Chanter dedication: Rabbekah

Song of recommendation for the chapter: STORM IS OVER - R-KELLY. 🎧🎶❤

*

Lee had followed the ambulance down to the hospital, and cried hard when she saw the way the EMTs attended to Chris. When they got to the hospital, Chris was wheeled into the emergency room and Lee had to stay in the waiting area with Sutton and Carson.

Carson called Chris's family, while Lee was checked out by the nurses after complaining about her cramps. Thankfully, it happened because she forgot to eat that morning and didn't harm the baby. She couldn't live with herself if something happened to the only part of Chris she had left.

Lee paced to and fro in the waiting hall, her eyes glued to the phone that would announce the outcome of the surgery.

"Sit down, Lee. Just because they gave you the all clear doesn't mean you have to stress yourself," Sutton said gently. "You have to be strong and alert for when he's out of surgery. You need to calm down for you and for your baby-"

"I'm not going into shock!" Lee snapped. "I just need to know that he's okay. You didn't see the blood, I did."

"I saw enough to know how you feel, Lee," Carson said as he took Lee's hand and led her to sit beside Sutton. "It's okay, Lee, he'll be fine. Thank God we got there in time."

"H-how did you know to bring the police there?" Lee asked, trying to distract herself from waiting for the ringing that will announce Chris's health.

"Officer Bates and her partner called me to say that they found the person who knocked father down with his car," Sutton explained. "It turned out to be a goon hired by April Hale and I knew immediately that we had to do something because you're in Chris's place so I told her that."

"But I didn't tell you about April."

"I saw the engagement news with Chris on Twitter."

Lee buried her face in her palms as sobs racked her body. "He almost died because of me!" She cried. "When I saw him go down. . . it was as if my whole world crumbled. I love that idiot and I want to tell him that I forgive him. I want him to be with my baby and I. We'll all be a family."

Carson joined them on the bench "And family you'll be. Don't worry too much."

Lee leaned into Sutton as Carson wrapped a hand around them. The three of them silently stared at the phone as they all thought of what they'd been through in the last few weeks. Then they knew that everything would be more than okay now that the storm had passed.

"I'm sorry." Lee broke the silence. "I'm sorry for pushing you away when you wanted to comfort me."

Sutton hummed. "We understand you at the time, Lee. It's okay. Forgive us too. We should have been there for you, too. We just had a little issue at the time."

"Huh?"

"It's nothing," Carson interjected quickly as he glared at his wife. "It's nothing. We're all fine."

Lee narrowed her eyes at Sutton noting that something was different about her, but couldn't tell what. She decided to let it go for now, knowing that they wouldn't tell her anything even if something was wrong.

Lee sighed. "Do you think everything would be okay?"

"Yes." Sutton caressed her hair. "Everything would be fine."

"Yes. . ." Carson trailed off when the phone began to ring. He quickly rose to his feet and hurried over to pick it up. "Family of Christopher Ross."

Lee sat upright and stared at Carson hopefully. Fear kept her from rising up from the chair. She wasn't sure if she'd be standing if it turned out to be not what she's expecting.

"Okay. . .Huh? . . .I will tell her. Okay, thank you."

Carson scratched his head as s
he stalled the news. "Lee. . ."

"Tell me." She fisted her hands on her lap, she was terrified that Chris didn't make it out of surgery.

April would get what she always wanted because Lee would loose Chris again. Only that it was permanent this time around.

"It was successful."

Lee sagged against Sutton in relief. He was alive. He was still Alive. That was all that mattered.

By the time Chris family arrived, they were informed that Chris would be transferred to a private ward. Lee could only cry after she told the family that she was expecting a baby and was smothered in hugs and kisses.

Everything would be okay again.

*

When he woke up, Chris throat felt as if someone had used sandpaper on it. That was the first thing he noticed. The second thing the noticed was the pure white of the ceiling tiles above him. He didn't have tiles like those on his ceiling at home.

Where was he?

Chris squeezed his eyes shut again, trying to think. The last thing he could remember was being in the parlour where April was pointing a gun at Lee.

He jumped at her, didn't he? And he remembered something slamming into him.

Where was she now?

Opening his eyes again, he took another look around the room. This time, he realized where he was. At least, kind of. This was a hospital room. That was why it was so white.

Chris found the most important person by his side.

Lee sat on a chair next to his bed, her upper body hunched over to rest on top of his legs. A warm fondness spread through Chris at the sight. Obviously she'd fallen asleep waiting for him to wake up.

But why was he here in the first place?

He was fine, wasn't he? Tentatively, he wiggled all of his limbs a little bit. He winced when a sharp pain jabbed his arm. It hurt so bad.

As Chris was doing his exercise to take stock of what else was broken, Lee roused.

"Hey there, sleeping beauty," He said as she lifted her head to look at him out of bleary eyes that widened when she noticed that he was awake.

"You're up!" she stated the obvious, but Chris decided not to mock her because she was adorable-and also because he had questions.

"What happened?"

Lee straightened, either trying to get comfortable in her chair or buying time. Maybe both. "You uh. . ." She licked her lips and started again. "You scared the crap out of me. You could have almost died. Did you have to leap at her like that?"

Oh. Right. He had been shot by April. "I had to do something before she killed you."

Lee huffed. "You stupid, brave man." Tears streaked down her cheeks. "I almost died when I saw your blood. It was so much."

Ow. Lee must have been crying hard when she saw him laying on the floor in his own blood. He couldn't really blame her - she must have been worried. He would have been, had their roles been reversed. "I'm sorry. I didn't think this was going to happen. I just had to get you to safety. For that matter, what actually happened? Also, is there water anywhere?" He felt parched, though he knew the IV drip connected to his left arm was probably providing him with all the fluid he needed.

"Hang on." Lee rose from her chair and picked up a glass of water that stood on a low table to his other side. When Chris sat up, she held it to his lips. The cool liquid felt wonderful going down his throat.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Let me know if you need more."

"What I really need are some answers."

"Maybe you should sleep a little more before we talk about it." Lee glanced at the window and he followed her gaze. It was dark outside. "Sorry I never turned out the light," she mumbled. "I can go do that now. I just. . . didn't want to miss any signs that you might be waking up."

That was so genuinely sweet that Chris didn't know how to respond. Even though he'd known Lee for a while, she still managed to catch him off guard with statements like that.

"I don't mind about the light," Chris said finally. "Did you inform my family?" Lee nodded.

"Only one person could stay behind with you, so I had everyone go home with the promise that I will call them if you wake up." She rubbed her eyes. She told Chris to sleep more but she was just as tired, if not more so.

"I don't think I can go back to sleep before I know what happened."

Lee's gaze flickered from him to the floor and back. "You were shot in the arm by April, thankfully when you jumped at her she hit the floor hard and lost consciousness but not before Officer Bates shot her. . . I can't go through another day like this, Chris. It's not just-" she stopped abruptly and shook her head at herself as if something had almost slipped her mouth.

Chris knew Lee. There was something she wasn't telling him.

"What is it, Lee?"

"I'm pregnant, okay?!" She cried, throwing her hands up. "It's not just us two anymore. You can't pull stunts like that anymore."

Chris tried to sit up and cursed when white hot pain nearly made his eyes cross. "Fuck!"

Lee was beside him in a flash. "Stop moving about, Chris!"

"You're really pregnant." His eyes dropped to her stomach. "Lee." He didn't even bother to clean the tears rolling down his face. "Our baby is in there."

"Yes." Lee laughed as she sat on his bed, took his IV free hand and pressed it to her belly. "Our baby is in here."

"Wow." He sighed. "So you're not going away anymore?"

"I'm not going away, period." Lee cupped his face in her hands and gently forced her lover's gaze upward. "Chris, I love you and I need you, and I am damned well not living without you. We'll work it out."

Chris smile was beautiful. His eyes lit up like the sky on the Fourth Of July. "Really?"

"Really." Lee bent and kissed him lightly, around the tubes and lines. Chris's mouth tasted like crap.

Lee couldn't care less. She settled back in the chair and took his hand. "I know we have to work around our past situation. I am getting help right now and you will too. "

"We will do it together, I promise you. Just promise me that you would never leave me again no matter what happens, okay?"

Lee looked down at him. "I want you," she said. "Maybe that's why it's so hard when I left you that first time, telling myself that I was doing the right thing. I promise not to walk away from you like that again. If I ever try to do that, yell at me,"

"I can do that. You tell me when I am doing something wrong and we'll go from there. Also, I will not to put anyone else above you either in private or public. Just . . . don't go cold, okay? Don't walk away and shut me out. It won't be easy to love again."

Lee nodded. "I promise. No cold treatment. I might yell. I'll try not to throw things."

Chris smile became wider. "I know how to duck."

"Not at you. Jesus." She breathed. "Not after I watch you bleed out in front of me. What the hell were you thinking?"

Chris's eyes had regained their sparkle. Those gold lights danced in the pretty gold, as he looked up at her. Lee felt her own lips twitch in an answering smile. Just as she was about to move in to kiss him, the door opened and a nurse walked in.

"You're finally awake, sir." She smiled. "I will just be checking your vitals before informing your family about your consciousness."

"Thank you." Chris nodded at her.

Chris shifted like he might try to sit up, and Lee put a firm hand on his shoulder. Although from the whimper Chris had made when he moved, it might be unnecessary.

After the nurse did her examinations and wrote something's down on her notepad, she grinned at them and left after telling them that she would be calling Chris's family.

"April is crazy," Lee said. "I can't believe that she could go as far as doing this."

Lee explained everything that happened after Chris lost consciousness. April was also in the hospital because she was shot in the leg, but police officers were watching the room. Her goons had been arrested too and would stand trail with her.

"April couldn't tell that I wasn't interested in her that way," Chris muttered. "And my being nice to her made her think I harboured some feelings for her. I am responsible for putting you in danger. I feel as though that's all I'll ever attract to you "

Enough was enough.

"She was loony," Lee said firmly. "You're just a good person, when the need arises. You know the difference, and you would never hurt anyone. We need to suck it up and move on."

"She won't move on."

"No. But I swear, Chris, if you start wallowing in guilt I'm going to kick your ass." She threatened. "And don't you ever throw yourself in harm's way like that ever again."

Chris suddenly smiled. "I like the sound of that."

She raised a brow at him. "The ass kicking part or throwing yourself in harm's way?"

He wisely shook his head, but Lee saw the smile he was trying to keep from her. Lee stared down at him. Every inch of her body leaned toward the man in the bed, seeking that electric heat that only Chris seemed to possess. Including about that hot wet core of Lee that was going to just have to wait.

She took his face in both hands and leaned in to kiss him, long and sweet and slow. Chris's lips moved under hers, opening. His tongue stroked hers, and the smaller woman made a soft sound that was not pain.

Lee pulled back and smiled at him, not letting go of his face. She stroked along his cheekbones with her thumbs, and watched her lover's eyes darken.

"We will be fine," she said.

And he believed her.

A/N:

Ehn, not the most popular ending, I know. But fret not. . . Jazzy's got a perfect epilogue for Y'all.

You're going to love it.

I already chose a name for Chris and Lee's baby. But I need a middle name.

Make it unisex, please. Not boys only and girls only names.

If Lee and Chris loves the name, they'll use it. 😊😉.

Thank you for coming this far with Chris and Lee. ❤❤❤

QOTC: (because it's the very last one and I can't resist😉): Did you enjoy the story?

Please don't forget to vote 🌟, comment 💬, and share 📱. ❤😍😘