Chapter 40

I don't own Lucian.

I'm sorry this is being posted several hours than planned. I had a family emergency first thing this morning. I just got home and had a chance to update real quick before I become busy again.

Thank you so much for all of the reviews!

Lucy's POV

These two weeks have been excoriatingly long. I have missed Ian to death and little Brea hasn't been all that thrilled with her daddy's lack of presence either. She has been fussy and acting up more and more with each day that has passed without her seeing Ian. Frankly she has been driving me up a wall. Nothing I do will calm her down; I have done everything imaginable. Hell I event went as far as looking up YouTube videos of Ian to play for her in hopes of that fulfilling and ceasing her demanding cries of seeing her daddy. But then again she is merely a baby so luck wasn't entirely on my side with that idea. Though it did help slightly.

Brea and I are at the airport now waiting to pick Ian up. His flight gets in at seven o'clock which is in fifteen minutes. The screen showing all of the planes' statuses shows his flight for being on time. The paparazzi are lingering around waiting to get something good to take pictures of. They have all been respectful thus far and watched from a distance which I am very pleased about.

I anxiously check the time on my watch repeatedly while watching the board to say his flight has landed. I all but bounce with excitement once I see the status change and wait for Ian to exit his terminal. It takes a good fifteen minutes until my eyes land on a strikingly handsome man I am proud to call my husband. In an instant I am on my feet and off of the metal bench I had been sitting on and carry Brea's car seat on my left forearm as I rush over to him.

"Ian!" I call out his name bringing his wondering attention to me.

A megawatt smile spreads across his face which is an exact replica to the one plastered on mine. We hurry to each other, finally feeling at ease now that we are back in the same state. My right arm snakes around his back to fist his shirt in my hand crushing our bodies together. Ian links his arm around the small of my back holding my body to his, meanwhile his other hand cradles my face to bring my lips up to his.

"I love you so much. You are never going away for that long again." I mumble against his lips.

"I love you too, honey. I promise I won't!"

I moan into his mouth when I feel his tongue gliding across my bottom lip asking for entrance. Granting him the permission he is seeking I grin against his lips in delight. God two whole weeks without kissing these glorious lips is torture. Ian pulls my body even closer to his firmly ensuring I'm not going anywhere.

"Ian the paparazzi are going to be taking a million pictures of us with our tongues down each other's throats." I remind him seeing as we are getting lost in the moment.

"I don't give a damn. I haven't seen my wife in two weeks."

I laugh lightheartedly against his lips and resume the kiss. We regretfully end up pulling away for some much required oxygen much to our dismay. I lift my arm up and pull back the blanket covering up Brea so Ian can see her. Brea instantly offers up a gummy smile of happiness.

"I told you daddy was back." I grin down at the gurgling little girl.

We cover Brea back up as we walk over to baggage claim to collect his suitcase. Ian desperately wanted to hold her but we both felt it was safest she remain in her car seat to prevent anything from happening. We aren't taking a chance no matter what when it comes to Brea's safety. We walk through the airport hand in hand on cloud nine to finally to be in one another's presence after so long. It doesn't take us long to get his suitcase and head to the car.

Ian puts his bag in the trunk while I buckle the car seat into the back of the car. Just as I shut the door Ian appears behind me, spinning me around to pin me against the car door. His body leans into mine with his hands resting on my hips. I twine my hands around his neck smiling pleasantly up at him.

"I have a little surprise for you tonight." I grin up at him.

"Oh really? And what might that be?"

I stand up on my toes to whisper seductively in his ear, "Let's just say I am wearing it underneath my dress right now." I playfully bite down on his ear and tug it emitting a groan from his lips.

"Well, I can't wait until I get to see it." Ian teasingly tugs on the flowing skirt of my dress. With one last lingering kiss Ian opens the car door for me before walking around to the passenger side and climbing in.

Our fingers lie linked together in my lap as I drive us home in Ian's car. I took his instead of mine because mine is just about out of gas and I had no desire to stop and get some before picking Ian up so I just opted to take his instead.

Brea has been elated with Ian finally being back. She has been glued to him since the moment we got home and he took her out of her car seat. Even during dinner he held her in his lap not wanting to separate from his little girl plus she wasn't thrilled when he had gotten up to set the table and left her on the floor in the living room. The three of us have been goofing around in the living room, dogs included, for a while.

After I fed Brea I gave her to Ian to change her diaper and put her to bed since she clearly wanted him more right now. Ian turns on her little mobile above her crib then kisses her goodnight and flips off the light. He tangles his arms around my body as I am leaning in the doorway of her room against the doorframe.

"Do I get my surprise now?"

I smile up at him and comb my hand through his hair nodding my head. "Yeah babe, you get your surprise now."

Clasping his hand in mine, I tug him down the hall to our bedroom. I strip Ian down to his boxers prior to pushing him down on the bed. He moves up the bed to lie in the center of the mattress and watch me intently. I gracefully remove my sundress dropping it down to my feet leaving me in a red lace baby doll and a matching red thong. Ian visibly gulps and runs his tongue along his dry lips to wet them.

"You had such a reaction to the pictures, I wanted you to see it in person too."

Seductively I crawl up the bed to straddle him. I can instantly feel his growing hard on underneath me. My lips vigorously attack his to which he reciprocates to instantly. It isn't long until we are rolling around on the bed in an attempt to determine who will be on top. I end up being victorious; I rode my husband into blissful oblivion until we both collapsed on the bed in a heap of sweat and exhaustion.

Ian unfortunately had to be at work today at 8. I was hoping to spend the day with him but that sadly isn't going to happen. Brea's loud cries cause me to stir in bed. I rub my eyes tiredly as my feet softly pad down the hallway to her room. Her cries are much louder than usual. Leaning over the side of her crib I pick her up and cradle her to my chest.

"Whoa," I murmur to myself looking down at her. She is very warm.

I lift my hand up to her forehead and the side of her head to feel she is burning up. I instantly lay her down on the changing table to take her out of her pajamas. I change her diaper then carry her down the hall to get a wet rag to see if cooling her down with a rag will help. Brea's whales increase in loudness rapidly.

I try everything I can think to calm her down but nothing is working. I search around her crib to get her goose only to come up with nothing. Grabbing my phone from my nightstand I try calling Ian only to be sent straight to voicemail. Dammit. I try calling my mom at work only to find out she is in a meeting.

I continue trying to calm Brea and lower her fever but nothing is working. After an additional fifteen minutes of struggling I call her pediatrician to see if she could tell me what to do. I write down all of her instructions and make sure to do everything she has said.

The day has passed far too slowly. Brea is still acting crummy and I still cannot find her goose. I hope she didn't lose it. We just had it yesterday but I don't remember when I saw it last. Brea has been fighting sleep all day. I've been cooling her down with cool wash cloths which seem to be helping. She is in a very snuggly mood—more so than usual. She hasn't eaten much and when I did manage to get her to eat she ended up spitting up all over me. I still haven't gotten ahold of Ian; his phone is still turned off sending me to voicemail every time.

At seven o'clock Brea finally is showing signs of tiredness. She is struggling to fight against her fatigue. I hold her close to my chest and sing to her softly. My hand soothingly caressing her bare back. As I lightly bounce her in my arms and lull her to sleep I enter my bedroom to grab a pillow and blanket then walk down the hall to Brea's room. I drop the blanket and pillow on the floor.

Leaning over the side of her crib I gently lay Brea down on her back. She stirs upon leaving my arms though I continue to sing to her.

"I'm right here Brea. Mommy is right here."

I toss the pillow down next to her crib then move to lie down on the shag rug in front of her crib. Draping the blanket over my body I situate myself on my side with my hand through the little bars of her crib and encase her little hand with mine.

"Mommy is right here." I remind her softly then continue to sing to her without stopping even after I am pretty sure she has fallen asleep.

My baby is sick and I am not leaving her side.

Ian's POV

Rubbing my eyes tiredly, I sigh when I finally open the door to my car upon arriving home. I understand the director and producer wants to get this movie filmed in a minimal time period but damn. Working a twelve hour day after being on the other side of the country filming for two weeks is a bit much. At the end of the day I have to suck it up because I am the main character of this movie and in damn near every single scene which requires me to be on set every minute of the day. All I want to do is go upstairs and snuggle in bed with Lucy and Brea.

Entering the house I am surprised when I am not met by any of the three dogs like I usually am. The main floor is silent which is also odd, in fact, the entire house is silent.

"Lucy?" I call out loudly with no response.

I sit my keys down on the kitchen counter, pull my phone out of my back pocket and plug it into the cell phone charger we keep in the kitchen. Due to Lucy's lovely surprise last night I hadn't thought to plug my phone in before we went to bed thus causing my phone to die.

Now that my phone is taken care of I need to go find my wife, daughter, and absent dogs. Walking up the stairs I check our bedroom to come up with it empty.

"Where are they?" I ask to myself out loud.

Leaving our room I make my way down the hall to Brea's room where I find Lucy asleep on the floor with her little wrist between two of the bars where her hand is resting inside of the crib. Mochi, Bailey, and Jack are asleep on the floor with Lucy.

Quietly I walk across the room and kneel down behind Lucy.

"Hey honey. Lucy?" I whisper softy in her ear, gently shaking her side. It takes a moment for her to wake up and turn over on her back to see me. I see she has tear streaks down her cheeks and her makeup is smeared.

"Lucy what's wrong? Why are you sleeping on the floor?" I ask with a sensation of panic taking over my body.

"Brea's sick. I tried calling you all day but it kept going to voicemail, I couldn't get ahold of Momma because she was in some meeting for work, and I don't even know what Holly is doing but she didn't answer my call either. She's been fussy and feeling crummy all day. She has spit up all over me more times than I can count and she has been really hot all day. I finally got her to sleep but I had to stay here with her. I couldn't leave her."

Lucy cries softly. I pull her into my chest to rub my hands up and down her back to calm her down.

"I was scared. Our baby is sick and I couldn't get ahold of you or anyone else for that matter. I can't find her goose either so that just made the day even worse."

"It's okay honey, I'm home now and everything will be alright. I am so sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me today." I press several kisses to her forehead and hold her close to me. I continue to wipe away her tears and the streaks of mascara and eyeliner off of her cheeks.

"Have you eaten anything?" Knowing Luc she was probably too focused and worried about Brea to worry about herself.

Lucy shakes her head confirming my assumption.

"Why don't you come downstairs with me and I'll make you something to eat?" Lucy glances between me and Brea in her crib with hesitation.

"I think I should stay in here with her."

"It'll be quick I promise. You need to at least have something, please?" I ask gently hoping she'll take me up on her offer.

Reluctantly Lucy nods her head in agreement. I pull her up off of the ground and lead her downstairs into the kitchen with me. I make us both something to eat while discussing Lucy's day in further detail.

"Did the doctor say how long this will last? Will she be just as bad tomorrow do you think?" I don't want Lucy to have to go through this alone. It isn't right.

Lucy nods her head softly. "It'll be a few days. They said it could very well be just as bad tomorrow, if not worse, it all depends on Brea."

I frown at the information. Turning away from Lucy I walk over to grab my phone on the counter as it charges.

"Who are you calling?" Lucy wonders watching my fingers fumble across my screen.

"Campbell. I'm telling him I can't come in tomorrow."

"Ian no you—"

"Hi Mr. Campbell how are you?"

"I'm alright. What can I do for you?"

"I wouldn't normally do this but I can't come into work tomorrow."

"And why the hell not?" He scoffs back in response.

"My daughter is really sick. She is only three months old and this is the first time she's been sick. I need to stay home and help take care of her. Is there any way I can have the day off tomorrow or at least have a really short filming day?" I explain and ask hopeful he will understand.

There is a long pause on his end of the phone. "Stay home and take care of your daughter. I'll figure something out with tomorrow. You take care of your family; tell Lucy I send my best."

"I will thank you very much." I stutter out of shock. Hanging up the phone turn around to see an anxious Lucy. I assure her all is fine and I will be here tomorrow to help take care of Brea.

"Thank you Ian. You know you didn't have to do that."

"I did." If my family is sick I am always going to stay home and make sure they are okay and have all their needs tended to. I kiss Lucy softly before getting back to making us something to eat.

After dinner Lucy and I return to Brea's nursery.

"I'm going to stay in here tonight. I'll see you in the morning, goodnight babe." Lucy presses a kiss to my lips moving to enter the room.

"You don't honestly think I will be sleeping down the hall in our bed do you? We'll set up camp right here together. I'll get the comforter from the bed and some pillows to make it a bit softer to lay on."

Lucy and I arrange the pillows and blankets on the floor of Brea's room to snuggle up together. That night we slept on the floor of our baby girl's room because we will always be there for her together.

As I said, I'm sorry this was delayed. Only one chapter left! Can you believe it? I can't. What do you guys think will happen in the last chapter?

There were a lot of questions asked in my reviews. I don't have time to read over them right now and answer them since I just have one quick second to post this chapter. I will answer any and all questions either on twitter and/or in my final AN on the next chapter.

I will post the final chapter on Thursday if it is at 1,405. If it exceeds that then I will post on Wednesday.

I know the days are later than usual. However, I can't update on Monday because I have something for school. I can't promise an update on Tuesday because I might be out all day for something in relation to my family issue this morning.

Let me know your thoughts on this chapter!