Laelia glanced around the room quickly. She was startled not seeing her own apartment. After she fully woke, she remembered she was safe in Leo's apartment. Laelia let out a sigh of relief, relaxing into the sofa. Her eyes continued to dart around the room. She couldn't find a clock to tell her the time. The blinds were drawn, keeping the outside world away.

"Hey, sleepy head." Leo's voice brought her attention to the doorway. She smiled weakly at him as he came toward her. "How are you feeling?" He asked, kneeling on the floor in front of her. She shrugged nervously. "Here." He handed her a bottle of water.

"What time is it?" She inquired softly. She took the water from his hand with ease. He'd already broken the seal for her. "How long did I sleep?" She asked.

Leo chuckled as she guzzled the water, "It's nearly nine in the evening." Laelia choked on the water. She couldn't believe she'd slept so long.

"I'm sorry. You probably didn't expect me to be here all day." She murmured shyly.

"Don't worry about it." Leo smiled, taking the bottle from her hand. He placed it on the table before looking back at her. "You obviously needed the sleep."

"I didn't wake up at all?" She was stunned when Leo shook his head.

"You fussed once. I just had to touch your face for you to calm down." Leo reached up, brushing his knuckles against her cheek softly. "Just once and you were quiet the rest of the day." Laelia blushed, covering her mouth with her sleeve. She lifted her eyebrow noticing the sweater she wasn't wearing before. "You got cold, the blanket wasn't enough. It was easy enough to get you into this. I just added, never removed." Leo assured her.

"Thank you." Laelia murmured, her smile returning.

"Did you dream?" Leo asked quickly.

"No." She shook her head after thinking for a moment. "I don't think I did. If I did, I don't remember it." Leo gave a single nod, his eyes still focusing on hers as though he felt worry. "Did my phone ring at all?" Panic set in when it dawned on her she'd spent the whole day sleeping on Leo's sofa.

"Not that I heard." Leo responded, also looking about for her phone. "Right here." He picked the phone up from under the sofa. "You must've turned it off, or knocked it down."

"Everyone I know must be worried. I'm not one to just disappear." Laelia informed Leo, attempting to turn the phone on. "It's dead." She puffed. Leo held his hand out to her, asking for her phone.

"We'll let it charge for a bit." Leo walked the phone over to the table at the far end of the room. He plugged a chord into the phone before setting it on the table.

"Hopefully no one has called the police or anything. I don't know what I'd do if they went that crazy." Laelia grimaced, thinking of all the ways Jana and Amelia could've gone off the deep end looking for her.

"You're alright though. They don't really have a reason to worry if you're alright." Leo offered calming words as he sat beside her on the long, black leather sofa.

"We know that I'm okay. They don't." Laelia chuckled.

Leo nodded, "We'll worry about them later." Laelia had no choice but to agree. Her phone was dead for the time being, there was nothing for her to do. "Are you hungry?" Leo inquired.

"Surprisingly, no." Laelia giggled. "Honestly, I really just want more sleep. I feel like that sounds crazy, but I do. I feel like I could sleep for another twelve hours."

"Go ahead." Leo motioned for her to lie down again.

Laelia shook her head, " I feel like I should wait for my phone before I do. Just so I can call Jana and let her know I'm okay. I don't think I could get restful sleep knowing she was panicking."

"Will you just try to eat something for me then? Its been a long time since you've eaten." Leo pleaded. Laelia gave a quick nod. She knew eating was a good idea. "What would you like? I can go pick something up for you?"

"Anything." She shrugged. "I'm really not that hungry."

Leo sighed, not liking her response, "Alright. I'll find you something." He stood from the sofa, heading for the kitchen once again.

Laelia reclined on the sofa, feeling her eyes growing heavy. She turned onto her side, staring at the art on the far wall. The bright red of the thicker lines reminded her of her dreams. Her thoughts shifted to her dreams, or lack thereof. Her gratitude for the lack of dreams was drowned out by her confusion. She would only get a break one night every few weeks. How was it that in almost two nights she'd had next to none? She knew she'd begun dreaming at some point. Leo told her as much when he informed her of her fussing.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Leo asked, returning with a small plate. "Here. Try to eat a little, sweetheart." He handed her the plate, sitting down beside her. Laelia sat up, excited by the small platter he'd made for her. "What were you thinking about? Your eyebrows were intense." He teased.

"Trying to remember what I dreamed about. You said I started to fuss in my sleep, there must've been a reason." She explained, beginning to pick at the food in front of her. "I think it's weird that I can't sleep for two hours in my own bed without waking up in terror or in tears." Laelia smiled weakly at Leo, "But on your sofa, one whimper stopped with you touching my face."

"It is strange." He agreed softly.

"I'm not going to argue with it, or question it." She chuckled. "I'm getting sleep for the first time in months really." The room was silent for a moment while she ate. "Are you sure it's okay that I'm here? I don't want to intrude on your life."

Leo quickly waved away the comment, "You're not an intrusion at all. You can stay here as long as you'd like."

"I'll have to leave in the morning. I do have to work tomorrow." Laelia giggled at Leo's quick response. He didn't reply.

He pushed her plate closer to her, "Eat."

Leo glanced to the other end of the couch where Laelia slept. She was becoming restless. He settled his book on his lap for a moment, waiting to see if she would calm on her own. She went quiet and still after a few seconds. Leo returned his eyes to his book, though he wasn't focusing on it anyway. The dreams Laelia had told him of were playing over and over in his head. She spoke of what she remembered with so much distinct detail. She was passionate about the things her mind showed her.

His attention was pulled away when he heard Laelia fussing in her sleep again. He threw the book on the table before standing. He sank onto the floor beside her sleeping body. She whimpered and shifted on the sofa once again.

"Hush." Leo brushed his knuckles against her cheek gently. "I'm right here. It's okay." He pushed her hair away from her face with ease. She calmed again, pulling the blanket tighter around her body. Leo reached over, grabbing another blanket for her. He covered her up like he had an hour before. He thought it sweet and funny that she'd fallen asleep talking to him for a second time.

Leo stood from the floor, grabbing the book from the table. He sat down next to her slumbering figure. He wanted to be close just in case she woke from nightmares again. The sound of her soft breathing relaxed him enough to open his book. He leaned back into the sofa with one hand resting on her shoulder, the other holding his book. Leo caressed her shoulder with his thumb, wanting nothing more than to keep her sleeping.

Laelia shifted next to Leo once again, a soft whimper leaving her lips. He hushed her softly, allowing her to grip his hand. She settled when she took hold of his fingers. He rested his book in his lap, waiting for her to demand more comfort from him. He figured it was almost inevitable. Though, the moment she was able to keep a grip on him, she settled. Only the sound of her steady, shallow breathing filled the room, for a moment. Within moments, her cries were loud, and filled with terror.

"Lia! Lia!" Leo shook her body gently in an attempt to wake her. "Laelia, wake up!" Leo shouted as he shook her harder. Laelia's eyes snapped open. She examined the room in a panic. "It's alright. You're alright." Leo spoke with a low, calming tone. As realization set in, she gazed at him with teary eyes.

"Leo?" She whimpered.

"Yes. It's me. You're safe. You're okay." He assured her as she buried her face in his neck. Sobs shook her body as she clung to him. Leo hushed her, "It's alright. You're alright." He caressed her back with a slow, circular motion. "I'm right here. You're okay." He murmured, hoping to calm her.

"It's always so real." She cried as she hugged his neck tighter. He sighed and squeezed her tighter. "Were you outside?" She asked him, pulling away quickly. Leo questioned her with a lifted brow. "You feel so cold. Were you outside?"

"Yeah. I was on the balcony for a minute." He answered.

"You feel like you've been out there for hours. Is it that cold?" She sniffled, leaning away from him.

Leo gazed at her blankly, "It's okay to be scared, Laelia. I woke you up because you were screaming. Tell me what happened."

"I..." She broke down crying again. Leo sighed and pulled her against his chest again. "Why can't I just be happy in my dreams?" She wept uncontrollably. Leo held her closer in an attempt to stop her years.

"Tell me about it. You can't hold it in." Leo urged her. "You'll feel better if you tell me."

"It was different this time. Later? Not in the same place either. It looked like a city." She murmured. Leo listened closely, not wanting to miss a word. "The buildings looked different than here though. It was...I don't know how to describe it."

"That's okay. Keep going." Leo kept his voice gentle as to not upset her.

"We were walking down the street, hand in hand, like you're supposed to. Then there was a crash, and a...it sounded like a siren, maybe?" She explained. "It felt like my legs were on fire. I could hear you screaming my name, but it sounded so far away."

"You probably heard me trying to wake you up and it got mixed into your dream. That happens sometimes." Leo suggested.

Laelia shook her head, "No. You didn't sound like you do now." She thought for a moment, "Well, you did but you didn't. There was just one thing slightly off from how you speak now."

"It was a dream, Laelia. Everything is fine." Leo tried to reassured her. He needed her to calm so she would go back to sleep. She needed more sleep.