[He listens to her speak, hears the tremor in her words, how her voice wavers in and out and almost meshes with the pattering of the rain against the windowpane. Every muscle in his body tenses when he hears her tears, and then loosens, just as his heart had seized at the sound of her so defeated and in pain from not being able to sleep. Something as simple as fucking sleeping, and nearly everything they had experienced kept her from that.

If Nightmare was a man, Joel would be beating the living black piss out of him right about now.]

Hey--

[He's rolled over onto his side, towards her, a hand reaching out in the dark. His fingers smooth over her cheek to find no tears but it's his thumb that slips over the trek of them along her nose. Shifting somewhat, Joel wraps an arm around her and pulls her in exactly as he had upon finding her. He gets her tucked in under his chin, hand settled at the back of her head.]

I made you a promise, baby girl. I promised I would not let anyone ever hurt you, myself included. Now I intend to keep that promise, no matter what.

[Every word that rumbles in his chest, Joel means. He can practically feel her fatigue as he holds her; there's nothing else he can really do but be there for her while she at least tries to sleep, keep close and continue to reassure her.

In the morning, he'll talk to Tess. They'll work something out. Anything to help her through this.]