She sat bolt upright as soon as the nightmare had left her. She knew well enough that nightmares weren't real and could only hurt her if she let them, but she hadn't had a nightmare in years and the sudden onslaught of images was somewhat of a shock. She desperately tried to calm herself down, feeling tears prick at her eyes. That was not allowed, crying was a sign of weakness, and Taz was not weak. She took several deep, steadying breaths, before moving to lay down and go back to sleep. However, as soon as she shut her eyes, she was greeted with the sights of her nightmare. Again, she sat up. Her breathing had become uneven and the stinging in her eyes returned. There was no way she was getting back to sleep tonight.

Before she fully registered what she was doing, she was out of her quarters and creeping down the hallway. She was already halfway there before she stopped herself. "What am I doing?" she thought to herself, fully intending to stop being so damn stupid, turn around and go back to her room. Dead God seemed to have a different plan for her, though, because she turned around just in time to see MegaGirl walk into the hall. The sight of the robot refreshed the images Taz had seen in her nightmare, and before she could talk reason into herself, she turned again and bolted the rest of the way.

The room, as she should have expected, was dark when she walked in. She could hear his gentle snoring coming from the direction of the bed, and she silently swore at herself. How could she be so weak? She could only imagine the laughter if he found out she had come, running like a little baby, to him, simply because she couldn't work out the difference between a dream and reality. The very idea made her sick. She had made to leave again when she tripped over a – something – on the floor.

It was a thud followed by the low sound of an unfamiliar language that woke him. Wait, no. That wasn't an unfamiliar language, that was Taz. Up was out bed in a fraction of a second when he realized this.

"Taz?" He asked.

He saw her silhouette scramble to it's feet and turn to face him.

"Sí, Up?" There was something about her voice that he didn't like. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Everythin' okay, Lieutenant?"

"Sí, Commander." There is was again. Why couldn't he figure it out?

"So there's no particular reason you're in my quarters, at three in the mornin'?"

"...No, sir."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes with one hand.

"Taz. You're in my room at three in the mornin', shakin' and talkin' funny. Somethin' ain't right."

He saw her shuffling and – was that a sniffle?

"T-Taz?"

And suddenly she was in his arms.

She cursed at herself for being this weak, for letting this happen. She just couldn't help it, though. Everything was hitting her all at once and, even if it was a sign of her weakness, she did not want to be on her own. She clung to Up with all she had, burying her head in his chest. She still held back the tears, though. There was a line she did not want to cross, and crying was, in her eyes, the point of no return.

"Taz, you're gonna be alright, ya hear?" She felt almost grateful when he seemed to get over the initial shock and wrap his arms around her, too.

"I-i-i-if you say so, Up," she muttered as her voice cracked.

"Taz, you are gonna be just fine."

If she was going to break down, she thought, she couldn't think of a better person to do it in front of. So, for the first time in years, Taz let herself cry.

Morning would find the two of them, asleep on Up's couch, ignited in the glow of the television, where the menu screen of The Karate Kid was currently displayed. Taz's face was tear streaked, though the corners of her mouth were curled upwards.