On The Run

Disclaimer: All characters in this story are mine.

Warnings: m/f, preg, angst, death, lemon

** Asterisks indicate thoughts

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Chapter Five


Around 5:30am, Grey pulled into the private driveway of his cottage. He had been right about people not knowing it was there – trees concealed the building from the dirt road that led them there. Naomi tried to get out of the car by herself, but the long drive had seized up her muscles. Grey could see that she was struggling, rushing around the front of the car to give her a hand. He took her bag from the car and walked with her to the entrance of his cottage. Naomi turned and smiled tiredly at him.

“I’d love to look outside more, but I’m exhausted.” She really was. Her eyes felt grainy from being awake so long, and she could feel them threatening to close. She still wanted to get a look at Grey’s head before falling asleep. Grey unlocked the front door of his cabin, letting her in first.

“Why don’t we get a few hours sleep, and then I can show you around later?” He said. Naomi nodded.

“That would be great. I feel like I’m going to fall over. I want to get a look at your head first though.”

Grey had forgotten about it. The sharp sting of his head had gradually dimmed to a dull throb, and for the drive he had pushed it out of his mind. Now that she brought it up again, he was reminded of his injury. Entering the small cabin, Grey gave Naomi a quick tour. Naomi was in love with the quaint structure. As a log cabin, the building lived up to its name. The interior was made completely of wood, logs forming the walls, and wooden beams across the ceiling. The kitchen was small, with a table and four chairs, a refrigerator, stove, and sink. The bathroom hosted a shower stall and a medium-sized bathtub.

The main attraction of the cabin was the living room, which had a small television, a wood burning fireplace, long wooden table, a couch with fluffy corduroy cushions, and floor lamps with red shades, casting a warm glow over the room. There were three bedrooms. The master bedroom boasted a king size bed, a desk, chair, and a window view of the ocean. That was Grey’s room. He led Naomi to her room, which held a queen size bed with fluffy pillows and heavy, soft blankets, a desk, lamp, and an equal view of the ocean. His cottage had a porch, though he didn’t want to open it up just yet as it was too cool outside and he hadn’t checked the heaters for the fall.

Heading back to the kitchen, Naomi ordered that Grey bring out the medical kit. Taking a seat across from the Grey, she disinfected the wound.

“Ow!”

“Oh stop. Sometimes you act like a petulant child.” Naomi scolded. Grey looked like he was almost pouting. Almost.

The wound wasn’t bad enough for stitches, so Naomi smoothed some polysporin on a sheet of gauze and used medical tape to secure it. Grey suffered in silence. When she was done, Naomi sat back, a smug look on her face.

“Done?”


”Yup.”

They parted to their rooms, overtired and desperate to get a few hours rest. Naomi pulled back the covers of her bed, wanting to sink right into the mattress and fall asleep instantly. It was heading into November, so the air was fairly cool. She was feeling the chill come up from the floor, and the bed with all its warm blankets looked very appealing. Slipping under the covers, Grey checked on her one last time before sleep took her.


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Around two in the afternoon, Grey came and woke her. He didn’t want her to have trouble falling asleep later on in the evening. He left to make something to eat as she went and showered, enjoying the hot water running over her body. The air in the cottage was a lot warmer than when they had arrived, so she assumed that Grey checked over the heaters and they were functioning properly.

Stepping out of the shower and wrapping herself in an oversized towel, she went back to her room to change into a fresh pair of clothes. She would have to do a wash soon, and she hoped that Grey had a washing machine and dryer in his cottage somewhere.

Entering the kitchen, Grey was just finishing up preparing them sandwiches. He passed her a plate and took one of his own, setting it down on the table. He went and poured them some iced tea before taking a seat. Diving in hungrily, Naomi finished her food in record time. Grey appeared to be as hungry as she was, as he was not far behind her.

“Your cottage is lovely.”

“Thanks.”

“Where’s your washing machine and dryer?”

“Porch.”

After lunch, he took her out to the porch, where she nearly ran into the washing machine. The porch was enclosed with screens to keep the bugs out, though at this time of year there were hardly any insects out.

“Doesn’t this get cold in the winter?” Naomi asked. Grey laughed.

“Yeah, but I put boards up in the windows to keep the cool air and snow out. Floor-length heaters do a good job of warming this place up. I’ll have to put the boards up soon
though, looks like it’s going to snow early this year.”

Upon request, Grey took Naomi outside to show her the rest of the property. The land was filled with trees, and she was delighted to see a swing and a gazebo. They walked down to the beach, sand getting in their shoes. The ocean went on forever, the water crystal clear.

“Wow, it’s beautiful.” Naomi gasped. She could live there forever. It was so serene. Grey agreed with her.

“Sometimes I like to come up here to focus on my work. The ideas seem to come more freely when I’m out with nature.”

Naomi stole a glance at Grey. He looked quite in his element. She hoped that they had seen the last of Randy, and that the two of them could finally relax. The past few days had been far too tense. Going back to the cabin, a crisp wind cut through the trees and chilled Naomi to the bone.

“Jeez. Cold much?” She complained. Grey looked at her.

“I have some extra clothes up here. You shouldn’t walk around in just a sweater. You don’t want to get sick.” Entering the cottage, Grey instructed Naomi to follow him. He led her to his room, where he searched through his closet.

“Here.” He said, handing her a heavy winter jacket, a few large t-shirts, and a handful of thick sweaters. She took the clothing items from him, looking them over.

“Do you have enough to wear?” She asked. She didn’t want him to give up everything to her. She didn’t want him to freeze. Grey smiled and nodded.

“Yeah. I have a ton of clothes. Don’t worry about it. I keep a lot up here so I don’t have to pack every time I want to vacation.”

Naomi examined some of the clothes she held. Normally, she was very petite, but as of right now, there was a big difference with her pregnancy. Grey was tall and broad-shouldered, as well as muscular, so the shirts were bound to be large and hang on her if she had her pre-pregnancy physique. She wasn’t so sure about right now though – the shoulders might be baggy on her, but the midsection could be a tight fit. The last thing she wanted was to look super-fat. Thanking Grey for the clothes, she went back to her room. Folding them, she placed them in the dresser. The sweaters were a little bigger, so there was a chance that she wouldn’t look too awkward. The winter jacket would be fine.

She was due in mid-January, so she would have to go through the colder months of the winter as a larger woman. It would be important to keep herself warm during that time, so the winter jacket was suitable. She wasn’t sure how long she and Grey would be at the cabin, but it would soon be time to start purchasing items for the baby. She didn’t want to be unprepared when the time came. It would be very irresponsible of her. Her stepmother would never let her hear the end of it.

When she had folded all the clothes and put them away, she went out to the living room, sitting on the cushioned couch. It was very comfortable, and she sunk right in. Grey joined her shortly, smiling at her as he sat down.

“Well, I phoned Detective Winslow and reported the break-in this morning. At least Randy Hudson’s trail has gone cold on us. There’s no way that he could have followed us, and definitely no way of discovering this place.” Naomi relaxed.

“That’s a relief. I’ve had enough action to last me my entire life.”

The day dragged on, the wind howling outside. Naomi was happy that they were inside the warm cabin. She could only imagine how the temperature must have dropped, with the wind making the cabin creak. Grey left and made them some hot chocolate, and Naomi adjusted herself into a more comfortable position. The couch sat just under a window, the sun beginning to set and cast shadows in the room. Naomi closed the drapes.

Grey came back a short while later, switching on the floor lamps as he walked into the living room. Offering Naomi a mug, she took it gratefully.

“Thanks.” She took a sip, the sweet, chocolately liquid pleasant on her tongue. It had been so long since she had made some for herself. She and Grey sat on the couch, talking largely about his art. He filled her in on the comic book deal he had just sealed, and Naomi smiled at his excitement. After awhile, a cold draft had seeped through the window, and Naomi shivered from the chill.

“I’ll get you a blanket.” Grey offered, not even waiting for a response. He left for his room, and Naomi could hear him going through his drawers.

*What a sweetie. Why the hell couldn’t I have met him earlier?* She was a little exasperated. It seemed her whole life she had bad timing. Now she had met the greatest man she’d ever known, only to be well within her pregnancy and unable to do most of the things she was used to. Sometimes she felt like an invalid.

Grey came back, placing a warm blanket over Naomi. She smiled and thanked him as he took a seat beside her once again.

“When will you start your next graphic novel?” Naomi asked. Grey ran a hand through his short, dark hair.

“When I think of a good idea and some interesting characters. For now though, I think I will just draw pictures and not worry about a plot or a character I want to develop. Sometimes the ideas come when I least expect it.” Naomi knew exactly what he meant. She approached songwriting much the same way.

They ate a small dinner on the couch, talking softly among themselves. Long after they had finished, the conversation turned towards Naomi’s baby again. Grey was able to find out more details, like how Naomi felt about the father, her plans for the rest of her pregnancy and her apprehension at giving birth, and possible names, for a boy or a girl.

Grey ran his hands softly over her belly, and that seemed to awaken the baby. Sunshine kicked against his hands, and he laughed, a deep, rich sound. Naomi laughed with him, feeling the baby rotate in her stomach. Grey leaned down, his face close to her belly. She held her breath when he spoke to her stomach, disbelieving at what she was seeing.

“You be good now and don’t hassle your mother too much.” He said. Naomi loved that he was talking to the baby. She never would have imagined that Grey would do such a thing. It was the sweetest thing she had ever seen. She felt very emotional, trying to get herself under control when he sat up and smiled at her, beautiful dark chocolate eyes twinkling.

“You probably are right when you say you have an athlete in there.” He said, laughing again when the baby kicked against his hand. Naomi swallowed the lump in her throat.

“You should feel it from where I am. This kid is going to the Olympics.”

When it was time for bed, Grey came and said goodnight, sitting on her bed.

“If you need anything, just yell.” He said. Naomi laughed.

“If you spoil me too much, I may come to expect the royal treatment all the time.”

“You deserve it.” He left after that, turning off her bedroom light. Naomi lay in the dark, thinking about Grey Holmes. Could it be that she could fall so fast for a man? Did he feel the same way about her? If he did, would he stick around after the birth? Her head was spinning, she had so many questions. She wasn’t sure how she should handle it. If she wasn’t pregnant, she would have kissed him already, but there was so much to consider for the well being of her child. She didn’t want to make an abrupt decision, only to have it be wrong later.




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A/N: Thanks for reviewing! More to come soon....


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