Title: From afar
Fandom: Revenge
Rating: Teen
Length: 200
Content notes: Mentions of sad canon events, canon character death
Author notes: For fan-flashworks for the Haunted Challenge
Summary: Nolan wishes that he could do more for Emily.



Nolan sits on his bed, working on his tablet, when he hears noise in the next room.

Emily having a nightmare. It always sounds like books falling off nightstands, like headboards creaking against the wall. Never screams; even in sleep, Emily keeps control.

Nolan wishes he could go in there, tell her it will be all right. But Ems has clearly stated that it's dangerous to wake her when she's like this.

She'd refuse comfort regardless.

Nolan thinks of all his failures: he's failed to protect Emily, failed to stop her from doing things that she can't take back (he wonders if she dreams of those who've fallen because of their mission, or if she still only dreams of that night when she was 10 years old).

Nolan lies back down. He thinks of his promise to David. He imagines David telling him, disappointed, "I thought you'd take care of her."

He thinks that if he could see David again, he'd have nothing to say. He would be too ashamed.

He goes back to working on his tablet. Sleep isn't going to happen.

He still keeps an ear out for movement in Emily's room. He can't help, but he listens.