She nearly dropped the phone, the sweat from her hand had it almost slip from her fingers. The young mom had barely been processing her being a widow since receiving the heartbreaking news. But now she braced herself on the wall in front of her as Lily started tugged on Roman's coat asking what was going on.

"He's alive?" She was sure she had just imagined the man saying that.

"Yes, Ma'am. He was air lifted to the hospital here and is in surgery right now and I am standing right outside the doors. He is stable and the doctors are saying everything is going well. He should be in recovery in a few hours. He was rescued in a terrorist raid of one of their camps this morning. Your husband was found among the hostages, Mrs. Reigns. He is safe now and was asking for you before he even went into surgery."

Brie turned around, leaning more onto the wall and felt her legs weak beneath her. She slid down to the floor, still holding the phone in a death grip. Lily crawled into her lap and looked worried, likely at the shocked expression on her mom's face.

"Roman's alive…" she breathed out and Lily tilted her head up.

"Daddy?" the little 4-year-old cried out and cupped her momma's cheeks in her little hands. "What about Daddy?"

"You need to get to the hospital Ma'am. We can explain more when you arrive. I will meet you when you land."

Brie stumbled over a goodbye and leaned her head back on the wall in absolute shock. She turned to Lily, who's dark brown eyes just like Roman's, were so wide now and she looked ready to cry. "Baby, Daddy is alive. They said we can take a plane to go see him right away."

She still didn't even believe the words coming out of her own mouth but Lily's smile and trust in her mom's words helped her process it herself.

"He's coming back to us Momma?" Lily asked almost scared of the answer and Brie nodded and ran her fingers on the little girls cheeks.

"Yes Lily bear, he never left. He never ever left baby. We just didn't know it." She was in awe herself at her own words and Lily hugged her baby bump too and burrowed under Roman's coat and talked to the baby.

Lily kissed her mom's belly and squeezed gently. "You hear that Little bean? Daddy will get to hold you and love you too. Just like how much he loves me and Mommy."

Brie could not believe what she was witnessing and more tears slipped down her cheeks. She sniffled and hugged both Lily and her unborn baby. "Well lets get going and go find Daddy big girl."

Lily helped her mom to her feet with grunts and groans of how heavy she was and they walked hand in hand back to their gate. The attendant showed her the already changed tickets and escorted her and Lily to the International terminal and the flight to Germany. They sat down and buckled up and Brie still could not believe what she had heard on the phone. Everything felt so unreal.

The flight was long but her head was full of thoughts and feelings and in what felt like no time at all they were stepping off the flight and into the airport. One of the flight attendants had helped entertain Lily as they flew, even taking her for a tour of the cockpit, to see the pilots. The little girl had not even said a word about missing going to Disney World the second she knew her daddy was alive.

Brie had played the voice, Roman's voice on Lily's camel over and over on the flight. Now too on the ride to the hospital, Lily kept pushing the buttons and hearing the message Roman had so sweetly left her when he gave her Lumpy.

"I miss you SO much Lily bear. I see real camels all the time here. I want you to hold it tight till the next time I can hold you in my arms. Daddy loves you, till forever and back..."

Brie sniffled and could not seem to stop crying since she found out Roman was alive. She wrapped his scarf around her neck and drowned in the scent of him the whole way there having it almost put her to sleep in her exhaustion of the whiplash of her feelings the last 12 hours. Lily seemed obsessed with hearing his voice now that she knew that her daddy would be able to hold her again, just like he promised.

It felt surreal, everything that was happening. She had no idea how this was true but all that mattered was he was really alive. She didn't even know if she would fully believe it till she could see him with her own eyes, hold him, touch him, feel his arms around her.

Sure enough the officer she had spoken with on the phone met them when they landed and had come with them in the vehicle to the military hospital. It was the largest military hospital outside of the U.S. Brie saw the sign for the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and they pulled up to the doors and stepped out. Roman's commanding officer said he would take care of their bags and Brie thanked him and picked up Lily and started almost running into the hospital.

The nurse on the surgical floor said her husband had just been transferred to recovery an hour ago and had would likely wake up any minute. Brie asked her to watch Lily for a few minutes just to go in alone first. The woman nodded and held out her hand and Lily nodded staying with her just outside the door of his room and asked her if she wanted to walk and see the Christmas tree they had on display there.

Heart racing, Brie caught sight of a mistletoe hanging a doorway nearby and moved to grab it and tucked it behind her back as she turned to face the door that she was told her husband was behind. The nurse smiled at her as Lily and her walked away and Brie turned back to the door in front of her.

She swallowed thickly as she pushed it open and had no idea what shape he would be in at all. All she knew was no matter what, she would be with him through anything. Brie rubbed her belly feeling Roman's baby kicking again as she walked around the corner of the curtain that had been pulled around the bed.

"Oh my God Roman," she breathed out walking slowly toward him. Her legs felt like jelly and she leaned on the edge of the bed to steady herself. She was so scared this wasn't real. That she was dreaming and he wasn't laying just in front of her.

She slipped out of his warm wool coat and his scarf, tossing it on the chair and knelt by the head of the bed. She had felt closer to him wearing his clothes but now was in awe that he was right here alive and needed nothing more than him.

Her hand was shaking as she stroked a piece of his long dark hair back from his eyes and ran her fingers all the way down the silky hair past his shoulder. She blinked and gasped out seeing his chest moving up and down. He was breathing. He really was alive!

At her touch, she watched mesmerized as his dark long lashes slowly fluttered. Brie could barely breath as those precious, beautiful, brown eyes squinted at the bright light of the hospital room before focusing on her teary face in front of him.

His lips turned up into the most beautiful smile. "Brie?" he gasped out weakly. "Oh my God baby... I can't believe you are here." His chin quivered and his one bandaged hand reached out to touch her cheek. She felt tears brimming at her lashes as more fell silently down her cheeks.

"Roman, I can't believe 'you' are here," she cried out and moved in closer. She held the mistletoe over their heads and her gorgeous man looked up at it and smiled weakly, his brown eyes shining. She leaned in and captured his lips as stars exploded behind her eyes.

Kissing him felt like coming home. God, she had missed him SO much.

Brie felt pure joy bubbling up in her heart as she felt his lips move over hers, his hand caressing her cheek and wiping the tears away. They kissed, leisurely and slow, tasting what they never thought they would ever taste again. She felt her legs weak from crouching down and moved to sit on the bed beside him. He pulled her closer, his one hand around her neck, tangling in her hair.

She tasted his tears at her lips as they mingled with hers as she broke down in his arms. "I can't believe you are here," she kept whispering over and over between kisses. She finally pulled back to look at him, his eyes so soul deep, locked on hers and his head bent so their foreheads touched.

Roman looked absolutely perfect.

His radiant face now that she looked more, had bruises and scrapes, his head had a bandage wrapped around it hiding most of his hair, only a handful of his long locks were hanging down by his face.

She saw a cast on his one arm, the one not presently caressing her cheek and running down her neck and into her hair. That hand had a bandage just wrapped around his hand with the I.V. and tubes coming from it.

"God I missed you my sweet Brie," he breathed out, his voice so low. Roman lifted his one arm a bit, moving the cast closer and she ran her fingers down it. "I'm okay my love. Its just broken. Nothing more. I got so lucky."

She looked him up and down more, pulling her head back. "You, you had surgery...they said."

Roman lifted the blanket by his waist and showed the bandages on his stomach. She instantly was caressing him around the bandaged wound examining the damage and running her hands along his warm skin. "God, Roman what happened?" Brie looked back up in his eyes.

Her precious man winced, sitting up more. "Knife wound when the army came in and the bastard guarding a bunch of us, tried to kill me. But he missed anything serious. I lost my spleen and they repaired any other internal damage but nothing more. I have a few more cuts on my arms trying to fend him off before he got shot. Mild concussion I'm told too."

He reached up and cupped her face, pulling the blanket back down. "I'm okay Brie. Really. You aren't dreaming..." She touched his cheek and ran her fingers up into the little bit of hair not tucked in the bandage and sunk her fingers into its softness, tunneling her fingers in it. Missing touching him, missing everything about him.

Roman groaned and nuzzled her hand. "Mmm. I missed you so much my angel." He pulled her closer and their lips hungrily connected again. "I imagined you just above the light in the damn darkness," he mumbled between kisses. "I kept crawling towards the fucking light thinking you were there above the ground waiting for me just past the cave in..." And he crashed his lips hard on hers again.

She breathed as he pulled back. She still had no idea how he was here with her. But did she care about the how? Brie laid her head to his chest and heard his heart beating so strongly. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.

Someone cleared their throat at the door. It was the nurse that was watching Lily. "Oh goodness Roman, Lily is outside." She wiped her face of her tears and nodded at the nurse that she could bring her in. She had been so overwhelmed in seeing him alive that she had forgotten she left their daughter waiting.

Lily stepped slowly into the room, her dark head down like she was scared to look. Brie gave her husband one more kiss on his forehead and then moved to kneel beside their daughter, helping her out of her jacket first. "Hey sweet girl. There is nothing to be scared of. Your Daddy is really okay! You can look, trust me." Lily moved closer, and wound her arms around Brie's neck, her head buried at her mom's throat.

Brie glanced back up and saw Roman was quiet and moved to pull himself to sit up more in the bed. His eyes lit up at the sight of his little girl standing at the foot of his bed, his smile so wide.

Lily looked up slowly, peeking past her mom's shoulder. "Daddy?" Her voice trembled and Brie could feel her shaking in her arms. She picked her up and walked her over to sit on the bed. Roman nodded slowly and reached his one good arm up toward his daughter.

"Daddy!" she cried out and Brie passed her into Roman's eager and waiting arms. Lily laid against his chest and closed her eyes so tight, her little arms all the way around his body, squeezing tight. He put his bandaged hand over her head, stroking down her dark hair. Lily looked up in his eyes and reached up to pinch his cheeks as if to assure herself that he really was there and she smiled more, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm right here Lily bear. Right here," he soothed. His eyes went up and locked with Brie's and he mouthed 'I love you' to her and she smiled through more tears and mouthed it back. She lay her head on his other shoulder, nuzzling his head and Roman kissed her hair.

Brie nearly jumped back when she felt their baby kick and grabbed for his hand and pulled up her shirt fast and placed it on her belly. Roman's eyes focused in on where she had just laid his hand. Maybe he wouldn't feel it with the bandage in the way?

Within seconds he looked startled, his eyes wide. "I felt it! I felt our baby kick! Wow that is incredible!" he cried out and Brie laughed and she felt the baby kick again. He moved his head in closer to hers and rubbed his nose with his wife's. "I love you so much my sweet Brie, so much."

She smiled at him, overwhelmed at how happy she was and kissed the tip of his nose. "I love you too, Reigns." She moved his hand back where she felt more kicks. Lily put her hand down on her mom's belly too and soon she was squealing about feeling her brother kick her. I guess Nikki wasn't the only one already assuming it would be a boy.

Brie leaned her head to Roman's and closed her eyes. His arm went around her shoulder and cradled her head. Brie saw Lumpy was laying on the floor and she bent to pick it up. Passing her daughter's camel to her. Lily shook her head.

"I don't need him Momma. I have Daddy right here like he said. It's the best birthday gift ever! Just like I asked for. I told Daddy I didn't want presents...just him and I got my wish!"

Brie looked at the clock and did not even realize it was after midnight. They had flown through a bunch of time zones and here they were with Roman, who she thought she would never see again and on their big girl's birthday too!

Yes, this was all she could ever wish for.

Lily looked up at her mom. "I know I can't tell time but I asked the nurse lady if it was tomorrow yet and she said it was, so it is my birthday then right? I am 5 years old?"

Both her parents nodded at her and Lily curled up against Roman's chest on top of his hospital gown as the two smiling parents sang their daughter Happy Birthday. Lily yawned and smiled saying she was so tired. All the traveling must have caught up to her and to Brie's surprise she was asleep in barely a minute on her Daddy's lap.

Brie chuckled. "I guess being 5 was hard work." Roman laughed too and winced a bit that laughing hurt his stitches.

She could still not believe how different everything looked, only a half a day ago back in Nashville...

There she was, ready to head to Florida on an all expense paid trip for kids that have parents lost in the war. She was planning on moving back home and having her mom help her raise the baby and Lily and try to move on with her life when her heart felt missing.

Now she had gotten back everything she had been mourning so deeply for. Brie closed her eyes, feeling more tears. Roman saw her crying and lifted his hand to caress her face again. "Everything is going to be okay my love...I promise."

Brie smiled widely though her tears and leaned in to taste his lips again. He cupped her head and felt the softness of his kisses give her shivers again. She would never get enough. "Oh I know it will be. I am in such awe that you are here. That I can feel you and see you and touch you Rome. That we have another chance and I don't want to ever let you out of my sight again."

She lay curled up on her side, her belly against Lily asleep in his arms, her head on the pillow beside him turned toward her. She had slipped off her boots and tucked her body in a close as she could be to his side and he pulled the blankets up around himself and his 2 girls.

"Roman, I need to ask, for Nikki, Is Dean?" She didn't know if she wanted to ask but as far as she knew Nik lost her husband too and Brie had to know, for her sister.

Before she could put any more thoughts in her head into words, Roman sadly shook his head, tears at his lashes. "No, I am so fucking sorry. He didn't make it. He was crushed by the rocks in the cave in trying to get us out. I would trade places with him if I could and he damn well knew that but I couldn't save him."

He drew in a deep breath and continued, hugging her closer. "When the building collapsed we were totally sealed in under the rocks. The whole main floor fell sideways, part of it still solid and angled so it gave me some shelter as the rocks crashed down. But Dean was trapped too far away and up closer to the surface without any protection from the falling cement and wood beams. He was so close to the hole that they had dug to get us out."

Brie saw him sniffle and she brushed her hand over his face, wiping the tears away. She was treasuring that she had him back but already feeling so broken that he had lost his best friend. Her sister had still lost her husband too.

What made her special and deserving of the miracle of getting her precious man back?

She was laying her beside him, nuzzling his head, watching him breathing and alive and they were given this unbelievable joy of more time. She felt more tears slipping down her cheeks watching him share and talk and just be there, she was so overwhelmed.

Roman looked lost in his story and Brie was quiet, letting him talk. "I knew he was dying babe. Hell, he knew it too and we both saw he had internal injuries from the rocks crushing him. He had been choking and coughing bad and with only the one flashlight between us I saw he was coughing up blood right at the end too after the last cave in. He had been so close to being pulled to the surface when all the rocks crashed back down on both of us and sealing us back under.

But he begged me to be able to see Nik one last time and I saw the rocks had been crushing his chest and he could not reach her picture in his pocket. So I crawled forward through the stones and cement as far as I could go and passed him my picture of you guys and me.

Since Nikki and you were twins he said he was so grateful to see her one more time, even if it was in your face. He reached his other hand out and I gave him my dog tags too when he said that he might be able to push his other hand above the rocks. We were trying to figure out some way to let people know we were still alive under there."

Brie listened, wide eyed and rubbed her hand up and down his arm as he talked. So it was Dean's hand that had the dog tags and picture in it, not Roman's like everyone had thought.

Her man was here, safe and sound with his family now. So however scary his story to get back to them was, she was going to be brave enough to take it in. She didn't have to live it but she was damn well going to be there for him in any way he needed her.

Roman swallowed slowly and closed his eyes.

This had to be hard for him, she thought. He had been there when his best friend had died? She could not imagine that kind of pain.

"Rome, honey, you don't have to share it all tonight. You need to rest."

He was shaking his head, his gorgeous brown eyes wide and pleading in their gaze back at her. "No I need to get this out. I haven't told anyone yet and its been weeks and I need to Brie. I need to tell someone. You need to hear this so we can both heal and grow and get past all this hell."

She nodded and let him continue. Her fingers were stroking his back between the folds of the hospital gown as far as she could reach. Any way she could reach him to sooth him with her touch as he kept sharing. He moaned and shut his eyes a moment and pressed his lips to her head. Before nodding and continuing his story.

"I shone the light at him enough for him to see you and imagine his Nikki as I heard him start gasping for air. I was sure his whole chest was crushed and it wasn't going to be long and I was going to be alone down there to die. God, baby I had never been so scared in my life.

I hadn't felt anything damaged except my arm. When we fell I protected a little boy as we ran from the building, tumbling down into the basement. I felt something crash into my arm and I couldn't move it much after. But Dean gasped out that he could almost feel the empty air around his hand that he had forced the picture and my dog tags up past the rocks."

He had more tears in his eyes now and Brie moved in closer kissing them away, tasting the saltiness on her tongue. She was trying to take away any pain he was feeling, any fear, any darkness.

Pain flooded his beautiful eyes as he spoke. "His last words to me were that he knew somehow I was going to get out of there. I had a baby on the way and a beautiful daughter and wife at home.

As he spoke he had been smashing the rocks with his free hand above him and his boots as hard as he could. I could hear them shifting again more. He screamed out that I wasn't going to die here and then the rocks fell burying him in them as they rained down all around me huddled in under the side of the cement floor."

"Oh my God Roman, I am so sorry," Brie held his head, stroking her fingers in his hair. "I can't imagine what you were feeling." They were laying almost completely sideways in the bed now, and Lily was snuggled lower between them on her Daddy's chest.

"I had my eyes closed so tight and just thought it would all be over in a moment. But I was alive and I could still breathe, barely, but I could breathe." He moved his bandaged hand to stroke it down her cheek now and Brie closed her eyes at how amazing his touch felt again.

"I wanted to die and just have it over...but then I remembered my promise to you, the last time we talked when you were so scared, Baby girl."

She remembered… and felt the tears start to slip down her cheeks again.

"I promised you I would be strong for the both of us. And I meant that Brie, with all my heart and soul I meant that and I could not leave you. I was going to be strong for you, for Lily and our little 'us'. I had to get the hell out of there.

And I could not believe it but when I opened my eyes and turned around I saw a hole in the rocks on the other side of the roof and light shining down. I took one more look at my best friend and said goodbye as I dragged my bruised leg and used my good arm and pulled myself up the rocks and to the surface. I made it out of there just like Dean said I would."

Brie nodded and a sob broke through her lips. "You did. You came back to us."

Roman nodded back and kissed her tears too. "I did. But when I crawled out of there I could barely stand and I think I blacked out. I remember wandering down the street and seeing lights ahead of me thinking it was the army.

But next thing I knew, I was in the back of a vehicle with a hood over my head and I felt my hands and feet tied. I could hear the voices in front of me speaking low but couldn't make anything out. We drove for hours it seemed and then I was tossed in a room and they kept all of us in the dark. I stayed there till the army raided the compound we were in and found us all there weeks later."

He sniffled and bent his head to kiss their sleeping daughters dark hair and looked back up at her. "All that matters is that I'm back Brie. Really. I got so lucky, only having such minor injuries. Being held captive with no medical care for weeks, if anything had been any worse I don't even want to know what could have happened."

Brie saw how tired he looked as he gazed back at her, his dark brown eyes starting to fall closed. "Just sleep Roman. I am right here." She bent to pull his bottom lip in her mouth and kissed him softly. "It's my turn to be strong for both of us. Let me be strong for you and you just rest and relax. Lily and I are right here."

He smiled weakly, his eyes so handsome even at half mast as he gave her a crooked smile. Brie moved around and lifted his hand back to her belly once more and he smiled, his eyes falling closed. "I love feeling him kick. Its amazing..." And then he was asleep.

Brie gazed down at her husband, moving a strand of his dark silky hair from his eyes. She gently scooped Lily off of his chest and the young mom saw a huge recliner in the corner of the room. Laying their daughter down she asked for help to move the chair right up beside Roman's bed and an orderly assisted her right away, before he turned out the lights in the room. Lily curled up tucked in with her camo blankie and Brie put her camel in under her arm.

Brie wanted some time to hold her Roman in her arms. Just her...like she remembered doing that one night after they had made love by the fire and conceived the little girl laying just a few feet away right now. She had treasured that time cradling him in her arms. Back then she knew he was leaving her that morning to go overseas on another tour. He had been hot and sweaty, so perfectly safe and she had wanted to hide him in her arms and from the world then and never let him go.

She looked back over at the love of her life and he looked so peaceful now, a soft smile on his face. Brie pulled her sweater off she undid her bra underneath too and kept her lace tank top on and slipped out of her jeans, leaving her in just her boy cut lace underwear. Did she care if the hospital caught her like that? Nope not in the damn slightest.

Brie laid back down, pulling the blankets back over them both, spooned away from him, making sure the side of him that had the stitches was safely not rubbing on the mattress or anything else. She pulled his arm over her, and under her tank top and up to feel her warm skin as she wiggled her ass against him. Roman groaned and moved his head against her throat and nuzzled his lips along her spine as he licked at her skin. "Mmm, did I miss you, Baby girl" he rumbled sleepily. His hand moved to cup her breast and he curled in at the curve of her throat and literally purred in bliss, grinding their bodies closer. But he was still so so tired that he was back asleep within minutes and snoring against her neck, his hair spread all across her back.

She could feel his nose buried in by her hair, his whole body turning towards her even in sleep to pull her closer against him.

Brie had told their daughter daddy had gone to heaven and he was gone. But laying here in his arms thinking she had lost him and mourning him and sobbing in their bed and feeling her heart torn in pieces at the thought of never seeing him again...this felt like heaven.

She did not think Heaven could be any better than this.

Feeling his soft hair like a blanket for her own body, curling her hand around his on her breast, she wrapped her legs around his and could hear his deep breathing by her ear. Brie felt overwhelmed with more emotion again in the near darkness.

"God, baby I love you so much..." she whispered into the silence, nearly choking on tears slipping down her cheeks.

She felt him move and shift his body slightly like maybe he wasn't fully asleep. He pulled her head back till she was looking at him and was met with warm soft lips pressed to hers as he moaned. He cradled her head with his bandaged hand. "Mmm, I love you too sweet Brie. Till Forever and Back...just like I promised our sweet little girl over there."

And he rolled closer to her and kissed her deeper and he pulled his eyes open a bit more as his palm slide to find that she was only in underwear too under the blankets. "Ooh you are asking for trouble here..." he spoke lowly.

She giggled as he palmed her ass and she stifled a squeal. "They can't kick us out can they?"

Roman covered her mouth with another kiss, "Mmm, totally worth whatever punishment I get. You don't come back from the dead every day."

He wrapped his large hands around both her hips, and tugged her harder against him showing her how awake part of him was..."Mmm you feel amazing but I am so fucking tired. I feel like I haven't slept good in weeks, months even."

Brie pulled his arm back around her waist and understood that feeling so well. "Then let's just sleep. I feel like I could sleep for a week too Rome. Being in your arms finally and I feel like I can breath again. I was choking for my next damn breath for ages baby. I just want to hold you."

He pulled her body in tighter against his and moaned in her ear. "That is Everything I want too."

Roman moved his hand down to spread it wide over her belly, and she laced her hand with his over their baby and felt the flutters and strong kicks under his hand. They had the best sleep they had in months.

Sometime during the night Brie turned and nuzzled in on his chest, needing to hear his heartbeat, and he wrapped his arm around her pulling her in as close as she could be in his arms. Neither of them had barely even noticed when Lily crawled across the bed with her blankie too and camel and burrowed in between them and laid partly by her Momma's baby bump and against her Daddy's chest halfway through the night and fell right back to sleep.

Merry Christmas to the Reign's Family and Happy Birthday Lily!

A/N One more chapter. Epilogue takes place three months later...

I hope everyone has great Christmas. I have loved exploring starting to write for this fandom and finding authors here to support and enjoy their stories too.

Reviews help me know what you like...More soft and fluffy or dark and intense..

Will update Beauty within the Darkness and Fighting to Live super soon too.