'd retrieved. She smiled slightly and wrapped the terrycloth bath sheet around her before perching on the edge of the couch.

She hugged herself tightly, pulling the towel tight as she fought to get warm. She should shower and change, but she knew they had to talk before she could do that. Rick leaned back against the back of the couch as he watched her.

"I tripped." Kate murmured suddenly. She didn't turn to face him, but at least she was talking. "It started raining, hard, and I was kinda just wandering so I got soaked pretty fast. My heel slipped off the curb and I went down with it." She cleared her throat. "I guess I forgot to put my hands out." She refused to tell him that she was crying so hard that she didn't see the edge of the path. Rick sighed gently.

"Well that was silly." He murmured softly. She huffed once but he thought it was more humour than exasperation. "Does it hurt?" She shook her head.

"Not much. It'll hurt even less when the pills kick in." Rick nodded. He watched as Kate shivered, pulling the towel so tight around her he was surprised it didn't hurt. He wanted more than anything to haul her into his lap and hold her close, hold her until she stopped shivering, but he knew they needed to talk. "I'm sorry." She whispered so quietly he nearly missed it. "I'm so sorry." She turned to face him for the first time since she knocked his door. Rick nodded.

"I know."

"I overreacted. This morning, I, I got scared." She told him haltingly. "I didn't know how to handle it so I pushed you away. I do that. I'm working on it." She looked down as the first tear fell.

"Kate." He waited until she looked up before continuing. "I forgive you." She nodded gratefully. "So how about you shower and change, warm up a bit, and then go to bed? You look like you could do with a good night's rest." She nodded and captured her lower lip between her teeth. "What is it?" He asked softly, trying not to push her too hard.

"I, I was wondering, if, if maybe..." she shook her head, frustrated with her own lack of eloquence tonight.

"You can tell and ask me anything Kate, you should know that." Kate nodded, briefly meeting his eye.

"May I stay with you again tonight? I don't wanna be alone." She whispered. Rick smiled softly.

"Of course you may. Go grab your stuff for the night and you can use my bathroom." She smiled softly and he didn't think he'd ever been so happy to see it. "Hey Kate?" She nodded shyly. "Thank you for coming back."

"Always." She whispered before disappearing up the stairs while he made his way to the bedroom.

It was two am when Rick was ripped from his sleep by a sharp cry beside him. Once he'd worked out what was going on, where he was and who it was in his bed, he sat up beside her and gently captured her hand before she could hurt herself or him.

"Kate? It's okay Kate I'm here." He started softly, holding her hand securely in his grip. "You need to wake up Kate, it's just a dream, I'm here."

"No…no…p-please. Daddy no!" She pleaded unconsciously, trying to wrench her hand from him.

Rick held on tighter until she started thrashing. Her entire body bucked off the bed as she hit out with both her arms and legs. Rick had no idea what to do so he followed his first instinct. He quickly threw his leg over her and sat on the tops of her thighs, halting the majority of her movement, but being careful not to crush her.

She planted her unoccupied hand hard on his sternum, winding him a little before he captured that hand too and pinned them both to the bed.

"Kate. You need to wake up. It's me. It's Rick. You're safe Sweetheart. Wake up for me." He ordered. She shook her head from side to side, tears leaking from beneath her eye lids.

"R-Rick…please...no…don't." Above her, Rick paused. He really hoped she wasn't begging him to stop in her dreams. He couldn't handle it if he was the one giving her nightmares.

"Come on Kate." He murmured, leaning down to speak directly into her ear. "Wake up for me Kate. Come on Darling wake up." Her eyes burst open and his heart skipped a beat at the raw unadulterated fear in them. "Hey, Kate it's okay. You're safe." He soothed softly.

"R-Rick?" She asked hesitantly. He smiled before carefully letting go of her left hand and tucking a curl behind her ear with his fingertips. "Where..." she swallowed, "where am I?" Rick sighed.

"You're at my loft, in my bed." She nodded slowly.

"And you're on top of me?" She asked quietly. Rick had the good grace to look embarrassed.

"I thought you were going to hurt yourself." He explained as he removed himself from her legs and sat beside her. "It stopped you thrashing." She nodded again. "What happened in your dream Kate?"

She dropped his eye line and suddenly found the comforter very interesting.

"You," he cleared his throat. "You said 'Rick please, no don't' was..." he hesitated, not sure he could handle the answer. "Was I hurting you Kate?" She shook her head quickly, looking back at him with tearful eyes.

"No, Rick. Of course not." She murmured.

"So..." he prompted. She sighed, pulling herself into an upright seated position and playing with her fingers. "Kate, I won't judge..."

"They had you, okay?" She blurted, interrupting his reassurance. "They had killed my mom and you were handcuffed to a chair and my dad was beside you holding a gun to your head." She told him rapidly, ignoring the tears streaming down her face. "He was yelling at me. I can't remember what he said but I know I hated him for it." She shook her head before looking up at him desperately. "You don't hate me right?" Rick was taken aback by the frantic question. "In, in the dream you were saying how it was all my fault and how you hated me for putting you in that position. You don't hate me though, right? 'Cause I couldn't handle it if you hated me Rick." He quickly pulled her into his chest and cradled her tight.

"No, Kate. I don't hate you. I could never hate you Kate." She sobbed into his chest as she crawled into his lap. Rick didn't hesitate to wrap her in his arms and hold her as close as he could. "It's okay Sweetheart." He murmured, rocking them both gently. "I've got you. You're safe now." She sobbed into his chest and Rick felt the back of his eyes burn at the sound of her pure pain as it leaked from her. "I'll never let anyone hurt you Kate, I promise."