Cooper crept into the bedroom at around 11:30 PM and walked into the closet. He was trying not to make any noise because he knew Charlotte was asleep. He stripped down to his boxer briefs and pulled on his GYM T-shirt. He disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door. He was brushing his teeth when he heard the door open. He turned his head and smiled. "I thought you were sleeping."

Charlotte half smiled and glanced at the toilet.

"You want me to leave?"

She blinked twice.

"Ok." He continued to brush his teeth and slid over when she had walked over to the sink. He kissed the top of her head as she washed her hands. "How's the pain?"

She held up seven fingers.

"Sleep is helping, I take it?"

She blinked three times.

He rested his hand in between her shoulder blades and gently rubbed, adding light pressure. He pressed his lips to her temple and slid his hand up. He ran his fingers through her hair and pulled a wavy curl out of her face. "You look miserable."

She blinked five times, but glared at him.

He laughed. "You look beautiful, but you also look miserable." He brushed his hand against her warm, pale cheek and smiled. "Go lay back down. I'll be there in a minute." He paused. "When the pain is too much for you, when you're tired of being treated like a two year-old, when you're frustrated with everything, just remember, you're alive. I have to do that too. I know how frustrated you are, and how much pain you're in, and I can't stand seeing you like this, but I remind myself that the alternative is 500 times worse. I remind myself that you're feeling this much pain, you're this frustrated 'cause you survived. And it helps me a little."

She smiled.

He lowered his head and let his lips touch hers in a delicate kiss. "I love you. I love you so much."

She blinked four times.

"Go lay down."

She wrapped her hand around his thumb and squeezed.

He rested his other hand on top of hers and looked at her. "It'll get better."

She stepped back and turned towards the bedroom. She walked back to bed and got under the covers.

He watched her and then finished getting ready. He shut off the light and walked into the bedroom. He turned on his bedside lamp and sat on the edge of the bed. He swung his legs around and got settled into a comfortable position. He turned off the light and turned his head towards Charlotte. "Goodnight, sweetie."

She smiled and blinked six times.

"That'll be goodnight and good morning—less to remember." He laughed and scooted closer to her. He held her arm across his stomach and stroked her hand. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He didn't know how much sleep he was going to get with all that had happened the last few days.


The next morning, Charlotte woke up at around 5:45 AM, not that she was actually sleeping. She swallowed, but soon wished she hadn't done that. She closed her eyes and bent her legs up. She rested her hand on her stomach and gently rubbed.

Cooper shifted on the mattress and turned his head. His eyes opened and he blinked. "Char?"

She ran her hand over his head, her nails grazing his scalp.

"What are you doing up? It's only," he craned his neck to see the clock on Charlotte's nightstand, "5:50 in the morning." He pushed himself up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Everything ok?"

She blinked once.

He brushed his thumb against her cheeks and sighed. "You're crying."

She touched her left cheek and pulled her hand away. She hadn't realized she was tearing up.

"Rough night?"

She blinked once.

"How's the pain this morning?"

She held up both hands, fanning out all ten of her fingers.

"Oh, sweetie." He turned on his bedside lamp. "Anything I can do?"

She blinked twice.

He rested his hand on her slight belly bump. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her stomach. He rubbed gently and smiled. "Morning, bug." He yawned and rolled onto his back. "I wish I could do something, Char."

She took the pad from the nightstand and wrote something down. She handed it to him and closed her eyes.

He smiled as he read it. "I wish I could do more, Char," he rephrased.

She got out of bed carefully and disappeared into the bathroom. She came back out a couple minutes later and smiled.

"You're glowing."

She adjusted her sweatpants and couldn't fight back the yawn that escaped. She shuddered and closed her eyes.

He rolled off of bed and walked over to her. He gave her a good morning peck on the lips and then kissed the top of her head, brushing her hair out of her face at the same time. "You hungry?"

She blinked twice.

He turned his head when he heard the earsplitting cries of their eight month old daughter. "Lie back down, sweetie. I'll see what's wrong."

She blinked four times.

"I love you too, Char." He smiled and walked down the hallway towards Ava's room.


Cooper opened Ava's door and walked over to the crib. He lowered the bar and looked down at her. He tickled her stomach and wiped away her tears. "My poor baby." He scooped her up, placing a soft kiss on her temple. He turned her when she started to vomit. He rubbed her back gently and sighed. "It's ok, sweet girl." He cleaned out her mouth and set her on the changing table. He cleaned her off, changed her diaper, and got her dressed in her pale green 'I'm cute, Mom's cute, Dad's lucky,' onesie. He ran his hand over her blonde hair and smiled. "Let's go see momma." He walked out of the room and into the master bedroom.


Cooper saw the bathroom door opened a crack so he walked over to it. "Char?" He pushed it open more and sighed.

Charlotte was leaning against the bathroom cabinet, her hand on her stomach, her other hand balled into a fist, her eyes closed, tears streaming down her pale cheeks, her legs bent, and her lips pursed into a line.

"Sweetie." He sat down beside her and adjusted the infant in his arms. He rested his hand on Charlotte's shoulder and rubbed gently. He kissed her on the cheek and dried her tears. "I guess your pain level just shot up to a twelve or higher?"

She blinked once.

"I can't even imagine." He slid his hand up and down her back in a circular pattern. "The nausea and vomiting is better now, though, right? I mean, better than it was, say, two weeks ago?"

She blinked again.

"Good."

She swallowed and cringed. "Ow."

She's alive. She's alive. She's alive. "I hope you get some relief soon, sweetie."

Ava squirmed in her father's lap and opened her eyes. She looked around the bathroom and grabbed onto Cooper's T-shirt. "Ma-ma-ma-ma."

Charlotte smiled and rested her hand on Ava's stomach.

"She's got a killer headache, I bet." He paused. "But don't worry, our baby girl is strong, just like her momma." He kissed Charlotte on the top of her head. "Small and mighty."

Charlotte turned her body, so she was facing Cooper, and smiled. She blinked five times and let out a shaky, painful breath.

"For what?" He paused. "Anything specific?"

She blinked twice.

He smiled. "Pain subsiding a little?"

She blinked once.

"Good." He smoothed down her hair. "I'm gonna put her back into her crib for an hour, and I'll make you some tea." He stood up and rocked Ava in his arms. "You want anything?"

She blinked once.

He grabbed a crossword book from the rack by the toilet and handed it to her along with a pencil.

She wrote something down and showed it to him.

"You want an orange creamsicle?"

She blinked once.

"I guess I can go to store and get you a box." He laughed. "Lie back down. I'll be back in a little bit."

She smiled and blinked five times.

"You're welcome, sweetie. You've been craving them for a while, huh?"

She blinked once.

He smiled. "Specific brand?"

"No-o."

"Ok. I'll be back." He brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and then walked into the bedroom, setting Ava on the bed as he got dressed. "I love you, Char." He smiled and disappeared down the hallway. He put Ava in her crib and then descended the stairs, heading out the door to a 24/7 mini mart.


Cooper walked through the front door about a half hour later. He was exhausted. He had to pinch himself on the drive to the store and back home just so he wouldn't fall asleep at the wheel. He yawned and padded into the kitchen. He put the creamsicles in the freezer and set the bag of bagels on the counter. He put a pot of water on the stove and grabbed a packet of apple cinnamon tea from the pantry. He turned around when he heard footsteps and smiled. "You're supposed to be in bed, Char."

Charlotte walked over to him and hooked her arm around his waist.

He kissed the top of her head. "Your creamsicles are in the freezer and I'm making you some tea."

She blinked five times and made her way over to the freezer. She opened the door and grabbed the yellow box. She tore off the cardboard strip and opened up the flaps. She took out a creamsicle and closed the box back up, putting it back into the freezer. She took the popsicle out of the plastic and sat down at the kitchen table. She closed her eyes as she slowly licked the orange flavored ice. It hurt—moving her tongue and swallowed—but she had a strong, unwavering craving for an orange creamsicle.

He sighed. "Painful?"

"Mmhmm."

"Hang in there, sweetie."

She smiled and yawned. "Ow."

He set the mug of hot tea in front of her and kissed the top of her head. "I'm gonna take a shower. Push through the pain, I know you can." He rubbed across her shoulder blades. "I love you."

She smiled.

"Enjoy your creamsicle." He smiled and disappeared out of the room.


Cooper was in the shower when the bathroom door opened. He stuck his head out and raised an eyebrow. "You ok?"

Charlotte blinked once and started over to the bathtub.

"Oh, you gonna take a bath?"

She blinked again. She turned the faucet and just watched the water fill the tub. She carefully removed her clothes and stared at Cooper, who was looking at her. She raised an eyebrow and covered herself up with her arms.

He smiled. "Don't be self-conscious, sweetie. You're gorgeous." He paused. "You just look amazing naked, that's why I'm staring at you. Plus, you're showing, much more than you were when you were 10 weeks pregnant with Ava. And your breasts, well, they're huge." He laughed. "I like seeing you pregnant, seeing the changes in your body. You're hot. I can't help looking at you."

She smiled and let her hands fall to her sides. She wasn't feeling up to having sex, she wasn't in the mood, she didn't exactly feel sexy at the moment and it hurt to move, but she felt better knowing that Cooper was still turned on by her naked body. She stepped into the tub and relaxed, leaning back against the tub wall. She let out a breath and closed her eyes. Her body trembled as she heard the clicking and felt the throbbing pulse in her neck.

He finished his shower and stepped onto the met. He wrapped himself in a towel and looked at Charlotte. He noticed she had some tears coursing down her cheeks, so he walked over to her. He sat on the lip of the tub and ran his hand through her hair. "Honey?"

She opened her eyes and blinked.

"You ok?"

She blinked once—though he knew she was lying.

"God, I hate seeing you like this."

She rested her hand on top of his. "I—I'm—o—k." Her voice was shaky and below a whisper.

"Feel better." He paused. "Panda's up, so I'm gonna get dressed and feed her a bottle."

"I—I—lo-ove—you."

"Shhh. I know it hurts when you talk." He paused. "But I love you too, Char."

She lifted her eyes and looked at him.

"Enjoy your bath. Relax. Take in the silence. I'll handle the baby and Mason for the morning."

She smiled.

"I'm gonna call the police, see where we are in the investigation."

"Am—elia?"

"I'll call Sheldon, see how she's doing. I think they're releasing her today or tomorrow."

"O—ok."

"Stop talking. It hurts. I know it does." He kissed the top of her head and tweaked her nose. "I hate that everything keeps happening to you—the attack, having to deal with Mason, this whole thing. You didn't ask or deserve any of this."

She looked at him. "Sto—op."

He sighed. "I'm gonna get dressed now."

"Coo—per."

"I'll never stop feeling guilty, Char. Never. But I'm glad you're ok. I am so grateful that you and Ava are ok." He wiped away a few tears and rubbed his eyes. "I'm gonna go before I start blubbering like an idiot."

She laughed. "St—op."

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to make you laugh, but I guess I'm naturally funny."

She laughed again and splashed him.

He sighed. "Sorry." He turned around and walked out of the bathroom, shutting the door to give her space.


It was close to 9:30 AM and Cooper was lying in the leather chair in the living room, with Ava in his arms, a half hour into her morning nap. His feet were propped up on the footrest and he was reclined almost flat. He had gotten Mason on the bus earlier and now he was just enjoying some peace and quiet with his daughter. He turned his head when he heard the stairs creek. He smiled. "Hey," he whispered, rubbing Ava's neck and shoulders.

Charlotte walked over to him and sat on the couch. "He-ey."

"Did the bath and nap help at all?"

She blinked once, offering him a smile for reassurance.

"I think there's some maple sugar or apple cinnamon oatmeal in the pantry. You want some breakfast?"

She blinked.

"Ok, I'll make you—."

She held up her hand and blinked twice. She stood up and looked at him, as if to say 'I'm in pain, but I can make a lousy bowl of oatmeal.'

He got the message. "I'm just trying to help."

She appreciated that, she really did, but she was tired of it. She disappeared into the kitchen, a little pissed off.

He sighed and looked down at Ava. "Do you know what's wrong with momma?" He got silence. "Yeah, me neither." He angled his head towards the kitchen. "Everything ok?" He heard something bang against the counter and it startled Ava. He rubbed her stomach and kissed her cheek. "Shhh, Panda bear, it's ok." He stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Charlotte turned her body towards him.

"You ok?"

She blinked once, glaring at him.

"What's wrong?" He set Ava in her swing and turned it on low. He walked over to Charlotte and rested his hand on her shoulder.

She pushed his hand away and pulled her bowl out of the microwave. She touched the oatmeal with her finger and quickly pulled it back. She stirred it around the bowl and slammed the microwave shut. She walked over to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair, and sat down, slumping over a little. She took a spoonful of the oatmeal—maple sugar—and ate it. She swallowed and dropped the spoon into the bowl, causing some of the oatmeal to splatter onto the table.

He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. He dug his thumbs into her muscles, but mainly just rubbed. He kissed the top of her head and cupped her upper arms. "Frustrated?" She didn't answer, so he took her silence as a 'yes'. "Something I can do?" He sat down in the chair adjacent to her.

She blinked once.

"Ok?"

She grabbed the thing of post-its that was in the middle of the table and wrote something down. She pushed the pad towards him and threw her pen down.

He looked down at it and sighed as he read it to himself: you can start by not hovering. You can stop wanting to do everything for me, stop asking me if everything's ok or if I'm ok. It's not and I'm not. I can still do everything I did before. Maybe slower, but I can do it. So stop. Just stop. Not being able to talk without being in paralyzing pain is bad enough. I don't need to be treated like I'm useless. He looked at her and nodded. He knew she was right, but he loved her—it was hard to let her be, knowing she was in pain. "I'm sorry." He reached over and brushed away the few tears that had leaked out of her eyes. "I'll try and let you come to me if you need something." He leaned in, rested his hand on top of hers, and closed the gap between their lips. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "But you have to come to me if you need something, anything—I want you to come to me if you need something." He smiled and stood up. "I love you."

She blinked four times and picked up her spoon again.

"I'm gonna call the police, see where we are with the investigation, light a fire under their ass so to speak, and then I'll give Sheldon a call, find out how Amelia's doing." He let out a breath. "Hang in there, sweetie. It'll get better."

She wrote something down and showed it to him.

"Just wait a little longer—it'll get better." He paused. "So do you want to reschedule your prenatal appointment for the 20th?"

She blinked twice.

"Ok."

She scribbled something down.

He read it and shook his head. "No, I can still make the appointment, I was just wondering if you wanted to reschedule 'cause of what happened." He paused. "But you said no, so that's the end of that. But I guess we'll see how you're feeling about it as the appointment gets closer." He looked over at Ava and smiled. "I'm gonna bring her upstairs to her crib for the remainder of her nap. Then I'll be in the living room watching TV if you need anything." He smiled and walked over to the swing. He switched it off and took her out of the seat. He adjusted her in his arms and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs.


Charlotte went back to her breakfast until she heard something outside. She turned her body and her eyes widened. She pushed the chair away from the table and stood up. She fumbled for the phone and clutched it in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the tightness of her grip.

The glass door shattered and Tom Johnson started walking towards her. "So you told the police, huh?"

Cooper walked down the stairs. "Char? I heard glass breaking." He walked into the kitchen and stopped short. "Get out!"

Tom stepped closer and turned to Cooper. He balled his hand into a fist and swung at him, clocking him in the jaw. "This doesn't concern you."

Cooper stumbled a little and shook his head. He recovered and threw a punch back. "Char's my wife and Ava's my daughter, of course it concerns me." He looked at Charlotte. "Go upstairs."

She blinked and dropped the phone. She backed out of the kitchen and disappeared upstairs.

Cooper bent down to get the phone and as he stood up, Tom's foot went right between Cooper's legs. He gasped and swallowed. "Oh, holy mother of God." He leaned against the table, holding onto the top of the chair. He rubbed his crotch and straightened out enough to punch Tom again.

Tom clenched his jaw and punched Cooper in the nose.

Cooper touched his nose and sucked in air. He pulled back his hand and noticed the blood.

Tom took Cooper's distraction as an opportunity to ram his fist into Cooper's left eye and then into his jaw again.

Cooper fought against the pain and looked at Tom. He punched him, all his energy, rage, and guilt carrying his fist into Tom's jaw.

Tom lost his balance and hit his head on the wall on the way down.

Cooper quickly dialed the police while Tom lied unconscious on the kitchen floor. He ran out of the room and up the stairs to go find Charlotte.


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