A/N Look at this, I posted again! As I said, I plan on continuing my weekly postings, so look out. I am glad you guys like the story so far. Please let me know what you continue to think. Read, review, and enjoy!

Marissa opened the door to the Cohen house and walked in. "Anyone home?"

She immediately heard banging from upstairs and then light footsteps racing down the stairs. "Mommy!"

Marissa smiled as Lizzie launched herself into Marissa's arms. "Hey babe." She hugged her daughter, closing her eyes as she held the little girl. It wasn't often that Lizzie was still enough to just be hugged, and Marissa enjoyed all these moments when she could. "Hey, what did I tell you about running down the stairs? You could trip and hurt yourself."

Marissa pulled back from the hug, brushing some hair from her daughter's face. "I'm sorry mommy, I was just so excited to see you."

Marissa stared into those blue eyes that reminded her so much of her husband's, and tried not to smile. "Well, maybe I'll forgive you this once. I just want you to be careful, okay?"

Lizzie nodded. "Kay."

"Go get your stuff so we can go," Marissa said, setting Lizzie on the floor. Lizzie immediately started running toward the stairs and Marissa sighed. "No running!"

She walked to the kitchen where she saw Sandy already making dinner. "Hey!"

Marissa smiled at his enthusiasm. "Hey. Was Lizzie good today?"

Sandy nodded, a soft smile on his face. "That little girl has more energy than even Seth."

Marissa laughed. "I know. I have no idea where she gets it from."

Kirsten walked in then and smiled when she saw Marissa. "Oh, hey, Marissa. How was work?"

"It was okay. Lots of accidents today," she replied. As always, whenever she saw a lot of victims of car accidents, it took her back to her own experience with such a thing. She'd nearly died all those years ago. The thought was never far from her mind.

Kirsten nodded understandingly. "Must have been rough." Kirsten gestured towards the stairs. "Lizzie and I watched Care Bears today. And that Princess Sophia show."

Sandy laughed. "Kirsten really likes her Disney Jr. shows."

Kirsten stuck her tongue out at Sandy. "They have some good shows!"

Marissa laughed with Sandy, but had to agree with Kirsten. Just then Lizzie walked very carefully over to them. When Marissa raised her eyebrows at her daughter, Lizzie explained, "Look, I'm walking, not running."

Marissa bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Good job, Liz."

Sandy gestured toward the food on the stove. "Do you two want to stay for dinner? We have plenty."

Marissa shook her head but smiled. "No thanks. I was going to go home and cook something for me and Ryan and make some nuggets for Lizzie."

Lizzie's eyes widened. "Dinosaur nuggets with Spongebob Macaroni?"

Marissa laughed. "Yes, if that's okay with you."

Lizzie immediately hugged Marissa's legs. "It's perfect! Yum!"

Marissa gave a look to Sandy and Kirsten and they all laughed. Sandy turned his attention to Lizzie, walking around the island to get away from the stove. "Little Miss Lizzie Izzie Bizzie come here and give me a hug."

Lizzie laughed and hugged Sandy. He lifted her and rested her on his hip as he looked at her. "You're so weird, Papa."

He merely wriggled his eyebrows at her. "Hey, watch it or I might call Seth to get the tickle monster over here."

Lizzie's eyes widened. "Not the tickle monster!"

Sandy laughed and kissed her forehead. "Love you, Lizzie."

Lizze smiled cutely at him. "Love you too."

He set her down, then said, "Oh wait, don't forget your spatula!"

Marissa quirked an eyebrow as Lizzie went to one of the drawers and grabbed a frosting spatula. "Spatula?"

Sandy watched Lizzie with a proud smile. "Well, Ryan told me how you didn't want her using butter knives, so we went out today and bought her her very own spatula to smear those bagels!"

Lizzie ran over to Marissa and handed it to her. "Look, mommy. Isn't it so cool? Papa let me pick it out and everything!"

Marissa raised her eyebrows and glanced Kirsten's way, who just shrugged. "That was very nice of Papa. Did you say thank you?"

Lizzie nodded emphatically. "Five times. One when he put me in my car seat, one when he let me pick it out, one when he paid, one when he gave it to me in the car, and one when we got home!"

Marissa laughed and handed the spatula back to Lizzie. "Okay, good girl." She looked between Sandy and Kirsten. "We better get going. Thanks, as always, for watching her."

Kirsten came over to Marissa and gave her a friendly hug. "Oh, don't even worry about it. We love having Lizzie over, right Lizzie?"

Lizzie nodded. "Yes. I am their own pocketful of sunshine!"

Marissa furrowed her eyebrows at her daughter, not understanding where she heard this stuff. "You are a silly little girl, you know that?"

Lizzie grinned cutely. "Of course."

Marissa merely laughed. "Get over here, you goof. Time to go."

XXXXX

On his way home, Ryan made a list of all the things he needed to get done at the office. The trip to Chino was successful, and all of his projects were coming along nicely. He thought about Lizzie and Marissa at home and pressed his foot a little bit harder on the gas, wanting more than anything to get home and see his girls. He smiled when he thought of the two probably playing dolls or something.

Marissa tended to get after Lizzie more than Ryan, but Ryan knew that she didn't like it one bit. Marissa loved Lizzie with her entire heart, and nothing made either of them happier than watching their daughter grow. Lizzie was very much a daddy's girl, but nothing could replace the bond between her and Marissa. Ryan knew that Lizzie secretly idolized Marissa and wanted to be just like her mommy when she grew up. Lizzie had confided as much in him while they watched a cartoon together one night before Marissa got home. Ryan's heart swelled every time he heard how much Lizzie loved Marissa.

While thinking of his family, his mind slowly drifted to that boy James today. He had driven back by that payphone later in the day, but James was gone. Ryan didn't know why, but something about James made him uneasy. He had seen something in the boy that he knew all too well.

He continued to ponder about James the rest of the ride, growing more and more concerned as time wore on. James seemed jumpy and far too suspicious of everything; suspicion was good, but over suspicion usually pointed to a troubled past. James' clothes seemed dirty, and his shoes looked like they were about to fall apart. The kid obviously needed help, but he seemed too worried about his father to even realize how bad off he was.

The thought still troubled him when he finally arrived home. As he walked through the door and smelled spaghetti, he smiled and tried to forget about the boy from Chino and focus on his family. Walking into the kitchen, he couldn't help the smile as he saw Marissa sliding garlic bread into the oven. "Hey."

Marissa couldn't help her own smile hearing her husband's voice. Closing the oven, she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Hey."

He kissed her softly, letting his lips linger. "How was your day?"

She exhaled slowly, thinking of Dr. Adams at the hospital and all the accidents that day. "It was okay. Sort of long. Couldn't wait to get home."

He smiled at that and leaned in to kiss her again. "Mmmm… me too." After he pulled away, he asked, "Is Liz all ready for bed?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I told her she could play for a little bit, but then she had to go to bed." She glanced over at the clock and saw it was already eight. "Actually, could you put her to bed? You know she likes it when you read her a story. I'm just going to finish up dinner real quick."

Ryan nodded, kissing her cheek. "No problem. It smells good, by the way."

Marissa smiled. "Thanks."

Ryan climbed the stairs, smiling when he reached Lizzie's room. Her walls were filled with a mural of an enchanted forest that Seth had painted for her a few years ago, and it still took Ryan's breath away every single time he walked in. Other than that, she had a lot of white and pink stuff since pink was her favorite color. She had a large canopy bed and more toys than Ryan could have ever imagined at her age. Some might call her spoiled; Ryan personally preferred to think of her as well-loved.

He found Lizzie sitting on her fuzzy rug staring at all her stuffed animals lined up in a row. He came over and lay beside her, kissing the top of her head. "What are you doing?"

She pointed to her stuffed animals. "I don't know how to organize them."

He saw that she seemed very serious about this, so he hid his smile and pursed his lips. "What were you thinking?"

"I tried by fluffiness, color, and animal type." She frowned and glanced over at him sadly. "But I don't know which is best."

Ryan saw the concern in his daughter's eyes and it warmed his heart. His little girl was very passionate. "Why don't you do it by size?"

She seemed to consider this. "That seems boring."

He laughed softly, reaching over and kissing her temple. "I love you, Lizzie Izzie Grace Atwood."

She smiled despite her predicament. "I love you too, daddy."

"Tell you what – how about we do it one way tonight, another way tomorrow night, and then another way the night after that until you decide which one you like best?" he suggested with a serious look.

She smiled and nodded. "Okay, good idea."

He helped her organize her toys by fluffiness, then the two moved to her bed. He tucked her in and lay on the bed beside her. "What do you want your story to be tonight?"

She thought about it for only a second before deciding. "The pretty princess and the outsider!"

Ryan smiled. It was her favorite story. Some nights he would tell the entire story, but tonight he decided for a shortened one. "Okay. So once upon a time there was a pretty princess who lived in a castle with all the gold she could want. She had all the best horses and all the best carriages. She was even dating a handsome prince. Everyone thought she was happy, but she wasn't. She just didn't know why yet.

"One day she was waiting at the end of her long driveway for the prince to pick her up when she saw another boy around her age standing not too far away. Curious, she asked, 'Who are you?'"

Before Ryan could continue, Lizzie said, "And he was silly and said, 'Whoever you want me to be.'"

Ryan chuckled softly. "Yes, he did. But even despite his silliness, the pretty princess wanted to know more about him. She knew everyone in the kingdom, all the princes and all the other princesses. She knew the knights and she even knew all the stable boys and maids. But she didn't know him, and wanted to. He seemed interesting. Different. She felt a connection when she looked at him."

"And he was handsome," Lizzie added.

Ryan smirked. "Well, I'd like to think so. The outsider also wanted to know who this girl was. She was more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen. When he looked into her eyes, he felt like he couldn't look away."

"Was it love at first sight daddy?" Lizzie asked innocently.

He knew that she didn't understand such things. He didn't even quite understand such implications himself. But if he had to answer her honestly, he would say that it just could have been. "Maybe," he said softly, taking a moment to observe his beautiful daughter. She looked so much like Marissa with her high cheekbones and delicate features, but she had his eyes. There was no doubting it. And even though she had so much energy, she was also serious and thoughtful and compassionate. She was perhaps the most graceful four year old he had ever met, and the most intelligent. He couldn't believe he was so lucky to have this precious little girl in his life. Sometimes he looked at her and felt his heart would burst with love alone.

"Continue the story, daddy," she said, snuggling in next to him. He held her a little closer, marveling at the little person cuddling against him.

"Okay, okay. They both had a connection. They wanted to know everything about each other. He wanted to know what her favorite color was, and what kind of ice cream she liked best. She wanted to know where he was from and why he always looked so sad. Over time, he told her his real name and she told him that she was a princess and she had everything that she could ever want but still wasn't happy. As time went on, they went through a lot of stuff together. There were the evil princes who would pick fights with the outsider. There was the duke who fell in love with the princess and tried to take her away from the outsider. At one point he even had to go back home for a little bit, leaving both of them really, really sad."

He saw that Lizzie was yawning and about to fall asleep, so he decided to cut the story even shorter. "But in the end, no matter what they went through together, the pretty princess and the outsider loved each other. And even though everyone told them it couldn't happen, they still lived happily ever after."

Lizzie looked up at him with heavy blue eyes. "Daddy?"

"Yes, princess?" he asked softly.

"Are you gonna love your pretty princess forever and ever?"

He thought of Marissa and couldn't help the soft smile on his face. "Even longer."

He kissed her forehead and made sure she was nice and comfortable before flipping on her nightlight and turning off her lamp. He turned to move to the hallway when he saw Marissa standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe watching him with a smile. He felt a little embarrassed knowing that she had heard what he said, but he was also glad she had. She moved aside so he could walk out, then shut the door behind her. "So, the pretty princess and the outsider again?" she asked.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, just as she wrapped her arms around him. "She loves that story, especially since Seth told her it was our story."

"Mhmm. And what's my favorite color and favorite ice cream?" she asked cutely.

He merely smiled. "Let's see… lavender and rocky road."

She wrapped her arms a little tighter around him, leaning her face close to his. "Hmm, and yours are blue and vanilla."

He leaned in and kissed her softly, never tiring of his wife. They had been married for almost six years, but somehow it felt like just yesterday he was standing at the end of that driveway looking over at the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. When he pulled back and just rested his forehead against hers. "Dinner ready?"

"Yep. And I'm starving." She pulled away and reached for his hand instead, leading him downstairs where she had already set the table. As they sat and started eating, she said, "So, how was Chino today?"

Ryan thought of James and frowned. "It was okay. I got a lot of work done."

Marissa immediately sensed something was off. "What happened?"

Ryan sighed and looked down at his food. "I saw this boy there, right after I got off the phone with you. His name is James. He is fourteen and he just looked like he was lost or something. Like I used to, back before Newport."

Marissa immediately frowned as well. "Did you talk to him?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but he was really guarded. It was like he had learned from experience not to trust people." He saw the concern in Marissa's eyes, but he didn't want her worried. He would do anything to keep her from worrying about him or anyone. "I'm sure he's fine, though. His dad probably just came and picked him up and he went back home and is fine. I'm probably just looking too much into it."

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "Hey, don't do that. If you're worried, tell me. I want to know. I don't want you to just downplay your feelings." She pulled back and took a bite of her food before biting her lip. "Did he mention a dad to you?"

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, he said that his dad would be there to pick him up soon and that the guy didn't like strangers, so I should go." Ryan shrugged, picking at his food, suddenly not so hungry anymore as he thought of that poor kid all alone in the bleak streets of Chino. "I gave him my card and told him to call me if he needed anything. I don't really think there's more I can do." He lifted his eyes to Marissa's. She was staring at him very seriously, probably worried about him and this boy both. It had taken him years, maybe too long, to realize that Marissa did care about more than herself; she probably cared deeper than them all. "Anyway, tell me more about your day. What did you and Lizzie do when you got home? Was she good with Sandy and Kirsten?"

Marissa knew that he was trying to change the subject, but decided to just let it go for now. "They say she was good. Sandy bought her a frosting spatula so that she can smear your bagels."

Ryan smiled at that, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He was too worried about James. "Sandy would do something like that."

"Oh, yes, the Cohens don't mess around when it comes to bagels," she joked, expecting a little smile or laughter from Ryan, but getting nothing. She knew at that moment that her husband was seriously worried about this boy, and probably for good reason. Ryan had gone though a lot as a child – from abuse to alcoholism and everything in between. He knew the signs of trouble, and he had probably seen them in this poor hopeless teenager. Without a word she stood and walked away, leaving Ryan confused as he stared after her. Less than a minute later she was back and placed his keys on the table in front of him. "Go."

Ryan furrowed his eyebrows and stared at her in confusion. "What?"

She shrugged. "Go find this kid. If you're right, he's probably out there somewhere alone and scared."

Ryan stared at her incredulously. "You want me to drive all the way to Chino and try to find a kid I barely know just there on the streets without knowing where he lives or where he'll be?"

Marissa stared at him seriously. "Ryan, you can't get this kid off your mind. If he's going to bother you this much, you need to do something about it. I know you, and I know you're not going to sleep tonight anyway unless you find this kid." She reached for his hand and laced their fingers together. "Me and Lizzie will be fine. Just… follow your gut on this one."

Ryan stared into his wife's caring and understanding eyes, and he realized that she would never cease to amaze him. "You're…" He didn't know how to finish his sentence, how to make it clear how amazing he found her, how much he appreciated her.

She merely smiled, knowing that look in his eyes. Sometimes Ryan stared at her with so much intensity and wonder, and she just knew what he was thinking. He didn't have to say a thing. "The most amazing wife ever, I know," she joked softly.

He stood and walked over to her, the keys clutched tightly in his hand. "I love you," he murmured, something he still didn't say every single day, but meant the world to her every time he uttered it.

She met his gaze, unable to stop the smile. "I know," she merely said.

He leaned down and kissed her gratefully, savoring her cinnamon taste. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He started to walk away, but she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him back in for another kiss. When she finally pulled away, she merely smiled. "You better."

XXXXX

Ryan drove around his old neighborhood in Chino, wondering if he was insane for doing this. He knew next to nothing about this kid James. He had driven an hour out of his way to come find a kid when he didn't even know if the kid was even in trouble. He didn't know where to look or what to do. All he did know was that it was late and dark and he was driving around with no idea what to do.

He stopped outside of his old house and saw a car parked out front. He wondered who this new family was. He hoped they were happier than he was when he lived there. He glanced at the house next door and wondered if Theresa's mom still lived there. The last he'd heard from Theresa was his senior year of high school. It felt like a lifetime ago.

He drove on, weaving in and out of all the neighborhoods that he used to frequent. He saw all the old houses and thought with a certain sadness that he probably knew none of the people here, and they did not know him, but they shared some common unhappy past. He could see it in the sagging buildings and broken cracking foundations. If you lived here, you knew pain. He wondered if there would ever be a day when that wasn't true.

He finally drove by an old park that he used to play at with Trey. He almost smiled to himself at the memories of Trey pushing him on the swing, of the two playing tag back before Trey started hanging with the wrong kids and getting into drugs and petty theft. Even after Trey wasn't home as much, Ryan would come to this park and try to remember those brief moments when everything seemed okay. Maybe someday he would take Lizzie here and show her where he daddy had come from. Maybe.

He saw a lone figure on the swings, and he immediately knew it was James. He didn't know how he knew, but he just did. Something about the slumped shoulders and worn hoodie, probably. He parked, careful to lock the car, and then walked toward the swing set. James noticed him approaching and immediately tensed. "Hey," Ryan said carefully, not wanting to spook the kid away. James recognized Ryan and immediately stood, ready to run. "I'm not going to hurt you." He pointed to the swing next to James. "I'm just going to sit down."

The boy slowly sat back down a little while after Ryan did, and the two remained quiet for a while. Ryan looked around, amazed at how little had changed here. Briefly glancing over at James, he pointed to the slide. "That used to be grey. I wonder who painted it blue."

James furrowed his eyebrows. "You used to come here?"

Ryan nodded. "I used to live a few blocks away, over on Bleaker Street."

James nodded now. "I know where that is. It's the street over from mine." Ryan filed this in the back of his mind for later use. "What are you doing here? Are you a social worker or something?"

Ryan knew that the only kind of person who knew of social workers at such a young age had come into contact with the system already. "No, I told you, I'm an architect." He glanced over at James, who was studying him seriously. "But I was worried about you. I drove back to look for you."

"That's kind of creepy," James said, giving Ryan a look.

Ryan laughed at that. "I guess so." He grew serious, his smile fading. "Why are you out all by yourself at this time of night? This isn't a good neighborhood."

James grew defensive. "I'm fourteen, not four. And besides, it's none of your business. I see your car, and your clothes. You don't know anything about me or my neighborhood. Just because you lived here a hundred years ago doesn't mean you know everything."

Ryan wanted to smile at that, but didn't. "It may seem like a million years ago sometimes, but I really didn't live here that long ago. I know how it goes. Our neighborhood is the worst. Cops everywhere to try to keep the gangs at bay. Gangs everywhere trying to one up the cops. Drugs sold right over there." He pointed to an intersection not too far away. "And the guy over on Seventh and Moore doesn't ID when you buy beer. I know how it goes. Dad's angry. Maybe he drinks." He studied James' face and realized he was right. "You ran away because you were scared?"

James remained silent for a while, hating how much this random older guy knew and thought he knew. Finally, he decided to tell the truth. Things couldn't get much worse. "Worse. He's getting high on heroine and yelled at me to get out before locking the door on me. He already took my key away last week after I walked in on him and his girlfriend sniffing coke." James sighed, looking down. "I just have to wait the whole thing out. He'll be fine in a few days after he uses it all and it's out of his system."

Ryan's heart broke for the kid. "Where are you staying in the meantime?"

James shrugged. "Sometimes with friends. Sometimes their parents get angry and don't let me in, so I have to sneak in when they're asleep. It's better during the summer cause they're mostly at work during the day."

Ryan frowned. "What do you do during school?"

"Well I'm at school most of the day so it's fine. Those are the good days." James looked over at Ryan, suspicion and distrust in his eyes. "Why do you care, anyway? You obviously got out. You're some hotshot architect with a fancy car and a nice job who doesn't need to worry about some kid you just happened to see."

Ryan heard so much of himself in this kid, and it scared him. If he hadn't had Sandy to pull him out of this world, he never would have left. He never would have met Marissa. Lizzie wouldn't exist. He would be still working here at construction, or maybe in prison. If Sandy hadn't intervened, he might even be dead. "I had someone give a crap about me once upon a time ago." He stared at James seriously. "Now, you get to have someone give a crap about you. I don't know a lot about you, James, but I do see a lot of myself in you. Because of that, I can tell you it gets better, but you have to be willing to accept some help every now and then."

James didn't say anything, just stared down at his shoes. "Why should I trust you?"

Ryan shrugged. "You have nothing better to do at this point." He stood, reaching for his car keys. "I live in Newport. It's about an hour's drive away. If you want, you can come stay the night with me. I have plenty of rooms." He gestured towards the empty, dark park. "Beats this place."

"What about my dad? My life? My friends?" James asked, knowing that he was crazy for even considering spending time with a stranger, no matter how nice.

Ryan slipped a hand into his pocket. "It's just for the night. Maybe two… until your dad lets you into the house." It hurt Ryan to say this, but he had to at this point. He knew that he wasn't leaving this kid's life anytime soon; James didn't have to know that yet.

James thought about it, and realized he really had no other option. If he slept in the park, he could be picked up by police, and all of his friends had already told him that their parents wouldn't let him crash another night at their houses. It was really take a leap of faith and go with this Ryan guy, or stay here and wait to get arrested, mugged, or worse. At least this way he knew who is potential kidnapper was. "Okay. Just for a night."

Ryan turned to hide his smile. "Let's go."

XXXXX

Marissa waited on the stairs for Ryan to get home. He should be back any moment now, since he had texted her when he was leaving Chino. She had set up the guest room for James, complete with fresh sheets, a toothbrush, and some old clothes of Ryan's in the drawers in case he didn't have anything with him.

The front door opened, and she heard Ryan talking. "I don't know if she'll be up, but I have a wife named Marissa. I also have a daughter named Lizzie." Ryan suddenly saw Marissa rising from the stairs and smiled in surprise. "Hey, you're up."

Marissa nodded, then turned her attention to the hesitant boy behind Ryan. His guarded blue eyes and blonde hair reminded her of the first night she met Ryan all those years ago. "Hi, James. I'm Marissa, Ryan's wife. Welcome to our home."

She extended her hand for him to shake, and he stared at it for a moment before lightly grasping it. His hands were soft and warm. "Um, hi," he said, looking awkward and uncomfortable.

Marissa picked up on his uneasiness and turned to Ryan, kissing his cheek. "Okay, well, I'm going to go up to bed. I prepared the guest room for you to use. Ryan can show you up. If you need anything, just holler."

Ryan watched Marissa ascend the stairs, momentarily amazed by those long legs of hers. He blinked a few times before turning to James. "So, that's Marissa."

James looked over at Ryan. "She's pretty. And nice. How old's your daughter?"

"Four," Ryan replied. "If you look around, you'll see plenty of pictures." He gestured toward the stairs. "Here, let me show you to your room." He led James up the stairs and all the way down the hall to the large guest room. He turned on the light and watched James' face for any sort of reaction. "This is where you'll be staying. Marissa left some stuff for you on the bed. You can look through the drawers, there might be stuff in there."

James looked around the room, his eyes slightly widening. "It's larger than my living room back home," he said quietly.

Ryan patted the boy's shoulder. "I remember when I first came to Newport, I couldn't believe it either." He removed his hand, shrugging. "Perks of being a successful architect, I guess." He studied James for a moment. "Bathroom is the first door on the left. Other than that, you should be all good to go. Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?"

James shook his head. "No, this should be good."

Ryan nodded. "Okay, well I'm going to bed then. If you need anything, holler."

He started to leave, ready to close the door behind him to give James privacy, when he heard the boy's voice, softer than before. "Ryan?"

Ryan turned back. "Yeah?"

James rubbed his arm, looking down awkwardly before making himself meet Ryan's gaze. "Thanks."

Ryan merely smiled. "Goodnight."

Ryan shut the door gently behind him, then made his way down the hall to his and Marissa's room. He shut the door behind him, then began unbuttoning his shirt and getting ready for bed. After he'd brushed his teeth and everything, he climbed into bed next to Marissa, who rolled over so she was facing him. "Hi."

He smiled, reaching over and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Hi." He looked into her eyes through the darkness, then softly said, "You didn't need to stay up late for me. It's…" He glanced over at the clock. "Three in the morning, and you have your early shift when you get up."

She scooted closer to him, and he moved so that she could rest her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her snugly, kissing the top of her head before just holding her. "I called Tracey and told her I'll be in a little bit later." As a nurse, Marissa worked quite a bit. Two days out of the week she worked twelve hours shifts from 6AM to 6PM. Other days she worked her normal 8 to 5 shift.

Ryan rubbed her arm, happy to just be here with her. "Still."

She turned so she could look into his eyes, and tucked some hair behind her own ear. "Ry, you're my husband. I worry about you. If you're gone, I'm always going to wait up until you come home." She leaned in and kissed him lightly, their lips barely touching, her hair framing his face.

When she pulled back, he stared up at her with a lazy smile. "Guess I'm pretty lucky, then." She laughed softly, resting her head on his chest once again.

XXXXX

Individual Replies:

Wozzler: Glad you like it so far!

Fatedtopretendd: I actually have been working slowly on a one shot that I recently got the idea for. I hope you liked it.

Rachel: Thanks so much!

Sara: I thought you'd be happy. Yeah, it was pretty close between this and another story, but I broke the tie and ended up deciding that this was the one that wanted to get written right now.

Riss: There's even more to learn about Jamie's past as the story goes along.

Nadine: Glad you like it!

Skillz37: Yeah, I was so bad with updating this summer, sorry! I fully plan on having a regular schedule again.

xoElle23: And I love hearing you say it ;)

Liliana: I'm happy to have you read it!