Saving Grace {Haylor}

Meredith

I'm driving back home with Harry in the passenger seat. The swelling had gone down but the bruising is worse than ever. Dr. Grey gave Harry some painkillers and muscle relaxants. Anything to ease the pain. He had a plastics brace on his right wrist and a tenser around his left food. He wasn't to put any pressure on it for at least four days. Which, unfortunately, wouldn't be good for work. I didn't care about the shop, I knew my dad would understand. I just cared that Harry was putting himself down about this. "I told your dad I'd take care of you and then this happens. He put me in charge of the shop! How can I just let him down like that?!"

"Babe, please don't worry about it. I don't mind taking care of you. It's my fault you're hurt anyway. My dad will be glad you're safe rather than you working yourself when you shouldn't be. He'll be fine with it. I promise."

"I just want your parents to like me." He sighs and I in vision an imaginary spit take. "What?!"

"My dad adores you. Maybe even more than I do." I look over his way. Seeing his blacken eye hurts me even more every time I see it.

When we arrive back home, Austin comes out and despite Harry's protest that he can make it on crutches, we help him out. I can tell that all he wants is to push through these next few days so he can be independent. I leave Harry on the couch to go get some ice in the kitchen, Austin follows. "I'm thinking Chinese for dinner? I'm not in the mood of making anything." I say, packing the ice into a pack and tossing it around a bit.

"Ya, sure. Whatever." Austin laughs. "So how long til recovery?"

"Only a few days, then he should be good as new. Did you get any news from the cops?"

Aus shrugs. "Nah, they couldn't find anything yet. I guess there were too many people and they're having a hard time identifying that it actually was Milo."

"But it was, wasn't it?" Austin nods. "Well then, if you know, and Stephanie knows, and Harry knows, isn't that enough?"

"Not in this small town and you know that."

"It's bullshit. Milo fucked up, he should be punished. It's not like Harry did anything wrong."

It goes silent and I pour some water into a bottle for Harry. "You love him. You love him a lot, don't you?" I look up at Austin. And his eyes are kinda squinty. "I've never seen you like this. So defensive."

"Well Harry didn't do anything wrong, did he?!"

"No," Austin laughs. "I just have never witnessed you so..."

"So what?!" His pausing had always annoyed me when we were younger.

"In love."

I feel my cheeks heat up and I look past Austin to see my boy lounging on the couch, stroking my cat Meredith who hardly likes anybody. I did love Harry. A lot. And I didn't just love him. I was in love with him. I was madly, passionately, completely, whole heartedly, in love.

•••

Harry is pushed back into the comforter of my bed, Mer stretched out against his chest. I had just finished showering and I hop quickly from the shower to wrap a towel around my body. Proceeding to dry off, I wrap my hair in a towel and walk over to see what's on the tv. "Whatcha watchin?"

"Criminal Minds." He says then looks over to see me. I swear his eyes nearly bulge out of his head.

"Oh yeah? What episode?" I proceed to walk into the room, knowing very well that my towel is covering less skin than usual. I sit on the side of my bed, crossing my
l egs, and staring at the tv. Harry mumbles upon his words and I give a little victory dance inside my head. "What was that?"

"Um, Gar-Garcia's friend, it's the seventh, um, anniversary of her child's abduction, and then -" I cut him off from his misery of formulating words.

"Her friend goes missing and Garcia has the team find her, right?!" I say excitedly, looking back at Harry. He's doped up on pain killers and anti-inflammatories. It's a surprise that he even knows what's going on in the television.

"Yeah." He laughs and raises his non hurt hand to my back. His fingers connect dot to dot with the three freckles on my back. "I love you, Taylor." He says extremely bluntly. Like he didn't even realize he said it.

I look over and face him. His beauty from the inside radiates. I lean down and press my lips to his. "I love you more."

"Taylor." The way he says my name this time is like a little child. So innocent.

"Mhmm?"

"Why did the nurse and doctor keep asking how you've been. I mean, I understand common courtesy but that seemed different."

I back away and sit up straight. "Nothing." I manage to chock out before I stand and resume back into the bathroom.

"You can tell me." He says louder, over the outing of Meredith so I can hear.

"Can I?" I whisper this so softly that I know he can't hear it. I press my finger tips into the bathroom counters and stare myself down in the mirror. "I just had to goto the doctors office a few times this past year, I had some injuries and they just kept me at the hospital. That's where Dr. Grey and Mary used to work." I look over and he nods, Meredith now curled up in his neck.

"They seem really nice there." He stares at Meredith and my shoulders lighten a bit.

"Yeah, they are." I pull my hair from the towel and messy curls fall just pas my shoulders.

I stroll I to my closet and I can almost feel Harry's eyes on me. I take my time changing into shorts and a sports and meeting him back at the bed, turning down the lights. "Bed time already?" Harry whines like a little kid and we both laugh. Meredith relocated her place at our feet. I curl in under Harry's arm and rest my head in the crevice of his shoulder. "You're so beautiful." He says before kissing my head and moving his large warm hand down my back.

"That's very kind of you to say." I kiss his chest through his t-shirt.

"Seriously." He grasps my waist with his bad wrist and I can feel him wince. He lifts my chin to kiss me. "What I did to deserve a girl as perfect as you, I'll never know."

Perfect? As me? If only he knew....

A/N
OOOOOOOOO I wonder what Taylor is keeping from Harry. We know that she had an accident, but what kind of accident? Do you think there is more to Taylor than we realize? Let me know what you think!