Aidan slept better than Rachel, although it wasn't entirely peaceful. She continually tossed and turned, but he didn't mind. Each time he was forced closer to consciousness, he pressed closer and made sure that an arm was wrapped around her, holding her close and just being a solid presence there.

Sometimes, when he didn't think it would wake her, he'd whisper reassurances to her. No false platitudes or Hallmark sentiments, just letting her know that someone was there for her and cared for her. Reminding her that it wasn't her fault and that she shouldn't blame herself.

When he finally woke up, the sun had already risen and Rachel was awake next to him. He half thought she might have been gone when he woke up, remembering how the last time they had spent the night together she wasn't comfortable waking up with him next to her. Entirely different circumstances, but still he had wondered.

"How you feeling?" he asked, snuggling up closer to her and breathing deeply.