David wakes Erica with a kiss
Chapter 1
The first of what she figured would be many briefings only lasted an hour, and they were finally pulling up in front of the hospital. She'd gotten David's hand and foot treated and bandaged. She'd let him shave and clean up, and they'd gotten him some clothes to wear. It was the least she could, seeing as it was the NSA, the FBI and the ISA that had failed him in the first place.
She'd planned to call the hospital and tell that what was going on, but David had stopped her, worried that Vanessa could somehow trace the call. She didn't think that Vanessa's operation was that high tech, they seemed to operate on a far more personal and direct level's, though, she wasn't going to chance it and agreed to take him to the hospital without warning his family first.
There were guards watching Erica, Abby, Babe, Bianca and even Josh, just in case Vanessa tried to get to David through them. She had feeling they hadn't seen the last of Vanessa, even if David had given her what she wanted he gave her Leo's whereabouts. David and seen and hard to much for Vanessa to feel comfortable letting him leave.
She wondered if Vanessa had thought all of this through when she kidnapped David, or if she'd merely been so desperate for Leo's whereabouts that she acted first and thought later.
"She's going to come after me," David told her, seeming to read her thoughts.
"I know," Anna nodded, "But she can't get to you or your family."
He scoffed and shook his head, "You don't know what she's capable of, Anna. I told you, I only knew Leo was alive, and I mean that it was really him, for a few days before the threats started. Before she let me know she was there and wanted to know. She has people working in high places, and people working in low places. She's everywhere."
"Well then, I'll make sure we're everywhere," She told him, sucking a breath as they pulled into the hospital parking lot, "I will not let her hurt you or them…again."
"I know you mean that," He told her, offering her a thankful smile, "But I can't believe you until she's in jail."
"She will be," Anna told him, blowing out the breath as their car came to a stop, "Right now, lets focus on reuniting you with your family."
"It's a good thing we're at a hospital, I imagine that the shock alone would have sent them here," He said, eyes sliding to the window and the hospital that lay on the other side of the lot.
Anna smiled, "They're going to be so happy to see you, David."
"I hope so," He told her, before moving his hand so he could open the door, "Thank you, for everything Anna." He offered, looking over his shoulder at her as she too moved to open the other door.
"Stop thanking me and lets get you in there to your family."
It didn't take long to get inside the hospital, and up to the NICU. This wasn't PVH, no one here knew David, and so there weren't any questions to be answered as they made their way up to see Abby.
"When you first see her," Anna breathed, as they neared the window, "...she's a lot stronger then she looks."
He nodded and drew in a hard breath as he stopped in front of the window. He didn't have to ask Anna which one was Abby, he'd have known her anywhere, besides, the pink sign with her name on it, written in more pink…no doubt made for her by her sisters, gave her away.
He almost collapsed against the glass at the sight of all the tubes and wires that kept his daughters tiny body going. "My god," He gasped out, "She's so…my god."
"She's strong, David, remember that," Anna told him, "And look, her hair is dark, like yours. For some reason I think we all thought she'd be a brunette like Erica, but I think black suits her."
He smiled a bit at that and nodded, "She is beautiful," He pushed out, eyes still fixed on Abby, "Do we know what color her eyes are yet?"
"No, but odds are they're brown," She offered through a smile, "She was baptized a few hours ago. I think Erica felt like it was something she needed to do."
He nodded, "I would have wanted the same thing. I just wish she had Godparents, to make the ceremony feel less like last rites."
"She does," Anna said proudly, "Erica asked Josh and I to be Abigail's Godparents. Of course we agreed."
He peeled his eyes from the window and turned them on Anna, "She's lucky to have you."
"I just thinking the same thing about you," She told him, "You should probably wait here. I'll go find everyone and try to prepare them."
He nodded at her, slowly sliding his eyes back to Abby. It was taking all he had not to go inside and sit next to her. Tell her how sorry he was for all of this; that he'd spend the rest of his life making it up to her, to them. He caught site of the makeshift nametag that was on the end of her incubator, and smiled. She was already so clearly loved.
"It was so sweet of Bianca and Babe to make a nametag for Abby's incubator. I can't wait to see it." He heard her voice from down the hall, and didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"I bet it's all pink and frilly," Josh laughed, his arm looped through Erica's as he helped her down the hall. The doctors still wanted her to use the wheelchair, but of course she'd refused, leaving Josh with no choice but to enforce this compromise on her.
Erica laughed, "Yes of course it will. Little girls love pink and frilly."
He sighed, shaking his head despite his smile, "I'm going to have to take her to watch wrestling sometime, make sure you guys don't overdoes her with pink."
She laughed shaking her head as they neared the doorway, "If she gets out of here, I'll go with you to take her to wrestling."
He laughed and nodded, "She will, and I'm going to hold you to that."
David didn't move, not sure how what he should do. She didn't seem to notice him or wasn't focused on anything but going in to see Abby, so she could probably slip past him and be none the wiser. But he wanted to see her. He wanted to hold her. Touch her. Look into her eyes. He'd missed her more then could ever put into words.
Josh and Erica moved toward the door, Josh moving slightly ahead of her so that he could open the door.
She offered him a soft smile, starting toward the door. She'd noticed the man standing at the window before she'd approached the door, but hadn't bothered to care, until now. She paused just before the door way, and turned her body slightly, eyes falling on the mans profile.
"Erica?" Josh questioned, watching her, his own eyes drifting toward the man standing beside them.
He didn't have to see her to know why she stopped. She felt a pull to him. She couldn't say what it was, and neither could he, but they both felt it. They always had.
She shook her head, "I just felt…"
"What are you alright/" Josh asked moving closer to her.
"Do I know you?" She asked of the man, who still refused to look at her.
Josh turned his eyes back to the man, and waited for her to reply.
He should just walk away. Let her go in and see Abby and deal with all of this later. But he couldn't. Not with her so close.
"Hey, I'm gonna call security," Josh started, his words getting cut off as the man slowly turned toward them.
Erica kept her eyes on his profile, eyes wide as she watched him turn to face her. She sucked in a breath as she noted his features, she saw curves and smile lines she thought she knew, before he was finally facing her.
He watched her look at him. Watched her eyes study his face. Watched her eyes go wide as she memorized his face, his eyes, his cheeks, his smile, things she never thought she'd see again. He watched her sway on her feet , watcher her breathing start to speed up. "Da…" Her voice cracked and she shook her head, "David." She half asked, half said, her voice low and faraway.
He blew out a hard breath and offered her a soft smile, "Yes."
"Oh my," She forced out, before he watched her face go pale, and her eyes roll back into her head.
"Oh god, Erica," He started to move toward her to catch her, but Josh beat him to it, catching Erica as she fainted into his arms.
To be continued
The first of what she figured would be many briefings only lasted an hour, and they were finally pulling up in front of the hospital. She'd gotten David's hand and foot treated and bandaged. She'd let him shave and clean up, and they'd gotten him some clothes to wear. It was the least she could, seeing as it was the NSA, the FBI and the ISA that had failed him in the first place.
She'd planned to call the hospital and tell that what was going on, but David had stopped her, worried that Vanessa could somehow trace the call. She didn't think that Vanessa's operation was that high tech, they seemed to operate on a far more personal and direct level's, though, she wasn't going to chance it and agreed to take him to the hospital without warning his family first.
There were guards watching Erica, Abby, Babe, Bianca and even Josh, just in case Vanessa tried to get to David through them. She had feeling they hadn't seen the last of Vanessa, even if David had given her what she wanted he gave her Leo's whereabouts. David and seen and hard to much for Vanessa to feel comfortable letting him leave.
She wondered if Vanessa had thought all of this through when she kidnapped David, or if she'd merely been so desperate for Leo's whereabouts that she acted first and thought later.
"She's going to come after me," David told her, seeming to read her thoughts.
"I know," Anna nodded, "But she can't get to you or your family."
He scoffed and shook his head, "You don't know what she's capable of, Anna. I told you, I only knew Leo was alive, and I mean that it was really him, for a few days before the threats started. Before she let me know she was there and wanted to know. She has people working in high places, and people working in low places. She's everywhere."
"Well then, I'll make sure we're everywhere," She told him, sucking a breath as they pulled into the hospital parking lot, "I will not let her hurt you or them…again."
"I know you mean that," He told her, offering her a thankful smile, "But I can't believe you until she's in jail."
"She will be," Anna told him, blowing out the breath as their car came to a stop, "Right now, lets focus on reuniting you with your family."
"It's a good thing we're at a hospital, I imagine that the shock alone would have sent them here," He said, eyes sliding to the window and the hospital that lay on the other side of the lot.
Anna smiled, "They're going to be so happy to see you, David."
"I hope so," He told her, before moving his hand so he could open the door, "Thank you, for everything Anna." He offered, looking over his shoulder at her as she too moved to open the other door.
"Stop thanking me and lets get you in there to your family."
It didn't take long to get inside the hospital, and up to the NICU. This wasn't PVH, no one here knew David, and so there weren't any questions to be answered as they made their way up to see Abby.
"When you first see her," Anna breathed, as they neared the window, "...she's a lot stronger then she looks."
He nodded and drew in a hard breath as he stopped in front of the window. He didn't have to ask Anna which one was Abby, he'd have known her anywhere, besides, the pink sign with her name on it, written in more pink…no doubt made for her by her sisters, gave her away.
He almost collapsed against the glass at the sight of all the tubes and wires that kept his daughters tiny body going. "My god," He gasped out, "She's so…my god."
"She's strong, David, remember that," Anna told him, "And look, her hair is dark, like yours. For some reason I think we all thought she'd be a brunette like Erica, but I think black suits her."
He smiled a bit at that and nodded, "She is beautiful," He pushed out, eyes still fixed on Abby, "Do we know what color her eyes are yet?"
"No, but odds are they're brown," She offered through a smile, "She was baptized a few hours ago. I think Erica felt like it was something she needed to do."
He nodded, "I would have wanted the same thing. I just wish she had Godparents, to make the ceremony feel less like last rites."
"She does," Anna said proudly, "Erica asked Josh and I to be Abigail's Godparents. Of course we agreed."
He peeled his eyes from the window and turned them on Anna, "She's lucky to have you."
"I just thinking the same thing about you," She told him, "You should probably wait here. I'll go find everyone and try to prepare them."
He nodded at her, slowly sliding his eyes back to Abby. It was taking all he had not to go inside and sit next to her. Tell her how sorry he was for all of this; that he'd spend the rest of his life making it up to her, to them. He caught site of the makeshift nametag that was on the end of her incubator, and smiled. She was already so clearly loved.
"It was so sweet of Bianca and Babe to make a nametag for Abby's incubator. I can't wait to see it." He heard her voice from down the hall, and didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"I bet it's all pink and frilly," Josh laughed, his arm looped through Erica's as he helped her down the hall. The doctors still wanted her to use the wheelchair, but of course she'd refused, leaving Josh with no choice but to enforce this compromise on her.
Erica laughed, "Yes of course it will. Little girls love pink and frilly."
He sighed, shaking his head despite his smile, "I'm going to have to take her to watch wrestling sometime, make sure you guys don't overdoes her with pink."
She laughed shaking her head as they neared the doorway, "If she gets out of here, I'll go with you to take her to wrestling."
He laughed and nodded, "She will, and I'm going to hold you to that."
David didn't move, not sure how what he should do. She didn't seem to notice him or wasn't focused on anything but going in to see Abby, so she could probably slip past him and be none the wiser. But he wanted to see her. He wanted to hold her. Touch her. Look into her eyes. He'd missed her more then could ever put into words.
Josh and Erica moved toward the door, Josh moving slightly ahead of her so that he could open the door.
She offered him a soft smile, starting toward the door. She'd noticed the man standing at the window before she'd approached the door, but hadn't bothered to care, until now. She paused just before the door way, and turned her body slightly, eyes falling on the mans profile.
"Erica?" Josh questioned, watching her, his own eyes drifting toward the man standing beside them.
He didn't have to see her to know why she stopped. She felt a pull to him. She couldn't say what it was, and neither could he, but they both felt it. They always had.
She shook her head, "I just felt…"
"What are you alright/" Josh asked moving closer to her.
"Do I know you?" She asked of the man, who still refused to look at her.
Josh turned his eyes back to the man, and waited for her to reply.
He should just walk away. Let her go in and see Abby and deal with all of this later. But he couldn't. Not with her so close.
"Hey, I'm gonna call security," Josh started, his words getting cut off as the man slowly turned toward them.
Erica kept her eyes on his profile, eyes wide as she watched him turn to face her. She sucked in a breath as she noted his features, she saw curves and smile lines she thought she knew, before he was finally facing her.
He watched her look at him. Watched her eyes study his face. Watched her eyes go wide as she memorized his face, his eyes, his cheeks, his smile, things she never thought she'd see again. He watched her sway on her feet , watcher her breathing start to speed up. "Da…" Her voice cracked and she shook her head, "David." She half asked, half said, her voice low and faraway.
He blew out a hard breath and offered her a soft smile, "Yes."
"Oh my," She forced out, before he watched her face go pale, and her eyes roll back into her head.
"Oh god, Erica," He started to move toward her to catch her, but Josh beat him to it, catching Erica as she fainted into his arms.
To be continued
