Kenzie woke the next morning, disoriented for a moment before remembering why she was at the shop. Her cheeks were stiff with dried tears and her throat was sore. Kenzie realized she'd woken up in the same position she'd fallen asleep in, something that never happened unless she was absolutely exhausted. Normally she tossed and turned frequently; Gunner sometimes joked that when Kenzie woke up wrapped in his arms it wasn't because he wanted a cuddle, it was to keep her from falling off the bed. Finding herself sweaty again, Kenzie sat up gingerly, glanced at the clock and saw she'd slept a full twelve hours, something she hadn't done in months, and headed into the bathroom for another shower. She was just emerging from the bathroom, dressed in yoga capris and a muscle shirt; her last clean clothes here, if the tension with Gunner was going to continue, she'd need to bring over more clean ones; when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in." Kenzie called out, curious.

The door opened and Galgo stepped in, holding a plate, Smilee and Mars behind him. "We made you breakfast!" Galgo grinned.

"Wow, guys. Thank you!" Stepping aside, Kenzie nearly started crying with gratitude as the three men came inside, loaded down with plates, glasses of juice and syrup.

They sat at Kenzie's table and ate, laughing and joking. The guys had made Kenzie's favourite; pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs and bacon almost underdone. Kenzie smiled sadly, remembering that Gunner liked his bacon the exact opposite, so done it broke in pieces if you whacked it against the plate. After finishing, Kenzie offered to do the dishes and the guys refused. John offered again to talk to Gunner for Kenzie and again she declined.

"I should get going. I don't know if I'll be back tonight or not." Kenzie said.

The three men hugged her in turn and as John held her, he said, "You call if you need anything, alright?" He looked intently into her eyes and Kenzie nodded, touched at his concern.

"I will. And thank you for breakfast, thank you for everything."

The drive home was way too short and all too soon Kenzie found herself in the driveway. She put Ruger in the fenced backyard and walked inside.

The house was quiet. Turk eyeballed her from his bed on top of the fridge but didn't move. Kenzie stepped into the living room and looked around, but didn't see Gunner. Realizing he was probably upstairs in their bedroom, Kenzie sighed and began to climb the stairs. She reached the top and continued down the hallway to the master bedroom.

She stopped and stood in the doorway. Gunner sat on her side of the bed, his feet on the floor. The covers were in complete disarray, if Gunner had slept, it hadn't been well. He sat with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands; he didn't appear to have heard her. Kenzie cleared her throat.

Gunner lifted his head and, seeing her, smiled tentatively and reached out his hand to her. Kenzie stayed where she was, not yet ready.

"I'm sorry, baby." Gunner said quietly.

"You have NEVER spoken to me that way before." Kenzie said coldly.

"I'm sorry, I...please, come here."

Kenzie didn't move.

Gunner looked at her and Kenzie saw that he was pale, sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Are you high?" Kenzie asked quietly.

A look of betrayal and hurt flashed across Gunner's face and he lowered his head, dropping his hands so they hung over his knees.

"No," he mumbled, "I've been up all night, pacing, worried...please baby, just come here!" Gunner looked back up at Kenzie, his voice breaking and Kenzie saw the mask fall away, the mask of anger and frustration he'd been wearing for weeks, and underneath, she saw misery, desperation and terror.

Startled, Kenzie strode over and Gunner groped desperately for her. Wrapping his trembling arms around her lower back, he pressed his face into her stomach and began to cry.

Shocked, Kenzie forgot her own anger and hurt and stroked Gunner's hair gently, listening to him cry as if his heart was breaking. Gunner had always been so strong for Kenzie, and to see him like this right now was frightening.

"I'm so sorry baby, I didn't mean any of it, just...the thought of losing you-" He broke off for a moment, drew a shuddering breath before continuing. "He got too close, what if I hadn't gotten in the way in time? I should have taken you away as soon as I heard Ramsey had escaped...I almost lost you and I can't handle that!"

Everything fell into place for Kenzie, she been wrong right from the start. Gunner wasn't mad, not at her, he was furious at himself; terrified at the possibility that Ramsey could have easily shot Kenzie, killing her and the twins, if Gunner hadn't thrown himself in front of her the way he did. The worst decision he'd ever made wasn't taking a bullet for Kenzie, it was not spiriting her away to a safe house right from the start, for allowing the opportunity for Ramsey to find them like that. Gunner didn't regret saving Kenzie's life, not at all, his regret was that he almost hadn't made it, that Ramsey had had a chance to point the revolver at Kenzie and pull the trigger, and that his desperate leap in front of her might have not been in time. He regretted how close he had come to losing the woman he'd promised Forever to. Kenzie's heart thudded in her chest and tears sprang to her eyes.

"Oh, Gunner." She moaned, pulling away from her mammoth man long enough to drop to her knees in front of him, wrapping her arms around him and starting to cry herself.

"You took a bullet for me, your heart stopped five times, you were in a coma for ten days; Gunner, give yourself a break, you did everything you could to keep me safe and almost died for me and the twins. Please, baby, don't tear yourself apart over this, please." Kenzie pulled back far enough to smooth Gunner's hair back from his forehead, wipe the tears from his cheeks. She pressed fevered kisses to his lips and cheeks, murmuring soothingly to him, desperate to ease his agony.

Gunner clung to her like a terrified child, his body shuddering. He pressed his face into her hair, inhaled her scent deeply, moaned quietly before taking a deep breath, then another, his steel band tight muscles slowing relaxing again.

"I have nothing," he whispered fiercely, "if I don't have you. You and the babies."

"You have us, big man. You have us." Kenzie whispered back.

A/N: I've got some ideas in my head but I'd like your opinions too! What should Gunner and Kenzie have? Two boys? Two girls? One of each? What names do you all like? Also, I've got two endings I'm trying to decide between, one happy and one sad. What do you guys think? Does Gunner deserve a happy ending?