From Forbidden Fruit to Love Renewed Chapter 13

She reaches out and takes his hand; squeezing it, making sure he was really there, "Tell me I'm not dreaming."

"You're not dreaming, Red,” smiling that Bo Buchanan smile.

"The plane, they said, they said you were on the plane", her emotions getting the better of her.

"Shh honey, its okay, I'm right here. I never got on the plane,” reaching out to brush her hair off her forehead.

"When you came through the door, when I was in labor, I just thought I imagined you, I thought it was just my wanting you to be there and it wasn’t real."

"I’m as real as they come, Red.”

"God Bo," she tries to keep the tears from falling but can't.

"Red," he wipes the tears from her cheeks, "there’s no reason for tears everyone’s right where they belong, and we have beautiful little girl just waiting to see her mommy. I can’t wait for you to be able to see her. She’s so perfect, honey, so perfect."

“Just like our son,” she says through her tears.

"Yeah Red, just like our son, and you know what?" she looks up at him, questions in her eyes, "Our son is waiting right outside to see his mom, so what do you say I go get him?"

Nora just nods her head; wiping the tears off her face. Bo kissed her hand and walked out into the hallway where an anxious six year old was waiting to see his mom.

Matthew runs in past Bo and jumps up on the bed, "You done resting mom?"

"Whoa, champ, be careful there,” Bo says as he sits down beside the bed.

"He's fine," running her hand along his face, "Yeah tiger, I'm done resting”, hugging him close. “I missed my baby boy."

"Mooooom,” trying to wiggle out of her embrace, “I'm not your baby any more. We have a new baby now."

Laughing, "Yes, but she's my baby girl. You'll always be my baby boy."

He rolls his eyes, "Can we go see Rory, now?"

"Rory?"

She looks at Bo. He shrugs his shoulders, not catching the nickname, "Yeah mom, Rory, Aurora is too big a name for such a little baby," he holds up his hands, "she's this tiny."

"Aurora," turning towards Bo, her voice catching, "How did you…"

He holds up her journal, "I did a little reading while you were asleep."

"Oh Bo…", the tears freely flowing down her face.

Bo looked over, noticing her tears, and that they needed some time alone, "Hey champ, why don't you go find Grampa Asa and get yourself some ice cream."

He jumps off the bed and heads for the door, "Okay,” turning back around to look at Nora, “I’ll be right back, k, mom?”

“Okay, champ,” she smiles through her tears.

They waited for a few minutes before either of them spoke, "Bo...."

"Look, I know this journal held your private thoughts, and I'm sorry I read them without your knowledge but I needed answers. I needed to know why you pushed me away, why you left town carrying my child, trying so desperately to make me believe she wasn’t mine, which by the way I never believed for a minute. I just needed to know why once again you couldn’t let me in. I wish you would’ve let me in…”

"Bo, I just...I wanted you to be happy. I didn’t want you to push away your happiness just because I was pregnant. We had given ourselves that one night, but we ended up with a connection to last a lifetime. I just…"

"I know you were just trying to protect my feelings, but what you need to realize is, YOU make me happy.”

“I don’t know how you can say that, I’ve made such a mess out of things. I can’t believe you’re not furious with me.”

“Oh, I’m not saying I’m not a tiny bit angry with you or hurt by what you’ve done, because believe me I am, I missed out on so many of”, lifting up the journal, “these moments with you; moments we’ll never get back, but I don’t want to look back anymore. I just want to look forward to our future together with our children. So what do you say?”

“I say that you’re the most amazing, most forgiving man, Bo Buchanan and I love you so much.”

“Good answer,” he leans up to kiss her just as the door swings open, a smiling Matthew covered in hot fudge, walking in.

"I got you some ice cream too," he says while looking up, "were you guys kissing?"

Laughing, Bo sits back in his chair, “Why don't you bring that on over here."

Matthew goes to sit with Bo. “You know it's okay if you were kissing, cuz that's what mom's and dad's do,” looking at Nora, "And I told you my daddy would be Rory's daddy too....he said blood doesn't matter, didn't you dad?"

"I sure did, champ," smiling at his son’s innocence.

"So you guys are getting married now, right? So we can be a real family."

Nora looks over at Bo, knowing it was what she wanted, but afraid it wasn’t what he wanted. "Matthew, this really isn't the time or the place."

"Sure it is, I mean it's not what I was planning, but," he pulls the wedding band out of his pocket, the one she had been wearing since she left, holding it up to her, "will you marry me, Nora?"

“You…you want to marry me, even after…after everything that’s happened?

"Are you kidding me? Do you know what I have been through in the last 4 days? The thought of never being with you again was driving me crazy.”

She looks between the faces of the two most important men in her life, knowing she finally has everything she’s ever wanted right there at her fingertips. "Yes, Bo Buchanan, I would love to be your wife again”, pausing for a moment, “but only on one condition."

Worried he looks up at her, "A condition?"

"This time it really is until death do us part, because I can’t lose you again, Bo.”

“Well that’s one condition I can easily meet. Till death do us part, Red. I promise.”

Matthew pipes in, looking between his parents, "So we're getting married right?"

"Yeah, WE"RE getting married, champ.”

"So do you think I can kiss her now?"

He rolls his eyes and shakes his head, "If you have to, but I still think it's gross"

He leans in and is about to take Nora's lips in his when the door opens, "Well how is my patient doing, this morning?”, as he looks up, he notices she’s awake, “Well you decided to join us, huh?"

"Well, can you blame me, with these two handsome men waiting for me?"

"Honey, I hate to break it to you, but these handsome men of yours have been spending an awful lot of time with another gorgeous red head"

"A red head?", looking at Bo.

"Oh yeah, just like her mom"

"So when can I see this competition of mine?"

"You can head on down there as soon as I’m done checking you out, deal?”

"Well what are you waiting for?"

"Come on champ, let's wait outside, Dr. Larry needs to make sure mom’s okay." he takes Matthews hand and heads to the hallway.

“Bye, mom.”

“Bye, sweetie, I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

As soon as Bo and Matthew were out in the hallway, Larry turns his attention back to Nora, "So how are you feeling?"

"Fine, no better than fine, terrific.”

"Good, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

"How long have I been out of it?”

"Four days.....you had him worried."

"What happened?"

"If I had to guess I would say the shock of losing Bo, then the baby coming early caused your blood pressure to go up...causing a mild stroke.”

"But I'm okay right? I mean there isn't anything wrong with me that Bo wasn't telling me, is there?"

"Honey, you tell me, if you feel fine, then I would say you’re fine, but to be sure we’ll just run some routine tests, and then you can go see that gorgeous little girl of yours, how does that sound?”

"Almost one of the best propositions I’ve had all day,” looking down at her ring.

Out in the hallway Bo pats the seat next to him, "Hey Matthew come sit with me a minute. I need to tell you something about Aurora."

"Okay," he sits next to his dad, "you love her don't you? I mean you still want to be her dad, don't you?"

"Yes, yes of course I do, but," he lets out a breath, "son, you see Aurora, is your sister.'

"I know, just like Rachel is, half mom and half Uncle Hank. Rory is half mom and half…"

"No champ, not like Rachel...Rory is your whole sister...she’s your mother's and my baby.”

"But...but...I don't understand." he looks at his father confused, "you were with Gabrielle."

"Yeah son, I was with Gabrielle, but, you see your mother and well”, pausing for a moment, “the truth is I never stopped loving your mother and when we were in Harrisburg, we realized that we still loved each other, but your mother thought that I wanted to be with Gabrielle so she decided to leave.”

"I don't get it, if you loved her why did you let her leave, why were you going to marry Gabrielle?"

"Aww champ, your mom and I can be very foolish, you see we love each other so much, and sometimes we make mistakes that end up hurting each other because we think we know what's best...look I know this is a lot for you to understand and I don't expect you to, but the important thing is that you, Aurora, your mom and I are going to be a family, okay?"

"Okay.” Dad?"

"Yeah, son?"

"I love you."

"I love you too.”

“Can we go see my sister now?”

"Let's see if your mom's all set." Just as they stood to go to Nora's room, Larry walked out. "How is she?"

"She’s just like any other woman who just gave birth would be, tired, sore, emotional and dying to see her little girl."

"No after effects of the stroke?"

“We’ve ran all the routine tests and everything’s checked out fine. She’s one lucky lady.”

“Thank you, Larry…for everything,” Bo shakes his hand then looks down at Matthew, “Matthew here can’t wait to show his little sister to his mom, so can we take her down there now?”

"Absolutely, just make sure she takes it easy,” he starts to walk away, "Oh Bo, congratulations."

"Thanks." He and Matthew head for her room.

He sticks his head in the door, "You ready for a road trip?"

"Get me out of here," she says throwing her legs over the side of the bed, grimacing at the pain, "ok, that wasn't too bright.”

"Wait a minute let me help you." He goes over to the bed, and lifts her up; gently placing her in the wheelchair Matthew was holding steady.

“Are you ready, mom?"

"Ready." Bo held her hand as Matthew wheeled her out into the hall.

They arrived at the PICU unit a few minutes later; her little red head was right in front, "Oh Bo, she's so tiny. She's smaller than Matthew was…", looking up, noticing the pain flash across his face.

"I know," he whispered, remembering the day they wheeled Matthew out of her room so many years ago.

"I'm sorry,” knowing exactly what he was thinking about.

"What are you sorry about, Red?"

"Matthew..."

"Why are you sorry about me, mom?"

"I'm sorry you and your father missed so much time together, that's all."

"Hey it's okay, we have the rest of our lives, right dad?"

"We sure do champ,” putting his hand on his son’s shoulder.

"And you know what,” looking back at his father, “I think it is really cool that I have a little sister who is just like me, made from you and dad."

She looked at Bo, tears in her eyes, whispering, "You told him?"

"No more lies Red, he's as much a part of this family as you and I are.

“Yeah, mom.

Laughing, "You sure are, kiddo, c'mere" She pulled him to her so she could give him a hug, gently placing a kiss on his forehead.

"So you want to go in?"

"Yeah, yeah I do."

"Okay champ, you wait here while your mom and I go see your little sister, and then we’ll come out and get you."

"Okay."

Bo pushes her inside until they are right up next to the incubator. She starts to stand, "Whoa Red, take it easy," he takes her arm and helps her to steady herself.

"Hi there little one, it's your mommy. I'm sorry I couldn't be hear sooner, but I hear your daddy and big brother have been keeping you company, and let me tell you with men like that looking out for you, you have nothing to worry about." She looks over at the nurse, “Can I touch her?”

"Of course you can."

She gently places her hand inside, gently stroking her fingers which instinctively try to curl, “Hey there baby girl.”

Whispering, "See Red, she knows her mommy's with her now."

She looks up at him, tears in her eyes, "She knows her mommy and her daddy are here with her. She’s so beautiful, Bo. I can’t believe we’ve been given another chance to create this precious life, Bo....you and me....parents again."

"And I think that’s a pretty good sign that we’re meant to be.”

"My God Bo, I love you so much."

"I love you too, I never stopped; it just took a trip to the Garden of Eden, for me to figure it out.”

"That was some trip wasn't it?" A small grin spreads across her face.

"It sure was," he looks down to where the baby's name is written, her eyes follow his gaze.

"Aurora Eve Buchanan" she looks up at him, "Eve?"

"I think it's only appropriate, after all “Eve’s” the one who gave me my heart back." With that he leans in to kiss her, as he takes his lips gently in hers. Aurora begins to cry "Okay little one, I have been trying to kiss this beautiful mom of yours all day, and I’m sure you’re going to do your share of interrupting when we get you home, but right now, I’m kissing her."

Aurora’s cries subside, "Finally," he says as he leans in and gently kisses her.

TBC....