Riley

She was quiet. Which I liked, it meant she wasn't having another nightmare. I'd thought about that a lot since I'd rocked her to sleep last night. How often were these happening? Every time she slept?

I sure as hell hope not, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle that. What if I was nothing by All that Remains played through the speakers and I couldn't help sneaking another glance at Sabine's sleeping form.

Her chest rose and fell with her timid breaths, pushing at the curls of brown that lay across her torso.

The lyrics played through the speakers, demanding my attention, "...What if I was nothing, girl, nothing without you..." I looked back to Sabine again, laying in the passenger seat of my car, her quiet breaths pulsing through my ears...

God. Riley, get a grip! She's ruining me.

I thought back to the restaurant, where she had been so blatantly annoyed with that waitress, I couldn't even remember her name. Sabine had narrowed her eyes and let everyone know that she did not like the poor girl.

I had laughed at nearly every remark she made, and flirted with the girl just to see what Sabine would do, and she hadn't let me down with her reactions.

The one comment that stuck with me, though, was her claim-stake, "... move on, and find your own man to hit on..."

I'd teased her about it at the time but it kept coming back to me... she had said I was hers. But what did that mean?

Just as the thought entered my head, Hudson's voice followed it.

We had been at the station and Hudson was briefing me again on the situation of the girl I hadn't yet met, "Her name is Sabine Greyson, and Riley... she's a damn pretty girl. But you can't even think about it, understood, boy?" I agreed, I was putting her in danger, and Hudson would shoot me if he even caught a glimpse of some of the things running through my mind.

And having her get jealous over dull waitresses that fluttered their eyelashes at me wasn't helping the situation.

I turned the final corner until we reached the house. The place was beautiful.

We pulled into the driveway and I turned the key, extinguishing the ignition. It was dark and almost midnight but I wasn't tired.

I looked toward Sabine, still fast asleep and realised I would have to bring her up into the house. I could wake her, but looking at her closed and still eyes I knew I wasn't going to do that, she needed her sleep.

Resolved, I stepped out of the car and into the chill of the winter air. The crickets chirped and I smiled, walking around to the passenger side of my car.

When I opened the door, Sabine shifted toward me in her sleep but didn't wake. I lent across her as carefully as possible and undid her seat belt. She groaned and I tried not to laugh out loud as I lifted her from the car.

My breath halted and my heart stuttered when she clasped a fistful of my shirt and buried her head tight into my chest, mumbling something beyond my comprehension.

I struggled, but eventually got the door closed and locked the car, not that there was much worry with someone taking my police car for a joy-ride this far out, but police training and investigations stuck with me.

She was light in my arms, much lighter than a girl her age and her height should be. I suddenly had the sickening thought that maybe she hadn't been eating properly. But then, she had seen both her parents be shot through their heads, could you really blame her?

Climbing the stairs and unlocking the cabin's front door was significantly easier than the car had been. I slowly slid the door open and cringed when it creaked, causing Sabine to stir.

"Mmm... Riley..." She mumbled, her eyelids remaining shut but flickering. I quickly pushed through the rest of the entry and began to make my way upstairs; I didn't want her to wake up.

When I reached the top of the staircase, I hesitated. What room was she in?

The lone one to the right was mine, so it had to be one of those on the left. Of course.

I opened the first door, adjusting Sabine in my arms so as not to disturb her. This one was empty, with only the basic furniture aligning its walls.

The second one had her bags sitting on the blanket-box positioned at the foot of the bed. I looked down at Sabine; her pretty brown eyes still closed and sighed a small relief that she had remained asleep.

I placed her down, hesitant to let go, atop of the covers. She was still wearing her dark-denim jeans and that cream knitted jumper. I couldn't help but wonder how comfortable that would be to sleep in.

Riley, stop. Stop now.

Shaking my head I pulled the light green throw rug up over her fair shoulders. She moaned in her sleep, and lent into my hand, causing me to smile. Before I could think about it, I placed a small kiss on her forehead.

And walked out the door.

-

"She is currently on the premises and asleep in a room that has been thoroughly secured," I spoke into the $20 disposable phone.

"Good. And your travels were uneventful?" Hudson's voice answered me. Almost as soon as I'd left Sabine in her room, the mobile Hudson had handed me before leaving had rung.

"Correct. No problems, sir," I replied.

He released a breath that I could have sworn was one of relief. "Okay, thank you, Officer Martin."

"Of course."

"And, Riley?" He broke protocol, using my first name. There was an emotion in his voice I had never heard from Hudson before.

"Yes, sir?" I answered, curious.

"Is she alright?" He asked, simply. I sighed and ran my spare hand through my hair, desperate for the answer to that question, myself.

"I don't know, Hudson... I don't know."

He sighed a sigh deeper than mine and I released then exactly how much Benjamin Hudson cared for this girl, this seventeen year old who was too young to have seen the things she has, this seventeen year old who had her world ripped out from beneath her, this seventeen year old who was lying, asleep upstairs.

I gritted my teeth and willed the thoughts of the man who had caused so much harm to a seventeen year old girl.

Instead, I asked the thing that I knew Sabine would love to hear me question

"How is Bliss?" Hudson may not have agreed with Sabine saying goodbye to her best friend before leaving with me, but he did believe in protecting the most important person in her life whilst she was gone.

Bliss had been on 24/7 surveillance since Sabine and I had left. The entire police squad assigned to the case agreed that if Chase was smart enough, he would attempt to hurt Bliss to get to Sabine. And we weren't letting that happen.

"She is fine. Snarky and Loud as ever," he laughed and I struggled not to join in, I barely knew Bliss Holly but I understood exactly what Hudson meant.

"She misses Sabine." He mumbled it into the phone and I barely caught it.

"I know. Sabine misses her too," I had seen Sabine staring at that payphone tonight. I knew she missed Bliss and wanted to call her, but I couldn't help her with that just yet.

"Are there any new leads?" I asked.

I growled when he simply replied with a "not yet."

"Hey, don't growl at me, officer. You forget you have only been gone a couple days. We're working on it."

I let out a slow breath and tried to calm myself. They're working on it. They're working on it.

"Riley." His tone gained its trademark seriousness once again and I knew he was either about to deliver bad news or I was in trouble.

"Yes, sir?"

"How do you feel about the subject case, Officer?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Sabine Greyson has just seen both of her parents murdered and testified to put their killer away, now she has been sent away with a stranger to live on an unknown property. Now, you know what I mean, Martin. How do you feel about the case subject?"

Before I could even process a possible answer, Sabine's scream sounded from the upstairs bedroom.

-

"Sabine!" I called out, running toward the staircase. I didn't know if she was just having another nightmare or if he had found her.

"Riley, Riley. What's going on? Why is she screaming?" I could hear Hudson become frantic on the other end of the phone line.

I didn't bother answering him, concentrating on running up the stairs, two at a time.

"Sabine," I called out again as I got closer and her cries became more distinct.

"Please, Please. Leave me alone. Please," She cried and my throat tightened. No, he's got her.

I ran rampid along the top-floor foyer until I reached her door and barged through it, nearly sending it flying off its hinges.

She lay where I had left her, the green throw rug now strewn across the floor and pillows laying everywhere but on the bed or beneath her head.

She turned her head furiously, sending deep brown strands flying. Tears streamed down her face and her cheeks were flushed red.

"Oh, God! No!" She screamed out again and I stopped my examination to kneel down beside the bed.

"Riley Martin! What is going on?" Hudson's voice streamed through the phone again. I didn't have time for him.

I lifted the phone to my ear and used my other hand to smooth Sabine's forehead. "She's okay, don't worry. She's having a nightmare. Goodbye, Hudson."

"Wait, what do-" He didn't get to finish before I hung up.

I dropped the phone, or threw it, I don't know, but it was gone and I now had both hands to hold Sabine's head still.

"Shh... Sabine, it's okay. It's okay," I attempted to soothe her.

She whimpered and tried to get out of my grip, "No, no, please. Please don't hurt me."

Please don't hurt me. Who was trying to hurt her? Just the thought made me furious.

"Sabine, no one is going to hurt you. It's Riley, I'm Riley. I'll protect you, okay, kiddo? But you gotta wake up."

She shifted and opened her eyelids, showing me that dark brown that glistened in tears.

"Riley," she whimpered, "they won't go away."

"I know, kid. I know."

"Can you stay? Please?" She pleaded and my throat tightened.

No, is what I should have said, I cant, is what I needed to say. But instead, I climbed into the bed beside her and sung again. Until we both fell asleep.