Stalking Jack the Ripper Oneshots

Nightmare

Audrey Rose has a nightmare??? 💜💜 ps i fucking love your fics wowowowow

The sound of knuckles rapping against the door to Thomas's sleeping chamber awoke him from his slumber. He glanced towards the clock on the nightstand, seeing that it was nearly four in the morning. Exhaling, Thomas rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood from the bed, making his way towards the door, wearing nothing but his drawers. By the time his hand was on the doorknob, he realized it probably wasn't the greatest idea to answer the door in only his drawers, however, he was too tired to bother throwing something on.

Thomas opened the door, revealing Audrey Rose Wadsworth, her eyes a bright shade of red as tears poured down her cheeks. She let out a short sob, prompting Thomas to gently pull her into his chambers, shutting the door behind him. All the exhaustion that was previously in his body was suddenly gone, replaced with a deep worry for his love. Thomas took her hand loosely in his own, ushering her towards the large bed pushed against the wall. Audrey Rose tentatively sat on the edge of the mattress, Thomas immediately kneeling before her on the floor as she cried into her palms. He grabbed her hands, delicately prying them away from her face in order to cup her cheeks, brushing away her tears with his thumbs. "What is the matter, my love?" Thomas spoke softly, his voice hardly more than a whisper.

Audrey Rose hiccuped a sob, managing to ask, "do you hate me?" Thomas's eyes widened, completely taken aback by the absurd question. She moved forward without an answer from Thomas, responding, "I had a nightmare, Cresswell."

Thomas grazed his thumb across her cheek once more, not strictly with the function to wipe away her tears, but rather to bring her comfort in her moment of vulnerability. "Was it another one regarding Nathaniel?"

Audrey Rose shook her head, choking on yet another sob.

"Take your time, angel. Breathe," Thomas instructed, his voice and facial expression both so incredibly soft. He watched her as her eyes fluttered shut, her chest rising as she took a long, deep breath in before exhaling just as slowly. "Just like that, love."

Once Audrey Rose was calm enough to breathe at a steady pace, Thomas asked, "Did your nightmare have to do with the Etruria?"

Audrey Rose nodded once again, Thomas immediately deducing exactly what had occurred within her dream, connecting the dots between her earlier question and the Etruria. He sighed, licking his lips as he spoke,  "Love, did I leave you?"

At his words, Audrey Rose's tears returned as she shook her head in confirmation. "You told me that you hated me, Thomas. You said you never wished to see me again," she murmured through her sobs. "And I cannot help but wonder if you truly resent me for what I did. I cannot help but wonder if perhaps my nightmare was merely what I knew subconsciously, that you indeed hate me."

"Audrey Rose..." Thomas mumbled, trailing his fingertips across the hot, damp skin of her face. "If I truly hated you as you seem to believe, would I have placed this very ring upon your finger?" He raised her left hand, gesturing to the red diamond ring on her fourth finger—his family heirloom that now belonged to Audrey Rose, an heirloom that proclaimed her and Thomas's official betrothal.

Audrey Rose simply shrugged as she gazed at the ring, then returning her attention to Thomas's face as he brushed his lips over her knuckles, a soft kiss to her skin. Finally, she whispered, "I thought you might have felt chained to me—that I was a burden you would have to suffer with for the rest of your life."

Thomas lightly squeezed her fingers, answering, "No, Audrey Rose, I do not hate you. Not for a single moment have I so much as imagined the thought of hating you nor will I ever. I did not place this ring upon your finger because I consider you a burden, my love, I did it because I want to spend every moment of my life with you. Because I want to make you my wife. Nothing—nothing that occurred on Etruria I blame you for, Audrey Rose. Your heart always remained in the correct place, regardless of what anyone might claim. You were the victim to Mephistopheles's manipulation and deceit, not the other way around."

"How can you forgive me so easily? I told you that I wasn't certain of my feelings for Mephistopheles, Thomas. There is no excuse for that," Audrey Rose spoke, her voice breaking from guilt with every word.

Thomas brushed his thumb across her lower lip, admiring her features. He exhaled before explaining, "The Mephistopheles you contracted feelings for was merely an illusion, one of Ayden's intricate magic tricks. His entire occupation is built upon lies, using those deceptions for his own personal gain. The Mephistopheles you thought you knew—the Mephistopheles that made you question your feelings—was nothing more than an alteration of his personality in an attempt to use you—to take advantage of you. I promise you, my love, that I do not blame you for any of it."

Audrey Rose placed her hands on Thomas's cheeks, pulling him up to her lips and kissing him with every ounce of adoration she could offer. "I love you, Thomas James Dorin Cel Rau Cresswell," she murmured against his lips.

Thomas kissed her softly. "And I love you, Audrey Rose Wadsworth." He pressed his forehead against hers, soaking in her presence, the feeling of her against him.

She grinned. "It will not be Wadsworth for much longer. Soon it will be Audrey Rose Cresswell."

Thomas chuckled softly, a smile growing on his lips. "Indeed."

The room fell into a peaceful silence, one that reminded Thomas of exactly how late it was. "You should retire to bed, my sweet. In only a few hours, the sun will begin to rise."

Audrey Rose traced the line of his collarbone with her fingertip before lifting her gaze up to his. "Could I stay?"

As indecent as it was considering the fact that they were not married yet, Thomas nodded as he pulled away from her body. He watched Audrey Rose blush as she crawled across the bed towards the pillows, slipping herself beneath the bedsheets. "Come here," she mumbled quietly into the dark of the room.

Thomas obliged, rising from the floor to lift the corner of the comforter on the bed, joining Audrey Rose's side. Immediately, she laid her head on his chest, curling into the warmth of his body. Thomas wrapped his arm securely around her, pulling her tightly against his chest before drifting off into a tranquil slumber.

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Word Count: 1119