A\N: This happens the night between Shannon and Maddy's presentations. Enjoy!

''Take me!'' Rhydian shouted, bolting up in his bed.

His breathing was heavy and even in the dim light of the night he could see the black veins crawling down his arms.

It took him a few minutes to calm down. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom in his room. The running water eased his nerves and he splashed some on his face, trying to wash away the nightmare. A sigh escaped his lips as he watched his golden eyes turn back to their original blue color.

A hand went to his hair as images from the previous day mixed with those from the dream that woke him up. He just couldn't forget Maddy's look, the surprise and the fear in her golden eyes as she was trashing helplessly against Alric's strong grip. Her frantic expression that showed how she felt like a trapped animal, desperately trying to find a way out of this, how to save herself was haunting him.

Rhydian shuddered when the image of her numb lifeless body sprawled on the forest ground came to him from his dream. He immediately shook his head. He had to get these thoughts out of his mind or he wouldn't be able to sleep for much longer than just this night. She was alive; he had nothing to worry about. She was probably sleeping soundly since it was the middle of the night too. And still, he couldn't stop the feeling of dread.

He barely registered himself going back to his room and picking up his cell phone from the nightstand. 2:07 A.M. As much as Rhydian didn't want to disturb her, he just needed to hear her voice to make sure that she was okay and that he was just dreaming.

His nervousness grew with every second that he spent waiting for Maddy to answer her phone. He finally released a breath that he hadn't noticed holding when her voice, thick with sleep, sounded from the speaker.

''Yeah?'' she croaked, the sound slightly muffled probably by her pillow; she usually slept face-first against the pillow.

He opened his mouth to speak but closed it without saying a word. What was he going to say anyway? Sorry I woke you up; I just had a bad dream? How old was he, five? He should just close; maybe she wouldn't even remember this in the morning.

''You're name is on the screen Rhydian.'' Her voice came clearer this time as she sighed, faint sound of shuffling and then. ''Has something happened?''

''No, nothing happened. I just…'' his voice died down unable to say out loud the next words that came to his mind. He mentally cursed himself, feeling his face heating up a little.

''Are you still there? Rhydian, what's wrong?'' Maddy sounded fully awake now and worried and the male sighed, guilt finding its place in him.

''Nothing's wrong Mads, go back to sleep. Sorry for waking you up in the first place.''

''Uh-huh. And just because nothing is wrong you call me in…God, it's two in the bloody morning!'' she exclaimed with a groan. ''You're evil.''

''Sorry.'' He repeated, chuckling slightly. ''It's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow…''

''You have already woken me up. At least have the decency to tell me why.'' She demanded and he involuntarily smiled. Typical Maddy (even when she had just woken up).

''Promise me you won't laugh.'' He heard himself saying and winced. This was the stupidest thing he could say. If not before, she was definitely going to laugh now. For his surprise she sounded serious enough when she answered.

''Okay, I promise. Now stop acting like a child and tell me!''

''Impatient much?'' he teased and he could practically see her roll her eyes.

''More like curious. Don't change the subject. Spill!'' she scolded and he almost raised his hands up in defense when he realized that she couldn't see him.

''Okay, okay. It's really nothing, I just had a nightmare about you and Alric from yesterday and you were…injured and I was just standing there and he was laughing like some maniac…'' he realized he was blabbering and stopped, putting his head in his free hand. Way to sound like a stuttering idiot! Why couldn't he just tell her? ''I just needed to make sure you're okay. The dream was a little too real for my liking.'' He admitted with closed eyes, waiting for something, anything to happen and just save him from this conversation. Could it get more awkward?

Apparently, it could. When Maddy's answer didn't come for a whole minute Rhydian sighed, frustrated with himself about even calling. He mumbled a quick Night before discontinuing the call. It was a stupid idea in the first place.

He tossed the phone to his nightstand but apparently he used too much force because the offending device clattered on the floor a second later. He didn't bother picking it up and climbed in bed instead. Sleep engulfed him after a few seconds.

His eyes opened suddenly around half an hour later. Rhydian was confused at first while looking around for the reason for him being awake for the second time that night. Nothing was wrong in his room; no one was there beside him.

Just then a faint clink sounded from his window and he stood up, scrunching his eyebrows in confusion. He opened it, the cold air bursting into the warmed room and making him shiver slightly since he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. For a few seconds he didn't notice anything while scanning the area but then something small but hard hit him right in the forehead.

''Bloody hell, that hurt!'' he hissed to the smallish figure that was standing at the edge of the forest, hiding from the light of the almost-full moon.

''Oh god, are you alright? Sorry, I didn't meant to!'' a voice reached him and he immediately forgot about his slightly throbbing forehead.

''Maddy?!'' he asked, surprise clearly written on his face. ''What are you doing here?''

''You hung up on me and you're phone is off.'' She paused, walking two steps towards the house so she could be seen. ''We didn't finish our conversation.''

''And you got out of bed and ran through the forest in the middle of the night because of that?'' he asked incredulously, an amazed smile curling slightly his lips before he could stop it.

''I couldn't sleep after that.'' He saw her shrug. ''Will you bring me a coat or something? I'm kind of freezing down here.''

Rhydian rolled his eyes as he closed the window.

He silently crept down the stairs, making sure that the Vaughns were still asleep up in their room. He cursed as the back door opened with a sharp creak.

''Mads, come in!'' he whisper-yelled towards the small figure in the distance.

The female wolfblood swiftly got in the house. She stood a little awkwardly in the dimly-lighted kitchen. Just then he noticed her clothing: dark blue sweatpants and a grey long-sleeved shirt. No jacket.

''Come on, up in my room is warmer. Though I have no idea how you even considered not getting a jacket in the first place.'' He commented while leading her up to the second floor.

''Mum had just woken up and I had to jump from the window.'' She answered, defending herself.

Silence fell between them as they entered his room and he went to search for something for her to wear.

''Here, this should work. And it will fit in color with your clothes.'' He faked enthusiasm, earning a grin from her.

''How thoughtful of you!'' she said in the same voice while pulling the midnight blue hoodie over her shirt, causing them both to laugh quietly.

Silence fell between them again as the two sat next to each other on his bed. Finally, Maddy decided to speak.

''I thought that you feel sympathetic towards Alric, since he had lost everything and all that.'' She started, not really asking but Rhydian found himself shrugging.

''I do. That doesn't mean that I wasn't scared for your life out there. He was so close to just…break you.'' And that would have broken me.

He stood like that for a while, trying to put in order his own thoughts. He barely missed her response.

''I'm not that fragile.'' She tried to joke, shoving him a little with her shoulder before regaining her seriousness. ''But we're here now, both of us. I'm okay and you're okay and that's what's important, right?''

He looked at her for the first time since they started the conversation, his eyebrows scrunched. Was it possible that she had been worried about him too? It kind of sounded like she had at least thought about it before. It would have been nice, knowing that someone cared for him. Of course, he knew that Maddy cared for him but he never thought that she actually cared…never mind. He couldn't explain it anyway; he didn't get most of it himself.

''But he could have hurt you! And I was just helplessly standing there, not able to do anything.'' He demanded, anger mixing with the heavy feeling inside his chest.

She gripped his hand in hers, small fingers against larger ones, and Rhydian found it just as comforting as the previous one.

''I'm here now. It's over. There's no point in dwelling on it anymore.'' Her voice was firm and calming and he finally let it go, sighing in defeat.

They stood like that for a few minutes, holding hands without looking at each other. It was nice, he decided, to tell this to her. He felt like some sort of weight was lifted from his shoulders.

''You didn't need to come Maddy.'' He finally said after a while.

''You sounded upset. And I didn't manage to respond to you before so I just decided to drop buy.'' She shrugged like it was no big deal.

''In two in the morning?'' he asked incredulously with a half-smile curling his lips. He saw her faintly blush before she answered, looking him right in the eyes.

''Well, it was for you so…I think it was worth it.''

''Thanks.''

''No problem.'' She smiled back at him but then her eyes fell on the clock on his nightstand. ''I should probably go, it's getting late and I have to make a presentation tomorrow.'' She said, standing up. Their hands finally separated.

She made an attempt to take off the hoodie but he stopped her.

''Keep it, it's cold outside. You'll give it to me tomorrow.''

She beamed up at him, blushing again.

''Thank you.'' She whispered before opening the window and swiftly jumping out of it.

They waved at each other and she took off running towards the forest and her home.

He looked at her retreating form as she disappeared under the shade of the trees. Another smile found its way on his face. It felt good to have someone to care for him like this, to be bothered to actually come all the way to his house in the middle of the night just to make sure that he was okay. Not many people would do that. But then again, Maddy wasn't like most people. She was kind, smart, witty and funny. Not to forget cute.

She was something different…Rhydian wasn't sure exactly what. He just knew that he should do something to show her just how much he cared for her. Maybe he should really follow Tom and Shannon's advice to ask her out. What was the worst that could happen anyway?

Yeah, he was going to do it tomorrow.

A\N: I hope that you liked this one. I really liked writing it! Thanks for reading! Review please!