When he finally lifted his head, his voice was ragged. "Ruby… I''m so sorry but there''s no baby. Our baby''s gone."

    Her face went still, her breath catching. "No..."

    "The smoke, the stress—" Stefan''s voice broke. "There was nothing they could do. Noreen… she tried, but…" He shook his head, sobs tearing through him. "There was no heartbeat."

    Ruby''s lips parted, her gaze unfocused as though his words were too heavy to understand. Then, like the ground giving way beneath her, the meaning struck. He baby was no more.

    A strangled cry left her throat. Her hand tore away from his to clutch her stomach, her eyes filling with devastation. "No. No, Stefan, no—"

    He caught her before she could thrash against the tubes and wires, wrapping his arms around her as gently as he could, pressing her against his chest. His own tears poured freely, his heart shattering all over again at her grief.

    "I''m sorry," he whispered hoarsely against her hair, rocking her trembling body. "I tried, Ruby, I swear I tried. I would''ve given my life for you both. I''m so sorry. I failed you."

    Ruby sobbed into him, broken sounds that cut deeper than any fire ever could. Her world — their world — had been torn apart before it had even begun. The child she had dreamed of, touched lovingly every morning, whispered hopes to every night… gone. And here he was, ming himself when in fact, she was the true cause.

    Stefan held her tighter, his own chest caving under the weight of her pain. "You''re still here," he whispered through his tears. "You''re still here, Ruby, and I''ll spend the rest of my life loving you. I''ll give you as many children as you want, but please, baby, you have to be strong. You can''t break down in this condition. Please, my love."

    He tried to console her with all the words he thought of but Ruby''s sobs didn''t stop. They echoed in the sterile room, raw and unrestrained, and Stefan could only cling to her, bearing the storm of grief with her.

    Outside the door, Rayna stood with her hands over her mouth, tears streaming silently down her face. Ethan''s jaw was tight, his eyes burning as he stared at the floor. Even Elizabeth, who had seen her share of heartbreak, leaned heavily against the wall, her shoulders shaking.

    Inside, Stefan pressed trembling kisses against Ruby''s hair, whispering apologies over and over. He wished he could shield her from this truth, wished he could bear the grief for both of them. But this was a wound they would have to survive together — or not at all.

    And though his heart bled with her cries, one vow burned steadily in his chest: he wouldn''t let her face it alone or have her tune him out. They would go through this pain, together.

    The room had fallen into a strange silence after Ruby''s sobs finally weakened, though the echo of them still lingered in Stefan''s ears like ghosts.

    Rubyy back against the pillows, her body exhausted from crying, her face pale and streaked with tears. Her eyes were swollen, staring nkly at the ceiling. She hadn''t spoken in nearly an hour.

    Stefan sat beside her, his hand clutching hers tightly, terrified that if he let go, she might slip away from him — not physically, but in the deeper, more terrifying sense.

    "Ruby," he whispered, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. "Say something. Please."

    But her lips didn''t move. Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, her gaze distant.

    Stefan''s heart cracked wider with every second of her silence. He would''ve preferred her anger, her screams, even her me. Anything was better than this hollow stillness.

    He leaned closer, his voice trembling. "I should''ve protected you. I should''ve saved the baby. I rey it a thousand times in my head, how I could''ve done more, been more alert. Maybe if I had held you tighter during the ckout or that I had seen you earlier. My negligence cost us our child but Ruby, I swear — I won''t fail you again. I''ll stay right here. I''ll carry this pain with you."

    At that, her eyes finally shifted, slowly turning toward him. Tears pooled again, but her voice when it came was soft, broken. "It was supposed to be different, Stefan. We were supposed to meet our baby. We were supposed to hold her. But we can''t anymore and it''s not even because of you. None of this is your fault. How could it be? You''ve always tried to keep us safe so how could you even me yourself?" she asked, weakly.

    Stefan bowed his head, pressing their joined hands to his forehead as his tears fell freely. "I know. I know, sweetheart. But you still lost her and I''m sorry. I just wish there was something I could''ve done differently."

    Ruby''s lips quivered as she whispered, "I loved her already. I loved her so much and couldn''t wait to see her and hold her."

    "Me too, baby. I loved her and had been waiting patiently," Stefan choked, his chest heaving. "More than I can say. Just to hold her and call her a mini you," he said, breaking into a sob as they both cried together.

    For a long while, they stayed like that — two broken souls clinging to one another, surrounded by the quiet beeping of machines and the weight of a dream lost.

    Rayna peeked into the room once, but Ethan caught her arm and shook his head gently. "Give them time," he whispered, his own voice thick. She nodded, pressing her fist to her mouth to stop her own sob.

    Inside, Stefan pulled Ruby carefully into his arms, mindful of her weakness. She didn''t resist. She leaned into him, burying her face in his chest as fresh tears dampened his shirt.

    And though Stefan''s body trembled with his own grief, he held her as tightly as he dared, rocking her slowly. His lips pressed to her temple in a steady rhythm, murmuring words that cracked under the weight of his tears.

    "We''ll get through this. I don''t know how, but we will. I promise you, Ruby — you''re not alone. You''ll never be alone."

    Her fingers curled weakly into his shirt, and for the first time since hearing the truth, she whispered back. "We''ll get through it."

    The machines hummed on, the sunlight shifted across the floor, and inside that quiet hospital room, grief and love tangled together — fragile, raw, and unbreakable.