Authors Note: The nurse Jacob is inspired by a nurse I've worked with in the ER. He's a very humble, sweet nurse and one that many patients have raved about, so I thought he deserved a place in this story.

"No, Ana, baby, no…" He sobs out as he drops to his knees, pushing Hyde's body off of hers. "God, please, no…" It takes a few pushes and tugs, but he manages to roll his body away. "Ana! Ana, please!" looking down at her bloody face, he pushes her blood soaked hair off of her face. "Baby, look at me. You've got to open your eyes. Please… You can't! You just can't. Look at me! Wake up!" His head drops to her chest as he sobs.

"Christian!" Taylor squats down beside him, trying to get his attention.

"Just go!" Christian refuses to move, trying to take in the feel of her one last time. "Ana… my Ana…"

Christian just wants to curl up in the dirt next to her body and go with her. He can feel Taylor shaking him, but he doesn't bother to move.

"Christian! Christian, will you listen to me?! She has a pulse!"

"Wha-what?!" Christian's heart gives a jolt sending electricity through his body and down to his toes. Turning his head, his eyes finally clear enough to watch Taylor. Taylor's fingers are gripping her wrist and he has a small smile on his face. She's alive.

Christian's hand runs down her arm and his fingers take Taylor's place on her pulse point. Pressing a little, he waits.

The rush of blood presses against his fingertips. It's faint, but it's there. His world that had shattered in a split second has rebuilt itself with just one woosh of her pulse. It's a second he'll never forget and a feeling that will always be remembered. The feel of her heartbeat against his fingertips will forever be the most precious touch in the world.

As reality slowly creeps back in, Christian notices multiple police at the scene, yellow police tape and evidence markers already being placed around the scene.

"This is Officer Keethler, we need a bus! We have a pulse!" Christian watches as a black female police officer squats down beside Christian and palpates the pulse on Anastasia's neck to double check.

Christian studies Anastasia's face. She looks peaceful, even though her face is blood-smeared and wet from the spitting rain. "We've got you, Ana." He runs his thumb over her blood-stained cheek. "Everything is going to be alright." Sitting back on his knees, he takes off his peacoat and drapes it over the trunk of her body, trying to keep her warm. "We'll take care of you."

Suddenly, a gun goes off, making the officer's pull their weapons and begin to search.

The sound causes Anastasia to startle awake, struggling to sit up. Her eyes are wide, her face contorted in pain and shock, and she immediately reaches for her head, feeling for something.

"You're okay, Ana. You weren't shot. You're okay."

Her eyes meet his and she shakes her head, not understanding. Her mouth tries to form the word 'but', but nothing comes out. She's in shock and her mind can't compute everything that is happening.

The few seconds of chaos settles down when one of the officers realize that the gunfire was from Hyde's gun. It had jammed and now misfired. The bullet is lodged in the concrete base of the overpass.

Officer Keethler squats back down, seeing Anastasia sitting up. "Hello, Anastasia. My name is Officer Keethler. I know you've been through a lot the last few minutes, but everything is going to be okay."

Anastasia reaches for her head again and the officer nods.

"He tried to shoot you, but the gun jammed. It's a miracle, really. You're going to be fine. We'll get your statement when you get to the hospital. You just try to relax for now."

Anastasia's eyes find Christian's again and her hand lowers from her head to her stomach. The baby. She can't form words, but she's hoping Christian understands.

"The baby. I'm sure the baby will be fine, love. We'll get both of you checked out at the hospital." Christian slides closer to her and pulls her into his arms, just needing to be close to her. He knows he should be angry at her for putting their baby and herself at danger, but there is a time and place for that and right now is not the time. Making sure they're alive and healthy is the number one priority.

As he holds her close to him, Anastasia can feel her stomach beginning to rumble. She pushes away from him as her stomach lurches and she gets sick on the ground next to them as she holds herself up on her hands and knees. Her stomach lurches over and over and by the time she's done, she's panting for breath. She has a headache that's making it hard for her to see straight, a neck ache so bad that it's hard for her to hold her own head up and a stomach ache to rival the pounding in her head.

Christian is there to catch her as she collapses back and he cradles her to him, wiping the sick off her chin with his handkerchief. She knows she should sit up, try to stand, but she can't find the energy for it. Instead, she finds her eyelids becoming heavy and she relaxes into his chest feeling safe enough to quit fighting unconsciousness. She lets herself slip away, praying that the pain will cease by the time she wakes.

Anastasia gets jostled to consciousness a few times getting placed on the stretcher, getting loaded into the ambulance, and then getting transferred from the EMS stretcher to the ED stretcher. Her headache is severe and she can't even manage to open her eyes when she's awoken. It only takes a few seconds for her to slip back out of consciousness, which is fine with her. She's drowsy and her head feels like it's been beat with a hammer...or the butt of a gun...

When she does finally wake and open her eyes, she finds herself in a room in the Emergency Department, Christian slowly pacing back and forth at the foot of her bed while Grace speaks to him in such hushed tones that she can't even understand what she's saying. Christian is obviously upset and on top of her pounding head and nauseated stomach, she can feel the guilt twist in her chest. She did this. This is all her fault.

Neither of them have noticed she's awake and a part of her wants to just shut her eyes and go back to sleep, or at least pretend to sleep a little longer so she doesn't have to face the consequences of her actions. She knows she deserves anything Christian says or does to her for pulling this. She lied to him, she stole from him, she put his child at danger. She's a terrible person. She did it to keep her parents safe and ended up hurting herself and possibly their child. They could have both been dead. It would have killed Christian.

That baby is the only reason why God spared you.

The thought makes her feel even worse. If she wasn't carrying an innocent child, that gun wouldn't have jammed. She's almost sure of it. God gave their child a chance at life and she was saved in the process.

She's fucked up. She isn't even sure how bad, yet. She needs to move her achy muscles enough to hit her call light. She needs to know if the baby is okay. She doesn't even know if her parents are okay. Has Christian called them? Are they safe?

Turning her head, she winces, regretting the motion as soon as she does. Her head has such a painful heartbeat in it that it feels like her eyes are pulsating along with her heart. It's making it hard for her to focus on objects. Her neck is painfully tight and her back between her shoulder blades feels like there's a baseball shoved there.

Why is she so damn sore?

Christian's mother tries to console him, tries to whisper words of encouragement while his rage and worry simmer just below the surface. He's angry with Hyde, he's angry with Anastasia, he's devastated that she's hurt, that the baby could be hurt, that he didn't notice the signs that something had been wrong before now. She had been acting funny all week and he shrugged it off as hormones.

How fucking stupid could he be?

Never again will he shrug something off. From now on, he'll know that something deeper is happening. Why did this have to be the consequence?

She did this to herself!

An angry, dark piece of his soul shouts at him, causing him to wince. His heart aches at the words that run through his head.

She's a good girl. She made a mistake.

He loves her. She's been punished enough for this, hasn't she? She's broken and bloody already.

She lied. She's broken your trust. She manipulated you… used you, because she knew she could.

"Stop." He mutters under his breath as his slow pacing speeds a little.

"Honey?" His mother reaches out for his arm, but he continues to pace, letting her hand slide down the length of it and drop back to her side.

You put her on a pedestal and became so pussy-whipped you couldn't even tell she lied right to your face. She blinded you.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" He smacks the palm of his hand against the wall and leans his forehead against it. "I love her. I do. I love her. She doesn't deserve this."

Grace steps up behind him and rubs his upper arm, trying to soothe him. "We know, Christian. We all love her. She'll be okay. Baby will, too. You'll see."

Christian turns toward his mom and she sees his gray eyes are blurry with tears, making her heart ache even more for him.

"Mom…" It comes out as a strangled whisper, the pain, worry, and regret shining so deep in it that it makes Grace choke on her own tears.

He grabs for her and hugs her tight, letting her sway them from side to side. "Oh, baby boy, I know, lovebug. I know." She smooths his hair with one hand while the opposite arm holds him tight around the waist. "I promise. Everything will be okay."

"How do you know?" His voice is broken and muffled into her neck.

"Because it just has to be."

A faint dinging, like the sound a car makes when the seatbelt isn't engaged comes overhead making them still. Christian pulls away from the hug and notices the call light button on the wall is going off.

Confused, his eyes land on Anastasia's form and sees her laying in bed with her fingers wrapped tight around her call button. Her eyes are open and she's staring back at him. When her crystal blue eyes meet his, it's a shock to his system and he actually startles.

"Anastasia!" His frozen body finally moves and he's beside her within a second. "You're awake. How are you feeling?" He reaches up to cup her face, but she hisses and pushes at his arm with her free hand.

"Like I've been hit by an 18-wheeler." Her voice is hoarse from lack of water and she tries to clear her throat, but it causes the muscles in her neck to jerk and she winces from the pain radiating up the back of her neck.

"You've got a fractured skull, concussion, and whiplash in your neck. They gave you pain medication when you got here cause you kept crying and whimpering in your sleep, but when you weren't waking, the doctor decided to ease you off of it in hopes that the pain would wake you."

Anastasia blinks up at him slowly, trying to comprehend what he's saying. "How...how long have I been asleep?" Out of the corner of her eye she can make out a window and there's no light coming from it, but she decides its not worth the neck pain to see how late it is.

"Awhile. It's almost midnight."

Again, she blinks slowly and her eyebrows raise in surprise. "Oh. Have you spoken with my parents? What about the baby?"

He gives her a small smile. "I've talked with your parents and they're okay. Worried sick over you. They're talking about trying to get to Seattle tomorrow to see you. They've been checking in every hour." His grin widens a little. "Now, I haven't talked to the baby, but we have gotten to hear the heartbeat and it's strong. They were wanting to wait until you were up to do an ultrasound."

"Ha ha, Grey." His joke is entertaining, but she doesn't bother to even smile. It's painful.

There's a knock on the door and the nurse, Jacob, sticks his head in before he slips the rest of himself in. "Ah, Anastasia, you're up. The doctor will be happy to hear that." He's tall and lean, maybe thirty years old, with dark brown hair, matching brown eyes, and a warm smile that shows off his perfectly straight, white teeth. "How ya' feelin'?" His soft accent comes out and she can tell he's from somewhere in the Midwest, maybe southern Illinois where the farmland is thick and the accents are soft.

"Like hell."

He gives a light chuckle and it causes Anastasia's lips to curl up into a shadow of a smile. He's got a warmness about him that makes her feel comfortable with him.

"Well, Anastasia, I figured as much. What can I get for ya'?" He reaches behind her head to turn the call light off and waits patiently for her answer.

"The baby. I wanted to make sure that everything is okay with our baby."

Jacob nods. "I'll go out right now and talk to the doctor about getting an ultrasound machine down here. While we wait, why don't I getchya' some water? You sound a little parched."

Anastasia swallows and it's dry. "Yes, that would be great, thank you."

"What about you, Christian? You doin' alright?" Jacob makes eye contact with him and gives him his soft southern grin to try to lift his spirits.

"I'm fine for now, Jacob. Thank you." A part of Christian is irked by the handsome bastard, but he appears harmless enough. Anastasia seems comfortable with him and he's found a good balance between professionalism and personableness, so Christian tries to extinguish that jealous little demon inside of him. He's wearing a wedding ring, Grey. Cool it.

"Christian...listen…" Anastasia is feeling like hell run over, but she knows she can't leave this hanging between them. Her eyes wander to Grace and she wonders if this is a conversation they should be having with Grace so near. She knows that Christian is going to be very angry with her when the dust settles and she doesn't want Grace looking down on her, too, though she deserves it. The thought of being unwelcome in the Grey's home is devastating to her.

Before she can even get a sentence out, Christian puts a hand up. "Let's not talk now. We've more important things to focus on right now."

That's what she was worried would happen; Christian wanting to shrug it off for the time being. If they don't talk now, there's a good chance that Christian will go flying off the handle later. She wanted to swallow the bitter pill… at least a part of it… and talk through a few things. She knows this could possible change the way he sees her...change their relationship.

What if he ends up hating her? What if he uses this day in court to take her baby away from her? If he takes her to court, she knows there is no way she can afford the lawyers he can. He's got the best lawyers money can buy and he always gets what he wants. She's ruined everything.

The doctor introduces herself as Dr. Page and looks Anastasia over once more since she's awake and orders some more pain medication through her IV while they wait for the ultrasound tech to arrive. When the doctor leaves, Grace slips out with her, allowing the two to have some time alone.

Anastasia opens her mouth to try to apologize, but Jacob pops in with her ice water and a straw. She takes it gratefully and sucks it down before he can even turn away to leave.

"I knew I should have brought a pitcher." He laughs lightly, filling her cup in the sink. "Try to go a little slower on this one, alright? We don't wantchya' to go overboard and make yourself sick."

She nods, understanding. This time she does her best to sip the water, but she finds herself sucking it dry within minutes. She knows she can't have anymore for a bit, so she frowns at the cup that she's set aside.

There's a knock on the door and a Native American woman with chocolate brown eyes and skin that seems to glow pops her head in.

"Ultrasound. May I come in?"

"Yes, come in." Christian is eager to see their baby on the screen.

"My name is Nadi and we're going to get a couple visuals of your baby. I'm going to get set up here and then I'll have you raise your gown and lower your blanket a little so we can get to your abdomen. I might have to lower the head of your bed a little, too, if that's alright."

"That's alright with me." Anything to see the baby. She shifts in bed, trying to get her blankets and gown situated, but it's making the heartbeat in her head pound even more.

Christian sees her wince and reach for her temple and it causes him to snap into action. "You relax and let me help you. We'll get you situated together."

Anastasia gives him a grateful smirk. "Yes, thank you. I can't seem to push past this headache."

This comment causes him to roll his eyes. "You won't be able to. It's hurting for a reason. Your body is sending up flares so you're aware. Your medication will kick in soon and you'll be feeling better. In the meantime, I hope you can enjoy seeing the baby." He fusses over her blankets and her gown, until her stomach is revealed.

His eyes immediately land on a purple bruise along the left side of her ribcage and his heart gives a hard punch in his chest. His teeth grind together. Hyde could have killed their child. She put them both at risk.

"Christian?" Anastasia's eyebrows knit together when she sees his expression change. "What's wrong?" She wonders if realization has finally hit and he's beginning to feel hatred for her. Tears spring to her eyes, but she blinks them away, pushing her feelings to the side for the moment.

He shakes his head to clear his thoughts. "Nothing, love. Everything is fine. Everyone will be fine. Let's enjoy our baby."

The lights are dimmed and Nadi places the warm gel on Anastasia's stomach before placing the wand on her bump. Immediately, they can see the form of a baby.

"Oh, wow. It's gotten so big!" Anastasia is astonished. It's so easy to tell where everything is. She can even make out all the baby's little fingers and see the feet flexing.

Christian, who has taken a seat next to her bed, slips his hand into hers and brings the back of her hand to his lips. "Beautiful. Our baby is so beautiful."

Nadi smiles at his comment. "It looks like everything is just as it should be. I'm just looking at the spinal cord, which looks to be in perfect condition and I'll look at the baby's organs to make sure there isn't anything wrong with them and...oh."

Christian heart stops for a split second. "What? Oh, what?" His voice is urgent.

"I'm sorry, nothing bad. Your baby just opened right up for us and I can see everything. Do you guys know the gender, yet?"

Anastasia looks over at Christian with a large smile on her face. "No! But you can see… you can tell if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Yes. Look away for a moment while I do the baby's legs and such if you don't want to know."

Christian stands up and tries to look closer at the screen. "No, we want to know. Where is it? What is it?"

Nadi lets out a light laugh. "It's right here. Here are the baby's genitals." She points at the screen. "Do you see anything."

He narrows his eyes and tries to look hard. "No, I don't see anything. Nothing is there."

"Well, stuff is there, but no penis or testicles."

Anastasia gasps. "Then that means…"

"We're having a girl!" Christian punches the air. "We're having a baby girl-oh, shit." Suddenly, he's worried. A girl. He plops down in his chair.

"Christian?"

"A girl…fuck. I need to get a gun."

Realizing, Anastasia starts to giggle, but the look on Nadi's face shows that she doesn't understand.

"Little fuckers." He whispers under his breath.

"Christian, you can't curse boys that haven't even been born, yet!"

Nadi's body relaxes when she realizes why Christian reacted like this. "For a second, I thought you were angry about the baby being a girl."

Giving Nadi an apologetic smile, he shakes his head. "Not at all. I just want to keep her safe. Having a girl scares the shit out of me, because I know just how much of a possessive bastard I can be. What if she hates me for it?" He looks at Anastasia, a small pout forming on his lips.

Reaching up, Anastasia cups his stubbled cheek. "She'll love you. The second you see her, you'll be wrapped around her little finger and the second she feels your warmth, she'll be a Daddy's girl. You just watch."

XxXxXx

Anastasia has been in the hospital for twenty-four hours and the doctor has decided that she is stable enough to go home. Dr. Page goes over the discharge instructions- what to do at home, what symptoms to look for, how to follow up with the doctor- and tells Anastasia that she is free to go once she gets cleaned up.

The doctor doesn't want her showering just yet, just baths, for a week or so until her headaches and dizziness subside from the head trauma, so she does her best with a soapy rag while she sits on the hospital toilet. She gets dizzy when she stands by herself, but she feels so silly asking Christian for help when she'll be able to take a bath at home soon.

Home.

She frowns.

The thought of going home when she doesn't know who is out there makes her heart lurch. Hyde obviously has others that he works with. What if the drug riddled man that the police caught was able to get to a phone? What if there were others watching? Anyone could be sitting, waiting for her to come back to the apartment.

What if they're still in Georgia? What if Hyde really did have friends in Georgia and they were still there? What if they got their hands on her parents?

"Christian!" She stands the quickest she can, holding onto the metal side bar with one hand to keep herself upright while the other pulls up her clean panties. She's still in her hospital gown, but this can't wait. She needs to tell him now.

"What? What is it?" Christian enters quickly, worry etched across his handsome face. Her call had been frantic and sorrowful. "I'm here. What's going on?"

"My parents!"

"I just-"

She shakes her head quickly and then regrets it, grabbing her head and lowering herself back down to the toilet to keep the dizziness from becoming worse. "No, I need to see them. We need to go to Georgia."

"Ana…"

"Please." She looks up at him, her forehead creased with worry. It causes him to lean down and place a kiss to the crease, hoping soothing her will help smooth it. He hates seeing her so miserable.

"Now?"

"Yes, please. Please, Christian. I just need to make sure. I need my mom and dad."

The emotion in her voice makes his heart ache for her and tears spring to his eyes. "Yes, love. Of course. We'll go today. I'll call them right now and let them know we're coming and I'll get the plane ready." Her parents planned to fly out in the evening, but perhaps it'd be better to get away from Seattle for awhile. He hoped that her parents would keep Anastasia's mind off of what happened and that he'd be able to clear his head a little. He's been itching to go on a run by himself to let loose all of this negative energy and clear his thoughts, but he just couldn't leave her alone. Her parents would keep her safe and he could run until his lungs burst and his legs gave out.

He just needed to run.