(Author's Note: Okay guys, this one is kinda short, but I wanted to get one more chapter up before I go back to school tomorrow. I'll still be updating once a week on Sundays like normal, but I won't be able to do much more than that like I have been recently. Sorry again that it's a short one!

Also, a lot of you were able to figure out my little puzzle that I left in the last chapter, but the first ones to do so was a guest who reviewed as "Ace" (very cute, by the way) and avalonsnow15. Thanks guys!

Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)

The sky was dark; it was probably two or three in the morning, Katherine guessed, so why on earth was she awake? Something had woken her, but her groggy, sleep deprived brain couldn't quite remember what it was, and it frustrated her. She was about to give up and go back to sleep, when she heard the muffled cry.

"No. No-I can't." Jack. She remembered now. She'd heard of this happening to other men who'd come home from war, horrible dreams of being amongst the fighting again, constant nervousness and unexplainable fears. She'd prayed it wouldn't happen to Jack, and he'd seemed fine up until this point. He continued to whimper incoherently as Katherine turned on a lamp and leaned over him.

"Jack? Wake up, Jack, it's me, it's Katherine. Please wake up sweetheart, it's okay, you're safe now. Please just wake up." She grabbed his arm, and Jack shot up suddenly, but didn't seem to recognize her, or even realize that she was there.

"I don't want to go," he cried; his face was pale, and his bloodshot eyes were filled with terror. "Please don't make me. I can't. I just can't." Jack was soaked with a cold sweat, and Katherine didn't know what to do.

She was clueless as to how to begin to help him.

"Jack, please look at me," she articulated, starting to panic, "Jack, everything's okay, it's me, your wife, please Jack, you're scaring me. You're safe, you're home, it's okay." Nothing was helping. Eventually Katherine did the only thing other she could think to do, and held him, cradling his head against her chest as he continued muttering, "I don't want to go." She just stroked his hair and held him tightly, doing everything she could to drag him back to reality. She almost didn't realize-several minutes later-when the muttering stopped, until Jack moved to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close.

"Jack, are you-"

"I just wanna listen to your heartbeat, Ace." His voice wavered and cracked when he spoke, and Katherine's heart ached for him. She held in her questions as long as she could manage, feeling his breathing slowing down, and pressing light kisses into his messy hair.

Finally, like the reporter she was and always would be, Katherine couldn't stand not knowing any longer.

"You thought you were back, didn't you? In the fighting again?" Jack pushed himself up so that he was eye level with her. She could tell that he was trying very hard to be strong-probably for her sake-but it wasn't easy. She could see that the nightmare had shaken him more than he'd like to admit to her. He indirectly answered her question, saying simply,

"It was real bad Ace." Katherine let out a small breath. She couldn't find words enough to comfort him, but it didn't matter because Jack suddenly took her head in his hands and said shakily, "Katherine, during the war, you was the only thing keeping me sane. I-uh-I had this picture of you, well, I still have it." He reluctantly moved away from her for a moment, opened the drawer of their nightstand, and pulled out a badly wrinkled photograph. "I kept it with me all the time, and there would be days when I'd wonder if it would just be easier to give up, but then I'd make myself look at it, and remember that you was back here, and I'd know I had to do whatever it took to live long enough to come home, for you, Ace." He handed her the photograph.

It was a picture of her, on her wedding day, just after she'd stepped outside and seen the crowd of Newsies in the streets. She was laughing, and she looked so happy.

"I dunno what I'd have done if you wasn't here just now." Katherine moved closer to him, gently taking his arm and coaxing him to lie down and try to sleep again.

"Lucky for you, that's one thing you'll never have to worry about," she reminded him, "I'll always be here." She curled up next to him, letting him wrap his arm tightly around her waist and rest his chin on the top of her head, as if he was the one protecting her instead of the other way around. He breathed out a long sigh and whispered,

"I love ya Ace."

"That's good," she murmured into his chest, "cause I love you too."

(Hope you guys liked it! Please review and let me know! See you again next week!

Much love,
PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)