Don't think

Chapter 9.

Stefani stopped breathing. She really felt her breath stop. She watched the building fold down on itself. Smoke fogging up the whole street. She couldn't move. She watched the men, rush around. Shouting into their transponders.

"BRADLEY, DO YOU COPY?"

"COOPER, YOU THERE?"

"BRADLEY?"

She waited. She prayed she'd hear his voice. She saw how that building blew up. How is he going to make it out of there. She was frozen. The sound of all the kids and people on the street gasping and shouting. She heard Ella screaming for him. She couldn't move. She wanted to go over and hold the little girl. But she was stuck.

The parent of the little boy. Fell to her knees, crying for her son to come to her. Not knowing if he was alive or dead. Having watched the building he was in, destroy itself.

"BRADLEY, DO YOU COPY" someone repeated.

It's only been seconds since the the explosion. But it felt like hours. The fear of the unknown was the worst of it all. She felt her tears falling down her cheeks. Unable to even cry. Just stuck, frozen and broken. She couldn't stop shaking.

"Oh my god!" Brian shouted, as they spotted movement. Then out from the smoke emerged Bradley, with the little boy in his hand. Handing the boy to his mother, as she wrapped his arms around him, releasing her thanks and sobs into him. He took the head gear off and the jacket and threw it to the floor. bending over, hands on knee, breathing. Wiping the sweat from his head.

She finally took a breath. Wiping her face. She really thought he died and now he was there. He stood up straight, looking for her. Then catching her eyes. She ran over to him. Placing her two hands on each side of his face. "I, oh my god." She cried. Then pulling his lips to hers. As he pulled her in closer to him.

She didn't care, some of the kids were still around, or that her co-workers were or her boss. She didn't care about the hundreds of strangers around. All she cared about was him. And his being okay. "I love you too." She whispered. Resting her forehead to his.

"What about..."

"I don't care, it doesn't matter. You're okay and that's all I care about. Oh my god." She sobbed. Rubbing his hand with hers.

He took her in for a hug. Needing to protect her. Feel her again. Just breathe. He looked around at his co-workers, smiling. Some getting medical attention, he spotted Ella running over to him.

"Bradley!" She screamed.

"Hi pumpkin." He laughed, picking her up and hugging her.

"I was so worried." She kissed his cheek. "You're so brave."

"I just had to imagine it was you who was lost in there." He said hugging her again.

Ella looked from him to Stefani. "So?" She smirked. "I knew it."

"Yeah yeah yeah.. that's enough missy." He laughed.

"All the kids just saw you kiss Bradley teacher." Ella whispered. As if she's not a kid too.

"Uh oh." She scrunched her nose. Looking over to the kids who were all running to their parents now. She spotted Jonathan and Frank. She looked away.

"Look who's there." Bradley said to the child. Pointing to her Ella's mom, and Bradley's Mom Gloria. As the child ran over to them getting out of the car.