Together Tomorrow

Chapter Five: Nightmares

Rain pattered lightly against the windows and provided a steady backdrop of noise as the clock ticked towards the last part of the last hour of the day. A dim yellow glow shone from apartment 4B as Steve Rogers thumbed over a book on the cold war, sitting on a large armchair in his room. He was just thinking about putting down his latest self-assigned history lesson when something slammed against his wall.

Steve froze, eyes still trained on the page before him, yet he saw none of the words as he mentally reviewed his surroundings and potential threats. Nothing surfaced, and everything was quiet. He blinked and turned the page. He was just settling into the read again when a muffled scream echoed from his neighbors apartment.

The history book hit the ground with a thud as Steve stood. His keen ears picking up on the whimpers through the thin wall that connected his apartment to Leas. In less than a second he was heaving open his window and climbing out; the quickest way to her apartment being through the fire escape that they shared.

*****

Hands grabbed at her, pulling her back and shoving her down. Lea wept and pleaded, as panic and fear ate away at her mind. She tried to pull away, tried to cover herself, but she was unable. She screamed again, only to have it broken by a sharp, back handed strike to the face. She sobbed and trembled as every part of her mental power disintegrated under the pressure of her terror. She was never going to escape. She whimpered and pushed away again, hot tears rolling down her face as every fiber in her being screamed for escape. She felt cornered, like an animal being hunted in the dark. She could hardly breathe as her body began matching the panic of her mind.

She tried to roll over, but something was tangled around her. Ropes were being wrapped around her ankles as the darkness around her closed in like a vice. She cried out again as a massive hand firmly took hold of her upper arm, and shook her.

Leas eyes snapped open, only to be greeted with the figure of a huge man looming over her, one hand encircling her arm, while yelling her name. The panic that was already exploding in her, surged forward in self-defense. Lea brought her right fist around her quaking body and landed a solid right hook on the man's face. He let go and stepped back at the shock of her blow. It was all time she needed.

Kicking the restraints off her legs, Lea flew up right and ran. She got only a few steps before her senses caught up with her, and her dream crashed to the floor around her, shattering into the memory that it was.

Lea paused, one hand on the door frame to her bedroom as she spun around, eyes wide and scared. She was still poised, ready to run, like a tense cat as she panted. The figure in her room took one tentative step her direction.

"Lea. It's okay. It's me, Steve." Steves deep voice came smoothly through the dark.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?!" She half order and half sobbed, a wild gleam still shining in her eyes. Her hand still gripped the door frame, hard enough that her knuckles went white. She was trembling so violently that her hair was shivering and bouncing around her pale face.

"I heard you screaming. I thought you were in trouble." His tone remained steady as he held out his arms in front of himself and took another step her way. "Are you okay?"

Lea couldn't say anything as she realized what had happened. She choked on a sob, and her hands flew to her face. She curled up, shoulders rounding and pulling in, elbows tucked tightly to her side as she tried to fight the tears. The seam of her light green pajama shirt fell loosely off her left shoulder. Steve closed the gap between them in two strides and gently, carefully pulled her towards him. Lea didn't fight it as her panic melted away and the spike of adrenaline crashed inside of her, shattering into thousands it minuscule fractions. Her body began to relax against his, her tense muscles uncoiling ever so slowly. She finally removed her hands from her face, and slid her arms tightly around Steves torso, still trying not to sob. Steve brushed her wild hair out of her damp face and stroked it back with the rest of her curls.