Time is Running Out

"Miranda! I got us some food," Ben called to her. Miranda grabbed her phone and left their bedroom. She walked slowly to the kitchen, every step meant that she'd soon be apologizing to the man she loved. She didn't know when the perfect time was, but her father had said that she'd know it when she saw it. So, she would be patient. Miranda stood in the threshold and watched him move about the kitchen. "Come on, I got your favorite," he said holding up a container of Chinese food.

"Chinese food isn't my favorite," Miranda said. She regretted it as soon as she finished speaking. But in true Ben fashion, he just shook his head and didn't respond. "I mean, thank you. I love Chinese food." Ben looked at her and raised an eyebrow. They sat at their table and ate, talking minimally. When they were finished, Miranda offered to clean the kitchen.

"Cool, thank you," he said kissing her on the forehead and leaving the kitchen. Miranda took her time and thought about what she was going to say to her husband, rehearsing the words her father told her to say.

Getting to the top of the stairs, Miranda paused. She looked down the hall and saw light coming from underneath the closed door of their guest bedroom. She hesitated, taking a deep breath, almost turning around and walking away. But she couldn't. It was now or never. If she wanted her marriage to get back on track, she had to do it. Miranda walked to the room and knocked on the door. "You can come in, Miranda," Ben told her. For some reason his voice shocked her. She felt as if she hadn't heard it in ages. Miranda stood just inside of the door. He was sitting at the desktop computer. His shoes were off and he'd taken off his shirt in the warm room. He looked so good it was distracting. He didn't look up. "What's up, baby?"

Miranda's heart fluttered. She sat down on the queen-sized bed that was in the room. She looked around and took a deep breath, trying to gather some courage. "Can you come over here for a second?"

Ben clicked the keyboard a few more times, nodded and came and sat next to her, leaving the space between them. "What's up?" He asked again.

"I have to tell you something." He nodded again. "And I need you to just listen and not interrupt or else I'll lose my nerve."

"Okay," he said.

"But before I do, can you put your shirt on?" She blushed a little.

Ben smiled and licked his lips. "Okay," he repeated. He slipped back into his t-shirt and sat back down, putting a knee up on the bed. "I'm listening."

"Good," she said patting his knee awkwardly. "Ben, I, uh, said a lot of things that I didn't mean," she said speaking slowly. "And I may have…," her voice trailed off as she swallowed. "I may have hurt you and, by doing so, I hurt myself." Miranda wanted to hold Ben's hand, to touch him, but she didn't want the words to leave her head. So, she fidgeted with her hands. "You being here with me, helped me to get better. I—I have no doubt about that. I'm great now and I could not have done it without you." Ben smiled at her and her cheeks grew hot. "I was resistant to you coming back because I wanted to see you succeed and follow your dreams. And I was foolish and couldn't see how much you sacrificed for us. If your dreams are here with me and Tuck and us being a family, I'm okay with that." Ben shifted his body. He reached out and pushed some hair from her face. "Wait, I'm not finished."

He pulled his hand back and gave her a small smile. "Still listening."

"So what I'm saying is that I'm… oh boy, I'm sorry, Ben. I'm sorry. I was inconsiderate and—you don't… I'm not disappointed in you." A tear fell from her eye and several more followed. "I should not have said that." Ben licked his lips. "I don't even know why I said that, but I'm sorry. You've never disappointed me and suspect that you never will." Ben nodded. "You are amazing and caring and the sweetest man on this planet." It was his turn to blush. "So, can we please, please, put this behind us? I hate you not talking to me and I hate not talking to you; you're my best friend. I love you so much and you make—" Miranda felt his lips crash into hers, his beard gently scratching her chin. She threw her arms around his shoulders. Ben pulled her into his chest, caressing her everywhere. Her body welcomed his touch and every part of her was going crazy. She could explode from this kiss alone. Ben's tongue entered her mouth for the first time. It moved inside of her mouth like it was embarking on new territory, eager and wild. Miranda ran a hand along the back of Ben's head. She heard her phone going off in the otherwise silent house. Ben took his lips off of hers and kissed her neck, gently biting on it. Her phone stopped ringing and immediately started again. "That could be the hospital or about Tuck," she told him slowly. Ben looked at her hungrily. Miranda licked her lips seductively and put a hand on his cheek. "I will be right back." He nodded. "Don't go anywhere."

As she moved away, his hand brushed against her body. "We'll be waiting," Ben said. Miranda gave him a look that expressed her confusion. Ben looked down to the front of his pants.

"Oh, nasty!" She said laughing. She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Miranda plastered herself against the wall. The combination of the warm temperature in the room and being intertwined with Ben had made her hot and her body was pounding. She went downstairs and checked her phone. It was the hospital. She answered it. "Hello?"

After she hung up the phone, Miranda jotted back up the stairs and into the guest room. "Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey, yourself," Ben echoed getting off of the bed and walking towards her slowly.

Miranda ran her tongue over her teeth. "Th-that was the hospital," she told Ben as he put his hands on her waist.

He hands roamed to her butt. "Mmhmm."

"Both Grey and Webber are in surgery, so they really need me. A grade five blunt trauma to the kidney." Ben winced. "Yeah, a guy crashed into a pole, not only shattering his kidney and his renal artery, but ruining…" Her voice trailed off and she smiled sheepishly.

"Ruining what?" He asked raising his eyebrow and grinning at her.

"Nothing. But I gotta go. To the hospital," she added quickly.

"How about I come with you?" He asked.

"Yeah. Yes. Please join me," she said sincerely.

They changed their clothes and left for the hospital.

Miranda headed for her locker and quickly changed into her scrubs. Ben met her at the door and they hurried to OR 3 where the patient was getting prepped. "Bokhee," Miranda said with a smile beneath her mask.

"Hello, Dr. Bailey," the scrub nurse, Jessica Bokhee, answered. Bokhee was a good friend of Miranda's inside of the hospital. "How was the wedding?"

Miranda made a sound. "Stop. I know you know exactly what happened." Bokhee smiled. "We'll gossip later." Miranda took a deep breath. She looked at her husband. He winked at her.

Miranda focused. Surgery was her passion; it was what she worked so hard for, her career and her livelihood. "Scalpel." She made precise cuts every decision she made was based on instinct and science.

"Great job, Dr. Bailey," Bokhee said as she walked out of the room.

"Thanks, Bokhee," Miranda said. She yawned. It was a long surgery and there were a few close calls, the patient had to be revived twice, but he finally okay. Well, as okay as he could be with the damage to his body. She went to the scrub room and scrubbed out. As she washed her hands, the automatic doors opened up and Ben came inside.

"That was amazing," he said.

"Thank you," Miranda said quietly, her voice almost drowned out by the water. She felt bad that she got to pursue her goals and hone her craft and Ben was stuck in the cycle that he'd been trying to break out of. Miranda turned off the water and looked at him.

"Ready to go?" He asked. She dried her hands and they walked to the locker room to get dressed. Miranda and Ben sat in their car in the parking lot. Ben was behind the wheel and he hadn't started the car yet. Miranda closed her eyes and asked him what the problem was. "There's no problem," he said. "Just looking at you."

"Well, stop it. You're freaking me out," she said hitting him gently.

"I'm just thinking about everything you said to me earlier." Miranda kept her eyes closed and inhaled. "I appreciate that you love me that way. I'm sorry—"

"Ben, I'm the only one of us who should be apologizing. I was wrong."

"Yeah, you were, but I'm sorry, too. I did just quit and I didn't ask you about it or discuss it with you and that was one of the first things you said before we got engaged." Miranda cocked her head and looked at him, slightly confused. "You said and I'm paraphrasing, while we're sharing our lives that we need to talk to each other and make decisions with each other." Miranda blushed under the glare of the moon. "And you said some other stuff, but, honestly, I missed a lot of it because I was just hoping that you were agreeing to marry me." They laughed.

"Of course, I was agreeing to marry you," she said turning to him.

"Well, I wasn't sure. You were moving and talking so quickly," he responded.

"Just drive, Ben Warren," she said tapping the wheel. He grabbed her hand and kissed the inside of her palm. She shuddered. He started the car and drove in the direction of their house.

Miranda undressed and put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and got into bed beside her husband. Her moved closer to her and started to kiss her neck. "So, can we finish what we started earlier?" He asked kissing her between words.

Miranda closed her eyes again. "You mean before I spent all those hours in surgery saving a life?" She asked sarcastically.

"Yeah… before that." She gave him a look. "Is that your way of saying that you're tired?" She twisted her lips and ignored him. He kept kissing her. And even though her body wanted him, really want him, like if he didn't just let her go to sleep, she'd definitely climb on top of him and have her way. "Okay, okay, I'm taking the hint," he said put his lips to her one more time. "At least kiss me back, Miranda." His lips made contact with hers and she accepted, his tongue piercing her mouth, alarming all of her senses. Her hand traveled to his bare chest, softly running her fingers on it. They pulled away. "I've missed that," he said staring at her in the darkness.

"I've missed it, too," she told him. "Goodnight, Ben Warren." Miranda turned over and Ben moved behind her, pulling her into him, her back pressed against his firm chest.

"Mmm, goodnight, Miranda Bailey," he said in her ear, making her smile as she fell asleep.