Pacing was just about the only thing Jon was good for now, what with his wife currently in what he could only imagine as the worst pain in her life. Not even an hour ago, she texted him to tell him that their nine months of waiting was over. In a matter of minutes, he was scrambling out of the gym, all of his gear forgotten, to get to the hospital in time to see his wife and lover of only five years give birth.
As luck would have it, he got there before she did. When he received the text, all it said was "Get to the hospital cuz it's time." He assumed that meant she was there already, but the nurses had no records of anyone by the name Annalice Good in their database. He waited for forty-five minutes before deciding he should text her to see what was going on, but just as he took out his phone, the doors burst open. In she came, her sister at her side to steady her and guide her inside. In seconds, Jon was beside her as well, his arm about her waist and a hand brushing her sweaty red hair from in front of her face as he helped guide her to the maternity ward. It didn't take long for doctors to take notice of the commotion and start to swarm them to assist as well.
Jon's heart was pounding rapidly. Never in his life did he imagine he'd be here with a woman permanently in his life and a child soon to be there with her. He was a notorious womanizer and "player" so to speak, with only sex on his mind. When this redheaded, freckled, hazel-eyed spitfire of a woman came into his life, he didn't think she'd be the one to capture his heart and hold on for dear life despite the problems he would no doubt cause her. Yet here she was, and she was about to give birth to his child. He wasn't in love with her until their tenth date, and dates for him are spread out far. In fact, by the tenth date, he'd been with her for nearly three years. It took three years and ten dates for him to realize she was the one, and she stuck by him patiently and faithfully the whole time.
Jon was shaken from his thoughts by a doctor's hand on his shoulder, the doctor telling him to wait back while his wife was settled in and examined. Before he could protest, another much smaller hand was placed on his other shoulder. Her soft, pained voice told him that it would all be okay and he could see her again in a few minutes. Jon sighed and relented, but not before placing a quick yet tender kiss to her soft lips.
It felt as though days had passed, but it was only about twelve hours. When Jon was allowed in to see his wife again, he held her to his side and walked about the room with her, trying to ease her worries and pains while trying to ease his own. Soon the doctors came in to do another check-up on her and told the couple that their child was ready to be born. He was allowed to be in the delivery room with her, so he stayed by her side and tried to reassure her that it would all be over soon. He reassured her for twelve hours, listening to Anna's strained screams and cries until he felt he too would start to cry. The time passed and they heard the most beautiful sound in the world: the sound of their newborn's cries. Jon didn't realize it, but his face was wet with tears of joy. He bent down to kiss his wife softly and she smiled an exhausted, lazy grin up at him in return. The grin disappeared quickly however, and was replaced with a gasp and a grimace.
Another child was on the way.
Again, he was pacing back and forth, but this time Colby and Joe were with him. Jon was ushered out of the room as soon as Anna started to give birth again. It took security to drag him out, for he fought to stay there by her side. Now that he was out, he was trying to keep from either pulling his hair out or bursting back into the delivery room. His two friends reassured him the best they could, but it wasn't enough. Only thirty minutes passed before he was allowed to see his wife again.
"Jon."
"I mean it, babe. You need anything at all and I'm here quick as lightning."
"Jon."
"I promise you, I'll be back before you know it."
"Jon."
"Is there anything I can get you? Blankets? Pillows? Tea? I know you like tea. I can get-"
"JONATHAN GOOD."
Only then did Jon finally pause and look at her frown of disapproval, effectively distracted from his ranting. Despite her clearly upset expression, she was a beautiful sight. Their children nursed at her breasts calmly despite her sudden shout, and it took all he had in him not to smother all three of them in affection.
Jon fell in love two more times that night.
Now that he had stopped speaking, Anna sighed and rolled her eyes, a soft smile replacing her frown.
"Hun, I'm fine. You need to be in the next state soon though. We both need rest. I'll be home tomorrow and you can come by on your next day off, alright?" Now it was Jon's turn to sigh.
"Alright… You sure you'll be fine on your own?" he asked, obviously reluctant to leave.
"Yes, hun. I've got my sister here too. She'll help me out while you're gone," she assured him. Jon nodded, feeling a bit better knowing Anna wouldn't be by herself while he was gone. It still saddened him that he would not be able to spend his first day as a father with his new family. Seeing the sadness in his eyes, Anna couldn't help but allow him to stay just a little longer.
"Hey, Jon?"
"Hm..?"
"Well," she started, drawing it out and making it seem this was a hard decision to make, "If you'd like, you can take a nap in here with me for a bit. I know it's hard for you to leave so soon after this." Jon nodded in agreement, but smiled before dragging a chair to his wife's bedside and sitting there with her. They sat in silence for a few moments, content to watch their newborns suckle away at Anna's breasts. It was Jon who broke the silence first.
"Joan and Andrew… I still don't know if I approve of you naming our daughter after me."
"You named our son after me."
"Touché," he said with a soft chuckle before reaching out and stroking first Joan's, then Andrew's hair softly. They both had Jon's dirty blonde hair and his cheekbones, but they also had Anna's eyes and extremely fair skin. It was Joan that had her mother's full lips, while Andrew had his father's pouty ones.
A yawn brought Jon back from his temporary trip to La-La Land.
"You're tired. Get some rest, babe."
"Don't leave me without saying goodbye, okay?" Anna asked with a playful pout. Jon chuckled and nodded.
"Alright, but in case I do, I'll go ahead and say bye now. You know I don't like waking your grumpy ass up." Were her hands free, he'd have earned a joking slap from his glaring wife.
"C'mon, hun. Pleeeeeeease?" she begged before pouting again and batting her eyes at him. Jon rolled his eyes in return.
"No. You need sleep. If you're awake before I leave, then fine." A sigh left Anna before she responded.
"Okay… Bye then. I love you." This earned her a loving smile and a slow, heartfelt kiss.
"I love you too, Ann. I'll see you later." With that, he rested his head on his wife's lap beneath his now sleeping babes.
"I'll see you in my dreams, Beautiful." That had always been her nickname for him ever since they first met, and although it bothered him in the beginning, he now loved hearing it from her every time.
The sound of his children's and wife's soft breathing eventually lulled him to sleep. Unfortunately, it was a fitful rest for him, no doubt caused by his impending departure. When sleep finally overtook him, he was plagued with nightmares. He dreamed that it was so dark that it was impossible to see, but he could hear his twins crying right beside him. The more they cried, the more he panicked until he sat upright, quickly jarring him from his nightmare with heavy breathing and heart pounding. Upon waking up, he was slightly relieved that it had just been a dream, but his children were still crying.
"Aw damn… Anna. Hey, babe. C'mon, Ann, wake up. The kids are- … Anna..?" He shook her shoulder, tugged lightly at her hair, touched her hand - everything that would usually wake her at home. Jon frowned and plugged her nose, knowing that she'd wake up when she needed to take another breath, but it was then that he noticed how much paler she looked now than she did when he'd fallen asleep. Her chest no longer rose and fell with each breath she took.
Her heart did not beat.
Suddenly there was screaming, but Jon didn't realize that it was his own. His world stood still as he screamed her name, for the nurses, for Joe and Colby. Doctors were rushing in with equipment for resuscitation, followed by nurses that took his crying children, and his two friends who had heard his panicked pleas from just outside his wife's room. Joe and Colby held Jon back as all three watched the doctors try to bring his beloved back to life, but soon they stopped trying. Jon cursed and yelled at them to keep going, but they just looked at him with pity and remorse before telling him there was nothing they could do.
In a fit of shock, outrage, confusion, fear, and overwhelming sadness, Jon collapsed to his knees and buried his tear-streaked face into Joe's shoulder, who had embraced him upon the horrible news. His shoulders shook with despaired sobs and questioning wails.
"Why God..? WHY?!
What am I supposed to do without her..?!
ANNA!"
There was not a dry eye at the open-casket funeral, even amongst those that didn't know her nearly as well as Jon did. The sight that disturbed people the most was when he broke down in the middle of the ceremony, his tears falling onto the blankets of his also crying children whom he held in his arms. The ceremony took longer than a normal funeral, for his wife was buried with every one of her personal belongings, as was customary for those of the Norse Pagan faith such as she. She was so unique to him, and he knew he lost a true treasure. He did everything in his power to make this as she would have liked it, but he just wished he could be buried with her. His first real love just left his life, and no amount of comfort would bring him peace.
When she was finally laid to rest, Jon broke down again, this time sinking to his knees as he convulsed from the force of his now silent sobs. There were hands on his shoulders, some encouraging him to stand back up and others simply trying to console him, but he stayed on the ground and cried like he never had before in his life. This was how it was until the only ones left were himself, Joe, Colby, and their respective families looking on in sorrow.
On Annalice Good's headstone were the valknut, her name, dates of birth and death, and the last words she had ever said to her now broken husband.
"I'll see you in my dreams."
A/N So I was in a mood one day and decided to write this. Now, whether or not I continue it is really up to fate and whether or not people actually like this depressing thing. I don't want it to remain this sad, lonely piece in all honesty. Now, I actually have two options here. I can either continue it with Jon as a single parent trying to cope with the loss of his spouse, or I can look back into the lives of Anna and Jon. Hint hint: Both may end up as romance. Faves and reviews are warmly welcome, but I shall warn you now, I am not good at battling procrastination, so if there are pleas for me to continue the story in some way, just know it might take a while. I'm horrible like that. :\ Another note, I freaking love Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley, so no, this is not some outward hate toward him, I just think it would be interesting to see the Lunatic Fringe take on the role of single father trying to keep the only things he really had left of his wife alive. So there. XD Thanks to any readers and I look forward to hearing what people think! For now this will be labelled as complete, and depending on how people respond, I will start a new story rather than continue on this. For now, this is a finished, miserable oneshot.
