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In the corner of the room, sitting in a chair far too itchy to even be considered as comfortable, Elzo had fallen into routine. Paper work, making phone calls, dealing with overseas management in broken languages he never used since he'd taken the classes for them. His office had moved from the hotel to hospital, and so long as the work was done, no one could complain. It however took it's toll on him. Each day he'd take a few moments to pause his work and just walk over. Kiss her hand, tell her he loved her, before returning to his work. If he let himself linger too long with her soft hand in his he knew his feeling and sorrow would wash over him, and he'd be unable to work at all. So it was just a brief moment, a soft kiss, and a little whisper.

Setting the book down, Elzo felt an odd need for the little moment again, that time he just had to remind her he was still there. Still by her side, still waiting. The first thing he noticed as he went over was softness of her sleep seemed to have changed. it was like something under her skin had shifted. Like muscles were moving across her delicate features. His brow furrowed. The second change was her hand. Once soft and limp was now tense, gripping bedsheets. "Audrey?" Her fingers moved. Lips moved if just a hair.

She was reacting.

"Audrey?" He wanted to think it was real. How many times had he dreamed of her waking up, only to find reality hadn't changed? But another twitch at her name. This was real. "Audrey! Audrey! Oh god baby please-" His shouting got the nurses's attention. She knew sometimes people would falsely assume that the patient was waking up but looking at the sudden changes on the monitor, she called for the doctor.

Elzo just sat, praying that this wasn't a dream.
Praying that she was coming back.

This time, for good.

He was there. He was there as the nurses came and went, doctors were called, and he was there as he saw the honey brown eyes open for the first time in what seemed like forever. He had promised himself he wouldn't cry. But he wanted to. Oh how he wanted to. She was walking up. She was responding. This wasn't some dream, this was reality. He had to hold back. He wanted to just pick her up, hold her, kiss her, shower her in all the adoration and love he had. She was returning to them. She was returning to him.

Yet the moment she said his name, his control broke. He had to be by her side. The nurse just smiled as she took the last bits of data and did a few more scans. But for Elzo the nurse was miles away. Audrey's hand was pulled into his and he took his time, kissing each finger. The palm of her hand. Her lips to far, he didn't think if he kissed her the doctors would have approved, much less let him. "I'm here." He had promised himself he would not cry. But hearing her voice again, seeing her eyes open, left returning to her- His vision went blurry.
"I'm right here."

"Shusshhh" Elzo was so damn happy. Normally at this level of joy he'd be jumping and dancing but this joy was...gentler. Calmer. No matter how she would have stomped her foot or yelled in the past, Elzo had seen her in the last weeks at her weakest. She was the tiny fragile love of his life and he'd almost lost her to the unkown. It terrified him, and now as she cried out, he only wanted to be gentle. Ease any pains she had, and lingering hurt. "They don't know, you just..showed up. Bloody and wounded. Doctors are probably calling your folks right now, I-"

Bending over her, Elzo kissed her forehead, not tempting himself with her lips. To much passion, to much emotion.

"I've been here. Waiting. I wanted to be here for when you woke up." Another kiss to her hand. So small in his own. "I couldn't leave you here. I couldn't lose you." It would be a while before she'd be out, but he'd still be there. "God, I love you Audrey. You had me so scared. Did someone attack you? I just-"

The fact she showed panic got him on alert. Something was wrong and she was reacting badly. His need to care for her, to hold her, consumed him. The nurses all but ran as the heart rate monitor let out jarring beeps. But Elzo got to her first. Lips found her own and he gently guided her body back to it's resting position. "Don't move so fast, you'll hurt yourself like that" His kisses broke up his words as his free hand rested on her hip. "You've been asleep for over a week. And don't lie to me." A kiss to her nose. "You're not ugly. Never ugly. You're Audrey. My amazing Audrey. And if you're so worried with how you look, don't worry, I'll have Marlo make you your favorite dinner. Or once the doc says you can go we'll eat out. I'll even let you pick the place. You can invite anyone you want." He kept kissing her, brushing his hands on her's, their fingers entwined.

Then as softly as he could, he got himself on the bed next to her, the nurse tell him not to be damned. He wanted to hold her, love her. Show her nothing had changed. His heart had never changed.

As she glared, he chuckled, wiggling as close as he could. "Nope. I never did." Playfully he poked her forehead. "Dummy, I had to every few days, but, no mostly I was here. Marlo brought me my work and I packed sets of clothes. They have showers and all the stuff here for residents I just wanted to stay here." Eyes closed as fingers started running down tangled blue hair, fussing gently. "You scared me. I thought I lost you."

There was truth in his voice, the way he was more gentle with her, the simple way he was looking at her. He'd been worried but never so badly before, never worried like that before. He'd just never had reason too and now that he did- "You're my everything. I love you Audrey." A sigh and blue eyes opened. "When you get to come home, I promise. A dozen rolls. Maybe more. We'll go to the beach, just the two of us." propping up with an elbow he smirked. "Think your doctor will let me feed you some rolls later? Not sure how they want to get you going, but don't worry, once you're given the clear and can eat I'm sure you'll be normal in no time.Who knows, maybe the rolls will have some magic in you to help you heal. Dunno if my kisses or talking did." There it was, that soft smile. "Did you dream?"

He wished he could have just picked her up off the bed, wrap her in the sheets, and kidnap her to their apartment. Which to him that was now what his home was. It wasn't 'his' place. It wasn't 'his' apartment. It was their home. Their apartment. Without her there it had felt empty, dead, hollow. She filled his world, his life with that spark of life and a love he'd never known before her. Her return was his his signal, his prayers, answered. He could go home now. He could go home to wait, because now he knew she'd return. Poking her temple he grinned. "I'll head home tonight and pack then. We spend a few days at the beach, celebrate your recovery. I'll make good on all those promises." There was a terrible glint in his eye. "I'll even try to play Warcraft with you and sign up to get you that mount thingy."

Scooting around he started kissing anypart of her he could find. Fingers, arms, neck, face, anywhere and everywhere he could see and reach. "You're not alone Audrey. I'm here, I'm always here, okay? That gray world isn't our world, this is." A final kiss, tender and soft. "You're my world Aud, and if this is a dream, Let's not wake up." He sighed, relaxing next to her. "I don't think I could bear the thought of waking up alone. Waking up without you next to me."

He laughed. She was back. On she could make such lines work. "I will never leave you. No now, not ever. I'm be by your side for eternity." He was smiling in the goofy way, but even under it he was being honest. Hey, he'd hung around her this long hadn't he? Before Elzo could wiggle his way closer, the voice of Audrey's father rang out and reluctantly, Elzo moved from his spot, allowing her parents to smother her.
Watching them cuddle and coo and smother their daughter felt all his stress fade with a sigh. He could relax. She was back, this time for good. Nodding to her father, Elzo figured this was family time. He and Audrey had time later. They had forever after all didn't they?

Packing his things, he smiled getting ready to go home and freshen up. He wanted figured him smelling like hospital kinda sucked. And she did always like his shampoo. It would just be short trip. He fully intended to still sleep by her side, especially now that she was awake.
"I'll be back a little later. Rest up okay Audrey?" She would want some time with her family. "Mr. and Mrs. Collins, always a pleasure."