1x08

Owen couldn't believe it.

He couldn't believe that his son had been shot.

His son.

His little boy.

How the hell did this shit always happen to them?

He didn't know what sparked his sudden need for a good prayer.

But alas, here he was.

Making his way to the chapel for the first time in who knew how long.

He wasn't a God fearing man by any means.

But right now, maybe he needed to be.

But what shocked him even more than finding himself down here, was finding Michelle sitting in the front row.

Her hands were clasped together in her lap and her head was down.

She was praying.

For what he didn't know.

"Hey, I'm not interrupting am I?" He figured that would probably be bad mojo and all.

"No, not at all." She looked shocked to see him standing there and he understood.

But he needed a breather and he knew that TK couldn't possibly be in any better hands than those of Carlos.

"Are you okay?" He couldn't imagine what the others were going through.

Sure, he was feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders.

But that was the thing about being a parent.

The others though, this wasn't their burden to carry.

And yet, they all were in some form or another.

"Am I?" She was still shaking some, her leg bouncing just enough for him to tell that her nerves were still worked up.

"Yeah. Your team told me that you had some not-so good news yourself." He had figured that something was bothering her after she came over last night and kind of lost it on him. "I'm really sorry about your sister Michelle."

He wished that she had told him what was bothering her so much.

He should have known that it wasn't just their relationship that was taking it's toll on her.

"You're here checking up on me?" Well yeah, where else was he supposed to be.

"Well, yeah." Wasn't that what boyfriends did?

He was her boyfriend now wasn't he?

"You're a good man Owen Strand." So she liked to tell him.

But right now, right now he wasn't feeling too good about himself.

"You saved my son's life." But he was feeling pretty good about her.

In fact, a tiny voice in the back of his head was screaming at him to tell her the truth.

That this wasn't just sex and that it hadn't been for a long time.

That this wasn't even just dating.

Not for him.

Not anymore.

He was falling in love with her and every ounce of his goddamn brain and heart knew it.

"Any hope he has of ever…" He couldn't get the words out though because it was too hard to think about it. "It's because of you."

He wasn't just talking about TK anymore though was he?

She reached out and touched his shoulder and by God if this wasn't a house of God he would have kissed her right then and there.

"That boy is a survivor, like his dad." Oh for fuck's sake she was too good to him.

He didn't know how to respond so he reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently.

"Thank you." She didn't hesitate to wrap her fingers around hers, bringing their hands to rest on her knee.

It was the smallest of gestures, but it was exactly what he needed right now.

He hoped it was helping her out some too.

He heard her phone vibrate and he watched as she pulled it from her back pocket slowly.

"Um. It's the group I volunteer for." She had told him briefly about the people she was helping at the homeless camp and his heart had swelled with pride.

She truly was superwoman.

"I think they'll be fine if you let this one go to voicemail." He certainly didn't expect her to take any important calls right now.

God knows he wouldn't be.

"I won't ever ignore a call from someone who needs me again." He knew she felt the guilt of her sister's situation weighing down on her even more now and he understood.

She couldn't let someone else potentially be harmed because she was 'too busy'.

It was an unfortunate hazard of the job sometimes.

"Well then…" He gestured to her phone and she nodded as she took the call.

And then she was rushing out the door and down the hall before he could get another word in.

Michelle had left the hospital in a total rush, the only thought running through her head as she headed to the homeless camp being that she had to make sure Emily was okay.

But it wasn't Emily that was hurt, instead it was her father.

And after calling for an ambulance she had stood with the girl as they shocked her father back to life.

The paramedics had allowed Emily to ride with her father to the hospital, but after Michelle informed them that there was no one else, they had asked for her to meet them there.

Part of her wanted to say 'no'.

But she couldn't just leave Emily there all alone all night.

And she didn't want CPS to get involved if they didn't have too.

So drove back in the direction she had just come, pulling into a new parking space at Austin Memorial, and making her way back into the ER once again.

Emily greeted her with tears and a hug that she refused to let end.

She couldn't imagine how scared she was.

She sat with her in the waiting room until she saw a familiar figure appear in the hallway just outside.

She waved Owen over and was thankful when he nodded his head in agreement, turning and saying something to Judd and Grace as they headed outside.

And then he was making his way toward her.

"Hey." He knelt down in front of her and whispered, careful not to wake the sleeping child in her lap. "What happened?"

"Her dad collapsed." She ran a hand over the girl's hair as she held her close. "Not sure what happened. They had to shock him on scene."

"How is she? How are you?" He reached out and touched Michelle's arm softly, offering her a reassuring look.

"We're both very tired." And that was the truth if there ever was one.

She certainly hadn't counted on this day being so damn long.

"Let's get you two out of here then." He rose from his crouched position and offered her a hand.

She nodded her head as she lifted Emily up, shocked when Owen reached out to take her.

She hesitated at first, but her back was killing her and she felt like she was going to pass out herself.

She directed Owen toward her car, handing over her keys as she buckled a still sleeping Emily into the backseat, and then they were off.

"Your place?" The question was almost lost on her, the quiet hum of the car lulling her almost to sleep.

"Sure." She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with the girl, but she wasn't about to let her sleep in a hospital chair all night. "What about TK, Owen?"

He had just willingly left his only son, alone, at the hospital, after he'd been shot.

The kid was in a coma for Christ's sake.

And here he was driving her and a child that he didn't even know to her house so that they could sleep.

"He's fine." Owen whispered as he reached over and took her hand in his. "They wouldn't let us stay any longer anyway. Practically had to pry Carlos away from him."

"Yeah, he's pretty smitten." She heard him chuckle and she squeezed his hand as she opened her eyes. "He'll be okay."

"I know he will." He didn't sound convinced, but the fact that he had left him was a sign. "The doctor's will call if anything changes. But I can't just sit around there all night and worry. It won't end well."

She smiled at him as she nodded her head, her eyes growing heavy once again.

But they pulled into her driveway just as she started to doze off, so she had extracted herself from the car and watched as Owen carried Emily to the front door.

She let them all in, kicking her shoes off as she stepped inside.

"I'll get her settled." She reached out for the girl, taking her from Owen as she started to stir. "Thank you."

"No worries." He toed his shoes off and made his way to the couch. "I'll shower when you're done?"

He didn't have to stay and she knew that he knew that.

"Okay." But she was thankful that he was here nonetheless.

—

After she had gotten Emily to wake up enough to take a quick shower she had draped an old t-shirt of Iris' over her tiny frame and tucked her into her bed with a stuffed animal that she guessed had probably once been Iris' too.

And then she had slipped in and taken a shower herself.

Owen had joined her after a few minutes and she had been shocked.

But he had behaved himself, save for a kiss that said everything she didn't need him to say, and then some.

He had gotten out and dried off before her, allowing her some time to herself.

She hadn't taken it though, not that she didn't appreciated it.

But the fact that she could barely hold her eyes open wasn't helping.

So she had pulled on her underwear and one of Owen's old shirts before sneaking into the bedroom in search of a pair of pajama bottoms.

When she exited the room a minute later Owen was stretched out on the couch, his eyes closing as he let out a yawn.

"Thank you for this." She hoped he knew just how much she meant it.

She knew it couldn't be easy on him to be away from TK like this.

Lord knows it was hard enough on her, and he wasn't even her son.

"No problem." He cracked an eye open and reached a hand out for her.

She took it as she stepped toward him, sitting on the edge of the couch as she watched him stare up at her.

"You go get some sleep." He whispered, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand softly. "I'll be here if you girls need me."

She didn't know how to respond without falling completely apart.

So she leaned down and pressed a small kiss to his lips.

"You, Owen Strand, are a good man." She echoed her words from earlier that night and the soft smile that he gave her in return said everything she needed to know.

"So you keep saying." It was almost as if he didn't believe her. "Now go. Sleep. You look like hell."

"You're one to talk." She placed another kiss to his lips, then one to his jaw, before pulling back and squeezing his hand. "Goodnight Owen."

"Night Michelle." He closed his eyes again and she released his hand as she stood.

She grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and tossed it over him, watching as a small smile formed on his lips.

There was something about seeing him laying there, all relaxed and sleepy like, that made her heart flutter.

She was definitely thankful to have him around right now.

Even if she didn't deserve it.