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Dominick POV

I was asleep when I felt something shaking me, yet when I opened my eyes she was asleep. Her body was trembling in my arms and with the miniscule amount of moonlight trickling through the balcony window I could see her features. Her face was tense with worry, and heart racing in her chest as she let out a whimper.

"Lana babe- " I gently shook her. "-Wake up, it's just a nightmare." She jolted up and looked around before groaning in pain, the quick movement surely sending a shock to her sensitive ribs. "Easy." I whispered and sat up, gently rubbing her back. She took the opportunity to sink into my arms, her head on my chest. I could feel her heart racing through her chest that was pressed against my own.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." She whispered, her fingers tracing down my abs as she spoke.

"It's okay. Wanna talk about it?" Slowly she sat up again, moving so that she was laying on her side. I mirrored her and placed my head on my bicep, looking at her.

"I um-" She sighed before continuing. "I dreamt you were there with me. Like it was with Nicholas. I just- I don't know if I'll ever be ready to go back again."

" No one is forcing you to go ever again." She didn't seem to understand that very fact, truth be told I don't think she ever would. A woman like her was born fighting it seemed. She forced an end to the conversation by scooting her way closer to me, lips brushing against my own as I closed my eyes.

She was intoxicating, like those shots of vodka one had when celebrating or to drown yourself in some nights. We tangled ourselves in the soft sheets, our bodies moving in fluid motion until we collapsed together. She was breathless and truth be told we probably shouldn't have even done any of it with her broken ribs, yet she never hinted she was in pain. Her breathing evened as her head laid against my chest, though I could still feel my heart thumping.

Now I couldn't seem to sleep. I felt the need more than ever to protect her, she was the only thing that seemed to make sense some days. A sigh escaped my lips as I unhinged her limbs from my own, grabbing my phone off the nightstand.

Eric 3:41AM: we need to talk.
Dom 4:27AM: about?
Eric 4:27AM: her... Call me.

I glanced to the sleeping form beside me before carefully getting out of bed. It took my a few moments to slip some joggers on my naked body before silently making my way downstairs. Only when I was outside with a cup of coffee did I finally settle the phone against my ear.

"Hello?"

"I'm surprised you're up this early. I thought it was only us military people with the shitty sleep schedule." His laughter was short lived as he cleared his throat. " Listen, Lana's tests came back from her mental evaluation. We get one before and after we leave so assess how we are upon return. Lana scored really low."

"What does that mean to score low."

"I'm just saying she's fragile Dominick and Lana isn't the type to show just how damaged she is on the inside. When they killed Nicholas-" He paused a moment to choose his words carefully. "Now don't you dare tell her I told you! She got back and she was stuck on base doing therapy. Well she sort of shut us all out. You already know she almost killed herself at a point. It wasn't because she loved him. In fact Nick was fucking a bunch of other women, Lana only knew of one."

" What are you getting at?"

" She was pregnant and she lost it obviously. She felt like a complete and utter fuck up for more than one reason. Then again who can come back normal after watching someone you care about be tortured and murdered before your eyes." I glanced to the stairs before swallowing the lump in my throat as I sat down on the sofa.

"I'll keep an eye on her. Thanks for the heads up."

"Don't thank me. I'm only doing it for her. You're the first person she's let in fully. Even Rosa doesn't know about all of this and well she won't talk about it with me."

" Yeah well I know she's got a lot on her plate."

"That's a minor statement. Listen I gotta go. I'll see you around."

"For sure. See ya." I hung up before taking a deep breath, staring at the stairs. Hesitantly I got up and wandered back upstairs, gently pushing the bedroom door open. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, she seemed so peaceful in this state though I hated the battle going on in her mind. I bit on the inside of my cheek before wandering over to the empty side of the bed and carefully climbing under the covers. She lifted her head slightly and blinked at me with sleepy eyes.

"Where did you go?"

"I couldn't sleep." I whispered softly, taking in her sleepy expression, those blue eyes sparked in the minimal lighting.

"Mmm " she hummed out and coiled up next to me, she was still bare from earlier in the night, her smooth skin pressed against my chest. I abscentmindedly kissed the top of her head as she sighed softly. "Don't go anywhere." For such a simple statement I could hear the urgency laced in her voice. The tiny hint of vulnerability seeped through the surface when her guard was down.

"I won't. I promise." My mother always said never to make promises you can't keep. Sometimes you don't even know that you can't keep them. I felt my eyes grow heavy as I let my body relax into the sheets.