The People They Fight For

Chapter Four

*Present*

Quinn's POV

The screen turns on connecting the call and I smile as my best friend's face fills the screen. It is risky, us calling, but we all deem it necessary. She twirls her signature lighter, flicking the flame on then off with a smirk, "These assholes are more boring than I have heard."

I shake my head knowing I couldn't convince her otherwise when she had her mind made up she knew how dangerous the group was and she was smart. "You find anything out?"

She shrugs and purses her lips, "Nothing of importance, might have to go dark on you for a while soon. Need to make sure no one suspects anything."

"Are you safe?"

She rolls her eyes and flicks the lighter on again, "Am I ever? Don't worry Quinn I'll be fine and update you guys when I can. How are the girls?"

I smile at the thought of my twin babies, Lilli and Elli can always cheer me up, which is probably why she asked, seeing as the girl had no interest in kids herself. "We all had a rough night last night but we're good."

She nods, a victim of nightmares of the past herself, she knows better than to ask. A bang on her side of the call draws her attention away as she tenses, "Fuck, I have to go Quinn. I'll contact you our usual way when I know when we can talk again or if I have useful information."

I nod and we say our goodbyes and the encrypted call is ended by her. I sigh and leave our designated 'office'. It was more of a panic room with no windows and even more intense security than the rest of the house but it stores all of our technological equipment and computers. The girls were only allowed in on special circumstances and hopefully, the training we had done with them on how to hide in the room if the time came will never need to actually be something they have to do.

I find Nik and Jayce with the girls in the living room, Elli is watching Paw Patrol in Spanish on the floor while Lilli sleeps on Nik's lap. I sit next to him and Elli is quick to climb into my lap and Jayce gives me the stink eye. After a few minutes of running my hand through her hair, Elli is sleeping as soundly as her sister which wasn't surprising due to them not getting any sleep last night. "Why are you always their favorite? I tried to get El to sit with me for ages."

I laugh softly at Jayce's complaining as Nik rolls his eyes, "They are her kids Jayce, and Elli is always more stubborn when she is tired."

Jayce sighs and looks away, most likely blaming himself for past events, "It wasn't your fault, Jayce. You and Nik got us out when you were able to. We would still be in there if you didn't help us like you did. We could've died and the girls wouldn't even know what the sun is." I wait until he looks at me to continue, "Stop blaming yourself, moving forward and stopping them for good is what we need to focus on. Not guilt or anger."

He nods and mutters a 'yeah' under his breath I give Nik a look and he nods standing with Lilli in his arms. He walks over to Jayce and hands her the sleeping two-year-old, my little monkey goes from clinging to Nik to latching on to Jayce quickly as per the usual with my sweet little girl. Lilli is the sweetheart and Elli was the troublemaker just like with my twins they complemented one another.

Jayce visibly calms down as he cradles Lil and runs his hand through her hair. The girls calm the two guys as much as they calm me, even when Elli's attitude is flaring it is impossible not to relax with the two little girls.

Nik leaves the room after getting lunch requests although I know he was going to make Mac n' Cheese. It was the girl's current favorite food and after a night like last night, he was going to do anything he could to keep the two happy. I always believed the two guys' were too soft on the girls, they would end up spoiled, but I never had the heart to interfere.

Jayce cradled Lilli like the baby we all still see her as, "They never should have gone through that, Quinny-bell."

"And they would still be going through it if not for you and Nik. You have to let it go." He sighs and shakes his head fixing his eyes on the TV show, one he claims to hate and yet watches every time the girls have it on.

"You talk to her today?"

I ignore the blatant change in subject and reply with a nod, "No new updates but she may have to go dark for a bit soon."

He hums, even though he won't admit it he is as close with her as I was. I could see the slight worry in his eyes, she was doing something even more dangerous than us.

We all had our parts and she was more than willing to do hers but the risks were immeasurable. Nik called us to the kitchen, we limited meals to be eaten at the kitchen table, and I rub Elli's back waking her. The minute my little firecracker is awake she is running towards the food while Lilli takes longer to wake and Jayce carries her to the table and sits with her in his lap. As I expected there was Mac n' Cheese for the girls and sandwiches for us. I get the girls milk while Nik fills our cups with water. We spend lunch listening to the girls' babble about Paw Patrol and other shows they like and Jayce promises to watch Frozen with the duo again tonight.

He was leaving again in a few days, a new mission one that could reward valuable information if he can manage to meet with the right person. This means in the next few days he would be hogging time with the girls, we didn't mind. Nik and I need the time to work on the cyber side of our mission which means we had to spend more time in the office and less with the girls. We keep them as far as possible from our true work.

If Jayce wasn't with them Azerty, my robot, would be caring for them and keeping an eye on the two, alerting us if a certain troublemaker was attempting something. I smile at my family around the table, we weren't perfect and we were missing many members but I kept faith we would all be reunited. I kept hope and we all had to continue to fight.

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Thanks for reading, voting, and commenting

Hoped you liked seeing Quinn, who do you think her friend is?

Avery's chapter is next and I'm hoping to have it out this week

-Lovefire