Howie walked down the long, stark hallway of private rooms to finally see Stephanie. Her doctor had come into the waiting room after an hour and told the group the anesthesia had worn off. They naturally let Howie visit her first and would join later. Sighing heavily, he wiped his sweaty hands on the leg of his jeans as he opened the door to Stephanie's room.

He had spent most of the lunch sobbing with relief over knowing that Stephanie would indeed be alright. She had left so abruptly earlier that evening, startling him considerably. Just the thought of losing her made him sick inside. He needed to keep her with him always. He wasn't strong enough to go through this trauma again.

"Stephanie..." was all he could say as he watched her lay in the hospital bed, IV's connected to her arm to steam painkillers into her bloodstream. Cuts and bruises adorned her face but she still looked beautiful.

"You came..." she whispered brokenly.

"Of course I came. Why wouldn't I?" he replied as he forced his numb legs towards her bedside, settling down next to her.

"Because of what... I said..."

"You were hurt, Steph. I wasn't just going to leave you all alone in some scary hospital room," Howie chided, his dark eyes shimmering with a sheen of hurt.

"I'm sorry," Stephanie reached up with her right hand and cupped his cheek.

"How you feeling?" he questioned instead, refusing to accept her apology.

"I ache all over... what happened?"

"You crashed the rental car."

"What? Oh no... I'm sorry, I'll pay the company for--"

"Don't worry about the car," Howie murmured as he leaned forward to gently kiss her forehead. "I'm just thankful that you're okay."

"I'm sorry..." she persisted the apology again.

"Stephanie, it's okay."

"But--"

"Stop."

"Howie--"

"Stephanie, I mean it."

"Howie--"

"Do I need to get you more morphine to drug you out? Stop, you're driving me nuts. Just lay back and rest."

"I was going to say I love you," she pouted, though she did as he said and lay back against the pillows.

"I love you, too," he promised with a small smile. "But you're still resting."

"I'm resting, I'm resting," Stephanie looked down at her arm and gasped softly. "What did I break?"

"Your arm?" Howie murmured in confusion.

"It feels funny..."

"They had to place plates and pins in to put your bones back together."

Stephanie seemed to pale. "What?"

"I don't know much about medicine... but the breaks in your two arm bones were bad, so they had to reinforce them with plates and pins. Your arm is going to be fine," Howie explained the best he could.

"You're sure?" she murmured.

"I'm positive--"

"I think I'll wait for Ana to tell me... Is she here?" Stephanie suddenly wondered, glancing hurriedly toward Howie. "Tell me Kevin didn't--"

"She's in the waiting room, she's fine, Kevin's not here."

"She actually came?"

"Why are you so surprised that people came to the hospital after getting into a serious car accident?"

"It's not like I've spent much time with her since..." Stephanie exhaled a soft breath. "I don't know... I'm just so happy with you here..."

"And I'm going to be spending the night," Howie ran his fingers through her long locks.

"Promise?" Stephanie breathed.

"With everything I am," he brushed a kiss against her forehead.

"...That was corny..."

"...I tried..." Howie chuckled.

"I love you," Stephanie whispered, cupping his cheek once more.

"I love you, too. Just promise me something."

"What?"

"Never drive when you're angry."

Stephanie glanced up at Howie with confusion. She tried to decide if she should be offended with his request. Was he saying that she was a horrendous driver? Wrinkling her nose with disgust, she lifted her right hand as if she were going to scold him, but stopped halfway. "What? Why?"

"I know you're a defensive driver, and that's good," Howie immediately replied to calm her down. "But a witness said you crashed was because you took your hands off the wheel to flip someone off... and you were angry... do you realize you could have died? That I might have been looking at you in a body bag instead of a hospital bed?"

"Howie--"

"I can't take that again, Stephanie. My heart can't stand the pain of losing you. Promise me that you won't drive when you’re angry. Please?"

Stephanie looked up into his brown eyes and her heart broke. She had truly scared him. "I promise. I won't drive when I'm angry."

"Thank you so much," Howie breathed, leaning to kiss her gently.

"Just don't ever call me a bad driver again."


~*~*~*~*~


"You know, if you really wanted to take a rest you could have just had a tantrum until Howie gave in," Brian teased as he and the others walked into Stephanie's room after giving the couple some alone time.

"Nah, she thought crashing an expensive rental car into a guide rail in the middle of the highway was far more effective than any silly tantrum," Ana murmured as she pulled away from a gentle hug with Stephanie. Unable to help herself, she went about checking the IV that was threaded into Stephanie's arm, assuring that it was intact and infusing properly. She then peeked inside the sling to assure that the staples were intact with no signs of infection.

"Yes Nurse, they've done everything right," Stephanie chided with a smile as Ana continued to check other things.

"Like you would know," Ana groaned, giving Stephanie a stern glare.

"It is one of the best hospitals in New York?"

"If not a close second."

"Then everything was done right--"

"And if it ever isn't you tell those nurses that I have no problem whatsoever with coming in here and--"

"Ana," Stephanie groaned with a soft laugh.

"I think that's her way of saying to sit down and behave. Don't worry, I get that all the time from the guys," Nick muttered loudly toward Ana, pulling her to sit in his lap.

"Since we're in the hospital, I'll allow her sitting on your lap once," Brian grumbled as he kissed Stephanie's cheek, tucking a cuddly white teddy bear between her side and left arm.

"Like I'm afraid of him," Nick scoffed toward Ana, resting his head against her back with a soft yawn.

"You sure did scream like a girl when he lifted you by the ankles," AJ snickered, placing a vase of flowers on the nightstand.

"Who knew that munchkin could lift me!" Nick exclaimed.

"Brian's full of surprises..." Stephanie mused.

"That's the best part," Ana murmured aloud.

"Ana!"

"What?"

"Don't need to hear about that!"

"About what?!"

"The length of his surprising--"

"Nick!" Howie growled.

"What?!"

"You two just keep getting into trouble," Stephanie shook her head.

"Two?" Nick and Ana questioned.

"Yes, two! One," she pointed to Nick. "And two!" she pointed to Ana.

"I hardly get in trouble," Ana scoffed.

"Do I need to tell the story of our senior year prank when you stole Flanagan's boxers in addition--"

"You can just shut the Hell up," Ana informed. "Injured or not, I'll kick your ass."

"Antsy much?" Nick laughed.

"She's just trying to embarrass me--"

"I got my entertainment, you don't have to worry. I won't tell them the story."

"She means Howie..." Brian guessed with a small smile, taking the seat beside Nick and Ana.

"More than likely--"

"More than likely? Who else would be your entertainment?" Howie raised an eyebrow.

"Tweedle dum and tweedle dee and tweedle dumber," Stephanie explained, gesturing toward Nick, Ana, and AJ with her good hand.

"At least she knows better to call me tweedle dee," AJ boasted with a grin.

"Excuse me, she called me tweedle dee," Nick disagreed.

"You're tweedle dumber!"

"Am not!"

"Brian..." Ana whined slightly, gesturing toward her lover's lap.

"Come on over," Brian chuckled as she climbed into his lap for protection as Nick and AJ continued to bicker.

"Those two ain't gonna stop for hours," Ana decided with a shudder as she nestled against Brian's chest, weaving his arms around her waist. Feeling comfortable, she watched as Howie took the nearest seat beside Stephanie, reaching for her hand. The care he took to softly caress the back of her hand caused a small smile to light Ana's face. "How you feeling, Stephanie?"

"Besides achy... just thankful I'm alive and have my friends here with me," Stephanie smiled as well, the stream of medications taking the edge off the pain from the accident and surgery.

"Do you need anything?"

"Actually... I'm really craving some Mickey D's... could someone sneak some in for me?"

"Let that anesthesia wear off first."

"How long does that take?"

"Give yourself a day to recover... Though Howie'll be sneaking down to get it anyway... So why I even bother..."

"Because it's in your maternal nature?"

"There is no way that I'm maternal."

"How can you not be? You always looked after me in Minnesota whenever we went out to the clubs."

"That's cause you drank like a--"

"Maternal instinct!"

Ana simply grinned impishly, which seemed to speak volumes in itself as Howie pried into Stephanie's alcoholic status.


~*~*~*~*~


"Finally alone," Stephanie smiled as the door closed for the last time. Her nurse had come into her room and announced visiting hours were over, so now it was her and Howie for the rest of the night.

"You act like this is some fancy hotel resort," Howie chuckled as he shifted uncomfortably in the chairs that would be his bed for the evening. Thanking his friends once more for rushing to his aid, he had no problem bidding them goodbye as he settled in for a long evening. "You know your nurse is going to be in here looking after you the whole night."

"Any time with you is like being at a fancy hotel resort," Stephanie gave half a shrug with a wink. "As long as we don't get caught--"

"Caught doing what?"

"Doing... whatever..."

"You're healing."

"Well, I didn't mean--"

"Sure..." Howie chuckled.

"Stop making me sound like a nympho!" Stephanie gave a pitiful pout.

"Never a nympho..."

"Then what?"

"I love you."

"Ooh... nice save."

"I'm getting better," Howie admitted as he leaned to kiss her once more, just utterly grateful that the accident hadn't been too serious.

"When I get out of here tomorrow, I'll give you a gold star," Stephanie giggled, playing with his silky curls. When the car crashed, she had thought she would never be able to touch Howie again and from then on, she wasn't going to take advantage of the simple things.

"I'd rather just have a kiss."

"Another nice save," she smiled, brushing her lips against his.

"I know."

"Are you really sleeping on those God-awful chairs?" Stephanie eyed the hard plastic furniture that made her back hurt just thinking about it.

"Yes, because I'm not leaving you and I can't fit on that bed without hurting you."

"You're going to be one big knot tomorrow and it'll be my fault..."

"I've slept in odder places," Howie promised as he gently rubbed the back of her hand in reassurance.

"I guess so..." Stephanie sighed, looking down at their linked hands. The unique mix of her fair skin and his caramel skin. She always thought it was a beautiful combination.

"You in pain?" Howie questioned worriedly, noticing the concentrated look on her beautiful face.

"No, I actually don't feel much pain right now. I was just looking and thinking..."

"About?"

"Our hands. And our skin... it just blends into something... amazing. It's hard to explain."

"So philosophical," Howie teased as he leaned to kiss her cheek once more.

"I was trying to be serious for once--"

"I'm sorry--"

"Howie--"

"I think you had a beautiful thought, Steph. I'm sorry."

"You don't have--"

"Will you please accept my apology?"

"...You think I had a beautiful thought?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. I assumed it was just a silly girly thought--"

"It wasn't a girly thought, Steph. It was heartfelt and meaningful and if that's what you truly feel, then it makes it all the better."

Stephanie smiled and kissed his hand. "I love you."

"I know."

"You know what else?"

"What?"

"If we ever have kids... they're going to be perfect."

Howie mustered a nervous smile. "Kids..."

Stephanie heard a little tremble in his voice and knew she had crossed a line. She could have kicked herself as her face turned red. She let go of Howie's hand and fiddled with the scratchy blanket covering her bottom half. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said--"

"Stephanie, it isn't like that--"

"We haven't been together that long... bringing up kids--"

"True, it's a little startling, but it makes me feel better to know that you want to have kids. I'm not getting any younger."

"But I--"

"It's okay."

"Howie--"

"Would you stop arguing with me?"

"Would you stop interrupting me?" Stephanie retorted with a smirk.

"If you stop arguing with me."

"Fine... I give up."

"Finally!" Howie breathed as he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Now would you please rest? You won't be in the hospital that long and we're getting ready to leave on tour. It'll be busy. You need all the rest you can get."

"Alright, alright, I'll rest..." Stephanie laid back against the pillows and smiled softly. "Are you sure you're going to be okay on those chairs?"

"I'll live... Or maybe have Ana give me a back massage--" Howie yelped in shock as a pillow was sent in his direction. "Kidding! Kidding! Kidding!"

"Damn right, you're kidding," Stephanie scoffed, now a little uncomfortable without her second pillow.

"Jealous much?"

"You'd be jealous too if you had a handsome and sexy boyfriend who--"

"Loves his beautiful girlfriend very much."

"Howie--"

"Very much," Howie leaned over and silenced her with a kiss.