Chapter Eight.

The next morning, Kendall woke to find Ryan sleeping with his head resting on her bed. He was in the oddest position, and she wondered if his back would hurt later in the day. He was as close to her as he could get without being on her bed.

She stroked his hair.

Then the door to her hospital room opened.

"Hello."

"Zach."

Ryan stirred awake. The men looked at each other.

Kendall said, "I think I need to..."

Ryan turned to her and touched her hand, "I'll be back in five, okay?"

She nodded.

Ryan nodded at Zach and then left. Kendall stifled a sigh at the lines on Zach's face, that had seemingly etched into his forehead over night, and the bags under his eyes.

"What can I say?" she tried to keep her voice light. "I'm a bitch. You are lucky I ran out on you."

Wearily he said,"Yeah, I feel real lucky right about now."

He walked closer, there was no anger in his face, just acceptance.

Zach went on, "I only came to tell you I understand. Don't stress about how I'm doing. I'll be fine in..." he was going to say no time, but that would be a lie. Even soon would be pushing the truth."I'll be fine."

Kendall said, "I really did want to marry you when I agreed the first time, on the yatch. The life you offered is what I wanted to want, but it just...wasn't the future I have always been running towards. I hit so many brick walls trying to get to where I am right now...so I thought you might be...I thought we could work. But I was lying to myself and lying to you. I'm sorry, Zach."

He nodded. "I only wanted you to be my wife...if you wanted to be my wife. You and Spike...you should have...everything you both want...and Lavery better give it to you."

"He will."

Zach stared at her for a long moment. Then he gave her a slight nod, in it was forgiveness and more than a little grief. He left without saying another word. As he slid from the room, they both noticed Ryan was in the doorway, watching them with probing eyes.

XXXXXXXX

She smiled at him with a look that said, We made it.

His look said, Did we, really?

(The miles are getting longer, it seems,
the closer I get to you.

I've not always been the best man or friend for you.

But your love, it makes true
and

I don't know why

you always seem to give me another try...) ( Daughtry)

Ryan walked over to her bed and said, "You can choose whoever you want, Kendall. I will back your play this time. I'll be what I have never managed to pull off perfectly before...your best friend, your back-up..." he smiled and tried to not get emotional "I'll be Greenlee."

With a shaky smile, Kendall said, "That is a sentence I never thought I would hear you say."

She watched him closely, marveling at how he was willing to give her up to give her want she wanted, if it came to that.

She could read in his eyes this was not about him trying to push her away, it was, finally, about him loving her enough to put her needs first.

Ryan leaned down and whispered, "I love you...but if you love him or if you think he's better for you...I'll back off...I will be whatever you want. If it was up to me, alone, I would say it should be us...it needs to be us...but if your heart is saying it can't be...then..." his words trailed off as she opened her mouth to speak.

(...be careful what you wish for,
cause you just might get it all.

you just might get it all,
and then some you don't want.

be careful what you wish for,
cause you just might get it all.

you just might get it all, yeah) ( Daughtry)

Kendall would normally think his words meant he doubted them and that they could make it, but she saw how hard it was for him to offer her this out. It was him making a sacrifice for her, it was...love.

She said, "The only thing my heart is saying is... run."

His voice shook as he asked, "Run?"

Losing his strength, he took a seat on the edge of her bed.

She raised her hand, grabbed his shirt, and tugged him within inches of her face. "Yeah. It's saying 'Run right into Ryan's arms and never let him get away again.' My heart says nutty stuff like that about you all the time."

Relief flooded his body. Slowly, he kissed her, gently giving her what he had held back for way too long- his whole heart

(Oh, well,

I'm going home,
back to the place where I belong,
and where your love has always been enough for me.

I'm not running from.

No, I think you got me all wrong.

I don't regret this life I chose for me.) ( Daughtry)

Kendall pulled back an inch and said, "You can have that everyday...if you stop acting like a jackass and just stay...stay this time, Ryan, and love me. We have a kid now...no more games...just love me."

"You know I do..." his lips connected with hers. Against her mouth he whispered. "I love you most."

And that is when her heart started to really believe. He said the words that had been her secret dream. Four little words that, if they were true and stayed true, would make her life ideal.

She repeated, with awe in her tone, "I love you most...huh?"

"Most," he said and then gave her another quick kiss, before standing up."Now, I'm going to find a doctor and have you checked out again...see if we can go home soon. So we can be together, and be a family with our son , sound good?"

Kendall reached out and squeezed Ryan's hand. She loved the way his skin felt resting in hers, it was perfect, it was her home. "Sounds like what I have been waiting forever for, " she told him.

(But these places and these faces are getting old.
I said these places and these faces are getting old,

so I'm going home.
I'm going home.) ( Daughtry)

XXXXXXXXXX

She leaned on him as they walked in the door of his house. Erin was on the couch, holding Spike, and Jonathan was making silly faces to try and get the baby to stop crying.

Erin looked at Kendall and said "He's been a little fussy. I think he misses his mama."

Ryan helped a still sore Kendall to sit down and then brought her over her son. She cuddled the baby close and he stopped crying.

Erin said, "Well, we should be getting home."

"I'll walk you out," Ryan said.

Jonathan hung back for a minute. When he was alone with Kendall he said, "So...my brother is not as free as you told me he was...huh?"

"Nope. Not so much." She smiled at him.

"Good."

With that the younger man left. Kendall let out a happy sigh. Soon, Ryan was back and sitting next to her.

She stroked Spike's hair and said "He looks like you. I was praying he would when I was pregnant. Especially before you came back...I wanted you here so bad, Ryan, just so desperately...you need to promise me something, okay?"

He stared at her for a long moment. Softly he said, "Today I think I would promise you anything."

"Don't run again. If it all gets to be too much, talk to me. That's what I am here for...there is nothing you can do or say or feel that will make me ever stop wanting to be with you...so trust in me, Ryan, trust in us...I'm counting on you."

He leaned over, wearing a smile, and kissed her. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Kendall."

It scared her to give all her faith to him but she did, in that moment. She took an emotional leap and believed in him, in the promises in his eyes, in the dream she had always held in her heart...she let the past go, keeping only the best parts and forgetting the rest, and jumped right into the future with him.

Ryan wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her close to lean on him. The baby rested on her lap.

He said, "I always knew we'd be stuck together for life...I just didn't know how it would all happen...can you believe, after all of this, we ended up a family?"

"You were my family from the first day I met you...and Spike is my little living, breathing piece of you and my love for you...so, yeah, I can believe it...it's all I have ever wanted...this is my idea of...happy."

Ryan gave Kendall a slow and sweet kiss, then he gave her a whispered promise, "I won't ever run out on you again. You have my word...and my heart...and me, for the rest of my life."

And, true to his word, Kendall spent the rest of her days as his love, his wife, his partner in business and the occasional crime...and as the one he loved most and longest and best.

THE END