Christians Pov

The tension in the air was thick and unsettling. Ray hadn't taken his eyes off Anastasia since we walked in. Looking at her my heart tightened. She was still sleeping, her perfect face looked at ease and it brought peace to a part of me that I didn't know needed it. Ray took a deep sigh and I looked at him, still holding Ana's hand.

"Annie came into my life, when I had thought I never wanted kids. It scared me at 1st when I first started loving her. She was like a daughter I never actual had. When her mother left me, I was more devastated at the thought of loosing Annie, for all intensive purposes in my mind, she was my daughter. So when Annie wanted to stay with my and not go with her mother, words can't describe how happy that made me. She is my only little girl Christian. I see the way she looks at you. She is crazy about her, and today you have proven how you feel about her. " Ray began tearing up and the lump in my throat was tensing. "You can marry her. But you better treat her like she deserves, better then she deserves." Ray shifted. Clearly he was a guy who wasn't use to being this exposed, I related to that. In this moment I could have jumped up and down but, I kept my composure and smiled.

"Thank you Ray. I swear I won't disappoint you. Anastasia is the best thing to ever happen to me and I won't let her go, unless she want to." my heart tighten at the thought that Ana could still say no. I put her in this situation, she got hurt because of me. My fucked up past, is now affecting her more so than my wildest nightmares, she has had to have two surgery's because of me. I tried living without her once, I thought her life would be better without me. But me and my selfish ways wanted, no needed her back. Now because of it Ana's paying the price. Suddenly I saw Ray visuably shift, looking I saw Anastasia begin to wake up. Joy flowed thru me. Wither she is stays with me or leaves, marriage or no marriage, she was alive and in that moment I couldn't imagine a greater joy.

Ana's Pov

The lights where way to bright. God I wish that I could just sleep. I could sleep for forever it felt like. But even as I fought to return to sleep I couldn't, I felt like I wasn't alone. I didn't want to open my eyes, the light was bright. Fighting past that I blinked to adjust. I felt my hands being felt, looking I 1st saw Ray and my heart warmed. He looked like he had been thru hell, and in that moment it looked like he was a 1,000 miles thinking about something else. I had no idea why, but I figured this current situation was no help. Turn my head not fully opening my eyes I saw Christian on the other side. His face made me open my eyes. He looked a combination of heartbreaking sadness, but like he was bottling something. But that was Christian. I wonder for the first time what this whole situation had done to the people in my life. I could see Ray being stoic and distant, not showing much. Christian too, I can't imagine him loosing that stark persona he typically wore.

"Ana?" Christan said squeezing my hand. I turned my head to look at him. God, he was breathtakingly handsome, even now in this moment I was overwhelmed with what I felt for him. Damn theses must be some pretty sweet pain meds. Looking him in the eyes I saw just how sad and broken he was, my heart hurt for him. My poor fifty.

"Hi" I chuckled looking at both him and Ray. In that moment I felt the pure intensity in the room. Something must have happened between Ray and Christian. I pushed that out of my mind for the time being, choosing to focus on how the two most important people in my life where here for me when I needed them the most.

"Christ Annie way to scare an old man!" Ray chuckled trying to fight away the lingering fear and worry on his face. Laughing I figured I'd play along.

"Well you guys seemed way to comfortable earlier so I figured I'd keep you on your toes." Ray and I both laughed, it was one of those times that there was so much going on, you tried to find something to laugh about. Looking at Christian, he seemed so distant. My laughter quickly faded. Reality set in then. I had been shot, my life had hung in the balance. Yet since the 1st time I saw Christian since the shooting, he had put a wall between us. When I needed him the most, I felt like he was so far away. I wanted to cry needed too. Everything hitting me at once, I was shot, my basic safety needs gone, and Christian is distancing himself from me. I let a few tears escape, yet more followed.

"Annie, whats wrong?" Ray asked. Looking to Christian I see that my tears had snapped him outta whatever daze he had been in.
"Ana" Christian tried taking my hand but I snatched it back. I need space, to be alone, to process everything that had happened.

"Can you guys just go? I need space please." I begged. Ray nodded and after a quick kiss on the cheek left. Christian on the other hand, looked like he had no intentions of leaving.

"Christian, please just go!" I begged thru my tears. I just wanted to be alone, it the least I deserved, privacy.
"Ana, I'm not going anywhere." Christian said once again reaching for my had, which I again denied.

"Please, just go. I need space. I think I deserve it." seeing hurt overtake his face, which normally I'd want to chase away. I was too deep in my own sorrow and anxiety to really help him. Getting up, he kissed my forehead and left, slamming the door behind him. I was all alone, I cried and cried. Allowing the depression and anxiety to take over. I cried till I drifted off to a deep sleep.