Chapter 62

When the matronly nurse peeked into the hospital room a few days later, her expression was completely different. The laughter that she heard coming from inside made her hope that the long road to healing had begun.

The nurse knew that the physical injuries the petite blonde she cared for and her tall cowboy friend had would soon fade. However, the emotional torment that the nurse discovered the entire group endured left deep scars that would take much longer. With the support of each other, she felt they would all make it through.

Barely making a sound, the nurse let the door swing slowly shut behind her. The smiling faces inside the room assured her that her patients would be well taken care of.

"Looks like we might need to consider Annie for surveillance, Myles," Tara grinned as she watched the taller blonde. "I think she's got Michael's number," she teased, having noticed the way the other woman watched the tall cowboy's every move.

"Not quite observant as you might think," Charles muttered as everyone chuckled at the couple's embarrassment.

"Charles, you promised," Annie cried, eyes wide.

"Hey, love, I said I wouldn't tell anyone while we were in the house," Charles smirked as he stepped closer to the door.

"And we're not in the house anymore," Michael agreed, wrapping his arm around Annie as she tried to go after the tall blonde agent. "Come on, baby. Tell us your secret," he prodded with a smile, settling back against the couch the hospital had brought in for Myles to sleep on.

Annie looked up at him as he pulled her close to his chest. Her previous thoughts vanished as their eyes locked. Slowly, she ran her hand down his stubbly cheek.

"You're just lucky you're still a patient here, sweetie," she murmured quietly.

"So, you gonna tell us what you promised not to tell," Danni asked curiously, looking forward to finding out what happened.

"Go ahead," Annie sighed, when Charles looked at her questioningly. "They'll probably find out anyway," she groaned, laying her head against Michael's shoulder.

"Well, the only time you two were alone was when you when grocery shopping the first day," Liz stated from her perch on the windowsill.

"And that my dear is why you are a FBI agent," Charles grinned as he repositioned himself against the wall. "Our story begins as we were leaving the market…" he began.

"And wouldn't have even happened if you would have been a gentleman," Annie interjected with a smile.

"I wasn't the one that wanted to make that special dessert for everyone," Charles retorted, realizing just how comfortable he'd become with everyone in the room, not just the other agents he'd worked with before. "Annie forgot an ingredient or something so she ran back into the store while I finished loading the SUV," he explained to the others.

"When I came out of the store, I ran towards the car I thought Charles was in and got inside," Annie continued as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "As I sat down in the passenger seat, I looked over to see this big man sitting in the seat beside me," she smiled.

"Oh my God," Tara gasped shocked, glancing up at Myles who sat beside her bed. She put her hand over her mouth and turned her head away, the shaking of her shoulders told the others she was trying to smother her laughter. "Oh, ouch, don't make me laugh," she groaned as pain shot through her shoulder at the movement.

"Are you okay, love?" Myles questioned concerned, reaching out immediately to comfort her.

"Yeah, it's just an ache," Tara smiled up at him reassuringly. She lifted her hand to caress his cheek briefly, the sparks flying between them as their eyes locked telling everyone in the room of the feelings they were just beginning to share.

"You got in the wrong car?" Danni asked disbelievingly, bringing the conversation back to Charles and Annie's story.

"Yeah, I was sitting in the SUV watching the whole thing and thought 'well, she'll figure it out in just a minute', but she kept sitting there and sitting there and sitting there," Charles continued dramatically.

"I was trying to convince the guy that I wasn't trying to hit on him and that I didn't want to go out," Annie retorted. "Your partner there could have at least helped me out," she turned to tell Michael, rolling her eyes.

"Pfft," Charles snorted. "I did come and help. I got you out of going on the date with the guy didn't I?" he grinned smugly.

"Heh, yeah," Annie groaned embarrassed. "By flashing your badge and gun. The guy probably thought I was your prisoner or something," she sneered, looking over at the tall blonde. "I know I was getting some strange looks by the time we were leaving the parking lot by the crowd you managed to attract."

"What can I say?" Charles smirked. "I'm just a popular kind of guy."

"An arrogant kind of guy, don't you mean, buddy?" Michael asked grinning.

"Hey," Charles growled, joining everyone as they laughed.

"It wasn't that funny," Annie pouted after a few minutes, trying to control her own giggles.

"Aw, it's okay, sweetie," Michael sympathized. "We all have embarrassing moments," he told her stroking her long blonde hair out of her face.

"Just some of us having embarrassing Kodak moments," Brenda interjected quickly, cringing as her cousin shot her a withering glare.

"Oh, now that comment needs some explaining," Liz smiled brightly from across the room.

"Don't encourage her, Liz," Michael warned sharply with a sparkling laughter in his eyes. "Remember I get out of here tomorrow."

"Yeah, but you're stuck at home for two weeks, Mikey," Liz retorted, jumping down from the windowsill. "With your dear cousin's help, we can have all kinds of things planned for you at the office for when you get back," she grinned, draping her arm conspiratorially over the other woman's shoulders.

"God help me," Michael groaned loudly.

"Don't worry, darling," Annie soothed, stroking his shoulder as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I'll protect you," she offered.

"Thanks, sweetie," Michael tightened his arm around her waist pulling her closer.

"You may change your mind when you see this," Brenda advised, pulling her wallet out and passing a small photo over to the tall blonde.

"No, don't tell me…" Michael started leaning in to look at the picture with her. "Thank God," he sighed when he saw the snapshot of the four-year-old little boy with a scarf around his head.

"Is this you?" Annie asked grinning. "You look like a pint-sized biker," she laughed.

"But I was cute," Michael pouted, looking up at her shyly.

"Yeah, you were cute," Annie teased as she passed the picture around to the others.

"I wonder what happened," Charles murmured loudly, ducking quickly as Annie threw the pillow she was holding, barely missed his head.

"Whoa, my woman has an arm on her," Michael boasted proudly, smiling up at her.

"Call me 'your woman' again and you'll see just how much of an arm I have," Annie cautioned him firmly.

"Uh, yes, ma'am," Michael grimaced and everyone laughed again.

"Well, at least we know who is going to be in charge," Tara quipped, taking Myles' hand in hers as she looked around the room at the family she'd grown to know in just a few days. While everything wasn't perfect, it was getting there.

"Now, I wonder where Amber is?" Mrs. Kersting finally spoke up. "She said she wanted us here to tell us something."

"She should be here soon, Ducky," Danni confirmed looking at her watch. "I wonder what her surprise is."

"Well, you don't have to wait any longer," Amber said as she pushed opened the door stepping through. Everyone looked on in confusion as the nurse from the hospital in Frederick came through the door behind her.

"Shelby?" Tara sputtered. "What are you doing here?"

"Well…" Shelby looked at Amber, then around the room at all the faces staring at her. "It's a long story but…"