The Pain Within (Sequel To 'Trapped Without You')

Nightmares

Lockwood rubbed the sleep from his eyes, it had been a long night for George and him. Lucy had been home for weeks and had nightmares almost every night. The first night was by far the hardest, it was the night she came home.

Everyone had been asleep when Lucy started screaming, George was awake in an instant and had the lights on before Lockwood could even sit up. Both of the boys rushed to Lucy, knocking down the fort of blankets George had created in the process, George shook her by the shoulders and she began thrashing out.

Neither of them quite knew what to do, in the end, Lockwood hugging her and whispering to her helped to calm her down but as the nights went by the nightmares only got more intense and she couldn't be awakened during them.

At night she screamed and cried but during the day she acted like she always did. She smiled and laughed along with her boys, she fought with her boys and acted as nothing had ever happened. Lockwood and George didn't think she realized what she did at night but they refused to bring it up to her.

After a week of celebrating Lucy's return home Lockwood & Co. was going broke and was in need of a case. George went to work returning calls to all the people who had called in need of help while they were temporarily shut down to celebrate Lucy coming home. Lockwood had Lucy come with him to buy more supplies.

"Hey, Luce? Are you okay? You almost ran right into that lady." Lockwood grabbed Lucy's hand pulling her closer as they walked home. Lucy tightened her grip on the bag of equipment she held and nodded.

"Guess I'm just not used to being outside anymore." Lucy glanced over to Lockwood, still holding her hand he quickened his pace.

"We're almost home." He muttered looking down. "Hey, when we get back do you want me to finally teach you that Kuriashi turn, you haven't practiced in a long time. Hopefully, George has gotten us a job so you'll need to prepare yourself."

"Yeah, I haven't even held my rapier in so long." Lucy agreed, she looked down at her and his hands, she had been keeping up with his pace for a while but he still held her hand tight.

Lockwood held her hand for a few more minutes until he realized he was even holding it. He stuffed his hand into his coat pocket the moment he let go and the rest of the walk home was in silence.

When they got back they discovered that only two of the twelve clients still required their services and one new client had called, George had scheduled for each of them to meet with Lockwood & Co. the following days. After taking a brief inventory of their supplies Lockwood lead Lucy into the practice room.

"Here." Lockwood handed Lucy her rapier, the once beautiful weapon now looked old and useless, it had acquired layers of dust and cobwebs. It felt foreign in Lucy's hands.

"Let's practice on Floating Joe today. I want you to raise your rapier ready to attack." Lucy did so, her wrist trembling from the weight. She tried to contain it, she refuses to let Lockwood see how she struggled just to lift her weapon. He studied her for a moment, he could clearly see her struggle even with how hard she tried to hide it.

Stepping behind her, he grabbed her hand where she held her rapier and grabbed her waist, gently he adjusted her position and kept a hold on her hand and rapier.

"It's been a long time since you've used your rapier so we should start with you just getting familiar with it again. Hold your sword steady, close your eyes and breath deeply in and out."

"That seems a bit foolish to me." Lucy protest.

"Please just trust me. This is how I learned." Lucy rolled her eyes, she didn't need reteaching, just practice, lots and lots of practice. She closed her eyes anyway and breathed in and out. "Focus just on holding it, it'll help your grip."

Once again Lucy did as she was asked, breathing slow and deep she focused on her grip, she let her mind empty of all the other things that were bothering her at the moment and she felt in control. She could feel her wrist steadying and her rapier straightening. She smiled at her small success. If it weren't for Lockwood however, this success would have lasted longer.

"Great job Luce." He whispered, breaking Lucy's concentration. Suddenly she could feel just how close he was, his chest nearly pressing against her back and his breath on her shoulder. Her wrist began to wobble again.

"You can open your eyes now." Lockwood put his hand on Lucy's waist, her face grew pink. "Now I want you to step forward and cut Floating Joe like this." Lucy and Lockwood stepped forward in unison as Lockwood helped Lucy slice her rapier in a complex pattern.

"Now back a step. Then forward two steps. Like this." Lockwood continued to walk Lucy through the moves. "You did great. Now let's try it a bit faster." They repeated the moves.

"Okay, good. Now try it yourself." Lockwood stepped back, immediately her rapier dropped a few centimeters and a shiver was sent up her spine. It felt cold without him, she had just gotten used to having him so close, he had felt so warm.

Slowly Lucy began, one step forward then a pattern of slices, one step back two steps forward then another pattern. She continued her face getting pinker and her wrist weaker under Lockwood's watch.

"Terrific job Lucy. Just make sure your rapier is raised higher," Lockwood stepped in front of her and raised her weapon higher then grabbed her hip and adjust her position. "And keep your body in this position, so it's harder for any Visitor to hit you dead on." Lucy looked up at Lockwood, her cheeks felt on fire, he kept a hold on her hip.

"Dinner is ready if you two are done" George looked them up and down. "Practicing." Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin dropping her rapier with a loud clank in the process.

"Excellent." Lockwood jumped back from Lucy and practically ran up the stairs leaving Lucy standing there looking dumbfounded with cheeks red as a cheery, she took a shaky breath and grabbed her rapier off the floor.

"How long were you there George?" Lucy asked putting her rapier away and heading up the stairs.

"Oh long enough."

"Why are you always showing up at the most inconvenient times!" Lucy complained as she walked into the kitchen.

"Perhaps I'm cursed to have to suffer through watching you embarrass yourself so constantly. Like that night you decided not to wear pants."

"That wasn't my fault you creep! Why would I ever purposely not wear bottoms!?"

"Maybe to impress your little Loc-"

"I will beat you upside the head with my boot!" Lucy shouted her face once again burning.

"After all you looked rather lovely in nothing but Lockwood's shirt." A boot flew past George's head. "You throw like a girl," George stated flatly.

"That's because I am a girl! That's it!" Lucy tried to make a dash for George to hit him in the face but Lockwood was there to grab her by the arm.

"Could we please get past one dinner without you guys trying to kill each other, please." Lockwood eased Lucy into her seat and pushed George into his.

"There, now no more starting fights George." He leaned down and muttered to George. ''The stress will kill Lucy you bloody twit." Lockwood sat in his chair and smiled at Lucy, they ate their dinner without any more fights and then went to bed.

That day must have been a good day for Lucy, she didn't have a fit of screams that night.