Shepard of Fire (COD BO2 Fanfic)

Doctor Pressure

Chapter 14.

---------------

Holly's POV:

The day was filled with welcoming words and celebration, even Richtofen welcomed me back. Of course, I had no idea what had happened. The last thing I remember was trying to move, but my body was paralyzed. Then, my stomach felt warm, and Everything flashed into a blinding white. Now I was here, and, according the Richtofen's examination, the baby was safe. After things died down, everyone went about their normal business. Tank and Nikolai were stuck on a night watch, and after a bit of convincing on my part, Tank reluctantly kissed me good bye and left to his duties. Richtofen left to collect a few components on his research, while Kelsie left to rest. That left me in Takeo and Tessa's company, which was greatly appreciated. Tessa told us about how she had a vision of my baby, my daughter more specifically. I was ecstatic, and became giddy with excitement. I told her I didn't want to know the name, which she understood. I had my ideas on her name, but I needed Tank's approval. Takeo began to tell us of stories of the bonds between parent and child. I never realized before, but he was extremely wise. Tessa soon got bored, and left to find Richtofen. I stayed though, listening intently to Takeo's words. He gave me advice on remedies I could use for my constant mood swings and stomach aches. After about an hour or so of talking, Takeo and I decided to walk the facility to stretch my legs. We plodded through corridors lined with doors, all leading into the theatre lobby. As we walked about, Takeo decided to check to see Nikolai and Tank's status, leaving me with a Ray Gun to defend myself if needed. I continued to walk, enjoying the quiet. I stopped as I entered the lobby, spotting Richtofen muttering to himself on the stairs. His shoulders were slumped, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. I sighed, plodding quietly towards him. I sat on my knees in front of him, earning an irritated groan from him. "Vhat is it zhat you vant?" He growled. I straightened my back, "Can I help you with anything? Do something to aid your research? Maybe get you something to drink?" He eyed me suspiciously, "Und vhy vould you do zhat for me? Am I not zhe son of a monkey fucker?" I giggled, "I wanna bury the hatchet. Your my best friend's lover, so I want to be able to get along with you. So, let's start over." I held my hand towards him, "Hi, my name is Holly Connerson. And you are?" He hesitated, obviously taken back by my gesture of peace. Then, he took my hand, shaking it slowly. "I am Dr. Edward Richtofen." I smiled, "It's nice to meet you Dr. Richtofen." With that, he nodded, stood up, and walked quietly towards the theatre. I let out a sigh of relief, glad to get that whole mess off my chest. My hand wandered to to my stomach, almost reassuring me that my baby was still there. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sound of silence. Suddenly, I felt a large hand on my waist. Lurching forward, I ripped the Ray Gun from my side, and flipped around to aim it at the presence. There, with his crooked grin, stood the man I loved, Tank Dempsey. I sighed loudly, holding my stomach with my hand. I glared at him, "Didn't your mom ever teach you not to sneak up on a marine?!" I growled. He chuckled, making my heart pound. His arms snaked around me, pulling me into his chiseled chest. Fresh blood and rotten ooze dotted his shirt, indicating he had recently slayed a hoard. I sighed, pressing my nose into his neck, breathing in his musky, intoxicating scent of sweat and cigarettes. He pressed his lips to my head, and cradled me there for a while. I closed my eyes, enjoying his heat, and sweet smell. His hands stroked my back, and his lips kissed my head. The words I held bubbled up in my throat once again. I held it back, fearing it would make him stop. He must have felt my tense, "Are you ok?" He murmured in my ear. I nodded, "I.... I love you." I finally stuttered. His heart began to pound, but his hold on me never faltered. "I love you too." He said loudly. My breathes became shallow, and ragged. I pulled back, looking into his eyes. His hand wandered to my head, knotting itself in my hair. Then, he pulled my face to his, our lips connecting. My eyes slid closed again, and I melted into his lips. Our lips molded perfectly together, moving in sync. It wasn't a hot, heavy kiss. It was sweet, savory, and desperately needed. I could feel him relaxing into me as well, and his fingers gripped my hair tighter, as though screaming his need for me. Finally, he pulled back, but pressed his forehead to mine instead. One hand crushed my waist to his, while the other stayed tangled in my blonde tresses. Tank's breath was heavy, and he kept himself pressed desperately close to me. I opened my eyes, and examined him. His brows were knitted, eyes squeezed shut. He was panting, and seemed as though his heart was racing. "Tank...?" I whispered. He was quiet, and held our foreheads so tight together that it hurt. "Don't leave me like that again. Please." He said, and I knew he meant when I was unconscious. Sadness bubbled in my heart, and I realized that I hadn't considered how worried he must have been. I smiled softly, then leaned up slightly. My lips parted, and my teeth bit into the tip of his nose, sinking into the soft flesh. He jerked back, and cocked a brow, his jaw hanging down. I giggled, then leaned forward to lick his lips. "I'm not going anywhere, Tank. I swear." I said. He smiled, "Thank you. Now, is there any chance I can talk to my baby while we're here?" I laughed, then sat down on the step, laying back. He pulled my shirt up above my navel, his hands clutching my sides. "Uhh.. I have no idea what to say..." He said, giving me an innocent look. I laughed, "How about introducing yourself?" I giggled. He gave me and exasperated look, and leaned down, until his lips barely grazed my skin. His hot breath tickled my navel, "Uhh, hey there lil guy... or girl, not really sure what you are yet. But, uhh, this is you dad, I'm here with your mommy." My toes curled, and I giggled a little more. This was weird, but so sweet. The sight of Tank Dempsey being a softy was so cute, he was like a big teddy bear. "I can't wait to meet you, lil buddy. And don't worry, papa will protect you from those big, rotten maggot sacks. You and your mommy are safe with me." He kissed my belly, "I love ya, lil guy. Be good to your mom, ok?" He said, then pulled his head up. He noticed I was staring at him, and gave me and awkward grin, "What?" I laughed, then sat up to hug him around the next. I snuggled into his neck, "Nothing, your just cute is all." I murmured. He chuckled, "That was kinda weird, huh?" "No, cause it's good to talk to the baby." I said, kissing his cheek. He's going to make an excellent father, I'm sure of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was about two months after I had blacked out, and things were going great! When we came to Kino, I was about a month along. Now I was three months along, and had the small bump of a belly to prove it. The baby didn't affect my fighting skills, but Tank still always kept me between him and the wall during an invasion. The doctor had explained how we got here in the first place to Tessa, Kelsie, and I. Apparently, he had planned on shipping he and the other men back so he could find the M.P.D., but when Tank heard about it, he confronted the doctor. He and the others had gathered in the room, holding back the fight in the few minutes before I had returned home from work. Among the chaos, Tank had pulled the lever, and sent the all back to Kino. That actually explained a lot. Kelsie and Richtofen often checked on my condition, and Takeo became the person I went to for advice. He was like a big brother, always watching out for me, while Nikolai often joked around to make me laugh. Then men were quickly becoming family to me. Thanks to Takeo's remedies, my morning sickness was gone, but my mood swings couldn't be helped. All I could do was sit back, and enjoy the ride.