Also, please note, I (BCW) am only taking credit for writing this 'cuz I was threatened by a party who shall go nameless.

This is Klair's story, she dreamed it up and she wrote it out (and it is beautiful).

The only thing mine here are the characters.

In Your Dreams
by Klair and BCW
August 9, 1998

The wind swirled around him, stealing his words.

And, there were people. He could see them just on the other side of a narrow fissure, his mother, grandmother. . .and father. He could almost touch them, but they always moved out of reach.

Frustration consumed him as they began to fade and be replaced by a new figure. One man who reached out to him. He frantically reached out to grab the extended hand, but the fissure opened wider. . .and his rescuer fell into the pit. . .

"NO!!! PADDY!!" Justin screamed, starting awake from his nightmare into the pitch black room. Without hesitation he flung the covers off his sweat-soaked body and ran towards his guardian's room only to collide with a solid wall with arms in the middle of the hallway. "No! Let go! I have to get to Paddy!"

"Shh, chiquito. Esta aquí. I'm here. It's me. It's Paddy. Settle down, Justin. You're all right." The soothing voice made it through the fog of his mind and Justin hugged tightly to the body before him, instead of fighting it. He did not resist when two strong hands lifted him under the arms to hold him firmly against his guardian's hard chest. Justin wound his thin arms around Paddy's neck in a death grip, unable to keep his body from trembling. The nightmare had seemed so real.

Paddy concentrated on soothing the trembling bundle in his arms as he made his way to Justin's room. The boy's nightshirt and hair felt damp with sweat and he could feel the little heart beating wildly against his chest.

The rancher'd been going over the books in his study when he'd heard Justin's screams, and raced up the stairs. Unsure of what to do, he acted on instinct and grabbed the boy, holding him tightly and speaking to him as if he were a skittish new calf. Judging from the way Justin sagged against him after a few moments, he guessed he'd done the right thing. He hoped he was doing the right thing now. Reaching Justin's room, he moved a hand from where it had been rubbing small circles on Justin's back to light the lamp by the bedside. Soon a soft light glowed in the room.

"There, that's better," Paddy said as he moved them to Justin's bed. He pried Justin's arms from around his neck. "Your shirt is soaked, chiquito, we need to change it. Take it off."

Justin made a face. "I feel all sticky, too."

Paddy nodded and Justin began to strip. When he'd finished, his guardian lifted him with his hands under the small arms.

Standing the child in a chair by his dresser, the big rancher poured water from the pitcher sitting there into the washbowl. He dipped the rag into the water and dragged it over the sliver of soap on the rim. "Here, raise your arms, I'll take care of that."

Soon Justin was dressed in clean, dry clothes, sitting forlornly on the edge of his little bed.

Paddy knelt down to be at eye level with the still mildly shaking child. "Justin, you want to talk about it?" he asked, not sure what he should do if the boy said yes.

In answer, Justin threw his arms around his guardian's neck again and let out a great sob. Paddy stood up with the crying child clinging to him, and walked back to his study where a cozy fire awaited them. Once Paddy had the boy settled in his lap in the great red leather armchair by the fireplace, the boy's tears now mere sniffles, he asked his question again. This time he got an answer in a small, teary voice.

"I had a bad dream."

Paddy stroked Justin's hair and arm trying to get the boy to calm down further. "I kinda figured that. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Scary. They all left. Mama. Laolao. My father. And then. . .and then." Justin's sobs renewed before he could finish. He looked up at his guardian with big tear-filled eyes. "Don't fall off a cliff, Paddy."

Paddy felt his insides turn to mush; the serious expression on the little boy's face checked the laugh that rose in his throat at the off-the-wall question, and he leaned down to place a tender kiss on Justin's forehead before enfolding the frightened child in a tight embrace. "Muy bien, chiquito. I will stay away from cliffs."

"You won't go away?" Paddy heard the muffled question spoken into his chest.

"No, pequeño di mio, I'll stay with you for as long as I possibly can."

Justin turned his head enough so that one eye was visible. "Promise?"

"I promise."

Justin turned his head back to nuzzle more firmly into Paddy's chest. They stayed like that for several minutes.

"Mama broke her promise."

Justin's voice said it so softly, Paddy almost missed it.

"What promise, querido?"

There was a long pause before Justin spoke through ragged breathing. "She said she'd always be with me. Always. She promised!"

Paddy searched for a response. Nothing seeming quite right. He blurted out, "My mother said the same thing, but she died when I was young." Paddy lifted Justin's face with a finger until the sad green eyes met his brown ones. "She thought she was telling the truth, and so did your mother. They didn't mean to die, Justin. It's just one of those things that happens."

"It's not fair."

"No. It's not," Paddy replied, surprised at the thickness of his voice and the tears he felt in his eyes. It had been so many years ago, and yet the hurt seemed new. "But it doesn't mean they stopped loving us. I don't know what your Chinese religion tells you, but mine says there is a Heaven. A beautiful place where our loved ones who have died are waiting to see us again. They can look down on us and watch our lives. I like to think she smiles down on me from time to time. I'll bet yours does, too."

That seemed to satisfy the boy because he smiled slightly and rested his head back down on the solid chest with a small sigh.

"I'm hungry."

It was Paddy's turn to smile at the note of petulance in his ward's voice. Now that they'd come to an understanding about meals, the boy always seemed to be hungry. With a conspiring smile, he looked down at Justin. "I think there are still some of those sugar cookies Chu Wa made today in the pantry. If we're real quiet, I'll bet we can sneak a couple, and a glass of milk, without waking him."

Justin answered with his own mischievous grin and they quietly made their way to the kitchen. They returned with equal stealth to the study with their contraband. Justin snuggled back into Paddy's lap and nibbled a cookie.

"Paddy? Will you tell me a story?"

"I'll get our book," Paddy said as he made to rise from the chair.

"No," Justin said, somewhat alarmed by the motion of his guardian leaving him. "I want a story about when you were a little boy."

The rancher ran a hand over his face. "Oh, Justin, I don't know. I don't remember much."

Big, almond-shaped, imploring, green eyes looked up at him. "Please, Paddy. It doesn't have to be a big story."

After casting a "why me" look to the ceiling for a moment, Paddy met the begging eyes with mock sternness.

"One quick story and then you need to get back to bed, Justin."

Satisfied, the boy grinned hugely and settled in, his full attention once again on his guardian.

Paddy took a minute to collect his thoughts before beginning.

"Most of my youth was spent on my abeulo's rancho in California. This country was still too wild to bring a woman and child to, so my father came out here alone. After he built this house, and more people came, he sent for us. I was about seven. This was before the railroads were built. We traveled by wagon with some of mi abeulo's vaqueros as escorts--"

Justin pulled back to give Paddy a perplexed look. "I know what an abeulo is, but what's a vaccarro?"

"Vaquero is the Spanish for cowboy. Now--"

"Did you see any Indians or bandits on the trail?"

"No, and if you keep asking questions, I'm not going to be able to finish this story." Paddy tried to glare back, but couldn't hide the crooked smile that had plastered itself on his face.

When the boy had resettled, eating yet another cookie, Paddy continued.

"While I don't remember meeting any Indians on the trail, shortly after we arrived here, a few braves came by the house and talked with my father. I remember being very impressed by their painted faces and bows and arrows."

Justin sat up straight, his eyes wide. "Did they attack the ranch?"

"No," Paddy chuckled. "The Shoshoni are a peaceful tribe. And stop interrupting."

"Sorry," Justin muttered, getting cozy again.

"Anyway, I was young and excited about all the new things around me. I took some branches and twine, and made a bow and arrows of my own. It was pretty pitiful work, looking back on it, but at the time I was terribly impressed with my cleverness. I wanted to dress like them, too. I took two of my mother's linen napkins to make a loincloth and smeared mud over my face and body like warpaint." Paddy laughed softly and shook his head. "I was a sight."

"And so?"

"So, I pretended to hunt the wild animals I'd heard the vaqueros talk about, mountain lions, wolves and grizzly bears. I used a barrel as a target."

"And..."

"And unfortunately my aim was as bad as my bow construction. I broke the lower pane of glass in that window over there." Justin followed the path of Paddy's pointing finger.

"Then what happened?" the little boy asked, wide eyes turned up to his guardian.

Paddy laughed heartily.

"Let's just say, you're not the first little boy to spend time in that corner."

Justin tried to say something else, but all that came out was a yawn.

"Come on, chiquito, time for bed."

Paddy coaxed a mildly protesting Justin back up the stairs, tucked him in bed and kissed his forehead before turning out the lamp.

"Leave it on a little, Paddy, please. I don't like the dark."

"Of course, chiquito. I'll leave the lamp on in the hallway and your door open. All right?"

Satisfied, Justin turned over and went back to sleep.

Paddy cleaned up their late night snack and poured himself to bed. Just as he was drifting off, he felt a draft and a small cold body snuggling up next to his side.

"Justin?"

A miserable little voice came to him from the darkness. "Another bad dream, Paddy."

"All right, chiquito," he relented, drawing the warming little body closer to his side. "But just for tonight," he said, knowing he'd allow it as many times as required.

"Yes, Paddy."

Justin rested in the crook of his guardian's arm, and soon they were both sleep.

. . .He was standing at the edge of the abyss, wind whipping around him. Fear rooted Justin to the spot. A familiar deep, rich, calm clear voice cut through the darkness. "Salte, chiquito. Le cogeré." (Jump, little boy. I will catch you.)

There stood Paddy on the other side, the gulf between them widening.

"I'm afraid!" he shouted back.

"Confíeme en, hijito." (Trust me, son.)

He made his decision in an instant and jumped -- to be caught by two strong hands. A feeling of complete happiness filled him before the dream faded away

. . .

Justin woke to Chu Wa calling him to breakfast. He felt slightly disoriented until he realized he was in Paddy's bed. He quickly went to his own room to dress. As Paddy's voice came up to him, repeating Chu Wa's edict to come to breakfast, he wondered if Paddy would make him a bow and arrows.

the end