I am always going to save you.

Gisela Calicos screamed.

"Please no! Please!"

The darkness was engulfing her, pulling at her, inviting her to stay. But she was sobbing, begging to be let free. But the only person there was not going to let her go. He was never going to let her go.

"You have been quite difficult to capture, young Gisela."

"Please! PLEASE!" Her sobs were becoming hysterical. In-between the sobs, she would gasp and struggled to pull out of the ropes that held her to the darkness.

The man, her captor, stepped closer. A dark eye patch was pathetically attempting to hid his mangled face, a face she recognised. But for some reason, she could not pin a name to the man. Gisela knew he was important, and that she needed to recognise who he was, but the darkness was consuming her. Distraught, it controlled every thought she had.

"I will not give you the chance to escape me again," he hissed down at her, as he raised a gun to point at her head.

"Funny. I was thinking the very same thing..." A quite whisper peaked through the darkness, that for some reason, only Gisela heard. As the masked man pulled back the trigger, Gisela let out a deafening scream. The sound of a gunshot echoed through the darkness, bouncing off unseen walls, and hovering around the space. And yet, Gisela continued to scream.

The man was lying where he had stood, moments before. His gun, unfired, still in his hand. A young teen came into view. He looked slightly stressed, but seemed more than just a little relieved to see Gisela before him.

"Connor Heath! Oh, my gosh Connor!"

He ran over to her, pulling at the ropes until she was free. The moment she was, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"GISELA! GISELA! Everything is OK. Please... Wake UP!"

With a gasp, Gisela's eyes flashed open, and she saw the same teenager peering over the edge of her bed. A sense of dajavu overcame her when she saw Connor's face; he looked stressed but relived to see that she was back.

"You were having a nightmare G. But it's okay. You are okay..." He murmured gently at her, but his calm voice was doing little to help her pounding heart. She reached out, gripping onto him with all her might.
"He had me hostage! He wanted to kill me! It was Azul! Azul had a gun, and he was... he was just about... You saved me Connor!" She gasped, trying to not let the tears show.

Connor chuckled, seemingly unworried by the fierce grip she held on him, or how worried she was.

"Why is it that you sound so surprised, G? I am always going to save you Gisela..."

His words take a moment to sink in, but when they did, they worked perfectly. Gisela started regaining control of her breathing, allowing herself to calm down enough to lay back in bed. However, she did not release hold of Connor. He sensed that she was not going to be letting him leave, and that did not bother him in the slightest. Gently, he nudged her over. Neither of them spoke as Connor slipped under the covers, pulling her tightly against him. She didn't hesitate, sinking her head onto his chest.

As the two of them fell into rhythm, breathing in the same breaths, Connor whispered down at his best friend, "I am always going to keep you safe, Gisela Calicos."

Because protecting Gisela wasn't just a job to Connor Heath, wasn't just his responsibly that needed to be done, but something he loved doing.

Someone he loved.