Disclaimer can be found on the first chapter.
Chapter 18
Vince woke up the next morning to find Claire curled up next to him, He watched her sleep not wanting to wake her. She's so beautiful, he thought. He pulled her closer to his body, never wanting to let go. When she finally stirred in his arms he smiled.
Claire stretched and yawned. When she opened her eyes she was looking directly into Vince's face. She smiled back.
"Hi," she said softly.
He brushed her lips with a light kiss. "You okay?" he asked
She nodded. "I need a shower though. I'll be back." She said, and then pushed herself away from him. She rushed into her bathroom.
He wanted to pull her back next to him, but Vince watched her go in silence. He didn't want to push her too far, too fast, too soon. He lay there thinking about what she would look like in the shower, naked and wet. He groaned softly as he closed her eyes. Oh God if only she had any idea what she does to me.
It was a while before he realized the shower never turned on. He sat up and frowned. He made his way to the bathroom door and opened it. "Claire? You -- " He started to ask as he stuck his head into the bathroom. He stopped as his heart skipped a beat. Claire was lying in a heap on the floor.
He pushed his way in. "Fuck! Claire? What's the matter?" He said in a panic stricken voice. He kneeled down beside her. He searched her for any sign of injury. There was none, He didn't know what was wrong. Dom. Dom will know what to do, he thought, and then ran from the bathroom.
Vince ran down the hall to Dominic's room. "Dom!" He shouted as her opened the door without knocking first.
"Fuck! Vince what the hell is the matter with you?" Dom snapped as he made sure the blanket covered Letty. When he looked up he was taken back by the look on Vince's face. Vince was scared.
"It's Claire. I don't know what's wrong. She's just laying there not moving." Vince managed to get out.
Dom remembered what Brian told him about Claire's heart problem before they all came here. He was up immediately. "Go check and make sure she's breathing. I'll get Brian," he stated firmly.
Vince ran back to Claire's room. She'll be okay. She has to be okay, he thought. He bent down next to her, cradling her head in his hands. A few minutes later Vince looked up to see two EMT's rush into the room.
"Sir, we're gonna need you to move." One man told Vince firmly.
Vince glared at him. He wasn't gonna leave Claire.
"Sir, we can't help her if you're in the way." the other said gently.
Vince nodded and moved. He watched as they check her breathing and heartbeat.
"I got no heartbeat." The first man, who spoke, announced.
Tears rolled down Vince's cheeks. Oh god no! Don't let anything happen to her. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll never hurt her again I swear. Just let her be okay. I can't lose her too. Jesse was enough. Please just let her be okay, Vince pleaded in his mind.
Someone pulled him back out of the bathroom, he didn't know whom. He looked on in horror as the two men tried to revive her heartbeat, while he could do nothing. It was a tense minute.
"I got a beat. Okay let's move." The second man announced.
Vince almost collapsed in relief.
They lifted her into a waiting gurney and rushed her out of the house to the waiting ambulance outside.
Dom shoved Brian towards the ambulance to ride with Claire. "Go, we'll follow."
Dom led Vince to his car and followed the ambulance, putting his racing skills to good use.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Claire woke up groggy and confused. She looked around and knew she was in a hospital yet again. She frowned. The last thing she remembered was waking up next to Vince and going to take a shower. What happened?
She saw Vince sitting in a chair next to her fast asleep. He held one of her hands in his own. He woke up instantly when she tried to pull her hand away. He looked at her worried, but relaxed once he saw she was awake.
"Oh god baby. You scared me. Don't do that again." He said softly, as he looked at her tenderly.
Claire looked at him confused. "What happened?" She whispered, not able to speak any louder.
"Your heart. Brian explained your problem and the doctor said you skipped a couple of pills. He said it wasn't just that thou. That you probably overexerted yourself and that's why you blacked out. He called it something, but I can't remember." He explained.
Claire closed her eyes. She should have known better. When Vince came home drunk that morning she left and forgot to take her pills with her. Then later when she went home that night after Carlos dropped her off. She talked to Vince and forgot to take her pill. She was so upset she just fell asleep. "I wanna go home." She whispered.
"Okay baby. I'll go tell the doctor you're awake. I'll be back."
Claire frowned at the use of the endearment. Baby?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Claire slapped Brian's hand away when he tried to help her out of the car. "Stop it Brian! I don't need help. I can get out the car myself," she said indignantly.
The team laughed as they stood around and waited for her to get out the car.
Claire had been unconscious in the hospital for three days. Once she was awake they decided to keep her for a few more days to make sure she her heart was okay and didn't suffer from her missed dosage. When she was finally allowed to go home she was given strict orders to take it easy. She needed to be careful and not overstrain herself until her heart fully recovers from her lapse.
Vince scowled. He walked over and picked up Claire, cradling her in his arms.
"V! Put me down! I can walk damn it!" She yelled at him as She squirmed in his arms.
"Stop it before I drop you. I'm not letting you go so just be quiet," He growled in her ear.
Claire scowled, but she stayed quiet. Vince carried her into the house and set her down on the couch.
"Don't move." He told her firmly. He followed the team into the kitchen.
Claire rolled her eyes. "I'll do freakin cartwheels if I want. Damn it." She muttered, irritated that She was being treated like she's made of glass. She was so busy being mad she didn't notice that the team had come back into the living room. Mia was holding a cake with lit candles. Claire frowned as everyone smiled at her.
"What's this? You missed my birthday by like six months." She said, confused.
"It's our way of welcoming you back." Mia said.
"We appreciate everything you've done for us. Thank you for accepting us, despite our past." Dom added.
"It's also our way of saying thanks for puttin up with old coyote here and spending sixteen hours driving a car just so he could be with us." Leon piped in.
Claire had to smile. She looked at the cake. It read: Thanks Claire! Welcome to the Team!
"Hurry and blow out the candles before they melt down girl." Letty urged her.
Claire laughed and did as the she instructed. A cheer went up among them.
"Okay this is going back in the kitchen. Who's up for some lunch?" Mia asked as she walked towards the kitchen.
At the mention of food they all rushed after her. No one had been eating while Claire was in the hospital. Now that they know Claire is all right they were all starving. Vince stayed and sat down next to her.
"You really okay?" He asked tentatively.
Claire smiled. This gentle side of him still amazed her. "Yeah, I'm good. I'll probably drive everyone crazy for a while since I'm not allowed to do anything. I hope I don't get on everyone's nerves too much."
Vince pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. "As long as you're around. That's all that matters." He said into her hair.
Claire closed her eyes, revealing in his embrace. Yep, he likes me, she thought happily.
Chapter 18
Vince woke up the next morning to find Claire curled up next to him, He watched her sleep not wanting to wake her. She's so beautiful, he thought. He pulled her closer to his body, never wanting to let go. When she finally stirred in his arms he smiled.
Claire stretched and yawned. When she opened her eyes she was looking directly into Vince's face. She smiled back.
"Hi," she said softly.
He brushed her lips with a light kiss. "You okay?" he asked
She nodded. "I need a shower though. I'll be back." She said, and then pushed herself away from him. She rushed into her bathroom.
He wanted to pull her back next to him, but Vince watched her go in silence. He didn't want to push her too far, too fast, too soon. He lay there thinking about what she would look like in the shower, naked and wet. He groaned softly as he closed her eyes. Oh God if only she had any idea what she does to me.
It was a while before he realized the shower never turned on. He sat up and frowned. He made his way to the bathroom door and opened it. "Claire? You -- " He started to ask as he stuck his head into the bathroom. He stopped as his heart skipped a beat. Claire was lying in a heap on the floor.
He pushed his way in. "Fuck! Claire? What's the matter?" He said in a panic stricken voice. He kneeled down beside her. He searched her for any sign of injury. There was none, He didn't know what was wrong. Dom. Dom will know what to do, he thought, and then ran from the bathroom.
Vince ran down the hall to Dominic's room. "Dom!" He shouted as her opened the door without knocking first.
"Fuck! Vince what the hell is the matter with you?" Dom snapped as he made sure the blanket covered Letty. When he looked up he was taken back by the look on Vince's face. Vince was scared.
"It's Claire. I don't know what's wrong. She's just laying there not moving." Vince managed to get out.
Dom remembered what Brian told him about Claire's heart problem before they all came here. He was up immediately. "Go check and make sure she's breathing. I'll get Brian," he stated firmly.
Vince ran back to Claire's room. She'll be okay. She has to be okay, he thought. He bent down next to her, cradling her head in his hands. A few minutes later Vince looked up to see two EMT's rush into the room.
"Sir, we're gonna need you to move." One man told Vince firmly.
Vince glared at him. He wasn't gonna leave Claire.
"Sir, we can't help her if you're in the way." the other said gently.
Vince nodded and moved. He watched as they check her breathing and heartbeat.
"I got no heartbeat." The first man, who spoke, announced.
Tears rolled down Vince's cheeks. Oh god no! Don't let anything happen to her. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll never hurt her again I swear. Just let her be okay. I can't lose her too. Jesse was enough. Please just let her be okay, Vince pleaded in his mind.
Someone pulled him back out of the bathroom, he didn't know whom. He looked on in horror as the two men tried to revive her heartbeat, while he could do nothing. It was a tense minute.
"I got a beat. Okay let's move." The second man announced.
Vince almost collapsed in relief.
They lifted her into a waiting gurney and rushed her out of the house to the waiting ambulance outside.
Dom shoved Brian towards the ambulance to ride with Claire. "Go, we'll follow."
Dom led Vince to his car and followed the ambulance, putting his racing skills to good use.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Claire woke up groggy and confused. She looked around and knew she was in a hospital yet again. She frowned. The last thing she remembered was waking up next to Vince and going to take a shower. What happened?
She saw Vince sitting in a chair next to her fast asleep. He held one of her hands in his own. He woke up instantly when she tried to pull her hand away. He looked at her worried, but relaxed once he saw she was awake.
"Oh god baby. You scared me. Don't do that again." He said softly, as he looked at her tenderly.
Claire looked at him confused. "What happened?" She whispered, not able to speak any louder.
"Your heart. Brian explained your problem and the doctor said you skipped a couple of pills. He said it wasn't just that thou. That you probably overexerted yourself and that's why you blacked out. He called it something, but I can't remember." He explained.
Claire closed her eyes. She should have known better. When Vince came home drunk that morning she left and forgot to take her pills with her. Then later when she went home that night after Carlos dropped her off. She talked to Vince and forgot to take her pill. She was so upset she just fell asleep. "I wanna go home." She whispered.
"Okay baby. I'll go tell the doctor you're awake. I'll be back."
Claire frowned at the use of the endearment. Baby?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Claire slapped Brian's hand away when he tried to help her out of the car. "Stop it Brian! I don't need help. I can get out the car myself," she said indignantly.
The team laughed as they stood around and waited for her to get out the car.
Claire had been unconscious in the hospital for three days. Once she was awake they decided to keep her for a few more days to make sure she her heart was okay and didn't suffer from her missed dosage. When she was finally allowed to go home she was given strict orders to take it easy. She needed to be careful and not overstrain herself until her heart fully recovers from her lapse.
Vince scowled. He walked over and picked up Claire, cradling her in his arms.
"V! Put me down! I can walk damn it!" She yelled at him as She squirmed in his arms.
"Stop it before I drop you. I'm not letting you go so just be quiet," He growled in her ear.
Claire scowled, but she stayed quiet. Vince carried her into the house and set her down on the couch.
"Don't move." He told her firmly. He followed the team into the kitchen.
Claire rolled her eyes. "I'll do freakin cartwheels if I want. Damn it." She muttered, irritated that She was being treated like she's made of glass. She was so busy being mad she didn't notice that the team had come back into the living room. Mia was holding a cake with lit candles. Claire frowned as everyone smiled at her.
"What's this? You missed my birthday by like six months." She said, confused.
"It's our way of welcoming you back." Mia said.
"We appreciate everything you've done for us. Thank you for accepting us, despite our past." Dom added.
"It's also our way of saying thanks for puttin up with old coyote here and spending sixteen hours driving a car just so he could be with us." Leon piped in.
Claire had to smile. She looked at the cake. It read: Thanks Claire! Welcome to the Team!
"Hurry and blow out the candles before they melt down girl." Letty urged her.
Claire laughed and did as the she instructed. A cheer went up among them.
"Okay this is going back in the kitchen. Who's up for some lunch?" Mia asked as she walked towards the kitchen.
At the mention of food they all rushed after her. No one had been eating while Claire was in the hospital. Now that they know Claire is all right they were all starving. Vince stayed and sat down next to her.
"You really okay?" He asked tentatively.
Claire smiled. This gentle side of him still amazed her. "Yeah, I'm good. I'll probably drive everyone crazy for a while since I'm not allowed to do anything. I hope I don't get on everyone's nerves too much."
Vince pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. "As long as you're around. That's all that matters." He said into her hair.
Claire closed her eyes, revealing in his embrace. Yep, he likes me, she thought happily.