Out Of The Friend Zone

by Stephanie Nicole

  "So, you had the ring already then?"

  "Yep!"

  "I love it. Have I told you that yet? It's gorgeous!"

  At that moment, the door to Brynn's hospital room flew open, and in rushed Nico. "Brynn, I just heard about your accident. It was on the news last night, and I came over as fast as I could! I was so worried," Nico rambled on quickly, as he rushed to Brynn's bedside.

  "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice incredulous.

  He looked at Chandler and said, "I'm here to take care of her. You can leave now."

  Chandler burst into laughter. Nico glared at him.

  "Hold up!" Brynn yelled, then grimaced in pain when she tried to sit up. "First of all, you heard about my accident last night, and were so worried about me that you couldn't come to see me until this morning?"

  Brynn looked at him in confusion, wondering just how stupid this man could be. Mostly she wondered why she ever married him, and how she could have stayed with him for so long.

  Nico looked back to Brynn. "Well, darling, I had some things to take care of. You look like shit by the way, and you sure are packing on the pounds."

  Brynn's mouth dropped open.

  Chandler started to get out of his chair to take care of the ever insulting ex-husband, but Brynn shook her head at him, letting him know that she could handle Nico.

  "You really didn't need to take time out of your busy schedule to check on me. My fiance here is taking very good care of me. And for your information, you stupid man, I am not 'packing on the pounds'. I'm pregnant."

  Nico gave her a look of pure disgust. "Pregnant? Seriously?"

  She completely ignored his question. "Now, thank you for your misguided concern, but I think you are doing more harm than good by being here, so get the hell out of my room before I call security."

  At that, Chandler walked over to where Nico stood. He was a full three inches taller than Nico, with broader shoulders and a thicker frame. "She asked you to leave nicely. I won't be so nice, as you've seen before."

  Nico nodded. "See what I get trying to care?" He remembered his tangles with Chandler, and didn't care for any more at this point. "Fine, I'll leave, but don't expect me to come back."

  "Well, that's something to look forward to," Brynn said with a smirk.

  Chandler folded his arms across his chest as he watched Nico leave the room. After the door had shut from Nico's departure, Chandler walked back around Brynn's bed and sat in the chair.

  Just when he got comfortable, Chandler heard the door open again. "Don't you get it? She doesn't want you here. Get the fuck out!" Chandler growled, as he stood from his chair and turned towards the door. His jaw practically dropped to the floor to see his mother standing there, holding a vase of flowers in one hand, and a bunch of balloons in the other.

  Madilyn Tiller stood in shock just inside Brynn's hospital room.

  Seeing his mother's face, he couldn't help but laugh. "Mom, I'm sorry," he said, between bursts of laughter. "I thought you were Brynn's ex-husband coming back in."

  "Oh?" Madilyn asked as her son took the balloons and flowers.

  "Thanks for coming, Madilyn," Brynn said to her future mother-in-law.

  "It seems as though your spirits are up. How are you feeling?"

  "Not too bad, all things considered," Brynn told her. "I just can't wait to get home. I think we'll be a lot more comfortable there," she said, as she laid her hand on her stomach, rubbing it softly.

  "Mom, I asked Brynn to marry me last night when she woke up, then again this morning to make sure that she wasn't saying yes because she was under the influence of painkillers," Chandler announced, as he looked lovingly at his new fiance.

  "Good! I'm happy you're going to make it official," Madilyn said, then gave her son a hug and kissed Brynn's forehead. "And, I'm glad you're okay too. I don't think my son would have survived if you hadn't been."

  When the doctor entered the room a short time later, Madilyn said her goodbyes to her son and Brynn, letting them know she would take care of the kids for as long as they needed her.

  The doctor went over Brynn's chart and gave her a quick examination. By the looks of it, Brynn was improving rapidly, and she would be able to go home in the next few days. Though she wanted to go home sooner, Brynn was happy the doctor was so encouraging. He even commented on the baby's strong heartbeat as being a positive sign.

  After the doctor left, Chandler was able to convince Brynn to take a nap. As soon as he was sure she was asleep, he jotted down a quick note for her and left the room. He hoped that he would be back before she woke up, but in case he wasn't, he didn't want her to wonder where he was.

  Chandler went down to find his SUV just where Zaiden had left it. He hopped in and headed home for a quick shower and a change of clothes. After leaving home, Chandler went to Brynn's favorite restaurant and picked up some lunch for the two of them. He knew that Brynn was going to protest how bad the hospital food was, and he hoped that bringing in some food from the outside would make her stay more bearable.

  When he walked back into the hospital room, Brynn was still sleeping. He set the bag of Styrofoam food containers on the bedside table, and began opening the boxes up. The aroma from the delectable eats wafted through the air, beckoning Brynn to open her eyes.

  Brynn woke from her food-filled dream, only to find that the food she was dreaming about was laid out in front of her. She looked over to Chandler, who had a smile spread across his face. "Feel any better?"

  "Yeah, I'm glad you talked me into that nap, but I'm even happier that you brought me lunch. I was so dreading the hospital food." As if on cue, her stomach grumbled. "I didn't realize how hungry I was until I saw all this food," she laughed.

  "Hey, stick with me and I'll take good care of you baby," he said, as he leaned over and kissed her. Before straightening back up, he leaned over Brynn's stomach and said, "And you too, baby. Now, let's eat!"

  Chandler stayed in the hospital all day. They played cards, watched daytime soap operas, and attempted the crossword puzzle in the newspaper. Even though Brynn wasn't able to leave the room, having Chandler there made her feel less trapped.

  Just before dinner, Nyla poked her head in the room. "Hey, looking pretty good there!," Nyla said, as she leaned over and lightly hugged her friend.

  "So, anything new?" she asked, wondering if Chandler had proposed yet, but not wanting to ruin the surprise like she almost had the night before.

  "Well, Michelle has amnesia, Tony is starting to have feelings for Michelle, which has Danny worried, and Dinah is going to come back to Springfield, even though she is wanted for murder," Brynn recited.

  "Let me guess, you let her watch Guiding Light?" Nyla asked Chandler, rolling her eyes.

  "How did you know?" Chandler laughed.

  "One of her guilty pleasures. She watches it whenever she gets a chance," Nyla explained.

  "But I'm guessing you want to know if anything is new in the real world. I'm sure you want to get a better look at my rock," Brynn said, then held out her left hand.

  Nyla squealed and grabbed Brynn's hand. "He showed me last night, but it was pretty dark. It's so beautiful Brynn! I'm so excited for you two!"

  "Me too!" Brynn smiled.

  "Do you want me to leave?" Chandler asked, afraid he was interrupting some girl-bonding time.

  "Not a chance, honey. You need to get used to this!" Brynn told him.

  "Oh, boy, what have I gotten myself into?" Chandler said with a laugh, as he shook his head at the two women. But deep down, he knew he wouldn't have it any other way. His life was headed in the right direction, and he couldn't be happier.

  Chapter 29

  Brynn lay in her hospital bed for nearly a week, pleading with her doctors to release her. As each day passed, not only did Brynn get stronger, but the baby growing inside of her did too. On the day that both her doctors agreed that she could go home, both Brynn and Chandler were elated.

  "Don't get too excited, Bry
nn. You are going to have some stipulations on your discharge. First of all, you are on strict bed rest. Hire a housekeeper, a babysitter, and a chef if you have to, but under no circumstances are you to lift a finger until I say so. The life and health of your baby depend on it," Brynn's doctor instructed.

  "Second, I want to see you in my office at least once a week until further notice. And third, if you feel anything out of the ordinary, if something doesn't feel right to you, you call me...day or night, got it?"

  The doctor smiled at her and squeezed Brynn's hand.

  "Don't worry doctor, I'll be keeping my eye on her" Chandler agreed with the doctor, sending a silent warning to Brynn. "I'll be taking care of things around the house too."

  "In other words, we'll be eating take out on paper plates all the time," Brynn teased.

  "Ha-ha, funny lady. Let's get you sprung out of here," Chandler said, happy to be taking his fiance back to their house. He couldn't wait to reunite the kids with Brynn again. They hadn't seen her since before the accident. Both Chandler and Brynn worried that it would be too scary for them to have to visit her in the hospital.

  While Brynn signed her release papers with the doctor, Chandler went down to the parking lot to drive his SUV up to the doors. On his way down, he made a few phone calls, hoping that his plans weren't too last minute.

  After loading all the flowers and balloons into the SUV, Chandler made one final trip into the hospital, for the most important thing...Brynn. He wheeled her down the corridor, and as they got closer and closer to the doors, Chandler could see her shoulders tense up. He stopped her wheelchair at the passenger door to the vehicle, and crouched down next to her. Chandler looked into her eyes and saw the fear.

  "It's a pretty scary thing to get back into a vehicle after what happened, huh?"

  "I know I'm being foolish, but I can't help it. What if it happens again Chandler? What if I'm not so lucky next time? I am never, ever going to be able to control what the other drivers do, that's how I got into this mess," Brynn worried, letting her emotions get the best of her.

  Chandler understood her fears very well. "I don't have all the answers, and I can't promise you that nothing like this will ever happen. The only thing I can promise is that I will do everything in my power to stop it from ever happening again. Obviously someone is watching over us, and it's not in his or her plan to take us from each other right now," Chandler said, finishing with a small smile.

  "I know you're right, but please don't get upset with me if I get nervous while you're driving. I think it's just going to take me a little while to get comfortable in a vehicle again," Brynn said, feeling a little braver. "Ok, I'm ready."

  Chandler opened the passenger door and lifted Brynn from the wheelchair to the passenger seat, laughing at the shouts of protest. "Get used to it, babe. I'll be carrying you a lot over the next couple of weeks."

  "I think I can manage to get from the wheelchair to the seat on my own," Brynn argued and rolled her eyes. "Besides, you won't be able to carry me much longer. I'm getting pretty big now."

  "And I love every minute of the growth."His whole face glowed as he ran his hand over her pregnant belly.

  Brynn rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that, especially when I'm just about ready to pop. We'll see how much you love it then!" Brynn strapped the seatbelt around her body and closed the door, leaving Chandler to return the wheelchair to the hospital lobby.

  Chandler returned to the vehicle and hopped into his seat. As the engine roared to life, Chandler looked over at Brynn. "You ready?"

  "As ready as I'll ever be," she said, and took a deep breath. "Just go easy on me."

  Chandler knew this was the perfect time to lighten Brynn's mood, and she left herself wide open for it. "Isn't that what you said the first time we made love? You didn't think you could handle a stallion like me."

  Brynn nearly choked on her laughter. "Yeah, because you were such a smooth operator, huh?"

  "Hey, I didn't hear any complaining...I seem to recall screams of pleasure though," Chandler reminded her. "I think I had you begging for more too."

  He made a few turns, driving them further from the hospital and closer to their destination. "Oh Chandler! Give it to me! Oh, harder! Oh yes, that's it right there! Oh yeah! Give it to me!" he teased in a high-pitched voice, sending them both into fits of laughter.

  "Ah, but the begging went both ways, didn't it?" Brynn laughed. "I remember a night not too long ago where you could barely wait to get out of the bar before having your way with me."

  Chandler nodded. "I think the feeling was mutual that night. I don't think either one of us could think of anything other than being together," Chandler recalled. "But just think of all the fun we had making that baby, whether we were aware of what was happening in your body at the time or not," he said, as he pulled into the driveway and turned the engine off.

  "We're here already?" Brynn asked, looking around. Chandler had kept her talking and distracted during the entire drive. .

  Chandler slid out of the vehicle, and ran around the front to get to the passenger side. He opened the door and began to gather Brynn in his arms. "Thank you," she said.

  "Hey, what are fiances for if not to carry their future wives?" Chandler asked, with a soft smile.

  "No, not just for that, well, yeah that too, but for everything. For loving me, for caring about me, for loving the kids...for everything. Thank you for being you most of all. And thanks for helping me get through my first car ride without having a nervous breakdown," Brynn said, as her eyes started to mist over.

  "Well, thank you for not leaving me," Chandler said, as he wiped the tears from her eyes. "Now, let's get you inside," he said, picking her up in one fluid motion, never breaking a sweat.

  "You know, you're going to have to let me walk sometime," Brynn pointed out.

  "I know, but let me enjoy this while it lasts," he said, walking up to the front door. He gave the door three sharp kicks down in the bottom corner, and like magic the door opened.

  There were the people she loved the most - Nyla and Zaiden, and the kids. Madilyn was there too, all with smiles, waiting for her. Chandler sat Brynn down on her feet and the two kids ran into her open arms. She hugged them tight as tears spilled down her face. None of them wanted to break the embrace. She just wanted to hold them and never let them go...not realizing that each kid was feeling the same way.

  Zaiden held up a pink cake box. "Hope you're hungry!"

  "Welcome home," Madilyn said. Brynn laughed at the group as they all gathered around her. She was finally home, it felt so right...and home never felt sweeter. She knew she was on a long road to recovery, but with the help of her wonderful family, everything would be alright.

  They spent the night sitting around eating cake, listening to the kids telling stories about things that happened in school, and talking. As the sky got darker, the kids began to lose steam. Chandler took that as his cue to put the kids to bed.

  Barrett leaned over his mom and gave her a big hug. "I missed you and I'm glad you're alright."

  "I missed you too, kiddo," Brynn said, and ruffled his hair.

  "I'll let that slide this time," Barrett smirked, making Brynn laugh at her son's antics.

  Next was Willow's turn. She wrapped her arms tightly around Brynn's neck and hugged her tight, not wanting to let go. "It's okay, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you wake up," Brynn reassured her.

  "Daddy told me that you're getting married. Does that mean I can call you mommy now?" Willow whispered in Brynn's ear.

  "If that's what you want, sweetheart. You don't have to if you don't want to, though," Brynn whispered back.

  Willow released Brynn from the tight hold she had around her neck, and ran up the stairs after her father and Barrett. As she got to the top landing she turned around and yelled, "Goodnight, Mommy!"

  Then she giggled and ran into her room.

  As Brynn looked back on the night, she couldn't have ima
gined a better, more perfect homecoming, and she owed it all to Chandler.

  Chapter 30

  Brynn shifted on her side, feeling the soft feathery pillow beneath her head give ever so slightly as she moved, the mattress hugging every curve. The strong, comfortable arms of the man she loved with all her heart tightened around her, reassuring Brynn that he was still there. Somewhere between a dreamy state and being awake, Brynn smiled at the feel of his body next to hers.

  It was one of the things she missed most while she was in the hospital, not being able to sleep in the comfort of her bed with her loving fiance. Her mind pondered that thought for a moment...her fiance, the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, the father of her unborn baby, her lover, best friend, and protector all rolled into one. Brynn no longer thought about what her life was like before Chandler. It was almost as if she really started living the day they met. And now, they were engaged to be married. She felt like a giddy schoolgirl.

  "Isn't it too early for you to be smiling, and in such a good mood?" Chandler whispered as he kissed Brynn's cheek good morning.

  "I can't help it. I'm alive, I'm home, and I'm back in your arms. How could I not wake up happy?" Brynn said, as she grinned from ear to ear.

  "You know what? You're absolutely right. That definitely makes it a perfect day," Chandler smiled.

  A few minutes later, Chandler scooped Brynn out of bed. He carried her into the bathroom where he had filled the tub with bubbles, and the air was filled with the scent of plumeria. He carefully set her in the bathtub, then climbed in behind her.

  "You know, I can walk from the bed to the bathroom," Brynn told him.

  "I know, but it's so much fun carrying you, and thinking that you depend on me. You've always been so independent. It's nice to feel like you need me for something," Chandler admitted.