A/N: Happy New Year to all of my readers!


Jordan wrapped an arm around Ben, "Ben… deep down, she knows. She knows who you are. The memory will come back." Ben shook his head, "No, you didn't see the look in her eyes. She was TERRIFIED of me. Wha-what am I gonna do if she doesn't remember?"

Ben heard Hope's voice, "Where is my daughter? Where is my daughter?!" Ben looked around but didn't see Hope.

He gasped and looked around. He was still in Ciara's room and she was unconscious. Ben let out a sigh of relief when he realized it was just a dream. A nightmare was more accurate. On the one hand, she hadn't woken up yet, but on the other hand, she didn't forget their times together. Even though it was just a dream, the look on Ciara's face, Ben couldn't get it out of her head.

Hope bursted in. "You!" Ben sat up, "Hope…"

Hope motioned to Ciara, "THIS is all your fault!" Ben sighed, "I know. If anything happens to Ciara, I'll never forgive myself. I would trade places with Ciara in a heartbeat." Hope sighed angrily, "She should have never had welcomed you into her life. She wouldn't be sitting in a hospital bed right now."

"Ben…" Ciara moaned. Ben jumped up and ran to Ciara's side, basically scooting Hope out of the way. Ciara stirred, "Ow."

Ben gently placed a hand on Ciara's arm. Softly he said, "Hey, baby. What do you remember?" Ben was silently praying that his nightmare wouldn't become a reality. Ciara sighed, "I was in the loft and-" Ciara coughed, "-and Clyde came in."

Ben silently sighed a sigh of relief that she remembered. Ciara tried to reach a hand up to Ben's face but winced, "You okay?" Ben laughed slightly. Only Ciara could be laying in a hospital bed close to death, but be worried about him.

Ben kissed Ciara's hand, "I'm just so glad you're okay." Ciara smiled, "You can't get rid of me that easily." Ben shook his head, "S-so do you remember anything after you were shot?" Ben wasn't sure if he wanted Ciara to remember him saying that he loved her. Of course, he meant it, but that wasn't exactly how he wanted to tell her.

Ciara sighed thinking, "Um, it's kinda fuzzy. But I remember looking up at your face." Ben leaned down and lightly touched his forehead to Ciara's. "I can't believe how close I came to losing you."

Ciara started to sit up, but winced. Ben tried to support Ciara, "Be careful. I was so close to losing you. I can't imagine what my life would be like without you in it."

Now it was Hope's turn to shove Ben out of the way, "Ciara Alice Brady. Don't you ever do that again." Hope leaned down and kissed Ciara's hair, "Mom, I'm fine. Ben saved my life." Hope grumbled and walked out of the room. Ciara and Ben both started laughing.

Ciara reached her arm out, "Ben…" Ben grabbed it and squeezed it. Ciara cocked her head to the side, "You okay?" Ben shook his head and laughed, "How is it that you were the one shot and you're worried about me?" Ciara smiled, "I just know you."

Ciara tapped the edge of the bed, "Talk to me." Ben sighed, "While you were…" Ciara finished, "Unconscious?" Ben nodded, "Yeah. I managed to fall asleep and had a horrible nightmare." Ciara looked at Ben and he continued, "You didn't remember anything about us and thought of me as the Necktie Killer and said that I was as bad as Stefano DiMera. I am so glad that you remember, but the truth is, there's a part of me that worries that that's what you really think of me. Underneath."

Tears filled Ciara's eyes and she tried to sit herself up further, "No, babe. No. Not even close. I feel nothing but love and trust for you." Ben's eyes widened, "Love?" Ciara took a deep breath and nodded, "I didn't want to say it in front of my mother, but I heard what you said. I love you too." Ben couldn't even try to fight the smile that came to his face. He leaned down and kissed Ciara. "I never want to let you out of my sight again, Ci." Ciara smiled, "Good, because I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon."


It had been a few weeks since Ciara had been released from the hospital. Ciara and Ben had pretty much gone back to their normal lives, with a few added security enhancements to the apartment. Thankfully Clyde had been caught and was on his way back to prison. Whenever Ben closed his eyes, he saw Ciara on the floor basically in a pool of her own blood. He knew that is was his fault. Ben was sitting at the island thinking about that moment, how close he came to losing the girl that he loves. Ah, loves. Ben still couldn't believe that Ciara loved him too. Ben didn't hear Ciara come out of their bedroom. Ciara creeped up behind Ben and put her hands on Ben's shoulder and whispered, "Boo." in his ear. Ben jumped up in his seat.

He turned around and saw Ciara dying laughing. Ben got up, "Not funny" Ciara spoke in-between laughs, "Really? 'Cause from my perspective, it's hilarious!" Ben grabbed Ciara and pulled her close to him. Ben began to kiss Ciara and Ciara's laughs finally ended. Ciara wrapped her arms around Ben's neck. As the kiss turned more passionate, Ben slowly slid his hand up Ciara's shirt.

Ciara then pushed Ben's hand back down and pulled away, "Mm. I, uh, I gotta go." Ben stood in the same position, "Ciara?" Ciara quickly grabbed her bag and left the loft. Ben sighed deeply. That wasn't the first time since the shooting, that Ciara had stopped him when they'd gotten to that point. It's not that Ben was a hound-dog, but they had gone all the way before, but since the shooting, Ciara really wasn't okay with Ben touching her. He knew that she had to blame him for what happened. It was his fault that Ciara came within an inch of her life. OF COURSE she'd be pissed at him. Ben didn't blame her, but he just wished that Ciara would tell him instead of this passive-aggressiveness.


Ciara walked into the loft and saw that it was totally decked out in candles, lights, and rose petals. Ciara laughed a nervous laugh under her breath, "Ben?"

Ben came out of their room dressed to the nines. Ciara raised her eyebrows, "Wow. This is… this is something." Ben came closer to Ciara and twirled her.

"I figured that a do-over was in order after the last time." Ciara nodded slowly knowing exactly what Ben meant. Ciara chuckled, "That was sweet, but completely unnecessary. We, uh, we just coulda grabbed some food at the pub."

Ben shook his head, "Mm-mm. This way tonight is just you and me. Total interrupted silence." Ciara put a hand to her neck and laughed nervously. "Ju-just the two of us?" Ben came closer, "That's right baby." Ben pulled Ciara close and pulled her in for a deep kiss. Ciara relaxed in Ben's arms and deepened the kiss. Ben began to pull Ciara's sweater down off her shoulder when she pulled back.

Ciara laughed nervously, "Le-let's eat, huh?" Ben sighed deeply. He couldn't take this anymore. Ben reached out for Ciara's hand, "First, let's talk."

Ben guided Ciara over to the couch and took a seat next to her. "It's pretty obvious what's going on, Ci." Ciara's eyes widened, "I-it is?" Ben nodded slowly, "Yeah. Ever since the shooting. Every time I go to touch you, you yank away. Y-you blame me for what happened."

Ciara furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "N-no, I don't." Ciara put her hand in Ben's and continued, "Ben, that-that's not it at all."

Ben stood up, "The-then what is? Anytime I come into the bedroom and you're getting changed, you throw a robe or something on. When I start to slide my hands up or down you pull away. You blame me for what happened and you don't want to be around me anymore." Ciara took on of Ben's hands in his, "Sit down, Ben."

Ben sat down and sighed, "It's not like I'm some guy who needs sex all of the time, but I can't help but notice that things have changed dramatically." Ciara sighed and tears filled her eyes, "Ben… I'm scarred from the shooting." Ben sighed deeply, "O-of course you are. How could you just pretend like my father didn't break into here and almost kill you." Ciara shook her head, "No, Ben. Not emotionally, physically."

Ciara sighed, "I don't look the same as I did before the shooting. I have scars. Up my stomach and on my chest." Ben sighed out a breath of relief, "That's what this has been about? Ci, I don't care what you look like. I-I just thought that you blamed me for what happened and therefore didn't want anything to do with me physically anymore."

Tears welled in Ciara's eyes, "No, I-I've tried all different types of makeup and scar removal, but nothing works. I can still see them. And if I can, so can you." Ben stood up and brought Ciara up with him, "Ci, I love you. I just want to be close to you. I don't care about all of that stuff."

Ciara shook her head, "You say that now, but as soon as you see them, all you'll look at me with is disgust." Ben placed a kiss on Ciara's forehead, "That could never happen, Ci." Ciara slowly lifted her sweater up and Ben saw the long scar going up her stomach. Ciara held her sweater at her ribcage. "Disgusting right? I wouldn't blame you if you ran out that door and never came back." Ben couldn't believe how Ciara thought of herself. To him, Ciara was the most beautiful woman in the world, and a couple of scars wouldn't change that.

Ciara took Ben's silence as disgust. Before Ciara could pull her sweater back down, Ben got on his knees and started placing kisses up her scar. Ciara smiled a small smile at that. When Ben got to where Ciara was holding her sweater, he looked up at her with his big brown eyes, "May I?" Ciara slowly nodded and Ben gently pulled Ciara's sweater over her head.

Ciara stood there in her bra and jeans. Ciara closed her eyes and sighed. Ben kissed the space in-between Ciara's shoulder and neck and worked his way to the scar by her heart. He kissed her neck, the side of her face before finally reaching her lips. Ciara sucked in a breath as Ben slipped his tongue into Ciara's mouth. After a moment Ciara pulled back and a huge grin spread across her face, "Wow." A smile spread across Ben's too, "Baby, I love you. And I love your body." Ben started placing playful kisses around Ciara. Ciara giggled, "Thank you." Ben looked at Ciara in confusion, "For what?" Ciara swallowed, "For loving me when I couldn't exactly love myself."

Ben put his hands tightly around Ciara's waist, "You were, are, and always will be the most beautiful woman in the world to me." Ciara smiled and Ben lifted Ciara up bridal-style and started to carry her to the bedroom. Ben turned back and pointed at the table, "The food?" A devilish grin spead across Ciara's face, "It can wait." Ciara giggled and Ben ran her into their bedroom.