It was so dark… not so much that nothing was visible, but enough that Wakko couldn't tell at all where he was. His heart began pounding as he turned in every direction, lifting his hands to clutch the sleeves of his shirt.

No… I can't be scared. I can't be scared. I can't be…

Just then, a soft whisper filtered through the gloom. It was so soft Wakko almost didn't hear it, but then it came again, louder, and he realized it was saying his name. At first it sounded like a strange mix of voices, but then he felt a sense of familiarity… a sense he hadn't felt in four years.

His heart seemed to skip, and his throat tightened as his eyes began welling.

"Dadoo?" he whispered. "Dad… is that y-you?"

The voice came again, this time clear and distinctive.

Yes, son. It's me… I'm here.

The middle sibling looked around again, this time with an almost wild urgency, desperate to see the face behind that voice.

"But… but where are you? Why can't I see you?"

You can't see where I am now, the voice said with that wonderful gentleness. But you can always hear me if you listen. Someone you love is always there, there to help you. And you need help now, don't you?

At those words, Wakko felt his heart fall again. His shoulders slumped under the weight of his shame, his failure.

"Dadoo, I… I'm sorry… I t-tried to protect them, but… I wasn't strong enough."

You can't blame yourself, son. You were brave as any Hero, but you had to face something before you were ready. But you can be ready. You can be strong enough.

Wakko blinked, a flutter of hope stirring in his chest.

"I-I can?"

Yes, if you let me in.

Those words brought a sense of confusion.

"What… what do you mean?"

We're all family, son. And what one person can't do alone, they can with help. Family helps each other, always. And your family needs you. Your siblings need you. Let me in. Then you can be strong enough. Then you can protect them.

The words felt like something Wakko had longed to hear since everything fell apart years ago, and he wanted so much to do what they said. He wanted to protect his family, make them proud. But something tugged at him. His father's voice had seemed to be growing more urgent… something that almost bordered on harsh. And that made him feel a sense of unease.

"What… what d' you…

As he spoke, a strange heaviness came over him, as if he was in desperate need of sleep. He began swaying on his feet, his words slurring. And in that moment, he was scared. As scared as he'd been that night in the woods.

"D-Dad…" he whimpered. "Dad… I-I'm… scared…"

The dark was getting deeper, heavier. It seemed to be pulling at him, more, and more. And he somehow knew he had to resist. But it was so hard, and getting harder.

No, no, NO!

Wakko jolted upright with a sharp cry, shaking and gasping. Through his terror, he felt a hand on his shoulder, heard his brother's still weak but urgent voice.

"Wak?"

The middle sibling whipped his head around, his frantic gaze meeting his older brother's concerned eyes. A flare of guilt came under the fear; he woke Yakko up, and he knew his brother still needed rest. Another hand touched his, and a glance found Dot looking at him with wide, worried eyes. He woke them both up, because of a stupid dream. Wakko took a deep breath and put every effort into forcing down his fear, swiping at his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," he mumbled. "It's… it's not a big deal, it was just a dream…"

"A dream that made you scream loud enough to wake the dead," Dot said, the irritated sharpness in her voice softened by concern. "I'd say that's a pretty big deal."

Wakko felt his throat tighten, his eyes welling with more tears. He sniffled and opened his mouth, but to his surprise Yakko reached over and pushed his chin up so it was closed again.

"Don't start with that again," he scolded gently. "Let's just skip the apologizing and get straight to what happened in this dream to scare you so bad, yeah?"

The middle sibling sniffled again. He wanted to tell them everything. He was still so scared, all he wanted was to spill the whole thing and let his siblings comfort him, like they always did. But he also knew they would get really worried, and this wasn't about him.

You've got to be strong.

So instead of telling them the truth, he lowered his gaze and settled on the easiest explanation.

"I just… just dreamed about what happened in the woods. Y' know, that night."

Thankfully he didn't have to elaborate, and to his further relief his siblings seemed to accept that explanation. Both their faces softened with empathy, and Yakko pulled him into a gentle one-armed hug. Wakko immediately snuggled close with his face pressed into his older brother's chest. Even if they couldn't hear the lie, he couldn't risk them seeing it.

Yakko stroked his back as the middle sibling sniffled, and he felt Dot move to wrap her arms around him too.

"It's okay," she murmured. "We're all having bad dreams about it."

The physical contact alone brought immeasurable comfort, along with relief that his siblings had bought his story.

"And ya don't have to feel bad, either," Yakko added. "I know you don't feel like it, but you were really brave. We're proud of ya, baby bro."

Wakko barely kept himself from stiffening; how did his brother always manage to hit the nail on the head even without having all the facts? Still, he smiled. However little deserved it was, he appreciated his siblings' faith in him.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

He felt Yakko ruffle his cap, and though he couldn't see it he could tell he was smiling too.

"No problem, sib."

They stayed nestled in their hug for a good long time, though Wakko wasn't sure exactly how long. Finally, Yakko spoke again, his voice soft.

"Ya think you can get back to sleep? If ya don't feel like it, we can just talk… or see if that seer guy can tell us the details now. I'm willing to bet that weirdo doesn't need sleep."

Wakko couldn't stop a snort of amusement, and he heard his sister giggle. He was feeling pretty tired, he couldn't deny. And besides, he didn't want to keep his brother and sister up too, especially with one recovering from a serious injury. He couldn't dismiss the fear that sleep would bring another awful nightmare, but bad dreams were nothing new to any of them. And he knew he was safe here, now, with his siblings.

"No, that's okay. I'm still tired… an' I think I can sleep more."

"Okay, then," Yakko said. "C'mon, Dot, scootch in."

Dot shifted so he could put an arm around her too. Wakko felt his brother start stroking his back, and knew he was doing the same with Dot.

"We're gonna be okay, sibs," he said softly. "All we gotta do is stick together."

"All for one and on for all," Dot murmured.

"Times three," Wakko finished with a smile. If there was anything he knew was an unchangeable truth, it was that.

Finally, a chapter finished. So sorry for the wait... I struggle with motivation these days because there's so little actual interaction in fanfiction lately. It can make you feel pretty isolated and alone. Hope any readers enjoy, and I was especially anxious about getting this chapter worded right so it would mean a lot to know how it turned out to readers... please share your thoughts. Till next time, dear readers. 😊