A Photograph of You & I

Ville's P.O.V

"Everything is going to be just fine." Isabella whispered to me in Finnish. Her words seeming more pronounced as she recalled her vocabulary. How someone could learn to speak seven languages fluently was beyond me.

I only shook my head in response to her words. Somehow I felt that something was going to go wrong. Something was in the works with whatever higher power there might be. This was just the first domino to fall. This was the thing that was going to send everything into a tailspin.

She placed a long, slender hand on my forearm and rubbed it reassuringly. She seemed to sense my cynicism. Bam had finally sat down and I peered up at him and April as they whispered to each other briefly before returning to their previous positions.

"Are you all here with Ms. Mariani?" We all turned our attentions simultaneously shifted to the tall man in the white coat. Had he not chosen this profession he could have easily been a basketball player with his height.

"Yes," April answered for us as I pondered whether or not he was actually any good at the sport.

"Wow, okay...she's awake now, we only had to put a few stitches on the cut on her forehead. She's getting ready to go now, the nurse is giving her discharge instructions and she'll be out in a few minutes." He told us, but only looking at April, obviously assuming she was Aina's mother.

Bam looked as though he might collapse on the floor from the sheer relief of hearing the news that Aina was going to be all right. I expected that I wore a similar expression because he looked at me strangely.

"Oh there she is!" Isabella commented as she got up to go to her daughter.

Aina looked a little tired and her forehead was bruised and bandaged but other than that she looked fine. I felt an overwhelming need, in that moment, to smother her with affection, attention, and any thing else she might or might not want.

I stared as she grinned at her mother and eagerly returned the hug she was offered. I smiled despite myself at the sight they presented.

Then, Aina did something I certainly didn't expect, although, after our brief kiss only hours before - my shock didn't seem right, given the situation...

She released her mother with a few quickly spoken words, and rushed over to embrace me.

Speechless, all I could do was kiss the top of her head gently and return the hug that I desperately needed. I suddenly wished that it were only me and her in that emergency room. I wished I could take her back to Finland with me.

I wished too often. This was a time for action.

"How are you, Kulta?" I asked tenderly, as she peered up into my eyes. [A/N: Kulta is a Finnish word that can mean Love, Sweetheart, etc.]

She smiled at the term I'd used and stood on her toes to kiss my cheek softly. "I've had worse headaches."

I grinned widely at her, glad to see she wasn't shaken up or anything. She turned away from me and looked at Bam contemplatively for a moment. I too turned to look at my friend and he looked as though he didn't know whether to cry or hug her.

She made the decision for him as she left my arms and wandered into his, not caring that he gripped her so tightly she might have wound up back in a hospital bed.

I looked up at everyone else who were watching the exchange between the two, trying not to look like they were straining to listen to the whispers they exchanged.

I fought like hell to look like I wasn't trying to eavesdrop too.

Aina's P.O.V

"I am so sorry, Aina. You have no idea. I really didn't mean to hurt you...I was just trying to get you back and -" I pressed a finger to Bam's lips to silence his rants. He flushed momentarily and waited for me to either remove the silencing finger or speak myself.

"Bam, it's okay. I know you didn't mean to do anything. And I'm fine, I promise...so don't feel bad."

"You were knocked out!" He shouted, I felt the stares of our friends and family on us. I felt one particular gaze stronger than the rest, beaming from behind me.

"I swear, I'll make it up to you Aina." He said, hugging me again.

"Bammie, just keep the house quiet tonight...that's all I ask." I gasped, straining to breathe.

He released me and stared into my eyes, wondering if that was all I really wanted from him. His eyes momentarily left mine to glance past me. I turned as well and faced Ville's emerald gaze. His eyes were smiling the second they met mine, though his face wasn't.

"I've got an idea..." Bam mumbled, not intending to have said it out loud.

I whipped around to face him, my head pounded from the sudden movement. "What? Bam I told you I-"

This time he cut me off by pressing his hand over my mouth. "Shut up, I want to do this for you."

"What exactly?" My voice muffled from his hand.

"You'll see." I glared at him, remembering how the last surprise had turned out.

April suddenly placed her hand on her son's and removed it from my mouth. I flexed my jaw, not realizing the grip he'd had on it. I looked at Ape appreciatively as I went over to my own mother.

"You're sure you don't want to come home and rest for a while?" She asked, taking me hands in hers. I searched her face and then, once again, turned to look at Ville. He was chuckling at Bam and April who were engaging in a small spat that was normal for them.

"If you want to stay with Ville, that's fine too." Mom told me, sensing the conflict that raged within me. I had a feeling my expression was betraying me, whether I meant it to or not.

I nodded slowly, not looking at her but staring rather intently at Ville.

"I'm glad you two are working things out." She said. I turned to her and saw that she was observing Ville as well. "He's good for you."

"Mom it's not like that." I denied her words, knowing that she knew I was lying. She eyed me skeptically.

"I can tell from the way you look at him, Aina. You're in love. Whether or not you can admit that to yourself is another matter entirely - but we all see it."

I looked down at our joined hands, my eyes locked on the silver wedding band that had been on her left ring finger for as long as I could remember. I had never seen her take it off.

"Come on everyone, I think it's time we leave." April announced as she swatted her son on the back of his head for something he had mumbled while her back was turned. "Isa, you're welcome to join us for dinner. I think I'm just going to order some pizzas."

"Thank you April, I'd love to." My mother replied, unwinding her hands from mine and walking beside me toward the doors. Ville waited until I walked past him to flank me on my left.

My mother glanced at me sideways and smirked, quickening her step to leave Ville and I trailing behind the entire group together.

Ville took this as his invitation to wrap a long arm around my shoulders and hug me closer to him. Unable to resist the incredible urge I had, I wrapped my own arm around his torso and leaned my head against his chest.

"Aina?"

"Hmm?"

"The next time you get the idea to tackle Bam into a slush puddle and run into the woods...don't do it okay?"

I laughed loudly. "Okay Ville, I promise I'll tackle you into a slush puddle next time and then run into the woods."

He chuckled and rubbed his hand over the upper part of my arm. "I wouldn't want it any other way."