Chapter Ten: We Are Forever

The house was quiet. Subtle lighting casting shadows in the night. Walking from room to room, I held the bat in my hands. He was here somewhere. The sound of his heavy breathing. His heavy footfalls making the house feel like it was vibrating. But I could never find him. Calling Leo's name, he too was nowhere to be found. All I wanted to do was find him. We were hurt and I needed to be with him. I don't know when we were separated. We had been together. Now we weren't. Calling Leo's name again, my breathing slowly became dominate in my ears as I slowly made my way up the stairs. Slowly making my way down the hall, it seemed like a light was radiating from the bedroom. Stepping into the doorway, the light intensified, blinding me before it diminished. Lowering the bat before dropping it, I stepped into the room. Leo was standing by the bed, a sweet smile on his face. The room was littered with petals and candles. Smiling back at him, I took in the beauty of the room before the beauty of the man in front of me. The moment would have been perfect if it weren't for the blood that covered our bodies.

"I've been looking for you." I told him.

"And I've been looking for you." He replied. "This was the only place I wanted to be. The moment I wanted to stay in, so I came here. I knew you'd find me."

"I've been so afraid." I frowned at him.

"Me too." He nodded, looking at me sadly. "But everything is going to be okay."

"Now that you're here." I added before rushing to him.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, he held me tightly against him. "I love you, Gracie. I love you so much."

"I love you more than anything else in existence." I whispered in his ear. "What are we gonna do?" I asked as I released him.

"I don't know. But I have a feeling that we can't go together." He replied cupping my face in his hand.

"Then let's just stay here." I told him. "We can just stay here together forever."

"No." He said shaking his head. "We have to move on."

"Move on to what?" I frowned at him.

"I don't know yet."

"I go where you go. That's all there is to this. We go together or we don't go at all."

"I want to ask you something." He said softly as he ran his fingers through my hair.

"No." I said gently putting my fingers to his lips. "Don't ask me. Not like this."

"This might be the only chance I get." He replied with a small smile.

"No." I smiled at him. "We are going to have our moment."

"I wasn't joking about the not going together part." He frowned.

"I'm not going anywhere without you. I'll follow you wherever you go."

"And I'll follow you."

"Good. Because that means we're going to be okay."

"We're hurt." He stated, a look of pain crossing his face. "I'm starting to feel it."

"Me too." I told him.

"You don't look like you're in any pain."

Smiling, I gently put my hand over his wounds. "That's because I'm holding back. I'm waiting for you to tell me that everything is going to be okay. I need you to believe that we are stronger than this." I told him and paused. "You saved me once. It's time for me to do the same."

"How?"

"By saying 'yes' and by doing this." I said and pulled his face to mine, kissing him passionately.

Kissing him as if it was the first and the last, I ran my hands up and down his body. Kissing him harder as I clasped his wounds in my hand. His hands did the same, pain erupting on my arms. My stomach searing as his thumb pressed into it. But as much pain as there was there was life. I could feel it course through me. The candles flames rose, sending off sparks of light. Our heartbeats quickening as our passion rose with the flames. A light built up inside of the room, making our surroundings disappear. Feeling like the time was near; our kisses became gentle and deep, before we stood with each other's heads in our hands. Smiling, we stared into each other's eyes. I could now see that he wasn't giving up. He believed that we would be okay. That's all that mattered. That's all that I needed to know.

"I love you." I told him. "I do." I added, grinning at him.

"I love you." He grinned back. "I love you now. I'll love you forever."

Pressing my body against his, gently running my fingers through his hair, I rested my face against his, whispering in his ear, "We are forever."

Slowly opening my eyes, the white walls of the hospital room slowly came into view. The beeping of the monitors annoyingly consistent. Looking around the room, I saw Jim sleeping in a chair next to the bed. Slowly moving my body, there was little pain, but there were bandages covering my arms and my stomach felt stiff. Swallowing hard, I reached my hand out to Jim, gently rubbing my fingers back and forth across his hand. He shifted before waking, rubbing his face before he opened his eyes, meeting mine. Smiling at him, it faltered as I watched tears fill his eyes. Standing up, he leaned over me, gently putting his hands on my arms. Doing the same, he leaned down, allowing me to put my arms around him before he pulled me up against his chest. There was a small amount of pain but nothing that was enough to shorten this moment. He cried into my shoulder as I held him as tightly as I could.

"Everything is going to be okay." I told him softly.

Gently lowering me back against the pillows, he sat on the edge of the bed, gripping my hand as he smiled at me. "You're awake."

"He's gonna be okay." I added.

"I know." He nodded as a tear slid down his cheek.

"I love you, James Kirk." I grinned at him.

"I love you." He grinned back. "You and Bones are my best friends. I'm sorry if I've ever made you feel less than that."

"Never." I smiled with slightly furrowed brows.

"Good." He nodded. "I've been pretty worried about you two. I was afraid you weren't going to make it."

"I know. It sucks and I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. You're awake and that means you're gonna be okay."

"What about Leo?" I asked. "Is he awake yet?"

"Not yet." Jim replied somberly. "But if you are that means he can't be too far behind."

"Where he goes, I go." I said averting my eyes, though it wasn't directed at him.

"Where you go, he goes." Jim replied, meeting them again, gently brushing his fingers across my hair.

"I want to see him." I told him determinedly.

He just looked at me a moment before nodding, "Okay."

Turning off the machines, he helped me pull the lines and IV from my body before getting the wheelchair that was folded in a corner. Slowly helping me into it, I had to hold back a cry of pain before settling into chair, my stomach pulsing with pain from being moved.

"Are you okay?" Jim asked.

"Yes." I smiled at him. "Please take me to him."

Nodding, Jim slowly pushed me from the room. It was late and there was no one to stop us. Stopping just two rooms down, I tried to prepare myself for what I was about to see. Slowly pushing me into the room, a small smile crossed my face as I looked at Leo. There was still a tube in his throat but he still looked handsome. Jim moved me as close to the bed as possible. Reaching my hand out, I simply looked at him, my smile growing as I tightly gripped his hand.

"Hey, baby." I said to him sweetly. "I'm out. Now it's your turn."

"You're out?" Jim asked sitting in a chair next to me.

"We were together." I smiled at him before looking back at Leo. "Wherever we were, we were there together. We promised we'd go together. I'm back. I'm okay. It's his turn now."

Slouching in the chair to take the pressure off of my stomach, I ran my fingers up and down his arm. Smiling at him, I sat and waited. He would come back to me. He promised. He would come back.

"Jim?" A voice said from the doorway.

Looking at the doorway, I saw Captain Pike standing there. "Hello, Captain Pike." I smiled at him.

"Grace." He said surprised before a grin crossed his face. "It's good seeing you up and around."

"Thank you." I told him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked stepping into the room.

"Sore. But good." I replied. "Eager for Leo to make it back."

"He'll be back before you know it." The Capitan smiled.

"I know. He promised." I smiled before looking back at Leo. "You promised me, so hurry up."

"Jim." Pike said touching his shoulder before leaving the room.

"Gracie, I'll be right back." Jim smiled, running his hand down my hair before he followed after Pike.

"I'm in good company." I replied softly.

Sitting, waiting, running my fingers up and down his arm, my mind went through everything that had happened in my head while I was unconscious. I knew what had happened. I understood what it meant. But if I could make it out than so could he. We knew what was happening. It was calmer where we were. It was safer. I wanted to be back there. Leo was there. He didn't look good. He had very little color and the peacefulness on his face was like that of the dead. I'd seen that look before in my dreams. His words repeating in my head, 'But I have a feeling that we can't go together.'

"We go together or we don't go at all." I whispered as I leaned forward, ignoring the pain, putting my hand on his cheek. "You have to be okay." I whispered as tears filled my eyes. "I won't be okay unless you wake up. I can't do this alone." A second later my name was yelled from the doorway, making me jump and spin toward the sound, my stomach searing with pain. "God damn it, Ian." I said putting my hand over my wounds, my other on the bed to steady myself.

"What are you doing out of bed?" He asked rushing into the room. "When did you wake up?"

"Just a little bit ago." I replied.

"Ian!" Jim said rushing to my side, putting his hands on my arms. "Are you okay?" He asked me.

"Everything all right?" Pike asked with a frown.

"We need to get her back into bed." Ian said reaching for me.

"No." I said shaking my head.

"Leave her alone, Ian." Jim shot at him. "She wants to be near him."

"She's not well enough." He retorted.

"I need to be with him." I told him as tears welled in my eyes.

"No. She needs to rest." Ian told me.

"I'm fine."

"Don't talk to her like that." Jim frowned.

"Everyone, let's just calm down." Pike added as he stepped between me, Jim and Ian.

"He needs me." I said gripping Leo's hand, staring at him.

"Grace." Ian said gripping my wrist.

Whipping my head to look at him, Jim pulled me away, shoving Ian as he put distance between me and him. It wasn't a lot of force but I tripped over the wheelchair, falling to the floor, hitting my abdomen on the arm of it on the way down. Pain erupted like a thousand knives. Screaming with pain, Pike scooped me up into his arms.

"Grace!" Jim said rushing to us.

"Give her to me." Ian said feeling him try and take me from Pike.

"Step back!" Pike yelled. "Let's just get her back to her room."

Rushing me out of room, I gripped his shoulder tightly as I put pressure on my stomach, trying to dull the pain. Change it so it didn't hurt so much. But it didn't help. The pain only got worse. Pike laid me in my bed, taking my head in his hands as Ian rushed around the other side. I didn't know what was happening. Starting to feel groggy, other voices entered the room.

"Leo." I said as I rolled my head back and forth, unable to hold on to any sounds. "Leo."

Someone was talking softly to me but I couldn't grasp on to their voice before blackness filled my vision and the voice disappeared.

There was the sound of waves hitting the shore and I found myself standing on the beach. It was the same spot Leo and I had been in when I agreed to go to his place for the first time. Looking out at the water I saw Leo standing in it nearly to his knees. He wore a pair of khaki shorts and a white button-up that was open and blowing in the breeze. Smiling, I walked into the water, the sound of it making him turn to me. For a moment I just took him in. He was perfect. It was as if nothing happened to him. His nicely toned chest was tan and smooth as I ran my hand down it. He looked at me with a frown on his face.

"I thought you'd be happy to see me." I told him softly.

"You're not supposed to be here." He replied subtly shaking his head.

"Neither are you." I frowned back.

"What did you do?" He asked tightly gripping my arms.

"I didn't do anything." I replied putting my hands on his chest. "Our friends are having a hell of a time dealing with all this and I got in the way. As usual."

"Jesus, Gracie." He said pacing away from me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. "Why can't you just wake up?"

"I'm trying!" He yelled at me. "Do you think I want to be here? Do you think that I don't want to wake up, get better, and go home with you? But I don't feel like I'm getting any better. I don't know what to do or where to go. I can't feel the way out of here."

"Then feel me." I told him taking his hands in mine. "I am right here." I added as I put his hand up to my face.

"That's not a good thing." He stated sadly.

Running my hand up and down his arm, I stared into his eyes, "I am here for you. I will not let you die on me. You need to fight, not stand here admiring the view."

"I am fighting." He shot at me.

"No. You're waiting." I shot back at him. "You're not trying at all. I can't fight for the both of us. You need to do this on your own."

"I am fighting!" He yelled gripping my arms again.

"You were going to ask me to marry you and now you've trapped yourself in limbo because you don't want to face what's happening out there."

"Stop it." He told me sadly.

"You say you love me and want to spend the rest of your life with me but apparently that was a lie."

"No."

"Then why are you leaving me? It's like you're already gone. If you loved me you'd fight for me. If you loved me you'd stay."

"I'm right here!" He yelled jerking me.

"Are you?" I asked calmly. Sighing, I took his head in my hands. "I see you. I can feel you. But you're not here."

"Don't say that." He told me, now taking my head in his hands. "I can't hear that from you."

"You're not here." I repeated, releasing him.

"I'm with you. I'm always with you." He told me sadly. "Where you go, I go, right?"

"I've always thought so." I smiled at him. "I know you don't think you can do this. But you can. We're okay. All you need to do is leave this place. You need to wake up so we can have the life you've pictured. The life I want. I love you. I need you. I will die without you."

"Me too."

"Then why aren't you kissing me yet?" I smirked at him.

Laughing, he pulled me against his chest, his lips meeting mine. Before I knew it we were naked, making love as the waves crashed against us. Falling to the sand near the shore, we made love as if it was the first and the last time we would. It was amazing. Our pleasure heightened with our emotions and our need for each other. A need that went deeper than anything else. Love. The blinding light started to build again. It was coming. Only this time I wasn't going alone.

Once again waking to the sound of beeping monitors, I looked at the ceiling, hoping this would end sometime soon. I was groggy, knowing that I had drugs still in my system. Closing my eyes, it took me a moment to realize that there was another set of beeping in the room. One different from mine. Listening to it, it beeped the opposite of mine, making it sound as if they were entwined with each other. Daring to turn my head, I was met with brown eyes staring at me and a smile that made my breath catch. Tears were immediately in my eyes as I smiled back at him, slowly reaching my hand out to him. Doing the same, he gripped my hand tightly. The feeling of his skin was almost euphoric.

"Thank you." He whispered to me.

"For what?" I whispered back.

"For not letting me give up." He replied with a sad tone. "For reminding me what I live for."

"And what is that?" I grinned at him.

"You." He grinned back.

"You could've been awake a long time ago if you'd just remembered that." I scolded.

"I really thought I was going to die, Gracie." He told me softly. "I wasn't trying to give up. My mind was telling me that my wounds were extensive and that I was going to die. I thought I did die."

"That's your problem, baby. You think with your mind because you're a man of science. Sometimes you have to feel things with your heart." I told him gently.

"I feel you." He said and placed a long kiss against my palm.

"That's everything to me." I smiled as tears filled my eyes again.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Smiling at each other, staring into each other's eyes, we were home again. Wherever he was, was home. I knew he felt the same and to have him awake was the greatest gift God had given me yet. We had been on deaths door. But now we were healing and we were going to be okay. Though our moment was caught short when commotion was heard outside.

"What's going on out there?" I asked.

"Pike put security on the door. He said something about this being a Starfleet hospital and that the juvenile behavior that had been displayed has no place within its walls." Leo replied.

"Pike is a good man." I replied as I looked out the window. "It sounds like Jim out there." I stated, letting go of Leo's hand so I could prop myself up.

"He's been out there the entire time." Leo told me doing the same. "Pike has strict visiting hours put in place and Jim is always arguing about how he should be exempt."

"Makes sense." I smiled before lying back down, turning onto my side to better look at my boyfriend.

He did the same, smiling at me, "You're so beautiful."

"Yeah. Its luck I didn't get cut on the face." I told him and laughed.

"I'm glad you're making light of it." He told me with a sad smile.

"If I don't it'll drive me crazy. It worked out. He's dead and we're alive." I told him. "If we can't make light of it and move past it than we're never going to make it."

"I know." He smiled at me.

"We'll have the scars to remind us but we're okay. We're going to be okay as long as we're together."

"We are forever." He grinned at me.

"Do you remember me saying that?" I asked.

"I do."

Smiling at him, I was about to go on when the doors opened and Pike came in. "You're both awake." He smiled at us. "Everyone in the hall will be relieved."

"Thank you." I smiled at him.

"You gave us all a scare." He said sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I gave myself one too." I replied. "But it worked out."

"Good things usually do." He stated. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good." I smiled. "Better now that Leo's awake."

"He's been awake for almost a day." Pike told me.

"How long have I been out?" I frowned.

"Almost a day." He smirked. "It was a close call in the operating room. At the same time Leo had crashed. It seemed as if you two came back at the exact same moment and then he woke up. You made it through surgery swimmingly before you were brought back here. We knew it was only a matter of time before you came to." He explained.

"But we're okay?" I frowned harder at him.

"You'll both make a full recovery." He smiled.

"Good." I smiled, feeling a wave of relief. But Pike's smile faltered and he looked at me as if to tell me that there was something more he needed to say. "What is it?"

"Grace." Willow said rushing into the room, stopping Pike from saying anything more.

"Visiting hours must have started." He smiled at me.

"What is it?" I repeated.

Taking my hand he squeezed it tightly. "Later."

Looking at Leo, we shared a concerned look before I smiled at my friend, feigning happiness even though I knew something was still amiss. Willow started talking at top speed as she explained everything that had happened since we were attacked. She seemed to leave nothing out. Some of it was incredibly hard to hear. I didn't need to know that Leo was pulseless when we were found. I didn't need to know that it was so touch and go. I didn't want to think of it. Jim had slipped in and was listening in at the foot of Leo's bed, though he could see what Willow was doing. I tried to hide the agony from crossing my face but he must have seen it.

"Will." He said putting his hands on her shoulders. She turned and looked up at him, stopping midsentence. "It's too much." He told her gently.

"She'd tell me if it was too much." She frowned at him before looking back at me.

"It's a bit much, Will." I told her sadly. "It's just really hard to hear right now."

"Okay." She told me with a small smile. "I'm sorry." She said gripping my hand tightly. "Can I get you anything?" She asked.

"Some ice chips would be nice." I told her.

"I'll be right back." She said and rushed off.

"You don't really want those do you?" Jim asked as he pulled a chair up so he was sitting between our beds, able to talk to both of us.

"No." I smiled. "But she can be a bit much sometimes."

"You're telling me." Jim said with raised brows. "I've been dealing with her for days. Fighting her off is more like it."

Laughing lightly, I nodded at him. "She has ambition."

"That's one word for it." Jim stated but smiled.

"Thank you." I said holding my hand out to him.

"Don't thank me." He replied.

"But it was you who saved us. So I thank you whether you like it or not." I smiled at him.

"Thank you for not dying." He smiled back, tears welling in his eyes as he squeezed my hand tightly.

"Anytime." I said and laughed. Then I thought of the kid. "Merlin. Where is he? Is he okay? Are you taking care of him?" I asked hurriedly.

"Merlin's fine. He's at my place." Jim said reassuringly.

"Good." I said relaxing again.

"You both nearly die and when you wake up you're worried about the dog." Jim smiled.

"He's our kid." I smiled at him.

Jim stayed with us until Pike's visiting hours were up. Willow came back with the ice but didn't stay long. I felt as if I'd offended her, but she wanted to talk too much about what happened. I wanted to forget it. Wanted to simply get better and go home. I just hoped I'd still be able to walk through the doors.

Later that night, when the hospital was quiet, Pike returned. I was still awake, Leo having fallen asleep nearly an hour ago. Pike was quiet, smiling as he same and sat on the edge of my bed. Holding my hand up, he took it, gently squeezing it as he looked at me with a saddened expression.

"What else has happened?" I asked him. "What aren't you telling me?"

"The only reason I'm telling you this is because I've kicked Dr. Stanton off of your case and feel like it should still come from a friend." He told me slowly and softly.

"Just tell me, Chris." I said using his first name. It seemed as if he was going to get very personal with me. It was only fair that I did the same.

"It's not good." He told me and sighed.

"I'm freaking out here." I told him as I squeezed his hand tightly.

"The knife did severe damage to your abdomen." He told me slowly. I nodded to tell him I was following him. "So much so that, despite the repairs they made, it would be very difficult if not impossible for you to ever become pregnant."

For a moment I took in the news. "Okay." I told him, trying to decide if this was better or worse than what I had been expecting. Looking over at Leo, I knew that it could've been worse. He was alive and as long as we had each other, it didn't matter. We'd be happy adopting to grow our family. Or simply staying the two of us. "Okay." I repeated, meaning it this time as I looked at him a small smile on my face. Though I couldn't stop the tears that came to my eyes.

"It's not over." Pike told me. "You may heal and they could be completely wrong."

"Either way." I smiled. "Leo is okay. We're both alive. I think that's all that matters. For right now at least."

"You're a strong woman." He smiled back.

"I get it from my father."