Fast Cars and Freedom

Miranda walked into the bathroom quietly with Ben's gift behind her back. She watched him in the mirror, shaving and humming to himself. "Happy Anniversary," Miranda told him kissing his back.

Ben turned around. "Aww… Happy Anniversary, baby," he said leaning down to kiss her cheek, getting shaving cream on her face.

"Eww," she giggled. "See now you're not getting your gift." She said moving backwards out of bathroom.

"Okay. Okay. Okay," he chuckled. He took the towel that was hanging on his shoulder and wiped her face. "I can't believe it's been one year."

"Me either," she said looking up at him. "It doesn't quite feel that way."

"Yeah, it feels like it's been forever," he said chuckling. He stopped when he saw her narrowed eyes looking at him. "I, uh, just meant that we're so right and perfect for each other that, uh, well, we could have been married a lot longer than one year."

Miranda twisted her lips. "Mmmhmm."

"So, what'd ya get me?" He said grinning. She couldn't stay mad at him. She smiled reluctantly and handed him a small, wooden box. She watched with an amused face as he tried to open it. "Thanks, Miranda. Does it open?" She nodded. "So… how do I get in here?" He fiddled with the box some more. "Ah, there's some kind of code thingy. What's the combination number?" He looked at her.

"The code is the month and day that I first told you that I liked you," she said blushing.

"Mmm, that is clever. And so easy. You could ask me that question in my sleep and I'd know," he said kissing her on the lips. "That's the day our hemicolectomy got pushed back."

Miranda smiled at his impeccable memory as they walked into their bedroom and sat on the bed. "That's right. Because—"

"Grandinetti's roof collapsed," they said at the same time.

"Valentine's Day. 2-14," he said putting in the number. She looked up at Ben, half of his face still covered with shaving cream. He looked inside of the box, not saying anything with a small smile on his face.

Miranda began to panic. She and Callie had spent all day in the mall and online trying to find the perfect gift. After hours of hunting, they hadn't come to any solution. "Just get him tickets to a basketball game or something. Like really good seats." Miranda had nodded and purchased a couple of tickets to the Blazers when they played against the Bulls, Ben's favorite team, the next time they were in town, complete with a meet-and-greet session. She knew he would love it, but it wasn't sitting well with her. It seemed more like a five-year anniversary gift than something commemorating their first year together as a married couple. She wanted to get him something that he could always look at and be reminded that 365 days ago, they'd said "I do" to each other and meant it. Something that represented their relationship as best friends sharing their lives together. But seeing his face, she was starting to wish that she'd just listened to Callie. "If-if you don't like it, I have a—like a backup gift," she sputtered.

"What? No, I love it. I was just admiring everything," he said reaching into the box and pulling out a pocket knife personalized with their wedding date on it. "I'm glad you got me this because Curt borrowed my knife like two years ago and hasn't returned it."

"I know," she said.

The next thing was a black t-shirt that read: I Love it when my wife lets me watch the game. With the words "I love my wife" enlarged. He laughed loudly. "I do. Although that never happens," he said looking at her out of the corners of her eye, winking at her.

She smiled. "There's a knife right there," she said pointing to the pocket knife. They laughed.

The last thing out of the box was a small keychain. It was a penny with their wedding year on it, mounted to an aluminum base that read 1 year and counting. "Yes, definitely. Just the first of many, many years." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I am so in love with you, Miranda Bailey." She tried to speak, but tears were appearing in her eyes. She was trying to find the words to tell him that she was totally and utterly in love with him, too. She also wanted to tell him about the secret that she was carrying—literally. She'd had a doctor's appointment and her OB/GYN had confirmed what she already knew. A tear rolled down her face. "Aww, baby, don't cry." He took the towel off of his shoulder and wiped his face and pulled her into his chest. Ben stroked her head.

"I also have another gift, it's a surprise, but you're only gonna get it when I see what you got me."

"Oh! It's like that?"

"How am I supposed to top these?" He asked tapping her nose. Miranda shrugged. "But, alas, I shall try." She nodded and got off of the bed and walked to her dresser, with Ben walking beside her. "Do you want to go out to breakfast or do you wanna cook?"

"Why do I have to cook?" She asked.

"Because it's my anniversary and I don't want to." Miranda put her arm out to hit him, but he ran into the bathroom, laughing.

"I take it we're going out?" She called to him.

"Yeah." When Miranda got out of the shower, Ben was lying on the bed in grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt with black Jordans on. He was using the matching hoodie as a pillow. "So we're no longer going out for breakfast, but lunch, right?" He asked sarcastically.

"Well, you took forever to shave, so hush!" She said slipping into her panties and putting on her bra. She picked up a necklace from her dresser.

"Mmm, let me help you with that, wife," Ben said getting off of the bed and coming up behind her, pressing his body into hers.

"Thank you, husband." She put her head down so that he couldn't see her face. She licked her lips as his hands touched her bare skin, moving up the side of her body. She could feel him getting hard behind her through the thin fabric of his pants. She threw her body into his, making him groan in her ear, arousing her even more, before moving to the clothes she'd put on the bed: a pair of black jeans and a denim button-up shirt. She put on her brown boots and looked in the mirror. "We are going to dinner later, right? Tonight?"

"Whaa?" He asked her, putting his hands behind his head, his shirt rising a little to reveal his torso.

"Um, don't you know that it's customary for couples to have dinner on their anniversaries?"

He nodded slowly. "Then, yeah. Of course."

Miranda locked the door to their house and walked to Ben's black Mercedes where he was waiting with the door open. He slid a hand over her butt as she moved into the passenger seat. "Just can't keep your hands off of me."

"And I don't have to either," he answered as he walked around the car.

They pulled off. "Where are we going to lunch?" She asked turning on the radio. Ben shrugged. She sucked her teeth. "Okay, well, where is my gift? I wasn't going to ask for it, but you haven't said anything about it."

"Well, we've been working… so much lately. We've been on opposite schedules for like a week and a half."

"Where are you going with this?" He didn't answer. "Ben Warren, did you forget our anniversary?" He was usually so good with dates and remembering the first time they did anything, so much so that they'd blown her mind when he'd given her flowers right after their first successful surgery as husband and wife. So she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little let down.

"I am a second-year resident and I've been working hard as hell and I've been distracted."

"You're not the only one," she said under her breath.

"Hunh?"

"Nothing."

They came to a red light. "Would you still love me if I forgot?" He asked turning his head to look at her. He poked out his bottom lip making her smile.

He was so cute. She looked at him and realized that she was so happy. It'd only been one year of marriage, but Ben made her totally happy. She couldn't see a future without him, didn't even want to imagine it. Plus, they had a baby on the way. And even though Ben didn't know that yet, he'd be just as happy as she was. "Whatever. The light is green. Drive the car, man," Miranda said with a laugh.

He nodded and started to cross through the intersection. Another driver in a black SUV, ignoring their red light, sped through the intersection, forcing Ben to slam on the brakes, just missing them. The car came to a screeching stop, the car behind them less than a foot away. "Are you okay?" Ben asked her quickly looking at her. His eyes wide.

She nodded. Miranda held her breath and watched in horror as the reckless driver crashed into a gray four-door car. She scrunched up her face at the sight. Both cars were totaled and were smoking. "Guess lunch will have to wait," she said shaking a little before jumping into action. She got out of the car quickly and ran to the scene with Ben right on her heels. "Check the SUV!" She instructed Ben. He ran off. "Hi, ma'am? Ma'am!" Miranda said looking through the broken window and seeing a light-skinned woman with red hair and freckles. She had a gash in the middle of her forehead. Blood was dripping from the wound and mixing with blood coming from her nose. The woman groaned. "Ma'am, my name is Miranda. Are you okay?" Miranda looked in the backseat and didn't see anyone else. "Was anyone in the car with you?" The woman shook her head. "Okay. Well, I'm a doctor and I'm going to help you, okay?" The woman nodded slightly. "Does anything hurt? Like your neck? Or back? Is that why you can't speak?" Miranda asked looking around. Six people were standing behind her. One was recording. "I hope you called 9-1-1 before you started recording!" She shouted.

The recorder nodded. "I did. They're on their way. They got eight other calls."

"I c-c-can speak," the woman answered, her eyes moving swiftly. "I think I'm okay. Miranda, right? Miranda, I think I'm just in shock."

"Do you know your name?" Miranda asked the woman.

"Ava. Washington. Born in 1990, today's my birthday."

Miranda smiled. "Well, happy Birthday, Ava." The woman said thank you. "Okay, Ava, I'm going to try and open the door." Miranda pulled at the door, but it was stuck. "Ava, your door's st—"

"I can help you with that, doc," a guy said walking up behind her.

Miranda turned to the guy. He looked so much like her mentor. "Good. On my count." Nearly the same height and build and authoritative essence about him, but his face and head were completely naked, no hair and he was white. "1, 2, pull!" Together they pulled the door open.

"Miranda! It's stuck! I can't get out! The seatbelt's stuck!" Ava yelled panicking.

"Relax, Ava," Miranda said thinking.

"Okay. Alright. Yeah, relax, right," Ava said trying to take deep breaths.

"I have… damn it! I have a knife in my car," she said running back to Ben's car, opening his box and taking out the knife. She opened the trunk, pushed aside two duffel bags and pulled out the Heavy Duty First Aid kit that she'd stashed in there for situations just like this. Emergencies. She had one in her car as well. Miranda hustled back to Ava and started to click open the knife when Ben called her.

"Miranda!"

"Can you…?" Miranda turned to Richard's doppelganger. He nodded and took the knife. "I'm gonna call you Richard." The guy smiled shortly, his face becoming serious at once. "Cut her out. And lay her on the ground, flat on her back." He nodded again. Miranda took off and headed for Ben's voice. "Yeah?" Miranda saw that Ben had pulled the man out of the car and he was on the ground. The aggressive driver was a tall man with long black hair and pointy features. Ben had taken off his own hoodie and put it under the guy's head.

"I think he has a concussion. He's in shock and he has gashes on the front of his head and on the back and he's bleeding out of the top of his head, I think his skull flap is open."

"Oh God! What's his name?" Miranda asked.

"I don't know. He can't tell me. He must have hit his head too hard. He's not responding to any questions."

"Sir?" Miranda said. "Sir, you've been in a car accident. Can you tell me your name?" The guy didn't answer, but he moaned and twitched was a good sign. Miranda called the Richard look-alike. "Richard, bring my First Aid kit, please!"

"Who's Richard?" Ben asked kneeling next to the guy. The look-alike came over. "Woah! I get it. He does look like Richard." The look-alike went back to Ava. "And this guy's name is Shawn Jackson," he said reading an ID from a wallet.

"Shawn?" Miranda said. The guy turned in her direction.

"I'm...," the guy answered slowly. "Shawn."

Miranda exhaled. "Yes, you are," she said. "He should be fine. He'll definitely need surgery. Ben, you can you patch him up? I'm going to check on Ava." Ben nodded. As Miranda made her way to Ava, she felt movement in her gut. She touched the side of Shawn's car, trying to keep her balance and threw up.

"Miranda, you okay?" Ben asked over his shoulder.

She nodded. "Ugh, yeah, I'm okay."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Dr. Warren," Miranda said without turning around, her voice stern. "Focus."

Miranda check on Ava. "Miranda?" The woman said.

"Yes?"

"I thought you left me."

"Just for a second. My husband needed help."

Ava opened her eyes widely. "You guys…"

"No, Ava, we weren't the ones who hit you. My husband is helping the other guy."

"Is he a doctor, too?" Ava asked reaching up to wipe her nose.

"Uh, try not to move so much. And, yeah, he is," Miranda said smiling.

"You guys are just a p-power couple, aren't you?"

Miranda chuckled a little. "Today… well, it's actually our 1-year anniversary."

"Happy Anniversary and Congratulations," Ava told her.

"Yeah," Richard's doppelganger said. "Happy Anniversary."

"Thanks, Richard." She thought for a second. "Oh! I mean—I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Richard," he said with a colorful laugh. Ava laughed as well, wincing in pain. The police, firefighters and ambulances showed up. "You were great, Miranda. Job well done. And I put your knife in the kit."

"Thank you for your help, Richard."

Richard nodded. "And, uh…" he said quietly taking a step towards her, lowering his voice so that only she could hear. "Congrats on the baby."

"What?" Miranda said whipping her head in his direction. "How…?"

"My wife and I have five kids. I know what a pregnant woman looks like," he said chuckling.

"Err, thanks," Miranda said putting a finger to her lips. Richard nodded. After the rescue crew took over, Miranda and Ben got back into the car and pulled off. They didn't speak for a long while. Ben just drove and Miranda didn't ask where they were going. She looked out of the window. "That was crazy, right? Like, that really happened?"

"It was really crazy and, yes, it really happened."

"Your reaction to that SUV was impeccable, Ben," she said looking at him.

"By the way, are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, because you threw up. I know you can't be queasy at the sight of blood," he said with a chuckle. "So, I figured that—"

"I was just working on an empty stomach, that's all and trying not to pass out. Let's not make a big deal out of it," she said. "By the way, I'm still hungry."

"Me, too, want me to stop? Or," he said stretching the word out. "Can you hold out for a little while?"

Miranda thought for a few seconds. "I guess I can wait," she said putting both hands on her stomach. Ben smiled and put his free hand on top of hers and kept driving. Miranda smiled, put her head back and fell asleep. She woke up and looked to her left. Ben was asleep, his head on window. Miranda looked around. They were in a well-lit parking garage. She nudged Ben and he hit his head on the window.

"Oww! Damn it, Miranda!" He said rubbing the spot.

"I knew it. It's been a year. We've been married for a year and now you're kidnapping me. I've seen the movies," she said with a smile.

He grinned. "No, I'm not," he said cracking his neck. "And I thought we talked about those movies." Ben raised an eyebrow. He checked the time. "Oh shit, we're late. We have… well, we had reservations." He opened his door slowly.

"Reservations for what?"

"It's a surprise, Miranda."

"No offense, but I've had enough surprises for today. Can we just go home?" Ben shook his head. "Why not?"

"Because it's still our anniversary. It's not over." Ben opened her door. She looked at him, his hoodie was back at the scene and he had spots of blood and dirt on his black shirt and sweatpants. Miranda had a little blood, dirt and vomit on her pants and boots. They looked a mess. He helped her out of the car.

Miranda grabbed her purse and Ben went to the trunk and took out the two duffel bags. "What's with the bags?" She asked and Ben ignored her question. Miranda decided not to press the issue. They walked to the elevators a few yards away and through a tunnel out of which Miranda could see the beautiful city. She watched the Space Needle illuminate the city. She could see the moon beginning to outshine the sun. She looked to the left and saw a huge "W" on the side of a tall building. It looked like… "Is this a 'W'?!" She exclaimed. The 'W' was one of the most expensive hotel chains in the country. "This is for our anniversary?"

As smile spread across his face and he nodded. "It is."

"I thought you forgot!"

"No, I asked you if you would still love me if I'd forgotten." Miranda twisted her lips remembering their short conversation that seemed like worlds ago, but it had only been about two hours. They kept walking. "I wanted to do something nice for you, for us. It's been a year and I wanted to show you how much this year has meant to me. And we were supposed to be here a couple of hours ago, but shit happened. But we're here now."

While they made their way to the front desk, Miranda looked up at the tall ceiling, admiring the decorations and the huge, glass elevator in the middle of the foyer. "This is amazing," she squealed in a low tone so that only Ben could hear.

He grinned at her delight as they got to the front desk. "Welcome to Seattle W. My name is Jack. How can I help you today?" The guy behind the desk asked in a Southern accent.

"Hi, Jack. Reservation for Warren, Benjamin. And I had lunch reservations, but there was a car accident and—"

"Oh my goodness! I hope you two are alright?" They nodded and told him that they were just tired and hungry. "Good! Well, don't you worry about the reservations; we'll get that straightened right out." Jack typed on his keyboard. "Your room is ready. Room 1009" He handed Ben a small folder with two keycards in it. "If you need anything, please do not hesitate to dial '0' for the front desk. Once again, my name is Jack and I know your stay here will be relaxing and pleasant."

"Thank you," Miranda said pulling her purse up on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Jack. Now about our lunch reservations…"

"Yes, sorry, Mr. Warren. Would you like to reschedule for tomorrow or would you like to make them dinner reservations for tonight instead?" Jack asked.

"Dinner," Ben and Miranda said at the same time.

"Great!" He clicked the keyboard some more. "All done. The pool, exercise room and game room are all open 24 hours. The restaurant will be opening for dinner in an hour and both the restaurant and bar close midnight. There is a shuttle that goes to the various restaurants, stores and attractions in the area. The elevators are straight ahead and you'll press 10, get off of the elevators and head to your left. Now is there anything else I can help you with?" Miranda yawned and shook her head.

"No, thanks," Ben told him.

"Great. Enjoy your stay at W Seattle," Jack said.