| Scott stood in the middle of the waiting room, just watching her. His feet felt nailed to the ground; she still managed to captivate him, even after all this time. Finally his feet detached from the floor and he walked over to her. Quietly Scott sat in the chair next to her, he wanted to hold her, kiss her, make her better. Tenderly he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his chest until she fell asleep. She never once looked up to see who was crying with her. *** Jagger Stapp kneeled up on this father�s chest. �Daddy? Daddy?� He poked his father in the forehead. When Scott didn�t wake up, Jagger hopped down from his father�s grasp. Slowly, he crept over to Uncle Scottie. He stabbed Scottie in his tattooed arm, with one of his pudgy fingers. He giggled when Scottie rolled over and swatted at his little hand. Next he hopped over to Uncle Mark. He grinned devilishly; wondering what he could do to Mark to annoy him. No, he didn�t want to wake him up; Uncle Mark wasn�t fun in the morning. He looked around wondering what could do, �cause Daddy was asleep and couldn�t tell him �no!�. Daddy used that word a lot. He looked around the room and found the pretty lady that Daddy had fallen asleep next to. �I�ll wake her up.� Carefully he crept over to her. In a split second Jagger had leaped onto Hannah�s stomach, sending her bare feet into the air and waking her immediately. Jagger squealed with delight. At his laughter all three men jumped awake. �Oh no!� All three moaned. �Whoa! And who are you?� Hannah smiled into the brown eyes of the toddler who had just pounced her. �Jagger Thomas-� �Tremonti, Jagger Thomas Tremonti.� Mark answered hurriedly while standing up. �So this little devil�s yours?� She raised an eyebrow at Mark. �Yup, all mine. I can match the DNA. I swear!� He practically shouted. �Uh, no need for that.� She smiled; thinking that Mark had gotten stranger over the years. Jagger still sat on her stomach, tenderly touching her face. Examining her lips, ears, eyelids, the touch was oddly familiar. �You�re pretty Miss lady.� He smiled and had a soft Southern accent soaking his voice. �Thank you.� She smiled and giggled in return. He smelled like something sweet, his touch was so childish but she knew she�d felt a similar caress before. She just couldn�t place it. �Leave her be JT.� A low voice warned. A tender hand ran and swept Jagger�s touch away and cupped her cheek. The touch was warm, soft, and sensual. Her eyes fluttered closed, desperate to know whom it belonged to. She knew it; his kiss was buried in her memory. Taking a deep breath she could detect the scent of his skin. Like warm and sticky heat, freshly cut grass, and sharp men�s cologne. �It�s �it�s�� She opened her eyes and everything halted. Her breath was captured in her throat, her rhythmic heart ceased it�s steady beating. She felt her body�s internal systems suddenly collapse. Mark had removed Jagger from her stomach and Hannah�s eyes were staring directly into those of Scott Stapp. �Hannah, are you okay?� Scott watched her gasp for air. �Scott Anthony Stapp, must you always make women hyperventilate!� Flip rushed to kneel by Hannah. �I just looked at her!� Stapp threw his hands up. Tears rolled down Hannah�s face as she still watched Scott. He was still beautiful, through her tears she could see his hair was a little longer. His mouth still held a defiant grimace, but his eyes had changed. They were softer now, no longer just a hard brick wall you had to contend with. His body had changed; it had more muscle and there was a beautiful black-ink tattoo of a cross on his upper left arm. Her quiet tears had now turned to racking sobs as she pushed herself into Phillips�s chest. �Hannah, w-what�s wrong?� Flip asked, trying to comfort her. �I can�t do this, I have to go.� She stood, wiped her tears, and brushed off her slacks. Hannah glanced at Scott; and bit her lips afraid her tears might explode again. Scott sat in the chair, stunned, not sure what he�d done to her. Before he could ask her any questions, Hannah bolted from the room. All three guys stood frozen, none of them were sure what to do. �Scott go stop her, before she tries to drive herself home.� Mark ordered. Scott jumped up and sprinted out the door. His cowboy boots slid against the tile floor as he raced around the corner. She was walking down a windowless hall, her hand covering her face. Then, as if her body had just given out, she crumbled onto the floor. Scott ran, dropped to his knees and slid next to her. He threw his arms around her and pulled her close. �Please, please tell me what I can do to make this better.� He whispered as she sobbed into him. �I don�t know, I just don�t know.� �I still love you. I love you.� He buried his face in her hair and drew in the scent of her body. �No!� Hannah pushed Scott against the wall and stood, �No, I won�t let you win that easily Scott.� �Win? Hannah I�m not winning anything.� Scott stared at her, completely confused. �Hell yes you are. You think by holding me for one night, showing up in a hospital room after six years, I�ll just take you back. I won�t, I can�t Scott. I refuse to let you rip my world apart again.� Hannah walked away still pushing back tears. Scott leaned against the white brick wall, and pushed his hands through his hair. �I take it she didn�t fall gracefully in your romantic embrace?� Mark appeared with JT on his hip. �What does it look?� Scott growled at them. �Daddy, why is that lady crying?� Jagger�s doe eyes turned toward his father. �Because of me, again.� Scott watched her shadow fade down the hall. |