A/N: Hi, you guys! Here I am again, with the eighth chapter to my story! And it's almost the last, as well… I know you've had to wait a long time to get it, and I'm really sorry! I just hope you'll read an enjoy this chapter as much as the previous ones! Please leave me a review! Even if you really hate it. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Waking the Dead. Nor will I ever, I'm afraid…

Chapter Eight

Grace was being rushed into the hospital. Boyd was still holding her hand as they entered the building.

"A fifty-six year old woman by the name of Grace Foley. Elevated blood pressure and heartbeat very high and irregular at the scene. Blood pressure still too high, but heartbeat nearly back to normal. A bullet grazed her shoulder, pressure bandage has been applied," the paramedic spoke.

One of the nurses took a chart from the pile on the desk behind her and handed it over to her colleague.

"Bring her to room one," the nurse closest to him immediately told him. "I'll contact doctor Evans."

The paramedic did as he was told and began to roll the bed towards the aforementioned room.

Boyd was well aware of the hurried actions of the hospital staff around them. But he did not pay attention to any of it, as he was concentrating solely on Grace. The rest didn't really matter.

As they entered the small room the paramedics were supposed to leave Grace in, a couple of nurses came up to them, taking over.

"Karen, go find some new bandages. And some morphine. And see where doctor Evans is."

The young woman by the name of Karen nodded and left.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid you're going to have to leave," the woman closest to Boyd said.

He looked at Grace, the blood and the pain she was in making him want to scream he wasn't bloody going anywhere. But these people needed to be able to do their jobs if they wanted to help Grace.

So he allowed himself to be pushed towards and out of the door, trying to keep looking over his shoulder as long as he could.

Before he knew what had happened, the door had closed on him and he was alone in front of it.

"I'm sorry, are you waiting for someone here?" a nurse suddenly asked.

Boyd turned around. The man was holding a box containing some blankets that obviously needed to be stored somewhere.

"Yes, actually… A… Someone I love has just been brought in, and the nurses kicked me out so they could to their job," he said.

The male nurse looked at him sympathetically. He probably understood what Boyd was feeling like, since he had most likely seen dozens of people in his position before.

"I'll take you to the family room. You can get some tea or coffee there, it'll help you relax as you wait. I should normally take you into the waiting room, but I think I'll make an exception for you," the nurse told him.

Boyd nodded gratefully. He really hadn't liked the idea of having to wait for new in an overcrowded, too small room with people he didn't know and who would be wondering what he was in there for.

He followed the younger man through the hall and around the corner, where he opened the door to a small, rather cozy room which was completely devoid from other people. There were some seats in there, and a small table, but nothing elaborate.

"In the room next to this you can get something to drink. And if you need anything, you can use that button to ring the bell. Someone'll be with you in a matter of seconds then," he assured Boyd.

The Detective Superintendent was torn between two very different emotions. At one hand he was glad to be in this silent environment, but on the other hand he would have rather been in the crowded chamber Grace was in, just to be able to be with her and stand by her.

Pacing back and forth through the room, his mind kept wandering back to the events leading up to their arrival in hospital. To the man who had so carelessly aimed for Patrick that he had shot his Grace.

He had to admit that if he ever managed to get his hands on the man responsible for this, he was going to forget every rule that forbade him to have his way with him. Where the hell had he gotten permission to fire a gun if he couldn't even shoot at the intended target, but instead took out innocent victims?

But Boyd knew Grace would talk him out of taking revenge on the man. As well as on Patrick, he was sure of that. She was always too kind for her own good. He had learned that about her very quickly.

This time, though, she might think about it differently. This was something very different than Stella betraying the team before she had even gotten to know her. Or a complete stranger threatening her while she was questioning him. This was someone who had tried to take it out on her before, her past coming back to haunt her. Would she still forgive Patrick now he had hurt her for a second time?

Time went by way too slowly for his liking. It seemed every minute lasted an hour. But at least the minutes passed by.

Suddenly Boyd was pulled out of his thoughts. Someone was walking through the corridor, he could hear their footsteps coming closer with every minute that passed.

Is it someone coming to give me some news? He asked himself. Good news, maybe? Or bad news? Or is it somebody who will simply pass by on his way to another part of the hospital?

There was a small knock on the door before it was pushed open. A young woman Boys recognized from before stepped inside.

"Mister Boyd?" she asked.

Boyd's heart pounded rapidly now. Was this going to be good news, or bad news?

"Yes?" he questioned.

The young nurse seemed a little more at ease knowing she had found the right man.

"I'm really sorry I have to come and get you, but miss Foley keeps asking about you. Her heart rate and blood pressure have risen again, and she is in a lot of pain. But whatever we do, it doesn't seem to help. And she keeps asking for you," she repeated.

Boyd was surprised to hear that. Was Grace really letting go of herself like that? Surely she couldn't be. He had never known her to behave like that.

"Will you come with me, please?" the nurse asked him.

Boyd did not have to think twice. He stepped towards the nurse, following her into the corridor.

All around, there seemed to be chaos now. Everybody was running around, trying very hard not to collide with any of the other doctors and nurses around. Something had obviously happened. Something bad, most likely. But if it wasn't Grace, Boyd were honest, he didn't really care. He had to see her, or he'd simply explode!

When he entered the room she was in, following the nurse who immediately stepped towards the side to let him pass her by, he saw why he had been asked to come.

Grace was breathing very shallowly. Very rapidly, too. The monitors on her side were beeping avidly.

"Well, what's this?" he asked her, drawing her attention.

She tried to reply, but he could tell she was finding it difficult to get any air through her throat.

"… Sorry," she eventually managed.

He moved closer to the bed. At least she could speak. But she sure wasn't looking good…

"Don't be. Just tell me what I can do to help," he said.

Grace closed her eyes and allowed her head to fall forwards so that it came to rest against his chest.

"Miss Foley's blood pressure and heart rate are too. And I'm afraid she is not responding to the treatment very well. Unfortunately, we urgently need to see how much damage had been done to her shoulder. And whit a blood pressure is this high, she will lose even more blood than she normally would," doctor Evans told him.

Boyd nodded slowly. He motioned for Grace to move forward, which she did, although he could see she was looking at him questionably.

"I told you I would be there when you needed me, didn't I? So here I am. But you have to let me help you, okay? As well as the doctors," he said.

Grace nodded. He though she probably thought it was too hard to speak, so she opted for communicating wordlessly.

He sat down on the bed behind her, pulling her slowly and softly against. By the way she leaned against him, she could tell that she was scared. She was trembling so hard she almost couldn't keep her hands still.

"It's okay. I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere. Alright? Now focus on me while the doctor has a look at your shoulder, alright?"

She closed her eyes, grabbing his hand. She squeezed it with all her might, but he could already tell that the shaking was subsiding.

The doctor nodded approvingly at the screens, evidently happy with the effect Boyd was having on his patient.

"Ah, ah, ah, no focusing on the doctor there, miss Foley!" he told her as she wanted to open her eyes when she felt the doctor pull at the bandages. "An here was me, thinking I was the man in your life!"

She laughed at that. Not as brightly as she'd normally do, but at least he recognized the old Grace again.

"Oh, you are," she said, slowly. "But I thought you'd find a better way if distracting me than simply saying that."

Boyd was unsure where this was going. Was she serious? Was she challenging him? If she was, she was in for it, that much was certain. After all, he would never pass on a challenge.

"Is that a challenge, doctor Foley?" he asked her.

He could feel her move slightly to the right before answering his question. Obviously, she needed a better distraction.

"I do believe I am," she replied.

And Boyd didn't need long to think his next move over. He had been waiting to do this for so long that he could hardly believe he was actually given a chance.

He pressed his lips to her hair very softly, which clearly was distracting her very much, because she didn't even flinch when the doctor grabbed a small syringe with some morphine and injected the medicine into her shoulder.

"What?..." she finally managed to say.

He just sniggered as he turned her head, making sure her shoulder didn't move even an inch.

"I wondered what it would be like to kiss you. Even though it wasn't a real kiss, I have to admit I kind of liked it. But maybe I should find someone else and kiss them for comparison," he said.

What happened then was something he had not at all been expecting.

Grace lifted her head just a little, bringing her lips to his. Not even his wildest dreams had come close to what he felt when she touched her soft lips against his. If it hadn't been necessary to keep her absolutely still, he would have pulled her even closes, but no, he was content to bring his hand to her face, laying them against her cheek.

"Do you still think you should find another woman to kiss to be able to compare both kisses?" she asked him softly.

He shook his head.

"The only thing going through my mind is: wow… Besides maybe the question: why didn't I do that sooner?"

Both of them actually had almost forgotten about the doctors and the nurses. That was, until the doctor cleared his throat.

""You'll be needing some stitches, miss Foley. But the bone has not been damages. And there are no bullet fragments inside the wound. So we'll clean it up, stitch it together and organize some pain relief. Then, you're free to go," the doctor happily announced.

Grace blushed slightly. Boy knew she was feeling like a teenager getting caught kissing her boyfriend.

He decided he should take some of the pressure of off her by making sure she knew he was okay with this.

"That's good. I can't stand the woman I love being in pain," he admitted.

He squeezed her hand at that, emphasizing his words even more. He had to admit a part of him was scared she wouldn't believe him if he didn't.

"Alright. I'll be right back with the things I'll be needing," the doctor said.

Nearly imperceptibly, the man motioned for all of the nurses to leave the room. These two had a lot to talk about, and it was best to let them begin while they picked up the necessary things.

"Did you mean what you said?" she asked him when they were alone at last.

"That I can't stand seeing you in pain? Of course I did," he said.

Grace laughed at that, using her uninjured arm to hit him lightly on the chest.

"I mean… Did you mean it when you said that I'm the woman you love? It wasn't just a means of distracting me?"

She sounded very insecure. Boyd's heart bled at that. She was such a strong woman. She had gotten through so much throughout the years they had known each other. And now, she was doubting everything.

He lowered his head and kissed her again, more than last time trying to put everything he wanted to say in the kiss. When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers.

"You know I don't exactly have a way with words… But I did mean it, Grace. I love you. I have loved for a long time now. But I'm such a jerk sometimes that I didn't think you'd ever give me a chance… Today… Today was just… I thought I'd lost you, Grace. I thought I was never going to see you again… When my son died, I had you. But now, I thought I would be alone, because there's nobody that could understand what it would have meant if I'd have lost you…" he whispered.

When he looked her in the eyes, he saw the love he felt for her reflected that, bright and clear for the world to see. Even for him, Peter Boyd, a man who had never been able to read women.

"I love you, too," she told him, even though he already knew.

He pulled her close, careful not to touch her injured shoulder, and even then did not believe he was finally holding the woman that he loved.

It was strange, he mused, but he had never felt this way before. If he were completely honest, this was a love so different from the love he had felt for his wife that he thought he could never compare them.

She turned onto her side, her head still leaning against his chest. She sighed. If she was feeling anything like him, which by the looks of it, she was, that sigh could only mean one thing: she was glad to be here, in his arms.

And he would make sure she never regretted stepping into them. It would be hard from time to time to involve Grace in everything he did, or was going through, he would do his best. Because after Luke had died, he had promised he wouldn't exclude her. And so far he hadn't. So he was not going to break his promise now, and ruin everything he had just gained.

"Boyd?" she suddenly asked.

Her voice was sounding a bit sleepy. She was probably tired after the exhausting weeks they'd had. The traumatic events were taking their toll on her body. She really needed to rest as soon as the doctors had finished with her.

"Yes, baby?" he said, using a pet name for the first time.

She smiled, and he was glad to see it. He made a mental note to use pet names more often from then on.

"What are we going to tell the others?" she asked him.

Boyd was taken a bit aback by that. He had thought none of this through, it had just happened because the opportunity had presented itself. He hadn't exactly thought about the consequences yet.

He was silent for a few minutes, thinking it over. They could never hope to keep this a secret for long. Stella would definitely notice something immediately. And so would Eve. They were women. And as soon as they had caught on to it, they would tell Spencer. It would be better if they all heard it together, and from them personally, he figured. But he'd let Grace decide.

"Honestly? It doesn't matter much to me. As long as you're happy, I'm happy. If you want to tell them, then that's what we'll do. And I think it would be better to tell them ourselves than have them discover it when we least expect it. The blow will be less hard that way," he told her, smiling.

She laughed as well. He had surely made a point there.

"You're right. So can we tell them straight away?" she pleaded.

She was looking at him so innocently, like a child seeking reassurance. It really made him melt.

"Yes, we can," he said.

He decided not to tell her they should probably wait a couple of months to see whether they would surely make it. After all, in their line of work finding love was never easy. And they had known each other for seven years now. They knew each other through and through. Why was he worrying so much.

She nodded.

"Thank you. But before we tell them, I need to tell them Patrick's story. Well, the part he shared with me, at last…"

He nodded his understanding.

He saw her lips begin to move. Just as she was about to say something, though, doctor Evans came in with his suture kit.

"Here we are," he said.

Boyd gave Grace one last kiss.

"I'll be outside, waiting. And I'll go and find the others and tell them you're okay. They'll want to know. And they'll want to see you," he told her.

Grace nodded.

"Then we can tell them. Go and find them. And don't be too long," she asked him.

Fortunately it did not take Boyd very long to find Stella, Spencer and Eve. They were sitting in the waiting room, Stella holding Spencer's hand and Eve having her arm draped over Stella's shoulders.

They jumped up as soon as they saw him. They began to speak all together, but he simply raised his hand to quiet them down.

"Grace is going to be okay," he told them.

There was a sigh of relief going through the group. They had all been so scared of losing her, it was all they had been able to think about. She had been like a mother to them since they had known her, always being there for them, giving them advise when they needed it.

"And she wants to see the lot of you," he added.

They all looked at each other, wondering what on earth she might want to speak to them about.

They followed Boyd through the corridors until they reached the chamber in which she lay. When Boyd made to knock on the door, it swung open, doctor Evans stepping outside.

"Right on time, I see, Peter. Now you hurry along and get back in there," he joyfully said.

When Boyd nodded thank you, the others looked at each other again. Such a display of happiness should have brought out the worst in Boyd after a day like this. But now they came to think of it, he did seem oddly happy.

He lead the way in. As soon as he had stepped through the door, he took his seat next to Grace, offering his hand for the moral support he knew she was going to need for what she was going to do next.

"Hi, you guys…" she began. "I'm sorry I scared you so much today…"

They all said that it was no big deal. They were just glad to see she was going to be fine.

"Yes, I will be. But if I want you to understand why this all happened, I need to tell you a story."

And with that, she began to tell them what had led up to everything that had happened these past weeks.