"Why won't they tell us anything?" AJ muttered frustratedly as he paced the white tiled floor.
"AJ, calm down. When they have something to tell us they will." Howie told him. Erin looked down at her watch. It was 3:36am. Why couldn't Andy have waited until noon today to kid nap us? No, he had to wait until 5:00pm. She yawned and rested her head on Howie's shoulder.
"Becca, did he say anything to you, you know, that hurt you?" Brian asked. The girls had already been checked for physical wounds, all of them were find except for an occasional rope burn from rubbing against the boat line. Becca had the worst cuts out of the four girls, but they still weren't that bad. She was just mainly emotionally upset.
"No." She replied, taking Brian's hand. "I'm ok. If I want to talk, you'll be the first to know." She told him quietly, looking into his concerned eyes. She smiled slightly and kissed his chin.
"Love you, Becca." He told her, kissing her forehead and holding her more snuggly.
"Love you too." She replied, relaxing in his arms.
"Hey, look at Nick and Lexi." Amber smiled, gazing at the two who were asleep. Lexi had her head on Nick's shoulder and he had his head on hers.
"They look cute." Kevin replied with a smile and then looked down at Amber, "Bet we'd look cuter." He chuckled.
"I bet we would." Amber agreed with a smile, leaning her head on his shoulder, and he rested his head on hers. Amber stared off in space, she was trying to hide it, but she was a train wreck inside. Her best friend had been shot…she had known Terri since the 6th grade…Amber said a prayer silently then relaxed in Kevin's arms, trying to keep her mind off of it as she held back tears.
"Mr. McLean?" A tall, slender man asked. He was middle-aged with graying hair and glasses. AJ jumped over to him, hoping for good news.
"Yes?" AJ asked anxiously, the others (except Nick and Lexi who were asleep) sluggishly.
"I'm Dr. Flannagan. Terri Gunn is in recovery. We were successful in removing the bullet, but it damaged muscle tissue, but she should be ok. She's sleeping as we speak, but should be awake in about ten minutes. Would you like to wait?" The doctor asked.
"No, I'd like to see her now if I could." AJ replied politely. The doctor smiled and nodded.
"Follow me." AJ turned and gave a little wave to the guys as he followed the doctor. Amber did follow him though.
"Hey. I'll give you two your quiet time, but she's my best friend." Amber told him.
"No problem, girl." AJ replied and took her hand, giving it a little squeeze, then letting go. The doctor stopped in front of room 418.
"Here she is. She should be awake in a few minutes." The doctor told them and walked away. AJ nodded and opened the door, "You coming?" He asked Amber when he was half way in.
"Yeah." She replied, following him. The beeping of the heart monitor filled their ears with it's steady beat. The room was silent other than that and Terri's light breathing. AJ walked to the far side of the bed while Amber stayed on the closer side.
"Terri?" AJ asked, resting his hand on her cheek.
"Ernie?" Amber asked, leaning in a little.
"Ernie?" AJ asked Amber with a smile.
"I'm Bert and she's Ernie. Haven't you ever heard me call her that?" Amber asked, shocked he had never known that.
"Nope."
"Hey, oh! My head!" a voice muttered from the bed. AJ and Amber looked down and Terri was awake, her hand on her forehead and she was trying to sit up. "Damn, this is worse than hangover."
"Oh my God, babe!" AJ exclaimed and held her. "I thought I'd never see you again." He told her cupping her face with his hands, and tears in his eyes.
"I'll give you two your quiet time." Amber told them quietly.
"Wait, give me a hug first!" Terri demanded and broke away from AJ to hug her friend.
"Alrighty, let me know when I can come in." Amber told them before slipping out the door.
"They didn't tell us anything while they were operating, or anything." AJ told her.
"They didn't tell you that I almost died?" Terri asked surprised.
"Huh?!" AJ exclaimed.
"I actually died for a moment." She replied softly… "It was so weird. First everything went spinning around, then I just closed my eyes. Everything flashed in front of me. Sailing with my dad, paintings I had done at an art gallery…Baseball championships in high school…My family…you… Then I saw an angel, they don't look like what people envision." She sat gazing at nothing smiling, "This one had dark hair and eyes, and she was wearing a burgundy satin gown and her wings were egg shell…You want to know what she told me?" Terri asked, looking straight into AJ's watery eyes.
"What?" AJ choked out.
"She told me someone down here still needed me, and that he loved me with all his heart." She told him, stroking his cheek with her hand as she let tears fall. AJ let out a soft sob and held her tightly as they both cried.
"Oh, God…I love you so much." AJ told her as they rocked back and forth in each other's arms.
"I love you too." Terri replied, knowing just how much she had in life now. AJ stroked her chocolate brown and honey blonde hair then finally pulled from her, looking into her brown eyes. In her eyes he also saw patterns of blue, green, and gold. He gazed into them for another moment until she kissed him.
"I'm gonna go let Amber come in and get the rest of the group." AJ told her, wiping away his tears.
"Ok." She nodded, also wiping away her own. AJ walked out of the room to find Amber sitting on the floor with her back against the wall.
"Hey, you can go in." He told her, she stood up and noticed his face was slightly pink and she knew he had been crying.
"Are you ok Bone?" She asked him.
"I'm just so happy she's alive." He replied, giving out a staggered chuckle.
"Me too." Amber replied and gave him a warm hug.
"Thanks Amber."
"No problem." She replied as she went to talk to Terri.
"Bone, are you ok?" Brian asked when he saw AJ's face.
"Yeah. I'm just really happy." He replied with a smile. "You all can go see her." He told them
"Ok." They replied happily but groggily.
Terri stood by the base, her feet shoulder width apart, her knees slightly bent, her elbows up, and her bat at a 45degree angle. She watched as Brian wound up and threw the ball. She stared at it as it came and smacked through it, her bat whizzing through the air. She dropped the bat and rounded first, second, third, it's a home run! When she got to home plate AJ was waiting for her and she ran into his arms. He and Lexi picked her up on her shoulders as they cheered.
"That was fun." Amber exclaimed as they all sat and ate their Subway subs.
"Yeah, for you it was 'cause Terri got a lucky hit." Nick replied taking a bite out of his steak and cheese sub.
"Please, give me a break. You just can't handle that a girl can play ball." Terri replied and poked the end of his nose.
"Someone is a little cocky." Brian laughed.
"Shut up Brian." Terri laughed.
'I guess you were lost when I met you, cause still there were tears in your eyes…' everyone heard from the radio. Terri and the girls stood up and began to sing as the guys groaned. Terri took AJ's hand and began to sing to him like the guys' sing at the concerts.
'There you are, wild and free, reaching out like you needed me. A helping hand to make it right I am holding you all through the night. I'll be the one…' the girls sang to the men.
"Kevin, we love you." Brian told Becca acting like a fan as he pulled on her leg. Becca began to laugh and jerked away.
"AJ, you're so sexy! I want you!" AJ gushed to Terri, grabbing her hand.
"You don't want me, I suck in bed." Terri replied with a grin.
"Ooh! Below the belt!" the other four guys commented in synchronization. AJ plopped back on the ground, pouting with his arms crossed.
"Oh, I was just kidding." Terri replied, throwing her arms around AJ. "Love you." She told him and kissed him. At first AJ didn't respond, but then he gave in and kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her.
"They've got the right idea." Kevin announced and kissed Amber.
"I agree." Howie commented and kissed Erin. Soon all the couples were kissing.
"Well, looks like we've started a trend." AJ commented, looking around once the kiss was over.
Christmas Eve at Nick and Lexi's new house
"This place is gorgeous." Becca gushed as she admired the living room.
"Thanks, we love it." Lexi replied.
"It's so nice!…hey, where are the guys?" Erin asked looking around.
"Probably in the game room." Lexi replied, "Psh, and they call them men." She added, causing all the girls to laugh.
"I smell sugar cookies burning." Terri commented wrinkling her nose and sniffing the air.
"OH SHIT!" Lexi exclaimed and ran into the kitchen. She grabbed a potholder and threw open the oven door. The girls crowded around behind her.
"Crispy critters." Terri commented as she looked at the brown reindeer cut outs.
"Hey!" Lexi jabbed her in the ribs as she and the girls laughed hardly. "Well, the other two batches came out fine." Lexi said as she put down the cookie sheet.
"They'll be gone within five seconds once the guys get up here." Amber told them.
"No kidding." Erin agreed. "Have any of you gotten an early Christmas present yet?" Erin asked with a smile as they headed back into the living room.
"Nope, Brian said that the earliest presents will be given out tonight." Becca replied, sitting in the reclining chair.
"That's what AJ said. I even gave him the pout face and it didn't work!" Terri exclaimed.
"The pout face didn't work?" Amber asked truly amazed, "My lord. You better get working on it, you might have lost your touch." Amber teased.
"I have not!" Terri replied like a child, "He just…I don't know."
"Do I smell burnt cookies?" Nick asked as he and the other guys walked into the living room.
"Shut up." Lexi retorted.
"Ok." Nick agreed flatly.
"Present time." Howie grinned.
"Who goes first?" Kevin asked.
"Wait!" Terri stopped them, "You must know the rules!" She exclaimed.
"Which are…?" Brian asked.
"That each person may only have one present opened, and that present must be from their intended." She stated.
"Ok…Erin, would you like your present, since you are the youngest?" Howie asked.
"Only by two months, but yes." She stated. Howie pulled a small box from under the tree and gave it to her. Erin grinned and read the little note on it.
"Dear Baby Bear- (everyone awed) I love you SO much!!! You mean everything to me, Merry Christmas. Love, Sweet D"
She smiled at him and opened the box. Inside was a blue, star shaped topaz that was set in a round, silver locket. She flipped it over and read aloud.
"September 5th, 2000." She read aloud, "Our first date…" She smiled and looked at him lovingly.
"Look inside." He told her, grinning like a kid in a candy store. She opened it up and there was a picture of she and Howie at Disney World, eating at some fancy restaurant. Erin looked up at him again and threw her arms around him.
"I love you D."
"I love you too, Merry Christmas." He told her, kissing her. Erin passed the locket around as Brian handed Becca her present. "Hey Honey- I know something you don't know! What's inside this wrapping paper! Well, open it already! I love you, Brian. PS-Merry Christmas."
"You are such a little kid." Lexi laughed at Brian.
"What?" He asked chuckling. Becca opened the box to see two Broadway tickets to Cats, and a round cut amethyst ring.
"Cats?! I love that show!" Becca screamed, hugging Brian.
"Glad you like it!" Brian laughed.
"Love you Bri, Merry Christmas."
"Ditto, BB." He whispered.
"Lexi is next." Nick announced, handing her his present to her.
"No card?" She asked laughing. Nick blushed.
"It's on another present."
"That's ok," She replied with a laugh. She delicately opened one side, taking her time.
"Open the present already dag-nabbit!" Terri snapped, causing laughter to fill the room. Lexi did so, tearing the paper. When she did get it open she found a pair of keys on a "Yes, I am the center of the universe" key chain.
"Oh My GOD!!!" Lexi screamed, holding up the keys.
"Go look out back." Nick told her. Lexi and the other girls rushed to the back window and out in the back was a 2000 BMW Z3convertible, just what she wanted!
"Nick, I could eat you!" Lexi yelled as she hugged him, the force that she put into the hug from running sent Nick backwards and laughing.
"I taste better with chocolate sauce…" He laughed.
"Thank you babes, Merry Christmas." She told him, kissing the tip of his nose.
"Merry Christmas to you too." He replied.
"Amber is next." Kevin said aloud handing Amber her present. She ripped the paper open.
"SOME ONE SEES THE LIGHT!" Terri shouted, looking towards the sky.
"Hey, there is a card." Kevin laughed. Amber blushed and picked it up from the wrapping.
"Sorry. "Ambular, Bert, Ambulazer(yes, Terri told me about that one), Tree Sap, Angel- hope you like it! I picked it out especially for you. Love you, Merry Christmas." She read aloud. "You told him about Ambulazer?" Amber asked Terri. Terri laughed and had to start her sentence over again when she laughed.
"Well, I uh-yeah." She giggled. Amber sighed and shook her head, opening the box. There was a tape player on top of some tissue paper and Amber pushed 'play.' "Trying Times" started playing, only it was Kevin singing. Amber sat and listened breathlessly to it as it played. Tears formed in her eyes and she looked at Kevin with a smile.
"Go on, open the rest." Kevin told her. Amber wiped away a tear and removed the tissue paper. Inside was snowball (the kind you shake and it looks like snow is falling in the ball) but this one had little figurines of Kevin and Amber sitting by the fire. She looked at the bottom and noticed a little crank. She wound it up and "Trying Times" played with Kevin's vocals. Amber wiped away another tear and hugged him tightly.
"I love you." She told him.
"I love you too, I'm glad you like it." He told her.
"Like it?" She asked, "I love it!"
"Terri, I guess you're last." AJ told her with a nervous smile.
"Save the best for last." She beamed, "And since I am the best…" she shrugged sarcastically.
"You have no idea." Brian mumbled, the guys already knew what he had gotten her.
"Here." He told her, handing her an envelope and a small box. She read the note aloud.
"Ernie- Go look out front. Love AJ." She gave him a sideways glance and she went to the front door, AJ beside her and the group trailing behind to see what would happen. The yard was pure white, how, Terri didn't know. But what she saw brought tears to her eyes. In red there was writing on the white, and it read: "Will you marry me?" She turned to AJ and he sunk to his knee. He took the box from her and opened it to reveal an engagement ring on a platinum band with intricate carvings of flowers on each side. She stood there in shock, her hand over her mouth, the girls couldn't believe it as well.
"I know what you're thinking. We have only been together for a short time, but after what you told me in the hospital, I know we are meant to be." AJ told her. Terri dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him.
"Yes! I'll marry you!!!" She replied. AJ put the ring on her finger and then kissed her.
"Hey, how did you make the yard white anyway?" she asked.
"We used silly string." AJ grinned.
"Yeah, 50 cans of it." Howie and Nick both said.
"I love you." Terri whispered.
"I love you too." AJ replied, kissing her again.
Chapter 10
Chapter 12
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