We chatted on and off. She slept most of the time. Her bruised and battered body needed the rest. I only left her side to go to the bathroom. Just in case she needed me. I couldn't stand seeing her this way. She was in pain and there was nothing I could do about it. Every wince and grumble made me want to rip the drunk drivers head off.

I debated on telling her about her dad. Then changed my mind. He didn't deserve her and it would only upset her. Deep in my thoughts I didn't hear the door open. I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped. Startling me out of my wool gathering. I look up to see Forest his eyes on Lannie full of worry. Then a second later I see Denny standing at the door, I watch him for his reaction. Hoping at least, for once, he can be the man I know him to be. They both have bags under their eyes and looked tired. No doubt their consumed with worry.

"How is she?" Forest ask still staring at her.

"She's been sleeping mainly. The drugs keep her knocked out." He nods his head and takes a seat across from the bed. I look to see Denny still standing at the door. He hasn't made his way in yet. He hasn't even looked in her direction. More than likely scared to do so. Minutes later.

Lannie starts to wake up. Grumbling and wincing from the pain. She looks at me and smile's, tiredly. Then she looks over to Forest.

"Forest" he leans up and grabs her hand. Denny hearing her voice he inches his way in slowly. Head down. His hair is falling over his face. His leather jacket has wet spots on it. I didn't even notice it was raining.

He comes to the end bed. Everyone is still and quiet. All you can hear are the medical machines. He takes a deep breath. Then raises his head. He looks Lannie in the eyes then roams over her face and body.

Then he cries. He actually cries! Tears rolling his face. He's choking on his own breath. Forest stands up to go to him. He puts his arm around his shoulder. Guides him over to the seat he just vacated. Denny reaches for her hand. She slowly pulls it out of his way. Just staring at him. He puts his hand on her leg. Scooting closer.

"I'm so sorry Lannie. So so sorry. Please forgive me. I'm a damn fool. I let my anger guide me. I would do anything for you to forgive me. Pl..ea..se, forgive me!" He bows his head and puts its on her bed. Still holding her leg.

I look to Lannie. She looks at me then at Forest and back to Denny. She lets out a shuddering breath then sighs. She takes her hand and places on Dennys head. Combing through his hair. He looks up slowly at her. Searching her eyes. She has tears in her eyes that haven't been shed yet.

"I f..forgive you Denny," she says with a smile. He half smiles back and grabs her hand. This time she doesn't pull away. Then she laughs with a bit of a cringe. "But the next time you interrupt my ppp from her happy place, I'll kick your ass." She laughs and we look confused.

"What's a ppp?" Forest ask her. Her eyes go wide. She looks at each of us. "Shit! I said that out loud?" Wonder now showing on her face.

"Yea pippy you did?...I laugh...what's ppp?" I definitely want to know. "No, you'll laugh at me." She bows her head shaking it. "Come on please we won't laugh, I promise." She huffs out merriment in her eyes.

"Ok fine, it's what I call my vagina, happy now?" She ask exasperated.

"Ok, but what does it stand for?" Seeing her flustered is making my day.

"Personalpleasurepalace" she mumbles out quickly. Closing her eyes and shakes her head.

"I didn't catch that, what did you say?" I laugh along with Forest and Denny. She gives me an evil look.

"Personal pleasure palace! Ok? Jeez!" We did it. We bust out laughing. Couldn't help ourselves.

"You said you wouldn't laugh! Oh come on! Stop it!" We continue to laugh. She's getting aggravated.

"Sorry pippy......laughing......I can't....laughing.....help it!" It may be the thought of releasing our tension or the way she's reacting but it's hilarious to us.

"Oh shut up!" She throws glares at each of us. We continue laughing. Then her eyes widen.

Out of nowhere. She groans and her head falls back. The heart monitor flat lines. The nurses come busting through the door. Yelling at us to get out. We leave the room, against protest. We're screaming and everything is chaotic. The doctor rushes by us. We stand in the hall not knowing what to do. We're panicked.

In a matter of seconds we go from laughing to losing it.

A few minutes later the nurses head out of the room. The doctor appears and he has a scowl on his face. Forest goes frantic.

"What happened? Is she ok? Tell us!" He screams. The doctor looks at us and sighs.

"He blood pressure bottomed out, it caused her heart to stop. We got her back." I nearly faint from relief. God! No more please!

"She will monitored. Right now she needs rest and she needs to eat something. So if one of you can get her to eat. Please do. I'll check in on her after my rounds. Just keep it quiet, she doesn't need stress." And walks off.

We return to her room, she's knocked out. Audible breaths in and out. She looks more pale than usual. Denny takes a seat beside her, Forest sits opposite her. I just stand staring at her.

We almost lost her again!

"I don't know how much more I can take? How much more she can take? I can't lose her guys!" Forest says as he grabs her hand. He looks fragile. I've never seen him so broken.

"She's ok, she's with us Forest, that's what counts, right?" I think I try to convince myself more than him.

Denny sits there quietly just staring at her. Searching her face with his eyes full of dread.

"She will get better, she has to get better." Denny barely whispers out his thoughts.

"Yea,yea, she will." As I shake my head. We're all quiet.

"I'm going to the chapel. I'll be back!" As Denny jumps up and leaves the room. Chapel? We weren't very religious people. We never went to church. But I guess a prayer wouldn't hurt.

I take his vacated seat. Look at Lannie then Forest. I'm worried about him. He seems so tormented. He was the first to meet her. He watched over her for years. He's the one who formulated the plan.

——————

When she turns 18 we will sit her down and explain to her, what we all want. It's that simple." Forest tells us. We're playing basketball at the playground two streets down from our house. We've been there for hours talking about Lannie.

"Ok sure, but what if she doesn't agree? Forest, it's not like it's a common thing. She could turn us down." As he tosses Denny the basket
ball.

"She won't, she already loves all three of us." Denny says. The dude is always so cocky and sure of himself.

"How do you know that?" I ask him. I'm sweating and exhausted.

"I can just tell, she's always making those goggly eyes at us, always finds a way to touch us, dude she loves us. I'm sure of it." He sinks the ball in the basket. I retrieve it. Then throw it to Forest.

"She will accept all three of us. It's a given. We're good looking mother fuckers!" Forest tells me. He laughs and throws me back the ball.

"So how do we ask her?" I say as I dribble the ball down the court.

"Fuck! Forest yells. We both stop and look at him.

"We will sit her down. Have a serious conversation. Explain in detail what we want. But neither of us is to date her or do anything with her, until she is 18, is that clear? It will blow any of our chances with her. So don't risk it!" With him being the oldest, we usually let him lead. I wipe the sweat on my forehead.

"Ok smart ass, I get all that, but what if she doesn't agree? What do we do then?" I ask as Denny grabs the ball, sinks it in the basket. Looks at us.

"We romance the shit out of her. We make it to where she can't deny either us" he smiles as points at Forest and I.

"Yea, who could deny us anyway, the Salvatore studs!" Forest says at we leave to home.

Cocky bastards!

———————

Things didn't work out quiet as we planned them.

"I'm headed to the gym. I need to check on my employees and I'll think I'll work off some steam. Call me if anything changes." Forest leans over and kisses her on her lips. She's still out cold. I nod my head as he leaves. I lean to her.

"Pippy, you can't keep scaring us like this. You're our world. We don't know what we would do without you. Please wake up and give me that thousand watt smile. I'll take you home get you better and I'll never let you go. Just wake up baby." I whisper to her. But get no response. I sigh and sit back in the chair. Rubbing my head. Denny suddenly returns. He's walking soundlessly into the room. He takes the other seat.

"I ran into Sin and Sunny in the hall."
Denny says.

"Why are they here?"

"Their grandmother is sick. They don't think she's going to make it. She has heart problems." That's a shame. She's a very sweet old lady. Sin and Sunny are brothers that are trying to buy shares in Dennys hotel and bar. Their friends of Damon's. Good guys. They live on a big tract a land that houses multiple varieties of people. With a main house and smaller side houses on the land. I always liked them but found them a bit off. Everyone there calls them alpha. Strange bunch.

"Sorry to hear that, she's a sweet lady." Denny nods his head. We have known them for a bit Over two years. I hate hear it.

"How is she?" Denny ask as he nods his head in Lannies direction.

"She's been sleeping. Nothing yet." As I say it she starts moving in her bed. She opens her eyes and looks at Denny. He leans toward her rubbing his fingers down her face.

"How are you, cherry?" Cherry? I haven't heard him call her that in years. He nicknamed her cherry because when she gets embarrassed her face gets red as a cherry.

She smiles at him. Then blinks. Looks around and sits up. She's in pain and grimaces as she does.

"Where's Forest? What happened?" So we tell her. She takes in all in, nodding her head, we tell her she has to eat and ask what she wants and of course she wants Mexican. We laugh at that.

"Why don't we start off easy. How bout a soup or sandwich?" I ask her. She scowls but agrees. I head off to the cafeteria to find her some food.

"Blue? What are doing here?" Someone ask me. I turn around holding a sandwich and a carton of milk. I see Charli, and grimace, she's my ex. I forgot she worked her as a pediatrics nurse. She's a very beautiful woman. Short brown hair, blue eyes, a bit skinny, but she has a good attitude. We broke up cause she just wasn't doing it for me. I really ever only wanted one woman.

"Oh hi, Charli, how are you?" I turn to pay for the food. She puts her hand on my arm. I look at her she's smiling trying to show her flirty side.

"I'm good, I've missed you. Want to hook up later?" I accept my change and say thank you to the cashier worker. I turn to her.

"No thanks, Charli, I'm here seeing my girlfriend, if you will excuse me, I need to get back to her." As I walk away. I turn back to look before I exit and she's scowling. I just laugh and head back to my girl.

My world.

———————
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The juicy parts are coming up. I promise. Who's your favorite character so far?