Afterglow • Gideon Emery

10

The front door breaks down with the first thing in sight is Hannah holding a bag with pajamas for Chloe inside. She was followed inside by Jack, Joker didn't come back? "Hannah" Chloe whispered, letting go of Gideon's hand she wanted to hold Hannah's now.

Gideon got up from the chair and walked over to his mate letting Hannah take his seat while the two talked, Hannah's obviously holding back her tears through her relieved smile.

"How is she?" Jack whispered to Gideon while the two men stayed at the other end of the room with their arms crossed. It wasn't hard to tell Gideon is feeling a type of way still.

"Better than I thought....not good—but it could've been worse." Gideon replies honestly "Ill have to talk with Irons about taking a leave for a while."

"He will understand. If not you know Hannah will live with you guys—she does anyways." Gideon lightly chuckled with Jacks remark, it was true anyways.

"He will understand, he will have to understand we lost a Pitbull."

"That old thing? Meh, it was worn down anyways." Jack shrugged it off and it made him feel a little less stressed. "Don't worry about it. I will talk with Irons while you're here if that helps anything."

"Thanks rookie." Gideon muttered, Jack used his bionic arm to reach over and gave Gideon a comforting pat on the back. "It helps a lot..."

"Let me know if you need anything." Jack is really a good friend to have when you need one the most. He's a tough guy out on he field with heartless tendencies to murder every KVA he can but outside of the field he's a man with big heart of gold.

"Sooo mamaaaa," sitting on Gideons chair and leaned forward with her chin over the rails, Hannah looked at her daughter-figure "what gender are we going for?"

"I'm kinda dying here...."

"You don't want to die on a low note do you?" Mamas got dark humor. "There's a difference between actually dying and feeling like death"

"Can I feel like death then?" Daughter got dark humor too. Hannah grabbed Chloe's hand interlocked their fingers, she brought their hands under her chin while she looked at her friend in the eyes.

"You're not going to die on my watch." She whispered to her "you hear me? You can't die without giving me my grand-baby first"

Chloe started to cry again "I'll do my best" she whimpers "I love you!"

"I love you too!" Hannah started to cry as well, so Chloe didn't have to, she stood up and hunched over the hospital bed and hugged Chloe gently while Chloe squeezed her arms around Hannah's waist as tightly as she could. "It'll be okay" she assured wiping Chloe's tears away then her own. "You're safe"

"So, daddy" Jack teased with his arms crossed looking over at his Captain, seeing the blush coloring on his face made him smile. "Are you excited for a little you running around?"

"There better be a little me running around, I love Chloe, but I can't handle two of hers-"

"I think you can handle two Chloe's, I would have to handle two Hannah's"

"That's a nightmare" Gideon agreed then looking back at the girls who were showing smiles, Chloe's smile the color of scarlet and Hannah's the color of ivory.

"Anyways, children, that's a big commitment Gideon" Jack lightly smiled looking away from the women who wasn't bothered to allow the men in on their conversation. "How are you feeling about it?"

Gideon turns his shoulder then his body around facing the Private. "Nerve wrecking"

"Why?"

"It's going to hurt her worse than how she's feeling right now. She's not going to get better with all the pressure and weight on her shoulders."

Jack looked over at the women, making sure they weren't listening like before. When he seen them in their own conversation, he grabbed Gideons shoulder and pulled him back farther in the corner. "I know you're scared, there's a good chance that Chloe is petrified. This is her body's risk we are talking about after all. I can assure you, by my quick judgement, that woman would do anything for you and you only. If that means living a personal hell in her own body every day and night, it's worth it for her. She just needs you to be there for her no matter what and take care of her; through sickness and in health." Jack is truly a man you need in your life, everything Jack said was making Gideon feel a little bit better. He was so assuring. "Because Chloe will risk this for you, do not blame yourself for this. You know who really is at fault for what's happened to you and your family." The horrible driver.

Gideon still blames himself for what happened to him and his wife, though he never showed it to them. He should've listened to Chloe, and he should've just made another one of her favorite dinners and called it a night. Bad things happen with good intentions.

Gideon gave Jack a short nod before walking back to Chloe's side, standing on the opposite side of Hannah grabbing his wife's hand allowing her to squeeze.

"Jaguar" Chloe whispered while looking up at him with her dark gleaming eyes.

"What is it, love?"

"Dempsey.."

"I'll take Dempsey until you get home, he and Icebreaker will be together he'll be fine." With Hannah's offer it made Chloe feel a little better. She hated leaving her guard dog alone for more than a day, Dempsey wasn't a dog to have anxiety, him being alone gave her anxiety instead.

"Dempsey will be fine while we're here. I'll take us home as soon as we can" Gideon said giving her an assuring nod, Chloe gave him a understanding nod back. Though she missed her dog so much already.