Strange

I got no answer from my questioning so I grabbed a hoodie and put it on over the top of my bare chest and boxers as I walked over to Jo's bed. She was tossing and turning pretty violently and crying in her sleep.

"Jo...Jo wake up" I whispered to her as I tried to shake her awake. Nothing happened apart from her
tossing got worse and she start to kick her legs out like she was struggling against someone. I knew that she was having a nightmare now and that she really needed to be woken up so that I could at least know she was ok.

"Jo .... Jo Come on get up now!!!!!" I shook her with a lot more force to get her awake. Suddenly she sat up quickly in a fluster, tears still running down her cheeks and her breathing heavy. She looked over at me questioningly and quickly wiped away her tears and tried to hide the fact that she had been crying.

"Danny .... What the hell?? It's 2am and your waking me up why???" She was trying to act like she didn't know what was going on.

"Sorry... It's just ... I heard you crying and I was worried so I had to wake you up to check you were okay." I replied quietly.

She looked at me embarrassed "It was just a nightmare don't worry I get them all the time." She said it with a confidence that would seem real to a stranger but not to me.

I hugged her and held her in to my chest like we have always doe when our little Jo has been upset. I guess she sees our arms as her own version of a comfort blanket or teddy bear.

"Now you gonna tell me the real reason as to why you were crying in your sleep or are you just gonna lie to me??" I asked while I was soothingly running my hand through her hair as she nuzzled into my chest.

"He was on my mind again.... I saw it again. I didn't want to but it just wouldn't stop.... it continued replaying.... over and over... and then just before you woke me up I had the fight again with him where I lashed out at her and him and anyone else in the room." She whispered to me before the tears started all over again.

I laid her down in my arms as the tears, which were now silently running down her face, started to subside and her breathing started to even out as she sucame to sleep. "Remember Jo, if you ever need me just come and find because I will always be there for you." I whispered to her and kissed the top of her head before I got up and went to the sofa to sleep.

"Danny... I can't sleep ... will you.... err... umm ..... Danny can you come and lay with me until I fall asleep please " I heard a mumbled version of Jo's voice call out into the darkness of the hotel room a couple of hours later at around 4am.

"Sure Jo .... just give me a second and I will be right over " I mumbled back and I put my hoodie back on and walked over to her bed and got in behind her, automatically wrapping my arms around her waist.

"You feeling any better now???" I questioned as I got myself comfortable

"Yeah I feel so much better because your here. You make me feel safe and secure" She mumbled to me before falling asleep again finally looking at peace with the world. I decided shortly after she had fallen asleep that I should stay with her for the rest of the night to make sure the 'nightmares' (as Jo called them) stayed away.

*********************Time Lapse*************************

"Danny .... Danny!!!! Get Up!!!!!!" I felt someone jumping on the bed I was laid in and shouting extremely loud at me

"What Jo I'm tired " I mumbled into the pillow

"DANNY JONES GET YOUR ARSE OUT OF MY BED NOW!!!!!!!!! I WANT MY BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL TODAY SO MOVE!!!!" She basically screamed at me.

I smirked into my pillow knowing how much this was annoying her by me just laying and ignoring her pleads for me to get up. "Jo, Honey I would have gotten up straight away if you were still laid in my arms" I turned and smiled up at her.

"Well tough" She replied before sticking her tongue out at me "Now you're awake so we can go and get some breakfast .... I really fancy a bacon sandwich " She mused to herself towards the end of her little dig at me.

Next thing I knew was being pulled out of the bed and a pair of sweatpants being chucked at my head. I put them on quickly and raced Jo down to the hotel's kitchen/dining area.

"I win!!! I win!!!" Jo cheered as she got to Harry's table first and on the way had also managed to pick up her beloved bacon sandwich.

"Why the hell are you in such a good mood at ... 9:30am ???" Harry asked his sister grumply

"Because Harold," She replied using the one name Harry hated "I was having a really bad night last night so Danny comforted me all night and then even got up early so we could have breakfast at the hotel instead of having to walk to Starbucks" She smiled and quickly devoured her bacon sandwich.

We all laughed at her as we talked about how we were planning on spending the day. Some how we ended up letting Tom and Giovanna take us to Disney World Florida.

Jo insisted we went on EVERY SINGLE RIDE at least TWICE, she really is worse than Tom, Carrie and Gi put together which is really saying something. I was so tired by the end of the day and all I wanted to do was go back to the hotel and sleep. Jo had other ideas though.

She wanted another horror movie marathon. Don't ask me why she wanted horror because she hates it and whenever we watch horror movies she ends up with her head burried into my chest, screaming everytime she hears a creepy noise and begging me to switch the movie off.

That night was no different so after I had switched the film off I asked her if she wanted to watch another film, maybe a rom com like P,S, I Love You. As I said it she squealed and we watched that before going off to bed because it was her birthday tomorrow and we had planned a lot of surprizes for her.

"But Danny" She complained dragging out my name like a teenager does to their parents.

"No Jo Bed Now!" I replied with smile and sympathy while still being stern with her.

"Fine," She paused "But only if you stay with me because I feel safe when I'm in your arms and I don't get those horrible nightmares" She shuddered "Please.... and could you sing me to sleep especially as those films really, really, really scared me" She finished her little speech with a pout that she knows I can't resist.

So the night before Jo turned 17 I was laid next to her in bed singing her to sleep while she nuzzled into my chest. When I knew she was asleep I kissed the top of her head and whispered "I love you Jo"