Secrets And Sins Part 3: Happy ever after

Chapter 20

~Lilith~

She was still bleeding.

Staring at her reflection, Lilith examined the thick wads of pressure bandages wrapped around her shoulder, her back, and, by far the most concerning because of its proximity to her femoral artery, her upper thigh.

The OCS surgeons had done everything they could to pull the mangled flesh back together, but Lilith wasn't healing like normal, not at all. Even her blood, which should have, at least, been coagulating, was still trickling from the wounds. It was definitely becoming a problem.

She heard the door open behind her and sighed. Lilith didn't think she could take another bout of prodding and poking. Turning around to tell the doctor just that, her heart stuttered in her chest when she saw Mary standing there instead.

"Mary..."

The relief she felt at seeing her girlfriend faded when she realized that Mary's gaze was lingering on her extensive bandaging, guilt creeping into her expression.

"I should never have sent you two back here." She whispered; her eyes stuck on the red stain just noticeable at the front of Lilith's thigh.

Lilith took a careful step forward both from the pain and because she wasn't sure if Mary was about to run.

"Ava would be dead if you hadn't..."

Mary's jaw spasmed with tension. Lilith took another step.

"It was the right call, Mary."

"Was it?" Mary snapped harshly, her eyes shooting up to Lilith's who couldn't help but flinch at the sudden anger she found in them, "She nearly destroyed the OCS..." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "She nearly killed you..."

Lilith knew it was incredibly rare for Mary to show pain, to be vulnerable, and right now her girlfriend was losing the battle to hold back tears. Saying nothing, Lilith limped slowly over the remaining distance between them, she was tired and sore, but she needed Mary to hear her out.

Now right in front of her, Lilith met her eyes with a steady determination, willing the other woman to believe her, "It's not your fault."

The anger flashed over her face again, Mary opening her mouth instantly to disagree, but Lilith continued before she could say anything, "No. It's not. You couldn't have known what would happen, hell, none of us did..." She shrugged, "...and if I hadn't teleported back with her when I did, she wouldn't be alive now."

Mary looked away, chewing on her lip without saying anything. She didn't look convinced, but at least she wasn't arguing.

Deciding to take the pressure off, Lilith changed the subject. She reached out to brush her hand down Mary's forearm, resting it loosely at the joint of her wrist and stroking her thumb over the slightly elevated pulse.

"You said it..."

Mary let out a small huff of air, her mouth twitching. Lilith waited.

"I meant it." She finally murmured, lifting her head to meet Lilith's eyes, steady and sure, "I love you."

Lilith smiled, she smiled so widely that when she leaned in to capture Mary's lips it was hard to kiss her properly. The remaining tension seemed to drain out of her girlfriend, Mary achingly gently tugging Lilith closer, mindful of her injuries, to deepen the kiss.

Giddy wasn't a word Lilith would have ever thought she would use to describe herself, but right here, in this moment, that's how she felt. Mary loved her and she loved Mary, all the other shit going on fell by the wayside. Nothing was more important than the woman in her arms.