I'll protect you

Summary: Everyone has nightmares, but not everybody has someone there to comfort them. Luckily for Zack, Cody is there. No slash, my first Suite Life fic.

A/N: Well I've read all the Suite Life fanfics (So I like the show, sue me! No don't sue me. Hee hee) and I noticed there's a lot of Zack comforting Cody, but not much of Cody comforting Zack. So here it is, my first time writing a Suite Life story.

Disclaimer: If I owned the Suite Life of Zack and Cody, obviously a scene like this would be included.

/…/…/…/…/…/

It was pitch black. Zack whipped around as he heard a crash from behind him. "Cody?" he asked hesitantly. Another crash made him jump. "Who's there?" he asked, desperately trying to find the source of the noise. A low cackle filled the room, leaving Zack looking wildly around. "Show yourself!"

A beam of light shot suddenly from the ceiling, and Zack squinted in the bright light. Standing there was his father. His father laughing at him. "How have you been, son?" he asked, taking a step closer to Zack, though the beam of light still followed him. "Enjoying life? Took a while for your mother to find a real job didn't it? I've made it big," he said, grinning brightly.

Zack took a step backwards. "What do you want?"

His father continued grinning. "Your mother has decided to come with me. She's bringing your brother you know. Not you, though. She's grown rather sick of you I'm afraid. You're not as good as Cody."

"That's not true!" yelled Zack looking wildly around for a way to escape. When he looked back to his father, Cody and Carey were standing there. "You wouldn't…leave me?" he asked, confused.

Carey started laughing. "Of course we are! I mean, Cody gets good grades, Cody is kind to other people. What's special about you? What good are you to anyone?"

"You're lying!" Zack yelled, taking a step back again. "Cody please! Please stop, this isn't funny anymore!"

Cody smirked, a look that didn't fit him well. Zack was confused. What was going on? Why were they doing this to him? "This is no joke. I mean who wants you? Father doesn't, mom doesn't, and I don't. You're a failure. You can't pass classes like me, Maddie doesn't love you, who cares about you?"

"No, no," Zack whispered to himself. He couldn't believe they were doing this to him. The three laughed and began to fade away, the picture perfect family. "No, wait! Don't leave me!" Zack yelled as he was immersed in darkness again.

"NO!" Zack yelled, jumping up in bed, looking wildly around. His body was trembling and he could feel a light sweat developing. He panted, looking around his room again. They had left him. They-they… Turning to Cody's bed, he saw his twin brother looking back at him, eyes heavy with sleep and tired look on his face.

"What is it Zack?" Cody asked, rubbing his eyes.

Zack looked away, still panting. It was just a nightmare, it was just a nightmare he tried telling himself. Despite that he could feel tears welling up in his eyes. "Zack?" A small sob escaped his mouth, but he tried to hide it. He didn't want Cody to see him crying, though he seriously doubted he could mock him, he didn't want to take the chance. He didn't need to tell anyone, because they would know it was all true.

"Zack are you okay?" Cody asked, concern in his voice. What was wrong with Zack?

"Fine," Zack said, sounding more like a whimper then a reassurance. Cody sat up and looked at Zack more closely. He was curled up in a ball, as if he were cold, with his face hidden deep within his pillow. Cody slowly stood up and made his way towards the bed, almost tripping a couple times as he got closer to Zack's bed. When he reached Zack he slowly reached down towards Zack. "Zack…"

Cody was surprised when Zack jumped away, tears falling down his face. "Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?" he asked, sitting on the bed next to Zack. When he received no answer he looked back to see his brother avoid eye contact. "What happened?"

For a moment, Cody didn't think Zack was going to answer, but then he did. "It was our dad. He was there and-and so were you and mom." He stopped, another sob escaping his mouth, before continuing. "And he said that you were going with him, and mom said she liked you better, and you said nobody loved me and-" he stopped talking as the tears came faster. Cody looked shocked but reached out and pulled Zack into a hug.

"I would never say that to you, never!" Cody said fiercely, hugging the still sobbing Zack to him. "Never, I would never," he whispered, rocking back and forth with Zack.

"But it felt real. And it's true!"

"It is not true, nothing about it is true!" Cody said, looking at Zack, shocked that he would ever think such a thing. "You're my brother, I know my brother. And he's the best person I know. He's my best friend."

This seemed to make Zack cry harder. He held Cody almost as hard as Cody has holding him, still shaking from the nightmare. Every once in a while he had dreams like this, with his father. It was hard not to, whenever he thought about their mother being left by him.

Cody held Zack until his crying had stopped. "Are you okay now?" he asked. Zack nodded, and Cody made to stand up.

"Wait!" Zack said urgently, grabbing Cody by the arm. "Don't leave me. I-I don't want the nightmares to come back. And if they do I-I want you to be here. Please?"

Cody smiled and laid down next to Zack, who immediately got closer, worried only slightly about another nightmare. He slowly closed his eyes, still shaking slightly. Suddenly he felt his brothers arms wrap around him.

"Don't worry," Cody whispered. "I'll protect you."

And with the promise of safety from his nightmares, and the reassurance that he wasn't an outcast from his family, Zack fell into a calm sleep. He was so glad he had someone to take care of, who in turn, would take care of him.

/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/

AN: So what do you think? Like it? Hate it? No flames please, if you don't like it, tell me why. This is my first time working with the Suite Life characters, and once I get more used to school, I might post another story. I know I should finish my others, but I write what I feel like writing. Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review!