Note: Based off an idea by Natashaashleyhopemikaelson on Tumblr. I hope you like it! Feedback is much appreciated! Thanks! :-)
Chapter 1: Waiting
Happy hated hospitals. She always had. They smelled too sterilized. They were too bright, too busy, and too large; a place that was impersonal and cold. They always made her uncomfortable, especially given her history with them. But this time was different. She didn't notice the smell or the lights or the nurses running around. Instead, all she saw, all she was focused on, were the doors leading to the OR. And all she felt was terror - complete, unadulterated terror.
She sat there in the uncomfortable waiting room chair, eyes wide, jaw clenched, not talking. She ignored everyone around her and their attempts at trying to comfort her. Unconsciously playing with the ring on her left hand that Toby had just given her a month before. Back before everything went to hell. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to block out the the events from the past 12 hours. But no matter what she did, they just kept playing in her head.
12 hours earlier...
"Everyone gather 'round, we've got a case," Cabe yelled across the garage loudly.
"Seriously," Toby groaned into the crook of Happy's neck, "Every single time. Every. Single. Damn. Time. It's like they know when we're about to get it on."
Happy couldn't stop the giggle that escaped from her. She unwound her legs from around his waist and turned her head to give him a quick kiss. When she started to pull back, Toby tightened his grip on the back of her head, keeping her pressed to him as he deepened the kiss, his other hand continuing its earlier ministrations. Happy moaned quietly into his mouth and Toby felt her smile against his lips before pushing him back slightly. She rested her forehead against his, breathing hard, eyes slightly closed.
"We have to get out there," she gasped.
"Maybe if we ignore them, they'll forget we're here," Toby said breathlessly, pressing his lips to hers again.
Happy let him kiss her a moment longer before pulling back for a third time. This time there was a determined look on her face. Toby sighed, knowing that they had to stop, but that didn't mean he had to make it easy. He stood straight up and smirked. Slowly, he removed his hand from her jeans, eyes locked on her. She whimpered quietly at the loss of his hand, then hit him gently. He was teasing her and she hated him for it. His smirk grew as his other hand caressed down the side of her body and around to the front of her stomach to button Happy's pants back up. Happy had to suppress a shiver, her eyes fluttering shut. At hearing Toby's chuckle, her eyes flew open and she pushed him away from her, hopping down from her workbench. She reached behind her, under her shirt, to reclasp her bra.
Glaring at him, Happy muttered, "I hate you."
Toby laughed, pulling her to him and brushing a soft kiss on her forehead, "I love you too, baby."
Toby grabbed her hands, his fingers playing with her engagement ring. A large goofy grin grew on his face. It was like he still couldn't believe she had agreed to marry him. She squeezed his hands to remind him they had to get to the rest of the team. Suddenly, the look on his face morphed from loving to mischievous.
"Fine, we'll get out there, but we are definitely finishing this later, Hap. Where should we do it this time?" Toby said, winking at her saucily.
Happy resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Not here, you dork. We've taken too many chances lately. We're going to get caught. Later, at home."
Toby chuckled as Happy thought about how they hadn't been able to keep their hands off of each other recently, for good reasons though. A slight blush rose on her cheeks as she thought of all the places they'd had a little fun lately - the bathroom, Toby's desk, the couch, the kitchen counter, and the roof, just to name a few. They had almost been caught a couple times, but that didn't stop them, it made it more fun and exciting. Just thinking about it got Happy all hot and bothered again. So she rose on the tips of her toes and pulled Toby's head down to kiss him lustfully.
"I changed my mind. I like your idea. Let's ignore the team," Happy whispered against his lips, walking backwards to her workbench again, pulling Toby with her. Toby gripped her hips in response.
Happy had just hopped back up on the bench - her lips to his, tongues tangled together, his hands under her shirt gently stroking the skin on her stomach - when the door flew open.
"Guys, did you not hear- Oh! Oh I'm so sorry!" Paige gasped, her hand flying up to cover her eyes, rushing back out of the room. "I-I'll just leave you two alone."
Happy's face turned bright red, as she quickly jumped back down.
"Damn you, Doc."
"Hey," Toby said, throwing up his hands, "What did I do? You're the one who started this back up."
Happy jabbed his stomach as she walked past, "You know very well what you did. I can't seem to keep my hands off of you, thanks to you."
"I can't help it that you find me so sexy," Toby said, jogging to catch up with her, putting his arm around her shoulders.
Happy rolled her eyes and leaned in to him, "That's not why and you know it."
Toby's face turned into one of adoration as he looked down at Happy, "Yeah, I know."
Happy smiled up at him and lowered her voice as they walked nearer to the team hitting him with her hip, "But you are pretty sexy."
Before Toby could respond, Cabe started talking, obviously annoyed at having to wait.
"The Serbian's are in town and looking to buy these."
Cabe held up a bullet between two fingers.
"Bullets?" Toby laughed, "What? Do they not have bullets in Serbia?"
Happy jabbed him in the side hard, giving him a glare to shut him up. Toby winced and started rubbing the spot, but stayed quiet.
Cabe sighed, "These aren't just any bullets. They have the latest technology in them that allows the bullets to lock on to a target."
Walter lit up in excitement, "I've heard about those. It uses the same technology that drones use, allowing the bullet to be accurate up to three miles away. This could change everything."
Cabe nodded, "Which is why we're needed. It's our job to find out where these are being manufactured before the Serbian's, or anyone else, can get their hands on them. We can not have these in the streets."
"What do we have to go on?" Happy asked, examining the bullet Cabe handed her.
Cabe pointed to the bullet, "That's it. This was used in a botched attempt at a hit on a federal agent. Something with the programming went wrong and failed to hit its target. But there are rumors that it has been overhauled and ready to hit the black market."
"Bullets like this need a chip in that can be programmed," Sly started, "If we can get that chip out, I can analyze the coding used to program it. Coders can leave clues behind of who they are. They might have even left behind the IP address of the computer used if they didn't take precautions. We can trace that and from there find the distributor of the bullets."
"Then let's get going," Cabe said, "Time is of the essence."
A few hours later, Happy had removed the chip and Sylvester and Walter had located the man who had created the program. Cabe brought him in to see what information they could get from him. At first the man was silent about the bullets, bragging about how they couldn't touch him, but Toby was able to pick up silent cues from this man. Before long, Toby had been able to get the location of where the bullets and guns were being stored.
During the interrogation, Happy had pretended to be working on a small project nearby. It had started out as an honest attempt to do something with her time while the team waited for more information, but she quickly found herself distracted by Toby analyzing the man in front of him, picking up the slightest of twitches or the faint hitch in his breathing. She tried to drag her eyes away, back to the project in front of her, but she just couldn't; it was mesmerizing to watch him in his element, so at ease doing his job. She had never understood why Toby liked to watch her work so much, but now she did. It made her fall for him even more.
Once they had the location of the warehouse, the team moved out. It was a short drive to the location the coder had given them - an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. Cabe, Toby, and Walter were tasked with going in and retrieving the bullets and guns, while Sly, Happy, and Paige were to stay outside and keep guard, creating a distraction if needed. Happy never liked it when she and Toby were separated on a job. It was sappy and stupid, but she felt safer and comforted when she knew she was the one who had his back. It wasn't that she didn't trust the other team members, she did, she just preferred to be able to keep an eye on Toby herself.
The team exited the van, checking their comms one last time. Happy pulled on the back of Toby's shirt, drawing his attention to her. He turned around, a relaxed smile on his face.
"Yes, my sweetness?"
Happy rolled her eyes, but a smile graced her lips. She grabbed the edges of Toby's jacket and pulled him closer to her, his hands automatically going to her hips. Rising on her tip toes, she placed a quick, sweet kiss on his lips.
"Be safe," Happy murmured quietly, placing another kiss on his chest, right over his heart.
"You too," Toby whispered back, letting her go. He brushed his fingers gently over her stomach as he stepped back. Happy wouldn't have even noticed if it weren't for the quick flicker of Toby's eyes downwards. He looked back up and gave her a wink, then turned to make his way inside the warehouse.
Toby, Walter, and Cabe entered the warehouse and within five minutes located the bullets and guns. Just as they were loading them up to bring to the van, Happy heard a loud bang, like a metal door being forced open, followed by Toby's voice.
"Not good," he whispered.
"What's going on?" Paige asked, worryingly looking around.
"It appears there was a back door that we all missed and the Serbian's have shown up to get their stash," Walter said quietly.
"I've got backup on their way. And what?" Sly said, "There was no indication of another door on the blueprints I pulled up."
"Apparently they were wrong," Toby snarked back.
"Focus," Happy reprimanded, "Where are they and what are you doing?"
"They're on the other side of the warehouse," Cabe responded, "We're hidden behind the crates, but we can't wait for backup to get here."
"I can create a distraction with the van," Happy said, already making her way to the van. "Just a squeal of the tires will drawn their attention outside. You guys can get out and meet us down the block."
"No," Toby said firmly, "I don't like that. They could start shooting and then none of us will get out of here. I can't have you in danger too."
Walter sighed, "Toby's right. We will have to sneak out of here. Cabe can throw something in the opposite direction from us and the noise will distract them. Hopefully it'll be enough to give us time to get out."
Happy fisted her hand. She wanted to retort, but she knew it was only a matter of time before they were seen. They couldn't waste time arguing.
There was silence for a few seconds, then a clatter from the piece of wood Cabe threw, followed by shouts from the Serbian's as they ran to see what had caused the sound. Walter was whispering frantically for them to run. Happy held her breath. All of a sudden the Serbian's shouts were louder and gunfire could be heard. Cabe was yelling at Walter and Toby to stay low. Walter burst through the door just seconds later, followed closely behind by Cabe. Happy ran to meet them.
"Where's Toby?" she shouted, looking past them.
"He was right behind me," Cabe said, between heavy breaths, looking behind him, "I don't know."
The sound of sirens could be heard coming up behind the team, but Happy didn't turn to look. She was frozen, staring at the door, waiting for Toby to come out.
"Toby? Where are you?" Happy said anxiously in to the comm, but all she got in response was a painful moan.
Suddenly the door opened and a man holding Toby with a gun to his head slowly walked out. Toby looked pale and as if he were in pain. He didn't struggle against the man, which Happy thought was strange.
"I will shoot him again if you try anything," the Serbian said with a thick accent.
Happy swallowed hard when she saw what he meant when he said again. There was a large blood stain the side of Toby's shirt that was getting bigger by the second. Toby had his hand over it to try to stop the bleeding as much as possible. He looked like he was going to pass out any second. Happy felt Cabe's hand on her shoulder, holding her back from running to him.
"Let him go and we won't hurt you," Cabe yelled out.
The man laughed sharply, "Likely story. He's our insurance."
Out of nowhere, a truck came speeding around the warehouse, tires squealing. The door flew open and Toby was pushed in, the man quickly following. Then the truck was off, leaving Scorpion behind.
Happy turned to Cabe, "We have to go after them," she yelled desperately.
Cabe looked at her with pity in his eyes, "We will, but we have to figure out the best way to do it. We can't just go after them. Most likely we are out manned and out gunned wherever they are going. Plus they have Toby. We can't risk him getting hurt more."
Almost everything in Happy told her to ignore Cabe and go after them herself, but a small part, the part that won out, told her it was illogical and if they wanted to get Toby back safely, they had to do this right. She took a shaky breath and nodded.
"Ok, what do we have to do?"
It took them a few hours, but team Scorpion finally knew where the Serbian's were holding Toby and had a plan in place to get him back. Sylvester had noted the make and the model of the truck and using that information, he was able to find the correct truck via security cameras. He had tracked it through street cameras, but lost it once it got out of city limits. Happy almost hit him with the wrench she threw at the wall when she heard that. It took some time, but eventually Sly and Walter had been able to pull information on the truck, allowing them to track it through its GPS. Once they found where he was being held, Cabe put a call into the SWAT team for backup. It was their plan to get a look at the house where Toby was being held through a camera attached to a remote control helicopter. Once they could get an assessment of what they were up against, Cabe and Walter were going to sneak in and get Toby, while the SWAT team was arresting the Serbian's.
Happy just hoped it wasn't too late. They had lost communication with him shortly after he had been taken, so they had no idea how badly he was hurt. She paced around the garage, too anxious about finding Toby to sit down. The panic she was feeling was unlike any other feeling she'd had before. Her stomach was turning and she kept going between feeling so angry she wanted to smash something and feeling so scared that she had to hold back tears and couldn't do anything.
She looked up from packing her bag when Walter stopped by her desk.
"I think you should stay here," Walter said matter-of-factly.
Happy glared at him, pushing past him, "Go to hell O'Brien."
"Happy, you're emotionally compromised. We can't have you getting in the way."
Happy spun around and got into his face, "You don't get to tell me what I can or can't do, especially when it comes to Toby. I don't give a crap about efficiency or whatever. I need to be there. You wouldn't understand."
She turned on her heel and stomped out of the garage, slamming the door behind her.
It was tense in the van on the drive, both from worry about Toby and what had transpired between Walter and Happy. When they got there, Walter ordered Happy to stay in the van. She would have punched him if Paige hadn't been there to calm her down. But she ended up listening, knowing they were wasting time arguing. She listened carefully as Cabe and Walter made their way inside to Toby.
"We're here, Happy. He's in bad shape, but conscious," Walter informed her.
Happy sagged back against the seat, relieved that they had gotten to him before he was gone. As long as he was conscious, there was a good chance he would make it through.
"We're heading to the door now. Get the van ready to go," Cabe barked.
Paige started the van, as Happy slide open the side door, making room for them to place Toby. Just then, shots started ringing out. The SWAT team was invading. Happy felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. The last time there were shots, Toby was hurt and taken. She got out of the van, ready to run inside when the door opened and out came Cabe and Walter, dragging Toby between them, his shirt more bloody than before. Happy fell back against the van, tears springing to her eyes. Toby was safe.
All of a sudden, an explosion ripped through the air, throwing anyone near the house to the ground with force. Thankfully Happy was far enough away that she wasn't hurt. She looked around frantically for Toby, Walter, or Cabe through the smoke and haze. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, it was Cabe and Walter, running her way, carrying an unconscious Toby.
"He's is bad condition," Walter explained, "He was conscious but the explosion knocked him out when we were thrown and some of the debris hit his neck. I don't know if it hit an artery, but it's bleeding hard. We need to get him to the hospital now."
Happy felt her heart sink as she listened to Walter. They quickly placed him in the car, Happy scrambling up after him. She grabbed his hand when she got in as Cabe sped off. Leaning down, she gently kissed his bloody and bruised face, while Walter worked to stop Toby from bleeding out.
"Don't you dare leave me, Tobias. Not now," she whispered, a tear falling from her eye.
Present time...
Happy's hands shook as she waited, thinking about what happened, staring at the doors. They had been there for over two hours and there was no word yet. The knots in her stomach were growing; the more time she spent not knowing, the more her fear grew. Paige handed her a bag of chips, knowing she hadn't eaten all day, which Happy took, but didn't open. She couldn't eat at a time like this, but she knew Paige was trying to help. Paige sat down next to her, squeezing her shoulder to remind Happy she was there for her.
Happy was about to make her way to the nurses desk and demand answers when the OR doors opened and the doctor who was taking care of Toby came out. He quickly made his way over to the team. When he got close, Happy jumped up, anxious to hear what he had to say. Standing so quickly caused her to feel dizzy and light headed; she needed to grab onto Paige's shoulder to help her balance.
Paige shot her a worried look, "Are you ok?"
Happy nodded, "I'm fine. I haven't had anything to eat today, so I just got a little light headed."
Paige looked like she didn't quite believe her, but let it go when Dr. Shipley stopped in front of them.
"How's Toby?" Happy asked anxiously.
"Toby lost a lot of blood. There was debris lodged in his back from the explosion and his carotid artery was nicked, causing blood loss. The gunshot wound thankfully went through and through and didn't hit anything serious. With a blood transfusion, he should recover just fine from all of that, as well as a few cracked ribs. It's his head injury that will require further monitoring. It appears that he had previously been struck in the head before the explosion knocking him out. There were a few hairline fractures in his frontal bone and cerebral edema, or swelling of the brain. The intracranial pressure wasn't too dangerous, so we only had to put him on oxygen and IV fluids to ensure his body is getting enough oxygen and blood. We have already started to see the swelling go down. However, we won't be able to fully assess Toby until he regains consciousness, but I'm confident he will make a full recovery." Dr. Shipley gave Happy a comforting smile.
Paige sighed in relief and hugged Cabe at the news, while Sly cheered and Walter smiled. Happy couldn't let herself do that though. Even though Dr. Shipley had high hopes for Toby, Happy couldn't let herself be relieved. Toby was still unconscious and they wouldn't know for sure he was fine until he woke up. It didn't help her nerves that she hadn't seen Toby since they wheeled him away either. She just wanted to see him with her own eyes and see that he was ok.
"Can I see him?" Happy asked in a small voice.
Dr. Shipley nodded, "Yes, but I do ask that you limit it to one person right now. Later, after he wakes, more of you can go in."
Happy nodded, knowing the team would understand, followed Dr. Shipley to Toby's room. He held the door open for her as she walked in. Inside, she saw a bloodied and battered Toby laying there looking so opposite of who he was. Happy had never seen him so still before. She gasped slightly, taking a step towards him and suddenly she felt the room spin around her. She faintly heard Dr. Shipley calling her name before her world went black.
Happy opened her eyes slowly, not sure what happened. Then she remembered, she was at the hospital waiting to see Toby.
"Toby," she almost yelled, sitting up quickly. She felt herself grow dizzy again. A hand gently pushed her to lay back down.
"Happy," Dr. Shipley said soothingly, "Take things slowly. Toby's fine. He's in the bed right next to yours."
Happy turned her head and felt relief rush through her when she saw Toby laying there. She took deep breathes to slow her fast beating heart. Once she felt calm, she slowly sat up again. Dr. Shipley smiled at her.
"How're you feeling?"
"I'm fine, still a dizzy, but I'll be ok. I just really need to see Toby."
Dr. Shipley nodded his head in understanding and took a step away from the bed Happy was on. Slowly, she stood up and made her way over to Toby, grabbing his hand when she got close. Just touching his hand gave Happy comfort. She leaned over to gently kiss his cheek before lowering herself into the chair Dr. Shipley slid over.
"Happy," Dr. Shipley said, handing her a bottle of water and a granola bar, "You need to eat this. We had to run a few tests on you to make sure nothing was wrong. Did you know you were pregnant?"
"Um," Happy cleared her throat, "Yeah, we, uh, we found out last week. I'm six weeks along."
The doctor smiled, "Well congratulations."
Happy smiled, shooting a glance at Toby. He had been so excited when he found out. But that was quickly followed by the self doubt that he was going to mess up. Once she had reassured him that they were both going to mess up, but it was going to be ok, he let himself be happy again. He had picked her up and twirled her around, telling her how much he loved her before taking her to the bedroom to show her. Ever since then, it had been almost impossible for them to be in the same room without ripping each other's clothes off. Hormones, Toby said. But she thought it had more to do with how happy they both were. Happy smiled at that memory.
Dr. Shipley continued, "I know you've been dealing with a lot of stress today, but you have to remember to take care of yourself, especially now that you're pregnant. That means eating properly and getting enough fluids. That's why you passed out earlier. Your body was telling you it wasn't getting enough of what it needs."
Happy looked down in embarrassment. She had been so worried about Toby, that she had completely forgotten to take care of herself and the baby. Toby would kill her when he found out. It was he that normally kept her fed, especially this past week.
"I know, I just-"
The doctor moved closer and put his hand on her shoulder, "I understand. Don't beat yourself up about it. I probably would've done the same thing in your case. I'll leave you two alone now. Let me know if you need anything else."
"Thank you," she said in a small voice, afraid that she would break down.
Once he left, Happy laid her head down on the bed next to Toby's leg, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.
"Toby, you have to wake up," she whispered desperately.
She had spent the day trying to hold everything back, to hide what she was truly feeling and it was exhausting. Now that she was finally alone, she could let herself release everything inside her. It was then that she finally let herself truly cry. Cry about the worry she felt when Toby was taken, cry about the shock when she saw the explosion knowing Toby was near, cry about the pain she felt when she thought about him not making it. She didn't know how long she cried, but eventually the tears stopped. She wiped her face and realized how much lighter and more positive she felt. The cry was cathartic and just what she needed.
Happy's hand drifted to her stomach, rubbing it gently. Happy smiled fondly as she thought of how Toby would do this every chance he got. He would walk up behind her in the kitchen and wrap his arms around her, placing his hands over her stomach. Or when they were in bed, he would slide down so his face was even with her belly and kiss it, before talking to it while stroking it lovingly. Happy always rolled her eyes when he did it, but should couldn't help but grin. Oh, what Happy would give to have him do that to her right now. Happy shifted her chair closer to the bed, grabbing his hand again.
"Come on, Tobes, I really need you. You can't leave me now. Please wake up," she whispered.
She squeezed his hand and started tracing the lines on it. It was calming and comforting just gently ghosting her fingers across his skin. She laid her head back down, unable to keep her eyes open any longer. This day had been exhausting, not to mention the baby growing inside her. Just as she was drifting off, Happy felt a small squeeze of her hand. It was weak, but it was definitely there. Her eyes sprang open when she felt the pressure again. Getting up, she perched herself on the edge of his bed.
"Toby? Can you open your eyes? Come on baby, please?" Happy begged.
A moan came from Toby. His eyes opened slowly and darted around the room before finally landing on Happy. A face splitting grin grew on her face.
"Hi," she said, relief evident on her face. She leaned forward, stroking her hand down the side of his face lovingly. "I'm so glad you're awake." She leaned further into him and pressed her lips to his in the gentlest of kisses. She pulled back slightly and murmured, "So glad," then kissed him again.
When she pulled back, she noticed that he had a confused look on his face, not smiling like she thought he would be.
"Hey, what's wrong? How're you feeling?"
Toby cleared his throat, "Um, everything hurts and I've got a pounding headache, but..." He trailed off, looking down at their joined hands.
"But, what? What's wrong?" Happy prodded.
Toby looked up at her again, a mixture of sadness and panic in his eyes, "Who are you?"