I Got You

"Caleb…"

The sound of his name from her lips fuels the stream of tears that flow freely from her eyes.

Knowing he can hear her finally after calling his name for weeks on end without so much as a response, makes her sob like a child.

She turns to him and buries herself in his chest. Not caring that she is soaking up his shirt with her tears.

"Shh…It's okay, I'm here now." He whispers.

The sound of his voice makes everything worse and her sobs get louder. She's feeling so overwhelmed she can't control anything that's going on with her now. She just wants to get lost in him.

"I was so scared when I couldn't find you." His voice is barely a whisper, the pain in it causing more of her tears to roll down her face freely. And the memories about the day she was taken makes her bury herself more in his arms.

"I shouldn't have left you alone." He holds on to her tighter and that feeling comforts her in ways she can't begin to describe. It's all she wanted all these past weeks. To be right here in his arms. For him to tell her that everything would be okay.

"I shouldn't have gone to the stupid E.R. It's all my fault."

She looks up at him when she realizes that he blames himself.

"I'm so sorry for not doing anything for so long. For not coming sooner." He cups her cheeks and looks at her intently. His glossy eyes making her heart ache for them both.

And now that she can see him, she realizes she is not the only one who has suffered. 

With dark rings under his eyes that she never saw on him even when he overworked himself, it's clear the past weeks must have been terrible for him too. In a way that too comforts her. Knowing he felt her absence just as much as she did his.

"You are here now." She whispers back and lays her head on his chest. For a moment...just for one tiny moment she refuses to think about anything else but him. And as if he understands what she needs, he pulls her closer to himself. 

"I waited for you everyday..." She speaks a moment later, wanting to let him know just how much she wanted him to come for her. Her voice is barely a whisper, cracking with each word that leaves her mouth. "I hoped…" She breaks down once more when her feelings of hopelessness she had earlier at the thought of never seeing him again stare her in the face.

"Shh..." He holds her tighter still and they stay like that for a moment. Him rocking her to calmness and she taking in his scent and warmth just to remind herself that it's not a dream.

"I missed you." She confesses.

"I missed you too, so very much."  

She closes her eyes at his confession,

forgetting about their troubles that are right outside this changing room. Forgetting about the world beyond this tiny changing room. 

It's just the two of them, wrapped up in a world of their own. Their two hearts whispering words of comfort to each other in a language that only they understand.

But that comfort soon ends when he pulls back and holds her gaze. For a moment he just stares at her and she doesn't know what to make of it.

"Is he afraid?"

She can see it in his eyes and she panics. Seeing the man who stares death in the eye literally everyday of his life shakes her.

"What is it?" She finally asks knowing she will definitely not like what he has to say.

"Damn it!" A string of curses leave his lips instead of answering her.

"Caleb...you are scaring me." She is beginning to realize that her ordeal is far from over. And when he takes both her hands in his and takes a deep breath, she braces herself for some unhappy news.

"Can you hold on just a little longer?"

"Stay with him? No." She shakes her head as tears quickly make their way down her face. "anything...ask me anything but that." She looks back at him through teary eyes. 

"He is crazy Caleb,you have to get me away from him." She holds on tightly not wishing to ever let go of him.

"I have a plan but it can only work if you stay with him and..." 

"Anything but that Caleb…" She cuts him off. "Anything but…"

"Listen baby, I can take you right now but he'll just come for you and I won't be able to stop him.

"What do you mean you can't stop him?" Her hope is being shuttered right in front of her eyes. Everything was supposed to be okay when he came, and him saying it's far from being okay is breaking her apart.

"Don't even think about getting away from me baby." 

"Because if you do, our reunion which I assure you will definitely happen won't be pretty."

Simon's words…

"Caleb?" A bolt of panic hits her and she feels a little dizzy. "W...What do you mean you can't stop him?" She holds on to him tighter as if she's afraid he'll disappear right in front of her eyes.

"Damn it! Layla?" 

She can hear the panic in his voice but that is all as she feels herself being pulled under. A heavy darkness surrounds her and she welcomes it.

"Breathe...breathe baby...Breathe Damn it!" He whisper yells and that seems to snap her out of whatever that was.

"Look at me...Baby look at me." 

She looks up and finds Caleb in his full doctor mode. 

"How do you feel? Are you okay?" He sounds panicked and she wonders what just happened. 

"Y...yes." She replies, even though she feels tired.

"Tell me your name." Caleb says while he stares right into her eyes.

"Layla Theresa Jones." Her full name leaves her mouth like it was the most natural thing.

"Theresa? I love it. Of course, Layla is my all time favourite but Theresa, suits you just fine too."

She can feel his hands shaking as he tries to get her to relax. "I'm okay." She says even though she is far from being okay. 

Knowing she'll be going back to Simon's is killing her, but she also realizes she needs to trust Caleb and this plan he says he has.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She places her head on his chest once more. Something tells her it'll be a while before she'll have him this close again.

"I didn't say I can't stop him. I can, but I need you to hold on a bit longer." He says after making sure she's alright.

"Okay." She tries to sound confident but fails terribly and if he sees it he doesn't show it. Only his heart stopping smile is gracing his lips and in a way seeing him like this renews her hope instantly.

"Now where is he?" 

His ferocious growl startles her and  before she knows it Caleb is on the move. With her hand in his he walks out of the changing room making her panic.

"What are you doing?" She whisper yells as she struggles to keep up with his long strides. 

"Talk to me Caleb." She pleads when he says nothing but stomps the shop's floor heading the way she came. 

"Oh my God Gen!" Layla screams before hiding behind Caleb while her heart does more than hammer in her chest.

She has never held one before but she would know one if she saw it.

"Why is Simon's maid carrying a gun?"

If it wasn't for Caleb she would have found herself kissing the shop's floor out of fear.

"Not exactly the time to be flashing your toys, don't you think?" Caleb stops and Layla assumes it's right in front of Gen.

"How does he sound so calm with a gun in his face?" Layla can't even bring herself to peek at what is going on. Just knowing that Gen is not Gen the maid is making her almost piss her pants.

"You are a long way from home Dr. Young." 

"I don't talk to the help." Caleb says nonchalantly and Layla is tempted to ask who exactly the guy holding her hand is.

"What the hell is going on?" A familiar unwelcome voice thunders.

"Ah...much better." Caleb brags and as dangerous as the situation is, her man's confidence brings Layla out of hiding. 

"Oh it's just you." Simon tries to compose himself but Layla doesn't miss the flash of fear in his eyes that leaves her feeling weirdly satisfied.

"Are you hiding in closets now?" 

"Only when something I want happens to be in there." Caleb looks down at her and her heart swoons at all those emotions swirling in his eyes. And for a moment it's just the two of them once more in this little bubble.

"Get away from my fiancèe!" Simon bellows and even though Layla is safely tucked away in Caleb's arms she flinches.

"What? Can't stand that she can look at me like that while you are just inches away from her?"

"Did he forget that I'm supposed to go back with that guy?"  Layla's eyes move from Caleb to Simon and the rage in her supposed fiancèe's eyes makes her gulp. 

Something else seems to be going on too. The two are like two huge beasts sizing each other. But looking at Caleb she can clearly tell he is the mightier beast going by the threat in his eyes which is surprising. She has always known him to be friendly and calm except on times when he didn't like what she said about herself. But now with all his playfulness gone even she feels like cowering in front of him.

"I said get away from my fiancèe!" Simon's voice booms, catching the attention of a few shoppers in the other sections.

"Your fiancèe?" Caleb lets out a chuckle and holds out her left hand with her ring finger.

"I didn't know you were such a sentimental man Dawson." Caleb grins and only the seriousness of the moment keeps Layla from grinning too. Caleb is clearly taunting Simon and if her fiancèe's flaring nostrils are anything to go by, it's working perfectly.

"Are you? A sentimental man that is?" 

"It's none of your business Young." 

"Just let her go. Come to me, baby." Simon's eyes land on her, his awkward smile irking her.

"In a bit." Caleb says as he turns Layla to himself. And while she is still distracted thinking about what she should do. Caleb leans in making her panic.

"Hold on baby." He says and before she knows it his lips land on hers and by God, it's the most intense kiss they have shared yet. And she can't decide if that is because of the danger surrounding them or the sweetness of her man's lips. And instead of pulling back, she lets him kiss her to his heart's content. And he doesn't disappoint as he dives down deep awakening parts in her she didn't even know existed. 

"I got you." He says before letting go of her hand. 

"Always…" She smiles back at him as she gets pulled away roughly. That's not exactly what she wanted to say but she hopes he got it in the way she responded to his kiss.