Emily's eyes fluttered again. It was bright. And there was a lot of noise. Random beeps and other loud noises. She heard shuffling and felt the bed dip. Something warm and callused, took her cold hand. She felt an instant reassurance, felt a sense of calm wash over her. 

"Emmy? Can you hear me?"

She ever so slowly and cautiously turned her head towards the voice. Even that little bit of moving made her head hurt. She made some kind of whimpering noise but that just made her throat hurt and a spike of fear flashed through her body, she couldn't swallow properly or talk or anything, something was shoved in her mouth. Her eyes became panicked.

"Shhh. Shh, baby it's okay. Don't talk.  It's okay, it's okay. You're okay, your safe. You have a tube in your throat to help you breathe."

She blinked a few more times, trying to focus on the voice. Her eyes were blurry and sore but a few more times and the person came into focus. Minho sat on her bed. His big dark eyes were steady and focused on her. They looked watery in the sunshine that poured into the room.

"Emily..." He whispered again. She heard his voice crack. He didn't bother to wipe the tear away. She was so sore and tired she couldn't even lift her hand to brush it away. So she just watched it slowly fall. The panic she felt was there still, but momentarily pushed back. If Minho was here and he said it was okay, then she believed him. 

"I'm sorry! Emily, I'm so sorry!" His voice was hardly more than a whisper. He had her hand in his, gently brushing his thumb over her knuckles. And his other hand gently caressed her temple and cheek. She wasn't sure what he was sorry for. And she couldn't talk, so she just blinked a few more times.

"I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry."

She wanted to tell him she didn't blame him at all. But she couldn't. She wanted to tell him she loved him. But she couldn't. She wanted to tell him a lot of things. But she couldn't. She used what little strength she had to squeeze his hand weakly. He gently squeezed back. He sniffed and took a shuddering breath. "How are you feeling? I should call the doctor. Jorge just went to get some lunch."

He leaned forward and pulled the call bell. A little bell started to go off. Minho went back to gently stocking her face and just taking in her in. Emily lay still, still too sore and exhausted and scared to move. She looked closer at him. He looked tired, he had dark bags under his eyes, his lip had a good scab. There was a big cut that was pretty much healed on his forehead that disappeared into his hairline. He had a few faded bruises from his fight with Ben. But his eyes had a gentleness and a relief to them. Like a huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. He was wearing his jeans and a hoodie, his hat on backwards. He looked good. Emily had no idea how long she had been out or where she was or what was going on, but she couldn't rip her eyes off Minho. He was her anchor from panicking and ripping the thing from her face, from spiraling into panic. 

Emily knew she had been unconscious but had no idea how long or what happened to her. She felt pinches in her arms and a sharp pain in her stomach and a heavy weight in her chest. Every time she moved her head, her head pounded and her neck and throat hurt. She felt a surge of panic every time she tried to swallow. The only thing she could really do was move her eyes and blink, but even moving her eyes made her head hurt. Minho was holding her hand gently, and gently brushing the hair from her forehead, Emily allowed herself to close her eyes for a second, she was so tired and sore, but his gentle carful movements were soothing. 

There was footsteps, and Emily's snapped open. They flicked to Minho in panic, but he shushed her gently again and he seemed calm and relaxed, which eased her panic again. Someone appeared at the end of her bed. He had kind eyes behind his dark framed glasses and a gentle open face. His salt and pepper hair and beard were trimmed short. He smiled at her, his hands in the pockets of his lab coat. 

"Welcome back Miss Fitz. Mr. Lee, thank you for informing me. She just woke up?" 

"About 3 minutes ago."

Emily tried making a noise. But pain shot through her throat.

"How about we take that thing out, put a oxygen tube under your nose insert, ya? You're collapsed lung has looked good."

It was an uncomfortable few minutes. A nurse came into the room to assist and Minho held her one hand tight, her other one was still in a cast and she couldn't move it. She could feel the panic as the doctor took the tube from her throat out. Her hand squeezed Minho's. As the tube moved she flinched and tried to grab at it, Minho held her hand tighter. 

"Almost done baby." 

"There we go. That's better, hey?" The doctor said, as he situated a small tube under her nose and hooked around her ears.

Emily took a shuddering breath. The first one unassisted in almost two weeks. Her chest was extremely sore and achy, and it felt tight. But felt so much better without the Intubation tube. Her throat was sore and raw and dry. The nurse handed Minho a cup of water with a straw. He held it for her to take a few sips which helped ease the rawness. The doctor and nurse were setting up to do their checks and tests when there was a knock on the door and Jorge poked his head in.

"Emily!" He gasped, "you're awake!"

She gave him a tight lipped smile. She winced as the doctor poked at something on her arm.

"Sorry dear." The doctor apologized. 

"I'm sorry gentleman, I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the room until we finish the exam. We can call you back as soon as she's cleared." 

Minho got up and kissed her forehead gently and left with Jorge, who hesitated at the door. Emily didn't want them to leave. She felt safer with Minho beside her. The nurse pulled the curtains around her bed, cutting off her view. She turned her worried eyes to the nurse and doctor. As the nurse and doctor did the checks, the doctor explained everything they were doing, he also explained what happened to her and what they had to do to save her. Emily didn't realize how close to death she actually was, she apparently flat lined in the ambulance and they had to jump start her heart.  

The nurse pulled the blanket back and moved her hospital gown away, she had a few places covered with thick gauze when those were removed Emily saw a big ugly cut running down the middle of her belly being held by stitches. Emily winced and looked away. 

"It will fade." The nurse said kindly. "They had to fix some major internal bleeding. The scar is a reminder how close to death you came. These stitches look ready to come out." 

Emily didn't want to do this alone. She turned her fearful eyes to the nurse. Her throat still felt like it was on fire, but she made a few noises, "Mi...nho..." 

"Yes, Nancy, that's fine, he can come back, while you take the stitches out." 

The nurse sighed and left the  curtained area to call Minho. The doctor was listening to her chest with his stethoscope. The nurse came back with Minho. He sat back down, perched at the edge of the chair by her bed. He took her hand again. 

"Hey! I can see your face now." He smiled at her. 

"Emily, I'm going to numb the area and then I'll take out the stitches." Nancy the nurse explained. It was only then that Minho glanced at the big jagged incision. Emily felt her eyes prickle with tears again, and her already sore throat felt tight and restricted. There was a sharp poke and she gasped, the tears slid down her cheeks. Minho shifted to the bed and sat right beside her, he held he hand tight to his chest, and held the side of her face gently. 

"Hey, Emmy, look at me."

Emily slowly opened her now tear filled eyes, everything was blurry as the tears slid over her lashes and down her face. His thumb gently brushed them away. Minho smiled at her.

"I love you so much." He leaned closer, and whispered sweet things to her, how much he loved her, how beautiful she was and so many other things that kept Emily focused on him and not on what the nurse was busy doing. It was over quickly, the nurse covered the incision and cleaned up. Emily breathed a little easier again. The doctor came back with a clip board. 

"Everything is looking great. Emily your responding wonderfully to the treatment. It's just a wait and heal. And Right now, I think it is time for quiet and a nap." 

Emily sighed in relief. Minho smiled at her. She was already starting to feel the pull of sleep, her body was exhausted. Minho didn't move, he kept his hand on her face. She forced her eyes open for a second. 

"Stay?" Her hardly there voice was rough and hurt. 

"Always." 

"..cl..oser.." 

He looked at the Doctor. 

"She's stable, just be carful, no moving too much, everything internally still needs to heal. You do not sit up alone, no walking unassisted for a while." 

She nodded slowly. Minho shifted, and helped gently scootch her over just a little for him to lay down beside her. He positioned himself right beside her, she lay on her back but her head right by his chest and she leaned her head against him. They both sighed. Minho held her close, carful of all her wires and monitors still attached. Emily felt safe. She closed her eyes and enjoyed Minho's warmth, listening to his breathing and his heartbeat, feeling his fingers gently playing with her hair and she was tugged back into sleep. 

∽•∼

The doctor and nurse left and opened the curtain and turned the lights off. Newt was at physio for the afternoon, he was doing well with his recovery. Sonya took bear for a long walk so the room was quiet. Jorge came back into the room, and smiled. Minho had also fallen asleep, his arm protectively around her, and as best she could she had moved close to him, their fingers intertwined. 

Jorge sat down in the chair beside them, and just watched. He felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. He had just gotten off the phone with Sam. Ava and Ben both had an official court date set, with no chance of parole or bale. She was being charged for first-degree murder, criminal harassment, child abuse and neglect and a handful of other charges WICKED and Grandpa Lee was bring forward in regards to her work, with all those things against her, Sam was positive she was done, stuck behind maximum security for life. Ben was in a similar situation. 

The other thing that had him smiling was Ava Paige's parental rights were revoked. Jorge was going to Sam's office later today to sign the papers, officially. He was officially, finally, going to legally adopting Emily. 

Teresa was still out but she had a restraining order, she would be finishing her school year at home with a tutor. Emily would have two months of school without her bullies. And then she was free from the school and off to University. Her living situation wouldn't change, the Lee's insisted Jorge still stay and rent the basement, they liked having family. They would all wait and see where Emily and Minho went to University before they decided anything more. He had decided to wait before Emily had graduated before he took anything further with Mary, as respect to Emily. They both decided this, as they didn't want more rumors going around, that a teacher was dating a parent or picking favorites and anything else. So they were going to stay quiet for now. The gym was booming, his health had improved. Right now everything seemed to finally be looking brighter. 

He smiled as Emily whimpered in her sleep and automatically, in his sleep, Minho tightened his grip on her and she settled. Emily would be okay. She had people finally, she had people who saw her, loved her and would fight for her. 

"I finally did it Vince. Sorry it took so long." He whispered. "She'll thrive now. I'm sorry it took so long." 

∼•∽

Her recovery was slow. She got tired fast. When there wasn't someone coming to visit her and Newt were in physio and in different scans and tests, or she was sleeping. Minho had started back at school now that Emily wasn't at deaths door, and he would bring her homework each afternoon. Bear would sit at the edge of her bed or someone would take him for a walk, but there was always someone in her room. Her and Newt had a tentative release date of Friday, and they both wanted out, they wanted to go home and sleep in their own bed, and not in a hospital. But the month and a a half they were in the hospital hadn't been all bad. 

Jorge had told her the news and she couldn't stop crying and laughing. She was officially an Esposito. She wouldn't her of it, and she added Esposito to her middle names, officially. She was now Emily Victoria Esposito Fitz. Jorge would get all tear each time. 

"What's gonna happen when you add Lee?" 

"I'll hyphenate it." Emily smiled at Minho. "All the last names of my favorite men."

He had raised his eyebrow. "No hesitation?" 

"None." Emily nodded. 

"Slow your roll you two!" Jorge had rolled his eyes.

"You're still in bloody high school." Newt called from his bed, he was trying to finish some math homework for Sonya to take back to school for him.

"Didn't my parents get married at like 20 and 21?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow with a sly smirk.

"Yes." 

"And didn't they date in high school?" 

"I don't like where this is going Miss Esposito-Fitz." Jorge pointed a finger at her.

"You said it wrong. Mrs. Esposito-Fitz-Lee." Minho chuckled, leaning in and kissing Emily. 

"Hmm. I like the sound of that!" Emily chuckled as Minho pulled back. 

"Wait until you graduate University first!" Newt groaned. 

"Thank you Newt! You two are still so young! Slow down!"

"Were just teasing Papi." Emily laughed at his exasperated look. 

"I'm not." Minho looked serious. "I don't want anyone else. I'd rather be young and do life with my best friend beside then wait for some shucken magic number."

"One day. I promise." Emily said, squeezing Minho's hand.

"I'll hold you too that, Fitz." 

"You better." 

"Oh I will. Just you watch and wait." Minho winked at her with such a cheeky grin she was surprised he didn't propose right then and there in her hospital room. He was making her stomach flutter with all kinds of butterflies. 

"Not going anywhere. I love you." 

"Love you too Princess." Minho kissed her forehead this time. 

"Would you two cut that clunk out?" Newt whined again glancing up. "Someone of us have homework." 

"Some of us did our homework already." Emily teased back. 

"Ya Newt!" Minho added and kissed Emily again, in quick little kisses, but making loud obnoxious noises with it. Emily just giggled and tried swatting Minho away. 

"All right. I'm too old of this. Ill see you later Millie." 

"Bye Papi! Ahhh! Minho, stawp!" She cried in between giggles. 

∽•∼