"You have to eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

Stefan set the plate of food he had in his hands on the coffee table and frowned.

"Michele made it especially for you. It's your favorite. Roast beef sandwich. extra tomato."

Ciara hugged the blanket closer to her body and continued to stare at the tv. "Tell him thank you but I'm not hungry."

"Well I'll just leave it here incase you change your mind okay?"

When Stefan didn't get a response, he started to walk towards the foyer. That's when he saw Claire taking her coat off.

"Claire what a pleasant surprise."

"Harold let me in. I hope that is okay?"

"Of course. Ciara is in bad shape and she could really use some family right now." He pointed to the food on the table and sighed. "I tried to get her to eat but she wouldn't bite."

"I'll see what I can do."

Stefan smiled and turned to his friend. "I have to go to work for a bit, but Claire is going to stay and hang out with you. If you need anything you know my number."

"Uh huh."

The DiMera gave Claire a small nod and then headed to the front door.

"So that sandwich looks really good. What's in it?" Claire asked as she sat in the chair next to the couch.

Ciara didn't feel like talking but didn't want to be rude. "Just roast beef lettuce, mayo, mustard, bell peppers, pickles and extra tomatoes."

"I take back what I said."

"It's actually pretty good."

"Oh really? If it's so good, why don't you show me and have some."

Claire knew with there competitive nature and how they act with each other that this was the best way to get her to try and eat.

"I see what your trying to do and it won't work."

"I'm not trying to do anything. I just think if this sandwich was so good, you'd eat it."

"Will you stop this game if I have some?"

"Maybe…"

Ciara picked up the plate and grabbed half the sandwich and took a huge bite. It tasted like it was supposed to, but it did nothing for her. Once she swallowed the food, she placed the plate back down on the table.

"Happy?"

"I think we'd all be happier if you ate the whole thing, but we'll take what we can get."

"Look I'm fine you don't have to worry about me. Nor sit here and babysit me."

"You call this fine? You've been wearing the same shirt of Ben's for a week. You haven't left the house since the fire and you're barely eating. I'm no doctor but I'm pretty sure that's not good for the baby."

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Ciara, I know how you must be feeling-."

"Really? Because last time I checked the love of your life didn't get trapped in a burning building and not make it out."

"Your right that didn't happen to me."

"You didn't have to stand there as your mother told you that she didn't see the father of your baby as she barely made it out alive. You didn't have to sit there as her and Rafe told you they were calling off the search. You didn't have to come to the realization that all the hopes and dreams you had planned died in that fire." She snapped.

"But there's still hope. Stefan still has his own people looking. Maybe they'll find him. Because the Ciara Brady I know would never give up hope."

She shook her head. "I just keep thinking about all the time we wasted."

Flashback

He sat down on the small hospital bed next to his girlfriend and laced his fingers with hers.

"You know I care about you, right?"

She smiled. "Of course, I know Ben. You proved that tenfold when you saved me from your sister."

"Well it's because I love you that I can't do this."

"What are you talking about."

His fingers slowly slipped from hers as he stood up and walked over to the middle of the room.

"It's my fault that all these horrible things keep happening to you. And I can't subject you to any more of that."

"Ben…" She got up and walked to him. "You're not subjecting me to anything."

"How can you say that? Of course, I am! You were nearly burned to a crisp. Twice I might add because of me."

"That could have happened whether you were in my life or not." She said as she reached for his hands.

"No."

"Yes, Ben it could have. The difference is I had you to save me."

"Next time we might not be so lucky."

"You don't know that."

He nodded. "Your right I don't. But I do know I can't keep doing this to you."

She squeezed his hands. "You're not doing anything to me."

"Yes I am. That's why I think it's best for both of us if we move on."

Ciara started to panic. What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean move on?"

"I-I-I think we should break up."

She violently shook her head. "No. No absolutely not. I won't let you."

He choked back a sob. "I-its-It's already done Ciara. Please don't make this any harder okay?"

"Make this harder?! You're the one complicating things. I mean I get your scared I am too. But we don't have to breakup over it!"

"Ciara please just let me do this. I need to protect you, and this is the only way I know how."

She was fuming at this point. "You think protecting me means you have to dump me? Have you lost your-I-I mean what are you thinking?"

Ben sighed before removing his hands from hers and bringing them up to the top of her head. He pulled her in and gave her forehead an all but sloppy kiss.

"Goodbye Rockstar."

He detached himself from her orbit and started to walk toward the door. Just as his hands touched the metal of the handle, he heard her yell to him.

"Wait! You can't go Ben! You can't go because…because I love you!"

He turned and paused. "You what?"

"You heard me. I love you. I have loved you the moment I opened my eyes in that cabin. I just didn't know it and if you walk away now you are taking away a huge piece of me. The best piece in fact. So, I can't let you do that."

"Ciara I…"

She walked to him and grabbed onto his hand and pulled him to her. "You're not running. I won't let you."

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Ben crashed his lips onto her.

###

"You broke up for like two seconds."

"Two seconds that could have been spent with us together."

Claire frowned. "Ciara-. "

"I see him everywhere you know. I can't escape him. And I don't want to but…I can't take it. I feel like I'm going crazy. It's so bad that sometimes I don't know what's real."

Claire leaned forward and laid her hand on her aunts' hand. Ciara looked up at her and the moment their eyes locked the brunette started to sob.

The younger Brady got up from her seat and walked over to her friend and relative and pulled her into her arms.

"Everything is going to be okay. You'll see."

"No, it won't. It will never be okay again."

"Ciara, I know it seems like you'll never get through this but-."

The brunette pulled away from her niece. "You know in my dreams everything is the way it used to be. But I always wake up. I always wake up."

Claire looked at her aunt and again frowned.

###

Gabi sat down next Ciara and fanned out the DVD's she had in her hand.

"Okay so I have action, romcom, and sci-fi. Take your pick."

"Whatever you guys want."

Gabi and Stefan looked at each other and then their friend.

"Captain America The First Avenger looks good to me."

"You okay with that?" Gabi asked Ciara.

She wrapped the blanket around her tighter and nodded.

"Good then I'll make the popcorn and Stefan can start the movie."

Once Gabi was out of the room the pregnant brunette cleared her throat.

"So, where's Arianna?"

"Ari is spending the weekend with Will and Sonny."

"Would that have anything to do with the ray of sunshine I've been this past week?"

He laughed. "No, they had tickets to a Blackhawks game and thought Ari might like it now that she's getting into sports."

"Sounds fun." There was a long pause before Ciara spoke. "You know Ben had plans to take me to a Red Sox game. We were going to take a trip to Boston. Make a whole week of it."

"That sounds nice. When did he become a fan of them again?"

"It was when Jordan and he were on the run."

"Oh right. They lived in Boston for a bit."

"He loved it there. I've never been so I can only imagine what it's like."

Stefan grabbed the DVD case and popped it open. "I've been on business there. It's nice not like Chicago but it's nice."

"I'm sure."

As Gabi was walking into the room, he was placing the movie into the DVD player.

"Popcorn is done and smells delicious."

Stefan walked over to his girl and took a small handful of the snack out of the bowl. He dropped a few pieces in his mouth and then cocked his head to the side.

"This is interesting. What is it?"

"Kettle corn. Isn't it good?"

"Very." He said as he grabbed the remote and hit play before sitting down in the chair closest to the TV. "You should try it Ciara."

"Yeah here. It's really good. It's salty and sweet."

Gabi sat down on the couch and placed the bowl in between her and her friend.

"I'm not-."

"Please?"

Ciara took a few pieces and slowly ate them. She was sure if she actually had an appetite that she would have enjoyed it more.

###

Toward the end of the movie Stefan got a phone call and had to excuse himself. The two girls thought nothing of it and went back to the movie.

"Give me your coordinates, I'll find you a safe landing site."

"There's not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down.

"I'll get Howard on the line; he'll know what to do."

"There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York. I gotta put her in the water."

"Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out."

Starting to have a bad feeling where this movie was headed Ciara gripped the blanket tighter.

"Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice. Peggy?

"I'm here."

"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."

"Alright. A week, next Saturday, at the Stork Club."

"You got it."

"Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?"

"You know, I still don't know how to dance."

"I'll show you how. Just be there."

"We'll have the band play somethin' slow. I'd hate to step on your…"

"Steve? Steve? Steve?"

Ciara watched as the line went dead and Peggy Carter started to weep. Before she could even realize what was happening, she started to sob. Like Ms. Carter she knew what it was like to lose someone you love far too soon.

"Shit do you want me to turn it off?"

"No." She croaked out.

"Here." Gabi leaned over to the end table next to her and grabbed the box of tissues and put it in front of her crying friend.

Ciara took a tissue and blew her nose. She then took another a dabbed her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think I'd get so emotional over this."

She wrapped her arm around Ciara's shoulder and pulled her into her side.

"Hey, it's okay don't worry about it. If you feel like crying, then you cry."

Out in the foyer Stefan was still on the phone with one of his associates.

"And you found it where? Well that was nowhere near the fire. If the PD hadn't stopped the search so quick, they probably would have found it. No, I'm not going to say anything yet. Just call me when you get anything else concrete."

Once Stefan walked back into the room, he saw Ciara wiping her eyes with a tissue.

"So…what did I miss?"

"Steve crashed the plane into the water to save New York. Peggy was on the radio with him when he did it."

"He still owed her a dance. "Ciara said through her tears.

Gabi rubbed her friends back and sighed. "At least we know he makes it out okay in the end. There's two other Captain America movies plus the he's in the Avengers movies."

She shook her head. "God look at me. I'm crying over fictional characters."

"Hey-."

Ciara interrupted her female friend. "Actually, it's not the characters I'm crying over. I'm crying because it reminds me of my situation with Ben. At least Peggy got some kind of goodbye. I didn't get anything."

Stefan frowned. "Why don't we watch something else? Gabi recorded the new Ocean's 8 with Sandra Bullock."

"Actually, I'm kind of tired all of a sudden. I think I'm going to head up to bed." Ciara said as she slowly got up from the couch.

"Okay sure."

The couple watched as their friend made her way to the stairs. Before she disappeared from their view Mr. DiMera offered her a goodnight. He waited for a response from her but all he got in return was small nod.

Once she was completely gone Stefan turned to his girlfriend. "I'm still really worried about her."

"Me too. Yesterday I caught her sitting at her vanity softly singing along to Only the Lonely. She looked like she was about to fall apart into a million pieces."

"I don't think I know that song."

"Sure, you do. It's by Roy Orbison. 'There goes my baby. There goes my heart. They're gone forever. So far apart. But only the lonely know why I cry.'."

He nodded his head in acknowledgment. "There has to be something we can do."

"What if we had her go see Marlena?"

"I've thought about it, but I can't get her to leave the house."

"I'm sure Marlena wouldn't mind doing a house call. I could call and set something up."

###

Once Ciara made it to her room, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Not that there was much to brush off since she had barely been eating.

When she finally crawled into bed, she turned on her TV, mostly for background noise.

Watching Friends wasn't the same anymore. She'd always remember her and Ben laying down together as she explained the show to him. Or how from the moment he started watching with her he thought Joey should be with Rachel.

It honestly still surprised her to this day that he had never seen the comedy before he met her.

Thinking about it made her smile for a second and she looked over to Ben's side of the bed like she expected him to be there. When her eyes were met with an empty space she reached out for his pillow and clutched it to her body.

She could still smell his scent and let it help lull her into a slightly peaceful slumber.

###

"You know I never understood why people liked Ross with Rachel so much. He was controlling, obsessive, possessive, selfish, and always talked down to her because he felt his Ph.D. made him superior to her."

Ciara's eyes slowly opened, and she looked up to see Ben laying down next her, with his head propped up on his hand. The brunette blinked her eyes a few times. This couldn't be real.

She hesitantly reached out her hand to touch his face. "Ben…"

"Yeah?"

"Are you…is this real? Are you really here?"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "No, it's not real but it sure does feel like it huh?"

She sighed as she felt him caress her cheek. It was just another dream. She felt like she could cry for the umpteenth time. "Yes."

"Ciara…"

"I never got to say thank you."

He cocked his head. "For what?"

"For giving me everything I've always wanted. Safety, stability, passion and a love that consumes me like no other has. There's nothing more I could ever want…other than for it to last forever. But I guess…I guess that's not going to happen."

"Baby I know this has been hard on you but believe me things are going to be okay. "

Ciara pulled back as tears filled her eyes, not able to take it any longer. "How can you say that? Nothing will ever be okay again! Your gone. The police stopped looking for you. I was told to give up hope."

"And have you?"

"I…I don't know. I want to believe you'll come back to us but its been a week since the fire. If you- if you were alive, they should have found you by now."

"I hate to say this because Hope is your mother and Rafe your stepfather, but the Salem PD is not the brightest when it comes to police work."

"So, your saying not to give up hope?"

Ben grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "How many fires have we been though?"

"One too many."

He chuckled. "Yes, but we survived each one and came out stronger because of it."

"This time is different. One of us didn't make it." She started to cry.

"Hey come here."

Ben pulled her into his arms and laid them back down on the bed. He then ran soothing circles with his fingers over her back.

"I want to see you. For real. Not in my dreams or day dreams. I can't do this without you. I shouldn't have to. It's too hard. I'm starting to think maybe for my own sanity I should let you go."

"I know Bobcat, I know it's hard. But we'll be together soon I promise. Don't let go of me."

She chocked back a sob. "You don't know that. You can't promise that."

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Just close your eyes okay? And when you wake up everything will be better."

"But Ben-."

"Do you trust me?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Then close. Your. Eyes."

She shot up in bed as she heard a loud crashing noise. Ciara looked around to see herself alone, again in her bed. The sounds coming from downstairs could be heard getting louder and louder. As if whatever it was, was coming towards her. She clutched the sheets to her body; almost afraid this was another nightmare.

When the door to the bedroom flung open, she recoiled a little.

There was a long silence before someone finally spoke.

"Ciara…"

She blinked. Standing in the doorway was Ben. Or someone who looked like Ben.

"I-I-…"

"Stefan briefly told me about what's been going on with you. I'm so sorry baby I'm…I'm so sorry." He started to tear up.

"Who-who are you?"

"Bobcat it's me Ben."

"No…no Ben is dead."

"Baby I'm not dead I'm right here. Stefan's men found me. I'm alive."

He tried to step closer to the bed and Ciara inched herself back.

"No! Just stay where you are!"

"Ciara. I'm not an imposter. I'm me. I'm the real Ben Weston. The man who's going to marry you. The father of your child."

"Well then…then…you're not real!"

"Baby." He stepped closer.

"Stop it Ben your getting in my head. Please don't do this to me please don't!"

"Baby listen… "

"No, you're not real. I've finally lost it. You're a hallucination. A figment of my imagination."

"Ciara, I told you I'm real, I'm really here."

"No…no you're my mind playing tricks on me!"

Ciara curled her legs into herself and placed her head in her lap and then covered her ears.

Maybe Stefan was right, maybe she should have seen Marlena.

"Ciara look at me."

"Just stop. I can't do this anymore. It hurts too much." She sobbed.

"Baby it's me I'm here. I'm real. I came back to you."

She shook her head. "No, the police couldn't find you. You're not real! You're in my head!"

Ben slowly walked over to there bed and gingerly sat on it. He then pulled her hands away from her ears. "But Stefan found me and I'm here Rockstar. I'm here."

"No-."

He brought his hand up to her cheek and gently rubbed it with his thumb before pulling her in for a small kiss. As soon as their lips touched, they both could feel a spark of electricity. Something Ciara never felt in her dreams. When they finally came up for air Ben rested his forehead against his fiancés and held her face in his hands.

"How about that? Did that not feel real to you?" He choked out.

"I-I-but…but how?"

"Does it matter?"

"But the police searched for you…they said they couldn't find you."

He sighed. "Let's just say they didn't look hard enough."

"But my mother personally looked. She said there was no trace of you."

Ben rubbed the back of his head. "Look I don't want to speak ill of your mother."

"Why she doesn't mind speaking ill of you."

"All I'll say is I don't think she was as invested in finding me as you and Stefan were."

Ciara shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I-I don't care I'm just so fucking glad you're alive."

She pulled Ben in for a big hug, not wanting to let go. He let out a wince and hugged her back.

"Ow."

"Shit are you okay?" She said as he pulled away for a bit.

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about you and the baby. How is our baby bobcat?"

"There okay. But they missed you like crazy. We both did."

He winced again. "Good."

"We should get you to a hospital."

"I just want to clean up. I smell like soot."

Ciara thought about it for a second and then nodded. "Fine but then were getting Stefan and taking you to the hospital. Is that understood?"

"Yes Ma'am."

Ciara smiled as she got up from the bed and grabbed Ben's hand. He then let her lead him to their adjoining bathroom.

Once they reached the shower, she was quick to turn the hot and cold nozzles on so she could find him the perfect temperate.

When she turned around, he surprised her by pulling her in for a quick hard kiss.

"I missed you so much Ben."

He pressed his forehead against hers. "I missed you too. Why don't you join me?"

"Ben we really need to get you to the hospital. We don't have-."

"Please Bobcat?"

Not being able to say no to him she nodded.

She first undressed herself and then went to help her future husband with his clothes. At first, he gave her a hard time, but it wasn't long till he surrendered to her.

When they finally got under the hot spray of the shower, he wrapped his arm around her waist and let his hand fall to her luscious mound. His thumb rested on her clit as his ring and middle finger slipped inside her moist folds.

She let out a small moan and arched her head back against his shoulder.

"Ben we…"

"I've been dreaming of this moment. Just let me have it." He softly spoke into her ear.

Not having it in her to say no she nodded. "Okay."

Ben continued on and it wasn't long until her found the spongey area inside her.

He kept stroking the area earning more moans from Ciara. This went on for a few moments when he felt her shudder. Realizing she was close he gently pulled his digits from her body.

Ciara whined through heavy pants.

"Is it okay if I…?"

"Yes."

Ben grabbed his penis and lined it up with his fiancés entrance. After a few seconds he eased himself in and sighed.

"God baby I love you so much."

"I love you too."

He pulled her head back and captured her lips into a sweet kiss as his hand held her face in place. His other dropped to her growing stomach.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, him moving in and out of her as they kissed. This went on till he stilled and they both moaned into each to each other's mouths.

When they pulled apart, they rested their foreheads against each other.

Ben was about to speak when there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Guys are you in there?"

"Uh yeah…I'm just taking a quick shower."

"Hey, you promised after you two reunited you'd let me take you to the hospital. So, chop chop!"

###

"Kayla, I hate to ask this of you because I'm sure your busy…but I'd like to see the baby."

"You want me to do an ultrasound?"

He nodded "That is if Ciara is okay with it."

Ciara grabbed Ben's hand and squeezed it. "I'm more than okay with it."

"So, then what do you say?"

The blonde smiled. "Let me get the machine."

###

Stefan looked up from the chair he was in to see commissioner Brady walking over to where he was.

"You have some damn nerve showing up here after what you did!" He said getting up from his seat and walking the rest of the way to her.

Hope gave the DiMera a questionable look. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't play dumb. Ben told me everything. About how you found him on your way out of the building and he begged you to save him, but you couldn't do it. You just kept on going."

Flashback

She knew she only had a short amount of time to get herself out of the building. It would be tough since she didn't know which areas were covered in flames, but she had to do it. It was her only way to try and make it out alive.

As she pushed open the doors to the next floor she looked around. There were no flames, just a lot of smoke.

The brunette made her way down the first flight of stairs and was just about to turn the corner to the other set when she heard her name.

"Hope…?"

"Ben?"

The detective whipped around to see her future son in-law stuck under a beam.

"Hope you have to help me I can't move the beam. It's too heavy for me to lift on my own."

Hope started to step towards him and stopped.

If she just walked away and left him here her daughter and grandchild would never have to worry about Ben Weston again. Sure, Ciara and the baby would miss him but eventually that would go away. If he was alive and, in their lives, he would always cause them pain. This had to be done.

Before she could second guess her decision, she turned around and made a bee line for the stairs.

"This is what's best for Ciara I'm sorry."

"Hope what are you doing? You can't do this I'm going to be the father to your grandchild. You saw what happened to Ciara when she lost her father. Do you really want that for her own child? I mean what would Bo think if he were still here and he knew you were doing this? Hope…? Hope! You can't just leave me here to die!" He cried out.

Hope stopped as tears prickled her eyes and she took one final look at the man who caused her so much worry and grief. "I'm sorry I-I have to do what's best for my little girl."

She continued down the stairs rushing at lightening pace.

As she made her descent toward the first floor, she could hear Ben's loud sobs for her to come back and help him. But she couldn't all she could do was try to hold back her tears as she tried to get herself out of the burning building.

End of flashback

"Mom…? Is this true."

Stefan and Hope tuned to see Ciara standing against the door of Ben's room.

"Honey I don't know what you heard but-."

"I heard everything. Now tell me. Is. It. True. Yes? Or no?"

Hope lowered her head and nodded. "Yes."

Ciara shook her head in slight disbelief with a little annoyance mixed in. "I can't believe this."

"Look Honey you have to realize that I did this for you and the baby. So, you both could have a real life. A safe life away from the chaos that is Ben Weston."

"I don't care what your damn reasons were. That was fucked up on so many levels! He's going to be my husband. He's the father of my child! I had issues with Rafe in the beginning, but I would have never done what you did to Ben to him. Because I know it would hurt you."

"Ciara listen please-."

"Do you know he won't even say one bad thing about you? He knows you are my mother and he doesn't want to do anything to tarnish our mother daughter relationship. Which is kind of funny. You did that all on your own. No help from Ben needed."

"Honey…"

She shook her head again. "Nope. Were done. Stay away from me, stay away from Ben and when this baby is born, I want you to stay away from it too."

"You can't be serious Ciara Alice. I'm your mother!"

"You were. Now your just some cold-hearted woman I use to know."

Stefan walked over to Ciara. "Ciara, I think-."

"I just wanted to come out and tell you Ben is okay. He has a few broken ribs, severe dehydration and a few cuts and scrapes that we're lucky didn't get infected."

"That's great. Considering the circumstances."

Ciara eyed her mother and nodded. "Could you see my mother is escorted out?"

"I uh…yeah sure."

She turned on her heel and went back to Ben's room so they could start the ultrasound.

###

"Jelly is going to feel a little cold."

Ciara nodded. "Okay."

Ben squeezed her hand and as Kayla dropped a little bit of clear jelly on her nieces' stomach.

The doctor then placed the wand over the stomach and gently pressed down.

"Okay let's see where this little guy is hiding…"

Ben's eyes went wide. "Guy?"

She laughed. "It's too early to know the sex I just meant-."

"Right, right don't worry I get it."

Ciara looked up at Ben. "Do you not want a boy?"

"Honestly Bobcat I don't care what we have as long as it's healthy."

"Good answer."

Kayla moved the wand around a bit more before her hand abruptly stopped.

"There they are."

The couple stared at the screen for a while in wonderment.

"And everything looks okay? Everything is where it's supposed to be?"

She nodded at her soon to be nephew in-law. "Everything is progressing just nicely."

"Thank god."

"Would you like me to print you out some pictures?"

"Yes please." They both said in unison.

They watched as Ciara's aunt grabbed a towel and gently wiped the jelly off of her stomach.

Kayla smiled. "I'll be back in a bit."

Once the door shut behind Kayla Ben laid down on the bed and rested his head next to her stomach.

He hoped he didn't botch up what he was about to do.

"Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
Then you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away.
"

"How do you-."

Ben looked up. "It was on your iPod. I assumed you liked it."

"I do."

"Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the songs you sang for me
When we went sailing on a something… bay.
" Ciara laughed as he messed up the words of the song.
"And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark and deep, inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me.
"

She wiped her eyes that started to tear up. "My dad use to sing this to me when I was little."

Ben widely smiled and turned his head back to her growing belly.

"Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me
Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabies go on and on
They never die
That's how you and I will be.
"

By this point Ciara was in a full-on sob. Ben pulled her in his arms as best he could with his injuries and rubbed her back.

"I wish my Dad was here."

"I know Bobcat but he's here. He's here in your heart and in that song," She nodded. "When I was little my mom use to sing me her parents' song. She did it every night. So even when they weren't there it felt like they were. So, I'm sure your dad is here. Looking down on us, watching us. Just like my grandparents and my Mom.

"I'm so glad you made it out alive. I don't know what we would have done without you."

"And you don't have to ever find out. Because I'm never leaving you again. Never."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away."