TALES OF THE HEART ❦❧ HELEN MCCRORY CHARACTER ONESHOTS

the real her

You and your wife, Polly just had recently had a fight. Tonight you were sleeping in different beds, still mad at each other for yelling. You still loved her of course and would do anything for her but words are a powerful weapon.

You lay in bed thinking about what you could do to make this better for you both. Tomorrow you would make her favourite breakfast and do some of her favourite activities together. Thinking about what you could do you heard a scream down the hall. Quickly jumping out of bed you walked, well, ran to where the scream came from.

You of course knew it was your beloved, Pol she tends to have nightmares often. You knocked gently not wanting to startle her then walked in quietly finding her bundled in blankets crying to herself. Softly you kneeled down next to her and stroked her hair.

"Hey," you said quietly, she flinched a little at your touch and voice. "Sorry it's just me," you murmured softly, she looked up at you with her glossy honey brown eyes. "I heard you scream, was it the nightmares again?" you asked receiving a small nod from her. "Are you okay?" you asked and she shook her head.

"I-I miss y-you." she cried. "P-please forgive me y-y/n. Please" she pleaded.

"You're already forgiven, my love," you explained with a kiss on her forehead.

"Hold me?" she asked, there was no way you could resist her angelic voice, her pleading eyes and your perfect little angel. Without a word, you got onto the bed with her opening your arms for her to lay in her favourite spot. You held her softly yet tight, so she knew she was safe. She wasn't crying anymore but still wasn't sleeping, she was startled by whatever she dreamed about.

"Love, what was your nightmare about?" you asked that way you could hopefully help get her mind off it once she told you. You knew that often talking of it would help her.

"It was terrible, Y/N." she cried. "I- um, you left and didn't come b-back, y-you didn't come b-back," she sobbed. "I-I was a-alone, a-and h-he he was h-here, y-you weren't h-here to stop him." she held you so tightly as she cried. "I-I-" You knew she was talking of inspector Campbell, an often occurrence in her nightmares.

"Shh, darling." you cut her off. "It's okay, you're okay. I'm here and not going anywhere." you cooed, holding her just as tight as she held you. You had tears streaming down your own cheeks as you thought of how stupid your little fight was and how you could have been with her tonight helping her through her nightmares instead of causing one. "I'm sorry I wasn't with you my love" you spoke sadly

"It's okay, you're here now, darling," she said sleepily.

"Love, sleep now you're exhausted. I'll be right here. Holding you tight all night," you explained.

"Thank you," she mumbled half asleep.

"You're welcome my darling, I love you so much," you expressed

"me too" she whispered. Soon her breaths became slower meaning she was falling asleep. You soon after fell asleep knowing she was all right, still planning to make her favourite breakfast in the morning.

The night went with disruption. Constant nightmares not only about you leaving her with that disgusting man, but the death of her dear daughter, sleeping at the moment was hard, so much had been going on in her life, just recently almost being hung to death, but being saved by the king at the very last minute. She was so close to death that she can't help but use resources such as pills and alcohol. That's just an add on to the trauma she's encountered lately.

Her first, well second nightmare of the night she didn't wake you up, it was only the sniffles and shaking in your arms that woke you.

"love, why didn't you wake me?" You asked softly while placing a kiss on her messy hair.

"I didn't want to wake you," she mumbled

"Why, my love? You know I'll never get upset at you for waking me," you explained, and got a shake of the head in return from her.

"I just feel so useless, I can't even face my own nightmares alone..." she cried

"It doesn't make you useless. It just shows you have feelings, love. And feelings that are completely valid," you explained. "Pol, you have been through hell these past couple of weeks, months, years even. Please stop holding this grudge against yourself for feeling, anything that happens here will be between you and me. I will always be here for you. So you don't need to face them alone I want to help you, I didn't marry you because I wanted to know the badass gypsy queen you are, everyone knows her. I want to know you, all of you," you finished your little rant and looked at her, she let out a small sniffle with new tears evident.

"Thank you, no one has cared for me like this," she whispered.

"Oh darling, I will care for you till my dying breath," you said placing a soft kiss on her salty lips.

You both laid there in silence listening to each other's breathing, but not sleeping either. She was the first to break the silence.

"Speak of this to anyone and I won't be afraid to cut you," she said trying to sound serious but her voice quivered slightly. You laughed lightly at her.

"Don't worry, I will not speak of my baby Pol moments," this earned a sigh from her.

"You better hope not," she mumbled.

You both fell asleep again you knowing she was feeling better than before. Though when she woke for the third time this night, and actually woke you up and you knew you would not go back to sleep again, her mind was running wild, there was no stopping it.

You were asleep and heard a quiet "Darling," murmured to your ear. She then shook your shoulder a little, this woke you up fully. It only took one look at Polly to know she had a nightmare.

"Oh, Pol," you mumbled as she fell back into you.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered.

"No sorry's, remember?" you reminded. She nodded, this time she was much more shaken up, you could see how hard she was trying not to cry. One stroke of her hair and her whole wall broke down. The floodgates opened and the tears continued falling down her cheeks.

"Shh, love it's just a dream," you assured, you continued stroking her hair, kissing her temple and whispering sweet words while she cried. "Talk to me, darling. Let it all out," you said softly

"No, please don't make me relive that, please," she begged softly.

"Okay, but if it's bothering you I want you to tell me okay?" you asked.

"Okay," she sighed, you thought of different ways in which you could relax her and calm her, the idea you settled on was a bath. You asked her and she agreed. She let you into the bathroom and stayed on the bed while you drew the bath and got it ready for her. Once it was done you went and got her, helping her tired fragile form into the bathroom. You helped her out of her bedclothes and helped her into the bath, she laid in the water and let out a small sigh of relief. You sat beside the bath massaging her head softly and playing with her hair. She let out small sniffles and cries every now and then and you would whisper sweet things to make her feel better. She was ultimately at the lowest point that you had ever seen her at. It hurt seeing the woman you had known to be strong and powerful so powerless. You did however like that she was showing her emotions, she was always so stubborn she would never tell you when she was hurting, now you got the real Pol. You got her true emotions. The real Pol, which had been hidden in the layers of strength.

"C-can you w-wash m-my hair?" she asked still crying.

"Of course, love" you wet her hair slightly before getting some shampoo and massaging it into her scalp. She let out a little hum of approval. She relaxed her body and closed her eyes, you washed the soap from her hair and added some conditioner. You then got her comb and brushed it through her hair. And washed it out fully.

"You want to get out, love?" you asked

"Five more minutes..." she murmured.

"Of course, I'll go get you a towel," you said standing to get get her a towel. When you got back you helped her out of the bath and helped her dry off. You got her some comfy clothes and helped her dress. You went downstairs and made her favourite breakfast and you both ate it together. She wanted to read so that's what you both did for the rest of your day in each other's embrace, warm and safe...

{1550 words}