JP Part 2

Collateral Damage

The tubes were taken out by the med droids and I attempt to sit up but fail.

My body was weak from being strapped to this bed for far too long. Joseph sits on the edge of my hospital bed staring at me.

"Well you've looked better,"

I say and he perks up a little bit. Dark circles rimmed his eyes and made him look more raccoon than human with under eye bags that touched the floor from crying so much. For the first time, it looks like he hasn't shaved in weeks and giggle when I see the stubble he's got growing.

"So have you." He says and holds my hand tight.

"I'm awake now sweetheart. You can calm down." I say as I see he was still having problems breathing normally. His breath was shaky and out of sync.

"I thought you were going to die."

He says and it breaks my already broken heart further.

"With you screaming at me like that? You wouldn't let me die." I say and he lays his head on my chest. Putting his arms around me and holding me close.

"I don't know what happened but I'm here now and I'm here to stay," I reveal to my Joseph who seemed so small and fragile at the moment. He hasn't eaten, hasn't slept, hasn't left my side.

Joseph doesn't even look at me as he passes out. Probably from the hyperventilating, and his body takes over to give him the well-deserved sleep he needed.

Jonathan comes to the door and I put a finger to my mouth. Telling him to shh while I hold Joseph close. Jonathan smiles.

"Poor guy. You put him through hell you know. I thought you were kidding when you said he was your soulmate until he knew you were dying before the rest of the family did. It was like felt it." Pierce says while helping me stretch.

I look over at Joseph who was in a hospital bed next to mine hooked up to fluids from severe dehydration and a feeding tube from starving himself. He had been asleep for at least fourteen hours now.

"How are the twins?" I ask him while stretching to touch my new cyborg leg. There are a lot of people who freak out when they realize they've been turned into a cyborg, but I didn't have the time to. I have more important matters to worry about and I'm thankful to be alive.

"The twins are healthy and perfect. Their names are beautiful Peter." Pierce says and pulls out his screen phone to show me a picture but changes his mind last minute. "No, you have to see them in person first. Mia is taking care of them and they should be here soon." He says. I make a grab for his phone wanting to see them, but he reaches it first. "I guess your reflexes are slow now too old man." He says and pulls my arm out further.

"We're 24, but honestly I feel like I'm in my late 40's like mama and papa. I wonder how old they feel." I wince. It hurts like hell but the pain feels good after being numb for so long. I finally finish and crack my back.

"Give me an update on the city," I ask and he sighs. "We have reason to believe it was anarchy."

I change out of my hospital gown and stand for the first time as I put on a pair of black sweats. It's weird to not be able to feel my left leg in the usual way, but I was excited to get back to the shop and tinker with it.

I look over to see Joseph stir a little and begin to open his eyes while I look out the window.

Bridgeport is destroyed.

Not my problem.

The Grayson Enterprises building was destroyed, but we can run the company from anywhere. The Grayson family is evacuating for the time being along with most of the people on the island.

"Where are we headed?" I had asked Pierce as he told me the news. "New Tokyo, Japan."

I turn to Joseph and he looks at me while rubbing his eyes. I sit on the side of his bed and gently caress his cheek. His dark circles were starting to look better.

"Good morning Princess," I softly kiss his dry lips.

"Mmm....how long have I been out for?" He asks and I lie to him. "About four months. I thought we were going to have to pull the plug." He begins to panic and I laugh.

"No only for a few hours calm down," I say and hug him. He begins to calm down and I put my lips to his ear. "How long do you think it will take you to learn Japanese?" I ask and he groans. "I've never been to Japan but isn't Alohowa a mixture of Japanese and Hawaiian? I think I would be fine...Why?" He says. The questions never end with him but I missed them so much. Just hearing the sound of his sweet voice again makes me feel at peace.

"We're leaving. You, PJ, Ella, and I. The entire Grayson family is moving to Japan for asylum." I tell him when the door opens

Words can't describe the feeling I had when I saw my babies for the very first time.

Mia and mama walked into the room carrying them in their arms. I look at Joseph and the look on his face was one I had only seen late at night when he had to help me take bullets out of multiple body parts or sew up stab wounds. His protective instincts kicked in as soon as they were in the room.

He stands up and takes Peter James into his arms, who was wrapped tightly in a yellow baby blanket from our house. Mama gives Elucillana to me and I held my sleeping baby girl for the very first time.

She looked so small and innocent. Her head fits perfectly into the palm of my hand and it scared me just to hold her because she looked so fragile.

Neither one of them cry.

The only sound in the room is of Joseph's sniffling because he was crying again for the hundredth time. But I don't make fun of him this time because I wanted to cry too. She was perfect in every way. I take her little hand and count her fingers to make sure she has ten and check her skin color to make sure she wasn't blue, green, or orange considering my origins of being 25% alien.

"Peter, she's normal. They both are." Mama says as if she can read my mind and I look at her. She was wiping a small tear from her eye.

I examine Ella's features. Her little nose is perfect. Her little light green eyes that she peeked through every now and then are perfect. Her little strands of blond hair are perfect. I had never fallen in love with anything as fast as I had fallen in love with her. She was my beautiful baby girl and I would protect her and her brother with my life.

I look at Joseph and he's staring at Peter James who mostly takes after me. "He looks almost exactly like you and your brother's when you guys were born. Eyes, ears, hair and all." Mia says and Mama nods in agreement.

I push closer to Joseph terrified of disturbing Ella's sleep and put my free arm around him. Holding him close to me as he puts his head on my shoulder.

I look at PJ. He was adorable and energetic right from the start. Wiggling his skinny little arms everywhere and rubbing his face. He has my gray eyes alright and his head was covered in a mass of jet black hair. The only thing he shared with his sister was their rosy pink skin.

His tiny fingers were latched onto Joseph's pinky finger and refusing to let go as he looked up at Joseph.

"He has the grip of his daddy. I bet you he won't abuse me with his strength though" Joseph says and giggles into my shoulder.

"He's already active and energetic. I think that's all you Joseph." I say and Joseph looks up at me.

He's the father of my two children and the man who has given up so much to provide me with the most happiness possible. I was so thankful to have him in my life and by my side. In that moment my love and appreciation for him had grown to exponential lengths I couldn't even fathom ever being possible.

"I love you." He whispers to our babies and kisses both of them on the head.

I look at Ella and PJ.

"I love all of you," I say and Parker runs into the room.

"We have to go! All of you now!"