Two Weeks Earlier
You're lucky to be alive, Mr. Christmas.
Lee very much knew this was true. As much pain as he felt right now, it could be worse. He could be dead. He forced himself up to move around, though, because he couldn't take just lying there. Emily had gone to get something to drink, and he knew she'd scold him for getting out of bed, but he didn't care.
He made his way down the hall, wincing every so often. No one paid him much mind for now, which was good. He went around a corner when he stopped abruptly, seeing Emily and Jesse, whose arm was in a sling, standing very close to each other.
Too close to each other.
He jerked back out of sight, neither of them having seen him. He did a very childish thing in that moment—he eavesdropped.
"Can I just see her? Please? Just for a second," Jesse was saying.
"I don't think it's a good idea..." Emily replied.
"Em, I'm not gonna say anything. I swear. I just...I wanna see her."
"Jesse." Emily gave a sigh.
"Em, she's my kid too."
My kid too. The words hit Lee hard and fast, and he felt like he couldn't breathe suddenly. So Jesse was Maya's father, and Emily had just spent almost two years with him. She'd told him she hadn't remembered the father's name, and yet here they were.
"Jesse, you signed away your rights. You didn't want to be her father!" Emily hissed. "You do not get to just be in her life now all of a sudden!"
"I'm not gonna!" Jesse said back fiercely. "I just want to see her and get an idea of who she is. That's all!"
"It's too risky..."
"Em, please."
Lee couldn't help himself. He moved slightly so that he was looking around the corner again, and he saw Jesse's face pressed against Emily's now. His stomach clenched a little.
"Please," Jesse said almost raggedly. "I just wanna meet our little girl properly. Please." Emily's eyes were closed, and suddenly she was nodding and having tears slide down her cheeks.
"Okay," she agreed. "Five minutes."
"Thank you," Jesse said looking at her while his fingers rested against her cheek. And then he kissed her.
Right there. In the hallway. Full on the lips.
And Emily did not pull away.
Lee pulled back and tried to calm his racing heart. So that was it. That was Maya's father, and clearly he wanted back into the mix and clearly Emily was okay with it and would probably let him back in entirely and they'd get back together and be a happy little family. Lee moved to head back to his room, mind racing. Well, if Emily wanted that, then he'd make it easy for her. It was for the best, anyway. Maya deserved to have her real father in her life. He was a substitute. That was all. He should really have known his place.
"Lee?" Emily's voice said. He was back in his room now, and he looked at her. She looked conflicted, and he wondered if she was going to tell him right here, right now, that she was going to go back to Jesse.
"Yea?" he said back. Let her tell him. He wasn't going to admit he saw and heard the whole thing. She came over to him until she was right by his bed.
"Lee, I was so scared," Emily said, grasping his hand in hers tightly. He lifted his lips slightly, suppressing the urge to laugh. She was scared? She certainly hadn't looked scared a few minutes ago.
"Was a little close, wasn't it?" he agreed. He didn't know what else to say.
"But it's over," she said. "We can go home." She studied his face, and he held her gaze. Could she see that he knew? Could she see that he was hurting all over again? Had she really lied to him again?
"Yea. Seems that way."
"Can we start over?" she asked. "You and me?"
"I still need time, Emily," he replied. "I need time." She looked a bit deflated, but he didn't comment further. He had no idea what else to say. He didn't have the energy for a big conversation.
"Okay," she said softly.
"If it's alright, I'm gonna rest for a bit," he said.
"Okay."
"Don't come back in here," he told her. "I'll be released in a day or two. I'll see you at home."
"Lee..."
"I'll be fine," he said in bit of a harder tone, and she closed her mouth.
"Okay."
He pressed his lips together tightly in a fake smile and pulled his hand free from hers. He turned his head and closed his eyes, and he heard her walk out a moment later.
Later that night, once he was cleared, he left.
Present Day
You're lucky to be alive, Mr. Christmas.
Lee heard the statement in his mind again as he sat on the dock and sipped his beer. His body ached but not as much as it did two weeks ago. The shot he'd taken had luckily not caused significant damage, and the surgeon was right—he was lucky to be alive.
The water rolled by smoothly in slight ripples. Every so often, a boat went by and made some waves, but it was fairly quiet for the most part. Lee wasn't really sure why he was here other than the fact he needed closure, and what best place to get it than the place where it all began? The first few days of being here, he'd stayed on Barney's property. The fifth and sixth day, he managed to get onto the trail leading to the other cottage. The seventh, eighth, and ninth day had him standing in the other yard and trying not to have a panic attack. Day ten, eleven, and twelve involved him sitting on that dock instead. Then he'd spend the last two days trying to make himself go to the spot where he'd thought he'd lost the love of his life and had his life changed forever.
It was proving difficult.
Rain was coming. He could smell it in the air, and the wind was beginning to pick up a bit, turning the leaves upside down. He finished his beer and let his mind wander.
He pictured Emily sitting next to him at the hospital, her face worried and her hand on his, the hurt in her expression when he told her to leave. He knew her other secret, the one about Maya's father. Had she gone with him in the end? Were they going to be the happy little family that he wanted? He heard her voice saying she loved him, but he didn't know what to believe anymore. He couldn't stop seeing Jesse kissing her.
Barney kept texting him, and Tia too...to the point he shut off his phone. Emily had only written him once.
I'll be here when you come back.
He didn't know if that was her trying to reassure him she wasn't going to disappear again or what, but did it actually mean she was going to stay or did it mean she was going to be there to tell him it was over? He wasn't sure he wanted to find out. He wondered if Maya knew Jesse was her father, if Emily had told her. He hoped Maya wasn't thinking he'd left because he was angry at her. He'd left because he needed to put this painful moment of his life behind him and move forward, whatever that looked like, and until he could stand in that damn spot where Emily had "died," he couldn't do it.
Also, he wanted Emily to figure out where he'd gone. He wanted her to come find him. It was maybe childish, but he was waiting for her to show him she really meant it, that she truly loved him, wanted him, and would bring him home.
He wasn't sure how he'd feel if she didn't, but he only had himself to blame for that. She wasn't a mind reader. He hadn't left any clues. Why would she suspect he'd come back here? She would think he hated it here now.
The wind picked up more, and he got a chill, so he decided to go inside. He started supper, which consisted of leftovers he'd made the night before. He had the news on as it grew darker outside from the clouds coming in. He was finishing up eating when he heard the boat, a different one than he was used to hearing, and he stiffened. His mind raced until he managed to reassure himself that no one was coming to kill him. It was over.
He heard the boat go by, and he relaxed. Then he tidied up his mess and went to stand on the deck to watch the rain come in.
"Lee?"
"OYE!" he yelped, jumping out of his skin almost. He twisted to see Emily standing to his left, her hands clasped in front of her and wearing that navy dress he loved so much. A bag was by her feet. "Bloody hell, woman! Are you trying to kill me?!" His heart was pounding, but it wasn't entirely because she'd scared him.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I thought if you saw me come in, you'd hide."
"So you thought giving me a heart attack was better?"
"No...I'm sorry!" she said again. He studied her, and she waited for him to speak next.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I know you said you needed time, but Lee, I need to know," Emily replied, stepping closer to him. "I need to know what your decision is so I can make a plan moving forward for Maya. She needs to know, too, Lee. She's been almost sick with missing you."
Lee felt bad as he hadn't wanted that for her, but how else was he supposed to do this? How else was he supposed to detach himself from both of them so it wouldn't hurt so much when they moved on without him?
"I figured she'd be alright with her dad, that she didn't need me anymore," he said, surprising both himself and Emily. He hadn't meant to just blurt that out so soon. He watched her eyes comprehend, and she closed them briefly.
"You did see that," she said.
"I did," he confirmed.
"Oh, Lee," she said sadly. "I really wish you had said something."
"Why?" he asked, getting defensive. "So you could have broken my heart right then and there?"
"No." She shook her head. "I could have told you what happened and stopped you from running away." She held his gaze, and he knew she was going to tell him regardless, so he simply waved his hand for her to start.
Two Weeks Earlier
Jesse's kiss didn't surprise her, but then again, they had had a little fling about nine years ago. She'd met him while checking in with Church, and he'd been funny and sweet, and he'd known Wyatt, so she got to talk about him. Next thing she knew, she was telling him about Ethan, and he was comforting her, and then they were making out before going all the way. They'd spent three days together, and then he'd left for a job. When Emily found out she was pregnant, she'd told him, and at first, it seemed like he was on board, but then he'd changed his mind after meeting her the day she was born.
"I can't," he had said, crying a bit. "I can't do it cos if I die, then she'll hurt more than she deserves to. She's better off never knowing me."
"Jesse," Emily had said, upset.
"No. I can't. I'm sorry, Em. She's beautiful, just like her mom, but I can't be her dad. She needs someone better than me."
"Jesse!"
He had left, and not long after, he'd signed papers relinquishing parental rights. While it had saddened Emily, she knew he meant well, that he hadn't wanted Maya to love him and lose him and feel that burning hole of grief every day. What he didn't realize was that Maya still missed him without knowing him and wanted a dad.
And now, he was kissing her. Emily pushed Jesse back, and they looked at each other.
"Don't," she said, her voice wobbly. "Don't think you can just walk right back in and get the family. You can't. I told you, I love Lee. You and I...we're over."
"I know," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I'm messed up...I messed it all up. I'm sorry."
"You can see our daughter, but then you leave," Emily said firmly, getting her composure back. "You don't come back."
"Okay." He nodded.
They walked to where Maya was sitting with the others. Jesse hung back when Emily gestured for her to come over.
"Yea, Mum?" she said when they were out of earshot of the others. Then she saw Jesse and faltered.
"I just wanted you to meet the person who helped rescue you," Emily said to her. "This is Jesse."
"Hi," Maya said, waving.
"Hey, kiddo," Jesse replied, smiling. He looked like he was going to cry, and Emily shot him a warning look. He cleared his throat. "You doin' alright?"
"I'm okay. It was scary, but I'm not alone," Maya replied, throwing a hand over her shoulder to gesture at the room where everyone was.
"That's good," Jesse said. "Hey, um, your mom was telling me how smart you are. That's cool."
"It's decent," Maya replied, and he chuckled.
"Decent. I like that," he said. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but then he didn't. He smiled at Maya and glanced at Emily, knowing his time was up. "I gotta get going, but it was really lovely to meet you, Maya. Be good for your mom, okay?"
"I will. Nice to meet you too."
"Okay," Jesse said, his voice faltering a bit now. He cleared his throat again and nodded, moving to walk away.
"Wait!" Maya called, and he turned just as she hugged his waist tightly. He was surprised, but then he put his good arm around her snugly. "Thanks for saving me and my mum."
"Anytime, sweetheart," Jesse replied, a tear going down his cheek now. "Anytime. You're the bravest kid I know. Stay strong." Maya beamed a smile up at him as she let him go, and he smiled back. Then she was skipping back to the others, and Emily reached to touch her head on her way by. She looked at Jesse, and he lightly bit his fist for a moment before lowering it again. She could see the regret and the pain, but he didn't say anything about it.
"Take care," he said to her.
"You too."
And then he was gone.
Present Day
Lee worked his jaw, thinking. He didn't like knowing he'd made an assumption and responded to it the way he had. He looked at Emily, who was watching him. She didn't look angry or upset.
"You said you didn't remember his name," he reminded her.
"I did. It was the story I told everyone else, and it just stuck. I'm sorry. I would have told you the closer we got, I promise."
"I see," he said.
"We," she started, moving closer to him, "really need to communicate better."
"I agree."
"I'm sorry if that's what made you leave. I'm sorry you thought this whole time that I didn't want to be with you," she said, "because that couldn't be farther from the truth."
"It's not the only reason I left," he said, and it was true.
"You were looking for closure then?"
"Yea," he confirmed. "There's something I need to do, but I just...I can't seem to do it." She tilted her head curiously until she saw where he was looking over her shoulder. She bit her lip and moved closer again. Some thunder rumbled in the distance now.
"Until I can do it," he continued, "I can't start over. I know it sounds insane..."
"It's not," she interrupted. She took his hand gently, and he let her. "Lee, maybe you weren't supposed to do it alone. Maybe I was supposed to be here to do it with you."
It made sense. He worked his jaw slightly, playing with her fingers in his. God, he'd missed her. Why had he thought he needed to do this without her? Why had he thought she'd run off with Jesse after telling him how many times she still loved him? Why did he let his stupid negative talk take over so much and convince him of things that weren't true?
"Okay," he agreed. "Let's go." She gave a bit of a smile, and he led the way, holding her hand the entire time. When they finally got there, rain had started to fall in big drops here and there. He stopped, seeing a shovel and an urn next to the spot.
Her urn.
"I thought maybe it was time to bury it," she said. "Since it's not even me."
"Who is it?" he asked. "Wait, maybe I don't want to know..."
"Church said it was just campfire ashes," she answered. "I checked." He nodded, relieved. He agreed with her. This was probably a very good time to bury it and move on, like a funeral for this past event that had caused so much hurt. She offered to dig, but he insisted. Once he had a hole ready, he set the urn in and buried it again. He stuck the shovel in the ground next to it and looked at the spot. She reached for his hand and squeezed it as he looked down at the place where he'd held Emily's lifeless body and felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He felt his chest tighten just thinking about it. He stood there staring until he heard Emily shift next to him. He looked at her, and she was crying silently.
"A part of me died with you that day," Lee said after a moment.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't want to hear that anymore," he advised.
"But I am," she insisted, wiping at her tears to get rid of them.
"I know, so you don't need to keep telling me."
"Oh."
"When I first met you," he began, "I saw myself with a future that I'd only ever dreamed of. Then you shattered it with all of this bullshit."
She pressed her lips together, no doubt containing the words "I'm sorry." He looked at her and saw that she really did look sorry. She hung her head, and he knew she was expecting something else with his continued speech.
"But phoenixes rise from ashes," he went on, and she gave him a surprised look, "so I think futures can too."
"Are you saying...?" she trailed off. She looked overwhelmed suddenly.
Lee stood there looking at her. She was the only one he'd ever truly loved, and as angry as he was with her for doing what she did, he understood it. She was right—he would have done the same thing in her position. It was just really hard to say that out loud, to admit she was right. But he was tired of holding onto the bad feelings. He was ready to let go of the anger.
"I...I'm not quite sure what you're saying," Emily said now, sounding nervous. He let out a breath slowly before starting again.
"Hi, I'm Lee. I'm a mercenary, but I want to quit and do something normal. I want a family. I know we've just met, but I think you might be the one for me," he said, holding out his hand. Emily looked relieved, and then she put her hand in his.
"I'm Emily," she said back. "I'm undercover with the CIA, and I need your help. I have a daughter, and her and I want nothing more than to have a normal life with someone too. I also think you are the one for me, and let me just say it: you're bloody sexy as hell, and I can't stand it, so you better do something about it before I burst."
He released a bit of a laugh, and she did too. It was as good of a start over as they could get. She took her hand back, but he surprised them both by catching it again and yanking her into him in one swift motion, kissing her hard. He moved his hands to hold her arms after a moment. A few seconds later, her hands were gripping his face, and her kiss was just as ferocious back.
He'd only dreamed of this moment for almost two years. To have it actually happen felt unreal. He stood there with her in his arms as the rain began to pour, and he let himself fall for her again along with it. After a bit, he pulled her by the hand to Barney's cottage, and they stood under the eaves while the rain kept pounding around them, thunder cracking off and on and getting closer. Emily touched his face gently, and he kissed her again. He leaned her into the wall, needing to just feel her against him.
"Wait," she said when he moved to kiss her neck. "Lee, wait."
"What?"
"I need to hear you say it."
"Say what?"
"That you forgive me." She met his eyes, and he evened his breathing a little. "I can't do this if you don't forgive me."
It was something he'd wrestled with for a while, but he knew if roles were reversed, he'd want the exact same thing. He moved his fingers to tuck a loose strand back from her face gently.
"Do you still love me?" he asked.
"Of course," she whispered. "I never stopped." Her hand rested just over his heart on his chest, and he took it in his free hand, smoothing his thumb over her knuckles.
"I forgive you," he told her. She bit her lip.
"You mean it?"
He nodded silently, and a few tears leaked out of her eyes before she moved in to kiss him again. He lifted her up into his arms and turned so that he was leaning against the wall next. Her legs pressed against his sides, and her hands smoothed over his arms and face. She tasted like rain as he kissed her deeper. When they stopped making out a while later, she rested her forehead against his. He could feel her heart racing against his chest.
"I want to marry you," she whispered, making him hold her tighter out of reflex. "I want to have babies with you. I want to live somewhere quiet and have a normal life. With you." She looked at him as he looked back. "You are essential to me, to my existence, and I've never needed anyone the way I need you. I love you, and I will never stop. Please tell me you feel the same way." She searched his eyes as she waited for his answer. It was everything he'd wanted to hear and more, and she was finally free to say it.
"I could see it," he said, still holding her in his arms. Her ankles were crossed behind his back. "The moment I met you, I could see a normal life with you; that's why I didn't give up so easily. I loved you the second you smiled at me; I'd never felt that way before. So yes, Em, I feel the same way. I want you. I want us."
She was fighting tears as she kissed him in response. Before long, he was reaching for the door knob behind him to open the door. Once inside, he was aware of how drenched they both were, and Emily seemed aware of it too as she held her dripping hair to avoid getting the wood floor wet after he'd set her down.
"I'm just gonna..." she said, gesturing to where the towels were kept.
"Yea, probably good idea."
He watched her fight to not smile the entire time, which made him smile. When she hung her dress to dry, he couldn't keep his hands to himself any longer only to have Emily back away playfully and make him chase her to the bedroom and laugh wildly when he finally caught her. She was still having a fit of giggles when they kissed again, but then she became serious and passionate. Then he was laying her gently on the bed under him and exposing his vulnerability with each kiss and touch, feeling her vulnerability in return.
He was letting go and letting her back in, and he had no regrets.
...
Emily traced a finger along Lee's jaw as she looked at him. The bruise on his side was purple mixed with yellow where he'd been shot, but he'd insisted it didn't bother him. Her own wounds and bruises were healing as well; soon, all evidence of Fred's wrath would be gone, and without the visual reminder, she could finally stop thinking about it so much.
Suddenly cold, she moved to rest on him and pulled the comforter over their heads. She could still see him a bit from the lamplight.
"What're you doing?" he asked between laughs as she dramatically got comfortable on him.
"I'm cold," she answered logically. She rested her chin on her folded arms on his chest, and he smiled that crooked smile of his and ran his fingers up and down her sides lightly before wrapping his arms around her to hold her close. She felt the chain of his St. Christopher medal dig into her, but she didn't mind.
A part of her kept waiting for him to say he'd changed his mind and was done with her, but it didn't come. She tucked her face into his neck now, and he smoothed a hand up and down her back gently.
"I missed you," she whispered. He let out a sound in his throat.
"I missed you too."
"I'm—"
But he already had a finger over her lips to stop her. "Enough sorrys. Okay?"
"Okay." His finger traced her lips before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and then his hand rested on her shoulder. She felt his heart beating against her, the rhythm bringing her comfort. She massaged the bottom of her foot against the top of his, enjoying how well they fit together. He moved his hand to slide his fingers under her hair to massage her head while his other hand rested on her lower back.
"Urgh," she groaned.
"You like that, eh?" he teased, and she kicked her leg and panted like a dog as a joke in return, making him laugh again.
"Behind the ears," she ordered, and he obeyed, making her dramatically groan like a happy canine and him laugh more. When she settled, he idly played with her hair in his fingers.
"What did you do for Maya's eighth birthday?" she asked.
"Paintball."
She snorted. Of course they did. She could see it vividly. "I bet Maya had the time of her life."
"She was brutal," Lee told her. "I was honestly a little bit frightened." Emily giggled, picturing it. She moved so that her elbows were resting on the mattress on either side of his neck, one hand touching his face.
"While I know it was a shitty thing for me to dump her on you the way I did, I will be forever grateful for you taking care of her while I was gone."
"You didn't dump her on me, Barney took her in, remember? And I never would have let anyone else take her."
Emily just nodded, at a loss for words. He gave a half smile, and she kissed him. He held the nape of her neck to bring her down closer, and she allowed herself to get lost in him for a little while.
"Too hot," he said after a bit, reaching to pull the comforter back. He moved to sit up and lean against the headboard, and she rested on his lap with her knees on either side of him while he put his arms around her and touched his forehead to hers.
"I think I preferred this version of hiding from a storm to the last one," she commented.
"Oh yea?" he said, his voice teasing.
"Yes. I didn't get tossed out of a canoe this time."
"I didn't toss you out..."
"Yes, you did!" She poked his chest for emphasis, and his smirk just grew bigger because he damn well knew he did.
"You're still here, aren't you?" he asked. "That obviously wasn't a deal breaker."
"I guess not." She sighed dramatically. He pinched her sides, making her exclaim and try to catch his hands. When she did, she pinned them against the headboard on either side of his head.
"Truce," he said.
"Not likely," she retorted, kissing him instead. She hovered her parted lips over his after, feeling his warm breath on her skin. Then she pulled back a bit. "What about her seventh birthday?"
"I did a sleepover with a bunch of other seven year old girls."
"You poor, poor man," she sympathized. "How on Earth did you survive that?"
"Barely. Tia had to come rescue me."
She laughed, and he grinned, moving his hands that she'd released to hold her waist. She tilted her head the right slightly, pushing her hair back with one hand.
"She showed me the I.D. Tool got for her."
"Yea. We didn't want any unwanted attention if we could help it."
"Good call."
"She's so smart, Em," he went on. "Gunner's been teaching her university level chemistry, and she just soaks it up like nothing."
"Wow."
"And her piano skills...I feel like she's the next Beethoven or something."
That seemed to open the door for a conversation Emily was slightly dreading but wanted to have. She smiled.
"Yes, I actually met her piano teacher this morning."
"What?" Lee asked, confused.
"She came to your house."
"What?!"
"She said she wanted to check in on you since last time you were acting strange," Emily finished. She tried not to appear jealous or insecure in this moment. He'd had every right to date since he thought she was dead.
"Right, well," he said with a bit of a sigh. "She was my ex, and we got spending time together again because Maya was doing a lot of piano at her place. There was a moment where we tried to reconnect, but I...I couldn't stop seeing you and hearing you berating me for being so stupid and getting back with someone who'd hurt me a lot."
"I see."
"Yea. Pretty sure Lace thinks I'm insane now," Lee advised, scrunching his face a little. Emily scoffed lightly.
"Well, apparently she was worried about you."
"She likes to worry about things she doesn't have to."
"So this ghost version of me," Emily said now, running a finger along his chest. She figured that's what he meant by seeing and hearing her. "Was she hot?"
"So hot," Lee answered, barely containing his laugh as he suddenly moved to rest her underneath him. "She visited me at night a lot."
"Oh yea?" Emily asked before he kissed her.
"Mmhm," he replied nonverbally, pulling back slowly. She smiled as their noses brushed.
"Well," she said quietly, demurely, "then I guess you don't need me." She went to get up when he caught her and held her still, both laughing again.
"I really do prefer the real deal," he said when she was calmer. He teased her skin with his lips.
"Ohh all riight," she drawled, giggling again until he kissed her mouth firmly. It kept going and going until she was no longer cold and he was very out of breath—her too.
"I love you," he said, his lips catching the corner of her mouth before he rested on his back.
"Love you too," she murmured, curling against him on her side. She heard her phone go off again, and she knew she had to answer it. Lee gave a wolf whistle as she hustled to get it from the table in the other room, which was the optimal place for cell service.
Everything okay? Tia asked in her last text (the other three were asking if she got there okay, if Lee was there, and if they'd made up). Maya is wigging out a little with no information.
Everything good, she answered. Be home tomorrow.
Take a few, Tia wrote back, clearly right there waiting. We're good here. Maya will be calmer knowing you're both okay.
I'll be in touch.
Have fun ;)
Emily was glad Tia couldn't see her flush as she went back to bury herself under the covers again next to Lee.
"That Jersey checking in?" he asked, putting an arm around her again as she cuddled right in, tucking her head under his chin and resting her arm on his chest.
"Yea."
"Glad she's not pissed at you."
"It took some winning over."
"So what's the plan?"
"She's saying to take a few days, that all is good there."
"Hm," Lee mused, looking at her. "What do you think?"
"I don't know," she sighed. "Can we reconvene in the morning?"
"Sure."
He turned the lamp off, and she closed her eyes, finally feeling content and happy. She never wanted to lose that feeling again.
"Hey," he said a moment later in the darkness.
"Yea?"
"I always meant to ask...did you rent the cottage next door that summer or...?"
She chuckled softly. "It's my parents'."
"What?"
"Yes," she confirmed as he looked surprised. "I hadn't been here for years. My aunt never wanted to come. Wyatt used it as a safe house for work most of the time. Then once I was living over here full time, I started coming back."
"Wow."
"I know. Fate, right?"
"Apparently." He was quiet for a moment, and Emily wondered what he was thinking. She reached to rest a finger on his cheek lightly.
"Tell me more about Rena," he said now. She smiled.
And she did.
The Next Day
"Good morning," Lee said over his mug of coffee as he sat shirtless at the kitchen table. Emily was in his shirt and heading for a mug for herself after finally deciding to get out of bed.
"Hrngh," she muttered.
"Right, not a morning person," he teased. She held up a finger as she went for coffee, and he chuckled. Once she had it made, she held it in her hands and took a sip while standing next to him.
"Oh, yea," she groaned. "That's liquid gold right there." Lee snaked an arm around her waist to tug her into him carefully, avoiding getting coffee dumped on him. He just wanted her next to him, to be touching some part of her at all times. He liked that she was solid to touch again.
"So, what's the plan?" he asked as she set her mug on the table. She moved to straddle him on the chair, and he rested a hand on her back to hold her in place while his other hand held his mug. She kissed him first, and he kissed her back because he could and because he wanted to and because, damn it, he bloody well needed to. She pulled back slowly, her elbows resting on his shoulders now. She looked into his eyes, and he couldn't believe he actually was doing this again, that he wasn't going to die alone after all.
"As much as I'd like to stay here and not leave your bedroom," she said, grazing his lips with hers. "I think Maya has been stressed out long enough."
"Good thought," he agreed. "We don't have to rush, though."
"Oh no," she replied. "No rushing at all. In fact..." She moved to take the mug out of his other hand and set it on the table with hers. "...Let's go very, very slowly." He smiled against her soft kiss.
"Sounds good."
"Yes," she stated. "Then..." She paused to kiss him again.
"Then what?" he asked after, and she smiled.
"Let's go home."
Now you know who Maya's father is! I hope it wasn't too obvious lol. I'll just ask that you don't put the name of Maya's bio father in any feedback to save the surprise for others :) thank you!