Chapter one

My partner and I were at the hospital, getting a statement from a rape victim. My partner did most of the talking, the girl seemed comfortable talking with her than she did with me. My partner was the one who handled the talking part of our partnership while I did more of the heavyweight part of it.

I step out in the hall as Carrie finished talking with the victim. There was a doctor standing at the nurses station, opening a test results envelope while a hooded man approached her with an aggressive look on his face. I saw a gun inside his jacket and ran in front of the doctor as he pulled it out to shoot her.

I fought him for the gun and it goes off. I wretch the gun from him and shoot him in his arm. Carrie rushes over to cuff him as I clutch my stomach. I turn to the doctor and ask in a protective tone, "Are you hurt?"

I collapse, knocking papers from the counter to the floor. I notice the test results she was opening contained a pregnancy test for a Kelly Dawson and it was positive.The doctor helps me roll on my back and I notice her name on her badge. She was Kelly Dawson and she was pregnant. She checks my pulse in my neck and I say in a gurgled whisper, blood spilling from my mouth, "Congratulations."

She looks at me confused and I hand her the test results. Shock falls across her face as tears fill her eyes. "You saved my baby," she chokes quietly with her hand on her stomach. 

I reach up, caressing her face and meet her eyes. "The baby is fine Jess, she's going to be okay," I say in a raspy whisper as I start to loose consciousness. 

"Come on, stay with me," she chokes quietly, caressing my face. 

"I'm okay Jess," I whisper quietly, meeting her eyes as several people come over to help.

"I'm Kelly, is Jess your girlfriend," she asks softly, holding my hand.

"Jess was her wife. She died two years ago giving birth to their daughter. The baby died at birth too," Carrie chokes quietly walking alongside the gurney as we head for the operating room. 

"I'm so sorry," Kelly says giving me a sympathetic look. 

"I'll be okay," I say quietly as I close my eyes.

I woke up in a hospital room and Kelly and my mother were asleep in chairs next to my bed. I smile weakly at Kelly and a nurse enters my room. She comes over, checking my vitals and changes the bandages on my stomach. "She hasn't left your room since you got out of surgery. She's been in a number of relationships, but she's never looked at any of them the way she does at you," she says quietly. 

"How's her baby," I ask in a choked whisper.

"She did an ultrasound last night, baby seemed fine," she says softly and I let out a relieved breath. "Are you two a couple?"

"No, I just happened to take the bullet meant for her" I choke quietly and look at her asleep next to my bed. "I haven't been with anyone since my wife died in child birth. Our daughter died with her."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the nurse says in sympathy. "Can I get you anything to eat?"

I shake my head lightly and say, "Just a coffee is fine, thank you."

She had a hand resting on the bed in my reach, as if she was holding my hand while she fell asleep. I take her hand from the bed and her fingers instantly curl around mine in her sleep. She didn't have a ring on her finger and it gave me hope she wasn't in a relationship. 

"Hi," she murmurs quietly with a light smile. "I didn't get a chance to thank you for saving my life yesterday."

"You're welcome," I say softly and look over at my mother still asleep. "Thank you for keeping her company. She doesn't like hospitals, especially when I have to stay in one."

"She thought we were a couple. I felt bad having to tell her we weren't. She seemed happy for a moment," Kelly says quietly with sympathy in her tone.

"I haven't been with anyone since my wife died. She probably thought you were the one to change that. I've rejected a lot of women after my wife died. I just haven't felt a connection with the right woman yet, until yesterday," I choke quietly and meet her eyes. "But I'm not someone to come between another's relationship."

Tears fill her eyes, tightening her hold on my hand and says in a choked whisper, "I got out of a long term abusive relationship six months ago. I thought that having a baby would give me someone who would love me and not hurt me."

"You just haven't found the right person yet," my mother says causing us both to jump and pull our hands apart. She laughs and says, "You two are acting like you got caught with your hands in the cookie jar."

"Moment ruined," I say in a sigh and run my hands in my hair.

Kelly lets out a laugh and I look at her in awe. "Is that I laugh I hear Doctor Dawson," the nurse from before asks with surprise. "I haven't heard you laugh in years. Oh my God, is that a smile too?"

"Yes, Claire. I still know how to do both, just haven't had someone worthy to share it with," she says with a smile and makes eye contact with me. 

I got caught up in her piercing blue eyes that I was at a loss for words. Her eyes were captivating and held a passion I never thought I'd see again. "Jennifer," my mother says softly.

"Hmm," I say quietly, but don't break eye contact with Kelly. 

"I don't remember the last time she's been this distracted," my mother says quietly. 

I look at her, tears in my eyes remembering the last time I was this distracted. "It was the day Jess found out she was pregnant and showed me the at home pregnancy test," I choke quietly. 

Kelly takes my hand in comfort and I lace my fingers with hers. I let out a calming breath and my mother was surprised. I'm not easy to calm down, not since Jess and the baby died. "Can I take you to dinner when I get out of here," I ask quietly with a light smile.

"Girl, you better say yes. This woman seems too good to pass up and she saved your life," the nurse says with a smile.

"She's turned down thirty women in two years," my mother chokes quietly. "You're the first I've seen her ask out."

"I'd love to," she chokes with a smile. 

"I'll make sure it's a night you'll never forget," I choke with a smile. 

Carrie, my partner knocks at the door and walks in. "As one of the women Jennifer has turned down, you're a lucky woman. She's very protective of those in her inner circle and you just entered it," she says with a smile. "She's the definition of a gentlewoman."

"I've noticed," Kelly says softly, making eye contact with me. "I haven't felt this safe with someone before that wasn't my parents."

"I'd never hurt you," I say in a soothing whisper. 

Tears roll down her cheeks with relief and I pull on her hand gently for her to join me. She hesitates, but comes to lay next to me. She lays on my chest and lets out a calming breath. I felt her body relax against mine, as if she's been on guard for so long and finally at ease.

My mother, Carrie and the nurse look at us with sympathy before leaving the room to give us privacy. I rub her back in comfort and she shutters a calming breath. "I feel this connection with you, I can't explain it, but its comforting," she chokes in a whisper.

"I feel it too," I say quietly and kiss the top of her head. 

We lay there in comfortable silence and I held her in my arms. After a few minutes an older couple knocked on the door and Kelly lets them enter. "Claire called us sweetheart," the older woman chokes with a smile. She looks at me and says with relief in her eyes, "You must be the officer who saved our daughter's life yesterday."

"Yes ma'am," I say softly offering my hand for her to shake. "Jennifer Williams."

"Valerie," the woman says shaking my hand.

"Victor," the man says with a deep voice, shaking my hand.

"Sweetheart, is she your new girlfriend," Valerie asks with a smile.

"I don't know what we are yet. We're testing waters right now," Kelly says softly, sounding relaxed. She lets out a nervous sigh and says, "Jennifer didn't only save my life yesterday, she saved my baby's life too. I'm eight weeks pregnant."

Her mother looks at her with surprise, tears in her eyes. "Katie didn't cause..."

"I don't want to talk about her, but no she didn't," Kelly chokes quietly. 

"Your ex was Katie Burton, a police officer," I ask in a protective tone and she looks down at me with fear in her eyes. "Can I have my phone on the table please?"

"What are you going to do," Kelly asks in a scared whisper.

"My captain couldn't figure out why she always had bruises on her knuckles. He said if anything came up, he wanted to know. Domestic violence is a crime and she will be dealt with," I say in a protective whisper and caress her stomach. "If I don't do something about her now and she comes after you while you're pregnant, I'd never forgive myself for not doing anything. 

"You know some of my history," I choke quietly. "I wouldn't be able to live knowing she caused you to lose your baby."

She nods with understanding and  hands me my phone. I call my captain and let Kelly explain her relationship between her and Katie. She was an emotional mess when she finished, handing me back my phone. "How did you come across this Jennifer," he asks softly. 

"She's the doctor I took a bullet for yesterday. Things hit off this morning and we starting telling each other our history.  I figured out that Katie was her ex and called you," I say in a protective tone. Tears fill my eyes and say in a choked whisper, "I can't lose her like Jess and Cassie."

"I'll take care if it," he says in sympathy. 

"Thanks Sully," I choke with relief and hang up.

"Who are Jess and Cassie," Valerie asks curious in a sympathetic tone. 

"My wife and daughter who died in childbirth, two years ago," I choke quietly. "There's something you should know about me. You might change your mind about me."

"I was there when you were changed out of your uniform and I don't care," Kelly says softly laying on my chest. 

I let out a relieved breath and look at her parents. "We just want to see our daughter happy," Victor says with a smile and Valerie nods with agreement. 

My mother walks in and she had tears in her eyes. "Her father left us because of her condition. I didn't think anyone would accept her first who she is. Jess was the first, when they were in high school. Now you're accepting her and it means a lot to both of us."

"Cassie was your biological daughter," Kelly asks softly. 

"Yes," I choke quietly as tears roll down my cheeks. "I got Jess pregnant. She died giving birth to our daughter and our daughter died with her."

My mother takes a step closer to comfort me and Kelly scoots up the bed. She holds my eye contact and wipes my eyes. I shutter a calming breath and she runs her hand in my short pixie cut. I close my eyes to her touch and she continues to run her hand in my hair. 

She lays a kiss on my brow and I let out a content sigh. "This is the most calm I've seen her since before Jess died," my mother chokes quietly. "Sweetie, I don't know what powers you have, but please don't stop."

I shutter a sleepy sigh and Kelly asks in a soft whisper, "Can we have some time alone, please?"

"Of course sweetheart," Valerie says softly.

I woke to someone changing my dressings on my stomach with tender care. I open my eyes to Kelly gingerly applying an antibacterial ointment over my wound. She gently places a bandage over my wound and I place my hand over hers. Her eyes meet mine and she lowers enough to give me a kiss.

Her breaths hitch in our kiss and her breaths turn raspy as I caress her face. She breaks from the kiss and meets my eyes. "No one has ever kissed me like that," she says in a breathy whisper.

I let out a laugh and say, "Technically you kissed me. Your hormones have heightened, making you more sensitive to touch. When Jess found out she was pregnant, all it took was the slightest graze and she was instantly aroused."

"Do you miss them," she asks in a choked whisper. 

"All the time. Jess was all I ever been with since we were fifteen. We were together for ten years before she died. We got married shortly after I joined the police force. She conceived on our wedding night  and died before our anniversary," I choke quietly. I give a light smile as I tuck stray hair from her face. "Meeting you has made some of the hurt stop."

"You left me for this thing," Katie sneers in the doorway. 

"You're violating the restraining order," Kelly chokes in a scared whisper.

I spot Carrie carefully approaching Katie from behind with several other officers. "Captain knows everything," I say in a protective tone. 

"You're bluffing," she snarls in anger. 

"Am I," I ask as I sit up to put Kelly somewhat behind me. "Turn around."

She turns around and back towards me. "You bitch," she growls, charging at me.

She grabs for my neck, but I was able to spin her around and get her in a choke hold. "If you ever come near Kelly again, I'll do more than just a choke hold," I growl in a protective tone as she gasps for air. 

I let her go and she falls to her hands and knees. Two officers walk in, cuffing her hands behind her back. She's escorted out and I lower my hand from my stomach as I lay back down. Kelly goes into panic mode and I caress her face. "Its okay, just a couple of pulled stitches," I say in a soothing whisper making eye contact with her.

She brings her shaky hands up to my forearms and breaks into uncontrolled sobs. She comes in my arms, trembling and Carrie looks in with sympathy for Kelly. She comes in and rubs Kelly's back in comfort.  "I told you she wouldn't let anyone hurt you," Carrie says in a soothing whisper and Kelly looks at her. 

"What's going to happen with her? Will she come after me again," she asks in a scared whisper. 

"Unless she has a death wish, she'll stay away," I say in a protective tone.