Beautiful Lie [John 'Soap' Mactavish]

Forty Three [Something Great]

"Lis?"

His voice was weak as he spoke.

His heart pulling in his chest.

Pulling him closer to her.

She stood, with her back to him, she turned, her hair flowing as she broke into a wide smile, a small bundle of blue blankets held in her arms carefully, it moved gently as his gaze settled on them.

His breath caught in his throat.

Tears flooding his eyes.

"John" she spoke breathlessly. Her eyes settling on him, tears filling her own eyes as she watched her husband, his hand ran over his face, he deeply inhaled through his nose, desperately trying to push his emotions deep into the pit of his stomach.

John rushed to her, a stray tear rolling down his cheek as he stared into her eyes, his face holding her hands, thumbs running gently over her smooth cheek.

She was glowing, so full of life and energy, her green eyes shinning as they stared into his own, the small scar on her temple faded and pale, no sign of injury or the broken face he had seen moments before she died.

She was in front of him.

Breathing.

Smiling.

Alive.

His gaze dropped to the blankets bundled in her arms.

A small baby stared back at him, Wide bright green eyes matching his mothers, the baby looked almost the same a John, the same nose shape, same full lips, John felt his jaw tighten, fighting back the tears as a wide smile broke across his lips as he stared at the boy.

"Ernie?" He questioned in a whisper, glancing back up to Alyssa, His wife nodded lightly, tears filling her own eyes as she let out a sad choked laugh.

"Ernie Mactavish" she whispered, her gaze dropping from her husband to her son, her finger gently stroking the babies cheek as the boy gave a wide toothless smile, his body wriggling slightly. John blew a heavy breath from his lips.

"He's perfect" John whispered, both parents staring at the small boy's toothless grin, his eyes shifting from his mother, to his father then back to his mother, before his smile grew impossibly wider.

"He looks just like you" Alyssa chuckled, glancing up to John. The captain nodded lightly, his hand running over his face again, brushing the tears that had escaped down his cheeks away.

"he's a lot cuter than me" John chuckled lightly, he carefully went to touch the boy, the baby gripped John's pointer finger tightly, small eyebrows pulled together slightly as he lightly squeezed his fathers finger.

"Can I hold him?" John asked apprehensively, he watched Alyssa as she chuckled lightly, nodding.

"of course," She carefully shifted the small boy into her husband's arms, Ernie wriggled slightly, his small eyebrows pulling into a small frown before he let out a content sigh staring up at his father.

John felt his chest pull tight, an overwhelming urge to protect the small defence less baby with everything he had, he decided then and there he would die for this child.

For his child.

He had never known a feeling like it, something deep within his bone rumbled to life, a protective primal instinct as he stared at the glowing green eyes staring back at him.