Hey guys new chapter! I promise not as much action this time. As always thank you all so much for your support. Please leave a review if you can x x x
starkidsforever: ha, I'm sorry, I promise this is a nice calm chapter... thanks for reading this, I really hope you like the story x x x
catalinapaz: Thank you, sorry the update came so late this time, I've been really busy x x x
Don'tForgetTheNotes: Thank you so much, I love your writing and honestly think you're so talented so hear that you liked the story means a lot x x x
starkidllamas-llama Oh no, don't cry, I promise this chapter will bring more happy tears :) well, for now... x x x
Gem: haha thank you, it's really not that good but I'm glad you think so x x x
a-random-fanfiction-fairy Thank you, it always shocks me when people actually like my writing. Ya I have a few ideas of where I can go from here so guess we'll have to see. x x x
lovedance359 Haha thank you, as I've said before I'm always shocked when people like my writing so to see that you like this story so much is absolutely unbelievable for me. Don't worry the cycle will not be starting again x x x
Lauren opened her eyes groggily and looked down, sensing a weight on her right arm. Joey's head lay resting on his arms, slumped down across her arm. She watched as a lock of his dark hair slipped down in front of his face. With her free hand she gently tucked it back behind his ear, letting her hand linger on his head for a few seconds,
"I missed you so much," he whispered, startling her as his eyes opened sleepily.
Lauren stayed silent and let her hand slide down on to her lap. Joey sat up slowly and looked at the woman sitting before him. Her beautiful brown eyes no longer carried that carefree twinkle as she gazed back at him but beneath the hard layer, he knew the old Lauren was in there,
"I know I look like shit," she sniffed, tugging the bed covers up around her self-consciously.
Joey shook his head and smiled sadly, sitting up an the edge of the bed, "Lo, you're alive, that's more than I could have ever hoped for... I blame myself for what happened.. I should have gone with you, I should have done something…"
He paused and took a deep breath before turning away and walking over to the window and resting his weight on the ledge. The early morning sky was a mix of golds and scarlets as the sun peeked over the horizon. Without warning Joey let out a gut-wrenching sob and slid to the floor as the tears slid down his cheek. Lauren let the blanket around her fall as she watched Joey's composure crumble. She felt in the least capable position to provide comfort and yet she found herself slipping out of bed and walking over towards him. She sat down alongside him and shakily placed a reassuring hand on his knee. It felt strange to be this near someone again,
"Joey…"
"Don't... Don't tell me it wasn't my fault. It doesn't make a difference and it certainly doesn't help convince me otherwise," he sniffed, taking her small hand gently and warming it,
"I wasn't going to say that," she lied quietly, "I… I missed you too and I could really do with having my old Joey back because for months I've only had memories to live off of and now you're here and… I need you Joey."
Suddenly she felt his long gangly arms wrap around her and pull her in to his chest,
"I'm here," he murmured, "I promise... God I shouldn't be the one crying."
"You're not to blame," Lauren said softly after a few minutes, "and you know I'm always right so don't even try to argue."
"That's not fair Lopez," he replied, a lightness in his tone.
"Who said I played a fair game," she smiled, burying her head deeper into his chest as she felt his arms shift slightly around her,
"So...have you asked Jaime out yet?"
Joey bowed his head trying to hide the blush that had risen to his cheeks, "Ya… we're kind of a thing now… but it's been hard, with… everything that's been going on. We all found it difficult after…"
"Do you think things will just go back to the way they used to be?" she asked shakily, the cheerful tone evaporating.
"No," he stated firmly, "it'll be better."
"I hope so," she murmured softly, letting her eyes close, "I want to feel like a person again."
"You've always been the best person Lo," Joey whispered kissing Lauren tenderly on the head and resting his back against the wall, allowing his own eyes to shut.
Julia pushed the hospital door open quietly, leading the group. She frowned in confusion as her eyes landed on the empty bed before she noticed the pair down on the ground; Lauren looked like a child cradled in Joey's long arms. She stepped into the room hesitantly, torn between wanting to wake Lauren and hug her for unreasonable amounts of time and wanting to let her sleep.
She was hardly able to process everything that had happened in the last few hours. The memorial, the phone call, the silent car journey over and now here they all were, together. It didn't seem real.
Brian Rosenthal stepped through and stifled back a strangled sob causing them all to stare in shock. Brian never cried, he usually dealt with his grief by not speaking and hiding his feelings, so to see him crack like this stunned them all.
Julia felt Jaime push past her and watched as she sat down on Lauren's other side and wrapped her arms around her. Following Jaime's lead, the rest of them moved silently to claim a space around Joey and Lauren, providing a human safety blanket as they huddled together. For the first time in months, their group felt complete. They each took one another's hands and interlinked their fingers.
The sound of a clock ticking counted the passing minutes as Julia closed her weary eyes. Despite the natural light that lit the hospital room, sleep would come easily. She stiffened as she felt a small cold hand close around her own and looked up to see that Lauren's eyes were still shut however she had the hint of a smile on her face,
"I missed you roomie," Julia choked, giving Lauren's hand a squeeze.
Joe placed his hand on his thigh in an attempt to stop it shaking up and down with impatience. He'd been refused his request to go and see Lauren multiple times and he didn't know how much longer he could take it before lashing out at someone. The medical staff had him on "concussion surveillance" but he felt perfectly fine, better than he had in months in fact. His head snapped up as he heard the cubicle curtain being drawn back and he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise. Mr Lopez stepped inside gingerly and took a seat. Joe sat up straighter, not wanting to appear weak before a man he held so much respect for,
"Thank you," Lauren's father said sincerely, "you're the reason Lauren is still alive and for that I am forever grateful."
For what felt like the first time in a long time, Joe looked at Mr Lopez, properly. He had failed to notice the obvious aging effect the last few months had had on him. His hair, once jet black flecked with silver, was now almost entirely grey and his eyes were supported by two dark crescents, from months of sleepless nights,
"She's my person," Joe responded honestly, "I love her."
"She loves you too," Mr Lopez replied gruffly, "I knew it the first time she brought you home to our house. Do you remember it?"
Joe nodded, intrigued, waiting for Mr Lopez to continue,
"Of course I hated your guts because I saw you as the scumbag that would take away my baby girl from me... It's a father's biggest fear you know, losing their daughter," he said quietly, "but now I realise, if I'm to lose her anyone, I want it to be you."
Joe wanted to say something, anything, to comfort the man but no words would come to him,
She used to talk about you all the time... jeez she'd kill me for telling you all this," Mr Lopez persisted reminiscently,
"I don't think she knew that she loved you yet, but I could see it. The way she looked at you… You looked at her the same way. But...you were aware of the feelings you felt, am I right?"
"I knew, believe I knew" Joe whispered, "I had a crush on that girl ever since the first day I laid eyes on her and waiting for her to return that feeling was almost soul-destroying. I thought I'd have to be 'The Friend' forever."
Lauren's father chuckled, "I could have told you that wouldn't be the case years ago."
Lauren's eyes swept over her friends snoozing faces. She hid a smirk as she saw a sliver of drool dripping from Brian's gaping mouth. Meredith's curly head was snuggled under his arm and she could just about make out Darren's head resting on Julia, whose hand still held her own loosely. Lauren couldn't help but feel a warm rush of affection for them, but as much she wished she could stay like this forever, the one person she wanted to see most wasn't here. With an artful skill, she managed to detach herself from the tangle of bodies without waking anyone and stood up. Pins and needles sent tingling sensations up and down her legs as she plodded softly towards the door.
Out in the ward, she immediately noticed a trainee nurse and watched nervously as the young woman sorted through a large stack of patient files. Although the corridor was relatively quiet, Lauren felt uncomfortable being among strangers in an unfamiliar environment and felt the palms of her hands grow sweaty. It struck her that she hadn't been in a public place without the presence of Shane, Kate or Marcus since she'd been taken. She felt so vulnerable. She tried to take deep breaths as she stood outside the door. She jumped as a hand came down on her shoulder and shied away before turning around. Her mother's worried face stared back at her,
"Sweetie, it's just me," Mrs Lopez hushed, the hurt evident on her face. For a second Lauren stayed still, horrified by her own paranoia before flinging herself into her Mom's arms, feeling her mother's hair tickle her ear as she rested her head on her shoulder,
"My baby," her mother whispered, stroking Lauren's back in soft therapeutic circles.
The nurse came over and looked at the pair sympathetically, "let's get you back to bed Lauren."
"I want to see Joe," Lauren objected weakly, pulling back and looking to her mother for support.
"Joe is just getting checked over, he'll be up later," Mrs Lopez explained calmly, attempting to steer Lauren towards the hospital room.
Lauren shook her head and stepped away, "No, I need to see him. Please… I've waited six and a half months, don't make me wait any longer," she sobbed,
Her mother's face contorted in pain as she saw Lauren breaking down in front of her, "I promise hunny, he'll be up soon."
"No!" Lauren cried, "You don't know what I've been through, you don't know how hard it was to think about ye every day and know that ye were moving on with your lives without me. I wouldn't have known if you were dead or alive and that was terrifying...None of you were there ok?... None of you were alone,"
Lauren's voice shook as she spoke and her mother's fresh tears did nothing but feed the immediate guilt that followed her outburst. She looked away and wiped her eyes with the cuff of her sleeve, ashamed,
"I just want to see Joe," Lauren exhaled under her breath and stared down at the polished floor.
"Ok," her mother's voice came shakily, "we'll go see Joe."
Marcus stared at the news report, unmoving as his brain analysized the situation. His son was dead, but more importantly, how much did Lauren know? Shane had loved the girl and there was a strong possibility that she knew things that would greatly jeopardize everything they'd been working towards these last few months,
"So what's the plan?" Kate asked monotonously from behind him, "She knows too much."
"We lay low for a while," he instructed, "the police will have gotten whatever information they can by now."
Kate frowned, "Lay low? Are you serious? She got your son killed!" she hissed
"I know and she'll pay for that, but for now we disappear."
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