Unsure of what else to do Lyla stood up and went to the window. Focusing on the clouds in the sky. Doing her best to ignore the angry yelling and mumbling that came from behind her. 

Her mind was still screeching in its own way. Struggling to deal with the sudden turn of events. Anger laced her thoughts. Anger was another way she coped. It was more acceptable to be mad than to be scared. 

Emma had barely closed the door behind the last. 

"Are you kidding me?" Emma's shrill voice rung through the room. Lyla remained unchanged and stared out the window. 

"No, and I meant what I said," Lyla said. Her voice stayed flat. Emma got the impression words weren't going to change her mind now. 

"I'm not hiding scared anymore," Lyla whispered, more to herself than to Emma. 

"So you decide that challenging them is a better idea?" Emma asked in disbelief. She walked halfway to Lyla then stopped. Choosing not to bother. Lyla brushed her off. 

Emma took that as her dismissal. 

"I have other things to deal with." She said excusing herself from the room. 

The events of the last few days weighed heavily on Lyla. A nap sounded like a wonderful idea to her. Being nothing more than a figurehead had its perks. Like not having to do any actual work. 

Lyla wandered slowly to the elevator. Focused on setting up her ride. She paid no mind to her surroundings. Sleepiness washed over her in waves. Slowly making her way through the halls. It was all she could do to put one foot in front of the other. 

In the time it took her to get outside the lobby, her ride had arrived. 

Fighting hard to stay awake on the long, calming ride to her home. Thinking about her plans to start getting out of the house more. Blushing when she thought of including Derek in those plans. Pulling herself out of her forward way of thinking she reminded herself that they have just met. No matter how amorous it was. She can't just attach herself to him. 

The change in the road let her know she was close to her drive. Temporarily shutting off the thoughts about Derek. Turning her attention to her home, mainly her soft and comfortable bed. 

She never thought she would be grateful to see her home. Yet here she was. From here she could hear her bed singing her name like a siren's call. 

She heard her phone chirp several times. Gerard's welcome. She smiled feeling comfort knowing he didn't miss a thing. The driver pulled the car to a stop in front of her house. He didn't bother getting out of the car to help her. Not that she cared much. 

She let him pull away before entering her home. Just because she was tired didn't mean she was any less paranoid. Letting out a sigh of relief as she moved further into the house. She happily ditched her business coat and shoes.  

"Welcome home," Gerard said in an overly chipper voice for Lyla's liking. She ignored him, she wasn't about to take sass from a computer. Bypassing the kitchen. She headed straight to her bedroom. Striping down to her panties and tank top as soon as the door closed behind her. 

With a heavy thud, she collapsed onto her bed. Sleep comes quickly enough. 

Images started to form and took hold under the guise of dreams. 

Lyla found herself sitting in her office chair. Across from her was Ian. Her heart started to pound, and she knew something about him was wrong. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember what. Looking down, she spots the gun on the desk. 

Her heart is now in her throat, making it difficult for her to swallow.  Ian's eyes follow hers. A twisted smile formed on his face. Lyla lurched back, trying to put space between them. 

It was to no avail, as Ian leaped across the desk. Knocking the gun to the floor with a clatter. His hands wrapping around her throat. The chair she had been in hit the floor. The jarring impact made his hands tighten. Choking and sputtering. She clawed at his face. Deseparate to jab an eye out or at least inflict some harm. 

She wasn't going down without a fight. He was slowly applying more pressure. Lyla started to scratch at his hands. Her vision fading out. Her eyes shut, she didn't want to stare at his face anymore. 

An out of place noise reached her ears. The lack of oxygen made it hard for her to focus. The sound happened again. She noticed the harder she focused on the noise, Ian lessened his grip. 

Using what capabilities she had left she focused on that sound. Praying it would happen again. 

It did. She knew that sound. 

It was her cat, Captain. 

She struggled to understand why her cat would be at the office. His cry grew louder this time. 

"He's hurt," Lyla thought to herself. Ian's hands disappeared from her throat. She took a big gulp of air and bolted upright in her bed. Relief that it was all dream flooded her. 

A drawn-out cry came from somewhere in the house. Lyla's heart twinged as panic took hold. Not knowing what else to do Lyla leaves her bed. It was unusually dark as she crept into the hallway. Captain's crying happens more often as if he knows she's trying to find him.  She looks in all his usual hiding spots. He's been unhappy ever since Lyla came home from the hospital. Spending most of his time somewhere up high. 

Until now she had only one indication that he was still here. Every morning she had to fill his food bowl.  

His cry interrupted her thoughts, he was scared. She could hear him hissing and spitting now. She checked the kitchen and the second bathroom. 

The sound of Captain's scream rocked Lyla to her core. She's never heard him or any cat, make a sound like that before. Thinking the sound was coming from outside she didn't stop to wonder how he would have gotten there. She just put one foot in front of the other. Running to the door she wrenched it open. Rushing out she left the door wide open.

The cold night air hit her bare legs. She regretted not putting on pants. 

"Captain!" She called. A much quieter, weaker cry answered her.  She took a few steps in the direction the cry came from. Not being able to see that far ahead of her.  Her spine started to tingle as she ventured into the dark. The hairs on her arm were on end. 

"Captain," she whispered. Shivering from both the cold and some good hearty fear. She waited but there was no answer. Leaving the safety of the motion lights, she stood in the absolute darkness. 

On the verge of tears, fearing the worse for her cat.  Something brushed by behind her. She heard quick footsteps go into her house. When she turned around there was no one there. 

Momentarily confused she went back into her house. Making sure to close the door behind her this time. She didn't see anyone right away, but the footsteps continued still. 

Something jolted Lyla. She found herself on her bed. Tangled up in the blankets. Drool was drying on her face. That proves she had been dreaming this whole time. When she untangled herself from the blankets her leg bumped into something solid. Her eyes landed on Captain. He was pressed up against her at the edge of the bed. 

His head facing the door, which was open now, his eyes focused on something she couldn't see.  Unease settled on Lyla. She was sure she had closed that door. The low lights in the hallway shined in. Something at the end of the hallway caught her attention. It was a shadow. It almost looked like a person. Lyla was about to chalk it up as eye tricks. 

The shadow moved as if it was moving into the living room. Lyla realized there was someone in her house.