Present Day

John blinked, the sliver of infinity he held in a moment dissipating in time for the world to slow as he watched Green's finger tighten on the trigger. After all he knew he might lose John acted. Instinct finally kicked in over the logical brain seeking answers it did not need.

In that moment all he needed was to survive and that is what he did.

Seizing the gun he wrenched Green's arm, bringing the flat of his hand on the arm to bend it and knock the gun away. Green cried out and John brought his elbow up to knock against Green's chin. He stumbled backward, landed solidly on the coffee table between the two sofas.

Green kicked out as John approached, catching him in his injury and John grunted back from it. Holding his leg while he dodged to the side of the sofa John ducked as Green, rolling off the table, tried to flip it toward him. It did not quite turn but it was enough for John to kick it into Green.

Exhaling in a rush, Green hit the sofa and John leapt over the back of the sofa to land on his chest. Green batted at John but could only flail as John's clenched right fist came down with a crack on Green's nose. He spluttered through the blood there and coughed when John's knuckles collided with his nose again.

As john readied for another blow Green's leg kicked back and his knee connected solidly with John's back. He cried out, twisting to avoid another kick and their legs tangled to send them to the floor. They rolled there, hands and fingers trying to grasp and pull at one another's faces. But John landed his knee in Green's stomach before throwing the other man over his head.

Green landed heavily near the front of John's desk and John got to his feet. Limping for a moment he ducked Green's wild haymaker to plant his shoulder in the other man's chest. With a lift he landed Green on his desk and knocked the other man's jaw.

With eyes rolling back into his head, Green spread his arms on John's desk. John stepped back, breathing heavily, and wiped at his face. He checked his cuff and noted the blood coming from a lip he only just noticed pulsed from a thrown punch. The door opened and John turned toward it, ignoring Green, and sighed at the sight of Talbot and Anna.

Both scanned the scene with wide eyes and dropped jaws. John went to walk toward them both but Anna screamed and Talbot shouted. He turned, meeting the gun whipped to catch him in the face.

John fell back, throwing out an arm to catch himself on the sofa as his hand covered the break in his cheek. He grabbed at Green, moving past him, and heard a crack ring out. But John had Green in his hold and wrapped his arm around his neck while grabbing his other arm in a strong grip to point Green's gun arm toward the ceiling.

Green kicked and beat at John but with a wrench John had them on the ground. He wrapped his legs around Green's waist and pulled back, stretching the other's neck while his arm pressed on the two arteries. A kick more and a weak slap of the hand finally had Green unconscious and John slumped back on the floor.

Extricating himself from around Green John grabbed the gun. He ejected the clip, tucking it into his trouser pocket, and pulled the slide back to eject the live round in the chamber. Dropping the empty gun on Green's glacially rising chest John turned back to Talbot and Anna.

And the world stopped again.

Talbot had Anna in his arms, holding her so she could not fall to the floor. John skidded over the carpet, catching himself from falling as he stumbled closer to them. He helped Talbot lower Anna to the ground, taking over her care as Talbot whipped out his mobile.

"Anna, Anna," John held her close, pressing his hand over the handkerchief Talbot already applied to the injury on her chest. "Anna, can you hear me?"

"John?" Her eyes rolled, tears rolling slowly off her cheeks. "What happened?"

"You're going to be fine. Talbot's already got someone on the phone and we'll be to the hospital in no time."

"What happened John?"

"You've been shot, Anna," John pressed harder on Anna's breastbone, feeling the sticky suck of the blood there. "But you're going to be fine."

"I don't feel fine John."

"Not yet but you will. It'll all be okay."

"What if it's not John?"

"Don't say that." John hugged her closer, noting the quiver in the hand she brought to cover his left at her breast. "We've only just begun our life."

"Begun a life you mean."

"Our life, of course."

Anna slowly shook her head, her wedding band clinking over John's when she tried to hold her grip there. "That was the surprise this morning."

"Surprise?"

"Don't you remember?" She tried to laugh but John could only swallow to hold back his own sobs when she coughed and her breath rattled in her chest. "I told you this morning I had a surprise for you when you got back."

"I thought you just wanted to use the Jacuzzi bath with me." John tried to joke, risking a look at Talbot who held up a hand with all five fingers splayed. "Was it something else?"

"Yes."

"Then save it and tell me later. That way it'll still be a surprise for me later."

"What if there is no later, John?"

"There's going to be a later Anna." John bit out, "I only just got you back and I refuse to lose you."

"You might, John."

"No," He shook his head so quickly his tears flew off his face. "I need you. Jack needs you."

"Jack has you now."

"He needs us both, Anna."

"Our new one would've needed us both too." Anna's eyes fluttered closed and John shook her.

"Anna? Anna!"

The ambulance arrived, taking Anna from John while the police rushed into the office. Talbot directed them as John could only stand in shock while one man pressed a gauze pad to Anna's chest and the other strapped an oxygen mask over her face. They wrapped her in a blanket on the stretcher and hurried her to the elevator with John instinctively following after them.

On the ride there his heart stopped every time her monitor dipped. And he almost tore apart the van when it flatlined. But they brought her back, John clutching tightly to her hand while whispering the same words over and over again to her comatose form.

Operating theater drove him so mad he threw a chair at the wall when she flatlined again. The doctors of the A&E pulled her back from the brink, even with her blood soaking the table under her and dripping to the floor. Through the glass he could hear them searching for the leak, heard the drop of the spent bullet in the kidney dish like his own death knell, and finally heard the sighs of relief when they found the damage to repair it.

The door flew open and John turned to see Jack, his clothing askew, skidding to a stop with his hands on the window. John pulled him back and Jack clung to his father, sobbing half-formed words in between his apologies and explanations. John only held tighter to his son, sharing tears until the tear stains on their trousers were indistinguishable as to who cried on whom.

According to Talbot, when he pressed a cup into John's hand, it was hours later but it might as well been an eternity. John took the cup, passing it to Jack, and accepted the second one Talbot pressed into his grip. He risked a sip, only then realizing he had not eaten in almost a day.

"Doctors say she's recovering well after her surgery." Talbot sat back in his chair. "That's good news, John."

"She shouldn't have been there in the first place." John rested his cup on the small table between Jack's chair and his as Jack finished off his tea and then reached for John's. "She was supposed to be at home."

"I brought her in because she called asking where you were." Talbot shrugged, "I said the office and took her there. I didn't know Green was-"

"Henry," John put a hand on his shoulder, "It's not your fault."

"It's not yours either." Talbot insisted, "That bastard knocked out two security guards on his way in."

"Is that how you got the ambulance there so quickly?"

Talbot shrugged, "They were already there to treat the security people."

"What about the police?"

"They came to talk to security." Talbot took a deep breath, "And they went away with an attempted murderer for their trouble."

"Among other things he is." John ran a hand through his hair and stood up so fast he knocked his chair into the wall as the doctor approached. "What's the word?"

"Mrs. Bates is awake and asking for you, Mr. Bates." The doctor stepped to the side, "If you'll just follow me."

"Can I-" John and the doctor stopped as Jack approached them, his own tie hanging loosely from his neck. "Can I come?"

"Are you family?"

"He's our son." John put his arm around Jack's shoulders. "If he can come I want him in there too."

"I'm sure Mrs. Bates won't mind." The doctor led them to the room, opening the door and walking to the bed. "Mrs. Bates, I'm Doctor Clarkson, and I've bought some people to see you."

John almost collapsed at the sight of Anna's eyes open. He took her hand, kissing all over it until she pulled his face closer to hers. The kiss there was far less energetic but no less fierce.

When he pulled back her hand stroked over his cheek and he noted how pale her face appeared. He stifled his sob, caressing her before kissing her lips again. John only stepped back for a moment for Jack to gingerly hug his mother and for her to kiss his head.

"My beautiful boys." She rubbed through Jack's hair before taking John's hand. "You've no idea how happy I am to see you."

"If it's as happy as we are I think we do." Jack put his hand over Anna's. "We feared the worst."

"The worst is over." Anna smiled at them, "In fact, I've got good news."

"Good news?"

Anna smiled at John's frown. "Yes, good news. Specifically the surprise I wanted to tell you earlier but you refused to hear."

"What news?"

Anna gave a hoarse laugh at Jack's confusion. "I was going to tell your father this morning but I can tell you both now. I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant."

"Yes, pregnant." Anna pulled John's hand to her abdomen. "And Doctor Clarkson said the baby's in perfect health. Even after… recent events."

"You're pregnant?"

Anna put a hand to John's face, "This'll take all day if you keep repeating what I'm saying."

John buried his face in Anna's shoulder, crying there. Crying for the life they almost lost. And crying for the life they made.

She held him close and a moment later John felt Jack's arms around him too. In that hospital room, surrounding by beeping machines, they held one another close. As close as any family could ever be.