Missing Pieces

Chapter 26: You Make Me Brave

Life had settled down for Rory, Emma and Finn in the couple of weeks since Rory's birthday party.  Jess had not come around again, true to his word.  Emma had relaxed around Finn and was even closer than she had been to him prior to the incident.  Rory had met with Odette for coffee several times.  Logan had begged Odette to give their marriage another chance, and she had reluctantly agreed.  Now it was time for Emma's checkup to ensure that she was still in remission.

Rory had taken the day off work, knowing that it would be a long, hard day and that Emma would need some extra TLC after her doctor's visit.  She was always a little clingy and uncertain after the visits, probably because of the time she'd had to spend in the hospital for treatments. 

They'd met Finn for breakfast that morning, hoping that a treat would help ease Emma's anxiety some.  As they were sitting eating their breakfast Emma turned her her big blue eyes on Finn and scooted over close to him.  She tugged on his hand before speaking.

"Finny, are you going with Mommy and me today to the doctor?"

Finn cleared his throat and looked to Rory.  They'd discussed it briefly, but ultimately Rory had assured him that they would be okay without him there and he had reluctantly agreed not to go.  Rory shrugged her shoulders at Finn and he turned his attention back to Emma.

"Do you want me to go with you, Little Love?" he asked her.

Emma thought for a couple of seconds.

"I think I would feel more brave if you went with me," she answered quietly.

Finn once again looked up at Rory and she quickly smiled and nodded to him.

"Well then, I can't think of anything more important for me to do.  I shall spend the day with my two girls," Finn reassured Emma.  He had meetings scheduled at work, but there was no way he could let her down; she was far more important than anything else on his schedule for the day.

"Really?" Emma asked happily.

"Really, sweet girl.  Now, finish your breakfast so we can get going."

Emma threw her arms around Finn's neck and hugged him fiercely.

"Thank you, Finny!"

"Of course, Em.  There's nowhere I'd rather be," he assured her.

*                    *                    *

Emma, Rory and Finn were sitting in the exam room.  They had done Emma's scans and were about to draw blood to send to the lab.  Emma seemed to be getting more and more nervous as the moments ticked by on the clock, and Finn couldn't help but feel for the poor girl.  He was a thirty-nine year old man and he didn't like getting blood drawn either.  He took his phone out and did some quick tapping.

"Hey, Em?  Come look what I just downloaded," Finn told the antsy little girl.  He held out his phone to show her Where the Wild Things Are.

"My favorite!  Can we read it, please?" she asked, turning her doe eyes on Finn.

"Of course, silly girl!  Why else would I have downloaded it?"

Emma crawled up in Finn's lap and he began reading the story to her, using funny voices for each of the different characters.  Emma was giggling uncontrollably when the nurse walked in the room to draw blood.

"My, it seems that something is awfully funny in here," the nurse said with a smile.

"Hi, Nurse Melissa," Emma replied.  "We're reading Where the Wild Things Are, and he has the best voice for Max and Claire!"

"I see, Miss Emma.  And do tell, who is this gentleman who is reading you a story?" Melissa asked.

"This is Finn!  Finny, this is Nurse Melissa.  She's my favorite!" Emma said happily.

"And is Finn your...boyfriend?" Melissa teased.

"No!  He's Mommy's boyfriend, but he loves me, too!" Emma proclaimed happily.

Finn chuckled and kissed the top of Emma's head.  "That I do, Em.  I love you and your mom very much."

"Well, would you like for him to keep reading to you while I draw your blood?  You'd have to be still, but I bet you can do that, can't you?" Nurse Melissa asked.

"I can!  Will you read to me still, Finn?" Emma asked him.

"Of course I will, sweet girl."

Finn situated Emma more securely on his lap and continued to read to Emma as the nurse cleaned her arm and prepared to draw her blood.  He held Emma's left hand and rubbed it soothingly as the nurse used the right and Emma barely flinched.

"I'm all done, Emma.  You were very brave," the nurse complimented her.

"See, I told you I would be braver with you here, Finny!  I always cry, but not today," Emma said proudly.

"You were fantastic, Em."

*                    *                    *

Rory and Finn had just tucked Emma into bed and read her a bedtime story.  They walked out of her room and Rory was in Finn's arms before he'd even finished shutting the door behind them.

"You were so amazing today, Finn.  You took such good care of Emma and me; I seriously don't know what we would do without you," Rory said.  She took his hand and lead him into the living room to the couch.  She sat down in his lap and began kissing his jaw line.

"It was nothing, kitten," Finn said humbly.

"No, it was definitely something.  You kept both of us calm, and you made her laugh and actually have fun today despite all of the testing that she had done.  You were perfect," Rory whispered.

"I assure you that I'm not perfect; I only did what comes naturally with my two girls," Finn assured her.

"Well, we both love you so much, Finn.  Thank you for being you."

"Anytime, love," Finn chuckled.  "Now, you need to get to bed; we can't have the teacher sleeping through class tomorrow."

"Stay?" Rory asked.

"Of course."