(From Ben's perspective)
The day has come. Finally. I am being released from this hell hole. After some paperwork, I am handed a bag of things I came here with and I head for the main gate. As I exit Statesville Prison, I look straight ahead to the parking lot where SHE is there waiting for me, leaning on her bike...
Ciara.
As I walk toward her, I take in her beauty...wearing her black leather pants, black leather jacket, her hair waving in the breeze. She has one helmet propped under her arm and one helmet hanging from her other hand. She's smiling...god, I've missed that smile.
I finally come to a stop in front of her.
"Hi."
"Hi," she returns. She holds out a helmet to me. "Let's get out of here." I take it from her with a smile on my face. We put our helmets on and climb on the bike, first her and then me. She's driving, of course..so I secure myself in the seat behind her, place my arms around her waist,and rest my hands at the top of her legs. She starts her bike and we both turn our heads toward the prison...for one last look. Fifteen months of pain, separation, and fear...it's finally over. I tap her hip twice- the cue that I'm ready to roll. She puts the bike in gear and we head out of the parking lot. With a huge sigh of relief, I lean into Ciara and fully enjoy the ride.
As we pull into Salem's city limits, I wonder where Ciara is taking us. The Dimera gatehouse is no longer our place, as Chad and Abigail are renovating it for their family. Ciara has been living at the Kiriakis mansion but I know she doesn't want to go there...not after what her grandfather and Xander pulled on Will. We pass Horton Square and come closer to downtown. We pull into a parking garage and Ciara finds a space. She turns off her bike and pulls her helmet off... watching her toss her hair free is the sexiest thing I've ever seen. I pull my helmet off, pull my leg over the back of the bike, and take her arm to help her off.
"Ciara, where are we?"
"Follow me", she says.
We walk to an elevator, get on, and Ciara hits the '3' button. She takes my hand while we're waiting, her thumb rubbing the back of my hand like she's a little nervous.
We reach the 3rd floor, the elevator opens, and we step out into the hallway. Directly ahead of us is a metal sliding door...something old school and industrial-looking. Ciara takes some keys, unlocks the door, and slides it open. She then turns around, takes my hand, and we walk inside together.
"Babe, what is this place?", I ask while looking around.
"Welcome home, Ben.", she says warmly.
"What? This is..??"
"It's ours. This place is ours. We needed a fresh start...somewhere without bad memories constantly in our faces...and where we can REALLY be alone."
Alone with her... my favorite place in the world.
"This loft has sort of been passed down in my family...it was available, it was affordable, and it has a cool vibe to it. I thought you'd like it. Oh and there's a great view of the city," she says, waiting on my approval.
I take her face in my hands and smile at her, "Ciara, anywhere with you is home. I love it and I love YOU." I lean down and kiss her gently...her lips are so soft and sweet. I pull away from her and rest my forehead against hers. Just holding her without time limits or fear of impending doom feels amazing.
Finally she leans back and says, "Let me show you the place!" She takes my hand and leads me all over our new home...she loves the industrial aesthetic and how much character it has...she mentions the exposed piping and brick walls a few times. I love to hear her so excited about something. She finally leads me to the bedroom... OUR bedroom. It's a great room but all I really focus on is the bed. It's huge! We look at each other and then the bed, then back to each other.
"That's a BIG bed," I say.
Then laughter erupts.. first from her, then from me. Our tiny bed in the gatehouse was cozy but it definitely made for limited freedom in movement.
Ciara runs over to the bed, turns around, and flops backwards onto it...her laughter still filling the room. I walk over to the bed and lie down beside her. The laughter fades and we both stare at the ceiling.
Ciara reaches over and takes my hand... "This is real. You're home," she says. I turn my head to face hers and I see a tear roll down her cheek. The relief on her face is so telling...this has been so hard on her. She worked tirelessly for over a year to prove my innocence...and she bore that burden alone. She looks so tired now...maybe exhausted is a better word. I turn on my side and pull her into me.
"This is real, babe. I'm home," I say back to her. With her head against my chest, I feel her take a deep breath...and within a few minutes, she is asleep in my arms.
I laid there with Ciara for about 30 minutes before I fell asleep too. When I woke up, it was dark in the room. I look at the clock on the nightstand and I am shocked that we've been asleep for a few hours. As I try to stretch my arms and legs a little, Ciara jolts awake. I feel her kiss my neck and then she gets up to turn on a nightstand lamp.
"Oh my god, I slept so long. Ben, I'm so sorry. I had so many plans for us today...", she says with a pouty lip pooched out...,"ohhh no...we will never sleep tonight," she adds putting her palm to her forehead. I take both of her hands in mine as we stand a few inches apart.
"Not sleeping WAS my plan for today...tonight...all night," I respond to her. Her eyes connect with mine and I see her flush a little. "For the first time in over a year, we have time...plenty of time. There's no rush, no fear of tomorrow, and no worry of anyone pounding down the door ready to pull us apart again. It's just us.", I say and she looks at me with such contentment. "I want to take care of you tonight, Ciara. You've supported me, loved me...hell, even saved me...I want to give you back just a little of what youve given me the past year. So...", I begin as I lead her by the hand to the bathroom, "...I want you to get in this tub..", I turn on the water and test the temperature, "...and relax your mind and body while I go out for a bit."
"Wait, what?", she says, with a look of confusion on her face...that beautiful face.
"I have a couple things I want to do and while I'm gone, I want you to clear your mind and relax your body. Let all the stress and tension release from your muscles and just enjoy some bubbles.", I answer. "I won't be gone long.", I say. I kiss her forehead and walk past her toward the bathroom door.
"Ben...", she says quietly.
I turn back to look at her and she has unbuttoned her top and is slipping it down her shoulders. "Don't be long.", she says with her face turned to the side, looking back at me. God, she's sexy.
I put my hand on my chest in complete awe of her and say, "I'll hurry."