'R-Ryan?'

In a split-second he is by her side, her soft call breaking through the disbelief suffocating the room, catching her as the adrenalin finally runs out and exhaustion overtakes her, his arm wrapping around her waist as her legs crumble. He sets them on the ground slowly, her head falling into in the crook of his neck, her uneven breathing sending all fears from his mind as she grips onto him with all the limited strength she has left, 'she's not pushing me away'.

She is solid in his arms, warm and real. Mindful of her injuries he pulls her closer, dropping his head into her hair breathing her in 'Safe, she's safe now, she's here, she didn't leave, she's safe…'

He's aware of Steph's small hand on his shoulder shaking with her own relief as she kneels beside their crumbled heap of limbs, her other hand stroking Alex's back, anger, and concern radiating off her in equal waves. She murmurs in his ear that an ambulance is on its way, and he breathes a deep sigh of relief, his shoulders dropping as he takes the moment to feel the weight of Alex in his arms, how right she feels tucked against his chest, how easily she fits under his chin.

His Ranger instincts kick in and he shoves the last 12 hours to the back of his mind with such force, he briefly wonders what Alex feels as she whimpers against him, her grip on his chest tightening.

He pulls Alex back, internally preening at her attempt to keep herself curled into him, her small voice complaining at the movement. With her face in his hands, he takes in her injuries again, controlling his breathing to stay even, this time not allowing his fear to take any hold.

'Alex? Alex sweetheart I need you to open your eyes for me ok? I need to take a look at you, and I need you awake for that. Medical help is on the way, but I really need you to listen to me until then, can you do that for me baby?'

She looks adorable as she scrunches up her nose as his words make it through her fatigue and he doesn't stop to think if it's due to the effort to comply with him or the pet names, he's never used on anyone before falling off his tongue with ease with her.

Alex struggles to open her eyes, exhaustion filling in the gaps her determination and anger have left behind. He nods at Steph to keep stroking her back to keep her with them, as Alex lets out a small sound of contentment at the continued motion. With a great deal of effort, Alex lets out a soft growl as she forces her eyes open, scrunching them closed again at the brightness of the bar, before she opens one eye at a time focusing on Ryan's face as he smiles his approval at her.

'That's it Alex. Do you remember what happened?'

'Urm… after you left, I met Pike, he, uh, urm he arrested me for stealing the USB… he let me go and I came back to get changed… needed to find you… tell you… Note from Jed… met him down here… he saw Pike arrest me… thought he wanted to help… told me he knew what Typhon hiding… didn't tell me, said could show me… took me into the woods… ventilation shaft, said what I was looking for was down a ventilation shaft… shot me, missed… fell down – '

'Easy, take it easy. Deep breath for me – I know it will hurt but you need to get more oxygen.'

He allows himself a brief moment to be impressed with himself when only his fingers flex at her hip, filing away her comments to process later, as he focuses on her breathing, how she sounds 'Not groggy, she's remembering events ok, not looking like she's got concussion. Need to keep her awake just in case though.'

He does not notice Pike behind them, and he jumps slightly, instinctively moving Alex back into his arms to shield her. He isn't aware of the furious stare he sends Pike's way until the older man holds up his hands and steps back to a distance Ryan feels safe with and Steph whispers a low 'Easy Ryan' into his ear.

'I just need to ask Alex a couple of questions so I can get Jed out of here.'

'Ask away Pike.' He feels her shift in his arms so she can face Pike without leaving his embrace. He kisses her hair as she snuggles back into his chest, head resting below his chin.

'Alex, I'm sorry but I have to ask this; did he shoot you on purpose, could it have been an accident?'

She stiffens in his arm and Ryan is ready to jump down Pike's throat, but her hair tickles his chin as she shakes her head, her left hand stroking his chest. He gives a mental sigh of annoyance as he understands her silent request, 'I've got this.'

'I heard the clip of the gun as I looked down the shaft, I turned, and Jed had it pointed at me. He was sorry, he didn't want to, he thought the pictures would scare me off. He was upset that I hadn't given up. It wasn't an accident, Pike.'

Ryan bites back his guilt until he tastes blood, forcing his arms to not tense around Alex's injuries as he tries not to imagine the height she'd fallen to cause them, the man sobbing behind him watching her fall into the dark. Pike's next question doesn't help as he can't stop mentally bringing up the map, he'd noted all shaft locations on earlier.

'Do you know where Jed took you, where that shaft is?'

'Jed said it was… 2 klicks from the…ravine, and 5 to town.'

Ryan needs to bring this questioning to an end, he can feel his nerves fraying as Alex's breathing gets shallower and Jed's sobbing hasn't yet stopped setting his teeth on edge.

'It's behind the bar – the gun.'

Steph moves Pike away to find the gun as Ryan refocuses on the main injury causing him concern.

'Alex sweetheart, I need to feel your ribs ok? I know this will hurt I'm sorry. Let's get you onto a stool first ok.'

She keeps her grip on his chest as he gently pulls her back to her feet, hands on her hips the safest place to keep her stable and not aggravate an injury. Even standing up takes a lot of her remaining energy and while Ryan wonders at how long the paramedics will take, Alex leans heavily against his chest as she tries and fails to calm her still uneven breathing.

'It's ok baby, I've got you, I've got you. Here, I'm going to carry you to that stool ok?'

He doesn't wait for her nod but tightens his hold on her hips and with a quick lift and shift, deposits her on the nearest stool with only a small hiss of pain from Alex. Ryan is quickly apologising again as she moans, suddenly twisting away from his cold hands as he lifts her jumper to feel her ribs. Her hand bangs against the bar as his fingers skim up her side, his insides seething as the freckled skin he'd kissed and marvelled at undressing earlier was now black and blue. He notes which ribs make her gasp out loud and he swallows his concern at how her gasps turn to moans of pain'Yup, defiantly broken and at least 4 ribs, sorry, sorry, we'll get you painkillers soon I promise. Right, let's get a look at that arm - '

The shock that had fallen on the Black Lantern with Alex's speech and forgiveness had been broken only by their low voices and the snivelling of Jed behind them that was quickly burning down the short fuse that used to be Ryan's patience. He grits his teeth, waiting for Pike to force walk his murderous idol out of the bar and away from Alex when the tension was broken once again as the door was barged open and two paramedics came in beelining for Alex, closely followed by two more county police – Pike's men who'd been sent out looking for her.

Ryan reluctantly moves out their way, his guilt punching through the walls he'd put up spilling his fears back into the open; she was better off in their hands, they wouldn't hurt her like he had, she was safer with them than in his arms, she'd learnt what a home and safety felt like - she'd be able to find those again elsewhere where there were no ghosts to follow her around; she'd probably take Steph with her – Steph deserved a fresh start… well a second… it was clear that he needed to go for that promotion that would get him further into the park, away from town for longer periods of time, let them all recover from this together without having to silence themselves when he walked into a room – would he even be welcome back?

It was with an abrupt slap on the shoulder that he was pulled from his spiralling as one of the paramedics got in his face with an irritated sigh and a soft demand to 'calm his girlfriend down'. He looks to Alex to see she has focused her attention solely on him as he'd stood behind the medics and had evidently picked up on gist of his thoughts and was clearly distressed as she called for him in that tiny voice that could destroy his soul, her good arm reaching for him through the multitude of limbs still attempting to check on her own injuries.

Her whimper of fear had his legs moving of their own accord to stand behind her resting his hands on her shoulders whispering apologies and promises to not leave her until she calmed enough to let the medics do their job.

His heart skipped a beat as his brain registered the medic had called Alex his 'girlfriend', Steph's mischievous grin could be seen from the other side of the bar as she pushed glasses of water to the patient, and he knew she'd been the cause of it – but Alex doesn't seem to have contradicted her… 'Does this mean…?'

He suddenly didn't care. As Alex hisses and breathes through her answers to the medic's attentions, she reaches her left hand to hold his on her shoulder and squeezes it; she leans back on the stool until he's moved and is the one holding her weight, taking comfort in her warmth, still taking in that she was really here. He didn't care what anyone thinks when she turns her head to hide in his jumper as she hisses through the pain of her ribs being inspected by more cold fingers and he didn't give a damn they are all watching when he leans down to kiss her cheek murmuring nonsense into her ear until her tension eases.

He lets the indignant yells from Diane as she's given her rights bounce off his consciousness; he focuses on running his fingers through Alex's hair as he lightly runs his fingertips across the back of her neck, smiling inwardly as the goosebumps appear. He eyes the bruise he'd left that takes prominent place on her neck through the blood and dirt as he hears the double snap of handcuffs; he turns to Steph so he can't see Pike walking the man he'd idolised out of the bar he'd purchased with the blood of the father of the woman in his arms, all releasing their breaths as Jed doesn't try and speak on his way out. The paramedics are clearly intrigued, it isn't often they were needed in Haven, and they stared in shock as Alex told them how she got her injuries.

Ryan is grateful when Charlotte shakes off her shock enough to speak to the medics, taking over when Alex can't answer a question on her own family medical history, forcing down the sadness that slips through the cracks while he adds the answers to his mental room on Alex Chen; aside from her mum's cancer, nothing much else to worry about. When they confirm his earlier diagnosis of broken ribs in addition to the suspected broken arm but no concussion, he doesn't need to say anything to Steph, she's already rubbed his back on her way past as she goes upstairs to get a bag together for Alex.

He doesn't let his mind wander back to the Lantern as he sits with Alex's hand wrapped in his in the back of the ambulance, Steph and Charlotte left behind. They don't talk about the attempt on her life, or Jed, their kiss or what came next, Alex simply grips his hand tightly he's squeezing her back just as tightly, until he can feel his fingers start to go numb. It doesn't take long for the hospital staff to stop trying to separate them, her childlike whimper of fear brings one nurse to tears and his harsh snap at another sends Alex's strong voice dropping to the lost call of his name that breaks him – she is not to be separated from him.

He doesn't let the list of heights of the various ventilation shafts he'd marked on the map hours earlier come forward, nor focus on how terrified Alex must have been in the dark, he already knows how she hates the dark and knows how much she appreciates the fact the shooting star Charlotte had made for her lights up. Ryan doesn't think about the steep 5km walk she'd managed through the woods back into town with a pulled hamstring, nor what Alex had found deep in the mine for her to find the truth even when she places a golden locket in his hands, swearing him to protect it while she has x-rays and scans. It feels warm against his skin as he wears it beneath his jumper.

His own fear, worry, anxiety, and exhaustion do not register as Alex lies in the hospital bed, cast on her arm, in fresh clothes, cleaned of most blood and dirt making her wounds far starker against her still pale skin. He gently strokes her wrist, smiling as she fights against sleep, sending a gentle 'dork' his way when she notices his grin.

He falls into the 'boyfriend' role without noticing as the doctors give him the instructions on the medications they'd given, and Alex needs along with the instructions she is to follow. He allows himself the brief joy of giving her a resigned eye roll that makes her laugh, able to do so now the pain meds have kicked in. He can tell she is going to be a bad patient. He takes the embarrassment for them both when the 'last sexual activity' question comes up, squirming in his seat as the 'no strenuous activity' instruction is stated – firmly.

His anger doesn't bubble to the surface when Pike calls as they collapse into the back of Charlottes car to tell him Jed has confessed and desperately wants to speak to him. He hangs up instead.

He refuses to give the bar a second glance as he helps Alex hobble through it, before picking her up and carrying her up the stairs, Charlotte is tow to find Steph waiting for them pacing the room, all evidence of his earlier destruction removed. Alex begs for sleep, food, and a shower in no particular order in her still too small voice, as if she is waiting for the other shoe to drop. Charlotte throws herself into food prep, while Ryan almost bowls Steph over in another deep hug – he spots his bag of clothes she'd obviously gone to his place to get on the bed – and tells her how much he loves her without needing to say a word. They'll have time for words later. Alex spots the bag too but as she receives a long hug and held back tears with whispered prayers from her new band mate, the raised eyebrow she sends to Ryan only gets her a 'later' mouthed back that she doesn't question.

His desire for her simmers under the surface as he gently pulls her shirt off each arm, taking his time revealing her skin, taking in the new scratches and bruises covering her ribs, spreading down her back and stomach make his fingers clench. Alex takes his own hand and brings his battered knuckles to her mouth giving them a gentle kiss, leaving her question unasked – for now. It's only when she reaches for his jumper that he understands she was expecting him to follow her into her shower and he obliges without question. It wasn't how he imagined it would be as they reverently take off each item of clothing, he'd never really thought it could be a thrill to watch her stand beneath a steaming fall of water, head tilted to face it, sighing in simple pleasure. He'd never realised how sensual it could be to wash her, amber eyes darkening as he gently soaps her down, careful to keep her cast arm poking out of the curtain. He'd already demonstrated how much he enjoyed kneeling before her and he allowed that memory pride of place as he washes the blood from her legs, her soft moan above him confirming her appreciation.

He was glad that he'd bought his whole bag into the bathroom as they towelled each other off, hands wandering but conscious they were not alone, for she dived straight in and buttoned his blue plaid shirt around herself before he could realise the sight of her in his shirt did something to his insides. Her smirk told him she was aware of this new fact.

He didn't let the anger he'd been bursting with the last time he'd sat in the apartment slip through the cracks in his wall as Charlotte feeds them her home cooked special, not minding the muted conversation around her as long as the three of them ate and eat they do. Evidently over 12 hours of stress, anxiety, worry and panic attacks can make a person famished… and tired.

He doesn't question the girl's decision to leave them be, both have spare keys and Charlotte will be back in the morning with fresh supplies and takes on the mantle of keeping the town away in her stride. He keeps his astonishment to himself at Steph's ability to stay calm before her resilience and care during the night comes flooding back. He holds her tightly before letting her go on the promise she does the same as them, sleep. She shakes her head against Alex's idea of staying with them, they know the sofa is in no way comfortable for sleep and her eyes clearly tell him they need this time to themselves.

When the quiet of the afternoon filters through the room, he doesn't stop her as Alex's fingers are again pulling at his t-shirt before she rests a hand and cast against his bare waist, understanding her need to feel if he's real. She raises herself on her tip toes and brushes her lips against his, sighing as he pulls her closer, one hand on her unbruised waist, the other lost in her hair, deepening the kiss. He whispers her name against her lips as they pull back, resting foreheads together, breathless. He can hear her smile.

'Stay?'

There are a multitude of questions yet to be asked and answered as they stand in the eye of the storm; lives to be put back together; walls to be pulled down, but as Ryan crawls into her bed, arms wrapping around the woman who despite everything, still finds him her safe haven as she settles and tucks herself against him, sighing that soft sigh of hers, staying is the easiest answer he thinks he'll ever give her.