Chapter 20

Despite her attempts to be left alone after she left Myles' room, Hannah always had someone at her bedside. However, neither their presence nor her need to rest prevented her from thinking about the tall New Englander just down the hall.

How could my feelings about him change so quickly? Hannah wondered, recalling all the fights she had with him since moving from San Antonio. Now, every time she thought of Myles, her heart rate quickened and her palms started sweating. Maybe I'm sicker than the doctors think, she thought somewhat hopefully, only to recall the refined voice of the female visitor he had and felt her jealousy returning.

Why can't it be me? Hannah sighed regretfully as she forced herself to concentrate on the Sue and Tara's voices. Listening to the young blonde as she teased her husband about his stint as an Elvis impersonator, she could hear the love in their voices and felt her heart twist painfully.

Sue and Jack were no different, though they tended to be more private about their relationship making Hannah wonder about the extent of their feelings for each other. While she knew they'd posed as a couple, and even kissed at least once, on various cases, she'd never seen them behave anything but professionally at the office. Except for the looks that she'd caught passing between them and the few private lunches as well as a stolen dinner here or there, she'd never would have believed Lucy's persistence that there was something between them.

However, as she heard the stories of Dan Malone with Hammer Dynamics and the serial killer, Simon, Hannah heard something in the dark-haired agent's voice that started to confirm her suspicions. Listening to Sue as she spoke of the MI-6 agent, Jessica, she knew the feelings between her two friends were mutual.

As the group told her of recent cases including Montega and Girsvin, Hannah began to wonder if she'd ever find someone like her friends had. With a sigh, she let her mind drift to the time she was alone with Myles in the basement. Recalling the way it felt with her head on his chest, his fingers playing through her hair as she tried to recover from the gases, she let the voices slowly fade away in the background.

Alone again tonight without someone to love.
The stars are shining bright so one more wish goes up.
Oh, I wish I may and I wish with all my might.
For the love I'm dreaming of and missing in my life.

You'd think that I could find a true love of my own.
It happens all the time to people that I know.
Their wishes all come true so I've got to believe.
There's still someone out there who is meant for only me.

I guess I must be wishing on someone else's star.
It seems like someone else keeps getting what I'm wishing for.
Why can't I be as lucky as those other people are?
I guess I must be wishing, on someone else's star.

I sit here in the dark and stare up at the sky,
But I can't give my heart one good reason why.
Everywhere I look it's lovers that I see.
It seems like everyone's in love with everyone but me.

I guess I must be wishing on someone else's star.
It seems like someone else keeps getting what I'm wishing for.
Why can't I be as lucky as those other people are?
I guess I must be wishing, on someone else's star.

Why can't I be as lucky as those other people are?
Oh I guess I must be wishing, on someone else's star.

A knock on the doorframe drew her attention from her inner musings. Her head automatically turned in the direction of the knock before Hannah remembered she couldn't see the person standing there anyway.

Some habits die hard, Hannah thought, flinching unwillingly as she wondered if the darkly shadowed shapes she saw after the explosion would be all that was left of her vision. Yet another reason why no man, especially someone like Myles, would ever look at me, she groaned inwardly as she wondered who was coming to visit her now.

"Can I come in or is this a private party?" Anne asked tentatively.

Hannah's smile quickly faded as she lowered her head, ashamed of the first response that had popped into her head. The daughter of a minister, she admonished herself sternly for almost telling the woman it was a private party.

"Anne, come in," Tara beamed cheerfully. "How's Myles?" she asked.

"Asleep finally," Anne replied coming into the room. "He's been refusing pain medication all day, hoping he'd be able to feel something, and he's been through the roof with the pain in his back," she explained as Hannah heard someone move a chair around for her.

Hannah listened intently to the woman, wanting to ask questions but refusing to put herself in another awkward position. Why did she have to come down here? she wondered struggling to keep her composure as she listened to them talking.

"Ouch," Jack commented, obviously feeling for his co-worker. "What about his legs?"

"More of the swelling has to go down before he'll get any feeling back in his legs, but of course Myles won't listen," Anne sighed sadly. "I wish there was something I could do for him."

"Just being here for him, shelia, is important," Bobby comforted the woman, his voice tender.

"Bobby's right, Anne," Sue agreed. "Myles is going to need you a lot during his recovery and rehabilitation."

"Probably more than he's ever needed you before," Jack added.

Frustrated, Hannah shifted uncomfortably in her bed. Hearing all of her friends talk so warmly to this woman was so painful. She wanted to get up and leave, but the manners her parents taught her at a young age prevented her from being rude.

"You okay, Hannah?" Jack questioned, sending her into a panic. Hannah didn't realize anyone was watching her and hoped that no one noticed her discomfort at the other woman's presence.

"I'm fine, thanks," Hannah murmured softly.

"Oh, Hannah," Sue commented. "Have you met Anne?"

"Uh, um…" Hannah stammered.

"Well, not formally and she's the real reason I came down this way," Anne interjected as she leaned toward the bed touching Hannah's hand hesitantly. "I came to see if you were okay," she started uncertainly.

No, of course I'm not okay! Hannah wanted to respond angrily as she felt everyone's eyes on her. However, the other woman's voice was so rich with concern that she couldn't bring herself to voice the comment.

"I'm fine, thank you," Hannah lied quietly, silently wishing everyone would just leave her alone.

"Good. I know you have a lot of people here that care about you," Anne continued, patting her hand almost condescendingly. "But since you'll need someone to help you adapt for a while, I just wanted to let you know I'm here," she offered, her caring voice taking on a tinge of pity to Hannah's ears.

Of all the patronizing, arrogant things to say! How dare she? Hannah felt her control begin to snap. Isn't it enough that she has Myles? Unless she thinks helping the poor crippled girl will make her look good in 'lover boy's' eyes, she grimaced, thinking of how Anne could spend evenings with Myles laughing over tales of her bumping into things and falling over furniture.

"Please," Hannah gritted through her teeth. "I don't want your pity," she muttered, trying her best not to give into the overwhelming emotions building inside her.

"Hannah, I'm not here to pity you," Anne replied, stepping back as if offended by the accusation. "I'm here to thank you," she murmured anxiously, the tension building in the room.

"Thank me?" Hannah snapped as Tara tried to calm her, the petite blonde stroking her dark hair back from her face as she stood on the opposite side of the bed. "What do you need to thank ME for?" she questioned confused, some of her anger diffused by her puzzlement at woman's statement.

"Myles told me what you did while you were stuck down there together," Anne replied timidly as Hannah searched out her voice from beneath the thick gauze. "While he may never admit it, I wanted to thank you personally for saving my brother's life," she finished quickly as if she was afraid she wouldn't get it out.

"You're wel…" Hannah replied automatically, her voice sputtering to a stop as it registered what the woman said. "Your brother?" she questioned in bewilderment.

"Yes, I know Myles can be a bear sometimes…I did spend 16 years under the same roof with him," Anne grinned sheepishly as she felt the tautness drain away from the other woman. "But we've gotten along pretty well since he helped me get back on my feet after I got disbarred…"

Hannah couldn't focus on what the woman was saying anymore. The same words kept floating around in her head. Her brother! Anne wasn't his girlfriend but his sister. She couldn't believe that she'd jumped to such a conclusion without asking anyone.

"Lucy told me that your family is from Texas, so I didn't know what other options you might have," Anne continued, her tone unreadable as Hannah tried to deal with the news. "But if you need anything, I want you to know that I'm here," she stated sincerely as she reached out again to squeeze her hand reassuringly.

"Uh…thank you," Hannah stammered quietly, having trouble digesting the information. "I, uh…"

"You don't have to say anything now," Anne assured her softly. "I'll be here with Myles so if it's okay, I'll just check in every once in a while to see if you need anything?" she proposed apprehensively.

"Uh...sure…thank you," Hannah replied hesitantly, not sure what to say. Fortunately, she was saved from responding further when the nurse peeked her head in the doorway.

"Sorry, guys," the nurse's voice interrupted as she entered the room decisively. "My patient needs her rest," she insisted sternly to the roomful of friends.

"Ah, come on, Sav," Jack pleaded with a smile in his voice. "Just a little longer," he teased the young nurse, reminding everyone of a little boy trying to stay up longer to watch television.

"I've already let you stay in here over an hour after the end of visiting hours, Agent Hudson," Nurse Sav admonished, her familiarity stemming from taking care of Sue and Bobby before. "Those big brown eyes of yours won't work this time, sweetie," she taunted as she started ushering everyone away from the bed.

"Then it's a good thing I'm a married man, Sparky," Bobby boasted as they gathered their things, stopping briefly to hug Hannah goodbye. "No woman can ever say no to me," he claimed arrogantly.

"Really?" Tara asked, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist. "Pretty easy for me," she joked, causing laughter to fill the room.

"Well, from what I understand from your little trip to the emergency room last night, you need your rest, too," Nurse Sav interjected as she began surveying her patient's vitals on the various monitors.

"What?" Hannah asked picking up on the nurse's statement. "Who else got hurt last night?" she asked worriedly, her heart rate increasing noticeably on the monitor.

"Shhh," Nurse Sav soothed, urging her back against the pillows. "Nothing to get upset about," she pacified trying to calm Hannah with her words and touch.

"Sav's right, Hannah," Tara agreed hurrying to her other side again. "Everyone's fine."

"Then why was someone in the emergency room last night?" Hannah asked urgently. "Who was hurt?"

"No one was hurt, shelia," Bobby confirmed from behind his wife. "We wanted to tell you before, but the conversation never really worked its way around to it," he added regretfully.

"You were so upset when you first woke up," Tara explained softly. "We didn't want to get you too keyed up before we found out what all was going on."

"Excited about what?" Hannah questioned frustrated. "If no one was hurt, why was someone in the emergency room, and why did the nurse just say they needed their rest?" she demanded irritated, slamming her hands against the bed as they tried to hold them.

"They'll tell you, Hannah," Nurse Sav interrupted. "But you've got to calm down or I'm going to have to sedate you," she warned the young patient.

Please just tell me! Hannah wanted to scream. However, she knew her friends, and the nurse, was right. Getting agitated wasn't going to help her condition any. And everyone had been with her most of the day so it couldn't be that bad, she tried to comfort herself as she took deep breaths in an effort to control her erratic heartbeat.

"Okay," Hannah breathed slowly. "Tell me what happened." While her breathing had calmed and the irregular bleeps from the heart monitor had slowed, the tension still filled her body as she waited.

"Tara fainted outside the nightclub and they brought her here to get checked out," Bobby ventured tentatively, his hand over his wife's as they gripped Hannah's firmly.

"Are you okay?" Hannah asked her voice heavy with worry.

"I'm fine," Tara comforted as she patted Bobby's hand resting against her stomach.

"The doctor said she was a little tired and dehydrated…" Bobby began, bending down to brush his lips across his wife's cheek.

"But totally normal for someone in my line of work that's pregnant," Tara added quickly as they waited for their friend's response.

Normal, Hannah breathed a sigh of relief. At least it's normal, she thought as her mind began processing the rest of the sentence.

"Pregnant!" Hannah exclaimed as all the anxiety and worry fled. "Oh, my God, really?" she asked somewhat in shock.

"Really," Bobby confirmed as Hannah pulled Tara into a tight embrace. "I guess we've got you and Harvard to thank for helping us find out so quickly," he teased, leaning down to accept a hug from his ex-partner as he brushed his lips across her cheek.

"Ug, don't tell him that," Hannah groaned with a soft smile playing across her face. "He'll expect you to name the baby after him," she teased laughing, the faint ringing of a cellphone in the background slightly distracting before Jack answered.

"Actually, that might not be a bad way to get him to start a college fund for the little ankle bitter," Bobby joked, grimacing as he received a playful slap from his wife.

"I will NOT have my child named Myles Manning," Tara glared, with a slight chuckle belying her annoyance.

"Oh, I was expecting Harvard Manning," Sue taunted mischievously, the girls erupting in giggles as they heard Tara's fake exasperated gasp.

"Not you too," Tara groaned as she tried not to laugh.

Jack's sharp retort into his phone as he stood by the window quickly had the mirth dying down. The room was silent as they listened to his part of the stilted conversation.

"Thanks D, we'll be right there," Jack responding harshly, snapping his phone shut with a distinctive click.

"What's up, Jack?" Bobby asked as a thick feeling of apprehension filled the room. Hannah listened as her team leader slowly moved from the window.

"We've been activated again," Jack replied tersely. "There's been another bomb…a block and a half from the Hoover Building," he added shortly.

Though it was a simple statement, everyone in the room understood the implications. Even Sav and Anne as the two lone civilians couldn't help but wonder if it was a coincidence, or if the bomber was sending a message to the F.B.I.

Song: Someone Else's Star (Skip Ewing, Jim Weatherly)