Still Falling (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 3 in the HunTia Trilogy)

Chapter Sixty-Six

CHASE'S POV:

"Look at me, C."
I keep staring out the window, maintaining a stony silence. Rain pounds the window heavily, and she sighs. "Oh C, please."
"What?" I ask quietly.
"Come back," she whispers, and I turn around to look at her for the first time.
"I never left," I reply.
"Yes you have," she says, her voice growing louder. "You haven't been the same since the accident. Please, just stop being so cold to me! I love you, C, I hate not being able to even talk to you anymore!"
"You know what?" I say. "You're right, I haven't been the same since the accident. I can't walk, Pip."
"And you've said that about a million times!" she shouts. "Get over yourself, would you? I know that you can't walk, I know that you think it's all over, but it's not, okay?!"
"Excuse me?!"
"You heard me!" she yells. Then, she stands. "Look, I have stuff to do. Call me when you're done wallowing in your self-pity." She walks out of my room, and I just shake my head, sighing.
What do I do?

TIA'S POV:

I stand at the stove, making sure that the bolognese sauce doesn't burn, when I feel two arms wrap around my waist and a pair of lips on my neck. "Hello," murmurs Hunter softly.
"Don't scare me like that, Hunt," I gasp. "I didn't hear you come in."
"I'm a ninja."
"Yeah, don't kid yourself," I say with a laugh.
"How was the doctor's appointment?" he asks.
I purse my lips, and he looks concerned. "Tia?"
"She said I'd need an x-ray," I say.
"It's not serious, is it?"
"No, I think it's just for a record, and to make sure it's nothing bad," I lie.
He looks like he doesn't believe me, but he doesn't press the subject. "So, what's cookin', good lookin'?"
I bite my lip to keep from grinning like a Chessy Cat. "I'm making a spag bol."
"Cool," he says, turning me around to kiss me. "You know, the stove is hot, but there's something that's hotter."
I burst out laughing, pulling away. "Hunt, that was the lamest pick-up line I've ever heard."
He thinks for a moment. "Okay... how about... ah! The benchtop is hard, but I know something that's ha-"
"Hunter!" I shriek, slapping his chest and laughing. He has a devilish look on his handsome face, and I'm blushing like crazy. "That's enough!"
"Yeah, Mom's right," says Addy, sounding like she's barely holding back laughter.
"How long have you been there?" asks Hunter, though he's laughing as well.
"Long enough," she says, snickering. "You know, there's this thing called a bedroom, and we have four of them. Just wait 'til we all go to bed, okay?"
We're all laughing so hard that we don't notice Chase rolling into the room silently and sullenly. Hunter puts on a straight face. "Hey, bud. You hungry?"
"Not particularly," he says dully. "What's for dinner?"
"Spaghetti," I say. "But if you don't want spaghetti, I can make something else."
He shakes his head, rolling to the TV room and I can hear the news. I sigh, looking at Hunter, and he just gives me a sad smile. Addy rolls her eyes. "I'm gonna go do some more studying. Call me down when dinner's ready."
My eyes widen. "Oh, crap! The sauce!" I run to the stove and take a look at the now-blackened sauce. I quickly turn off the stove and see what I can do to save the sauce, but to no avail. "Darn it," I mutter, furious with myself for getting distracted.
"It's fine," says Hunter, kissing my temple. "I'll order in something. You need a break, darl."
"I'm not tired," I say, while yawning, and he cocks and eyebrow. "Okay, maybe a bit tired."
"Sleep, love," he says. "Seriously. I don't mind."
When I shake my head, he massages my shoulders. "You're tense. Is everything okay?"
"I'm not tense," I mutter.
"Yes, you are," he says. "Relax, sweetheart. You need some rest."
"You're being ridiculous. I'm fine."
"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?" he asks critically.
"Whatever happened to 'What's cookin', good lookin'?', huh?"
"No, I'm not saying you look ugly," he says, as though I should have immediately caught on to what he was trying to say. "I mean that the shadows under your eyes haven't looked permanent since you were pregnant."
"I- really?"
He just looks at me. "Yes, Tia. Really. Sleep. It'll do you some good."
I turn away from him. "No."
"Then I'll just have to make you," he says, before lifting me up, despite my yells of protest.
"Hunter, put me down right now!"
"You know what, I don't think I will," he says teasingly, carrying me to our room and setting me down. He covers me in blankets, making sure that I'm warm, and kisses my forehead. I'm already falling asleep, as he whispers. "Good night, sweetheart."
<><><><><><><><>
I wake up to find Hunter's arm draped across my waist. His mouth is slightly agape, and he looks extremely tired. I look at the time. Two am. My stomach growls, and Hunter stirs.
"Tee?"
"Go back to sleep," I say softly. "I'm gonna eat something."
He nods groggily. "There's some pizza in the kitchen."
"Got it." I stand up and sneak into the kitchen, quietly reheating two slices of pizza. I can hear some noises from Chase's room (technically Addy's room), so I go to investigate.
Chase is sitting at the desk, writing something. When I open the door, he freezes. "Chase, why're you awake?" I ask.
"Why are you awake?"
"I didn't have dinner. I was hungry."
"I was just studying," he says, shifiting his papers so that I could see only his study notes for his English finals.
"Studying what? Another song?" I ask teasingly, and he blushes.
"I was writing a song for Pippa," he mutters.
"Aren't you always?" I ask, smiling.
He just sighs, looking down at his work. I notice the lyrics.
I love being able to call you mine,
Stop being mad, baby, I want you to shine.
"Your lyrics are good, Chase," I say. "But why does it say 'stop being mad'? Are you and Pip fighting?"
"Kind of."
I sigh. What was with all the conflict with this lot nowadays? "What happened?"
"Apparently I'm moping."
"She's not wrong there."
"Not helping, Mom."
"Sorry, sorry," I say. "But Chase, it's not fair to her that you keep blocking everyone out. I know it's in your nature, it's in mine too. But you can't keep moping about this."
When he just stares at his paper, I stand. "C'mon, get a coat. We're going for a walk."
"Where're we going?"
"Somewhere," I reply. I quickly walk back into our room and grab Hunter's sweater- both bigger and thicker than mine- and Chase meets me at the front door. I open it for him, and then we go walking.
We walk for quite a while (Chase rolled), until we found ourselves at a field. "Where are we?"
"Just a field. Your dad and I came here once to look at the lights over Nashville," I say, remembering the night Hunter had had a nightmare, back when I was pregnant. "Get up."
"What?!"
"Get up. I'm gonna help you walk."
"But- But I-"
"You said you could feel your legs," I say. "Didn't you?"
When he's still silent, I speak softer. "Chase, this is all you need. They told me I'd never walk again, and look at me. Good as new. Come on, you can do this."
I take his hands and help him to stand up. He leans on my shoulders heavily, and I stagger a little. 
"I'm sorry, Mom."
"It's okay. Do you think you can walk steady?"
"No. Can you hold onto me?"
"Sure," I say. "Come on, hold onto my shoulders, and we'll try and walk, okay?"
He nods, as he takes the first shaky steps.
<><><><><><><><>
"Tia, where were you?" asks Hunter. It's four am now, and I just got back inside after helping Chase back to bed. 
"Around," I say, and he pulls me down, kissing me. It's the first real kisses we've shared for a while, perfectly intimate and passionate. When I deepen the kiss, he becomes less gentle and lets out a growl of pleasure, making me feel like magic.
"You know, we haven't done anything for a while," he murmurs, and I laugh a little.
"Is this why you've been trying to chat me up?" I ask.
"Maybe, maybe not," he says. "But do you want to?"
I know what he's trying to ask me, and I nod. "I think I'll be okay."
He smiles, before kissing me again.
<><><><><><><><>
Once it's all over, he sighs. "You know, I wonder sometimes, why the Lord gave me an angel like you. I certainly don't deserve someone as incredible as you."
"I wonder the same thing about you."
"Where did you go?" Hunter asks, while running his hands up and down my back, barely missing my scar.
"Just with Chase. We went to that field where we watched the sun rise once, remember?"
"Back when you were pregnant?"
"That's the one."
"Why?" he asks curiously.
"You ask so many questions, Hunt."
"I'm sorry," he says immediately, and I chuckle, resting my head on his chest and listening to his heart. 
"I was kidding, love. I was trying to help him walk."
"And?"
I sigh. "I dunno, Hunt. It was hard, but we got a couple of steps."
"That's good, at least," he says. "So what do you think?"
"I... I don't think he'll be able to, Hunt."
He nods. "I thought as much." He brushes away the tears that are suddenly in my eyes, and kisses my forehead. "It's okay, Tee. He'll be okay. At least it wasn't much worse."
"Yeah," I say. "You're right."
"I mean, what if we had lost him?"
I shake my head. "Hunt, don't. I may be better, but it doesn't mean I'm totally fixed."
"I'm sorry," he apologises again. "It just... it doesn't seem real, does it?"
"It's plenty real to me."
"Tia-" he says, but I stop him.
"No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be snapping at you about something like this. I mean, we almost lost each other." He doesn't reply as I carefully let my fingers brush across his scar. 
"It's okay."
We're silent for a while longer, before a thought strikes me. "Hunt?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think Chase'll be able to sit his exams?"
"Why wouldn't he?"
"He's distraught, Hunt. What if maybe he's too screwed up to try and get past this? Or maybe he'll give up on it, because he thinks he won't be able to do music?"
Hunter doesn't answer, so I keep talking. "I mean, what if he ends up doing the exams, and he flunks them, because he doesn't think it's worth it anymore? I mean, obviously Pip doesn't mind, Ben's been a paraplegic as long as she can remember, but Chase doesn't know how to handle it."
When he still doesn't answer, I just sigh. "Look, you know what? I'm gonna help him walk again. I'll help him to walk even if it's the last thing I ever do."
Hunter lets out a tiny snore, and I look down to see him fast asleep. The poor thing must be exhausted. I smile, kissing the birthmark on his collarbone and cuddling into his chest. Even though he's asleep, his arms instinctively tighten around me. "Good night, Hunt," I whisper, ignoring the morning rays of sunlight filtering in through the window.

*A/N: YAY :D
I don't think I'm allowed to mention it here, but I know that @Mad_MoMo_Stories has some exciting news... ;)
LIA (@missionhayniac) PLEASE MAKE HUNTER AND SHEILA FALL IN LOVE AND STUFF PLEASE
And also, Nikki (@shareandinspire) ought to be awarded :D She's got some awesome plot twists in store, just you wait :D
I'm waiting on your imagine, Andi... (@Andryy3570)
You too, Sandy Pants.... I don't care what your sister thinks, I want to see it ;) (@lankan_girl00)
VOTE, COMMENT AND FOLLOW!!!!!!!!
Nethii <3*