Page 63 of Gunner

"You're really awake."

Leah nods, her eyes watering. "And I really want to see my baby, please."

Mel grins and nods her head before getting her pager out. "Okay, I've paged Doc and a nurse in the NICU. I need to do your observations before Doc shows up, then you can see your baby boy, who, by the way, is absolutely gorgeous."

Mel does her checks as Doc rushes in, sighing at seeing her awake. "You young lady gave us all quite a scare."

She smiles at him and says, "Sorry, dad."

He nods while I smile wide at the title, although I know my dad hopes she'll call him it too soon, "so you should be."

We all chuckle while he does his checks, and as soon as he's finished, Sophie walks in with our boy in her arms, tears shining in her eyes. Leah smiles at her, but her focus is on the bundle in her friend's arms, who immediately places our son with his mother. I look down at him and smile as my girl traces her finger over his features. He has my gray eyes that are looking at his momma while his blonde hair tuffs up, and he's fucking perfect.

Leah lets out a sob while holding him, knowing this wasn't supposed to be possible and what a little miracle he is. I run my finger over his tiny hand, and he grips it, making me smile as his eyes come to me. Leah looks up at me, her eyes shining withlove, and I lean down, kissing her lips gently before we both look back at Alexander.

Our boy.

Leah leans her head on my shoulder while keeping a hold of Alexander when my parents walk in. They grin at seeing the picture in front of them, and my mother whips her phone out, but I pay no attention. I keep my eyes on my little family until my mom clears her throat, making us all look at her.

She raises a brow.

"Well, what did you call our boy?"

I look at Leah, and we both grin before I turn to everyone and make eye contact with my dad, "Alexander Luca Cooper."

Both my parents have tears shining in their eyes while Dagger, Mel, Sophie, and Ink smile wide.

After a little while, Doc clears the room so we can have some time while Mel takes our son back to his incubator, making Leah's tears fall, and I hold her tighter, whispering to her that he still needs oxygen but he's okay before Sophie takes a seat.

Fuck, Leah doesn't need a heart-to-heart right now.

Can't she see she's emotional enough?

I look to Ink, and he nods before whispering something in his girl's ear, but she shakes her head, determination etching her features.

Dammit.

Sophie clears her throat. "Leah, I was wondering if we could talk."

Leah sighed and looked at her friend, her sister, "You, my sister Soph, and I love you to pieces, but really, you want this conversation right now after I've not long woke up, after I've just had to watch my baby, my son, be taken away because he stillneeds oxygen?" Sophie looks down while Leah shakes her head, anger shining through her features. "You pushed me away." Sophie's head shoots up again. "I get it; you lost your momma; I was the last one to see her, but I didn't deserve that treatment from you when I was there through thick and thin for you." I nod, and so does Ink. He knows his woman was wrong: "You are still my sister, Soph, even if you distanced yourself from me, but you were out of order."

Sophie squeezes her hands into fists, getting agitated, and I really don't want to have to have a go at my brother's woman. "You pulled back too; I didn't see you trying to talk to me."

She snaps, and I have to grind my teeth while Ink tries to calm her down, but she pushes him away. Guilt soon shows all over her face, though when Leah nods,

"Your right, I did pull back. I was pregnant and scared. My secrets had been spilled open, and the whole clubhouse still thought I'd trapped Lucas. I didn't lean on you, Soph, because you had lost momma Anderson; you found her, you tried to save her, and then you tried to leave me all alone. You didn't need my stress, then I found out you resented me, so I did the only thing I thought you needed at the time, which was to let you be because you now had a massive family willing to kill for you when they were willing to kill me." Both Ink and I were tense at her words because, fuck, they were true, "but I was always in the shadows, telling the brothers who hated me your favorite candy and movies to help you through the grieving process all while I grieved alone, all while I was petrified I was going to lose my baby. I mean seriously, you forgot my graduation, Sophie."

Sophie swallows hard, tears building in her eyes as a knock sounds on the door, and a woman with mousy brown hair and brown eyes walks in, her eyes lingering on me for way longer than I feel comfortable with, making me narrow my eyes at her,especially when she has a fucking wedding ring she's trying to twist—fucking Sarah, Leah's OBGYN.

"Hey Leah, how are you feeling?"

Leah smiles at the woman and says, "I'm doing okay. Thanks, Sarah. I had a restful sleep for about a week, so I'm roaring to go for the sleepless nights."

I shake my head while Sarah chuckles.

"Only you, Leah," my girl smiles proudly. "Alright, I've done quite a few tests while you were 'sleeping'," I snort while Leah grins wide. "The chances are still the same, sweetheart."

Leah nods. "And if I were to have more children, if I got lucky again years from now?"

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