In My Dreams It's Me And You

Nathalie's POV

Most people say that driving for ten hours really should be the limit, so I guess I was pushing it considering I had drove non-stop to Colorado in order to meet up with Matt and the guys. By the time I was approaching the front desk to ask the receptionist about their room I was literally 'dead on my feet', I sincerely doubt I would have stayed upright if I hadn't placed my arms on the counter and leant most of my weight against it.

“I'm sorry Miss, I cannot give away information about our clients,” she reasoned. She looked worriedly at me as I slowly sunk to the floor, the last of my energy having been lost. “Miss, are you alright? Would you like me to call someone for you?”

I weakly tried to say I was fine when someone called my name, looking to the left to see Matt along with everyone else who composed Bullet For My Valentine looking at me, all of them wearing puzzled expressions.

“Geez Talie, you look like shit,” Matt chuckled, helping me up from the floor and keeping me there by securing an arm around my waist.

“I think even shit looks better,” the smaller man next to him added, laughing at my feeble attempt to swipe at him.

“Shut up Jay,” I said, all the while trying not to yawn or fall asleep. I was never good at staying up for long periods of time. “How have you all been?”

“Better than you,” the man on Matt's other side said, twirling a drumstick randomly in his hand. I never found out why he always hand a pair on him and to this day I still want to know why. It’s like he has a hidden stash of them in his pockets at all times.

“Much better,” the last in the line commented, exchanging a grin with the Jay and the other man.

“Jay, Moose, Padge- shut up,” Matt said, ignoring their complaints with a swift glare. “Been well, just looking around.”

“So in other words, lazed around and drank beer?” I teased, poking him purposely in the stomach.

He grinned in reply, indicating I was right. How could I not have been? Even though I hadn't seen them since I was 15, I still remembered clearly how these guys acted. They were one of the main reasons most of my teenage years were spent in a drunken stupor and in eternal grounding.

Despite the fact he had his arm round my waist it wasn't enough to keep me upright, and in the end he resorted to swing me onto his back and just carry me around piggy-back style. However just as we were waiting for the elevator to go back to their rooms Alex came onto the scene; ironically just in time to have his input into my stupidity.

“Having fun in Colorado-” He cut himself off after seeing me perched on Matt's back, offering no happy surprise at my unexpected arrival. “Nat? What are you doing here?”

“Visiting friends,” I said, stifling a yawn with the back of my hand. “I would ask what you were doing here, but I can guess what. Using the band as an excuse for a vacation? That's rather sneaky of you Alex. I'm proud.”

He scowled in reply. “I need a break at some point, Nat. It's hard trying to run a whole company.”

“Don't worry, I believe you,” I teased, reaching over and patting him mockingly on the shoulder. I yawned again, but this time I couldn't resist settling on Matt's shoulder and closing my eyes, mumbling, “But I know you do a good job, and I love you for that.”

I didn't hear much of Alex's and Matt's conversation other than the first line of “Just take her to my room” and the feeling of something soft and warm upon me before I fell into a deep sleep.

--

“Jake! Get off me!

“I almost forgot how good a fuck you were...”

“Brian! Help me!”

“You are mine, Nathalie.”

“Brian...”

I suddenly woke up; jerking into a sitting position on the bed I was in. My chest was hammering from the nightmare, my cheeks already wet from where I had cried in my sleep. When I looked to my left I saw that Matt was staring at me oddly, but it was Alex's expression that hurt the most.

Matt placed the half-empty bowl of popcorn on the floor and slowly made his way over to the bed, sitting on the edge and pushing some of the hair that had stuck to my face behind my ear. “Are you alright? You look terrible.” He shifted his legs onto the bed and pulled me into a hug, murmuring softly. “You scared me more than the film did.”

After a few moments my heart slowed back to a regular pace, my sniffles soon non-existent. Matt pulled away and grinned at me, giving me a light squeeze on the shoulder. “Everything good now?” He chuckled. “Nothing can beat one of my hugs. I'll go get you some tissues.”

As he left for the bathroom to get some Alex sat on the end of my bed, staring at his hands as if in deep thought. What he asked surprised me; I didn't realise I had been speaking in my sleep.

“Nathalie... is Jake... is Jake bothering you again? You said his name a lot.”

I didn't reply. There was no way to.

“Nat... you know you can tell me anything, right? If he's trying anything again, I swear I will-”

“I'm pregnant,” I mumbled, not even bothering to wait until he had finished speaking.

“- take him and- wait, what?” My head fell as his turned to look at me. “Pregnant? When? How?”

I rolled my eyes at the last question, replying with a quick sarcastic answer. “Don't say I have to teach you about the wonders of sex, Alex. I thought you already knew all about that.”

“You know what I mean,” he replied with a sigh. “Whose is it?”

I didn't answer.

“Nat... do you not know?”

Oh, I knew. I knew exactly which demon infested me with his child. But I knew if I told him, he would freak. Alex was always protective of me, even though we weren't family, and I wouldn't put it past him from somehow managing to get Jake killed, whether by himself with his own hands or by someone else's.

He sidled up to me and sat beside me, draping an arm around my shoulders and resting his head on mine, kissing me softly on the temple. “Don't worry; I'll sort this out. Just leave it up to me.”