JATP One-Shots

27- The Nightmare

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary: Reggie has a nightmare and the band helps him through it (Claudia included)

Setting: The Studio 1994

Warnings: Fighting, Panic Attacks, & Mentions of Child Abuse

Words: 1,065

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ever since the twins ran away from home and moved into the studio, late-night band rehearsals turned late-night conversations turned sleepovers were not uncommon. Four of the members of Sunset Curve found themselves spread out about the room. Luke and Claudia were asleep next to each other on the pull-out bed, Reggie and Alex had positioned themselves on the blow-up mattress the band had purchased for nights like this, but Bobby had insisted on returning to the comfort of his bed inside the house.

The night progressed peacefully until about 2:30 am when Reggie started to shift uncomfortably. Sounds and clips of his screaming parents and things breaking flashed through his mind. Tossing and turning, Reggie kicked off the blanket that covered him. His rapid movements caused the other side of the air mattress to shake, slowly drawing Alex away from his deep sleep.

"Reg, stop moving," Alex mumbled sleepily and swatted his hand around Reggie's side of the bed until he hit his arm. When Alex made contact, Reggie let out a sob. Alex could feel Reggie curl up and hear him start mumbling under his breath. "Reggie?" Alex sat up in his space on the bed. His heart broke at the sight of one of his best friends curled up in a ball with tears streaming down his face.

Alex quickly got off the air mattress and walked around to the other side so he was in front of Reggie. He gently placed his hand on Reggie's arm rubbing it up and down and trying to wake the boy from his nightmare. As Alex did this he could hear the pull-out bed creak, signifying one, if not both of the twins, had woken up from the commotion. His questions were answered when Luke knelt down next to him on his right and Claudia on his left.

"What's going on?" Luke asked rubbing some sleep from his eye.

"I think he's having a nightmare?" Alex wasn't exactly sure, to be honest, and that was causing him to begin to panic. "He was mumbling and moving around a lot so I told him to stop, but then he started crying harder, and now..." Alex's breathing was beginning to escalate, the hand on Reggie's arm simultaneously began to shake.

"Hey, Hey. It's okay," Claudia placed her hand on Alex's shoulder, making sure to breathe slowly and calmly. Alex quickly calmed down and returned his attention to Reggie who was now being comforted by Luke, who gently shook the boys in an attempt to wake him.

Suddenly, Reggie sat up quickly, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his forehead as his eyes darted around the room trying to make sense of his surroundings. Once he saw his three friends knelt next to him he finally calmed. His breathing slowed and his eyes seemed to focus.

"Are you okay, Reg?" Alex asked the concern, and a small trace of panic, lacing his voice.

"Huh? O-oh ya. I'm fine," Reggie waved and shook his head. "It was just a bad dream."

"That was one hell of a dream," Luke stated and Claudia reached around Alex to smack her brother in the back of the head.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Claudia asked gently, placing her hand on Reggie's knee.

"What is there to talk about," Reggie shrugged. "It wasn't anything I haven't seen before. My parents were yelling, no screaming, and then my dad got really angry at me for no reason whatsoever and then he picked up the vase my grandma made before she died and..." he didn't notice, but as he explained his nightmare his breathing had picked back up and he began to play with his fingers, a signature nervous tick of his.

Luke tried to comfort Reggie by reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder, but Reggie, having not been facing Luke, mistook the sudden movement as a threat and flinched away. He ended up falling over, due to the unstable nature of the air mattress he was on, resulting in him once again pulling his legs to his chest as a new wave of tears fell down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I know you weren't going to hurt me. It just scared me. Please don't be mad. I'm sorry." Reggie hastily muttered out apologies. Luke stayed in his place, hand outstretched, frozen in shock. Alex wasn't much help either seeing he was frozen as well. Claudia quickly pushed them out of the way and climbed onto the air mattress and laid down next to Reggie.

"Shh. Shh. It's okay Reg. Luke's not upset with you. It's okay," she whispered. She gently reached her hand out and placed it on his face, cupping his cheek. Reggie flinched back yet again, but after a minute he leaned into her touch, steadying his breathing.

"I'm sorry," Reggie apologized squeezing his eyes shut causing a few stagnant tears to fall.

Claudia wiped them away with her thumb. "Hey, why are you apologizing?"

"I woke you guys up and forced my problems on you," Reggie responded looking down at his hands as he played with his fingers.

Luke was the next to speak up, "Reginald Peters we are a family, and families help each other. So don't you ever apologize for sharing the things you are struggling with."

Alex nodded in agreement and Reggie smiled. "What do you say we all watch a movie?" Alex asked the group. A chorus of agreement rang out from the group. They all shoved themselves onto the pull-out bed, Reggie and Claudia with Alex on the other side of Claudia and Luke next to Reggie. Alex grabbed the small portable DVD player that the band had purchased for night like this and the DVD for Star Wars: A New Hope off the shelf, before joining the others on the bed. It didn't take long for the quartet to fall asleep.

When Bobby arrived in the studio the next morning to see his bandmates cuddled together in a pile on the bed he just shook his head and laughed before devising the perfect plan to wake them up. He snuck past the bundle of sleeping teens to where his guitar sat, and plugged it into the amplifier before turning up the volume as loud as it would go and playing the loudest chord he could think of.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two posts in a row? What! I had some extra time to write and my first thought was why don't I whump Reggie? I apologize. Although I do hope you enjoyed it.

Requests are open and welcome! Leave a comment or private message me.

Until Next Time Fantoms!