"I'm sorry Mick. I thought I was ready." Emily said barely above a whisper. Mick peppered her pale back with soothing kisses. "It's okay sweetheart." Mick rubbed gentle circles up and down her back and ghosted two of his fingers over the thin scar going from her back out to her right hip. He kissed the entire length of her scar which gave her goosebumps.

"He did this to you." Mick said in more of a statement than a question. Emily murmured, "I did it to myself." She looked up at Mick's shocked expression before staring back down at an invisible spot on her dark purple sheets. "I fought against the chain and it dug into my skin." She stopped talking as she felt Mick kissing her scar again. "I really wanted to sleep with you. I just-"

Mick silenced her with a finger to her lips. "I want you to be 100% ready when I rock your world." Emily smiled a little and tugged at his hand. "So cocky." Mick laughed and allowed her to pull him to her. Mick rested on his stomach across her long legs and looked up at her face. "You are truly beautiful, did you know that?" Her response was to blush profusely and nudge at Mick's shoulder lightly. He reached up and brushed her long hair out of her face. Emily grabbed his hand as it left her face and intertwined their fingers. "Mick. I think I'm falling for you." "Go ahead, I'll catch you."

Emily laughed out loud and Mick joined in. "That was so corny." Mick gave Emily a wide smile before saying, "I never expected you to just come out and tell me that. I am happy that you did because I'm pretty sure that I'm in love with you." He looked up at Emily's wide brown eyes and stopped her from speaking. "I don't want you to say it until you know you mean it. I just needed to tell you that." Emily smiled and pushed Mick back with her foot until he sat upright in the middle of her queen-sized bed. Emily gently removed her foot from Mick's chest and crawled over to him. She propped herself up in his lap and leaned in to gently peck him once on the lips. Mick captured Emily's lips and kissed her sensually. She moaned lightly into his mouth but it quickly turned into a tiny groan as they both heard Kehlani wake up from her morning nap.

Mick dragged Emily's bottom lip between his teeth before pulling back with a playful look in his eyes. "I'll get her. Be right back." he said with one more peck to the lips. Emily watched with a longing gaze as Mick disappeared out of her bedroom. This is happiness Em. Enjoy it and embrace it.

Mick walked back into the room bouncing a giggling Kehlani and an armful of snacks in the other hand. "We are having a day of movies." Emily chuckled, "Okayy. You do know that she won't understand anything happening in the movie, right?" "Exactly." Emily laughed again and got out of the bed to grab a stack of movies.

Mick sniffed Kehlani and made a sour face when he realized that she needed to be changed. He went to the corner where he saw a small changing station set up. He laid her down on the changing table and reached for a clean diaper. He could hear Emily on the other side of the room just grabbing DVDs. With his back turned, he called out to Emily, "Please don't make me watch chick flicks. I'm begging you." He heard her stop moving before he added, "Or nerdy movies."

Emily huffed out in annoyance, "Now I have to go in the living room." She stopped in her tracks at the sound of Mick gasping humorously. "Oh, sprung a leak!" was all Emily heard as Kehlani's loud giggles drowned out Mick. She turned around with a smile as she saw Mick scrambling for a diaper. She was about to help him until she saw him fasten the diaper on Kehlani's wiggling body. Mick picked her up and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Emily excused herself quietly and went into the living room to fetch action and horror movies to satisfy Mick. She returned to see Mick and Kehlani having a very animated conversation about something. She cleared her throat in the doorway, causing Mick to look in her direction. "I grabbed Wrong Turn, Live Free or Die Hard, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

Mick smiled in triumph as she brought movies that appeased his taste. She put Wrong Turn in and turned to walked back towards the bed. Mick held out his hand to her and tugged her towards him. Emily rested between Mick's outstretched legs and rested the back of her head on Mick's stomach and they both sighed contently. I feel so safe in his arms.

It feels so perfect to hold them both in my arms. Kehlani was reclined on Mick's upper chest with her tiny hand rested on Mick's nose. As the movie went on, Kehlani nuzzled her nose into Mick's neck and he felt her small, warm breaths against his already warm skin. He glanced down to see that Emily had never released his hand and she had wrapped her other free arm around his right thigh. Mick was completely in heaven and at peace. He was so far on Cloud 9 that when he thought about going back home in two days, his heart physically hurt. He didn't want any of this to end. I can't just expect Emily to uproot her life and come back to D.C. with me. I'm going to miss them so much. I can't lose them. I'll do anything to keep this for the rest of my life.

Mick stopped fighting with his inner thoughts and enjoyed the rest of the day with his favorite girls. Halfway through the last movie, Mick's stomach started to growl, as did Emily's. He chuckled lightly while Emily craned her neck to look up at him. "We need to eat but can we finish the movie first", Emily said with a small grin. Mick nodded in agreement before turning his attention back to the screen.

About 45 minutes later, Emily heard the doorbell ring. She went to get it and smiled at the delivery woman who held her and Mick's Indian food. She graciously paid the woman and grabbed the food from her before closing the front door. Mick walked into the kitchen and saw Emily separating their dinner onto plates. He strapped Kehlani into her high chair and grabbed the smaller plate Emily fixed and placed it in front of Kehlani. Emily's breath hitched when she felt Mick's arms around her waist and his breath on her neck. God, he makes me feel like a teenager. Mick placed a gentle kiss to her neck and smiled against her skin as he felt her shiver. Emily melted into his embrace and felt his arms wrap a little tighter around her body. They stood like that until Emily finished making their plates. She shifted on her feet slightly and turned her head to peck him only the lips. She pulled her lips back by only a fraction and whispered onto his lips. "You're leaving."

Mick sighed internally and looked into her downcast eyes. "Yes, sweetheart I'm leaving but it doesn't change us. I still want this to work." "While on different continents?"

Mick pulled back and grabbed Emily's face between his hands. "I love you Emily and I love Kehlani. I know that this will be hard but I want a future with the both of you no matter what. We can make this work Em. I know we can because you are worth it and so much more. Please give us a chance. A real chance." Emily stared at Mick with watery eyes and shook her head. "Yes. I'll give us a real chance. Even if we are an ocean away." Mick silenced Emily with a solitary kiss.