Han

I watch as my phone buzzes on the table and the screen lights up with "Unknown Number". I immediately answer it in case it's Buck, who went missing after he and Eddie were ran off a road somewhere in New Mexico.

"Hello?" I say as I try to calm my breathing while I was praying it was him.

"Baby," his voice comes through, causing the floodgates to open, I collapse to the floor with tears streaming down my cheeks and I choke out a silent sob while silently thanking God he's still alive.

"Buck, oh my God, please tell me you're going to be okay," I choke out, needing to hear him talk more and hope I'm not dreaming.

"I'll be okay, I'm on my way to the hospital and I'll tell you everything later, okay? Just- breathe, I'm not going anywhere," Buck says in that calm, soft tone he reserves for when he's being caring.

"Okay, I love you and give me updates when you get them, please," I respond, taking deep breaths, "Have you spoken to Maddie yet?"

"I did, before I called you, knew you would've scolded me if I didn't," Buck says, making me softly laugh a little.

"You're right I would've, I'll talk to you later, I'm going to go over and see her so I'm not alone in this," I respond, telling him I love him again.

I go over to Maddie and Chim's house, knocking on the door and Chim opens it to point towards Maddie, I rush over to her and we both embrace each other tight while sobbing in each other's arms.

"Did he call you?" Maddie whispers as she gives me comfort while I do the same for her.

"Yes, right after he called you," I respond with a croak in my voice, Chim comes up behind us, hugging the two of us, "I- I don't know what I would've done if he-"

"Hey, don't think like that, Buck's not going anywhere, he's okay, Eddie's okay too," Chim whispers, I softly nod in agreement.

"Remind me to buy Eddie a pack of his favorite beer because I'm so thankful he's not the type to just give up," I say, making Maddie and Chim smile.

The next day, most of us are all over at Athena's place for Hen's surprise party, that turned into just a gathering after we found out Karen took Hen to Napa for the weekend as a surprise and didn't tell anyone in fear the surprise would be ruined, just like Chim didn't tell her what he was planning because he was worried she would ruin the surprise. Maddie answers a FaceTime call and Buck's voice comes through, I watch from afar to let them have a moment together before Maddie calls me over, I go over and join the screen with her, my eyes softening seeing Buck's face.

"There's my beautiful girl, baby, don't look at me like that," Buck says softly.

"How can I not? Buck, you lied, that looks like it hurts a lot," I respond in concern.

"The doctors said I'm fine to travel, they prescribed me something for the pain and we have to stop every 90 minutes to stretch my legs to avoid blood clots," Buck says, I let out a breath of relief, "Hey, put the birthday girl on, we might not get service when we hit the road."

"She's not here, and won't be because Karen swooped her away to a birthday weekend in Napa, she didn't tell anyone, just like how Chim didn't tell her what he was planning," I respond, seeing Eddie's frustrated face in the background and complain they could've waited for a flight, "Least you guys got to see more of the country together."

"Drive safe, we'll save you some cake," Maddie says, Buck softly smiles and responds, "Sounds good, love you guys, see you later" before hanging up the FaceTime call.

I step away for a minute to catch my breath and calm down so I don't burst into tears. I then feel a hand rub me on the back of my shoulder blades, I turn to see Athena standing there with a comforting gaze.

"God, Athena, I- I don't know what I would've done if- he didn't make it out of there," I shudder out of my mouth, she shushes and comforts me.

"It's okay baby girl, he's okay, he's on his way home back to you and soon, you'll be in his arms again," Athena says as she continues rubbing my back, I softly nod.

"I'm gonna be holding him tight and never letting him go, if Maddie doesn't beat me to it first," I respond, making me and Athena laugh.

10 hours later, Buck and Eddie arrive to Athena's apartment, walking through the door to everyone telling them they're glad they made it and that they're okay.

I hear Buck ask, "Where's my girl? I need to see her. Easy, Maddie."

I softly laugh and go over to Buck, he pulls me in and hugs me tight, kissing my temple.

"Buck, baby, you're hurt, don't push yourself," I rasp out but Buck wasn't listening, he was focused on having you in his arms again.

"I don't care, I'm so happy to be back to you, after the hell I've endured," Buck whispers out, I wrap my arms around him gently and we just stand there holding each other in silence.

A few days later, you go over to the firehouse to check on everyone to see they have a look on their faces.

"What happened? Did something happen on a call?" I ask in concern.

"No, umm, Maddie called Chim just now, Sue had a stroke at the call center," Buck says as he wraps an arm around your shoulder.

"Oh my God, is she going to be okay?" I ask as I wrap an arm around Buck's waist.

"She should be, Maddie and Josh were quick, they're visiting her now at the hospital. We just saw her. She and Don came over for dinner Tuesday night. I didn't notice anything," Chim says, turning his attention towards Buck and me to ask, "Did you?".

I feel Buck stiffen up before he responds, "Uh, no. I wouldn't have thought anything was wrong."

"Me either, she looked and sounded completely normal during the visit," I say, glancing at Eddie to see him giving Buck a look.

"Um, hey, I-I'll be right back," Buck says, kissing my temple before he heads downstairs, Eddie follows him down.

I scrunch my brows and ask, "Is everything alright with him?"

Hen shrugs and says, "Seems like normal behavior to me."

I go downstairs and happen to overhear Eddie's voice say, "Thought you said you were gonna go to therapy Tuesday night."

"Uh, yeah. I was gonna go. I forgot Maddie had invited me and Y/N for dinner, so I... rescheduled," Buck responds.

"Hmm. Rescheduled for when?" Eddie asks.

I hear Buck close his locker before he responds, "I'm going to reschedule."

That's weird, I never saw an appointment for therapy on Buck's calendar in the kitchen when I last checked going over there.

Over the weeks following, I've noticed Buck has been dodging my calls and answering my texts with "Sorry, I forgot" or "I have something else planned" whenever I ask to come over to spend time with him. I've been worried about him to the point I'm asking Eddie, Hen, Chim, and even Maddie if everything's okay. I take deep breaths as I try to calm my breathing and anxiety, reaching into my bag to grab the book I've been reading when my hand comes across what feels like a pill bottle, I pull it out to see the prescription saying, "EVAN BUCKLEY, OXYCODIN", making my heart stop. He- he never told me he was still hurting, the car crash was weeks ago, he should be off these by now. Then my phone buzzes with a text from Chim that says, "Call me". I call him, my voice shaky.

"Howard, what's going on?" I ask, Chim sighs and explains that what he's about to say is not easy to hear or easy for him to say.

"Buck got addicted to his pain meds, and became dependent on them, he umm almost stole Fentanyl from the rig," Chim responds, my heart drops.

"Oh god, please tell me he didn't go through with it," I say, my hands shaking a little.

"No, no he didn't, he- reported himself to me. He wants the help, it's obvious he wants it," Chim responds, I take deep breaths, "But, he's asked that you don't come see him."

"Wait, what? Why?" I ask, a bit of frustration and anger bubbling inside me

"He- didn't say, but I knew you needed to know so yeah," Chim responds.

I sigh before saying, "Thank you Chim, is- is he at home now or?"

"No, not yet, a few of us are going to go over and search his house so we can help him kick this," Chim responds, I softly nod in understanding.

A few hours pass, I go over to Buck's house to see everyone searching around his house for temptations, but I take a deep breath knowing it's for his own good, so that the Buck we know and love will come back to us. I look to see him and Chris sitting out back playing cards, I walk over to them and Chris announces my arrival by saying, "Hey Y/N". I watch as Buck stiffens, I give Chris a soft smile before saying, "Hi Chris, you two playing cards?"

"Yeah, but he keeps letting me win," Chris responds, I softly laugh.

"Is that so? Is- it alright if you leave me and Buck to talk?" I ask.

Chris nods, and gets up to go inside, leaving me and Buck alone outside. I go to take a seat in front of Buck, who refuses to look at me.

"Buck, will you please look at me?" I ask, Buck shudders a sigh and mutters, "I can't" as he rubs his already red eyes.

"Why?" I ask in concern of seeing the man in front of me whose mask has slipped and fallen, showing vulnerability and heartbreak.

"If I do...then I'll be seeing two people who mean a lot to me so disappointed in me and I don't think I'm strong enough to handle that right now," Buck's voice croaks and tears fall down his cheeks, breaking my heart further knowing what he's talking about, I've always been told I look like my dad.

"Oh, baby," I softly say, moving closer to be next to him, "You could never disappoint me, or my dad."

"I almost stole drugs at work, I- I could've gotten a felony charge if I went through with it, how could you not be disappointed?" Buck responds, his hands shaking, I take them in mine.

"Because I know you, Evan Buckley, and you didn't go through with the theft because you knew that was not you. You knew it was the pain and the dependency talking, but you still did the right thing and put the Fentanyl back so you wouldn't lose your career or go to jail and causing more heartbreak for me and everyone. You're a great man, Buck, and I'm proud that you knew you needed to speak up and get the help you knew you desperately need in order to get back to being the man we know and love," I say, softly squeezing his hands in comfort, he softly smiles.

"I-I love you, so much," Buck says, looking you in the eyes, you free a hand to cup his cheek and rub your thumb along it.

"I love you too, and you're not alone in this. We're all here to help you get better, we're not going to let you fall deeper," I respond.

"I-I'm sorry I'm ruining your dad's anniversary, I don't-" Buck starts to say before I cut him off with a "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Minutes later, Buck and I are on his couch cuddling while watching everyone play Pictionary, I rub my hand up and down his back as he relaxes in my touch while he's getting an IV full of things that will help him. I kiss his forehead and he whispers, "I should be doing this to you."

"Just let me be the one caring for you for once, please. You have been an incredible rock for me getting through grief of my dad's passing, let me be your rock through this, okay?" I whisper back, Buck nuzzles closer to you and you softly smile.

Night falls and you shut your eyes for a few minutes while sitting in the chair next to the bed before hearing gagging and vomiting, you open them to see Buck keeled over and puking into a trash can, you rush over and comfort him.

"Shhh, you're okay, just let it out," you softly say as Buck continues to empty his stomach.

Once he's finished, he groans out and catches his breath, you run your hand through his hair as you help him get breaths in.

"Can- Can I ask you something?" Buck asks, his voice scratchy as he looks at you.

"Of course you can, what is it?" I respond.

Buck sighs before asking, "What was it like for Bobby? Like his recovery period, do you think it was worth it? Because this- doesn't feel like it's worth it."

"Oh baby, I know it's hard going through this right now, your body is just getting rid of the dependency so you can get better," You softly say as you rub his back, "But, I will say... my dad's recovery period was brutal to say the least, on him and me, since I was the one of the people who had to help him get through it as well as help him through his grief losing Marcy, Brooke, and RJ."

"Did- Did he at least help you through your grief losing them too? While going through this?" Buck asks, I shake my head as my answer.

"I told him not to worry about me and focus on him, which helped motivate him to get better because he knew he didn't want to go through that grief again and lose another child to the actions of his addiction. And that recovery period was so worth it because had he not powered through it, he would not have been Captain of the 118 and have the best crew known to man, he would not have met Athena and gotten to be her husband as well as another father to Harry and May, and he also wouldn't have gotten to see his daughter fall in love with the man who he took under his wing. You'll survive this, like I told you, you're not alone, Buck," I respond, Buck softly nods and looks out the window to see everyone surrounded by the firepit outside.

"What are they talking about out there?" Buck asks in curiosity, I glance over at the window, "And why aren't you out there with them?"

"Probably stories about my dad, and- it didn't feel right of me to leave you alone, especially when you're still struggling," I respond, Buck carefully gets up and takes your hand.

The two of you walk outside and Ravi says, "Oh hey guys, you joining?"

"Yeah, I just- hope I didn't miss anything, and I didn't want Y/N to miss a thing either," Buck says as the two of you sit down on one of the benches, you softly smile.

"You didn't, we're just getting started with memories of Bobby," Hen says, she thinks for a bit before asking me, "Did your dad ever tell you about Buck's Firehose days?"

"Hey now come on, don't tell her," Buck jokingly complains as I softly laugh next to him and smile.

"Yes, I'm well aware of what Buck did during those days, but I don't know exactly what Dad did to set him straight," I respond, Buck sighs to say, "Well, the final straw was when I took the ladder truck and had...relations with a woman we had rescued from her snake, Bobby threatened to fire me and I didn't want that."'

"So he gave you an ultimatum, sounds about right," I tease, Buck nods and says, "Yep, since that day, he took me under his wing and taught me everything I needed to know, helping me become the man I am today. Without his help, I wouldn't have gotten to meet the girl I will love for the rest of my life."

I softly smile as I nuzzle close to him, he wraps an arm around my shoulder, Athena toasts, "To Bobby".

"To Bobby," everyone says in unison and toast their drinks to the air, Buck kisses my temple to say with a smile, "I have something important I want to ask you, while everyone we love is here."

"What is it?" I ask, Buck takes your hand in his before taking a deep breath.

"I know we've both been through hell in our lives, and a lot of obstacles along the way, but you're right. We become stronger because of what we've gone through and defeating those obstacles. While- while I was trapped in that bedroom, all I could think about was I have to survive this hell and get back to you, get back to you so I could continue living my life with you by my side. I-" Buck says, getting off the bench to get down on one knee, "I want to remain by your side forever as long as we both shall live, I want to continue being your rock whenever you need me, I want to witness you sharing the lessons & love we have onto our children so they know what it means to be with someone who makes them better, so Y/N Nash, will you marry me?"

My eyes water with so much happiness and emotions rushing in, my words fail to leave my lips, so I nod.

"Yes, yes I will marry you," I choke out with a smile, Buck stands up and picks me up to twirl me around with a huge smile on his face while everyone cheers for us.

"I love you, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us," Buck whispers against my lips as he kisses me with so much love.

"Me too," I whisper back as I kiss him back, he takes my left hand and slides a beautiful, elegant ring onto my finger. I recognize it almost immediately, "Wait, is this?"

Athena pipes up behind me, "Yes, it's the ring your father proposed to me with. Thought it would be fitting since you're the one who helped him pick it out, its now yours."

I softly smile and admire the ring on my finger, Buck whispers, "He gave me his blessing a long time ago without me asking yet."

"Frank comes back today, right?" I ask Dana as I update a discharged patient's chart.

Dana gives me a soft smirk and says teasingly, "Why? Did you miss him that much to want to know his every location?"

I don't know how Dana found out about my feelings towards Langdon, I've done my best to keep them hidden, but I guess the charge nurse really knows and notices everything that comes through the ER. I turn my focus back on the computer and finish typing up the notes when I notice Frank walking past the nurse station going to the locker room wearing his infamous Pittsburgh Penguins baseball cap over his tousled brown hair, I can't help but softly smile, I did miss his presence around here so I'm glad he's back in rotation.

"Female, 22, found on the sidewalk seizing from recreational drug use!" I hear a paramedic shout as they wheel the patient in, snapping me out of my trance.

"Room Four," I direct them as I look around for a resident, "Santos! Room Four."

"Got it," Santos says as she rushes into the room to do her job, she throws a soft smirk at me before she goes in.

Damn it, is it obvious to every doctor in this emergency room?

"Nice work kid," I hear my dad say as he leans against the nurse station.

"Thanks Dad," I respond to him with a smile.

Well, at least it's not noticeable by my dad, Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, pratically the king of PTMC's emergency room and a well-respected attending. Lord knows what his reaction would be if he ever found out his only child has feelings for someone he's taken under his wing.

"How are you feeling?" I ask as I watch him look up at the board.

"Doing fine, thank you for asking," Dad responds as he goes towards one of the rooms to make sure everything's still running smoothly.

He refuses to open up to me about his PTSD, possibly because he feels like I can't help him shoulder the burden it gives him, especially after he lost his mentor, Dr. Montgomery Adamson, who unfortunately lost his life during the COVID pandemic, which really hit my dad hard.

"Hey Robin," I hear my nickname being said by the only person who calls me that, Frank Langdon. I softly smile as I glance at him.

"You back for good?" I ask in hope to hear him say yes.

He softly smiles and teases, "Why? You that desperate to get rid of me again? I just got back. But yes, I'm back for good, your- your dad was right to do what he did, even though I'm sure my absence was felt throughout the ER."

"Good, if anyone hasn't already told you yet, I missed you," I say as I close the tab on the computer before I go to South 13 to tend to a patient.

"Sir, please keep your hands to yourself," I say sternly.

Just my luck, the patient in South 13 is handsy and isn't staying still long enough for me to do my job.

"What? You're beautiful, why can't I touch someone I find beautiful?" The guy responds, his words slurring, I can smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Because this is a professional setting and you need medical attention, this isn't somewhere to find a date just because you're feeling lonely," I say back, the guy suddenly grasps my wrist and squeeze tight, "Hey! Let go!"

The guy sneers at me, "Listen you bitch, I'll smack that attitude right out of you.'

I hear from behind me, "I'd like to see you try." I turn my head to see Frank standing there with his arms crossed and he looks PISSED.

The guy snarks back, "Excuse you, I'm trying to convince this young lady to accept my advances and go out with me.”

“I highly doubt she’d wanna go out with a drunk like you who lays hands on her. Security! Get this patient out of here,” Frank says as he helps you get out of the room and security escorted the guy out as he’s screaming “This is bullshit! I deserve to be treated!”

“Thank you,” I say as I rub my wrist, Frank takes it in his hands and examines me gently.

“You don’t have to thank me, would’ve done it for any of our nurses. You’re going to bruise a little, but nothing of concern,” Frank says.

I softly nod and can’t help but glance up into his bright blue eyes as they stare into mine. Time seems to stand still as Frank and I keep eye contact, until we’re snapped out of it by the sound of my dad rushing with a trauma patient and he calls Frank in for assistance.

“I- I better go,” Frank says nervously before he rushes into the trauma room, leaving me standing there frozen with thoughts running through my head.

“Does- could he- could he have feelings for me too?” I thought to myself till Dana snaps me out of it with a “Seems like there was something going on there.”

“What? No, no, that was just- him being concerned about one of his nurses getting assaulted by a patient,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

“But you’re his favorite, just saying,” Dana responds before she goes to help out another resident.

I- I guess I could be considered his favorite, he always treated me differently than Princess, Perlah, as well as the other nurses in this department. He even goes out of his way to make me feel seen and gets me things when he knows I would need it eventually. He doesn’t see me as just “Robby’s Daughter”, he sees me for who I am and sees my hard-work ethic. Later on in the shift, I sit at the desk with an ice pack on my wrist, my stomach grumbles since I haven’t eaten yet as I’m typing up notes into the charts. I see Frank walk over to me and sets down a paper bag next to me that has a delicious aroma coming out of it.

“You- you bought me food?” I ask with appreciation, Frank smiles at me.

“Sure did, your favorite from the Chinese place down the street, Mongolian Beef with Rice. Can’t leave my favorite girl starving for lunch during shift,” Frank says so subtly that I didn’t realize he called me his “favorite girl”.

My cheeks flush with a soft pink tint as I process the fact the man I have feelings for just admitted I was his favorite. I take the bag in my hand so I can go into the staff lounge to take a break and eat.

“Thank you, I’ll pay you back,” I say with a soft smile as I’m about to go to the staff lounge but Frank settles a hand on my arm and gently squeeze it before telling me I don’t have to pay him back, it was his treat.

Hours passed, it’s time for the night shift nurses to take over, so I change out of my scrubs and put my regular clothes back on before shoving them in my book bag. I bid my dad goodnight and exit the hospital to start walking home when I hear “Hey, wait up.”

I look towards the voice to see Frank in his regular clothes rushing towards me.

“Are you stalking me, Langdon?” I tease him, making him chuckle softly.

“No, I just- wanted to make sure you get home safe,” Frank responds as the two of us started the walk to my apartment building.

It was silent between us for a few minutes before I break it by asking him, “Do- Do you want to grab some dinner? I was planning on stopping by this burger place on the way to get takeout and eat it at home, but it’s alright if-”

“I’d love to,” Frank says with a smile, cutting me off, I return his smile.

“Okay then,” I respond.

Frank and I stopped by the burger place, grabbing two orders of juicy burgers and fries before getting to my apartment building. I punch in the code to get us inside and the two of us go up to my apartment, he looks around the place like he wants to preserve the memory.

“Don’t bother, got nothing to hide that you can hold over me for blackmail,” I say laughing softly as I grab ketchup from the fridge while Frank laughs with me.

“Not what I was thinking, but good to know,” Frank responds with a smirk.

The two of us bite into our burgers, I let out a soft moan of delight tasting the deliciousness, “it’s so good. Even though it’s probably unhealthy for us.”

“Well good thing we’re both in great shape and a little unhealthy every now and then doesn’t hurt,” Frank says as he eats some fries.

The room stays silent as we both finish up dinner, I toss the styrofoam containers into the trash as Frank cleans up the coffee table, “Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

“I’m a guest in your home, let me,” Frank says as he finishes up, I softly smile.

The two of us watch the hockey game on TV and occasionally groan when our team misses a shot opportunity. Frank smirks as he tells me, “Didn’t take you for a hockey girl.”

“With a dad like mine, you’re bound to be put in front of the TV as a small child and forced to watch the hockey games with him,” I say, making Frank chuckle.

“Your dad certainly knows how to encourage people,” Frank says.

“He does, just- how he is,” I respond.

I look over at Frank as he keeps his eyes on the TV screen, I can’t help feeling my heart race seeing him so engrossed in something other than his job.

“Can- Can I ask you something?” I ask, capturing his attention once more, “Am I really your favorite or do you just say that to stay on my good side so I would give you cases you actually want?”

“You’re my favorite, if you weren’t, I wouldn’t be paying close attention to you as I have already been,” Frank says, making me smile, “There’s that beautiful smile I love to see. I’ve missed it while I was in rehab.”

“You did?” I ask, Frank nods.

“In rehab, they- they mainly had me focusing on getting through my urges, finding different ways to get through it, to help me get past my addiction, retraining my brain that my back is better,” Frank responds.

“So what were you thinking about when you got those urges? You obviously had to think of something else other than the benzos, right?” I ask.

Frank takes a deep breath before he turns to face me, “You, I was thinking about you. The whole time I was going through the withdrawal, cleansing my body, you were on my mind. I- I kept needing to remind myself why I went to rehab in the first place, for my job, my family, my friends, and more importantly, I wanted to be the best version of myself for you and not this, doctor who was very dependent on pills.”

“I- I don’t know what to say,” I respond.

“Please, don’t hate me, I know it’s a lot to process and I know you may not have the same feelings for me that I do, but- I don’t want to lose you, not after all the years I’ve been in love with you,” Frank says.

“You’re- you’re in love with me?” I ask with a hint of surprise in my tone.

“Yes, I- I’ve been in love with you ever since I saw you at that nurse’s station your first day 3 years ago. Your presence means a lot to me, I always look forward to seeing that beautiful smile on your face, the energy you bring to the emergency department that makes the staff breathe a little easier,” Frank responds.

“Why not have said anything earlier? Why now?” I ask.

“How could I? You’re Robby’s daughter, and- I know he probably gave you a lecture like ‘Don’t date Langdon, he’s bad new, arrogant and full of himself. Not the kind of guy I want for you’. We both know he would do something like that,” Frank says.

I can’t help but let out a soft laugh, covering my mouth with my hand. Frank scrunches his brows in curiosity and ask, “What’s so funny?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. Just, you’re wrong to think like that,” I respond.

“I am?” Frank asks.

I take a deep breath to gather my thoughts.

“I- I’m in love with you too, have been for a while now. When I heard from my dad that you were needing to go to rehab because of your addiction, I will admit, it pained me hearing that, but not in the way you would think. It- made me worry about you, made me wonder how you even managed to continue working as hard as you do even with that dark cloud above your head, then I realized I already knew the answer. You’re Frank Langdon, one of the most dedicated doctors the PTMC has ever seen. You focus on the patients and everyone around you whenever you’re on the floor, leaving your own struggles out the door so your head is clear. That’s admirable of you, and I admire you, a lot. For your strength to admit you needed help, you got it, and now you’re back at work, back to being the Dr. Langdon I know and love,” I say, softly smiling, “I- I honestly thought I wasn’t going to be enough for you to love.”

Frank surprises me by pulling me closer and having me straddle his lap as he cups my face and I look into those beautiful blues again.

“You are enough for me, you’re more than enough,” he whispers, leaning in and kissing me gently on the lips.

I kiss him back, running my hands through his hair and holding him as the two of us kiss, he moves his hands to my waist.

“Was it worth the risk?” I whisper as I rest my forehead against his after pulling away to catch my breath.

“Definitely worth it,” Frank responds with a smile.

BONUS SCENE:

“Pay up, I called it,” Dana says as she holds her hand out to collect her winnings from the betting pool.

You mock gasp and say, “You betted on me and Langdon?”

Dana smirks and says, “What can I say? I know a nurse in love with a resident when I see it. But overall, I’m glad you two finally admitted your feelings to one another and got together. Now just remember to stay professional.”

“Of course we will, Dana, wouldn’t want to risk it,” Frank says as he wraps his arm around my waist and gives me a quick kiss.

"I've been meaning to ask you, what's the ring around your neck?" Lucy asks, trying to break the silence in the shop.

"Not that it's any of your business, but it's just a ring to me, no specific meaning," Tim responds while silently praying Lucy would end the conversation there, "Also it's safer if it's around my neck than on my finger."

"Grey wears his wedding band, and you don't see him having any trouble with it," Lucy mentions as Tim chuckles and reminds her that Luna would kill him if he ever took his ring off.

"Just let it go and focus on other important things, like that carjacker right there," Tim said, causing Lucy to jerk her attention back in front of her as he stopped the shop and the both of them get to work.

Once the carjacker was booked and processed, Tim and Lucy were on their way to get back on the road when Grey stopped them with a, "Bradford, my office real quick."

Lucy asks, "What is that all about?" Tim responds, "I don't know, just wait by the shop. I'll be there when I'm finished."

Tim enters Grey's office to see his wife, Y/N, sitting in one of the chairs. "She doesn't look pleased about something," Tim thought to himself before Grey excused himself to let the couple talk privately.

-Y/N's POV-

"Is everything okay?" Tim asked me while I got up from the seat to stand in front of him before I ask him, "Do you remember telling me when we first started dating that your dad died?"

Tim gulps before clearing his throat and answered, "Yes, why are you bringing that up?"

"I was cleaning the house up when the phone rang. It was a hospice nurse calling for you because Tom Bradford was asking for you," I responded before continuing, “Thinking it was the wrong number, I called Genny to ask her what was happening. She told me I needed to have that conversation with you."

Before Tim could answer me, Grey popped his head in to remind Tim about an old case regarding a family friend, Monica Ochoa.

"Do you need to go? I'm not mad. I'm just so confused," I said before Tim turned his head towards Grey and told him he was still on it before turning his attention back to me.

"I'll explain it later, I promise," Tim responds before I nod. Understanding his tone's urgency, I told him I'd be waiting with Kojo at home.

Hours passed before I heard the doorknob jiggle; Kojo had heard it since he had jumped off the couch to run to the door and greet Tim.

"Hey bud," I hear Tim say as his footsteps start toward the living room, bringing him into view.

"Hi," I say as Tim takes a seat next to me before he takes my hands in his.

"I haven't been honest with you about everything, and I am truly sorry. It wasn't fair of me to let you get whiplash from finding out I lied about my dad being dead," Tim responds as I notice tears brimming in his eyes, making me take my hands back and put one of them on his cheek, running my thumb along the bone.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I meant what I said. I'm not mad at you," I whisper, reassuring him before he sighs and responds, "I know, but it still wasn't right of me. So, I want to tell you everything."

"Okay," I say as Tim clears his throat to mention, "The reason I told you he was dead is because he's dead to me. He was abusive. To me and Genny, mostly me."

Before I can ask, he says, "When I was 7, he smashed my head into a wall. Another time, he left me at Griffith Park with only a compass to find my way home, said it's supposed to turn me into a man."

"Tim," I croak out before tears started to fall down my cheeks, "Now I feel bad that you had to reopen those wounds."

"No, no, don't you dare blame yourself," Tim said as he wiped the tears before continuing, "I should've been honest from the get-go, but instead, I wanted to keep that part of my past secret to spare you from the pain. And it was about time I told you since I have to see him."

"You don't need to see him if you don't want to. Don't let this hospice situation guilt you," I respond before Tim shook his head and told me it had to do with the Ochoa case.

"I think he had something to do with it; now I have to face him," Tim says, looking like the little boy who just wanted his dad's love, which prompts me to ask, "Want me to come with you?"

"No, you don't have to. I wouldn't force you," Tim started to say before I cut him off, "I want to. You're my husband, and my vows stated that I will be by your side for every obstacle in your path."

"Okay," Tim whispered as the both of us exited the house hand in hand, preparing to battle this demon together.

We arrived at the facility and entered the room to see my father-in-law lying in his hospital bed.

"Oh, man. Never thought I'd see your face again. Genny tell you to visit?" Tom says as I squeeze Tim's hand harder in comfort.

"Wow, liver really did a number on you, old man," Tim responds before Tom tells him he doesn't have it so bad.

"Nurses here all love me. It's just no one will bring me that shot of Patron I keep asking for," Tom says as he jesters toward the apple juice, saying it's a joke.

"A cruel joke if you ask me," I thought before glancing at Tim's face to see he thinks the same.

"You always seem to have someone looking after you, even when you don't deserve it," Tim responds, squeezing back my hand.

"Something on your mind, son?" Tom asked, clearly wanting this to be done and over with.

"Remember Frank Ochoa? Lived down the street. Shot to death 25 years ago. Well, I'm sure you remember his wife, Monica," Tim responds.

"Can't say I do," Tom deflects, obvious sign that he does remember.

"Come on. You were sleeping with her behind Mom's back," Tim says, making Tom laugh, and he asks where he got that from. Tim mentions that he saw the two of them together when he was 13.

"Oh, crap," Tom says before Tim continues, "For some reason that I still don't understand, I lied for you, lied to Mom."

"Poor little Tim-Tim," Tom degrades before spouting out, "What are you bitching about? You kept your mouth shut. You did good. Now get over it."

I feel my blood start to boil in anger at the audacity, the disrespect this son of a bitch in front of me had for the man I plan to spend forever with and have children with, but I keep quiet because he seems to not care about my presence.

"You know, I found the gun that you hid in the wall. I know you killed Frank. But why'd you do it? You wanted Monica all to yourself?" Tim asked before continuing, "Ruining one family wasn't just enough for you, was it?"

Tom takes his cannula out before getting off the bed and walking towards us. "And so what if I did?" What are you gonna do about it?"

"Get back in bed," Tim grits out as he moves me to stand more behind him for safety reasons, prompting Tom to challenge him with a "Make me."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. You're right. I killed Frank. But he had it coming. So screw him, and screw you," Tom says before telling Tim to put the cuffs on him and drag him away from his deathbed like a big man.

"This isn't over," Tim responds as he grabs my hand again, and we both leave Tom's room.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have heard all of that," Tim whispers before entering the truck, "I have to get to the station and type up that report. I'll drop you off at home before I do."

"No, take me with you, it would save gas," I said as I explained to Tim it wouldn't make sense to do that.

After arriving at the station, Tim heads to one of the computers while I follow him. I glance over to see his rookie, Lucy, walking over.

"My dad confessed to Frank Ochoa's murder. I'm typing up the report," Tim tells Lucy as she looks at me before gesturing there were ears listening, "She's my wife, she knows."

"Wait, wife?! As in ring on the finger?" Lucy asked in shock as I raised my left hand to show her my wedding band, "We'll get to that later, but Tim, while you were gone, I brought Monica Ochoa back in."

"Why?" Tim asks as Lucy explains, "Because I knew there was more to her story. You couldn't see past the version that you wanted to see."

"What'd she say?" Tim asks again, before Lucy tells him what was confessed.

The look on Tim's face tells me we're going straight back to that hospice facility. We walk back into the room and see Tom snoring in the chair, so Tim places the shot glass and pours Patron before placing the bottle on the table, waking Tom up.

"You brought me a present?" Tom asks before Tim tells him to think of it as a push.

"You didn't kill Frank," Tim says as Tom repeats that he did and tells Tim to cuff him, "Monica confessed."

"Leave her out of this," Tom responds.

"Frank was beating her. She fought back. She shot him. She was terrified, so she ran to you. You came up with the burglary story, helped her stage the house, then you hid the gun in case the cops got too close and you needed to frame someone else," Tim says.

"He was a brutal, abusive bastard. She deserves a medal for what she did," Tom responds, making me and Tim look at him in shock.

"He was an abusive bastard?" Tim asked, testing Tom for what came out of his mouth.

Feigning confusion that was fake, Tom asked if he was like him, which prompted him to say he was nothing like Frank.

"I taught you what you needed to know, son. You're a man now because of me," Tom says before I finally let my voice be heard.

"No, absolutely not. You are not getting credit for how Tim turned out," I gritted through my teeth as Tom looked at me with disdain before asking me who I was, "I happen to be the woman your son is going to spend the rest of his life with. I'll be damned if I stand by and let his piece of shit father try to take what's rightfully his credit. You deserve nothing of the sort, he's nothing like you and he will never be like you."

"Tim, you're going to let your wife speak to me this way?" Tom asked before Tim scoffed and responds, "She's right. I'm who I am in spite of you."

As Tom sits there stunned, Tim says, "Goodbye, Dad. I hope it hurts."

We left the facility without looking back, and after we arrived home, I suddenly felt my body being moved to where my back faced the door and I craned my neck up to look into Tim's eyes.

"Thank you," Tim whispers as I look at him in confusion, "Thank you for being by my side for that. I know it wasn't easy, but you were right. I needed you there with me."

"You don't have to thank me for that, I will always be there for you," I say before Tim smiles and leans down to kiss me.

After kissing for what felt like minutes, Tim moves his mouth to be near my ear and he whispers, "I'm also really turned on by you defending me."

I laugh before asking, "Oh are you? What are you going to do about it?"

I feel Tim's hands move down to my ass before I squeak out in surprise as he hoists me up, causing me to wrap my legs around his waist and feel the outline of his dick through his jean.

"I think I'm going to give my beautiful wife a thank-you gift," Tim whispers before moving towards our bedroom and putting me down on the bed.

"Tim, you don't have to," I started to protest before he cuts me off, "Just let me do it, you deserve it."

My attention gets grabbed while I watch his hands curl around the collar of his shirt before he pulls it up off his body, which, I feel myself start to drool over my husband's abs. His hands then moved to his belt to unbuckle it before he walk up to me and get down on his knees so he can be on the same level as me. Tim pulls me into another kiss, one more passionate than the last, as I feel his hands unbutton my jeans before he pulls the materials down to my ankles to take them off, leaving me in my black panties. He then positions my body to lean back against the pillows before he moves himself to be above me, Tim asks, "Is this okay?"

Not trusting my voice, I nodded my head before Tim's fingers curled around the sides of the panties as he started pulling them down. He groans out in pleasure as he changes his position, his shoulders in between my thighs, keeping my legs where he wants them to be, his hands near the area I yearn for him to pay attention to. I shivered when I felt his breath before he placed his mouth on me, causing me to let out a shuttered moan. When I felt myself getting close, Tim pulled away, causing me to groan out in frustration, making him laugh.

"The only way you're cumming is around my dick," Tim whispered in my ear as he gets himself out of his pants and boxers while he pushes my shirt up to above my chest, showing the matching black bra.

The both of us let out a groan as Tim enters me and starts to thrust, his dick hitting all the right places. After minutes passed, the both of us came and Tim's body moves to his side of the bed as I tell him that was a great gift, making him he let out a soft laugh.

"Glad to be of service," Tim says getting out of bed and putting on clean boxers and pajama pants before he goes to the bathroom to grab a washcloth to clean me up.

After Tim cleaned me up and helped me get dressed, he got back into the bed to pull me into him so we can cuddle.

"Tim?" I said after a moment of silence, causing him to say, "Yeah?"

"I have something for you," I respond before reaching over into my nightstand and pulling out a small box, "I was going to give you this later, but now feels right."

Tim opens the box and pulls out a onesie that says, "My daddy will arrest you if you mess with me."

"Babe, this is perfect for our future baby," Tim responds before he felt his voice stop short when he sees what else is in the box, reaching in to pull out the pregnancy test, "Are you really?"

"Yes, I found out two weeks ago, you're going to be a dad, Tim," I said as Tim pulled me into a tight embrace before kissing the top of my head, "And you're going to be the best dad, I just know it."

"I love you so much," Tim whispers before pulling me into the most loving kiss a girl could ask for.

The sound of alarms blaring cuts through the silence of the bedroom, causing my husband, who is currently the big spoon, and me to groan. We're not morning people, not by a long shot. I reach an arm over to my nightstand to hit snooze, turning back to face Tim.

"Morning, beautiful," Tim mumbled before a smile took over his face.

"Are you and Lucy doing neighborhood patrol today?" I ask while tracing my finger along the lines of his chest, which is littered with scars from either his time in the military or in his current profession.

"Going to have to if she wants me to stop calling her Boot. What's on your schedule today?" Tim responds as he runs his hand up and down my back.

"I might be patrolling today, too; Nolan doesn't have a T.O., so I'm the spare," I said before getting out of bed and heading to the closet to grab my clothes.

While I get dressed, I glance over to see Tim looking at my stomach, making my heart clench. I know what he's thinking. Did it work? Will I be finding out if Y/N's pregnant soon? Tim and I have been trying to get pregnant for a year after we mutually decided we were ready to start a family.

"You better start getting dressed too," I said, snapping Tim out of his trance by throwing his shirt at his face, giggling when his face looked shocked, "You don't want to be late for roll-call."

After Grey handed out assignments, I headed to the shop to see Nolan packing the gear into the trunk, and I was right. I got into the passenger seat, and the both of us were off. Minutes of silence went by before I broke the ice, "I'm not like the others. You can talk. Just make sure you're paying attention."

"Yes, ma'am, never thought I'd hear those words," Nolan said, making me laugh before I told him the others are just used to it at this point.

"Hey, Nolan?" I ask to capture his attention, "How long did it take for you and your ex-wife to become pregnant with Henry?"

Nolan sat silently in thought before answering, "Honestly, it's been so long since I can remember, but I think it took us about 2 or 3 years. Of course, the heart thing came as a complete surprise to us, but we were still very grateful to become Henry's parents. Why do you ask?"

"It's just- Tim and I have been trying for a year, and I'm getting impatient. It also doesn't help that I keep hearing stories about Isabel, and whenever I ask Tim about it, he just shuts down and tries to change the subject. I know talking about her causes him pain, but I want to help him through it," I respond before I feel Nolan put a hand on top of mine, as a way to comfort me.

"Forgive me if that crosses a boundary," Nolan says before I affirm to him that it's okay, "These things take time. When the time is right, you and Tim will become fantastic parents. As for the ex-wife situation, have you ever thought that you are helping him through it?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, and before he can continue, a voice comes over the radio, Lucy, calling my name.

"Yeah, Lucy, go ahead," I say into the receiver as I glance at Nolan and whisper that we need to put a pin in the conversation.

"I don't know what the protocol is, but Tim is having a panic attack," Lucy responds, making my blood run cold and my heart stops.

"Wait, what? What happened?" I ask, while going through my mind, what could cause my husband to be in that position when that's a rare occurrence in itself.

"I don't know, we were arresting a dealer when this woman came barging out and yelling at Tim to let him go," Lucy says before I ask her what the woman looked like, "She was blonde and looked like she was desperate for more drugs."

"Shit," I muttered before glancing at Nolan, who had a confused look on his face, "Isabel, Tim's ex-wife. Lucy, where are you guys?"

After Lucy said they were on their way back to the station, I told Nolan to drive back, and I sent Grey a message that I was taking Tim home early, explaining why. As the shop rolled to a stop, Grey texted back, "Take as long as you need." I walk into the station to see Lucy standing there, looking nervous like she did something wrong.

"You didn't do anything, Tim was just caught off-guard, and so was I, to be honest," I tell her before going into the locker room to change into my civilian clothes, and I spot Tim doing the same.

Before Tim and I left the station, I jumped into the driver's seat, and he didn't even protest it while climbing into the passenger seat. After arriving home, Tim was out of the truck before I could speak to him, making me sigh. I let a few minutes pass before turning the car off and heading into the house to hear the shower running upstairs.

"Tim?" I ask when I stop in front of the bathroom door, hand on the knob, ready to go in case he doesn't answer, "Can I come in?"

"Yes," I hear Tim say before I turn the knob and open the door to see him sitting fully clothed under the spray of water, which must be cold.

I stepped into the tub and sat on the other side of him, causing the water to spray on me. I yelped at the ice-cold sensation before scooting closer to Tim, making our knees touch.

"Does the cold help?" I ask, keeping my eyes on Tim as he gives me a nod as his answer, "Babe, I'm worried about you."

"It's nothing," Tim muttered before I rebutted, "It's not nothing if Lucy had to radio me about you having a panic attack, and you're taking a cold shower with your clothes on. Come on, talk to me."

Tim sighed before saying, "I saw Isabel, I hadn't seen her since I finalized the divorce. Just- the memory of the pain and anguish I went through with her came rushing back so fast. I didn't want to be a burden on you, which is why I haven't spoken about it."

"Timothy Bradford, you are never a burden to me," I respond before placing my hands on his face to make him face me, "You got caught off-guard, so did I getting that call. That's okay if you have a panic attack; it makes you human, not a burden. If anything, I felt like I wasn't much help to you."

"Are you kidding me? You are helping by being there for me and always loving me even when I'm stubborn. If I ever had to describe you to anyone who doesn't know us, I always tell them I'm the luckiest man in the world to have an amazing wife who gets me, and I'm so proud of her; I love her with all my heart," Tim says before he pulls me forward into his lap so he's staring up at me with admiration in his eyes, with a hint of anxiety swarming in them.

I run my hands through his wet hair before resting them on the nape of his neck and give him a peck as I say, "I love you so much, Mr. Bradford."

"I love you to the stars and back, Mrs. Bradford. What do you say we take a warm bath and get started again on our family afterwards?" Tim asked as I laughed before he moved my face closer to run his tongue along my bottom lip, to which I let him in, causing a heated make-out.

"A part of me wants to, but not tonight. Tonight is all about you and making sure you're okay after the day you've had," I whisper, making Tim groan out, "Fine, I agree with you."

I stepped out of the tub and told Tim to get out of his sopping wet clothes while I drew the warm water for the bath. As I was preparing the tub with stress-relieving smells, I felt Tim come up behind me and wrap his arms around my stomach before he kissed the outside of my ear.

"How did I get so blessed with you?" Tim asks as I blush and tell him it was fate that brought us together before ushering him back in the tub so he can begin relaxing.

I exited the bathroom to go into the bedroom and started changing out of my wet clothes to pull out a pair of Lilac pajamas. An hour passed before I heard the tub start draining and Tim walked into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"How was it?" I asked from behind the book I was reading, which was All The Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles.

"It was perfect, although I was missing my bath partner," Tim says as a thump sounds in the room, which means he dropped the towel and is now getting his boxers and pajama pants on, "How's the book?"

"You needed to be solo for that," I explained before answering his next question, "It's actually good; Sheriff Colter reminds me of you in a way."

"And what way is that?" Tim asks as I feel him climbing into the bed.

After contemplating for a second, I answer, "You both share the grumpy trait."

"Oh, I'll show you grumpy," Tim says before I feel his hand tickling me, making me laugh before I tell him to stop through the fits.

"I love you, grumpy and all," I respond before Tim smiles down at me and leans down to kiss me before whispering, "I can't wait for the day we become parents."

“Are we ready to see Dada?” I asked my two year old son, EJ, as I unbuckle him from his car seat. Hearing the word Dada escape my lip caused him to worm his body in excitement, making me laugh.

“Okay buddy, hold on,” I say through my laughter while picking him up and holding him close to me as I grab his book bag.

EJ and I enter the firehouse to hear chattering coming from the kitchen, guiding us to where we need to go. Eddie was the first to alert our presence.

“Hey, there’s my favorite Evan,” Eddie says as he holds out his hands for me to transfer EJ over to him.

“I thought I was your favorite,” I hear my husband say as I giggle at his and his best friend’s interaction.

“You were, until this little guy came along and knocked you to second place on the podium,” Eddie says with a smirk on his face while Buck rolls his eyes.

“He’s starting to look more like you Buck with each passing day,” Hen responds, making me groan out, “As much as I’m happy he does, it’s not fair that I carried him for 9 months for him to not have any of my features.”

“Oh come on babe, one day we’ll have a mini you running around,” Buck says, making me smile.

“Hey guys, I think EJ’s trying to say something,” Eddie piped up, causing everyone to go silent.

“B-B-Duck!” EJ squeaked out as everyone awed at the sight of him trying his best to say “Buck”.

“I think I’m not ready for the day when he can actually say my nickname,” Buck says as he takes EJ into his arms and tickle him, causing EJ to squeal out in laughter.

I woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating on the nightstand. Reaching my hand over, I turn the phone towards me to see the contact name, "Uncle Bobby," taking over the whole screen. I silently curse before answering with a "Morning, Uncle Bobby. Did you need something?"

"Sorry to be waking you up before shift, but I was wondering if you could run by the store to grab some essentials for me," Bobby says as I feel the other body beside me starting to move.

"Yeah, sure. Do you have a list?" I asked as I felt a pair of lips kissing a trail behind my ear and then stopping at the one spot that makes me shiver, "Actually, can you text it to me? I still got sleep on my mind to remember all of it."

Once Bobby told me that was completely fine, I hung up the phone after we exchanged love you. I turned to face Eddie and slapped him on his bare shoulder before scolding him, "He could've heard you!"

"It was worth the risk," Eddie said as he leaned closer to kiss me, "When are we eventually going to tell people?"

"It's bad enough that he keeps overhearing Buck talk about the bruises on my neck. It's going to become worse if he finds out I'm dating one of his 'boys' after he warned me not to," I respond as I sighed before telling Eddie it will be soon.

Eddie and I have been dating for six months, which has been the best months of my life. He has all the qualities that make him amazing, sweet, funny, always knows how to take care of me when the situation calls for it, and he's attentive.

"Amor, keeping us a secret has to be eating away at you. It can't be good for you," Eddie whispered as I remind him how I'm a follower and nobody expects me to start bending the rules just because I'm dating a fellow firefighter, "Well, I've got an idea that will help keep your mind off of it."

"Edmundo, no, we only have 15 minutes before we have to report for a shift," I said as Eddie smirked before pushing up the shirt I was wearing, making my lace panties come into view.

"I only need 8 of those minutes," Eddie whispered while his head disappeared under the covers as his fingers trailed my underwear down my legs before moving them back up to spread my folds.

"Eddie-" I started to laugh before letting out a moan from feeling his tongue enter me and I run my hand through his hair before balling into a fist to pull at it, which in turns, makes him groan out into me.

Let’s just say, it took exactly 7 minutes and 20 seconds for Eddie to make me come from just his mouth. After I “finished”, we got our showers, put on our uniforms, and left my apartment in our separate vehicles before he heads to the station while I head to the store.

“Wow, your mystery man certainly is a leech,” I hear Buck shout as I rush over to him and slammed my hand over his mouth before telling him to shut the fuck up.

“Is this the same guy or a different one?” Howie asks as I explained to him that I’m not that type of girl, “I’m just saying, no judgment here. Buckaroo here knows what it’s like.”

“Hey, come on, that was years ago! I’ve now since quit that,” Buck complains as I laugh and told him that I knew that he has since changed his ways.

I head over to my locker and started putting my stuff in there before I feel someone tap my shoulder and whisper, “Why is Diaz on your shirt?”

“Wait what?” I asked in a panic as I try to look in a mirror before I hear Hen laughing and I groaned before saying “Real funny, Hen.”

Hen is the only one who knows about mine and Eddie’s relationship, since she caught the two of us getting a little too close for comfort at an event for the department. Turns out, she has a bet going with most of the boys that Eddie and I would end up together so she offered to keep the secret if I help her win.

“So, you were a little late this morning, I take Eddie took his sweet time?” Hen teases, making me laugh before explaining that Bobby called asking for me to grab some essential for lunch or dinner, “Wait, did Bobby hear him?”

"Almost, can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if my uncle has heard his niece ‘getting some loving’?” I said as Hen snickers and starts to laugh before I smack her arm, harshly whispering, “It’s not that funny!”

“What’s not funny?” I hear Uncle Bobby asked, so I swiftly responded nothing before he gives me and Hen a concerned look.

“She was just telling me about how she’s embarrassed she burnt herself with the curling iron again,” Hen responds as Bobby shook his head and said “You’ve been getting quite a lot of those bruises lately, try to be careful next time alright?”

“Of course Uncle Bobby,” I told him as he walks away, before I turned my attention back to Hen, “I’m going to murder Eddie.”

Hen laughs again as she walks away towards upstairs, leaving me alone in the locker room. A few minutes go by before I hear the door open and footsteps enter.

“Hola Amor,” I hear Eddie whisper in my ear as I feel his hand move down to my ass to squeeze it.

“Eddie,” I warned him while I reached back and removed his hand, “You’re gonna get us in trouble.”

Eddie then moves me around, facing him before putting his hands on my hips and whispering, “With who? Everyone’s upstairs and we’re alone.”

“Even if they are upstairs, this room is like a glass house,” I whispered back as Eddie shook his head and leans in to give me a kiss.

“You worry too much, maybe your uncle will be happy you finally found a handsome man who swept you off your feet,” Eddie says, making me smile, before he continues with, “And maybe he won’t be too mad that his two firefighters happen to be dating.”

“You don’t understand how overprotective Bobby can get, especially about family,” I respond before sighing, “Ever since he’s lost his wife and kids in that fire, he’s been beating himself up mentally. Heaven forbid, something happens to me, to Athena, to May, to Harry, to anyone in the fire family under his watch, I fear he’s could go back into that spiral that made him fall off the wagon.”

“While I can’t exactly say I’ve been in your shoes witnessing that part of Bobby, I do know what it’s like to be overprotective about someone you love,” Eddie says and before I could say I know he’s meaning Christopher, he continues, “I never told you this but before I was to re-enlist to provide money for Christopher’s medical bills, Shannon left us to go take care of her mother. She begged me to go with her, but all I was focusing on was making sure I could give Christopher everything he wanted or needed. She called me selfish for doing so.”

“Edmundo Diaz, nothing about you is selfish. Your son was born with complications and has cerebral palsy so he’s bound to have medical expenses at some points of his life. That kid is so lucky to have you as his father and don’t forget, you had an army standing right behind you helping you out with whatever you needed while you were working various jobs to sustain a living,” I reminded him, which made him give me the biggest smile I’ve ever gotten from him, before he kisses me again, but this time with passion.

“Damn it!” We heard someone shout before we pulled apart and jerked our heads to the sound, Buck.

“Pay up gentlemen,” Hen says as Eddie and I exited the locker room, “Thanks to you two, I’m now $40 richer.”

“How long has this been going on?” Chimney asks before glancing his eyes over to my uncle.

“Are you mad?” I asked, nervous for his reaction since like I told Eddie, he’s overprotective about family.

Bobby then starts making his way downstairs and walks toward me before pulling me into a bear hug.

“There is no way I could be mad about my niece being happy with the man she loves,” Bobby says before I squeezed him back, “But really, how long have you two been together?”

“6 months,” Eddie and I both said before Buck asked if Christopher knows, which prompts Eddie to answer with, “He knows, he’s been very excited about the two of us.”

“When did you tell him?” I asked, curious how Christopher has managed to keep the secret.

“He actually drew a picture of the three of us and when I asked him why he included you, he said you were like a second mom to him. Always there when he needed you or there if he wants to talk to you. He also had suspicions when he saw my contact name for you on my phone,” Eddie responds, making me laugh before I ask him what it is.

Eddie takes his phone out of his pocket and pulls up the contacts before scrolling to the name he has for me, which made my heart melt.

“Mi Amor Por Siempre, which translates to ‘My Love Forever’ in English,” Eddie explains as I try not to cry about the meaning in front of everyone.

“I wonder what your contact name is for him,” Buck pipes up as I laugh at the random outburst.

“Mi Soldado, my soldier,” I said, making Buck confused and he then asked me if it would’ve made more sense for it to be my firefighter, “Eddie may be a firefighter, but he was a soldier first. Still is even if he’s in a different profession, he soldiered through single parenthood, war, and especially soldiered through fire. I couldn’t be any more prouder of him.”

“Now you two are perfect for one another,” Hen says as Eddie dips me and kisses me, making everyone hoot and holler at the scene.

Suddenly the alarm rang and the voice came on to tell us where we were needed. While everyone is hustling and bustling to get ready to leave the station, Eddie whispered, “That wasn’t too bad, was it?”

"Still kicking up a storm, huh?" Jean asked as I laughed and told her the baby was moving around, "I can't wait to be an auntie."

"I'm sure Scott would be excited too if he would stop focusing on the fact I had a one-night stand with a random stranger," I told my future sister-in-law as I thought back to Scott's reaction before asking, "You know he's still asking me to tell him who the father is?"

"Yes, he's even asking me to telepathically find it by going through your head," Jean responds as I looked at her in disbelief before she reassured me she has never done such a thing to me without permission.

"Hey, we have two incomings," Scott's voice comes through the coms as I pick up and ask for information, "A young girl and a man."

"Better get ready," I told Jean so she could start getting the necessities out, "I'll go meet Storm and Scott at the entrance."

I headed upstairs to the entrance just in time to see Ororo walking in with the young girl sticking close to her. Scott came up behind them, and I stopped in my tracks when I saw who he was carrying in.

"Oh my god, act normal," I told myself as I regained my composure and mentioned to Scott that Jean was waiting for him, "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's okay, still shaken up," Storm said as I notice the girl fidgeting with her hands, "She won't let me touch her."

"Her mutation must have something to do with that," I respond as I reach into my pockets to pull out some leather gloves before I walk up to the girl, "Here, put these on."

"I-I couldn't," The girl stammered when I told her I insisted before explaining the gloves were too small for me, "Thank you. I'm Marie. You can call me Rouge."

"My name is Y/N Summers," I introduced myself before mentioning Scott is my older brother, "And my powers regard manipulation."

Rogue then looks down at my baby bump to ask, "What's their power?"

"Oh, they don't have one yet, or there's the chance they won't have a mutation. If they do, they'll either inherit mine or have their own," I explained as Rogue nodded before Storm asked if she wanted to see where she'd be staying.

After Rogue and Storm were out of sight, I sighed before I glanced back to the lab's stairs, where I saw Scott coming up and asked him what happened.

"Sabretooth is what happened. Magneto must've known the girl was an important mutant," Scott said as I asked about the guy, "Knocked out, but it looks like he has regenerative healing, so he'll be fine."

"I'll head back down. You're on your way to Charles?" I respond as Scott nods to leave in the direction he's heading in before I went back downstairs.

I approached the entrance, I asked Jean what she had done so far, and she told me she was about to draw some blood. Suddenly, I heard a crash and jerked my head in the direction to see Jean in a headlock.

"Woah, hey! Calm down," I said before I walk forward as Jean shook her head for me to not come farther, "Let her go."

"Not until you tell me what's going on," Logan grunted out; I explained to him what happened out there and why he was here.

"Logan, let her go," I said as I saw his grip loosen on Jean and his face contorted to confusion before it morphed into realization, "Y/N?"

"Wait," Jean said, looking between me and Logan while trying to connect the dots, "Is he the guy?"

"You cannot tell Scott. He already is going to want to kill him for putting you in that position. What do you think he's going to do when he finds out his little sister had sex with the man he just saved," I told Jean before gesturing for her to read my mind, "He doesn't know I'm pregnant."

"Jean!" I hear Scott shouting as I look to see him running towards us. Is everything okay? I heard a crash, and—look who's awake."

"Yeah, he just woke up," Jean said quickly before reassuring Scott she was okay when Charles wheels up in the lab.

"What is this place?" Logan asked as I grabbed a sweatshirt and tossed it to him so he could cover up. Charles told him all about the X-Mansion and what it means for all of the mutants in this world.

"So, what's your mutation?" Scott asked as Logan showed off his claws, making me and Jean look at each other in shock.

"Come on, we'll leave the ladies alone," Charles said while Scott and Logan followed behind him.

"I'm so screwed," I whispered as I paced the floor, and Jean tried to calm me down, "Jean, I had sex with a guy who has claws, which look to be indestructible. Oh god, there's a chance my child is going to impale me before they're even born."

"No, no, don't think like that," Jean responds before reminding me there's still the chance of the baby having its own mutation.

"Yeah, you're right," I said as I sat and asked if she had found out what metal was in his bones before the look on her face told me what it was. "I'm right, aren't I? Shit."

A few days passed, and I spent most of those days trying to avoid Logan. I can't raise Scott's suspicions about him by speaking to him, and then there's the chance Scott will complete the puzzle about who the father of my baby is. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed something to eat before I heard a gruff voice say, "Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you," I said as I took another bite of the granola bar into my mouth to avoid saying another word to him.

"Oh really? It's nearing the end of the day, and I've rarely seen you," Logan responded before walking up to stand next to me with his arms crossed.

"I can't be seen talking to you, Logan. Scott is already so protective of me," I respond as I try to walk away before I feel my back hit the counter with Logan caging me in, "Logan, let me out."

"Tell me what I've done to you, and I will," Logan said as I tried to avert my eyes somewhere else so I didn't have to make eye contact.

"What the hell is going on here?" I hear Scott's voice come through before Logan is pulled and pushed to the other side of the kitchen.

"Nothing of your concerns, bub," Logan responds as Scott scoffs and tells him, "Oh yeah? It looks like you were caging my sister against the counter and acting like you know-"

"No, no, don't connect the dots," I mentally begged as Scott's face morphed into anger, "Fuck."

"You motherfucker!" Scott shouted as he threw a punch in Logan's face, making me gasp, "My little sister, really?"

"Scott, get off of him!" I yelled before calling out for Jean, Storm, or anyone listening. Students started gathering in the doorway.

"Get off of me," Logan grunted as he pushed Scott off into the opposing wall, and I took that chance to get in between them, putting my hands on Scott's chest to keep him back, "What's your problem with me?"

"My problem with you is my little sister is pregnant because of you!" Scott shouted while he fights against my hands to go at Logan again.

"Scott!" I yelled in his face to grab his attention, "Logan didn't know."

"Wait, what?" Scott asked, his face turning pale, before I let my hands off before I rushed out of the kitchen to head to my bedroom.

I felt the tears start falling while I sat against the wall, "Stupid hormones!" I thought to myself as I took deep breaths to calm myself. A knock came on the door, and I shouted at Scott to leave me alone for a minute.

"It's not Scott," I hear Logan say through the door, "It's true then, you're pregnant because of me."

"Yes, I would've told you, but I didn't have a way to contact you since you were always moving," I said as Logan asked if he could come in, to which I opened the door in response, "I'm so sorry that all happened."

"Not your fault," Logan said, taking a seat in front of me, "You were right about Scott being overprotective, though."

I laughed before reminding him I had warned him; he just stayed for the result. I sighed before asking Logan, "Do you want to know the gender?"

"If you don't mind," Logan said as I told him the baby was a boy, which made him smile, "Also if it's okay, I want to be there for you and him. I don't want to miss anything else."

"I would love that," I respond as Logan pulls me into his arms before kissing me on the top of my head, “Are you nervous about becoming a parent all of a sudden?"

"Of course, but I know we'll have an army of mutants to support us through the journey," Logan respond as I smile and mentioned a lot of them are going to be battling for the title of favorite honorary aunt or uncle.

"Guys, what happened? What's going on?" I asked over the intercom in my ear as the kids and I stayed safe at the mansion.

"Jean is gone," I hear Storm's voice come over, making me almost fall to the floor in shock, "She sacrificed herself to save us."

"Oh my god," I muttered as I covered my mouth to stop a sob from escaping my throat so it wouldn't alert the kids, "Is Scott safe?"

"He's on the jet with us, sobbing in Logan's arms," Storm replies as I sighed and asked her if they were on their way back, "No, we're on our way to Washington, but we'll be back soon."

"Okay, stay safe," I said as I heard the com turn off and I hear one of the kids ask from behind me if they got the others.

"Yes, sorry, they got them," I respond with a crack in my voice before clearing my throat, "They should be back soon."

"Miss L/N, are you alright?" Another kid asked before I felt my barrier fall and tears started streaming down my cheeks, "Who died?"

"Jean Grey, she sacrificed her life to save the others," I respond as I hear the students gasp in shock and start crying.

I then felt a tug on the corner of my shirt, grabbing my attention to see a little girl whose mutation I knew detected people's feelings.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I asked while I wiped the tears away and crouched to her level.

"Was she one of your best friends?" She asks as I give it some thought before she mentions, "You're feeling devastated."

"We had our differences, but I wouldn't say she was my best friend. She and I were friends, though," I respond as she tilts her head in confusion before I explain, "Scott is my best friend. I'm devastated for him since he and Jean were together."

"I thought she and Logan were a couple," Another student said as I let out a little laugh and told them Logan had a crush on her, but he knew better to not go any farther than that, "Just like you have a crush on Scott?"

I scoffed and rebut with, "I don't have a crush on him, we're simply best friends."

"Your looks say otherwise," The same student says with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and respond, "Maybe I do, but he was with Jean, so it wouldn't have been right to tell him."

"Well, now you can further your relationship with him," Another student said before someone smacked him upside the head and explained to him how I couldn't because he had just lost his girlfriend.

"Go up to bed, all of you," I commanded as everyone followed my orders and went straight to bed.

After I heard the doors shut, I went to my bedroom and collapsed onto my bed before grabbing a pillow against my chest. I let out a breath as I started sobbing into the pillow.

"The student is right; I can never reveal my feelings to Scott, not after all that happened," I thought to myself while I lulled myself to sleep.

The morning light started shining through my windows, waking me up, and I sat up before focusing my super hearing to hear the hustle of the mansion.

"They're back!" One student shouted as I heard the jet engine coming up as a knock came on my door, "Y/N, they're back."

I got up out of bed and opened the door to say, "I know. My mutation is my hearing, remember?" I exited to go down the stairs into the foyer, which is full of students waiting to see which of their fellow mutants made it home.

"Do you guys mind waiting here for them?" I asked, and the students told me no as I left for outside so I could greet them.

Storm was the first to exit the aircraft, and I looked at her solemnly before I wrapped my arms around her and whispered how sorry I was. She hugged me back and told me Scott would need me more than ever. She started walking toward the mansion with most of the kids behind her. I turned my attention back to the entrance to see Scott come into view, and I could feel his eyes on me through the ruby quartz glasses.

"Scott," I started to say as he walked towards me and wrapped his arms around me tight before he started crying on my shoulder. I looked at Logan over Scott's shoulder to mouth, "Are you okay?"

"I'll survive," Logan mouthed back as I sighed and moved my mouth next to Scott's ear to whisper, "Do you need me to do anything?"

Scott exited the embrace before shaking his head and telling me he wanted to be alone but needed to hug me first. I nodded as Scott walked past me towards the mansion and I hear Logan clear his throat.

"What? Do you want me to get you a beer or a cigar to take the edge off?" I asked as Logan quirked an eyebrow and told me I should've told him, to which I scoffed and said, "There's no way I'm going to tell that man I'm in love with him when his girlfriend just died, Logan. It wouldn't be fair on him."

Before he could get another word, I walked away and returned to my room. I let out a shuttered breath before I wrapped my arms around my midsection.

"Damn it, not another panic attack," I thought to myself as I felt my body start to shake, and I started hyperventilating, "Calm down Y/N, you have got to calm down."

"Y/N," I hear Charles' voice comes through my head, "You need to breathe."

"I-I can't," I whispered as I try to catch my breath, but all efforts were failing.

"Yes, you can; just breathe in and out," Charles said, and I started the exercise that seemed to help me mellow out.

After I took a few deep breaths, my heart rate calmed down enough that I stopped shaking so much.

"Thanks, Charles, I just," I whispered before Charles cut me off with, "You were frustrated about people telling you what you didn't feel comfortable doing."

I got off the floor and started heading to Scott's door before placing my ear on it to hear if he was in there. The sound of sobbing told me he was. I debated knocking, but at the last second, I decided not to and then headed to the kitchen to make him food. I made him something he always said brought comfort: my "famous" chicken noodle soup with grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. After I was finished, I placed the tray outside his door before knocking and heading back to my bedroom.

"I hope it will still bring him comfort," I thought to myself as I listened for him to open the door and grab the tray.

Days passed, and Scott's class was canceled for understandable reasons. He only left his room to go to the bathroom or grab something to eat. Students asked me every day when Scott would be coming back, and I always told them I didn't have the answers. I continued trying to provide any comfort I could because, like Storm said, Scott needed me more now than ever. I was reading a book in the library when I heard something smashing and arguing, getting worried on what it could be, I honed my hearing to the source.

"Leave me alone, Logan," I hear Scott say, and Logan scoffed before saying, "Look, everybody is devastated about Jean, but you don't see anyone else holed up in their rooms about it."

"My situation is different. She was my girlfriend!" Scott shouted as I heard his voice crack, "I have more than the right to grieve like this. I'm never going to find anyone that makes me feel the way Jean made me feel."

"Yes, you have that right, but you're forgetting something. You have another person who makes you feel more than what Jean gave you," Logan reminded as Scott scoffed and said, "If you're about to say Y/N, you're out of your mind."

"I am about to say Y/N, and you know I'm right! That girl is your best friend, your beck and call, the one person you seek out whenever you need something, and don't think I haven't noticed the amount of cooking she's been doing for you," Logan said as Scott told him there's no way I would see him more than a friend, "How do you know if you haven't asked her? All you're doing is speculating-."

Suddenly, the voices cut out, and my ears started ringing, causing me to fall off the loveseat and start screaming in pain. My ears felt like they were actually bleeding, and I felt myself going unconscious from the pain before I could hear someone shout my name as the darkness came.

"Y/N, please wake up. I can't lose you, too," I hear someone whisper as I try to open my eyes and look down to see Scott lying on his head next to my hand. I ran my hand through his hair, catching his attention to look at me as he sighed in relief.

"What happened?" I asked as I looked around the room before Scott told me a mutant was testing how loud they could get, not realizing it could harm me, "Guess I'll have to invest in special headphones."

Scott laughs before saying, "Listen, I want to apologize for being closed off lately-" I cut him off, saying it was okay before he continued, "Please, let me finish. It wasn't right of me to push people away, especially you. It's not okay that I did that to you. Yes, while I was grieving Jean, I should've thought things through."

"I overheard you and Logan," I told Scott as he sighed and took my hand before he asked me how much I heard, "Everything. Is it true what Logan said?"

Scott nodded before speaking. "Logan got tired of me moping in my room, so he demanded that we talk. I'm glad he did, or else I wouldn't have gotten my head straight to realize he was right."

"About Jean?" I asked as Scott shook his head and explained while Logan was right about Jean, that wasn't the main thing.

"Logan was right that you make me feel more than what Jean could give me. You pay attention to small details and even cook up all the foods you know would comfort me. You also provide me with a shoulder to cry on. Your schedule open if I need to get something off my chest," Scott said as I looked at him confused and asked him if Jean did all of those things, to which he shook his head, "She was primarily verbal with her love, whereas you are physical and verbal with yours."

"I- Wait, you knew?" I asked as Scott smiled and told me that Logan was the one to spill the secret, "Remind me to kick his ass at the next workout session. I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Scott asked as he leans in and I told him he shouldn't have found out while grieving, "Y/N, I love you too."

"No," Logan said from beside me as Charles voiced that Logan didn't know what he was going to say, "I already know because you have her in here."

"Geez, thanks asshole," I telepathically put in his head, making him jerk his head in my direction with his famous scowl.

"Hey, no telepathic manipulation," Charles said as I turned to him and told him, "I was simply telling this broody bear of a man what he already knows."

"Why I outta-" Logan responded as Charles cut him off, "This. This is what I wanted to talk to the two of you about."

"What do you mean?" I asked as Logan and I looked at Charles in confusion.

"You two have been going after each other's necks since Miss L/N's arrival at the mansion and frankly, everyone's had enough of it," Charles tells us as I felt my blood freeze.

I didn't know it had gotten this bad between us, but it isn't my fault Logan's been an ass to me since the very first day.

"Charles, I-" I started to say before he raised a hand up, "I just wanted to apologize for my behavior."

"Apology accepted, but that's not going to be enough for everyone else," Charles responds as Logan quirks an eyebrow and asks what would be enough, "You and Y/N are going on a mission together. Not an official one, but it should be long enough for the two of you to hash out your differences."

Before I could respond, Logan grunted out, "You're fucking joking, bub."

"I am indeed not joking. You both are going somewhere and will not return until this issue is resolved. Do you understand?" Charles said as I confirmed my understanding while Logan gave a small nod.

After the both of us exited Charles' office, and before we headed to our rooms to pack for this "mission," we both gave each other a look that said, "This is a stupid idea."

Where the "mission" takes place...is in the fucking woods. Great idea, Charles, stick two of your dangerous mutants together among the trees for a bonding exercise. After we arrived, Logan was already ahead of me gathering wood for the fire we'll need to light later tonight while I set up the tents, except there's only one tent in the duffle with a note from Storm saying, "Good luck."

"Damn it Ororo," I muttered to myself before I heard Logan drop the wood into the pit before he asked why I was cursing Storm, "She packed only one tent, we have to share."

"Of course we do," Logan mumbled as I glared at him and said, "Well, if you have a problem with that, you're free to sleep outside in the wilderness."

"Just put the tent up," Logan grunted as he stomped away to grab more firewood, leaving me alone yet again.

"Ugh! Why must he be so infuriating?!" I shouted in my head as I kicked the ground in frustration.

Once I calmed down, I started building the tent, which, thankfully, wasn't that small so Logan and I wouldn't be squished against one another. The sun began to set, and after Logan lit the fire pit, I started cooking dinner. A few minutes of silence passed, and Logan was smoking a cigar before I said, "Why do you hate me?"

"What do you mean?" Logan asked, but it was muffled by the cigar in his mouth.

"Take the damn cigar out of your mouth if you're going to talk. I can hardly understand you," I snapped back as Logan rolled his eyes and took the cigar before asking me what I meant by my question, "I mean, why do you hate me so much to the point where you want to bicker with me every day."

"I don't hate you," Logan said as I scoffed and told him it was funny that he said that, but his words and actions indeed said differently.

Logan sighed before explaining, "I don't want you to get close to me." Before I could ask why, he continued, "Whenever I get close to someone, they either get hurt or die, and I refuse to let that happen to you."

"Like Scott and Jean?" I asked as Logan nodded his head and mentioned how his first night in the mansion ended up with him stabbing Rogue with his claws from a nightmare, "So you don't want me close to you like a friend, gotcha."

"I didn't say like a friend," Logan said as I looked at him, confused, before he expanded, "Ever since you came to the mansion, I've felt some way about you. I don't know what it could be, but if something happened to you, I couldn't live knowing you're not here anymore."

"Logan," I started to say as I saw the stew was ready and decided to quickly fix the bowls before it gets too hot for the both of us.

"You don't have to get theatrical and tell me I'm not right for you, I get it," Logan responded as I rolled my eyes and telepathically told him to shut the hell up.

"You want to know what I thought about you the first time I saw you?" I asked as Logan gave me a slight nod before taking a bite of the stew, "Guarded, not wanting to give too much about yourself away, and putting the tough guy act on."

"But I also saw someone who cares a lot about everyone around him, even when he thinks no one notices that part of him, but I do. I admire that so much, and yes, while it is infuriating that we keep bickering back and forth, I'm hoping that will change someday," I telepathically told him as I feel his eyes back on me and see him put his bowl down.

Logan gets up from his seat and leans over me, his dog tag hanging between us, our lips inches apart, before he whispers, "Can I kiss you?" I nodded before I felt his hands go into my hair to move my head back so he could turn his head to the side, and we kissed.

"God, her lips are so soft, I could kiss them all day," I hear his thoughts come through, making me pull away with a smile to whisper to him, "You can kiss me anytime you want."

"Good," Logan whispered back with a smile and moved back onto my lips, swiping his tongue on my bottom lip, and I allowed him in.

After what felt like hours kissing, we pulled apart to get air back into our lungs, and I start laughing.

"What's funny?" Logan asked with an amused look on his face.

"Do you think Charles saw this as an outcome?" I asked as Logan shrugged and told me maybe he did, or he just saw our true feelings toward one another through all the fighting and bickering.

-Back at the X-Mansion-

It's been two days since Logan's and mine's mission, and it feels good not bickering or fighting like we used to. Now, it's just playful and joking between us, and of course, Logan has to keep his stone-cold demeanor up around the students so they don't call him a softie. I come down the stairs and go towards the kitchen to see Logan sitting at the table with Rouge and Bobby.

"Morning, guys," I said as I grabbed my mug and poured myself a cup of coffee before I heard Logan's voice, or his thought, come through, "I'm damn lucky she's mine, and her ass looks great in those jeans."

"Down boy, not in front of the kids," I telepathically shot back at him before I turn around to see him with a smirk on his face, "Smug bastard."

"What were you guys talking about?" Rouge asked as she and Bobby looked between us before I shook my head with a laugh and said, "Nothing you need to know."

"Anything else for you, sugar?" A lady asked as I stirred a spoon in my coffee to blend the creamer.

"No, thank you, ma'am, I'm fine," I respond with a drawl of my southern accent as she nods her head and moves on to handle another customer.

I've just gotten back from overseas. Fighting the war in Vietnam was no easy task, and since I've taken a seat, many people have come up to thank me for my service or give me God's blessing that I was able to come back home to my family. My grandma and uncle don't know I went to war, and I also haven't seen them since I left. What happened in the past year, I can never go back and face them, not after what I've done. I haven't prayed since my mama and daddy died or been in church since that day. Reverend Preston Teagardin was found dead in the pews with a bullet wound to the head. I take a sip of my coffee before I hear the bell on the door ring, catching my attention. I look over and see a couple walking in, a guy wearing coveralls with the name tag "Raymond" on the chest and a girl in tow behind him. I hunched that something was amiss when I saw the look on the girl's face; she was scared, and Raymond had quite a rough grip on her arm. They decided to sit at a table adjacent to my seat, and a waitress arrived to take their order when I heard Raymond start to flirt with her. The waitress decided to flirt back, which made me roll my eyes.

"Seriously?" As I took another sip, I thought, "If you're going to flirt with other women, why even bring your girlfriend?"

The waitress asked the girl for her order before she muttered, "Nothing, thank you."

"Speak up when you're spoken to, whore," Raymond said through gritted teeth as he slams a fist on the table, making everyone in the place jump, except for me.

"No, thank you, I don't want anything," The girl spoke louder as the waitress walked back behind the counter to get Raymond's order ready.

"It's good that you listened to me; you were getting fat anyways," Raymond said as I paused mid-sip at the audacity of this man to treat a woman as such.

As much as I wanted to punch him or smack him on the back of the head, I could hear my daddy telling me, "Wait for the right time." 30 minutes or so went by before they decided to head out. After watching them leave, I pulled out my wallet to grab a $10 bill to leave as a tip and headed out the door to make sure the girl was okay. I looked around for signs of her and thought I might've been too late until I heard a scream. I rushed over to where the sound was to see this Raymond guy has her pushed against a brick wall with one hand over her mouth and the other on her hip.

"You're going to do what I tell you to do," Raymond muttered as he reached his hand that was on her hip to go under her dress.

Before he could do anything else, I ran over and landed a punch square across the jaw. He groaned in pain before he turned his attention to me and wiped the blood from his lip. Raymond wielded his fist back to land a punch in my nose, hard. I then jump on top of him to continue throwing punches until I see him struggle.

"Now, stay away from her, or else I will find you again and do worse than this," I said as I leaned my face to Raymond's, "Got it?"

Raymond nodded weakly, and I moved off him to turn my attention to the shaking girl in front of me.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. He shouldn't hurt you again, is there anyone you need me to call or come get you?" I asked as she shook her head no, "Okay, come on, I'll give you a ride, and you can stay with me until you recover enough."

I started to walk to my car, expecting her to follow me, but before she did, she landed a hard kick to Raymond's ribs. I opened the passenger door for her to get in, then shut the door to go to the driver's side.

"Why did you do that?" I hear her ask before I told her I'll explain everything when we're back at my place.

After arriving, we got out of the car and before I could grab a cigarette to light, I see her walking up with a napkin in hand.

"Wha-" I was about to ask before she started wiping away the blood from my nose, "Why are you doing that?"

"You did something for me, so I thought I would do something for you," the girl responded as she tossed the bloody napkin in a nearby trash can, "I believe you said you'll explain everything when we arrived."

I pulled out a cigarette and lit it before I asked her for her name.

"My name is Y/N, and yours?" She asked back, making me chuckle.

"Arvin Russell, and well, no girl deserves to be treated like that, so I waited for the right time to beat up that dumbass," I said as I walked toward my porch and asked, "Are you sure there's no one to call?"

Y/N shook her head before saying, "My mama died when I was young, and my daddy was nowhere to be found. I've been on my own since I turned 18, but I lived with my aunt most of my life. She lives in the next town over. What made you think you needed to wait for the right time?"

"My daddy, he taught me that before he died," I responded as Y/N looked curious before she asked about how it happened.

"I was young when my mama got diagnosed with cancer. My daddy had it in his mind that God would remove the cancer from her body. So we would go to the praying log to pray, hoping that it would work, but when it didn't, my daddy sacrificed my dog, Jack. He committed suicide the day we buried my mama," I responded as I turned my head away, not wanting to see her reaction.

"Please tell me that dog isn't still hanging on the cross," Y/N said as I shook my head and told her how I went back years later to give him a proper burial that he deserved.

"So, what brought you to this small town of mine?" Y/N asked as I considered my answer before simplifying it to, "I've just finished fighting the war in Vietnam. Amongst other things, but I'm keeping those details to myself."

"I get that. You just met a total stranger after coming to her rescue," Y/N said as I laughed before I thought to ask if Raymond knew where she lived.

"Oh shit, I forgot about that. He's probably waiting at my front door for me to come home," Y/N responded, looking nervous, before I told her she could stay as long as she needed to feel safe, "Wait, you're okay with me staying? Even if you just met me?"

I nodded before saying, "I'm not a bad guy to live with, I can give you space when and if you need it."

"Okay, then I accept your offer, Arvin Russell," Y/N said with a smile as I smiled back at her.

-4 YEARS AGO, WHITEY'S POV-

I was about to sit down to eat dinner when a knock came on the door. I grumbled as I tried to get out of my recliner, complaining that all I needed was peace and quiet. I opened the door to see two police officers standing there, with the lights on the squad cars still on.

"You Whitey Durham?" The officer on the left asked as I nodded my head and confirmed I was, "Your son, Dale, was in a car accident. I'm sorry to inform you, sir, that he didn't make it to the hospital."

Hearing those words, ripped a chunk of my heart out. "No, no, not my boy." I kept thinking over and over again, trying to stay upright.

"Thank you for coming all this way to tell me," I said to the officers as they nodded in understanding of my reaction to the shocking news I've been given, "H-have you informed his ex-wife? What about my granddaughter, was she with him?"

"Someone is going over there right now to tell her," The officer on the right responds, he then tells me, "As for your granddaughter, we have her in the back of the squad car. She wasn't in the accident with your son."

I sighed in relief as I looked past the cops' shoulders to see her just sitting there, looking devastated, and I couldn't blame her, she just lost her dad. I asked, "Is there any way you can allow her to stay with me? I mean, her mom lives pretty far from-"

"Oh, Mr. Durham, she isn't going to her mom. Social Services came by the hospital and explained to her that she was to live with you if something were to happen," the officer says as I see his partner go down the steps of my porch and get her out of the car.

"Why don't you go on in? I'll finish this up as quickly as I can," I told my granddaughter as she passed by me to enter the house.

After a few more minutes, the police left and I shut the door behind me to see Charlotte sitting on the couch, as quiet as she could be. She turned to look at me after hearing the door shut and whispered, "What am I going to do without my dad? I'm only 13."

"Oh, sweetheart," I said as I took a seat right next to her and pulled her into a hug, "I know this is going to be hard, but we'll get through this. That's what us Durhams do."

"I'm glad he and Grandma Camila are reunited at least," I hear Charlotte whisper as I tell her that was a good way of thinking.

I will do everything in my heart to keep her safe and protect her as best I can from harm's way.

-PRESENT, Charlotte's POV-

"Come on! Let's Go!" I hear Grandpa shout at the boys as I try to study on the bleachers, "Focus on practicing the plays, not showing off!"

I chuckle to myself and roll my eyes as I witness Tree Hill's star player, Nathan Scott, doing the exact opposite of what he was "asked" of. My phone buzzed beside me and I picked it up to see a text from Haley.

Haley: "Hey, wanna study at Karen's cafe?"

I text back, "Have to ask Grandpa first, but that would be greatly appreciated!"

After I put my phone back down, I glanced back at the court to see Nathan looking in my direction and proceeded to wink at me. I looked around to see if Peyton was sitting nearby, but couldn't see her anywhere.

"Nathan, you got something in your eye son? If not, stop blinking!" Grandpa yelled as the other boys laughed and I shook my head.

I packed up my stuff and headed down the bleachers toward Grandpa to ask him, "Hey, Haley texted me asking if I wanted to study over at the cafe. Can I go?"

"Sure, go ahead," Grandpa said as he glanced his attention to me for a split second, "Stay safe and remember to keep your phone."

"Yes sir," I respond as I walk toward the exit, but not before turning my head to yell over my shoulder, "See you guys at the game!" prompting the guys to hoot and cheer, much to Grandpa's annoyance.

After I arrived at the cafe, I sent a quick text before opening the door to see Haley helping Karen out behind the counter.

"Oh hey sweetie," Karen says as she spots me walking in and putting my schoolbag on the counter, "Your grandpa's yelling was too much for you?"

I laugh at her little joke and respond, "I wish I could say I'm not used to it, but I'm used to it. He's stressed about the big game and Nathan was busy showboating. Speaking of Nathan, he did something strange."

"What did he do?" Haley asked as I pulled out my notes and textbooks, "Did he flirt with you?"

"Okay, one, you know my grandpa's rule about me fraternizing with his "boys" so flirting is out of the question as well as dating. Two, no, he winked in my direction, but Peyton wasn't on the bleachers or there."

"Hold on, you say he winked in your direction, but Peyton wasn't around?" Haley asked as I nodded my head, "Charlotte, he was winking at you."

"No, he wasn't," I respond skeptically as I look over at Karen, who has the "Yeah, he definitely winked at you" expression on her face, "There's absolutely no reason that Nathan Royal Scott, who is taken mind you, would want to wink at me."

"Why not? You're intelligent, funny, and such a beautiful girl," Karen says as Haley voices that she agrees with that.

"Nathan lives up to his father, which means, he is not going to go for the smart and nerdy girl, he's going for the pretty cheerleader," I respond before mentioning, "No offense to Peyton, she definitely rocks it."

"Well, believe me when I say this, something is going off in that boy's brain when you're around," Haley says as she grabs a biscotti from the jar.

"Who are you guys talking about?" Lucas asks from behind, making me jump a little, "Oh, sorry, thought you heard the door open."

"It's fine, we're good," I said as I turned my body in his direction, "Also, none of your business who we were talking about because it's nothing of importance."

"Nathan winked at her and she thought Peyton was nearby," Haley responded as I shushed her from going further than that information.

"Well, they're always breaking up and getting back together, so I didn't know," I said as Lucas nodded his head in understanding of my theory before mentioning, "He and Peyton have broken up for good."

"There, now you have a shot at becoming the star player's girlfriend," Haley says as I roll my eyes and remind her that I'm also the Coach's granddaughter, so there's a little to no possibility of that happening, "You never know, maybe Whitey will go soft at the fact you're finding love."

Despite doubt running through a loop in my mind, maybe Haley's right about this. Grandpa is always telling stories about how he and Grandma were soulmates in love, he would want me to have a similar experience.

-BASKETBALL GAME-

"Hey Charlotte, if we win this game, how about we grab some dinner together?" I hear Tim shout at me, making me roll my eyes and yell back, "In your dreams! Now focus before he chews off your head or worse, benches you for the rest of the game."

I could've sworn I saw a little smile on Grandpa's face when he heard me rejecting Tim's offer. After my dad's passing 4 years ago, it was in writing that Grandpa was to get full custody of me since my mother wasn't acting like an actual mother and being reckless with everything regarding money, drugs, and especially men. It was honestly the best decision my father made because he didn't want me to be exposed to the fact my mom put those first instead of my health and well-being. I understand why the "Stay Away From The Coach's Granddaughter" rule is in place, but doesn't help when most of the boys are actually really nice.

"Hey Charlotte!" I heard someone shout and I looked to see who it was, "Down here!

I turned my head in the direction of the voice to see it was Martin McFadden, or what he likes to be called, Mouth.

"What Mouth?" I asked as I walked down the bleachers to his spot, "Did you need extra help with something?"

"No, it's not that, here," Mouth says handing me a folded-up piece of paper, and before I can ask, he mentions, "If your grandpa asks, just say it's my number so we can keep in touch in case we're working on something."

"Got it," I respond as I put the paper in my pocket and head back to my spot on the bleachers, with part of me itching to want to read the note now.

-AFTER BASKETBALL GAME-

As always, the Ravens kicked ass and my grandpa gained another win to his record. Grandpa and I were on our way home when he asked, "What was that kid giving you? The one with the big lips."

I laughed a little before saying, "His name is Martin, but he goes by Mouth as a nickname. He just wanted to give me his number for his phone in case we're to be working together on a project."

"You sure it isn't a love note? It was folded up pretty good," Grandpa responded as a little joke, prompting me to shake my head.

"No, just a friendly communication between the sportscaster and the granddaughter of the coach," I say as Grandpa parked the car in front of the house.

After dinner had been eaten and dishes cleaned, Grandpa went into the den to watch TV in his favorite recliner as I went into my room. I pulled the paper from my pocket and unfolded it to see a very recognizable handwriting, Nathan.

"Hey, I know this is not ideal, but you know, your grandpa has that rule of his set in stone and I don't want to be benched for the rest of the season. Here's my number xxx-xxx-xxxx, in case you want to talk or text."

I chuckle at how bold this boy is, using his friend to give me this note and bypassing my grandpa's rule. I pull out my phone and text the number, "If this is a prank, I very much don't appreciate that."

Nathan: As fun as that sounds, it's not. Guess you got my note ;)

Me: You know very well I did, it happened right in front of you, and you also had Mouth help you. Good game today.

Nathan: Thanks, that wink was towards you by the way.

I looked at my phone screen in confusion before texting back, "I know, you texted it to me just now."

Nathan: No, I mean earlier. You were looking around like it was meant for someone else.

Me: Can we switch over to a phone call?

Nathan: Wouldn't Whitey overhear you?

I closed my phone and put it in my pocket as I left my room to head towards the den.

"Hey, is it alright if I go for a night bike ride? I won't be gone long," I said as Grandpa nodded his head, "I have my phone on me."

"Stay safe, love you," Grandpa shouts as I yell, "Love you too."

After I shut the door behind me, I started biking down the road that goes toward the River Court. I pulled my phone out and called Nathan as I leaned my bike against the bleachers. He answered on the first ring and said, "So what excuse did you give?"

"Har har, very funny, I gave him an honest one. He's used to me doing rides at night, as long as I'm not out too late," I respond as I hear Nathan laugh, "What? I'm serious, I've never broken any of his ground rules, as of now."

"What a way to break the old man's heart, betrayal," Nathan said as I rolled my eyes and rebutted, "At least I'm always on his good side."

"Touche, question, why were you looking around when I winked at you?" Nathan asked as I ran my hand over my face and groaned.

"It's embarrassing," I respond as Nathan hits me with a "Try me."

After I took a breath, I said, "I thought Peyton was around, so when you winked at me, I looked to see if it was for her since she's usually your girlfriend."

Nathan laughs a little before saying, "We do break up a lot, don't we? Yeah, we're done for this time. Don't worry, that's not something to be embarrassed about."

"Jeez thanks, Scott," I respond jokingly before pulling my phone away from my ear to see the time, only have 15 more minutes before I have to start biking home.

"How much longer do we have on this call?" Nathan asked and before I could ask how he knew, he said, "I heard you pull the phone away."

"We have 15 more minutes before I have to bike home," I respond before I hear his voice change when he asks, "I'm sorry? Did you say bike?"

"Yeah, I thought I mentioned that," I said before clarifying, "I don't have a car yet and I think we both know how my grandpa feels about your dad, so there's no way my car is coming from him."

"Yeah, probably best if you don't," Nathan agrees as I add in, "Sorry, know he's your dad and all, but he can sometimes be an ass."

"Oh no, feel free, I feel the same way," Nathan responds as I start to feel bad about the way how unhappy he is talking about Dan.

To change the topic, I asked, "So, what's the real reason you wanted to talk to me?"

"Just to get to know you, the real you. You know, finally know your personality, not just the fact you happen to be related to my basketball coach," Nathan responds as I feel the inside of my body warm up and blush.

"Didn't know Showboater Scott actually had a heart," I say sarcastically as Nathan laughs and mentions, "Just takes the right person to make it skip a beat."

"I really should get back before Grandpa sends a search party, I'll see you tomorrow," I respond as Nathan agrees and tells me goodnight.

After I told him goodnight back, I closed my phone and started biking back up the road. I entered the house to look into the den to see Grandpa snoring and see the TV was playing a video of an old Ravens game. I grabbed a blanket to cover him up and I kissed him on the forehead to whisper, "Goodnight, Grandpa."

My phone buzzed to signal a text came through as I entered my bedroom, I pulled it out to see Nathan texted me.

"Had to tell you goodnight again, hope your dreams are sweet and have me in them ;)"

I laughed before putting my phone on charge and getting dressed for bed. Maybe tomorrow will bring something more into my life.

-TOMORROW-

"Have a good day today, I'll see you later," Grandpa says as we both exit the car and head toward the school.

After I told Grandpa to have the same, I headed toward my locker to see Tim leaning against it. I thought to myself, "Great, another day to reject his advances, again."

"What do you want Tim?" I asked as I stopped in front of him and shoved his shoulder to get him to move, "And get off my locker."

"Just thought I'd try to serenade you to go out with me, no one can resist my charm," Tim says smugly like he thinks he'll be successful in his attempt today.

Before I can say something, I hear someone say, "Tim, she's never going out with you, so stop. Besides, Turner's looking for you, it looks like you're in trouble as always."

"Aww man, I gotta hide," Tim nervously says as he bolts down the hall and keeps looking in all directions to try to avoid our principal.

I turned around to see Nathan standing there with a smile on his face.

"Clever, is Turner really looking for him?" I asked as Nathan shook his head and said, "Nope, thought I'd save a damsel in distress."

I open my locker to get my textbooks before saying, "I could have handled it myself, but thank you. I swear he just never gives up."

"Yeah, that's Tim for you," Nathan responds as I laugh, "Did you make it home in time? You didn't respond to my text."

"I did, thanks for being concerned. I did get your text, was nice," I said as he plastered an "I take offense to that" expression as a joke and whispered, "How dare you? I worked on that text for hours."

"Fine, it was funny, better?" I respond as Nathan nods and looks around for who I assume is my grandfather to make sure he isn't nearby before he leans in, "I really enjoyed our phone call, we should do it again."

The school bell rings and everyone starts rushing the hallways, causing my attention to be distracted and when I looked back, he was gone. So I pulled my phone out to text him, "We should."

I entered class to take my seat and the teacher started teaching his material when I saw a folded piece of paper get thrown on my desk. I looked towards the person who put it there and they shrugged their shoulder, meaning they were only told to give it to me. I started to unfold the paper when the teacher called my name.

"Yes sir?" I asked as he glanced toward the paper in my hand and asked what I had in my hand, "I'm not sure, I was given this just now."

I handed it to him after he asked for it, knowing he believed me since he knew I was not the type of student to break school rules, opening it to see what it said, before folding it back up.

"Sir, isn't it your rule to read notes aloud?" I hear a student asks before the teacher responds, "Yes, but in this case, I'm not going to."

"Not fair to the other times you did it," Another student says before the teacher looks at me with a somber expression and apologizes before he unfolds the paper to read what it said.

"Charlotte, you should wipe your existence off Planet Earth because of how ugly you are, no wonder your daddy is dead and your mommy didn't care to want you."

My stomach dropped and my veins turned cold hearing those words,

"I-I-" I tried to say but sentences weren't forming in my brain nor connecting with my mouth, "I can't."

I suddenly grabbed my bag and ran out of the classroom with tears streaming down my face. I didn't even know I was going outside the school until I was actually outside, standing on the sidewalk.

"I can't stay here, I don't want anyone to see me like this, especially Grandpa," I kept thinking over and over in my head.

I walked back into the school and towards Turner's office, who was surprised to see me.

"Charlotte, how can I-. Is everything alright?" He asked as I shook my head and told him, "I'm feeling sick and can't stay for the rest of the day. Do you mind telling my grandpa I went home?"

"Of course, hope you feel better soon," Turner says after I thanked him and left the office towards the parking lot to grab my bike.

After I biked home, I got in the house and that's when I finally decided to let out a scream and started sobbing, where no one could hear or see me this way. I've been bullied like this a lot by Rachel, and no one knows about it, not even Grandpa. I don't know why she's doing it, she's only been in Tree Hill for a few months. "I wish she would just stop."

I went into my bedroom and practically slammed my whole body onto the bed to grab a pillow to hold. I must've fallen asleep for a few hours because my phone buzzed with a text and I looked at the screen name to see it was Nathan.

"Hey, where were you? All the guys asked Whitey and he said you'd gone home sick."

Me: I did. A bug must be going around and I caught it.

Nathan: You looked fine this morning so I know that's a lie. What's going on?

Me: Nothing, I'm fine. Aren't you supposed to be practicing?

Nathan: Practice is over, didn't you see the time?

I looked at the time to see it was 5:30, which meant Grandpa would be home in an hour or so from mingling with his friends.

Me: Didn't realize, oops. Sorry, I had to miss seeing Grandpa yell at you guys.

Nathan: I need to hear your voice, phone call?

I sighed and tried to make my voice sound like I hadn't been crying before pressing the call button.

"Hey, how did practice go?" I say with a hint of crackling in my voice, which I silently curse that I let it slip

"About how it is sometimes, are you really okay?" Nathan asked with concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I might've just caught what's been going around. I'll be fine," I said as I heard a car door shut nearby, "Shoot, Grandpa's home early, I'll talk to you later."

After Nathan and I said our goodbyes, I made it look like I'd been sleeping since I got home. The door creaks open as Grandpa's footsteps enter my room and they stop as he sees my appearance. I hear him set down something on my desk and walk over to kiss my forehead to whisper, "Hope you feel better sweetheart, whether the bully is getting to you or you're actually sick."

I open my eyes to see a soup container and by the smell, it's from Karen's cafe, which means it's bound to be delicious. First, I need to talk to Grandpa, so I exit my bedroom to enter the den.

"Listen, I'm really sorry-" I started to say before Grandpa stopped me and said, "I know, your teacher got worried so he came to see me and showed me the nasty note. Then Turner came and told me you left because you weren't feeling good."

"Does that mean I'm barred from going to the next game?" I asked as Grandpa shook his head and told me the skipping class rule doesn't apply to me, "I promise, it's a one-time thing."

"Oh really? So, you're not going to skip class even if Nathan asks you to?" Grandpa asked, making my eyes widen in shock, and before I could ask, he said, "I see the way he looks at you, and I admit, maybe my rule is a little harsh."

"It's not, I understand why," I responded as I mentioned, "He doesn't know about the note or the bullying. This is all recent."

"Well, you outta tell him, he was worried about you when he didn't see you in the bleachers," Grandpa said as I sighed and responded, "I know, I just- I don't know why I'm allowing their words to hurt me."

"Those words hurt me too, seeing those awful things said to part of my whole world, hit me in the core," Grandpa said as I went to sit on the sofa, "You know your daddy loved you so much, loved you to the point he thought of the world of you and ensured you'd be with me as well as protected."

"I know, and I appreciate him for that. The mom part though, struck a chord since it's true, she loves those things more than me," I mention as Grandpa shakes his head yes, "At least I have the best parental figure take her place, because it makes me miss her less."

"Now you're just pulling my leg," Grandpa says to try to make me laugh. I shout, "I'm not! I'm serious."

"I know, just wanted to see that smile of yours, which I hope you've been showing Nathan," Grandpa responds as I blush and say, "We just started recently talking on the phone, but you can say he has since I have a tiny crush on him."

"As much as I don't like the fact he broke my rule, I'm glad," Grandpa said as he smiled and mentioned, "He'll be excited to see you back in the bleachers."

-BASKETBALL GAME-

I sighed, trying to keep the butterflies at bay, before pushing open the door to the gym to enter the basketball game. I looked up at the scoreboard to see the Ravens are winning by 5, hopefully making Grandpa pleased.

"Hey Charlotte, glad to see you're feeling better," I hear Peyton say to me as I walk near the cheerleaders, causing me to turn my head and respond, "Thanks, Peyton."

Before I even passed by the cheerleaders fully, I heard from behind me, "You look like you need a good purging, why don't you go into the bathroom real quick?". Rachel, she's on the squad?? I decided to ignore her and keep walking, but she apparently didn't like that because the next thing that came out of her mouth was, "Hey fatty, did you hear what I said to you?"

"Rachel, stop," Brooke said, genuinely worried, "Don't you realize who you're speaking like that to?"

"Oh I don't care that her grandpa is some big-shot coach, doesn't excuse the fact she looks like that. Probably why her parents didn't want to be near her," Rachel responds with a smug look on her face.

Before I could turn around and call her out on her disgusting behavior, I heard Nathan shout, "That is enough!" causing the whole gymnasium to be quiet.

"Oh come on, you know it's true," Rachel says as if she believes Nathan is on her side and will get the others to join in.

"No, it is not. And you have no right to speak to her like that," Nathan responds as he inches forward, "Ever since you came to Tree Hill, you've been acting like a real bitch to Charlotte, who has never done anything to you. Despite what you've done to her, she remained silent because she knew what it would mean if she spoke up."

"It's not like I'm going to get in trouble for this," Rachel says as Turner speaks up, "Rachel, we know it was you who wrote that note to Charlotte, we'll be discussing your punishment."

When Rachel turns to look at me, she had pissed written all over her face. "You are so fake! People need to know the truth about the real you." Rachel shouts, looking desperate for attention to be on her.

"She's not fake," Nathan says as he moves to be closer to me, "She has a heart of gold, she's kind to everyone around her, she's so smart, she's funny when she thinks she isn't, and doesn't pay any notice if someone is admiring her from afar."

"Nathan, I-" I started to say, fear of my grandpa's rule creeping in when he said, "He gave me permission, it's okay." He took my hand in his and squeezed it in comfort before whispering, "Now, you have another person in your life to love."

I looked up into his eyes to see sincerity swimming in them before I pressed my lips against his and kissed him. I felt him wrapping his arms around my midsection and picking me up, causing everyone to cheer and hoot. Meanwhile, Rachel stormed off with a fuss, but no one was paying attention to her. I pull away before whispering against his lips, "Now go kick some ass, boyfriend."

"Not a problem, girlfriend," Nathan said as he put me down and I smiled as I watched him run back onto the court.

I looked over to see my grandpa smiling back at me and I gave him the thumbs up before going to my seat next to Haley.

-WHITEY'S THOUGHT-

"Yes, I've arrived safely and am already on my way to you," I say into the receiver of my cellphone as I pack up my bags into the car my nana and pops left for me to drive from the airport, "Can't wait to finally be back home."

"And see your friends? As well as a certain Stilinski?" My nana ask teasingly over the phone, making me roll my eyes.

"Yes, I'm excited to see Sheriff Stilinski again," I rebut back jokingly as Nana replies, "You know that was not the one I was referring to."

"Yes, I know, I gotta go," I say as I put the last of my bags in the trunk and shut it, "Key in the same place?"

"You know us so well, love you, can't wait to see you," Nana responds as I tell her I loved her too and hung up the phone.

I entered the car, but before I started it, I leaned my head back and sighed. I wonder how things went on since I've been gone, especially all my friends and yes, even the guy my nana had to remind me that I've had a crush on since I was younger. After a few minutes, I reached over to the glove compartment to take out the key and was on my way back to Beacon Hills, where I'll be staying for a while.

-Beacon Hills-

I arrived at my grandparents' house to see Pops already waiting for me on the front porch, with a huge smile on his face seeing me.

"Hey sweet girl," Pops says as I rush over to him and enter his embrace, to which he turned into a bear hug, "How was the flight?"

"Bumpy at times, but that's what happens when you are that high in the air," I reply as I exit his hug to look over at the neighbor's house, which is missing a police cruiser and a blue Jeep in the driveway.

"He's at school right now, but don't you worry, you'll see him when you go. It's all been sorted out," Pops says with a smirk on his face, making me mentally slap my forehead.

This is what I get for telling my grandparents about my little crush.

"Not why I was looking, but anyways, I'm guessing Sheriff Stilinski sold Roscoe?" I ask as Pops and I walk over to my car to unload the trunk.

"No, actually, Stiles is driving it, so she's getting some use in," Pops respond as I turn my head quickly to express my shock.

"Stiles, we're still talking about Mieczyslaw Stilinski here?" I asked as Pops laughs and says, "Yes, we're still talking about him. He's grown up quite a bit since you last saw him."

After Pops and I finished unloading, we then went into the house to put the luggage into my room, which hasn't changed a bit. As I'm unpacking and putting things away, I look up to the top of the dresser to see a framed picture of me, Stiles, and Scott when we were kids.

"They still hang out together you know? Except they get themselves into things they shouldn't now," Pops mentions from behind me, making me laugh and respond, "Wouldn't surprise me."

I can't wait to see those crazy boys at school soon.

"Y/N? Wallen?" I hear Nana call out from the entrance, "I'm home!"

-High School-

I pull into an empty parking space and looked all around the school. So many unfamiliar and familiar faces, which reminds me that I qualify in the unfamiliar category. I exit the car and pull my bag out from the back seat to prepare to walk to the front office to grab my locker number as well as my class schedule.

"Wait who is she?" "Do you see what she's wearing?" "Is she new or has she always been going here?" I hear people whisper as I make my way through the crowds, trying to block them out as best I can if the whispers aren't out of curiosity.

After I arrived at the front office, I tell the receptionist my name and watch as she ruffles through the paperwork to find what I need. She hands them to me after what felt like five minutes and then asked, "Would you like help finding your classes? I can call up someone to do so."

"No I think I got it from here, but thank you," I respond as I give the receptionist a smile and wished her a good day before leaving to enter back into the hallways.

I looked at my class schedule to see I have Economics & Intro to Business with Mr. Finstock, aka the coach of the Lacrosse team. At least that's easy to find, the man never likes to be far away from his office. I walked in the direction of the locker rooms and as I got closer, I could see two familiar faces through the window of the door.

They look..really grown up. He looks so different. Wow

I could see Coach talking so I knocked on the door to grab his attention, hoping he won't be too mad about the interruption. Coach turns to look and walks over to open the door to ask, "Hi, yes, what do you want?"

"New student, sorry," I respond as Coach slaps a hand on his forehead before saying, "Right, of course, they told me that. Come in and don't worry, you don't have to introduce yourself to the whole class." as he steps aside to let me in. I looked around the room for an empty seat, which of course was in the middle of a row two spaces from the row Scott and Stiles were in, and took it.

As the class went on, I could hear whispering but couldn't place who was doing it since I'd rather pay attention to my studies than what rumors were about to sprout about me throughout the school. The bell rang and I was almost out the door when I felt a hand go on my shoulder, prompting me to turn around to see the two guys I'd been longing to see since my return to town.

"Sorry, but you look really familiar," Scott says as he and Stiles are looking like they're still trying to figure out who I am.

Wanting to mess with them a little, I reply, "Oh interesting, sorry, I really need to get to my next class" and left, leaving them baffled with confusion.

I grabbed my lunch and was looking for somewhere to sit when I spotted another familiar face, one I wasn't excited to see, Jackson Whittemore. He was such a jackass to me when we were younger and probably still is, but Stiles and Scott are sitting with him alongside two girls, with an empty seat next to Stiles. I walk over to hear Stiles say to Scott, "Dude I'm telling you, she looks so familiar, I just can't put my finger on it."

"Hello," I respond from behind him, scaring him in the process, "Is the seat beside you taken?"

"U-uh no, it isn't," Stiles stutters out as I sit beside him and start eating, while Jackson looks at him perplexed.

"Wow Stilinski, the new girl already got you stuttering. You haven't done that in a long time," Jackson says with a smirk on his face as the strawberry blonde girl seated beside him tells him to stop.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I'm curious as to what he was talking about and Scott immediately says, "Nothing of concern, he just hasn't done it since the girl he liked moved away."

"If you don't mind telling me, what was she like?" I respond as Stiles shook his head and reply, "I don't feel comfortable airing it out."

"That's okay, was just wondering," I respond as I went back to eating lunch, but not before seeing the strawberry blonde staring at me intensely.

After the lunch bell rang, I was standing at my locker switching notebooks and textbooks when I see someone lean across the opposite locker with their arms crossed.

"You know who he was talking about," I hear Lydia say as I looked at her in confusion and mention, "Many come and go in Beacon Hills, I'm not the only one."

"Oh come on, even I was aware at that time he was in love with you," Lydia responds as I shook my head and shut my locker, "Y/N, he was heartbroken when you moved away. He wouldn't stop looking sad."

I sighed before I looked at Lydia and said, "I was just another one of his best friends, he wasn't in love with me. Not in the way I was with him" whispering the last part before walking away to my next class.

After the final bell rang, I headed out to the parking lot, rushing since it was pouring, and slammed my door shut behind me after I jumped in the car. I rested my head on the headrest to catch my breath and looked forward to spotting Lydia talking to Stiles, protected from the pouring rain.

He looks happy to be talking to her..good for him, he's liked her for a long time. Too bad he's never and will never look at me like that.

I sighed before putting the key in the ignition and reversing out of the spot when I could feel my eyes brimming with tears, damn it.

I was quick to get back home and rush inside before anyone, including Nana and Pops, could see me cry about the impossible. I put my bag into the desk chair before I lay on the bed and grabbed a pillow to hold close to me. It felt like hours went by watching the raindrops fall down my window when I heard a knock on the front door.

"Nana and Pops were good about remembering their keys so it couldn't be them," I silently remembered as I headed down the stairs to look through the peephole, seeing someone I didn't expect to see and opened the door to a dripping wet from head to toe Stiles Stilinski.

"Hey," Stiles says, breaking the silent tension between us as we're just standing there staring at each other, I reply, "Hi."

"Do you want to," I started to ask when Stiles interrupts me with, "Why didn't you tell me and Scott who you were when we asked?"

"I-I don't have an exact answer besides I was scared," I answered as Stiles looked at me confused and asked, "Scared of what?"

"Stiles, I can't do this right now. I've got homework and chores to help out with, so I'll talk to you later," I say as I turn to enter back into the house before I feel a hand reach out to me, holding me in place.

"Y/N," Stiles whisper as he pulls me toward him and asks again, "What are you scared of? You know you can tell me."

I sighed and closed my eyes before answering, "Scared that you hated me for something I couldn't control, scared you wouldn't like who I've become, and scared of finding out that you don't harbor the same feelings I do."

After a few moments of silence, I feared my worst fear was coming true until I hear him start to laugh, the most beautiful laugh I've ever heard, causing me to open my eyes to see him doubled over.

"What's so funny?" I asked, confused before he placed his cold hands on my face so I could stare into his dark brown eyes as he spoke.

"Do you realize how much you mean to me? Yes, you were my best friend and it may have seemed like that was all that was going to happen between us, but you were also my first crush and I wanted you to be more than that. After you left, I didn't look at any other girls the way I looked at you, not even Lydia, because you were the only one who could make me feel the way I felt being around you," Stiles whispers as I softly smile and blush before he continued with, "You are my first love, Y/N M/N L/N, and if you'll have me, I would like to be the only guy you've ever loved besides your dad and grandpa."

Before I could give my answer to Stiles, I laughed while shivering out, "Your hands are very cold, Stilinski."

"Oh really? And what are you going to do about it?" Stiles asks before I started to shove him back out into the pouring rain, which in turn made him grab my hand and pull me out with him, making us laugh.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Eddie!" Dustin shouts as all of us rush over to try to stop Eddie before he jams the broken shard into Steve's neck, "Eddie! Stop!"

After Dustin calls out his name a few times, he finally turned his head toward us, with fear still evident in his eyes and face. I couldn't help but feel my heart break seeing my twin like this, especially since he's never in the entire time we've been in existence shown me he was scared.

"It's me, it's Dustin," Dustin said softly, trying to keep Eddie calm, "That's Steve, you know him, Y/N's boyfriend. He's not going to hurt you."

I slowly walked up so that I was closer by a few inches and reached out to put my hand on Eddie's arm before whispering, "Eddie, it's okay." I pull his arm back so the glass isn't so close to Steve's neck anymore.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie asked, allowing the opportunity for Dustin to answer, "We're looking for you."

"We were worried about you," I said as Robin insert herself into the conversation by assuring Eddie we were here to help.

As Dustin introduces Eddie to the others and helped him fully calm down, I lessen the grip and backed away to allow space for Eddie to walk away from Steve before I rush to wrap my arms around his neck as he fell back to a sitting position on something behind him.

"Are you okay?" I whispered into his ear as Steve let out a sigh of relief and murmured in my ear, "Yea, I'm good. God, he can be intense."

"He's just scared, he's usually not like that," I respond as I pulled out of the embrace and focused my attention back on Eddie, who is currently staring into space sitting with his back to the wall while Dustin's now the one creeping up to him. I glance back at Steve to see him move his head towards Eddie to telepathically say, "Go to him.", prompting me to walk over to be beside him.

"We just want to talk," Dustin whispered as he reaches out, causing Eddie to flinch, which was so out of character for him.

As the others started to inch in slowly, I watch Robin kneel down to assure Eddie that we just wanted to know what had happened.

"You won't believe me," Eddie mutters as he sniffs, evident he's been crying before we had gotten to where we are, which broke my heart.

"Try us," Max said as Eddie looks over at me with a look that asks, "Really?" I shrug my shoulders to whisper, "I really think you should. I think it might help in this case."

Eddie sighed and shook his head before he started to tell us what had gone on last night between him and Chrissy.

"I gave Chrissy a ride back to the trailer since she wanted to score some deal and she asked me to get the stronger stuff, so I did, searched the nooks and crannies they could've been in. After I found it, I walked into the room to see her just standing there, her eyes were rolled in the back of her head. I tried to wake her up in case she had been sleeping, but then the lights started to go on the fritz. Her body just, like, lifted into the air and, uh...and she just, like, hung there. And her bones...she," Eddie responded before letting out a whimper, "Her bones started to snap. Her eyes. It...It was like there was something, like inside her head, pulling. I- I didn't know what to do, so I- I ran away. I left her there."

All of us were stunned into shock and silence at the horrific scene Eddie has described to us, far worse than what the police could try to connect the pieces to or a story a starving filmmaker could conjure up.

Eddie scoffs in disbelief and mutters, "You all think I'm crazy, right?" I squeezed his arm before I voice my disagreement, "No we don't, we believe you, Eddie. Every word of it."

"Don't bullshit me, sis! I know how this sounds," Eddie shouts, making me flinch back from the sudden volume of his tone, causing Steve to look angry at the site of the love of his life and the expecting mother of his child being scared by someone dear and close to her.

"Hey, don't shout at her. She's-" Steve started to rebut as he stops himself short before accidentally spilling the secret.

"She's what?" Eddie asked, confused about why Steve didn't finish the sentence before Max distracts him by saying, "We're not bullshitting you."

"We believe you," Robin inputs, also in on the plan of distraction while Steve thinks of an excuse to be believable in Eddie's eyes.

"I was going to say, she's your twin sister. She's someone who would believe and be with you every step of the way whenever you need her, you shouldn't yell or else you'll end up hurting her. I know you never want to do that to her," Steve responds as Eddie shook his head slightly before whispering to me, "He's right, I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"It's okay Eds," I whispered back before I give him a hug, "I still love you."

"Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little...difficult to take," Dustin says as Eddie nods before affirming with an "Okay."

"You know how people say Hawkins is...cursed? They're not way off. There's another world, a world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours," Dustin educates, making Eddie question ghosts and shit. Max inserts into the lesson, "There are some things worse than ghosts."

"These monsters from this other world...we thought they were gone," Dustin says before I mention, "But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you."

"If they're back again, we need to know," Max mutters before Robin asks, "That night, did you see anything?"

Eddie shook his head at each suggestion as to what possibly could've been able to do those things to Chrissy before he stops them with, "No, man, there was nothing you could see or, uh...or touch."

"It was like she...she was in a trance or something. She couldn't move," Eddie mentions before Dustin adds in, "Or under a spell."

After they both looked at each other in realization, Dustin said something about "Vecna's Curse."

"Who's Vecna?" Steve asked from behind the kids before Dustin answered in a worried tone, "An undead creature of great power."

Robin looks down at her watch to say, "Hey, it's getting really late for some of us, we should go before our parents worry about where we are."

"I agree," I respond before I turned back to Eddie and told him that we'll all be back in the afternoon, as well as telling him to stay put.

After we all left the boat shed and arrived at each house to drop off someone, Steve and I pull up to his house before I started to cry.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Steve asked worriedly as he reaches over to pull me into him to hold me in his arms while shushing me.

"I have never seen him like before, Steve, and it worries me," I muttered before I reach a hand up to wipe my tears, "I'm worried about what the town would do to him if they knew where he was, I'm worried for his mental health after what he had witnessed, I'm especially worried about what's to come for our unborn child when we bring them into this world, and...I'm worried for what or who this Vecna could unleash."

I then feel Steve's hand go under my chin, guiding me to be looking up at him before he lets out a sigh he's been holding in.

"I'm worried too, hell, I'm terrified, and I shouldn't be. I fought off a Demogorgon, the Mind Flayer, Billy, and so many of those other monsters that have ever existed in the Down Under. This is something entirely different than them, this is something we cannot hear, see, or touch. Yes, while I'm scared, I know that we're better than our fears and can overcome them just enough to take this creature down, just like we did with the others," Steve says as he kisses me on the forehead, "We can get through what gets thrown our way, and we can certainly try our best to help clear your brother's name. Because he doesn't deserve to still be in hiding when we decide to solidify our future by marriage and when this little one makes their appearance, hopefully, we'll be out of Hawkins by then."

"How did I get lucky to be with a guy like you? You always know what to say," I respond as Steve laughs and whispered, "Hey, I wasn't smart enough to get into college, but I definitely am smart enough to know you're the only one for me and how to survive in this world."

"Grace," I hear come through the receiver, making my heart drop to my feet in an instant, it was Janis, who is married to my husband's RIO and best friend.

"It's okay, it's going to be okay, maybe she's calling with the news our boys were on their way back home unscathed and will be back in our arms soon," I thought to myself before I cleared my throat to respond, "Hey, Janis. What'd I owe for you to give me a call? Are they on their way home from the ship?"

"Yes...but," Janis started to say before I hear her try to take a deep breath, indicating she's been crying, "Something happened, they said there were some casualties, I don't know any more than that. Just that the ones who made it are coming home and nobody can get into contact to find out the names. I wanted to call you before I came to get you."

Hearing that there was a chance my husband's name was among the list of casualties made my lungs feel like something is wrapped around them and constricting them until there comes a point no air is possible. I tried to get a deep breath in but to no avail, each one comes out shaky and unsteady. This day could possibly become one of the worst days of my life.

"O-Okay, see you when you get here," I choked out before I hung up the phone and started pacing the living room, practically burning a hole in the floor. After what felt like an eternity in this zone where time doesn't pass, which was really 30 minutes, a knock came on the door and I opened it to see Janis, with puffy eyes and tear streaks along her cheeks. I followed behind her to get into the passenger seat and after the seatbelts were on, Janis sped off to get to the base as fast as possible, making me brace myself for the speed climbing up steadily on the speedometer.

"Please let him be okay, God, please bring him home safe," I prayed into my folded hands as I listen to Janis whisper a mantra to keep herself calm before I hear her voice her frustration, "Why couldn't they just tell us our husbands were okay? Why did they didn't give me any more information?!"

"It's all, unfortunately, part of the profession as a navy wife, they give little to no details about the mission, the same goes for the results," I mention as Janis grunts out in annoyance as I softly laugh and say, "I've been in your shoes before, remember?"

"Just answer me this, does it get easier?" Janis asked as I shook my head and respond, "It doesn't, but you get used to the waiting, disappointment, and frustration after a while has passed by."

"I can't believe Ron may be dead before we could celebrate our first wedding anniversary," Janis mutters under her breath before I sighed and leaned my head on my hand as I looked outside the car window.

"Hopefully we'll find out soon," I whispered as I feel a tear start falling down my cheek before I mumble, "He can't be gone, he just can't."

After Janis parked the car, the both of us got out of the car and rushed to the waiting area of the base, awaiting what we would come to find. I looked around to try to recognize another face in this room when I hear someone call my name and turned to see it was Merlin's girlfriend, Kimberly, who I also became close with throughout the years.

"Kim," I said as I walked over to her and embraced her before shuddering out a breath and asking, "Any news?"

"N-no, nothing. It's scaring me, how many of us there actually are, awaiting to know if we need to plan a funeral or not," Kimberly whispered as I nodded my head and looked around the room, so many tear-streaked faces and fear-stricken ones.

"I'll go grab us some coffees," Janis offered as she walks away to grab two cups while Kimberly and I took our seats, saving one for her when she gets back. While I anxiously tapped my foot, Kimberly then leans in and whispered, "How have you been doing?"

"I'm currently a nervous wreck, so not great," I murmured as she shook her head and said, "That's not what I meant, I mean with the pregnancy."

I found out shortly after Tom left for 4 month-long mission and have been waiting so long to be able to tell him, but now that reminder is going to start eating away at me. I-If he's really gone, that means I won't be able to. Oh god, I think I'm going to be sick. Which I actually did, causing me to jump out of my seat to the nearest trash can to empty out my stomach like how the morning sickness was treating me. Kimberly followed and started rubbing my back as I respond, "This-this is the perfect representation. Kimberly, if-"

"Don't overthink like that, it isn't any good doing so," Kimberly comforted me as I calmed down and took my seat again before I whispered, "I never told him, I was going to tell him when he came back home. If he's truly gone, it's going to break my heart more knowing he never got the chance to meet our child or know he was going to be a father."

"I under-," Kimberly said as Janis then appeared with the coffee and handed her one while she took a seat on the other side of me sipping hers before continuing, "I understand how you're feeling, but there's still that chance he's going to be back in your arms, safe and sound. There's still that possibility he's still here and will be able to be the best father he can be for your child as well as make more memories with you."

"Maybe more of those will be spent of him and Maverick butting heads with each other," Janis mumbled as Kimberly and I both looked at her to shout, "Janie!"

"What? You both know it's true," Janis rebuts as I rolled my eyes and respond, "Have to agree with that, Maverick certainly seems the type." making the three of us laugh a little before a woman of blonde hair, who I figured was the instructor, walked in to tell us all that the carrier would be arriving any minute now.

After almost an hour, I could hear the roars of the engines and looked outside from my seat to see the carriers landing on the tarmac to nudge Kimberly and Janis to wake up off my shoulders. I got up to walk over to look out the window to spot a few familiar faces and looked back to see all the ladies looking at me like they were scared to find out but wanted me to tell them who I see.

"I see Wolfman, Hollywood, Sundown, Chipper," I called out a few of the names before I turned my attention to Kimberly and told her Merlin looked okay, watching her let out a sigh of relief and whispered, "Thank you God for looking over Sam."

"Do you see Ron or Tom?" Janis asked as I looked out again and tried scanning through the crowd before I shook my head to respond, "Maybe they're on another carrier, or there's so much commotion to truly see them." before walking away from the window.

I spoke too soon when footsteps started walking toward the waiting area to the doors opening to Maverick, with a worried look on his face as he calls out, "Grace? Janis? Are you two in here?"

"Maverick," Janis respond as she and I walked over to him before he put his hands up, stopping us, "They're alive, they're just getting checked out in the med bay."

"What the hell happened out there?" I gritted out through clenched teeth before Maverick gave us the information the Navy couldn't give us, "There were 5 bogeys in the air, they shot down Wolfman & Hollywood, so Merlin and I got sent up there. I-I had a moment of disengagement before I got my head on right and it caused them to have a few hits. We were successful, but upon landing on the carrier, Slider had a crack in his helmet and so did Iceman while he also was holding his wrist."

"Oh god, when can we see them?" I asked as I try to comprehend the information before Maverick offered to take us to them, which we quickly told him. We arrived at the med bay and told the nurse at the front desk our names as well as asked for the room numbers.

"Okay, thank you," I thanked as I made my way through the hallways to the room and knocked on the door to hear Tom's voice come through, "Come in."

I opened the door to see him lying in the hospital bed with his eyes closed and out of the top of his flight suit, which was tied around his waist, and then I saw the extent of his injuries. He had a few bruises, a bandage on his head and his wrist was in a brace.

"Tom," I whispered out as I covered my mouth to prevent myself from making a sound out of shock, which prompted him to open his eyes to see me standing there.

"Gracie," Tom whispered as he got out of the bed and moved quickly towards me to pull me into him, causing me to take in the familiar smell of his cologne and start crying into his shirt.

"I-I-I thought I lost you," I choked out as I tried to remain calm for him, "They weren't telling us anything and I-I couldn't help but-"

"Shh, shh, it's okay," Tom softly whisper into my ear as he sways his body with mine side to side as a way to help calm me down, "I'm still here, I'm not going anywhere, love."

I gripped him tighter as I feel him chuckle and kiss my forehead as he runs his hand through my hair, pushing back a stray strand to then lean close to my lips to say, "I promise." and kiss me softly

"You better," I whispered back before moving his hand to rest on the small, but evident bump, causing him to look down in surprise.

"Are you-, are we-" He stuttered out as I nodded my head and answered, "Found out shortly after you left."

"Can't believe we're going to be parents," Tom responds as he smiles down at me before I returned one back.

"How are Ron's injuries? Do you know?" I asked before he sighed and said, "He should be fine. Just needs a lot of rest and stay on the ground until he's cleared to fly."

"What about you? Anything else wrong?" I voice my concern as Tom shook his head and responds, "I'm truly okay. Just a sprain in my wrist." before we hear someone shout in excitement, like Ron.

"Was that Slider just now?" Ice asked as I nodded my head, agreeing with his thinking to walk out the door to look to see Janis laughing as she's being twirled and then kissed, passionately.

I laugh at the sight, making my presence known to both of them as Slider then shouts, "I'm going to be a dad! To a little boy!"

I smiled and yelled, "Congratulations!" to then walk back into the room and see him laughing, "Hey, he's your best friend and RIO."

"I know, I know," Tom says as he rolls his eyes before looking toward me and asking, "Do you know the gender? I could call a doctor in here to find out."

"Maybe another time, it would be too much excitement for today to take. For right now, I just want to focus on the relief that my wonderful husband has come back home to me and our daughter."

"Glacier!" I hear someone shout from behind me to make me turn around to see Phoenix and caused me to smile to respond, "Hey Nix."

"You got called in for this too?" Phoenix asked as I nodded my head, "One of many, who are the guys next to you?"

"Payback," Payback responds as the next guy chimed in with, "Fanboy." Before I could chime in with my introduction to them, Phoenix adds in, "You're in the presence of Naval Royalty right here."

"Stop while you're at it, Phoenix, it's nice to-" I voice before I hear a voice shout from the pool table, "What do we have here? If it ain't Phoenix!", distracting me from finishing my sentence.

"Oh great, think we better get this over with," Phoenix mutters under her breath before she turns her head back to me and says, "It was great to see you, Paige, how about you join us for a game?"

I looked around for Penny, who appears to be talking to someone, before I respond, "I'll have to ask Penny if she's finished with needing my help, but I'm sure to join later."

"Great, see you over there," Phoenix says as she, Payback, and Fanboy head towards the opposite side of where Hangman and Coyote were standing as I walk towards where Penny is.

"Hey, I was wondering-," I started to whisper before my eyes took in the features of the person in front of me, "Uncle Mav?"

"Paige? Is that really you?" Maverick asked in shock as I smiled and said, "I haven't grown that much since the last time you saw me."

"Are you kidding? Of course, you have. Look at you!" Maverick shouts as I laugh to then realize something, "Wait a minute, you wouldn't be here on a coincidence or just passing through the neighborhood."

"That's what I told him!" Penny inputs her opinion as Maverick rolls his eyes and after I continued staring at him with a "Why are you really here?" look, he responds, "I got called in to teach the squadron at Top Gun for the upcoming mission."

"Lord, help us all," I mutter under my breath jokingly as Mav's face turns into offended. I shook my head, "I'm kidding obviously, the squadron is very lucky to have such a great naval aviator as an instructor." I then turned towards Penny and asked, "I was wondering if I could join the others at the pool table, of course, if you don't need my help anymore."

"Go," Penny says as she shoved me forward, "I didn't need your help in the first place." I rebut back with, "Thought I'd be the good friend that I am. Maverick, it's great to see you, and can't wait for tomorrow. Also thanks for the free drinks" adding a wink for the last statement.

I walked over to the pool table to see the people who are here so far standing around, watching the new guy take his turn, as I took my spot next to Phoenix to whisper, "Who's he?"

"Bob Floyd, my new backseater," Phoenix whispered back as I nod my head as a silent okay before I turned my attention back to the game while also grabbing a cue in case I'd join in. After a few more minutes, I notice Phoenix's eyes drifting towards the entrance and followed her gaze to see she was staring at Bradley Bradshaw, aka Rooster, aka my best friend since we were kids, aka the man who I may or may not have been crushing on many years.

"Bradshaw!" Phoenix shouts to grab his attention while I glanced over at Maverick, knowing that the both of them currently have tension between them for what had occurred years prior of now.

"This is how we find out you're stateside?" Phoenix asked as she lined up her shot while Bradley slips off his aviator sunglasses to hang them on his shirt before he answers with, "Yeah, I just thought I'd surprise you two."

Phoenix pulls back her cue to nail him in the stomach, making me almost spit out my beer and laugh at her rebuttal, "Guess I surprised you back."

"It's good to see you," Bradley grunts out as he tries to straighten himself back up before he turns his attention to me and says, "How have you been, Paige? Certainly been a while since I've seen you."

"I've been great, Bradley, how have you been?" I asked as Bradley smiles and respond, "I've been okay, it's good to see you too."

"Bradshaw, as I live and breathe," Hangman says as he comes back to the table from grabbing four more beers and changing the song on the jukebox, looking smug and arrogant as he always does.

"Hangman, you look..good," Bradley responds as Hangman lines his shot and puts back with a "Well, I am good Rooster. I'm very good. In fact, I am too good to be true."

"I wish I was as cold as literal ice so I can shut him up," I thought to myself as I hear Payback ask, "So, anybody know what this special detachment is all about?"

"No, the mission's a mission. They don't confront me. What I want to know: who's gonna be the team leader? And which one of y'all has what it takes to follow me?" Hangman asks as Bradley rolls his eyes to bite back with, "Hangman, the only place you'll lead anyone is an early grave." causing everyone to feel the heat on that burn.

"Well, anyone who follows you is just gonna run out of fuel. But that's just you, ain't it, Rooster? You're snug on that perch, waiting for just the right moment...that never comes." Jake rebuts back to then end it with, "I love this song!" meaning the song on the jukebox, which is not great and makes me glad he's not my soulmate, who has better taste than him. I only hear the music he sings along to, which sucks because I really want to hear his voice and know his identity.

"Well, he hasn't changed," Phoenix said, snapping me out of my thought, as Bradley agrees to then walk away from beside me.

"Check it out," Fanboy voices as he and Payback look at the entrance, "More patches." As Payback lists the names of the other aviators, I looked around to see if I could spot Bradley in the crowd, Fanboy then voices a question, "What the hell kind of mission is this?"

"That's not the question we should be asking. Everyone here is the best there is. Who the hell are they gonna get to teach us?" Phoenix replies as I try to hide the fact I know who they got, and it's all thanks to my father, Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, who always come in Maverick's clutch whenever his ass gets in trouble with authority. It still surprises me that even as a highly decorated Captain, he still has the effect of testing people's patience and challenging their methods. The customers start groaning around us as the music from the jukebox stopped playing, to then jazz being played on the piano filling the silence, making me shake my head and laugh to myself as I looked to see Bradley, flawlessly moving his fingers across the keys. Phoenix prompted the others to join as we walked over to where the piano sat and before I could stand beside them, Bradley invited me to sit beside him on the bench, smiling at me as I did the same to him.

"Overboard! Overboard!" The crowd started chanting after Penny rang the bell, making me look over to see Hangman, Coyote, and Payback standing around Maverick before they picked him up to throw him out of the bar. I laughed at the fact they may actually shit their pants tomorrow when they find out he's our instructor.

"You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain. Too much love drives a man insane. You broke my will, but what a thrill. Goodness gracious, great balls of fire! I laughed at love 'cause I thought it was funny, but you came along and you moved me, honey. I changed my mind, this love is fine. Goodness gracious great balls of fire!" sang through my head as the tune is playing, making me internally jump at the fact my soulmate is here, but mentally curse the fact everyone was singing the song so it was hard to single out who it could be.

-The Next Day-

"Attention on deck!" Someone shouted, commanding us to stand at the tables as Warlock walks to the front of the "room".

"Morning, welcome to your special training detachment. Be seated," Warlock says as he basically told us we were at ease, "I'm Admiral Bates, NAWDC commander. You're all TOPGUN graduates. The elite. The best of the best. That was yesterday. The enemy's new fifth-generation fighter has leveled the playing field."

As Warlock was going over what was to come, Phoenix leaned over to me and whispered, "Who do you think they got to be our instructor?" Before I could answer, Warlock then starts to introduce him and I hear footsteps coming up behind us to whisper back, "You'll see." I was correct about the guys' reaction, they were so embarrassed, and I accidentally let out a laugh, which I tried to stop with my fist, but failed tremendously.

"Is something the matter?" Maverick asks with a smirk on his face, knowing why I was laughing, but wanted to make them even "shit" their pants more because..out of the squadron, only Phoenix and Bradley know who I'm related to since my callsign is more outspoken.

"Nothing at all Captain Mitchell, continue with the lesson you have planned for us today," I respond as I smile "innocently" before Maverick responds with, "Good to know, Kazansky." and then proceeds to tell us we were going to put our skills to the test.

First in the air was going to be me, Rooster, Payback, and Fanboy, and as the four of us are in the air listening to Maverick's instructions, Payback decided to come up with a competition that whoever gets shot down does 200 pushups. With a dad like Iceman, he helped me surpass that goal by 10 pushups, so I don't mind the exercise, I strangely enjoy it.

"Fanboy, you see him?" Rooster asks as Fanboy looks through the radar and reports back with, "Nothing, maybe he's somewhere behind us."

"Oh shit," I thought to myself as I remember a story Dad told me to then try to quickly warn, "Maverick isn't in front or behind, he's right-" before I hear the guys collectively shout, "Damn it!" "What the hell?" "Shit!"

"Oh come on, Glacier, that wasn't nice trying to expose your uncle's secret," Maverick says as I chuckle and respond with, "Hey, you said work collectively as a team, so that's what I did."

As we all flew around the sky, Maverick got his radar set to eliminate Payback and Fanboy before Rooster swooped in to save them. I watched as Maverick continued flying after Bradley before I noticed he was flying way too close to the Hard Deck and Payback shouted for him to pull up, which cost Rooster as Maverick locked on him. I got out of the F-18 after landing on the tarmac to see Yale, Fritz. and Harvard taking a selfie with Rooster doing his push-ups in the background. Which I thought was unnecessary, so I walked over to mention, "You're going to regret doing that."

"And how do you know that, Glacier?" Yale asked as I smirked and said, "Maverick isn't quite so easy to trick or fool when it comes to this, good luck boys, you're gonna need it." The three of them walked to do the lesson and I then took a look at Hondo to ask, "Mind if I do it alongside him?"

"Oh not at all, go right ahead," Hondo responds as I put my gear down beside where he was standing and started to do the push-ups, making Bradley laugh next to me to hear him ask, "Your dad really ingrained exercise in you huh?"

"You bet he did, when I told him I wanted to do this and be like him, he really put me through the wringer," I say as I do a couple more pushups to then ask, "Are you okay?" I worry about him being near Maverick and the mental distance between them affecting how he flies.

"I'm fine," Bradley voices with a hesitant tone, which I didn't push, and when Bradley finally reached 200, he got up and held his hand out for me to take before we both headed to the hangar to take a break.

"Hey, do you want to grab dinner somewhere?" Bradley asked as he leaned into the driver's side of his Bronco, which was originally his dad's but his mom passed it down to him when he got his license. We had finished up for the day and hung up our gear in the respective locker rooms, so now it was around dinnertime. I sighed before responding, "I can't tonight, I'm sorry. Dad insisted I come home and spend time with everyone, so can't break my old man's heart."

"You're totally fine, another time surely," Bradley says as he and I exchanged a hug before he entered his car and shouted, "Have fun!"

"I will!" I yelled back with a smile as he pulled out the parking spot before I dropped it and sighed. I have a lot of courage to serve in the Navy, but not enough to admit my crush on Bradley, great.

After I arrived, I entered the house to be tackled into a hug by my nieces and nephews. I hugged each of them before I hear Mom calling them off and telling them to go somewhere else before she pulled me into a hug. I tried to pull away before I feel her hold tighten, "Mom, I need air."

"Well, I missed you, so I'm holding you a little longer," Mom said as I laugh a little before I tapped her arm to let me go, it was a few minutes later she did. After I pulled out of her embrace, I look over at the dining room entrance to see Dad standing there with a smile on his face, and moved my eyes down to the scarf around his neck, which hides the tracheotomy he had to get to be able to breathe due to his battle with throat cancer, which he was now in remission from.

"Hey Dad," I whisper as I walked over to him in his open arms and he wrapped them tightly around me as he whispered back into my head, "Glad to see my sweet girl." before kissing me on the forehead.

"Glad to see you too, how have you been doing?" I asked as I pulled away to face him to see him brush my question to tell me, "I only want to hear about how you've been, but let's do it over dinner and then we'll dance a little and listen to some songs."

"Sounds like a plan, Iceman," I respond with a smile and salute as he returns the same gesture before commanding, "At ease, Glacier."

Later that night, we danced to The Beatles and Queen, and after I felt all danced out, I softly sang along to "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac, hoping somewhere, my soulmate will be hearing the tune I do.

"It's only right that you should play the way you feel it. But listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness. Like a heartbeat, drives you mad. In the stillness of remembering what you had. And what you lost. And what you had. And what you lost."

“I miss you, so much,” I say into the mouthpiece of the phone, twirling the cord around my finger as I listen to my husband softly laugh and whisper, “I miss you too, won’t be too long now.”

“Hey Ice! Who are you on the phone with?” I hear someone shout in the background as Tom groans at whomever just shouted to yell back, “None of your business Hollywood!” to then turn his voice back to the phone and whispered, “Baby, I’m so sorry to cut this short, but I have to go.”

“It’s okay, I love you and be careful, as always,” I said as I could visualize him smiling at my concern of him being in this field of work before I hear him respond, “Of course, love you too.”

Before I could hang up the phone, I then heard some struggling before Slider’s voice came through to say, “Hey, I love her too, don’t I get to tell her that?” I let out a laugh before I tell Slider, who’s like a brother to me, “Love you too Ron.” and hung up the phone to put it back on the wall. I decided to pay my parents a visit considering it’s been awhile, but never did I imagine what that would entail.

-Meanwhile at Top Gun, Ice’s POV-

After I hear the dial tone, I place the phone back before I smack Slider in the back of his head.

“Ow! What was that for?” Slider asked as I shook my head before I whisper back, “Did you really had to do that? Someone could’ve overheard.”

“Sorry,” Slider mumble before he walks down the hallway to head back to the locker room as I let out a sigh and leaned my head back to the wall.

“What happened just now?” I hear someone ask as they appear in my peripheral vision and I turn my head to see it was Maverick, my competition.

“None of your business, just like how it isn’t my business knowing you’re in love with the instructor,” I respond in a snarky tone as I pushed myself off the wall and walked away so that the conversation wouldn’t happen any farther.

I was almost to the barracks before I felt a hand go on my shoulder to turn me around to face them, Maverick, again, annoying son of a bitch.

“Goddamn it Maverick, I told you it wasn’t your business to know,” I gritted out through my teeth before he rolls his eyes to ask, “Is it a girl?”

I looked him up and down before I rebut with, “What’s it to you?”

“Well, you’ve never smacked Slider like that before and he practically yelled out I love you that the whole building could hear him. Who is she?” Maverick asks as he crosses his arms.

After I contemplate if it even worth my time to tell Maverick, I could tell he’s not going to budge unless I tell him, oh well, here we go.

“Fine,” I huff out before I lean in close to say, “That was my wife Slider was saying that to.”

“I’m sorry, wife? As in, the Ice King has a Queen?” Maverick whispered as I rolled my eyes and about to walk away before he adds in, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. What’s her name?”

“Her name is Y/N, and we’ve been married for almost two years now,” I respond as Maverick’s eyes widen in shock that I’ve been hiding it and before I could let him ask where the ring is, “It’s around my neck on a chain, it’s safer there.”

“Just like how it’s safer if nobody else knows about her?” Maverick asks as I nodded my head and sighed before mentioning, “She means everything to me and I’d always make damn sure that the enemies have nothing to hold over my head if it ever came to that.”

“Of course, I’d do the same if I were committed like that,” Maverick says as I chuckle out a laugh before responding, “Like that’s happening anytime soon.”

“Is she visiting on Family Day or…” Maverick asks, drawing out the or before I shrug and say, “Not sure, we haven’t discussed it yet.”

“Hope to meet her if she does, maybe I’ll show her that I’m better than you,” Maverick responds jokingly as he pats my shoulder and winked at mw, causing me to chase after him shouting at him and telling him to stay away from her.

-Back Home, Y/N’s POV-

The last thing I remember before feeling my body being thrusted to one side and hitting my head was crossing the intersection, I had right of way and was almost through before another driver crashed into my side of the car. I was in and out of consciousness as I felt the paramedics load me into the ambulance to transport me to the closest facility.

“Miss, can you tell me your name?” The paramedic shining a light in my eyes to make sure there were no head injuries ask me before I said in a hoarse voice, “Y/N, Y/N Kazansky.”

“Alright Y/N, is there anyone we can call for you?” He asked as I try to rack through my brain who I could call before I told him to call my parents, not just because I knew they would call Tom and better explain what’s happened, but because I wasn’t quick enough to say “my husband” before I felt myself slipping back into unconsciousness.

-Top Gun, Ice’s POV-

We were learning the tactics to be considered for the latest mission before I see Jester walk up to Viper and leaned in to whisper something as they both look over at me, causing Maverick to glance at me. For a few more seconds, they continued chatting before Viper turned towards the group to tell me I had a call in Jester’s office, dismissing me as I started following Jester to figure what’s going on. I picked up the phone and ask, “Hello?”

“Tom? Oh- sorry, Iceman,” I hear the recognizable voice of my mother-in-law come through, “It’s Viola.” Her voice was shaking, like she was scared.

Something in my guts told me something was wrong, Viola would never call me like this, unless my guts were right. I cleared my throat before speaking, “I know, is everything’s alright?” I then heard Viola sob out before I listen to my wife’s father, Reggie, tell me, “There’s been an accident, doctors are saying she’ll be okay, but her injuries were pretty bad. I know you’re in Miramar at Top Gun right now focusing on the mission, but you’re my daughter’s husband so you have the right to know.”

“I-I,” I stuttered out before I felt my hand shake and tried to get a few breaths in before softly saying, “O-okay, thank you sir. Listen, I’m going to try to be there as fast I can be, will you please tell her that?”

“Of course, hope to see you soon,” Reggie responds as I nodded my head and hung up the phone, with Jester looking at me in curiosity of what just happened.

“My w-wife just got into an accident, I need to go to her,” I said as strong as I could before mentioning, “I know that Slider and I are in the lead for the trophy, but my wife is my number one priority and needs me right now. You can just put Maverick in my place until or if I come back.”

“I was about to say why are you still standing here, go, you’re dismissed,” Jester said after I thanked him and rushed to pack my bags before I see Slider come into the doorway to ask, “What was that all about?”

That question made me hit my breaking point before I slam my fist on my locker and start to cry with my forehead resting on it before I croaked out, “Y/N was in a car accident, they said her injuries were bad. I-I need to go, don’t be pissed if you hear Maverick’s number one.”

“I’m coming with you, Goose can take my spot too,” Slider says as he starts packing his stuff and before I could voice that he doesn’t have to, he beats me with, “You’re not talking me out of this.”

-Hospital-

Slider and I arrived early the next morning to head up to the front desk to ask the receptionist, “Y/N Kazansky, which room is she in?”

“And your relation to the patient?” The receptionist asks as I respond, “I’m her husband.”

The receptionist started to look at me like I’m a liar and before she could ask another question, I hear someone from behind us say, “He’s telling the truth, let them in.”

“Whatever you say,” the receptionist mumble as I turned to see Reggie standing there, holding two cups of coffee before passing one over to Viola.

“Does she know I was on my way?” I asked as Reggie shook his head and said, “No, she was resting when we called. You can head in now.”

I nodded my head before introducing Slider to her parents and I started on my way to her room when I saw her door was open. I peered my head in to feel my heart sink at the sight, her with scratches and bruises as well as being connected to machines by the wires. There was a nurse checking her vitals before she turned her head towards the doorway to see me enter the room with a bouquet of Y/N’s favorite flowers in my hand.

“How’s she doing?” I spoke softly as the nurse walks to pass me before she whispered back, “She certainly been through something rough, but it’s a good thing she has you.”

After the nurse left the room, I walked over to the table to place the bouquet on it before grabbing a chair and moving it to be next to the bed. I took her hand in mine before I rubbed my thumb across her knuckles.

“Baby, I-I have so many words to say, but none of them measure to how much you mean to me. Hearing what happened from your parents, which one, why was I in your emergency contacts? You should know I would try my best to drop everything and come rushing back home to you.” I whispered as I felt small tears start to swell before I continued with, “God, and second, you’re my whole world and have always been. When I first saw you that night, I thought I was stuck in a dream and thought that a stone cold man like me didn’t deserve to have a soulmate. I just hope you know that no matter where I’m stationed or where the missions takes me, I always feel the love and respect we have for each other is worldwide with no limit. I love you so much Y/N M/N Kazansky.”

After I rested my head on the bed to then slowly fall asleep, I felt fingers running through my hair later on to look up to see my beautiful wife looking down at me.

“Hey, hey, I’m here,” I whispered getting up from my seat to level my face with hers before she whispered back, “I thought you told me your call sign prevents you from being all mushy with me.”

I laugh at her joke and respond, “Shut up, you know I love you as much as you love me.” Her hand reaches up to lay upon my cheek before she says, “I know, I’m sorry you had to leave.”

“Don’t apologize, and besides, it gives me a break from Maverick,” I respond as she shook her head and mutter, “You men and your competitiveness, does it ever end?”

“Not in the slightest,” I whisper as I leaned down and kissed her as best I could without hurting her.

“Did you come alone or did Slider come with you?” She asked after we pulled apart, but she got her answer when the man himself poked his head to ask, “Is it safe to visit my number one favorite person?”

“Hey! I thought I was your number one, we’re partners you know,” I said as Slider laughs and responds, “You were, until you got married to her.”

I rolled my eyes and mumble, “I’ll remember that when we’re in the air, after my wife is all better.” as I smile down at her.

“I’d listen to him if I were you, for all you know, you could be switched to be partners with Maverick,” Y/N mentions as Slider groaned at the mention, “Just saying. I’ll always have my husband’s back first before I have yours, rules of being in a marriage.”

"Yeah yeah, thanks for the reminder I didn't ask for," Slider mutter under his breath before he leaves us to be alone again.

"Seriously though, we were scared. Is everything alright?" I ask as I'm making sure my best girl was actually going to be okay with no permanent medical conditions.