AN: I can't believe it's been almost a year since I updated. I'm sorry about that. It's just so much has happened that I had to put something on the backburner, and then I just couldn't figure out where to go from the last chapter. But I do want to finish this soon, so there are about 2 more chapters left.

Enjoy!

Chapter 13-Aftermath

2 months later…

Griffin stared at the monitor that was capturing Anna's heartbeat and the baby's. It was a close call, but she and the baby were ok.

Griffin didn't let go of her hand since they had released her from the doctors and David and Millie, who were newly engaged, stood right beside him. He really didn't want anyone else in the room besides them.

His family.

It was getting harder to grasp as Anna's due date drew nearer, but also more concrete. Especially now that this had happened.

Griffin's focus was on Anna's peaceful face as Sophie, David and Anna's half-sister, barged in followed by a plump, short man in a suit, whom he guessed was her father by the resemblance.

"Oh my god, is she okay? I rushed down here as soon as I could when I heard what happened. Is she gonna be alright? Is the baby ok?" Sophie asked frantically.

David gave Griffin's shoulder a squeeze as he walked over to Sophie. He explained, "She and the baby are gonna be fine. They were poisoned, Soph, but the doctors managed to give them an antidote before it turned fatal. Do you have any idea as to who could've done this?"

Sophie shook her head and her eyes flew to her sister. Anna, David, and Sophie had begun to mend the distance between them since their mother fled the country and were slowly building a relationship with one another. It was awkward at first, since both Anna and David were slightly jealous of Sophie's kind and rich father and the lavish lifestyle in which she was born into, but had come to accept her into their lives. Sophie was slowly trying to break away from their mother's influence and make her own decisions in return.

She shook her head. "No, but my dad…I think he still knows some of mom's old contacts. He's having someone look into it." Then, Sophie hugged David and Millie smiled, having been the one pushing Anna and David to bond with their sister from the get-go.

Sophie's father, Matthew, said, "I'm having my old friend, Landon, look into it. He's a private investigator and worked with Mary a long time ago. I'm sure he can come up with something. Until then, I would like to ask that all of you come stay at my estate."

Griffin shook his head. "Thank you, but we can take care of ourselves. I can keep my family safe."

"No one is doubting your abilities, Mr. O'Connor. I was just offering my help."

Millie spoke up," I think you should say yes, Griffin. Whoever did this would be expecting you to go back home right after this, and they may be already watching your house and us. It would be best if we avoided going home for a while. Maybe a month or two at the most."

Griffin sighed and glanced at Anna before he turned to David. David said, "C'mon, Griff. We need to do this, for everyone safety. Think about the baby."

Griffin didn't say anything, but he nodded his head in agreement before taking Anna's hand and giving it a light squeeze.

What was supposed to be two months ended up being six once Sophie and her father managed to uncover some information about a few rogue Paladins that were sticking around New York. To no one's surprise, David and Griffin still had bounties on their heads, and Anna was used as a warning to get to them.

Anna recovered from her attack a few days after they settled in Miami, and enjoyed the change of scenery. Sophie's father had sprung for a huge beachhouse with a dock and boat, so they could get out if need be, but the community he chose was gated, and had top-notch security. Anna began to feel much safer with the cops constantly driving around, and began to relax, which helped Griffin relax. She even got to finally enjoy being married and being pregnant for a few months. But since her due date was coming up soon, she was getting uncomfortabled and irritable, especially since she was ordered on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy.

Three weeks before her due date, Anna flipped through channels absentmindedly. Everyone else was out at the moment,except for Sophie, trying to find out if it was safe to return to New York. Anna was frustrated as she was so big, and she had to go on sabbatical while they were stuck in Miami. She just didn't know what to do with herself , so she settle on a Modern Family rerun while she went over some more baby names.

She and Griffin still hadn't decided on what to name their baby girl, as Anna wanted to name her after her fraternal grandmother, Ruth, and Griffin wanted to name her after his mother, Susan. They had yet to find a compromise.

Anna continued flipping through the baby book, as Sophie said, "What's funny is that that was you and me not too long ago."

Anna's head popped up and she glanced toward the flatscreen. It was the episode when a pregnant Gloria and a frustrated Claire went grocery shopping and Gloria's pregnancy brain was in high gear. The girls chuckled when Gloria almost got out of a moving car.

"C'mon, I was not the bad," Anna protested.

Sophie shook her head with a smile. "No, I disagree. If I recall…"

"Thank you for taking me to the store, Sophie. I really appreciate it. And…I appreciate everything that you and your dad have done for us. I mean it, we're grateful. Griffin just likes to do things on his own; it's how he grew up."

Sophie waved her hand. "No problem. You are my sister…my family. I'm just…happy that I could help in some way. Ever since I found out about you and David, I hated mom for keeping all these secrets from me…keeping the both of you away from me. I always wanted to have a sister around, since mom and dad were gone so much. To me, it wasn't worth it, being in a big house by myself. It felt…empty. And lonely."

Sophie bit her lip and stared out onto the highway with a sad expression. Anna could see the pain, the one she herself had felt when she was younger. The pain of feeling abandoned by their mother. It shocked her that Sophie had felt it too, and she was the one that grew up with Mary. So, they weren't very different after all.

"Well, I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere," Anna smiled.

"You know that sounded so cheesy," Sophie smirked.

"I know."

Sophie glanced in Anna's direction again before her eyebrows squished together. "Are you sure you feel fit to go out?"

"Yes! How many times do I have to say that? If I have to watch another rerun of Jerry Springer…"

"I'm just asking because you left your phone…and your purse…and your pants."

"Oh."

"And there's a roll of corn in your hair instead of a roller."

"Okay…maybe I was that bad. But the baby's almost here, and I reclaim my body again."

Anna's eyes suddenly lit up and her hands flew to her stomach. "What is it?" Sophie asked.

"She's up. I can feel her moving," Anna grinned.

Anna didn't ask, but her hands grabbed Sophie's and planced them on the area where she felt the movement the most. Sophie's mouth stretched into a grin as she felt her niece adjust herself. Then it stopped and Anna's hands relaxed.

"I guess she's found her spot for now. Why can't you do that before I go to bed? Little bugger practically keeps me up all night," Anna whined, but there was still love in her voice.

"Oh, I have something for you," Sophie spoke up. Then she pulled out a package and handed it to Anna. Anna opened it and a book fell into her lap.

"The Hunger Games? What is this?"

"It's a really good book, trust me. It's about a badass girl who volunteers in her little sister's place to compete in a death match for kids. That's the simplest way I could describe it, but there's a lot more going on than that."

"Since it feels like I've been in a death match the past few years, I can probably relate. Thanks, Soph."

"Aww, you called me Soph."

"I was just trying it out. Do you like it?"

"No." Sophie patted Anna's leg and departed upstairs.

Anna opened the book and started reading. A few hours later, David, Griffin, and Millie came back from the private investigator's office, and Anna was addicted. The only time she had stopped reading was to use the bathroom, and the couch was covered in various wrappers and empty chip bags.

"I see you have had a productive day," Griffin said as he placed a kiss on Anna's forehead. Then, he rubbed her tummy lovingly.

Anna looked up and smiled. Then, she blushed at the mess she had created. "You could say that."

Millie shook her head and began picking up the wrappers while David plopped down on the couch. Anna put her feet in his lap, and said, "I think I found a baby name. I think it's the perfect compromise we need."

Griffin leaned closer to her. "I'm all ears."

"I think we should name her Rue."

Before anyone could respond, Anna gasped as she felt the fabric of her dress and the cushion underneath her become soaked.

"Are you okay? What's wrong, love?" Griffin asked his hand squeezing her shoulder tight.

"I think my water broke."

Someone dropped some dishes onto the tile floor in the kitchen with a resounding shatter.

Griffin mumbled, "Holy shit."

AN: Sorry about the cliffie! But thanks so much to all of the readers who have reviewed and favorite this story, and still have asked me to finish this. I plan to. And I'm writing a new story, A Bullet for an Eye, so go to my profile and check that out. It's based off of the movie Wanted, if you're interested.

Please Review!