Jax smiled. "You two like to wear necklaces?"

The two men looked at one another and softly laughed. Jax looked at Dani, whose eyes were still closed. She was singing a song to herself about dancing, oblivious to the danger outside of the car.

The two men slowly circled around the vehicle, "There won't be any trouble if you give us your money and her jewelry. Just think of it as a second cover charge."

Jax shook his head, remembering the man at the door that complimented Dani's necklace, "So you all working on this together? Did you all break the cameras too?"

"Look at him," one of the men pointed. "He must've been the valedictorian of his class or something."

"Shut up and give us what we want," the other gang member said, his eyes looking around for possible witnesses.

"And if I don't?" Jax asked.

"You and your girl will lose more than your money."

Jax was eyeing their hands. If they had weapons, they probably would've shown them by now. Because of their operation, the cameras in the bar were useless. Because of them, the Maestro's identity was still a secret.

"I think we're gonna have to play rough with him," one of the men said. "I get to play with the girl first."

Jax sprang into action. He quickly kicked one of the men in the groin while lambasting the other with a left hook followed by a right uppercut. One of them was able to land a punch before he pulled out his cuffs to link them together. They fought him but Jax pushed them both to the ground. A few men that were leaving the bar ran to help Jax. Minutes later, the police arrived, along with Roberto Montoya.

"I can't let you go anywhere, can I?" Roberto asked, shaking his head.

Jax rubbed his cheek which was a little bruised from being hit.

"You need an ice pack?" Roberto asked.

"Nah. It was just a lucky punch."

"Unlucky for you. So you came here with the waitress?" Roberto pointed to Jax's car. Despite the noise and lights, Dani was still asleep.

"We didn't come here together. Not really. We sort of just met while we were both here," Jax explained.

"Right, and I'm Santa. Whatever you say," his partner looked at the crowd that was surrounding them. "So did you find out anything about Remy Kress?"

"She was here but the bartender didn't see anything. The cameras here are broken so there's no footage of who was in or out that night. I asked a waitress about her but she didn't recognize her."

"Again with the broken cameras? The criminals aren't making this easy, are they? I'll hang out here after you leave and ask a few more people if they recognize her," Roberto said. "You take your date home."

"She's not my date."

"Sure looks that way to me," Roberto patted Jax on the shoulder before making his way towards the bar.

Jax tapped the glass of the window but Dani didn't budge. He gave a mocking laugh, "You're a strange woman, Panda Eyes."

"Stop it. Please Derek...I said I was sorry," the familiar voice echoed in the darkness.

"Shut the hell up. I told you time and time again. You never listen!"

Billy struggled in Derek's strong grasp, unable to break free. His feet dug into the ground, trying to form some traction to slow Derek down. Billy gasped, trying to breathe.

"Why do you make me do these things, Billy? Why?" Derek asked as his foot collided with Billy's stomach. "You're making me into some kind of monster. Why? This is all your fault! I told you not to follow me around. To mind your own business! Why don't you ever listen to me?"

The night was filled with the sound of painful grunts and desperate pleading. After a few minutes it was silent. He could feel the damp earth beneath his body as a cool breeze bathed and comforted him like a mother blowing on her child's bruises. All he could see were the blades of grass before his eyes and a steady stream of water. Derek was gone but a feeling of jealousy hung in the air. Like the stream before him, he longed to run in a constant steady direction far away from where he was now.

A gurgling noise awoke her and it wasn't until she felt her sheets wrapped tightly between her fingers that Dani realized she had been dreaming. She wiped her damp forehead with her hand and looked at the alarm clock by her bed.

3:15 AM

She wasn't surprised but anxious. How early would too early be to knock on Billy and Derek's door? That was such a strange dream. Her head was pounding and she groaned as she reached over to turn on the light in her bedroom. A note was attached to her phone.

Thank you for the wild evening. –Jax

She inhaled deeply, suddenly remembering being at Wine Time with Jax. She didn't remember leaving. How had she gotten home? She forced herself not to think about it. Dani quickly showered and dressed as she usually did before heading for work. As she passed Billy and Derek's apartment, her eyes lingered on their door. She was so tempted to check on Billy. He had to be alive since she saw his nightmare...but what if he was in some kind of danger?

"Dumbass Derek," Dani mumbled as she forced herself to King's Diner.

When she arrived to work, she was greeted by Dolores and was surprised to see Oliver.

"Oliver, what are you doing here so early?" Dani asked as she tied her apron around herself.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Oliver reprimanded. "Your shift starts in the afternoon."

Dani worked the afternoon shift but always came in early. It was unofficially her schedule. Oliver liked to give her a hard time but he really didn't mind her coming in to work a double shift since they didn't have any other waitresses willing to come in early and she needed the extra tip money.

"I couldn't sleep so I might as well earn some money, right?" Dani asked.

Dolores walked over with some coffee that she handed Oliver, "Stop being such a grouch and give her what you bought her."

"Fine...fine," Oliver grinned. He reached behind the counter and brought out a gift bag filled with pink and white tissue paper.

Dani eyed Dolores and Oliver suspiciously, "What's this? It's not my birthday."

"You haven't been sleeping," Oliver pushed the bag forward to Dani who cautiously opened it. Oliver was known for giving prank gifts or Elvis related memorabilia. For her birthday, Dani once received an Elvis temporary tattoo kit.

"Oh my goodness," Dani pulled out a purple and pink dream catcher, "It's beautiful."

"Dani, you come in here every day looking more and more exhausted," Dolores said. "I think you should see a doctor about your insomnia."

Dani had seen a doctor...several doctors about her insomnia. She'd been prescribed sleeping pills that never worked and had even been to a hypnotherapist. She didn't want to worry Dolores or Oliver so she kept it a secret that her nightmares and lack of sleep were a permanent disability she would have to live with.

"I might not need a doctor with this," Dani gushed, touching the dream catcher's delicate feathers. She knew it wouldn't help but it was still a beautiful and thoughtful gift.

"A dream catcher should catch all of your bad dreams if you ever have any," Oliver clapped his hands together, causing Dani to giggle. She smiled at Oliver as she pulled him into a bear hug. Dolores joined in only to have the Booty Pirates disturb their sweet moment.

"Whoa...did we walk into an orgy here?" Belcher asked his friend and band mate, Freddy, as they stared at the three adults hugging.

"I call dibs on Dolores!" Freddy squealed, only to have a dish rag hit his forehead.

"Don't be a pervert," Dolores growled at the young man thirty years her junior.

"Sorry Dolores but I've always liked older women," Freddy wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

"More like you have mommy issues," Dani muttered.

"Don't be jealous, Dani. I call dibs on you," Belcher leered at Dani's chest.

"Gross me out, why don't you?" Dani mumbled as she left both Booty Pirates to Dolores and sauntered over to a customer that had just walked in. She was so distracted from her dream about Billy that she didn't pay attention to what she was doing or who she was physically making contact with as her fingers accidentally touched with different customers while she poured coffee or passed dishes.

"Earth to Dani. Hello," Dolores was waving a hand in front of her face. "You've been walking around here like a zombie."

"I have?"

"Yes," Dolores nodded. "You probably have no idea who you served today, do you?"

Dani shook her head, "Sorry. I've got a lot on my mind this morning."

Finally, she told Dolores she would be heading home for a bit before her official shift started. Her legs wouldn't move fast enough as she ran home. Her text messages to Billy had been unanswered and her calls had gone straight to voicemail. She knocked on Billy's door only to have it opened by Derek.

"It's pretty early in the morning for you to be knocking on my door," Derek said. He looked disheveled with his mussed hair and wrinkled clothing.

"Is Billy home?" Dani asked, trying to see past Derek and into the apartment.

Derek adjusted his stance to purposely block her view, "No."

"He's not?" Dani gulped. "W-where is he?"

"Aren't you the busybody this morning?" Derek leaned forward causing Dani to automatically take a step back. "What did you need Billy for? I didn't think you two were that close."

Dani struggled for an answer, "Well...I wanted to talk to him about...you know."

"I know...what?"

"About school!" Dani smiled. "I was thinking of going back to school and I wanted to talk to him about the college he's going to right now. When will he be home?"

"If you're so interested in the school, check out their website," Derek started to quickly shut his door but Dani panicked and slid her hand between the door and the frame causing him to accidentally shut the door on her fingers.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Owwww," Dani moaned and pulled her hand back as Derek grabbed it to check if it was okay, "Don't touch me!"

"What the hell, I was just trying to help. Why did you put your hand there?" Derek cursed under his breath. "Listen, I don't know when Billy's coming back. He might not. He had some family emergency to go to so he's going to be gone for a few days."

"Are you lying?"

"What?" Derek was clearly offended. "Why would I lie? Forget I said anything. Get lost!"

Dani held her hand as Derek slammed the door shut. She trudged back to her apartment and iced her hand. Derek had to be lying. She wished there was a way to find out when she suddenly thought of an obnoxious detective that might be able to help her.

In the early morning hours, Detective Jax Michaels liked to spend his time running. He put on his Nikes and was just about to go for his morning jog, when his phone rang.

"What do we have, Roberto?"

"We got another body, courtesy of the Maestro," his partner Roberto Montoya shared. "I swear this guy is one hell of a wackadoo. Each scene is getting bloodier and bloodier."

"Do we know time of death yet?" Jax asked.

"Nothing definite but I'd say this looks like it just happened within the past forty-eight hours."

"Dammit, don't these women watch the news?"

Roberto chuckled, "Apparently not. Either that or they don't think they'd be unlucky enough to get wrapped up with this guy."

"He likes classical music. That should be a clear sign to stay away," Jax shook his head. "I'll be there in a few. I just need to change."

"Alright. I'll text you the address."

Jax was about to run upstairs when there was a knock at the door. He opened it without checking who it was. His mouth dropped open.

"Hi boyfriend." Standing before him was Dani Deleon.

"What...how...I—"

Jax couldn't seem to form a sentence, he was so surprised.

"How do I know where you live and what am I doing here?" Dani supplied. She mentally prayed for courage because this was one of the craziest things she had ever done.

"Yeah...that's it," Jax nodded.

"I lied and told one of the officers that I was your girlfriend you met online and wanted to surprise you at your home," Dani answered.

"And they believed that? Who was it? That's confidential...you could've been some kind of crazy stalker. Could've? What am I saying? You probably are."

"True, that's what the officer said at first but then I told him you were surely capable of defending yourself against me," Dani lifted her arms in the air to remind him how petite she was. "Besides, I told them we'd met and had dates...I just hadn't been to your house."

Jax grunted, "That's not the point."

"I also showed him a picture of you and me together at Disneyland," Dani said.

"What? How is that possible?"

Dani shrugged, "Facebook and Photoshop."

"Dani, what are you doing here? I want the truth."

"I need your help."

"What could possibly justify you going to such lengths to stalk me down?" Jax asked. "Is this about last night? Nothing happened."

"I know that," Dani licked her lips, "Remember how you said there was something you couldn't quite figure out about me?"

"Yeah...are you going to tell me what it is? You picked now of all times?"

Dani nodded, "You may want to sit down."

"Please don't tell me you're really an alien or something crazy like that."

"Just sit down first," Dani said. Once Jax was seated, she continued. "There is something special about me. Well I don't call it special so much as a curse."

"What are you talking about?" Jax asked, not following her. He looked at the time on his phone, wondering how long Roberto would wait for him before getting upset.

"Do you know what a dream catcher is?" Dani asked.

Jax thought for a moment before answering, "Yeah, it's one of those spider web things that has feathers. It's supposed to stop you from having nightmares."

"Right. Now what if I told you that dream catchers don't work on me?"

Jax shrugged, "I'd say that's probably true for most people. It's just a tool for superstitious people."

"What if I told you that I believed in dream catchers? That I believe it's possible to transfer your nightmares to something or someone else?"

"Dani, what are you trying to get at here? As much as I appreciate a beautiful woman coming to see me, I have to get to a crime scene."

"Okay, I'll just come out and say it but I need you to have an open mind. The truth is...the truth is...that I'm a human dream catcher. If someone touches me, later that night or maybe even a few days later, I'll see their nightmares. That's how I knew Carol was having an affair and how that tattooed man had the necklace and the gun. They were in my dreams. You asked about the sketches, remember? I usually draw pictures of what I saw in my dreams. I'm telling you the truth."

Jax stared at Dani, his face a mask of detachment.

"Detective Michaels? Did you hear me?"

Jax's eyes narrowed, "What are you?"

"What do you mean?"

Jax ran a hand through his hair, "First you're a waitress, then you're a stalker girlfriend who fakes photos to track me down, and now you're saying you're a psychic. I'm not going to lie....I'm slightly disturbed."

Dani didn't know if he was teasing or not but she replied anyway, "I am a waitress. I'm not a psychic. I'm not your girlfriend. I'm not a stalker...well not usually. I'm also worried and I need your help."

"What do you need my help with?" Jax asked. He was proud of himself for not pitching a fit about her claim to be a psychic. "I know some numbers to some therapists if you like."

His statement stung.

"Therapists? Do you think I'm joking around here?" Dani asked.

"Aren't you?" Jax was a volcano ready to erupt. "I have a murderer on the loose and you're coming to my house telling me some crazy story about dream catchers. How the hell did you expect me to react? Am I supposed to automatically accept what you're saying as the truth when it sounds so crazy?"

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't know how crazy I sound? If I could, I'd stop them from happening...but I can't. I can't control these dreams. Every night I get to see someone's worst fears. That's right. For me they're all nightmares. You called me psychic but I'm not. I don't see the future. I just see fear."

"This is absurd. Say something that makes sense."

"I'm trying to make sense. My dreams are hard to explain. It's like if you had a scary dream and woke up to tell me about it except you didn't have to...because I already saw it. You think I want to go around having people think I'm a freak? I don't tell this to everyone but I don't have a choice so I'm telling you."

Slowly processing everything she confessed, Jax said, "Alright, I'm going to stop using my brain and start following my gut. What is it that you want to tell me? What did you need my help with?"

"I have a neighbor. His name is Billy. He was the piano player at Wine Time," Dani reminded him.

"The effeminate guy with glasses?"

"That's the one. He's a total sweetheart but his boyfriend, Derek, is a jerk. I think Derek hurt him or something because last night I had a dream that Billy was beaten and left out in the middle of the woods."

"You had a dream that a guy was beaten and you want me to investigate it?" Jax asked.

"That about sums it up," Dani nodded.

"No."

"No?" Dani didn't expect to be rejected so quickly.

"No," Jax repeated.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not a dream detective. I'm a homicide detective and right now I'm supposed to be at a crime scene. Instead, I'm in my living room talking to some strange girl who claims to be a psychic...or a dream catcher...or whatever about her neighbor that had a fight with his boyfriend."

"I never said I was a psychic. I see fears not the future," Dani corrected him. "And Billy could be hurt. I even tried going to check on him but his boyfriend Derek said he was out of town. How convenient is that?"

"A coincidence," Jax replied. "Listen, I shouldn't have let you in. I need to change and meet my partner. If you really think your friend is missing, report it to the station in twenty-four hours."

"He could be dead by then!" Dani cried.

"Fine. If he's dead, then I'll take over and investigate." The minute the words were out of his mouth, he knew it was a crappy thing to say, "Hey listen, I'm sorry."

"Forget it," Dani muttered. "I don't need help from someone who's going to mock me."

"I didn't mock you," Jax clarified.

"No, but you don't believe me and you could care less about my neighbor who is one of the nicest people I've ever met by the way."

"Dani, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"I'll get going now," Dani shuffled to the door. She was about to leave when she stopped and turned around, "But before I go, I should also tell you...that Maestro guy. He listens to classical music before he kills right?"

Jax didn't answer. That information was easily found in the newspaper.

"He likes to steal their hearts too, doesn't he?"

Jax stilled. That information had purposely been kept out of the media reports.

"How did you know that?"

Dani opened the door to leave, "That music killer or Maestro or whatever you call him. I've seen his dreams too."