Control

Control (A short Mac Story -19-)

"Why are you crying?" he had asked, slowly standing up, reaching out to her.
She had taken a step back.
"Are you seriously scared of me, right now?" he had shaken his head, making a grab for her. He held her, sitting back down on the rock he had vacated. "You're having a baby." he had said. "My baby." he had placed his hands on her stomach. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. Terrified, actually." he had laughed. "I wanted that for you, you know. I saw the pain, felt it, when you had told me what happened." He had taken a breath before speaking again. "I wanted it for us. I may be labeled as a Monster, but I'm your Monster." he had placed her head under his neck, keeping one hand pressed to her stomach.
"You wanted this?" she had whispered. "You want this baby?"
"I did. I do." he had said. "I'm not going anywhere. I've told you this before." he had hugged her, tipping her face to kiss her.
"I'm scared, Mac. They said I may not be able to conceive again. What if I can't carry to term? I can't go through losing another baby, Mac! I can't!" she had started to cry again.
He now had fully understood why she had been crying. "First of all, you've already defied what they told you. Second, we will do everything we need to make this baby stick. Which brings me to three: I don't want you in this area. Don't want you to breathe in anything. Want to keep our Little Monster safe."
He had succeeded in making her laugh. "Take the day off, Baby. Let's get out of here." he had stood, taking her hand, leaving everything where it was.
"Don't you need to finish? Or at least pack this all up?" she had surveyed his set up.
"Not my concern, or priority right now. You are. And our Little Monster. I need time with you. And I need to replace some more of your clothing. Again." he had given her an embarrassed smile.
She had finally smiled at him. "I love you, Mac."
"Even at my worst?" he had teased. He already knew the answer. Just wanted to hear her say it.
"I've seen you at your worst. And I love you just the same. And right now, I love you more than ever."
He had smiled, taking the mask he had worn, walking beside her to the cave entrance. She watched him, as he hung it near the mementos he had that reminded him of her.
He had looked at her, seeing tears in her eyes. "It seems fitting." he had said. "My first memory of our Little Monster."

She stirred in his arms, bringing him back from his reverie. Her eyes fluttered open, her face stark white.
"Mac!" she said, bolting from his side, running to the bathroom.
He hurried after her, kneeling in back of her, smoothing her hair back from her face.
"I've got you, Baby." he kissed the damp side of her temple. "I got you."
She leaned back against him. "You don't need to get up with me every time this happens, Mac." She could hear the touch of irritation in his voice when he spoke.
"I happen to want this baby, I know you're not used to that-" he stopped talking. "Fuck, Kayla. I'm sorry."
She didn't say anything, but he could see her knuckles turning white from her gripping the toilet seat.
"Mac, I know you do." she finally said, "And I love you for it."
"I don't want to miss out on any of this, Baby." he kissed the back of her head.
He had taken her to her first doctor's appointment, she had been worried, throwing up more than she remembered from her past experience.
The doctor had assured them everything looked fine. Assured her nothing was out of the ordinary. The baby was developing just fine.
The doctor then told them he was able to narrow down the date she had conceived: the night they killed Declan; the same night she swore to protect Mac.
He had grinned at the news. "From death comes re-birth." he had told her when they left. "That fucker got his. Got himself a big cosmic 'fuck you,' I think." Mac said, laughing. He had taken her hand. "And you received a pretty special gift that day...making everything worth while."
She had given him a timid smile. "I'm glad you think so." is all she had said.
He brought himself back to the present. "Do you feel better, baby? I hate leaving you while you're like this."
She nodded, letting him help her up. "I'll be fine, Mac. Go do what you need to." she watched him as he put on his work coveralls. "Just stay safe." she told him. She always said that whenever his "job" took him somwhere.
"Just a phone call anyway," he said, he knelt down beside her. "I love you." he said. He kissed her stomach. "Love you, too, Little Monster."