Two months later

"How is she doing this morning?" asked Ray as he wheeled himself into the hospital room.

Sonny walked over to him and helped him by Emily's side.

"She has a bit more color in her cheeks. And her toes were slightly jerking this morning."

"That's good news, the nerves are starting to do their job," he said as he looked at her toes that stuck out of her cast.

"How about you? Any news on when they'll let you out?"

"Another couple of days," answered Ray who'd had a few complications during one of his abdominal surgeries and his spleen removal and was still monitored and recovering. "Actually, I'd prefer leaving here with her awake."

Sonny nodded. He had been here, beside her, day in and day out, sleeping sometimes in the armchair, sometimes on his sleeping bag on the floor. It had been a different warzone than he had known and even though different, it had been the hardest emotionally. He only left thirty minutes every day, to take a shower and prepare his daily meals and it was either Eric, Naima or one of the guys, including Ray, that staid by her side.

"What if she doesn't wake up?" dared to say Sonny as he looked at Ray.

"She'll wake up, you just need to give her some time, brother. They put her in an artificial coma to prevent her from being in terrible and constant pain throughout the various surgeries she's had. Give her body time to come back to the surface."

"I hope you're right. I don't think I could do this without her."

"Of course, I'm right. She's stubborn and a Pitbull when it comes to fighting for what she believes in and loves. And I'm pretty sure you are number one her list. She loves you more than anything and even though she can't tell you yet, she loves that baby."

Sonny nodded as he placed his hand on her slowly settling bump. This baby was like it's mother. Regardless of the trauma, the surgeries, it was growing strong in her womb. Like it's mother, it wasn't giving up, it was a fighter.

Sonny cocked his head to the side. "You knew didn't you. About the baby?"

"Nah, man. She didn't tell me. She did tell me about the nursing part, I actually gave her a hard time about not telling you, but she didn't want to do it just before you deployed. But, the baby, no. I may be her best friend, Sonny, but she would never have shunned you from being the first to know."

"She's lucky to have you as her best friend."

"When it comes to you and me, brother, I think we're the big winners. We are lucky she is in our lives. God doesn't send someone like her in our lives to take her away from us."

Sonny ran down the hospital corridor and stopped in front of Naima.

"They said to hurry, what's going on?" he asked panicked.

"See for yourself," said Naima as she looked inside Emily's room.

He turned his head and, as if he had been holding his breath every day since she had closed her eyes in TOC, he inhaled and let the air take possession of his lungs entirely.

He slowly walked into the room and smiled as she looked at him.

He sat down on the side of the bed and took her hand in his. He stared into her eyes wanting to make sure that she was really awake.

"Miss me?" she said smiling.

"Oh baby, you have got no idea." He bent down and kissed her gently and finally started felling complete again.

"Yes, I do. I heard you. I heard all of you and everything you said."

He smiled intrigued and cocked his head to the side.

"If it's what you want, then I will follow you," she put her other hand on her bump and smiled, "we'll follow you."

"What?"

"BUD/S instructor in San Diego?"

He stared at her. After the incident, it had come out that Emily had reached out to Harold and Lindell about Lonergan and that they had dismissed her concerns. Lindell had resigned from the Navy after the commission investigation and Dr. Harold has lost his license. Since then, nothing had been the same for Sonny in VA Beach and he knew he would never be able to walk into that base or that room like before. He wanted a fresh start, for him, for her, for them as a family.

"And, I think Olivia and Noah are very beautiful names."

He could hardly believe it, all throughout these past two months, she had heard everything.

"Listening to your voice and our baby's heartbeat, were the most beautiful sounds. You both were my lifeline and I held on to that."

He kissed her again.