Thanks to the responses to last chapter. I'm currently between books, so I managed to write another chapter on the way to training this morning. Enjoy.

Chapter 15

Sweat dripped steadily down my back as I hauled myself into a standing position between the parallel bars Bobby had set up while I was doing my weights training. We hadn't spoken much over the course of the forty-five minutes we'd been down here – me mostly grunting with effort and Bobby telling me I was doing fine – but I was dying to ask about this supposed DNA testing he had the lab guys doing. Clearly, I was missing a vital piece of the puzzle here. Why on earth would they skip from "he's a threat" to "DNA testing" so quickly?

"Ready to walk?" Bobby asked from the other end of the bars where he was fiddling with a video camera he'd just positioned there. Was he planning on recording my attempts?

"Ready to try," I announced with force enthusiasm as the little recording light blinked on, confirming my suspicions.

He rolled his eyes, seeing straight through my false bravado, but instructed, "When you're ready."

I nodded, feeling another drop of sweat roll down my back and soak into the already saturated waistband of my pants. We'd been through the theory of how I was to work this just moments ago and I'd agreed with the processes, but to actually put them into action seemed a rather daunting task now that I was face to face with it. Hesitantly, I walked my hands a little further along the bars before taking the great effort of slowly sliding first one, then the other foot forward so that I was standing straight again. As I blew out a shaking, relieved breath, ready to draw another and try again, a cheer erupted from somewhere behind me. It was quickly followed by another and another as more men joined in.

"Go Steph!" one called.

"You can do it!" came another boisterous cry.

Unable to stop myself, I let out a startled laugh and look over my shoulder. Hal, Cal and Manny were lined up on treadmills, still jogging at a considerable pace as they continued to whoop and holler. Nearby, two men stood with gloved fists hanging by their sides and sweat glistening off their washboard abs, having obviously paused mid spar to cheer me on. Everywhere I looked men were encouraging me with their shouts and cries.

As I shook my head still laughing at their display, they dissolved into a chant.

"Bom-ber! Bom-ber! Bom-ber!"

I turned back to face Bobby, who was grinning from ear to ear, also chanting. He gave me a sweeping arm gesture that I interpreted as "You have the floor." I nodded, gritting my teeth and moving my hands along the bar once more. As I pulled my second foot under me, an all in cheer interrupted the chant. And so it continued until I'd reached the end of the bar. My arms were shaking and the muscles in my legs ached like nobody's business, but I turned around and shuffled my way back down the bars to the chorus of Merry Men encouragement.

When I stood before my wheelchair once more – abstractly making the realisation that Bobby hadn't followed me with it like he promised he would – I turned around again in order to sit back down, my task completed. The yelling died down to excited chatter and I caught sight of the look on Bobby's face. Pure pride shone there and determination filled me.

"I'm going again," I informed him loudly enough that he could hear over the crowd, which promptly erupted once more at my announcement.

Uplifted by their support, I felt as if I could run a marathon if I so chose at that moment, but knowing it was damn near impossible, I settled for sliding my feet along the length of the bar again. I reached Bobby's end to the sound of my cheerleaders' uproar and managed to turn around.

What I saw when I faced the wheelchair end of the bars once more nearly made my knees – which had held up so well thus far – collapse.

Carlos, Matias and Eduardo stood in a little triangle formation, waiting for me to return. The boys were yelling, "Go Mommy!" as they jumped up and down excitedly. My husband merely gazed directly into my eyes, telepathically communicating all the love and encouragement I needed to shuffle my way back to him. With every laborious step I took closer to my family, my heart beat faster.

The moment I'd reached the end of the bars I found myself scooped off the ground and into Carlos's arms. And a good thing too, since I wasn't sure how much longer my legs would hold me. I wrapped my still shaking arms his neck, burying my face in his neck as he tightened his grip.

"And you thought you couldn't do it," he chuckled by my ear before nipping the lobe playfully and whispering how proud he was that I was making such progress. "At this rate you'll be running marathons in three months," he teased between affectionate kisses to my neck, letting me know that what I'd thought were thoughts had escaped my mouth.

"I love you," I murmured, my voice sounding thick as I forced it past the growing lump in my throat. For some stupid reason I found myself on the verge of tears. I tried to stave them off as best I could, but my resolve was lost when Carlos tightened his arms around me again. "Thank you for believing in me," I sobbed pathetically as the first tears burst past the flood gates.

"Babe," Carlos said, managing to sound both concerned and amused as he pulled me back to scrutinise my face. "Are you crying?"

"Yes," I exclaimed, attempting a watery glare. "Now kiss me, or I'll refuse to ever walk again."

Laughing heartily, he obliged my demand, receiving an eruption of whistles and catcalls from the men and two very disgruntled exclamations of, "Eww, gross!" followed by retching sounds and booing from our little men. I was laughing when we broke apart for air, and so was everyone else. The boys were sprawled on the floor pretending to die from the agony of witnessing their parents kiss. Carlos – still carrying me – traipsed over to them and promptly stuck a booted foot on Mat's belly, wiggling it around to elicit those high pitched giggles I loved to hear so much as Bobby did the same to Edi. My men could be so silly.

When everyone had recovered, we left the boys with Bobby so they could 'help' – more likely, hinder – him packing up the bars and such. I let Carlos wheel me all the way up to the seventh floor apartment, where he promptly deposited me on the bed and crawled up next to me.

"Carlos, I need a shower before dinner," I complained as he drew lazy designs on the insides of my arms.

"We'll get to that," he assured me, leaning down to follow the path his fingers were making with his tongue. I remember worrying over the fact that I probably tasted of sweat, but the thoughts were soon pushed from my mind as Carlos's lips claimed mine and his tongue thrust out, seeking entrance.

"I guess the show can wait a bit," I gasped as he released my lips to trail kisses across my cheek to my ear he murmured in agreement.

^o^

"My mom is learning to walk again," Mat informed Tank at dinner that night.

Every now and then the Merry Men organised what they referred to as a family dinner, which consisted of all the "Senior Officers" of the company, plus me, and the twins cramming into the seventh floor apartment for the duration of at least two hours, feasting on the simple yet delicious foods that the men brought to the table in a kind of manly pot luck deal. Tonight we were dining on, well, mostly meat. The guys weren't too good at remembering that some of us weren't as carnivorous as they were. Luckily, Ella had prepared some salads and stashed them in the fridge earlier in the day.

"Yeah," Edi added. "She's gonna run a marafon in three months."

"Daddy said so," Mat agreed.

"Is that so?" Tank asked the boys, casting an amused glance in my direction.

They nodded in unison.

"What's a marafon?" Mat asked, stuffing a corn chip from Tank's plate into his mouth, and chewing with the concentrated look of curiosity still plain on his face.

"It's a really long running race," Tank answered, moving his precious food out of the boys' reach.

"How long?" Edi enquired.

"Reeeeeeaaaaaaallllllyyyyyy looooooooonnnnnnngggggg," Lester chipped in over Tank's shoulder, leaning across him to reach the chicken wings.

The boys turned sceptical eyes first to me and then their father, little creases forming between their brows as they regard the pair of us. Finally, staring directly at Carlos, they asked together, "Are you sure?"

The table burst into laughter at the boys' clear and rightful doubt of my ability to run. They knew me so well. I made a promise to myself, though, that I would run a marathon one day, just to show them.

"I'll be right there beside you," Carlos whispered in my ear.

I cast him a surprised look. "Did I say that out loud?" I asked him.

"Didn't need to," he replied. "The determination is written all over your face."

"When can we go home and play with Toaster?" Edi interrupted, swiftly changing the subject as he knelt on his chair.

"Yeah!" Mat enthused. "I wanna go home and play with Toaster."

The men all looked to Carlos and I with synchronised expressions of "What the -." I'd forgotten that we hadn't told them about the kitten. I decided to let them hang for a while longer, instead telling the boys that they would need to feed Toaster when they got home and then brush their teeth and go to bed, because they had school in the morning. With that enigmatic response, Carlos and I ushered the boys out of the apartment and off home.

Did I tell you all that I'm attempting NaNoWriMo this year? I can't remember. Anyway, don't forget to review.