Miranda Bailey opened her eyes to darkness in the air; she glanced over at the clock and read the time, 4:30. She didn't need to be up for work for another two hours. She quickly went over everything she had to do that day in her head. Go into work at 9 o'clock, preform her reverse surgery on her patient Mary, have a meeting with Chief Sheppard about the General surgery budget, pick up Tuck from school, and settle down for the night. As she went over this in her head she lowered her hand to find another wrapped around hers tightly. She smiled to herself as she remembers the events of the following night. Ben inviting her over for dinner, them eating and talking all night, but then passing out in his bed before anything more could happen. She started to peel his arm off of her and crawl out of the bed.

"Where are you going" She heard Ben's raspy voice say behind her. She turned around and saw his eyes still shut and against the pillow.

"Just to the bathroom" She responded with a smile. He nodded and turned over onto his stomach and continued slightly snoring. She started to head back to the bed once she was finished, she lied down and started to pull up the covers to her. Ben turned back over to his stomach but on the other side of the bed closer to her, he put his hand around her stomach and pulled her closer. " What are you doing you goof" She said with a laugh, she started to draw on his bare back with her finger.

"I just want to cuddle before we go back to sleep, it that a crime" She acted fake annoyed at him but then gave in, she slouched down on the bed and buried her head into his chest. "You know what's funny?" She glanced up at him "We only started these little sleep overs about a month ago, but I'm starting to hate being in a bed alone. I'm not trying to sound clingy, just" He paused for a moment " speaking from the heart I guess" she found his hands underneath the covers and locked them with hers before pushing her lips onto his.

"I understand that" She said when she pulled away; she rested her head on the inside of his neck. " So are you upset?" Ben glanced down at her and started to lightly drag his fingers up and down her back.

"About what?" He said with a chuckle.

"Last night!" she could feel the confusion that was probably growing on his face. " You made me a beautiful dinner last night and we ended up drinking wine and talking all night, and before we knew it we were passed out in your bed!"

"Miranda that sounds like a perfect night to me, I still don't understand why I would be upset" She glanced up at him with her eyebrows furrowed into her eyes " Are you talking about the fact that we didn't have Sex?" He laughed.

"Of course! You went out of your way to make a beautiful steak dinner; we drank wine, slow danced to soft music slightly. After a night like that how wouldn't you want it" he started to laugh loudly, squeezing her a little tighter. " What are you laughing at!" she said smacking his chest a little.

"You!" she rolled her eyes at him and he held her face by the chin "Since when has our relationship ever been based on sex?" He asked her, she stayed silent. " Don't get me wrong, when it happens," He paused trying to find the right words "Its great" He admitted laughing a little. " But it's not us, we are so much more than that area of this relationship" He kissed her lips quickly and pulled away.

"So," she finally began to speak " You consider this a relationship" she said with a smirk in her voice. " These past nine months we haven't ever put an name on it." He rolled his eyes at her and re attached his hands to her face.

"I didn't think we needed too," he said with a chuckle " I thought we both already knew what this was and what was happening." She tried breaking eye contact but he wouldn't let her. He untangled himself from her and sat on top of her straddling her down. " My name is Ben Warren, I am Miranda Bailey's boyfriend " He said loudly causing her to laugh. " and this is Miranda Bailey who is mine, Ben Warren's girlfriend" she continued to laugh and shook him off of her and he landed back on the bed next to her. " Who I," his voice faded Miranda looked at his eyes brought his chin up to hers waiting to hear him finish his statement. He cleared his throat and scooted in closer to her. " Who I happen to be crazily in love with" He admitted. Her eyes widened, she certainly did not see this one coming. She leaned in and kissed him long and passionately. She opened her mouth to speak but he put his finger to her mouth. " Don't say it back, tell me when you feel it and when you are ready to say something that big." She reburied her head into his chest.

"You are a good man Ben Warren" he smiled and held her before they both fell back asleep. A few hours later Miranda Bailey woke up to an empty bed, she got up stretched a little and crawled out of bed, she went to Ben's full body mirror that he kept near his bed. He convinced her to go to sleep in just her underwear and his T-shirt she was so tired she didn't want to argue, just fall asleep next to him. She walked over and grabbed her jeans that she was wearing last night and put them on before leaving the room. She walked into the kitchen where she saw Ben with a waffle iron. She went and sat at the island bar in the middle of his kitchen. " Good Morning Ben Warren" she said quietly. Ben turned around and smiled, he walked up to her.

" Good Morning Miranda Bailey" He said before kissing her softly on the lips. " How did you sleep?" he asked as he continued to chop strawberries.

"Pretty well." She said fiddling with stuff that was lying around on the island. " And you?" He picked up two plates and set one in front of her, he made them strawberry waffles.

"Amazing, but I always do when you are here," He said before putting a bite of a waffle in his mouth. They continued to talk for a while and did the dishes. " Hey babe what time is it?" He asked quickly still at the sink.

"It is 8:15, " she said walking up behind him and wrapping her hands around him. " I should probably head home so I can get ready for work" She said into his back. Ben dried off his hands and turned around to kiss her.

"Okay, I have a golf game against Knox at 8:30 so I probably wont be in till about 1ish?" Ben said before kissing her lips.

"Alright, I will see you then, I have Tuck for the week so I am not sure when the next time we can get together is."

"It's no big deal, I'll see you soon" Ben wrapped his hands around her and hugged her goodbye. She started to walk toward the door with her purse in her hands.

" Oh wait," she grabbed the T-shirt she was wearing " I forgot to swap shirts."

"Just hold onto it," He said while drying off the counters. " It gives us another reason to see each other soon" He said with a wink. She smiled and headed out the door. She made it home dragged a brush through her hair changed and headed to work.

Time went on at work and Miranda was in her patient Mary's room, she got a page that the hospital was on lock down, probably just a drill she thought to herself but followed procedure and stayed in the room. While attempting to make small talk with her patient Resident Charles Percy bolted in the room, quickly shutting the door behind him out of breath. Miranda looked over at him concerned.

"He is on the floor!" he shouted.

"Who?" Miranda asked calmly.

"Who? The shooter! That's who!" Miranda's heart dropped inside of her chest.

" There is a shooter inside the hospital?" she shouted. Charles looked back out the window through the door.

"He's coming!" He shouted. Miranda froze, come on Miranda she thought to herself. Get it together get a plan.

"HIDE" she shouted at the resident. She looked over at her patient and began to lower her bed. " Mary, play dead. Don't breath! Don't move! Don't do anything got it?" Mary slightly nodded trying to swallow her breath. Miranda placed the covers on her head as Charles ran into the closet. She looked around for a moment in a panic, and then ducked under the patient's bed. Suddenly she heard the door open, her whole body froze. What if he found her? What if this was the day she died? She saw his feet drag on the floor next to her, he was pacing. All she could think of was her son. The last time she saw him she was bickering at him about not forgetting his jacket. Possibly the last conversation she would ever have with her son is about, a jacket. All of the sudden a slight clanking noise came from the closet. The man opened the door.

"Are you a surgeon?" the man asked

"Sir, sir, please, just listen to me," The resident begged.

"Are you a surgeon, " he asked again with more demand in his voice. A small pause of silence occurred in the room.

"Y-Yes sir." He said with a shaky voice. " Sir, Sir, What are you doing! Sir!" a small bang went off in the room and Miranda grabbed her mouth before making a noise. A loud pound later and she was making eye contact with Charles Percy. He was lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest. Miranda forgot how to breathe, this was real, and this was happening. As her eyes began to water staring into Charles eyes she felt a tight grip on her ankles, her eyes widened she breathed for what felt like the first time in five minutes. She was being dragged across the ground, she clawed at it to try and stay under the bed, but the man was to strong, he pulled her out from the bed and flipped her pointing her gun at her. Time completely stopped, her life started to flash before her eyes, a certain memory to be exact.

She was in the kitchen chopping up celery to add into a pot on the stove.

"Mommy! Mommy!" she heard her son yell as he ran into the kitchen. "Some one is at the door!" Miranda lowered her eyebrows. Who could it have been? She went to the door and opened the door to find Ben standing there with a bouquet of yellow lilacs.

"Ben, what are you doing here?" She said with a nervous laugh joining him outside and shutting the door.

"I was just thinking of you and knew you were not at the hospital so I just wanted to give you a small token of my affection." Ben said with a smile, he leaned in to kiss her causing her to smile. " So can I come in? Make you dinner?" He offered.

" I actually already have dinner on the stove. Um, tuck is with me tonight" she said with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, dang. I am so sorry Miranda I had no idea." He said kissing her cheek. "I'll get out of your hair." He handed her the flowers and started to walk towards his car. A rush of fear came over her, she had an amazing man who would randomly come over and give such beautiful gestures like this and she was keeping him at arms length.

"Wait!" She shouted before thinking. "You are already out here, come in" Ben walked up to her and loosely grabbed her hands.

"Are you sure? This is my first time meeting Tuck and I don't want to pressure you into meeting him when you don't want me too?" He was so thoughtful of her feelings.

"You are going to have to meet him sometime" she said with a chuckle. She took his hand and started to walk inside the house with him. " William George!" She yelled, " Come here sweetie." Tuck came bolting down the stairs and she could feel ben letting loose of her hand but she held it tighter. " Tuck this is Ben Warren a friend from work who I have been hanging out with lately." She said with a bright smile. " You are going to be seeing a lot more of him around here." She took a breath " And Ben! This is my son, Tuck." Tuck stared at Ben with his big brown eyes than broke a smile.

"Nice to meet you Ben Warren." He said extending his hand with a big smile still plastered on his face.

"It's nice to meet you too Tuck" Ben replied shaking his hand.

Over time the dinner was finished and they all sat down for dinner. It felt like a nice family dinner. Something Miranda could get used too. Tuck and Ben were getting along perfectly and Ben was slightly holding her hand under the table. It was such a happy time. Miranda felt like she no longer had a care in the world.

She snapped back into time when the gun was being pointed at her. What if she never had an evening like that again? She thought to herself. "Are you a surgeon?" The man asked. A frog was in Miranda's throat she couldn't speak. All she could think of were those evenings. "Answer me!" The man demanded. She didn't want to let those evenings go so she was not ready to die today.

"N-no!" She finally got out of her mouth. Fear was taking over her body, she was lying to the man that was holding a gun to her head, but she saw what happened when the resident said yes. " I'm a, I'm a, nurse! I am a nurse!" she finally got out only letting one tear escape her eye. The man stared at her and twisted the gun sending a shiver down her spine. He slowly brought it back by his side and stared into her eyes.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience" he said softly and exited the room. Miranda started to breath heavily and allowed a stream of tears to go down her face, a man just had her life in his hands. She shook her head and stood up where she saw Mary allowing herself to breath for the first time having an anxiety attack. She looked over at Charles and saw him lying on the ground before running over to him.

"Charles!" She yelled flipping him over and seeing the wound. She placed her fingers on his neck and allowed more tears to fall, no pulse. " Oh, Charles" she said quietly before shutting his eyes. She gave him a prayer to god, asking him to allow Charles into his pearly gates and into his loving arms. " M-Mary" She stuttered looking up at the girl. " How are you doing?" She asked getting up and walking over to her.

"T-T-T-T" the poor girl couldn't speak, Miranda held her hand. "T-T-Terrified" she finally said. Miranda looked back down at Charles and aced.

"We need to get out of this room," She said softly to the girl. " I can not stay in this room with that boy on the floor. We need to make it to the attending's lounge one floor up. Up there no one can get in with out a pass. We will be safe there " She explained to the girl as she helped disconnect her from the Machines. They got her up and crept out of the room still holding hands. Miranda held her breath through out all her steps; they stayed close to the wall and attempted to slide to the stairwell. Around a corner Miranda noticed something, a hand lying down on the ground. She had to stop for a moment; she couldn't see another dead body. She closed her eyes and took a breath before looking back, but this time the hand had a twitch to it. They were still alive. " Mary, we got to help this person, see if we can save them." Mary nodded and they continued to walk she could hear them breathing loudly, but the closer she got, the more familiar it sounded. Her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach, she turned to corner and saw who it was, Ben. She let go of Mary's hand and ran by his side. "Ben! What are you doing here? Are you okay?" She said with tear filled eyes, she propped his head up on her upper thigh and then noticed a bullet in his upper right hand of his chest. She held his head and let out a small tear with her eyes clutched shut. " Ben you got to say something."

"M-M-Miranda?" He said quietly "I'm here, I am just loosing a lot of blood." He said out of breath. " Help" He said faintly Miranda nodded and looked around for something to stop the bleeding. Nothing. Think Miranda, think! She thought to herself. Then it hit her.

"Mary, grab me those scissors on that tray!" She demanded, and Mary did so. She started to cut his shirt open.

"Wow, you will get me naked in any situation wont you?" He said with a laugh. She started laughing too and placed her head on his when she did so.

" Mary help me prop him up" Mary held him up while Miranda tied his shirt around his chest applying pressure to wound. She put gauze under it to keep the blood in. " Alright we got to get him out of here" Miranda said to Mary.

"Dr. B how? We can barley hold him up?" Miranda looked around trying to find an idea before Ben tapped on her leg.

" I-I can walk. I just need some assistance," He said in a raggedy voice. Miranda nodded and started to get him up with Mary's help. Miranda looked over and saw an oxygen mask on the tray next to her; she put it around Ben's mouth and carried the tank with her. Ben wrapped her hands around both of them women's shoulders and started to walk with them. What if he wasn't going to make it? She thought to herself. Twenty minutes ago when a man held a gun up to her heard him and Tuck is what made her strive to stay alive, and she might loose him anyways? She did not want to let that happen. They made it to the stairwell and walked slowly up the stairs trying not to over work Ben. Ben stopped walking for a minute half way up. He started to slouch and Miranda propped him back up. He looked into her eyes; he could probably see the mass amount of fear that was in there. She looked into his and only saw one thing, a good man, and an honest pure good man who she had in her life who she needed to save. She looked around his eyes and noticed his skin getting paler. He gave her a little nod and they continued to walk up the stairs. They finally made it to the attending's lounge. They went and placed ben down on one of the couches, keep Ben elevated on her legs.

" Mary go to the counter over there and grab me a protein bar please, Lemon if its there, Peanut butter if its not." Mary came back with the bar. " Okay, you go lay on the couch in the other room, you are still a patient and need to be resting. Miranda assured her, she listened to her doctor and left the room. " Here" Miranda started to remove Bens mask. "Eat this, you need energy" Ben started to prop himself up more and took small bites of the bar. Miranda rubbed his chest ever so slightly trying to comfort him. " How are you feeling?" she asked quietly.

"As good as I can feel I guess." He said softly. " Thank you for making sure it was lemon" He said with a slight chuckle.

"Well I know it's your favorite, " She laughed. Ben reached his hand up and interlocked it with hers. " Ben you lying there was one of the scariest moments of my life." She said letting out a slight whimper. " It made me realize I need to say something I have been holding back on" Ben glanced up at her. " I love you" She said quietly and stroking him scalp.

"Don't Miranda" He said quietly.

"Don't what?"

"Say that, you are saying it because I told you last night and because of the situation"

"Ben, no." She said in a light but still defensive voice. " I knew it last night before you told me and I knew it long before that, I was just to afraid to say it, but then you wouldn't let me say it back last night." She said with a chuckle and put her head to his. His grip started to grow weaker and his body started to become paler. " Okay you need a blood transfusion." She said repositioning him on a pillow. And started to get up but he grabbed her hand.

"Miranda don't, its to dangerous I can wait it out"

"No Ben." She said firmly. " I am not going to loose you today." She squatted down next to him and pet his face. " You need a blood transfusion, and like I said before, I love you, and well love can get you to do some crazy things. Like going outside where a shooter might be." She joked. " I will be right back, its right down the hall, What type of blood do you have?"

"AB positive."

"Well, aren't you a lucky one" Miranda joked and tried walking away but Ben was still holding on and pulled her back.

"Please, be careful." Ben asked stroking her face. " I know you are worried about loosing me, but know I am just as worried loosing you, if not more." He pulled her in for a kiss, it wasn't just a normal kiss, it was much more than that. It would possibly be their last, if Miranda didn't come back or if Ben didn't make it. They both savored the kiss before pulling away. He stroked her upper cheek with his thumb " I love you" He said simply, Miranda smiled.

"I love you" She replied. Before pulling away and walking out the door. While out there she could take her time walk slow and make it there safer and risk the man coming back on the floor more, or make more sudden movement and do it fast, she went with option B. She ran to the blood transfusion room down the hall as fast as she could she made it down there and searched through the bags of blood. She grabbed 3 bags I-V lines catheters and some needles. She put it all in a small Basket she found and got prepared to run back. All of the sudden a hand went over her mouth and pulled her back. Fear rushed through her body. The man turned her around towards her. It was Resident Jackson Avery.

" Bailey! What the hell are you doing?" he whisper yelled at her. He removed his hand from her mouth and put it on her stomach pushing her back against the wall.

" I needed blood for a blood transfusion, don't worry I am safe I am goanna run back and stay there till the hospital is cleared." She explained.

"You shouldn't be doing anything at all!" Jackson yelled.

" You don't tell me what to do I am your attending!" She demanded.

"Not right now you are not, we are in a dangerous situation and you are running around like it is nothing."

"Jackson!" She snapped. She never used his first name, only his last, that's how he knew to listen. " If I don't get him this blood transfusion he will die. I have already watched one doctor die today because of this shooting" Her eyes started to swell and her voice was cracking. "And I will be damned if another one dies on my watch." Jackson nodded at her.

"Okay. I will watch your back as you go, but be fast and stop moving!"

"Got it" She exclaimed and rubbed Jacksons arm. " Thank you" She poked her head out of the room and saw an empty hall and turned and gave Jackson the head nod before running down the hallway. She slid her pass on the door and entered the room where she saw Ben panting harder trying to breath. " I got it," She said simply. She walked over to his arm started to inject the I-V. She propped ben back up on her and continued to slightly massage his body. Slowly his skin started to come back to color. "How are you feeling?" She said simply running her hand up and down his arm.

" A lot better then before" He said simply " but all I really need is for us to be rescued so I can get stitched up and this thing out of me." He said chuckling a little and playing with her hand that was gliding up and down her arm. " Miranda, the whole time I was lying there before you got there all I could think about was you," He said confidently. " I don't mean to freak you out or anything but, I mean end game with this relationship. I want to marry you Miranda Bailey, be Tucks step father and possibly have children of our own," He admitted to her. " And lying there made me realize all of that could slip away. Too much was at risk, I was only lying there about five minutes but it was terrifying." Miranda nodded kissed his head.

"Ben you take my breath away, " She whispered into his head. " you some how always manage to make me feel good. Even in a situation like this, and I love you for that" She put his head back and kissed his lips delicately. " I am in this for end game too" She smiled and rubbed his chest with we arm. She looked at his gunshot and noticed it was stopped bleeding but it was still and open wound and need to be protected. " Ben what were you even doing here. You were supposed to be at a golf game!" She exclaimed.

"Knox canceled! So I came in to see if they needed any help, sorry this is the last thing that I predicted would happen!" He laughed. All of the sudden the door handle began to jiggle. Miranda held on tightly to Bens arm he started to prop back up. He grabbed Miranda's head and held it. " Shhhh it's going to be okay" He whispered in her hair. " Mary! Hide get down!" He took Miranda behind the couch where they curled up together. Gripping each other for dear life. A kick at the door occurred and the door swung wide-open Miranda allowed a tear to escape as she hid more into Ben's chest. He held onto her a little tighter. Some one walked around the corner and ben slightly looked up and breathed for the first time letting Miranda be looser, she looked up and saw it too, it was the S.W.A.T team.

" Sir, Ma'am. I need you two to separate and slowly stand up where I can see your hands. " They did as they were told and everything started to go in slow motion. Them finding Mary in the back, then escorting them all out of the hospital and getting Ben on a gurney and into an ambulance to Seattle Press hospital. They got the bullet out, him all stitched up and in a room for a few nights. Miranda was by his side holding his hand at his bed.

"Well today was eventful," He laughed. She wasn't really talking; she seemed broken, traumatized inside.

"Mommy!" A voice said entering the room. It was tuck-running in. with Tucker right behind him.

"Oh baby!" She yelled picking her up in his arms holding him tighter than ever. " I have never been happier to see you my sweet son." She continued to squeeze him while letting a few tears leave her eyes. " I love you so much William George, you know that right?" She pulled back and looked at him and he nodded widely before she set him down.

"Hi Ben!" He said with a big smile on his face. " I heard you got shot."

"Tuck!" Miranda yelled smacking his shoulder.

"No, no, its fine." Ben exclaimed. " Yeah I did buddy, now I got a cool scar I am going to carry around forever. You want to see?" He nodded rapidly and Ben picked him up setting him on the bed. Miranda looked at Tucker and gestured him out of the room.

"How could you bring him hear!" She yelled at him

"What! He wanted to see you and Ben!"

"Tucker, he is three years old I don't want to traumatize the kid." Tucker shook his head.

" Okay you try telling a three year old his mommy was in a life threatening situation and almost died but he couldn't see her." Miranda ran a hand through her hair.

"Damn it you are right." She said quietly. " Just don't let him stay to long, okay?" Tucker nodded.

"Listen I know he is your tonight but why don't I keep him until you get back on your feet?" Miranda nodded.

"That would be perfect Tucker than you" allowing him to take her in for a hug. They both walked back in the room where Tuck and Ben were goofing around.

"Alright tuck, you got your wish its time to go." Tucker said to tuck who hopped off the bed and ran to his dad. They both waved goodbye and headed out the door. Ben reached for her hand and she accepted it. She sat down in the chair and rested her head on his bed while he stroked her hair.

" I love you," She said simply. Ben smiled and bopped her nose with his thumb.

"I love you," He said with a smile. They both lied there before falling asleep after a very long day.