A terrified scream brought him straight up in his bed, and he was halfway to the door before he remembered Cadie. He wrenched open the door and half ran to the couch, where she was thrashing in the grip of what seemed to be a very powerful nightmare.

She was so agitated her limbs were in violent spasms. Almost like a seizure, was the thought that occurred to him. He knew he had to wake her, or at least calm her before she hurt herself with this flailing around. He threw his arms around her and brought her close to him, holding her tight against him, speaking softly, soothingly, trying to wake her gently. After a few minutes, her struggles subsided somewhat and he felt the tremors begin to ease. He drew back slightly to see her looking up at him, and the look on her face tore at his heart.

"Logan?" she whispered timidly. "I.... I'm sorry. I didn't mean t' wake you, I---"

He pulled her close again, not wanting to look at the expression in her eyes. The absolute hopelessness he saw there chilled him to the bone. "It's okay. You had a nightmare, that's all. Happens to everyone, eventually." He made his voice light, trying to soothe her. "Want to talk about it? It might help."

She mumbled something against his chest and he pushed her back again, gently placing a hand under her chin to make her look at him. "What was that, darlin?"

She was acutely aware of their position, of his arms around her. Her heart was pounding, and she hoped he would think it was from the nightmare. "I--- I can't talk about it. You'd hate me. Trust me, mon ami, it ain' somet'in y' want t' hear," she whispered as she closed her eyes. She couldn't make herself look at him.

"It'll be all right, Cadie." She kept her eyes stubbornly closed. "I couldn't hate you for anything in your past, anything that might have happened to you. It's what made you who you are. So tell me about it, get it out in the open where you can look at it. Trust me, that'll help a lot."

He removed his hand and she immediately lowered her head. He didn't force the issue, merely sat and waited. She drew away a bit and he didn't follow, merely sat still, not even watching her directly. He could feel her fear, her anger; her shame. That's when he knew. *Damn me for being an idiot. She freaked on me when I was holding her down. Must be the stupidest man on the planet not to realize.* His voice was gentle when he spoke, his hand once more under her chin. "Cadie, darlin, look at me." He waited until she opened her eyes to continue.

"Rape ain't anything to be ashamed of, darlin," he said softly. "No, don't look away. Whoever did this to you was wrong. It wasn't your fault. No woman wants to be raped. And no man in his right mind would ever consider it. He was no better than an animal."

Tears slowly began to fall from her eyes and he wondered if his words had meant anything to her. He pulled her close again, ready to release her at the slightest indication of her being uncomfortable, but when she didn't react, he tightened his grip on her enough that she might feel protected.

He wasn't prepared for it when her arms slid around his waist. He looked down into her eyes, those oddly beautiful amber eyes, and saw the trust there. It was too much for him.

He slowly lowered his head, giving her every chance to turn away, to refuse, but she only closed her eyes and waited. And the minute his lips touched hers he was lost. "Cadie," he whispered tenderly. One hand gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You can stop this. All it'll take from you is one word." He watched her face, but she said nothing. She only continued to gaze up at him, her eyes trusting, and there was nothing more to be said. He lowered his lips to hers once more, and she sighed softly.

Gently, carefully, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. Placing her softly on the bed, still kissing her tenderly, then drawing back. His conscience was needling him, and he ignored it. *Take the guilt in the morning. Tonight I refuse to think about this.*

He lowered himself onto the bed, lying next to her, not touching. One hand reached out to her face, tracing the line of her jaw, then moving upward to her lips, then down around her neck. She shivered lightly at his touch and he smiled. "It'll be all right," he whispered. "I won't hurt you."

"I know," she sighed back. She felt the power in him, the strength he was consciously holding back. It thrilled her to the bone. Her arms wrapped around his neck again, one hand lightly stroking through the back of his hair, and he closed his eyes briefly. Then opened them to find her smiling up at him in the darkness. Her whisper, when it came, sent a shiver of raw lust through him. "Y' would never hurt me. I know dat, mon amour. Show me. Please."

"Oh, I will, Darlin," he whispered back as he lowered his lips to hers once more. "I will."