Nightmare

CHARACTERS: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gorodn - Alternating POVs

I wake up scared out of my mind. I see the person beside me awake and look at me. We're both scared. I'm due to my dream and he is probably due to the look on me.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"Nightmare," I answer quietly. He puts his arms around me as I lay closer to him.

"What happened?" I begin to cry as I remember the events of the dream I had.

"It's Martin." Jeff pulls me closer knowing this can't be good.

"What about Martin?" I cry harder.

"He ge...gets killed." I cry harder now it's all out.

"Oh god; that will never happen Jr." I look up into his promising blue eyes. They sparkle with the moonlight.

"How do u know?" He holds me tighter kissing my lips.

"It's impossible." I then relax in my lover's arms with him in my mind. Yet once I am asleep, that is all I can think've. That and the seperation of him & Sherry. The argument was huge and after she was gone, I saw the sadness in him. It made me feel so sad for him. I told all the crew members yet I still felt something was wrong. And now this nightmare doesn't help it at all.

I awake and lay there for awhile thinking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know he is awake and not sleeping. I just want to assure him everything is ok but I feel that I may break his heart for good. The death of Kelley was so close to Martin's problems that I have to wonder when hell will be over. It just doesn't seem fair for all this to keep happening. I look over at Dale and see he has tears coming down in his eyes. I just want to hold him but I don't want to reveal to him that I know of his pain. I decide it's best I close my eyes and dream. I don't need to know of this pain he is going through.

The next day, I wake up and see he is sleeping. I leave him to sleep and tip toe to the kitchen. Karsyn & Kennedy are already up watching cartoons.

"Hi Jeff," they say. I smile. Well, time to make them happy atleast.

"So is it pancakes or waffles?" I ask. I'm hoping waffles since I want them.

"Pancakes!" Darn but oh well, they're the angels. I should help keep them happy. I get out the pancake mix and start mixing the ingredients together.

"Do u want chocolate chips?"

"Yes," Karsyn answers. I look at Kennedy and she shakes her head yes. I start cooking the pancakes when my one special person joins me. He gives me a little kiss and I smile.

"How'd u sleep last night?" I ask. Of course I know but I have to cover up what I saw.

"Not good," he answers. "After we take the kids to school, I wanna go to Martin's." I look at his eyes and see fear written all over them. I just want to cure the fear yet know I can't. There is only one person who can: Mr. Martin Truex Jr.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I pull into Martin;s driveway and see his truck is there. No surprise since he asked Teresa for time off and she accepted the offer. I just hope my dream was only that, a dream.

Me and Jeff get out and walk up to his front door. I knock and wait for an answer yet there is none. My heart is full of worry now. What if this is reality? My heart wants to break down and cry knowing it'd be the end. I pull out the spare key and look at Jeff wanting..wait..needing answers.

"Should I?" I ask. He gives me a look.

"Up to you." He answers. I decide I should go ahead with the idea so I unlock the door and walk inside followed by Jeff.

"Martin!" I check the different rooms yet no luck.

"Where is he usually?" I think. There are only two spots.

"Downstairs or on the boat." We open the door and go down.

"You check there and I'll check out back." We seperate as I start to go down. I feel an iry feeling walking down these stairs. Something doesn't seem right. I come to the end of the stairs.

"Truex?" I peak around the corner seeing if I can see him.

"What r u doing here?" I hear. Whew, he's ok. I walk in the direction the voice is coming from. I hear footsteps behind me; I turn and see Jeff. "And y is he here?"

"He came wit-"

"Why r u here?" I swallow. Why is he so demanding?

"I came to see if ur ok." Good way to get out without lying.

"I am fine now go Dale. I need to be alone." I think. Is he covering up something? I decide to take charge now.

"Jeff, can u lea-"

"Of course," he replies. Jeff then leaves; I walk closer to where he is. Every step making the eerie feeling worse.

"What's going on Martin?" I ask. "You can tell anything." He looks at me and I see the pain in his eyes.

"I don't think I can do this Dale," Martin answers. I walk closer smelling the smell of alcohol Damn it!

"Tell me more please Martin. I want to help you." I lean over the edge of the chair looking into his eyes which are dark.

"I can't put up with the pain." Those words run through me coldly.

"Well getting drunk is not a way to solve the problem." He looks at me with eyes of question.

"What am I to do?" I think; what would work right now?

"Working ur way through the pain with a friend like myself." He looks away leaving me to my own mind to wander.

"I can't let the team see me like this." Now I am confused. What could he be hiding?

"Like what? Sadness is seen in many ways." Damn, I need to write a poem.

"I can't tell you." He gets up and walks away. He's not escaping that easy.

"Why not?" He looks at me then turns away.

"You wouldn't understand." I sit & think. Somehow I need him to tell me.

"Try me Martin; tell me." He looks at me again.

"I can't. I think u should go now." I stand and give him my classic attitude look. Time to stand my ground.

"Not untill you tell me."

"I'm not telling u anything mire." He goes over to the fridge yet I stop him. No way is he starting this again.

"No more drowning your sorrows or hiding. Tell me what's going on." He gives me a dark look and I just stare. Why is he so hardheaded?

"I can't tell u or anyone. Can u go now?" I look to the ground. How can I get him to tell me?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stand at the top of the stairs waiting for Dale. My brain is courious on what is going on but their privacy needs to be respected. I stand there letting my mind ponder. That is still I hear a scream which makes me jump. What the fuck?

"Jeff!" I hear Dale yell. I run down the stairs and to where he is. There he is. Standing in the middle of the kitchen bleeding from his arm well Martin stands there looking like he just saw a dead man. I walk over to Dale grabbing a towel on the way. I wrap his arm up tightly.

"What happened?" I ask. I look into Dale's eyes and see pain.

"Martin stabbed me with the knife." Dale replies. He what? Ok, everyone clear the floor. Time for me to kick Martin's ass. I give him the darkest look I can well holding Dale in my arms.

"I'm sorry," Martin whispers. "I never wanted this to happen." He damn well better be sorry because I will so kick his ass soon. I wipe the excess blood off and grab a bandaid. Good thing it's not a major cut.

"It's ok Martin." Dale replies. How can he say that? He walks over to Martin. "I pushed u to far. Just promise this won't happen again." Now I'm confused.

"I promise." They hug and I can't help but smile. I'm so happy everything worked out. I love good, happy storybook endings.

THE END