Without A Thousand Stars: Part II

Chapter 4

Jax sat slouched on the couch, scrolling through his visor without any real focus, the feed blending into a blur of meaningless information. In the background, their bot prepared dinner, its mechanical arms swiftly chopping, stirring, and seasoning with cold precision. The clinks and hums of the machine provided a steady rhythm that matched the dull buzz in Jax's head.

The door slid open, and Lilac strolled in, still mid-conversation on her visor. She set her dog down, the tiny Pomeranian instantly darting toward the bot in the kitchen. Without hesitation, the dog peed on the bot's foot, a small puddle pooling at the base of its metallic leg.

Lilac gasped in disgust, abruptly ending her call. "Jaxon Quinn, do you want to explain to me what the fuck this is?" Her voice was sharp as she held up the dark navy suit from the closet.

Jax blinked, taking off his visor, his brain slowly catching up to her outrage. "Oh, Mom brought that over... for the ceremony," he said sheepishly.

Lilac's reaction was immediate and dramatic. Her eyes widened, and she began to fan herself with her hands, her perfectly manicured nails catching the light. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she hyperventilated with exaggerated breaths, her voice climbing in pitch.

"Do you not even care, Jax? About what I want?" she shrieked, her entire body vibrating with tension.

Jax quickly stood, crossing the room to her. He reached to cradle her face, but she slapped his hands away, careful not to smudge her makeup. He settled for holding her shoulders instead, his voice soft and pleading. "Ly, baby, of course I care. We can do whatever you want, okay? The important part is that I'm with you."

Lilac sniffled dramatically, her tears suddenly drying up as her mood shifted. "I'm sorry, Jaxy," she cooed, her tone playful now, her fingers trailing along his chest, nails scraping gently against his torso. "I'm just so stressed. This is going to be the most anticipated live stream of the year, it has to be perfect! And you're getting deployed again soon, and you know..." Her voice dipped into a more serious tone. "We're running out of time to have a baby."

Jax leaned in to kiss her forehead, but Lilac's sharp look stopped him cold. He adjusted and awkwardly kissed her hair instead. "We still have plenty of time," he reassured her, though the words felt hollow even to him.

Lilac's mood flipped again, and she tugged at his hand, leading him toward the bedroom with a giddy smile. Jax followed reluctantly, his thoughts elsewhere as the bot continued preparing dinner. The noise was distracting, and the dog yapped at his heels, nipping at his toes as they collapsed onto the bed. Lilac climbed on top of him, her movements rougher than he liked, her focus scattered as she rambled about her day.

"And do you know what that bitch commented? She pretends it's not her, but I know it is. She's always been jealous, you know?" Lilac's voice grated on him, her complaints endless as she moved mechanically above him.

"Uh huh," Jax mumbled, his attention drifting again, struggling to stay in the moment. He closed his eyes, tuning out her voice, and suddenly, images flickered behind his eyelids—fragments of a dream or perhaps a memory.

The mystery woman appeared in his mind. Her laugh was soft, her smile warm, her touch gentle. The way her hair cascaded around them as they lay in bed together, the rhythmic sound of her heartbeat echoing in his ears—it was all so vivid, so real. His fingers ran through her hair, her scent filling his lungs as she whispered to him.

"I love you, Jax."

The words echoed in his mind, drawing him deeper into the memory, and he was overwhelmed by a surge of emotion—love, passion. He moved with an intensity he'd never shown with Lilac, his grip tightening as his thoughts drifted far from her incessant chatter and the present moment.

A low groan escaped him, his breaths coming hard and heavy. Lilac laid down beside him, letting out a satisfied giggle. "This one's it, baby. I can feel it!"

Jax stared blankly at the ceiling, his heart still racing, not from what just happened but from the images that flashed through his mind. The woman, her presence so real and yet so distant, lingered in his thoughts. He could still hear her voice, feel her touch, and though he didn't know her name, she felt more familiar than anything in his life now.

He swallowed hard, forcing a smile for Lilac, but inside, he was drowning in the ache of a love he couldn't explain—a love that felt lost to him.

—

Jax stood in the center of the sterile hospital room, his hands gripping the metal bars on either side of him as he took another unsteady step. The smooth, sleek design of his new prosthetic legs gleamed under the fluorescent lights. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his face strained as he fought to stay upright. The bot bot nurses hovered around him, monitoring his movements, guiding him as they adjusted the balance and pressure of his prosthetics. Every muscle in his body screamed with exhaustion, but there was a fire in his eyes—determination etched into every labored breath he took.

"Just one more step, sweetheart," his mother said softly from beside him, her voice filled with gentle encouragement. "You're doing amazing, Jaxon. I'm so proud of you."

Jax gritted his teeth, his arms shaking from the effort, but he managed another step. His prosthetic feet hit the ground with a soft click. He was tired—so damn tired—but he wouldn't let it beat him. Not today. He had to keep pushing.

"That's it, Jaxon!" His mother clapped her hands, her smile warm and full of hope. "You've got this."

Jax's breath came in ragged gasps, his chest heaving as he focused on the next step. The nurses' mechanical voices chirped out commands and feedback, adjusting the precision of the prosthetics with each wobble. He was about to take another step when the door to the room burst open, slamming against the wall.

"Jaxy!" a high-pitched voice cried.

Before Jax could react, a whirlwind of energy—Lilac—crashed into him, her arms thrown around his neck in a fierce embrace. Her momentum nearly knocked him off balance, and if it weren't for the bars and bot nurses correcting him, he would have fallen over.

"Oh my Jaxy! I was so worried!" Lilac gushed, pressing kisses all over his face, her voice breathless with excitement. She clung to him as if she'd been holding her breath for days.

Jax was disoriented by the sudden onslaught, hesitated, he awkwardly wrapped his arm around her for a loose, unsure hug. He blinked, his brow furrowing as he gently pulled away from her, trying to place her in his fractured mind.

"Hey... you..." he said slowly, his voice laced with uncertainty. He offered her a half-hearted smile, but the confusion in his eyes was impossible to hide.

His mother, standing just a few feet away, stepped in to soften the moment. "This is Lilac... your match, remember?" she said gently, her eyes filled with sympathy as she looked at him.

Jax's heart pounded. Match? He glanced at Lilac, seeing the worry in her eyes, the eagerness for him to remember. He forced a smile, nodding as though the pieces were falling into place.

"Right... right... Lilac," he said, his voice slightly strained as he fumbled for words. "Yeah... hey... I... I remember." His smile was weak, forced.

Vela gave Lilac a comforting touch on the arm. "The doctors said memory loss was normal, you know, with the concussion and everything."

Lilac's smile faltered slightly, but she nodded, her hands squeezing his shoulders. "Oh, of course, Jaxy. It's okay. I'm just happy you're here, and you're okay."

Jax gave her a faint smile in return, but his mind swirled with confusion. He didn't know who she was, not really. But the pressure to remember, to be who everyone expected him to be, weighed heavily on his tired shoulders. He pushed the doubt aside, determined to focus on one thing at a time.

For now, walking was enough of a challenge.