Chapter Seven

"Did you finish all your ice cream?" Grant whispered as he ran a hand over Chloe's stomach.

"Yeah." Chloe sighed. She didn't have the heart to tell him she was still hungry. The baby kicked furiously, like he or she was trying make their way out that way.

"Geez." Grant's eyes flew opened wide as he felt it. "Clo? Doesn't that hurt?"

She giggled and placed her hand over his. "Not really. It feels weird though. It's bizarre to have someone else controlling nearly everything I do."

He smiled as he gently rubbed the spot where the baby just kicked. "Not much longer huh?" He said softly.

"No." She smiled widely and sighed again. "Not much longer."

They sat there for a few moments, Grant's hand moved rhythmically over Chloe's belly, never more content. At this time a year ago they couldn't have been further apart. Now, everything was right again. His life was just as he'd always dreamed it would be.

Everything seemed so perfect; Grant was reluctant to bring up a sensitive subject. Still he felt it needed to be said. "You don't have to worry, Clo. It's going to be OK."

"I know." She replied with a nod. Her voice filled with worry all of the sudden.

Grant knew it was his fault that her good mood was ruined. "Clo – really. It's going to be fine. I'll be right there with you the whole time."

She turned to face him again and smiled. He was so good. She thought. He could tell just by the tone of her voice that she was worried about something. But it wasn't that she was nervous about staying in the hospital - at least not this time. It was something else entirely.

"I know you will." Chloe whispered. "That's not what I'm worried about. It's my dad."

"Have you heard from him?"

"Not since Tuesday." She stared at him. "He sounded like he was having a great time."

"Well. That's good right?" Grant said with a smile.

"Yeah…" Chloe shifted to sit up as she asked. "How good a time do you think he's having?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think he might – I mean – do you think he may have met someone down there?" She began to nibble on her nails. "I don't know. Something's odd. It's like he has no plans to come home."

Grant caught her hand in his and made her stop. "You think he met someone?" He looked at her with concern. "Did he say something?"

"No. He didn't it's just - I don't know…" She trailed off. "I just have a feeling."

"OK." Grant knew he had to tread carefully. He gently ran a hand through her hair. "Clo? Honey? How would you feel about that?"

"I'm trying to think of how my mom would feel – and I know that when they met my dad had been alone for a while. Before that - he was always mixed up with the wrong person. Namely – Livvie." Chloe blew a stray curl out of her eyes as she continued. "I know that she'd want him to be happy – and so do I – but it's weird to think of him with anyone else."

She looked into Grant's eyes and gave a nervous giggle. "I'm sorry. This is silly. I'm probably way off. He's probably just out riding bikes with Uncle J."

Grant leaned in and gave her a kiss. "I know a surefire way to get him back home." He whispered.

She smiled as he pulled away knowing exactly what he meant. "Right. He'd have to come home to see this little one." Chloe leaned back and snuggled into him laying her head on his chest.

"Soon." Grant murmured as he buried his nose in her hair.

"Yeah." Chloe replied, her voice dreamy. "Soon."

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Ethan walked in the house and realized at once that there was something wrong. He ran into the kitchen and found her there – just as he had the night before. A haze of smoke filled the air. The remains of a casserole dish lay in the sink and Lynnie sat on the floor with a face full of tears.

Oh God. He thought desperately. Not again. He fought to find his voice. "Lynnie…" He said softly as he moved to sit beside her.

"I was trying..." She sobbed. "I wanted to…"

"Shh. Lynnie – come on." He whispered as he helped her to stand. He was thankful for small favors. It didn't seem like she'd had the visions again. This was something else entirely.

She wiped the tears from her eyes as she walked with him upstairs. "I'm sorry. I can't do anything right. I just wanted to make dinner. I wanted to do something nice for you. I was trying to make things normal again."

"Well. You - burning dinner? That's normal alright." Ethan said, smiling in spite of the worry in his mind.

"Ethan…" She chuckled softly. Even as the sound came out of her mouth she couldn't believe she actually had something to laugh about.

He led her into their bedroom and made her sit on the bed. He couldn't stand another minute of this. He couldn't bear to see her cry.

"Lynnie. Look at me." He demanded as she took her chin in his hands and made her eyes meet his.

"Yes?" She whispered as tears continued to fall down her face.

Ethan took a deep breath and began. "A few months ago we stood in front of all our friends and family and promised each other something. Do you remember that?"

"Of course." She said with a nod. What was he saying? How could she forget their wedding?

"Me too. I remember every word. And I meant every word." He sighed when Lynnie averted her gaze and stared down at her lap. "Look at me Lynnie…" He pleaded.

When she finally raised her eyes to his again he went on. "I, Ethan take you Gwendolyn to be my wife…"

She continued to cry but somehow found her voice. It was shaky and soft as she picked up where he left off. "To have and to hold…"

He smiled widely as he took her hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "…from this day forward." His voice was sure and strong as he said. "…for better or for worse…"

"…In sickness…" She replied with a sniffle. "…And in health…"

His hands moved to frame her face as his eyes bore into hers. Ethan took another steadying breath. "…To love, to honor and to cherish all the days of my life."

And all at once, Lynnie was sobbing again, but for an entirely different reason.

"Do you believe that Lynnie?" Ethan asked. "Do you believe that I love you?"

She nodded, finding it hard to actually speak. "Yes." She breathed. "I do. And I love you too. So much." Her voice hitched as she said his name. "Ethan…"

His mouth sought hers and Ethan slowly moved over her, until her back rested against the pillows on the bed. He stretched out beside her and stared into her eyes. "I need you to remember this night, Lynnie. When whatever you saw for us in the future happens you remember this night. You remember how it feels, the two of us together like this."

He kissed her passionately and his hands tangled in her hair. "When things look like they're at their worst you remember what a miracle it is that we found each other. You remember that if not for you – my life would be over."

"Lynnie. I know what you think." He said as his lips moved across her face, kissing her tears away. He still had more to say so he pulled back a bit and held her gaze. "I know that you think that I'm with you because I feel like I owe you something. And I do. I owe you my life."

"No – Ethan." She whispered.

"Yes." He protested. He needed to make her understand that it wasn't the point. The point was so much more than her bringing him back to Earth. It was all about her.

"But that's not it. You need to understand that I loved you before that. I loved you way before you brought me back here. I loved you when you stood in that hallway of that hotel in a country where neither one of us could speak the language and you told me that my name was Aramaic." He said with a smile as he kissed her - all the love in his heart pouring into the kiss.

He shivered as her mouth melded with his. After several long moments he broke away and continued. "I loved you – Lynnie – when you sat there and told me that idiot who took you to the prom wanted answers to a test. His loss was absolutely my gain because I can't believe anyone could look at you – that they could look into your beautiful eyes and see your beautiful smile and think that this gift that you have is the only worthwhile thing about you."

"Ethan…" She sighed as he stole her breath again.

"When whatever it is happens – Lynnie. Remember tonight." He whispered as his hands gently ran over her and he slowly undressed her. He sighed when he finally touched her skin.

As he did she fought to focus. Her head had been full of worry only moments before but suddenly her mind went blank. There was only Ethan.

"Remember that I love you Lynnie." He said softly as he took her under. As he did she pulled at the hem of his shirt, yanking it from his jeans, desperate to feel his skin next to hers. He stared into her eyes, wanting there to be no doubt in her mind. "Remember that I'll always love you."

"Ethan? Are you sure? No matter what?" She whispered as her hands raced over of the defined muscles of his arms. She was suddenly reminded of how strong he was. She hoped he was strong enough to withstand all of this. Lynnie believed that he was. Not only that - she was counting on it.

It was as if he could read her thoughts. "Yes. Lynnie." He promised as they slowly made their way to each other. "No matter what…"