Chapter Thirty

Before Aiden was able to respond to Nick's weak compliment, Doctor Montgomery came flying into the room, his white hair sticking straight up as he took in the sight of Nick finally awake and of Garth lying in a pool of his own blood.

Aiden found himself staring at Garth as well as the doctor flipped his body over. Aiden had never killed anyone before and it didn't make him feel as strong or tough as he had thought it would. Instead he felt a bit sick and hollow inside. He had just taken another man's life and while he knew it had been necessary, the sight of those now lifeless eyes staring up at him caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end.

Aiden heard boot steps coming down the hall and suddenly Brody and Elizabeth were rushing in with Wendell and Kaitlyn behind them, "We heard a shot!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

Aiden pointed toward Garth and Brody cursed, "He didn't hurt any of you did he?" Brody demanded.

"No," Nick croaked out before coughing and growling with pain. Elizabeth rushed to his side and poured a bit of water from a pitcher into a crystal glass. She held it to Nick's lips and he drank greedily, though a lot of the liquid ended up running down his chin and cheeks.

"Here," Aiden blinked several times before reaching and taking his gun from Brody's hand. "You did good, Aiden," Brody assured him. Aiden nodded slowly but couldn't seem to find any good in what had happened.....

"Aiden..." Nick whispered. "You okay?"

Aiden turned his attention to Nick. That was the good. Nick was awake, he was alive and even after what Nick had been through he seemed more concerned about Aiden than himself. Aiden let out a choked sob and then went to Nick, squatting down beside the bed and laying his head against his heart.

Nick's hand came up to stroke his hair, "Hey, you're alright," Nick whispered gently. "It's all gonna be alright now."

"Well he's dead and gone," Doctor Montgomery mumbled as he closed Garth's eyes, stood up straight and shook his head. "Must have snuck in that window to come in here and finish Nick off."

"But Aiden stopped him," Wendell spoke up. "Good job, Aiden,"

Aiden didn't reply. He just kept his head resting on Nick's heart and listened to the reassuring sound of it beating beneath his ear.

"Let's leave them alone," Aiden heard Elizabeth whisper and Kaitlyn mumbled an agreement. "I'm glad you woke up, Nick. There's going to be a lot of work to be done at the ranch so you need to get healed up and get back out there," Elizabeth said with a warm smile. Aiden heard Nick agree. Brody grabbed a sheet from the chair and wrapped Garth up in it before hoisting the man up with Wendell's help and carrying him from the room.

"I'll be back with rags in a moment," Doctor Montgomery muttered as he stared at the blood pooled and smeared across his floor.

Quickly Aiden and Nick found themselves alone, "Are you okay?" Nick whispered as he reached out and laid a tender hand over Aiden's bandaged hand.

"Yeah," Aiden sniffed, forcing back his tears as he raised his head and looked into Nick's eyes, "I am now."

"What happened to your hand?"

"There was a fire at the ranch house. Burt, Curly and Graham started it. I burned my hand when I was getting Nathan and Max out."

"Wow," Nick's gray eyes lit with pride. "You're a regular hero now, Aiden. You saved them and you saved me."

"I just did what I had to do," Aiden shrugged. "I never even really thought about it much either time."

Nick simply nodded and Aiden leaned forward and brushed his lips against his jaw line, "I was so scared, Nick. I really thought you were going to die."

"Naw—" Nick smiled at him, "I wouldn't die and leave you alone, Aiden. We got far too much life to live together to cut it short now."

Aiden smiled but then his eyes were once again pulled back to the sight of all of Garth's blood, "You sure you're okay, Aiden?" Nick questioned, tracing Aiden's cheek with his fingertips.

"Yeah... I don't know. I never have killed a man before. I didn't realize it would make me feel so...."

"Empty?" Nick offered.

"Yeah," Aiden nodded. "Have you killed before?"

Nick's gray eyes seemed to be looking into the past as he nodded, "Just once."

"How do men like Brody do it?" Aiden asked. "How do they kill so easily and never lose a single moment of sleep over it?"

Nick sighed and Aiden could tell he was tired, "I've heard stories about Brody, Aiden, and I wouldn't be so sure that he doesn't lose sleep over things he's done in his life. I think he does. I think he loses a lot of sleep but I think that having Liz by his side helps him through it."

"I love you, Nick."

"I love you too."

Doctor Montgomery came in then and silence fell over the room as he used a bucket of hot water and rags to clean the blood from the floor. He checked Nick's wound and rewrapped Aiden's hand before leaving the room and closing the door.

Nick yawned and Aiden stood up grasping Nick's hand tightly, "You're tired. Get some rest and I'll go see about getting you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry," Nick countered as he tugged Aiden toward the bed. "I'd rather just have you lay here with me a while."

"Here?" Aiden swallowed hard. "You want me to cuddle in bed with you right here in town when anyone could walk in?"

"I reckon it's a little too late to worry about hiding what we are and what we mean to one another now don't you think?"

Aiden laughed lightly though it could have been from exhaustion and relief more so than humor, "I guess you've got a point," he admitted with a shrug and then he slid off his boots and the gun belt and climbed into the bed. He curled up against his man, listening to the steady beat of his heart and it didn't take long at all before a peaceful sleep claimed them both.

***

Nick woke to the sound of Aiden's steady breaths against his ear. He smiled and turned his neck a bit to see the other man sound asleep and looking peaceful. Nick felt his throat fill with emotion and he quickly swallowed it down and looked up at the ceiling.

He was in pain and his body felt weak and heavy but, dammit, he was alive and he was holding Aiden tight against him so it was a good day—or night he supposed as he glanced at the window and saw the darkness.

Nick knew that their struggles were far from over but maybe now there would be no one else that wanted them dead. He knew he had a slow recovery ahead of him because of the blood loss and damage to his ribs but Nick hoped that when he was healed they would still be welcome on the ranch.

Sure Liz had said they expected him to be back to work but what would Jacob have to say? Jacob had always been the harder of the Atkinson family to please. He had a strict code of what he thought was right and wrong and he didn't often make exceptions to that rule.

Nick knew he couldn't worry about that now. He only needed to focus on getting better and helping Aiden to cope with the reality of what he'd been through. The nightmares hadn't come yet but Nick was sure they would. Aiden had been through hell the last couple of days—the last couple of months really—and it would only be a matter of time before the dreams began to plague him and wake him up at night.

So for now he had to put away his worries about the ranch house, their living arrangements, Aiden's parents (who would be receiving their letter soon) and this town which would know all the sordid details of his and Aiden's relationship by now and focus all his attention on healing and Aiden. Those were the only things that mattered just now.

Nick wrapped his arm a little tighter around Aiden and groaned in pain. His gaze went to Aiden's face when he felt Aiden's eyes on him. Sure enough those deep brown eyes were watching him closely, "You're in a lot of pain aren't you?" Aiden asked gently.

"I'm sure you are too," Nick replied. He had seen Aiden's hand when Doctor Montgomery had changed the dressings last night and it filled Nick with pride to know that Aiden had gotten that injury while saving Nathan and Max's life.

Aiden shrugged, "I'll be okay."

"So will I," Nick agreed. "Tell me about what happened at the ranch."

"It's not a very good bedtime story," Aiden assured him and Nick chuckled before wincing at the pain.

"I don't care. I want to know what happened at the ranch and I want to know what happened while I was unconscious."

Aiden snuggled closer, laid a kiss to the side of Nick's jaw and began talking. The more Nick heard the more thankful he grew that Aiden hadn't been hurt worse than he was. It didn't surprise Nick that Brody had ensure justice was carried out on Burt, Graham and Curly but it did surprise him that Garth had been the man to try to kill him. He hadn't thought Garth had it in him to be a murderer.

When Aiden told him about Ellie losing the baby and Jacob's reaction to realizing what Aiden was, Nick felt his heart drop. He quickly pushed those worries to the side and reminded himself that he didn't have the energy for that just now.

Aiden's voice trailed off in mid-sentence and Nick smiled when he realized the other man had fallen fast asleep once again. Nick kissed his brow, closed his eyes and let Aiden's peaceful breathing lull him back to sleep.

***

Aiden was awakened sometime after dawn by the sound of a light knock on the door. Nick was still snoring lightly and Aiden grinned as he slid from the bed and tiptoed barefooted to the door. He pulled it open and Susie was standing there with a tray from the diner in her hands.

"Good morning, Aiden," she whispered as she glanced around him and toward the bed where Nick was sound asleep. "I take it from the snores that he's finally sleeping instead of simply unconscious?"

"Yeah," Aiden nodded and took the tray from Susie's hands. His stomach growled as the aroma of sausage, potatoes, eggs and homemade gravy reached his nose, "He woke up last night after I...." Aiden's voice trailed off and he swallowed hard as his stomach turned a bit; the memory of Garth's lifeless eyes and all that blood proving to be an appetite killer.

"I heard what happened," Susie admitted as she stepped inside and led him to a chair. Aiden sat down and placed the tray on the tiny table as Susie sat down across from him, "You were very brave, Aiden; to rush into that fire and then to save Nick last night. You should be proud."

"I killed somebody, Susie," Aiden reminded her as he tapped his finger against the metal lid covering his tray of food.

"Yes but you had no choice," Susie countered. "If you hadn't killed Garth then he would have killed you and Nick."

"I know that. And I don't regret killing him," Aiden assured her truthfully. "It's just that... well I've never killed anyone before."

Susie smiled, "It'll all be okay, Aiden. I'll bet you were happy to finally have Nick awake weren't you?"

Aiden nodded as he lifted the lid from the tray and felt his appetite roar back to life at the sight of his feast, "Yes I was," he replied. "For a while there I didn't think he was ever going to wake up again."

"Of course he was going to wake up," Susie countered as she smoothed out her skirt and smiled brightly, "He loves you too much to leave you alone."

Aiden studied Susie a moment and then quickly shoved a bite of eggs into his mouth as he looked away.

"What is it?" Susie questioned.

Aiden swallowed down the eggs and shrugged as his face reddened, "I'm just surprised is all."

"About what?"

"It's just... well I didn't... I didn't think you'd want anything to do with me once you knew the kind of man I am."

Susie laughed lightly, "What do you mean? You mean the kind of man who always seems happy and eager to help those around him? Or the kind of man who rushes into a burning home to help my family? The kind of man who does what he has to in order to protect the helpless? A gentle man, a sweet man? Which of those things would make me turn my back on you?"

Aiden felt his blush deepen as even his ears grew hot, "I mean the kind of man who lays with another man, Susie," he mumbled.

This time it was Susie's turn to blush and she cleared her throat, "Yes, well, that is your business and not mine. The way I see it, love is always good when it's true, Aiden, and I can tell that the love between you and Nick is as true as it gets."

Aiden felt himself warming from the inside out as he smiled at Susie and she smiled back, "I reckon I just figured you'd judge me like everyone else does."

"You mean the way you judged me?" Susie questioned, her gaze going to Nick.

"I didn't—"

"Yes you did. You heard that I did a lot with the church and you simply assumed that I would turn my back on you and be a judgmental hypocrite the way your family was. That sounds an awful lot like judging to me."

Aiden swallowed the bite of biscuit in his mouth and sighed. She was right. That was exactly what he had done, "I'm sorry, Susie. You're nothing like them. You are a good person."

Susie stood up and folded her hands in front of her, "I try to be. Now I brought enough food there for both of you so see that he wakes up soon and eats. The ranch is going to need all the help it can get to rebuild."

"You mean we're still welcome there?" Aiden asked.

Susie's brows knitted together, "Of course! Why wouldn't you be?"

Aiden frowned and looked down at his bare feet, "It's just that Jacob...."

Susie snorted, (something that Aiden hadn't heard her do before), and waved her hand, "Don't' you worry yourself about my oldest brother. He's always been too quick to say things he shouldn't say," her gaze softened, "And he's hurting pretty badly so that did not help his anger yesterday." She laid her hand on Aiden's shoulder, "Everything will be just fine now, Aiden. You'll see." She smiled brightly and then walked from the room, closing the door behind her.

Aiden ate a few more bites and then stood up. He'd have to wake Nick since the doctor would be in soon to tend to their wounds. Aiden looked out the window at the sun and felt better than he had in a long time. Maybe, just maybe, things were finally going to be okay.