The Fighter

Chapter 26

"John! Knock it off!" I laughed as he tickled me. I was trying to get away. This was my 3rd day at his apartment since the night I got drunk and had sex with him. We were lounging on the couch and I was so relaxed and happy. Yes, I was still hurting over Greg leaving me, but John was a better guy then he was. My phone rang and I jumped up to answer it. It was Avery. "Hi!" I answered. "Hi Mickie!" She sounded so happy. "How are you doing Avvy?! I miss your little face!" "I miss you too! I'm going to bed, so I called so we could say goodnight!" "Good girl! Are you ready?" "Yes!" "Are you sure?" "Yes!" "Okay, goodnight Avery, have Siren give you a kiss for me." "Goodnight Mickie. Have Maxx or John give you a kiss for me, I love you!" What a little smart ass. "I love you too." "I love you more." "I love you most. I'll see you soon." "Yupp! Gavin told me to tell you to behave yourself!" "Tell him no promises. Bye." "Okay! Bye!" she hung up and I just laughed. "She's a riot." John laughed, he had heard everything. "Yeah, I know it. I hope that Gavin hears the way she and I talk. Maybe he'll get that little voice out of his head telling him to take her from me." "Mickie, I promise you that he will not take Avery away from you. I won't let him." "John, if it comes to it, this is my fight." "Then, I will fight next to you." He kissed my head and I leaned on his shoulder. I have to admit it's my favorite spot.

John and I went to the fire house first thing in the morning. Kyle was there, but Jet was at work. Where John should be too, but he called in sick, so he could spend one more full day with me. We walked in and Kyle jumped out from behind the door. I screamed and then punched him in the arm when I realized it was him. "KYLE! I almost just peed my pants!" I yelled at him. He and John laughed. "Sorry, Mickie. Sometimes you're just too easy." He joked. "I hate you." I laughed at that one. We all know, that I am the complete opposite of easy. "So, did you come to get your harness?" Kyle moved on. "Are they in?" John asked excited. "Just came in this morning." Kyle went in to the office and we followed. He got out two harnesses and safety ropes. "Let me go get my gear." John ran out to his truck. "Get mine too!" I yelled after him. After the door closed, Kyle just looked at me with a grin on his face. "What?" I asked him knowing that he was going to say something. "You're not telling me something! And, I need to know!" "I have spent the last three days at his apartment with him." "Bombshell! And, there's more...." He wanted more details. "And, John and I are together again." "There it is!" He got what he wanted. "Mickie, this is your second boyfriend in like 3 months. That's a record for you." "Shut up Ky!" I laughed. "I don't care that you're a slut. You're happy again, that all I care about." "Thank, I guess?" "If he hurts you again, I will hurt him." "Yes, I know." I hugged him.

I picked up Avery a little after 5 and took her to dinner, just us two. Then, we went home and watched a movie. "Gavin said that John is your boyfriend now." Avvy spoke up after a while. "He is." "Oh, is that why you spent the night with him, when I was with Gavy and Julie?" "Yes, we were hanging out. Do you not approve of him?" "I like him, don't worry. Greg was here and gone so fast." "I know, it's a big change for me and one for you as well." "Yeah, it is a huge change. I can deal with it." She smiled. "Avery, does Gavin want you to live with him?" "Yeah, he and Julie both do." she said that and my heart sank. "Do you want to live with them?" "I don't know. He said that we could have family game night every night, and we could watch movies all the time." "What did he say about me?" "That you are busy with the department and with John and Kyle that he doesn't think that you have time for me anymore. He said that if you quit the department, he would feel better about you having me." "Avery, you are my whole world and I don't know what I would do without you. I can live without being a fire fighter, I have done it before. I can't live without you." I was almost crying. "Mickie, I won't let you quit." "Why not?" "Because you love firefighting so much and you're good at it. You help people, and that's good." She hugged me.

After Avery went to bed, I went on the front porch, called John, and told him what Avery had told me. "Wait is he?" he paused for a second. "Yes, he's making me choose between the department and Avery. And, Avery is trying to choose for me." "Why would he tell Avery all of this and not you?" "Because he's making her choose him, he knows that she won't let me quit and that she doesn't want to leave me." "I thought he was done playing these games? I thought that he would keep quiet from now on, and not say anything like he has been doing." "Yeah, so did I, but I honestly don't think it's coming directly from him." "Do you think that it's Julie saying something?" "Oh, I wouldn't doubt it." "So, what are you going to do?" "I'm going to talk to Julie. Just her and I." "And, when are you going to do this?" "After, I drop Avery off at school." "Okay, just let me know what happens. Don't punch her." "I will and I will try my best to stay cool." "Right, remember the last time you tried that? You and Tessa almost got into a brawl." He laughed. "Yeah, I remember." "I'll see you sometime tomorrow right?" "Yeah, you will. Goodnight John." "Goodnight, I love you." "I love you too." I hung up.