CHRISTINE'S P.O.V.
I could hear the voices, the sirens, the beeping of machines but I couldn't open my eyes or talk. The last thing I remember hearing was "She's crashing!" before I gave into the blackness once again. The next time I could feel myself regaining consciousness I heard people yelling about heart rates, blood pressure and surgery. The darkness was a better option. I didn't feel a thing I thought as I slipped back under. I heard Jay, softly crying and could feel him holding my hand but I was pulled back under. The next time I floated towards consciousness I could hear someone praying. "If you're giving me last rites you can stop now. I'm not ready to die." I croaked thinking how dry my throat was. The darkness was too strong to fight as it sucked me back in.
I eventually opened my eyes and saw my Dad looking exhausted and disheveled on one side of my bed and my Uncle Paddy on the other side. I wasn't sure if they were sleeping so I whispered "Hi." That was enough because they both jumped up. "Water, please." I said. As Uncle Paddy poured me a little water my Dad went to find the nurse. "How do you feel?" Uncle Paddy asked. "Like hell." I replied. "Where am I? What day is it?" I asked. I was at Chicago Med and had been there in a coma for ten days! "What?" I yelled. "Did you have them give me last rites?" I demanded to know. "That was my call. They told us you only had a 25% chance of survival. Father Murphy almost needed last rites himself when you told him to stop." Hank said coming into the room with the nurse and my Dad. I reached down to touch my stomach and noticed it wasn't the same as it had been on July 9th, the day I shot El Gato, Hailey and Joseph. "My babies! What happened? Are they okay? Did I lose them? Tell me!" I demanded, my voice filled with hysteria. "They were born at 27 ½ weeks. Dr. Manning said the survival rate at their time of birth was 50% but increased those odds based on how well they have been doing in the incubators over the past week and a half. They're up in the NICU. Dr. Rhodes operated on you when you were first brought in. He will be in shortly and if he gives the okay we will wheel you up to meet your children." the Nurse told me.
"Kid, I'm going to give you some time with your family. I'll be back tonight to check on you. Before I go, I think I should tell you that Halstead has been here around the clock. He's been going back and forth between your room and where the twins are. I'm glad you're back with us. I'll have to take your statement when I come back. Looks like it was self defense. Joseph and El Gato are still alive. Hailey didn't make it. We'll talk about that later." Hank said. He looked at me, leaned down and whispered in my ear "It would have killed me to lose you or the babies. It was a rough three months without you." He then turned and walked out of the room. "Well look who has decided to wake up from her nap." Connor said as he walked into the room with Nat next to him. "You gave us quite the scare. I think it would be best if these little adventures of yours stop. I'm tired of having to operate on you." Connor said. He went on to say that the blood loss caused me to go into cardiac arrest multiple times and as he worked on my heart and put in an artificial valve, Natalie performed an emergency c-section. With tears in my eyes, I looked at both of them and said "Thank you. Thank you for saving me and for saving my babies. Nat, how are they? Can I see them?" "They're doing much better than I thought they would be for being born at 27 ½ weeks. I would have liked to have seen them make it to at least 32 weeks but they are growing and they're healthy. Because of the circumstances, we waited to fill out their birth certificates but that needs to be done today. We can talk about it later. I'll grab a wheelchair and we'll take you to meet your children." Nat said. My Dad and Uncle Paddy said they would wait for me in my room and to take as long as I needed.
I was wheeled to a private room in the NICU where, thru the window, I saw Jay sitting, reading a book out loud to two tiny babies. "Stop here. I don't know if I'm ready to see him just yet." I said. "Christine, he has been a wreck these past three months. Even his lowest point after Erin left didn't compare to how bad he's been since you were abducted. He's been going insane trying to find you. I don't think he slept much over those three months. I think he blamed himself and he hasn't left the hospital over the past ten days either. I'll give you a few minutes alone with him and your children. Then I'll come back and we can discuss their treatment and next steps." Nat said softly. "Thank you, Nat." I said as I slowly stood up and opened the door to the room where my babies were. Jay looked up, annoyed at the interruption until he saw me. "Hi." I said, slowly walking past him and looking down at the two incubators. "They're so small." I said, as tears fell down my face. "They may be small but they take after their mother. That's what I've been telling them since the day they were born. They're fighters. No one told me you were awake. I'm sorry I wasn't there. How are you? Are you sure you should be out of bed already?" Jay asked as he put his arm around me. "Probably not but did you think Connor stood a chance in keeping me away from the two of them? It wasn't going to happen. Jay, I decided on names for them when I was kidnapped. It gave me a way of making them seem more real. They gave me a reason to hold on until I found a way to escape. I would like his name to be Aiden Michael Halstead and her name to be Quinn Maureen Halstead. Their middle names are for my parents, along with Irish first names and of course your last name. What do you think?" I said, as I leaned up against him, whether it was for emotional support, physical support, or a combination of the two I wasn't sure. It was just nice to feel him so close.
"I think those are perfect names. Aiden and Quinn. So, Nat told me that there's a good chance they can come out of the incubators for a short time later in the week. We might actually be able to hold them. That's the worst part...not being able to hold them. Christine, thank you. Thank you for the two of them. It's only been ten days but I didn't think it was possible to love as much as I love them. As much as I love you. I was a real asshole but when I thought I lost you forever I realized what a jerk I had been. What you said to me the last time I saw you in the Doctor's office stuck with me. All the sacrifices you made were to keep me safe. I feel like I'm always apologizing for something but I need to tell you how sorry I am for everything you've been thru. I love you Christine. That hasn't changed. I just hope you can forgive me and we can try again." he said. "Jay, I need some time. Time to figure out how I feel and time to rebuild my life. I mean on top of now being a Mother to two tiny human beings I need to find out if I still have a company and a career. I just need some time." I said.
Before another word could be said Nat came back in. We discussed Aiden and Quinn's health and she told us that we should be able to take them out of the incubators and hold them for a short time on Monday. They would be two weeks old and because they were growing at an unimaginable rate, they would be almost 5lbs. Looking at them I thought they were truly beautiful. Aiden, had my eyes but I saw a lot of Jay in him, even as a newborn. However, Quinn was going to be a mini-me. With a head full of thick curly dark auburn hair and blue eyes the same shade as mine, there would never be any question as to whose daughter she is.
After spending three hours with the twins I was informed I needed to return to my room. Doctor's orders plus Hank, Al and Rixton were waiting to take my statement. Jay wheeled me back to my room and sat on the edge of my bed, letting me know he was clearly staying. I asked my Dad and Uncle Paddy to leave the room. As I took them thru the events start to finish, I stopped before I got to the shooting. "I'm not sure if I need a lawyer before I continue." I said. "Kid, I'll tell you what I tell my Unit. I'm telling you this because you're family. You don't lie to me. You tell me the truth so I can cover for you, so I can lie for you if needed." Hank said. I sat quietly for a few minutes thinking about what he said. Thinking about family, about my family, which other than my Dad and Uncle, was a family created not by blood but by respect and love. I knew Hank would protect me. Taking a deep breath, I continued, "I shot Joseph DiStefano first. I had El Gato tied up and gagged in his study. I knocked Hailey unconscious when she entered the study and tied her hands and feet. When I shot Joseph it wasn't self defense. It was in cold blood. He betrayed me, betrayed his family and betrayed my Uncle when he helped Hailey and El Gato escape from prison and take me hostage. I was pissed because he stood silently by and watched as Hailey beat me over and over again each time I tried to escape. She was normally careful to avoid my stomach. But when I tried to escape on the 7th she used my stomach as a punching bag. She was still tied up when I shot her. I honestly didn't care if she died. I'm not sorry that she is dead either. She got what was coming. I then untied El Gato and watched him go for Hailey's gun. That's when I shot him, four times. I didn't want him to live. I had prayed that I killed him. I then called you, Hank, and that's when the pain became too much. I looked down and saw I was bleeding and that's the last thing I really remember until I woke up today. Hank, I can't go to jail. I came so close to losing my babies. I can't be away from them." "Sounds like self defense to me. DiStefano was going for his gun when you shot him in the legs. We had traced the call and because you dropped the phone the call remained connected so we were able to get a location. Atwater and Ruzek immediately got rid of the ropes and the gag. Jay went in the ambulance with you while the rest of us walked thru the house. Hailey had pictures of you on her phone, beaten bloody and unconscious, so I would say it was a justifiable homicide. Self defense in all three shootings." Hank replied. "I'll type it up and bring it by tomorrow for you to sign. Get some rest kid and congrats." Al said as he and Rixton walked out the door leaving Jay and I alone with Hank.
Hank looked at us with a solemn look and said "I know the two of you have a lot you need to figure out but I have a bigger concern than your relationship right now. Christine, you didn't kill El Gato, which means he is going to want revenge. We can keep you safe in the hospital but my concern is when you are discharged. I need you to continue your role in the family business. Beef up your security. It's time to take on more lieutenants. They'll protect you. I know it's going to take a while for you to get back up and running but it needs to be done. Halstead, I need to know if you can get on board with this. We keep it in house and run this operation out of Intelligence and not the Gang Unit. If we do it this way it could be a huge win for us and as a result we will get Christine out of the family business when we take down her Uncle. So, Halstead, are you in?" "Sarge, I made a huge mistake all those months ago in not supporting or protecting the woman I love. I won't make the same mistake again. I'm all in. Whatever you need me to do I will." Jay said. "Okay then. Halstead, you look like shit. Go home and get some sleep. I expect you back at the District in the morning." Hank ordered before saying goodnight and leaving.
The next few days were filled with visits from my friends. I spent as much time as possible in the NICU with the twins. Jay came by each day at lunch and after work. He didn't push me about trying again and I was grateful. I was leaning towards the both of us moving on separately in the romance department. I just don't know if I could trust him to not freak out again and push me away as a result. Laura came by and had nothing but good news. Both hotels were going strong. The Hotel 30 – Chicago was sold out almost every night and the Hotel 30 – Myrtle Beach has the second highest occupancy and ADR (Average Daily Rate) in all of Myrtle Beach! I was so impressed with what she had done over the past three months that I promoted her to Vice President of Brennan Inc. That was the name of the company I had created as the ownership group for both hotels. I told her to give me a week and then I'd be back in the office for a few hours each day.
On Monday Jay and I were allowed to hold our children for the first time. It was beyond amazing to be able to finally touch them. The nurse gently placed Aiden and Quinn on the bed in my hospital room. I sat up and laid them out in front of me. I wanted to see every inch of their body. I couldn't believe they were actually here and according to Nat making strides to being completely healthy. They were beautiful and perfect. They both had 10 fingers, 10 toes, my blue eyes and dark hair. Quinn's hair was thicker already than Aiden's and so curly. So beautiful...both of them. Aiden, our firstborn, was 5 pounds 2 ounces and 16 inches long with Quinn now at 4 pounds 11 ounces and 13 inches long. Sure, they were still on the small side but not bad for being as premature as they were. We still had a month or so to go before they would be released, but I was going home in four days. That night, after we brought the twins back to NICU, Jay took me back to my room and handed me a small box. "What is it?" I asked looking at him suspiciously. "Open it." he said grinning at me. As I opened the box my eyes widened as I looked at a beautiful platinum bracelet with four birthstones set in the center. My December birthday represented by a stone made of Blue Topaz sat next to an Emerald representing Jay's May birthday. On the outside of our stones were two gorgeous Ruby's, representing Aiden & Quinn's July birth. I was truly stunned by the thought he had put into designing this bracelet. "Jay, it's beautiful. I don't know what to say. Thank you." I said with tears in my eyes. I took the bracelet out of the box and watched him clasp it on my right wrist.
"Jay, I've been thinking. Once the twins are discharged it would probably be more convenient if we are all in the same house. While we are figuring things out you are more than welcome to stay. There's plenty of bedrooms. It will give you the opportunity to be with the twins more than if you were at your apartment. Think about it and let me know what you decide." I said. "I saw your house. Hank and I went there when Rixton notified him that you missed your nightly check-in. It's beautiful. You always had great taste and that's reflected in the way you furnished it. I guess we'll have to get working on the twins' rooms when you're released from here. I should probably get settled there before they come home. I could start to get settled there the day you are released. God, Christine you have no idea how scared I was that I lost you. I love you and I love our children. I'm so sorry and please know that I want to be with you. Please let me come home with you on Friday." he said. "Jay, if you want to come home with me on Friday you can. I can't offer you anything else at this time and it's not because I don't love you. The past three months have been hard. Actually, the past seven months, those months since we first met have been hard. I need time to figure out who I am. I hate to say it but I'm not the same person I was. I know I definitely need to go to therapy to talk about what I've been thru. Just be patient with me. Please. And please don't give up on me or give up on us. No matter what we are always going to be connected, whether we move on separately or together. I'm sorry." I said with tears in my eyes. "I'm not giving up on us, so I'll go home with you on Friday and stay in one of the guest rooms. I understand and you don't have to apologize." he said leaning over and placing a light kiss on my lips.
Knowing, I had errands to do the day I was released I showered and after leaving my hair curly and applying my makeup I put on a pale blue, turquoise and white halter dress that tied behind my neck and slipped on a pair of white cork wedges. I felt guilty for leaving Aiden and Quinn in the hospital knowing I wouldn't see them until the next morning. After Jay and I fed them, changed them and kissed them goodbye we put them back in the incubators and for the first time in weeks I walked out of Chicago Med. I made Jay take me to the furniture store so we could order everything we needed for the twins' rooms. I then told him I needed to stop by the hotel. I hadn't mentioned to Laura that I was coming, but when we walked in my team was there to greet me. After an hour of catching up with everyone Jay told me we needed to make one more stop before heading home. "What are you up to Halstead?" I asked. "You'll see in a minute." he said as he turned down a familiar street. We pulled up to Molly's and as I got out I turned to him and smiled. "I'm driving you to drink and you haven't moved in yet. I don't know if that's a good sign." I said teasing him. "I love you." he simply said as he grabbed my hand and lead me up the steps into Molly's. We walked in and the first thing I noticed was that I knew everyone in the bar. They had closed the bar to throw me a "Welcome Home, So Glad You're Not Dead" party. Seriously, that's what the banner said that Hermann and Otis had hung over the long wooden bar. I was overwhelmed and possibly experiencing a little PTSD because I started crying as I received hug after hug from my friends at 51, the Police Department, Chicago Med and the hotel. "I'll grab you a drink. What do you want?" Jay asked me. "Already got it for her." a voice said from behind us. "Kelly." I said smiling as the tears started again. "Hey. None of that now. You're safe and it's over. Every time I stopped in to see you this week you were sleeping or with the twins. I didn't want to disturb you. God, I've missed you." he said, with tears in his eyes as he pulled me in for a hug. "I'll give you the weekend to get settled back at home but Monday night you and I have a date. I'm taking you to the Cubs game. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't make it. You know I love you, right? I'll make sure to do whatever I can to prevent anything like that from happening again." Kelly said. I looked over to Jay and noticed the visible tick in his left cheek. I must have missed something when I had been kidnapped or in the coma.
"Thank you for that." I said to Jay as he pulled into my garage. "I think I'm a little drunk. That was the first time I drank since Super Bowl Sunday. But I had a lot of fun. You've been quiet. Want to tell me what the deal is between you and Kelly?" "Not tonight. It's not important. I'm glad you had fun. You deserve a little downtime more than anyone I know. I have to go to the District tomorrow morning around 7:30am but I'll meet you at the hospital afterwards." he said as we entered the kitchen from the garage. It was then that I saw yellow roses, the bottle of Veuve Clicquot and framed photos on the island in the kitchen. It was a photo of each one of the twins that the hospital took after they cleaned them up the day they were born. Aiden with his little blue cap and Quinn with her pink one. Their names had been engraved on the silver frames along with their date of birth and their measurements. "Jay..." I said softly looking up at him. I looked at him. Really looked at him and as his eyes met mine I saw the Jay I had fallen in love with. The man who was the father of my children. The man I loved. The man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. "Jay, I never stopped loving you." I said with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. "Now are you going to kiss me or do I have to wait another five months for that to happen?" I asked. And I didn't need to ask twice. Grabbing my hand, he lead the way up the winding staircase and into my master bedroom. As he lightly kissed me his hands made their way to the back of my neck to untie the top of my dress. As he pulled the top of the white lace bra over my nipple, he took it in his mouth and playfully pinched the other nipple between his fingers. I hadn't been touched since February so I almost orgasmed at his touch. He quickly undid my bra as his mouth moved from one nipple to the other. He pulled me to the edge of the bed and slipped me out of the rest of my dress. When he saw my thong his grin got bigger and once again I realized I was going to have to start building up my supply of g-strings and thongs as he shredded it. I scrambled out of the way to crawl up on my knees. I pulled his shirt over his head as he undid his jeans. God, I thought as I looked at his body. Five months was too long to be away from him. As he thrusted into me over and over I orgasmed more times than I could keep track of. His cock was so hard as we rolled over so I could climb on top of him. I rode him, grinding against him and as we orgasmed together he told me he loved me and wasn't going to let me go ever again.
A/N: Sadly, Christine and Jay have a few more obstacles to face as they figure out how to raise twins and deal with their demanding careers, a Cartel boss who still wants revenge on Christine. Not only that but even tho Jay said he was all in, he was having trouble dealing with some of the things Christine does for the Irish Mob. Hope you are all enjoying and stay tuned for more chapters to come this week!