A/N: Another chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Feel free to leave a review.

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone or anything, except Izzie, she's mine.

Chapter 6

Three months had passed by and Chris couldn't remember the last time where he could honestly say that he was this content with his life. He found it hard to stay away from Stephanie, so most of his time was spent in Connecticut with a brief visit back to Florida every other weekend, to pay bills and take care of some business down there. It did get tiresome, but Stephanie was worth it. He always did like the hugs she gave him when he saw her when he got back though, and the way Izzie always ran up to him to get petted.

Still, it wasn't the same as seeing her each day, and boy did he love the fact he could. Essentially, she'd invaded every fiber of him, and he welcomed it. To him, he'd already gone far too long without knowing her, now he was just making up for the time that had been lost, like his voice had been.

He was in his locker room at the moment, a book of his writing at his side, waiting for Stephanie. She was riding with Shane and when he was on his cell to her earlier, she'd been a half hour away from the arena. That was twenty minutes ago, so he expected her soon. It was ridiculous how giddy he got at the thought of seeing her, he'd seen her the night before, so it wasn't like they had gone days without being in each others company, and yet he missed her.

Did he appear outwardly, as much as a sap as he thought he projected? He didn't care, Stephanie brought it out in him, she brought a lot of things out in him and it made him feel like a better man. He checked his watch, nine minutes and counting. He watched the seconds tick on by and his foot tapped in anticipation. Eight minutes. His eyes flickered to the door, she could always be early. The door stayed closed and his eyes returned to his watch. Seven. He wiped his palms along his jeans, and cursed his stupid sweaty palms. Was it six minutes yet? He checked his watch and smiled, it was only five. The door swung open and his eyes snapped up and he frowned.

"Jay, what do you want?" he asked agitatedly, watching as Jay took a seat opposite him.

"Well," Jay started with an exaggerated sigh. "I was looking for my best friend." He commented with a pointed look. "Blonde, Canadian, about six-foot give or take an inch, has suddenly developed the power of invisibility? Do you know him?"

"I've been busy." Chris told him distractedly, his eyes flicking back to his watch and he glared, he may have the power to be invisible, but Jay stopped time. Four minutes forty-five.

"With Stephanie?" Jay asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah," Chris replied with a smile. Maybe he should go look for her, she had to be in the building, right?

"Dude," Jay began carefully. "What exactly is going on there?"

"What do you mean?" Chris wondered his eyes narrowing.

"Is this some elaborate plan to keep the title?" Jay asked him straight out. "Cause it's a stroke of genius if it is." He finished with a slight chuckle.

"It's not a fucking plan." Chris seethed. "Why is that the first thing every damn person thinks?"

Jay frowned and then commented, which he regretted a moment later. "Because what else is she good for?"

Jay didn't so much as see Chris fly out of his chair, so much as he felt him grip his t-shirt and pull him off of his own chair, getting in his face. "Jay, you're my best friend. You're like a brother to me, but if I ever hear you talk about Stephanie in that way again, you can pretty much bet on the fact that our friendship, it'll be over."

"You actually feel something for her?" Jay asked after Chris had released his hold.

"I love her."

"But she's…"

"Yes Jay, she's blind." Chris spoke. "That doesn't make her any less remarkable or beautiful. Just because she can't see doesn't make her insignificant. God, if people would stop judging her and actually take the time to get to know her, then maybe you'd all realize how amazing she is." Chris vented. "I have a better conversation with Stephanie about sunsets and flowers and books than I have ever had with any person who could see them! You know something, maybe you're the ones who are defective, maybe you all are the ones who can't process anything because you're to busy to take it in. She had too! She had to take it all in because if she didn't she'd forget, she wouldn't remember the sky at night or the way trees moved in the breeze. She remembers it, sees it like we do, most likely better because she took the time too see it. So don't you dare come to me and ask me why I'm with her." he paused, heaving a ragged breath. "There's no one else out there I'd rather be with."

"Wow," Jay breathed. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize…I'm…sorry."

Chris checked his watched and breathed, two minutes. "Just get out of here, Stephanie's coming any minute and I don't even want you around." Chris told him as he glared at the man.

"Fair enough man," Jay agreed. "But, when I feel like less of an ass and your temper has simmered, maybe I can come back with Trish and we can meet Stephanie?" he suggested opening an olive branch.

Chris nodded. "I'd like that and I think Stephanie would too."

"Later then." Jay promised, before leaving Chris alone.

In Chris's opinion people sucked, they just judged and let their judgments make a lasting impression and he hated it. He hated how everyone saw Stephanie's disability before they saw her, it wasn't fair, she was such a nice person, but no one saw that. He'd damn well make people see that from now on, no one was going to treat her like anything less than she was. He looked up as the door to his locker room opened and his eyes flickered back to his watch, ten seconds. She was early.

Izzie's tail wagged as she saw him and he watched as she made her way over to him, leading Stephanie towards him.

"Hey beautiful." He greeted as one arms snaked around Stephanie's waist as he pulled her into him and hugged her and the other found Izzie's head as she sat patiently waiting to be petted.

"Hi." Stephanie told him back as her hand came up to find his face and he smiled as her fingers grazed his lips, followed by her leaning in and pressing her lips into his. He loved it when Stephanie kissed him, she made it like an art form.

"Have I mentioned I like these hellos?" Chris mumbled against her lips and Stephanie laughed as she felt his mouth curve into a smile.

"Yes," she commented, pulling back from him. "But a girl likes to hear it all the same."

"What else do they like?" Chris asked her, as his hands slid to her hips and guided her over to the sofa that was in his locker room. He sat down and then pulled Stephanie down so that she was sitting on his lap. She giggled in surprise and then rested her head on his chest.

"Hmm," she sighed, pretending to think. "They like surprise kisses, they don't see coming." She joked and then felt a kiss on her cheek, followed by one below her ear and a finale one on her lips. "Then of course, they like flowers, lots and lots of flowers. All different colors and smells. They have to smell really, really good. We can't forget the arms, we like being held. Like I am at the moment." She giggled as she felt Chris tighten his arms around her. "But the best moments are the quiet ones, where you just sit in silence and you can only hear them breathe, but you know exactly how they feel and what they're thinking."

Chris nodded and felt Stephanie sigh and lean into him some more.

"What am I thinking?" She asked him.

"You're thinking about my heartbeat." Chris answered almost instantly. "You're thinking: that sounds like a strong heart. Thump thump, thump thump. You're thinking I could fall asleep listening to this."

Stephanie smiled. "I was."

"And now you're thinking, I don't think I know what he's thinking, but I know you do."

"You're thinking: I bet she knows how my heart is more thumpthumpthumpthump, when she kisses me. I bet she knows this because of her crazy-awesome hearing."

Chris laughed. "How do you know me so well?"

"I listen when you speak." Stephanie commented. "And, when you don't."

It was quiet again for a while. He let Stephanie listen and was content to just run his fingers through her hair and run a thumb back and forth across her neck every once in a while. He wasn't paying attention to anything, but the feeling of her under his fingertip and how she felt in his arms and maybe how she had a freckle on the side of her nose that was almost nonexistent. Then his eyes drifted around the room and he saw his notebook on the table in front of him. The prose he'd written for his hometown newspaper, he'd almost forgotten about that.

"Want to hear something?" Chris whispered to Stephanie and he smiled as she tilted her head up towards him.

"Your stories?"

"Yeah."

"Of course I do." She exclaimed with a big grin.

He reached forward, his grip on Stephanie as tight as ever, and grabbed the book before sitting back. "Okay, so there's a recurring theme to these." He commented and he was almost thankful that she couldn't see the blush that tinted his cheeks.

"What is the theme?" Stephanie wondered.

"You'll see." Chris remarked as he picked out the fist sheet of paper. "Are you ready?"

"I can't wait."

He cleared his throat, "This piece is called, 'She Sits'," and then he began to read. "I watch and I observe, my eyesight takes in everything about her, everything she can't. I would trade, so she could see the beauty I see as she sits. My eyes, they blink and watch as she sits and pets and stares, at what, I couldn't guess. Black? I hope not. I hope for a field of green with a dash of yellow or maybe grey with a flash of light. I hope for something, so that as she sits, she isn't alone. If I could, I would walk and speak, but unlike her, it's my voice that doesn't work and I can't produce sound. Oh, I wish I could. I would tell her of rainbows and butterflies and magic that my eyes had seen and compare them to what she had seen with her own. One day, I'll sit where she sits."

"Chris?" Stephanie whispered.

"You were my inspiration." He whispered back, his eyes closed as his head rested on the side of her head. "You always will be."

She was silent for a good few moments, trying to process everything, and a ghost of a smile crossed her face. "I think I might like being your inspiration."

"Good." Chris told her, his voice content. "Because, no one else could ever be."