Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele

[Cordelia]

This time, when I wake to the sound of an IV beeping. am not in the yellow room. I take a deep breath in The slightly smoggy air coming in through the room's window lets me know that I am no longer in the tropical hell where I have spent my last few weeks and I let my

body relax. I'm in LA. I'm finally home.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Slumped over in the chair next to my bed is Clark. His eyes are closed, his mouth slightly open as he sleeps. He looks tired, his face lined with worry. I listen to his gentle snores not wanting to wake him taking comfort that he is nearby. I am safe here. Clark is here. Clark will protect me.

A nurse comes into the room. Seeing I'm awake, she smiles brightly as her expert hands check the fluid in the IV to make sure it is working as it should. "Good Morning, Mrs. Steele. I am glad to see you are awake." "Greyson," I correct her, my voice dry and garbled. "Miss Greyson."

At the sound of my voice, 'Clark springs awake. "Cordy! He jumps up, looking like a startled mouse. He seems to calm down after he sees me lying there as if he had expected to find something else.

And maybe he was. Jude had taken me out of the hospital while nobody was watching. Just like he did to Angelica.

"Angelica," I remember Jude taking her inside the facility. "We need to go back, we need to save..."

"She's fine," Clark smiles weakly. "She's she's with Atlas at the moment, but they should be visiting you

soon."

"Why would she be with Atlas? I question him, wondering why he looks nervous to tell me more. "What aren't you saying, Clark?"

He looks to the door and then looks at me. "I think Atlas should be the one to tell you."

An awkward silence grows between us as we both avert our eyes. Eventually Clark coughs and offers me a cup of water or maybe a snack. I declined both, not sure if I could eat or drink anything without being seriously ill.

I rub my little belly and Clark smiles. "So I hear I'm going to be an uncle soon." His whole face seems to light up at the thought of a brand new member of his family. "You know, I always wish we had a bigger family. I'm glad that you will be the one to help it grow My skin flushes unexpectedly. Why would Clark suggest I add to the family to make me feel warm all

over?

"I'm sure that someday you'll find someone to start a family with too, Clark, and then you can add to the family as well." I grin, thinking of him surrounded by little Clarks, each one pulling on his clothes, demanding that they be the center of his universe.

He would make an excellent father. Just the right amount of serious and silly. Any child would be lucky to have a dad like him.

"I don't think so," he looks so forlorn I wonder if I said something wrong. "The girl I like fell in love with

someone else." He looks up at me intensely, his eyes full of deep emotion. "She's having his baby. They'll get to be a family now. She won't need me anymore."

I shake my head. "I am so sorry, Clark. I hope you find someone to love, somebody just for you."

He doesn't say anything for a while. He just watches me as if waiting for something to happen. Eventually, he closes his eyes and turns his head away.

The door to the room opens. As Atlas enters the room, Clark rises to his feet, straightening out his appearance, intimidated by the sight of his brother, who always looks perfectly styled. Clark, who has diligently stayed by my side is dirty, wrinkled, and tired in comparison, Atlas looks like he doesn't have a care in the world.

Except around his eyes. In the past I made the mistake of misjudging his stony face, assuming that he didn't feel, that he was cold and indifferent. Now I can see the small wrinkles around his eyes crinkling in fear as the small lines near his mouth turn down in worry. to tell me. "Atlas; what's wrong?" I feel my heart start to beat rapidly. "Clark said you have something something important. Is it about the baby?" I reach down waiting to feel a flutter, anything to let me know that he is okay. I don't feel anything and I start to hyperventilate. "Calm down, Cordy." Clark comes up to me and places a gentle, friendly hand on my back. "It's okay. You're safe. Your baby is safe. You are both healthy."

Looking up at Atlas, I wait for confirmation.

He gives a small, almost imperceivable nod. "The baby is fine, Cordelia. That's not what I came to talk to you about. It's well I need to talk to you about Angelica. Do you remember seeing her on the Island?"

I want to tell him that I wish I could forget seeing her, that I have too many memories of her hurting me. That she wanted to kill our child.

But the words fall out of my mouth as she rushes into the room.

"Oh there you are, Atlas!" she giggles as she places her hand in the crook of his arm. "I should have known you'd be here looking after our sister."

Our sister?

"Of course, Angel," he smiles in that sweet way he never has for me, the way he has always reserved just for her. "She's just a bit confused. She has been asleep for a long time."

"As long as she's well in time for the wedding." Angelica beams. "I'd hate to have my maid of honor stuck in a hospital!"

I look at Atlas, then at Angelica, and back at Atlas again. He shakes his head very slightly.

"Maid of Honor?" I croak, fear almost stealing my voice.

"Who else would I choose?" she smiles. "Atlas and I agreed, remember, right after we announced our engagement." Somehow, while I was sleeping. Atlas proposed to Angelica.

Again.