Choni one shots

114: The One With The Sleepless Nights

TONI POV:

It's a quiet night. I'm working on some photos while Cheryl catches up on some sleep. We've been living together for about a while now; she doesn't sleep. Not well at least. I take a deep breath, Once I'm finally done I go and lie down next to my fiancé. "No!" She whispers. "Shh!" I rub her back. She jumps up; covered in sweat. "Baby." I pull her close. "You're ok." I whisper. "Everything is going to be ok." I tell her.

I wake up a few hours later to an empty bed. I look over at the balcony Cheryl is standing there looking out at the distance. I get up and walk over. "Cheryl, what's bothering you?" I ask quietly. "Nothing, I've just have been having issues sleeping. It's been like this forever." She says sadly. We both know she's lying. It silent for a moment, until she breaks. "I feel trapped." She whispers. "What do you mean?" I ask quietly. "I feel like I have been on this endless loop, experiencing the same things over and over again!" She gets frustrated. I step closer. "I love you! I really do and I don't know what I did without you but, I keep reliving my brothers death. I wish it never happened. I wish that summer never happened. SweetWater. The conversion therapy!" I take her hand. "What happened?" She looks up. "A-at SweetWater." She shakes her head. "It's ok." I cup her cheeks. "I'm not here to judge your past." I tell her. "My father had just killed himself after we found out he killed JJ." She shakes her head. "I just don't how much more can go wrong." She whispers. "Don't say that!" I whisper. "So more can go wrong?" I take a deep breath. "No! Cheryl! I mean: everything is gonna be ok. Even if isn't! I'll find a way." I whisper. "It's gonna be ok." I tell her. "You have to promise me something." She nods. "I need you to get help." I whisper to her knowing she's not ok. She nods.

It's been been a few nights later. Cheryl still isn't sleeping. I can tell as I feel a weight leave my body. I roll over and see Cheryl sitting up on the side of bed. "Cher." I place my hand on her shoulder. "Talk to me." I whisper. "I'm here to listen." I remind her. She's been off. Like more than usual. "Babe." She finally looks at me. "What's wrong?" I ask quietly as I sit up. "I lost hope. before you saved me that night." She whispers. "I genuinely thought I would never see you again." I take her hand. "Cheryl! I would never leave you. I lost my mind trying to find you! I wasn't going to sleep until I did." I tell her quietly. "I couldn't leave you." I whisper. She smiles sadly. "Is that what woke you up?" She nods. "That whole experience." She whispers. I feel bad for her. For as long as I can remember, it's been this on going storm in her head. It's getting worse as the years go on. "I just wish I was never had to deal with my mom." She confesses. I take a deep breath. I reach my arm out and she lies next to me. I pull her close. "Cheryl. You're the love of my life." I whisper. "I'm not leaving you. Not now, not ever." I look at her. "Nothing can pull me away from you." I whisper. "Trust me. You're stuck." She chuckles a little. "Get some sleep." I rub her shoulder. I wait for sleep to take over.

CHERYL POV:

I'm startled awake. I jump up and see Toni climbing through the window like we're in high school again. "Toni!" I go to her aid noticing she's having a hard time. "Baby." She looks at me. I feel her hand move from her stomach. I see the open wound. "Cheryl, I'm sorry." She drops to the ground. I hold her. "We're going to get you help." I whisper. I pull her up. I grab the first shirt and hold the wound. "Stay with me!" Some how I get her to the car. "You're ok." I speed off the hospital. Once we get there, I drag her inside and a nurse takes her away. I pace around the waiting room just for a chance to hear something. It's an hour until I can see her. I walk into her room. "Cheryl." She whispers. I sit down on her bed. "What happened?" I ask quietly. She looks down. "I was helping Sweet Pea as I said I was doing. I left and some guy came up behind me, kicked me to the ground and stabbed me." She tells me. "Why didn't you go straight to the hospital? And why through the window?" I ask confused. "I wasn't thinking and I forgot my key." Only Toni. Honestly! She's so smart but I complete idiot at the same time. "How are you not ripping me a new one?" She ask nervously. "Because I'm sleep deprived. I was actually sleeping well, and you came home this your stomach sliced open." She smiles sarcastically. "There it is." She jokes. "Do I look like I find this funny?" She shakes her head. "I should start planning my funeral then."

It's been a few months, I've been sleeping better. Except tonight, you know when you have those dreams where you run and you don't go anywhere? Yeah that's what has happened to me. I shoot up, covered in sweat. I start panting. "Cher." Toni groans. She's so used to me doing this. It sucks. "Cheryl. You can't let these dreams consume you." She whispers. She pulls me close. "Can I at least take a shower? I feel gross." We both look at each other. "Of course." She smiles. I get up and quickly take a shower just to get the sweat off me.