Happy New Year everyone! I hope all of you started this year happy and healthy and for 2023 to bring more peace to all of us.

Thanks rachel. for your reviews :)

I hope you`ll enjoy the next chapter too!

Another life

Chapter 5

The day passed slowly and Ben was in a horrible mood and didn`t let any opportunity slide to let it out on me. I know he didn`t mean to, but it still hurt. I felt relieve flooding through my body when my cell rang and gave me and excuse to leave the room. "Excuse me." I said and went to answer the call. "Jared?" Does he have any news or was he only calling to check in?
"Hey Mick, how are you?"
"I`ve been better. Are there any news?" I asked nervously. If it was bad news, he wouldn`t give them to me over the phone. He`d come home and tell me in person to make sure I was okay. So there`d either be no news or good news. But I didn`t even let my try to imagine good news.
"No, I`m so sorry."
"It`s not your fault."
"I know, still." There was a short silence, neither of us knowing what to say.
"Do you mind if I stay and help out for a couple of hours, we`re understaffed as it is and there`s so much to do."
"Of course not. Do you need me to come in too?" almost hoping for an excuse to leave the house.
"No. Stay with Ben and Cal. Today`s officially one of your vacation days. Use it."
"Okay. Will you come over to Ben`s after work?"
"Yes, of course. I love you Mick."
"I love you too."

I returned and just shook my head. "They don`t know anything new." Ben left and went back upstairs without another word and left Cal in my care.
"Cal, what do you want to do this afternoon?" I asked when he walked over to me and hugged me.
"I don't know, I`m pretty tired."
"How does a movies and popcorn sound?"
"After I had donut`s for breakfast? Mom`s going to kill you, auntie Mick." He laughed. I wasn`t sure if he understood the seriousness of our situation yet.
"She probably will. But right now, she`s not here to tell us no. So, what do you want to watch?"
"Can we watch Ice Age?"
"Sure. Anything you want." I agreed and after putting the DVD in the player we cuddled up on the couch and started the movie. 20 minutes later he was asleep again.

"Hey, I`m driving back to the airport." Ben decided a while later. Cal was still cuddled close to me on the couch, fast asleep. "Can you stay with him?"
"Yes, I can stay with him, but Ben, there`s no use in going to the airport."
"I have to do something."
"Ben, if anything comes up, Jared will tell us."
"I can`t sit around and wait all day, I have to do something. I have to at least try and find them."
"Okay, be safe." What was I supposed to say otherwise?
'How on earth do you want to find them at the airport? The plane disappeared, it never arrived at JFK what kind of clues are you looking for?' It would be no use. He`d still go and be upset with me.

He hit the door shut loudly and Cal flinched but continued sleeping.

I've stayed at Ben's for that night as well. I felt we needed to stick together.

Jared spent the night too and in the morning we got ready to leave for work.

We had coffee and breakfast together when Ben and Cal joined us in the kitchen. Today is his appointment at the Mayo Clinic and I was supposed to pick up Olive from school this afternoon. If she was here with us, that is.

"Morning." We greeted them when they joined us in the kitchen. Cal greeted us too, then slouched down in the chair next to me.

"French toast?" I asked him and he looked at me sceptically.

"Did you make it?" I rolled my eyes, Jared laughed.

"No pal, as long as there is any other option, I will not cook. I promise."

"Thank God" he sighed. "Your cooking sucks." He said honestly. "Then it's your lucky day." I told him and loaded his plate.

"We've got to go." Jared said after looking at his wristwatch.

"Where are you going?" Ben asked looking grim.

"To work." I stated the obvious.

"You're going to work?"

"Yes of course."

"Do you think that's appropriate?"

"What else am I supposed to do? What would be appropriate?"

"I don't know, maybe you could try and figure out what happened to our family."

"Ben, you know there's nothing I can do to find them. It's much more likely I get new information at the precinct."

"Jared could get information from the precinct then you could take Cal to the clinic and I try to find our family."

"No dad please, I want you to come to the clinic with me today." Cal never asked for anything. It must be especially important to him today.

"You should be with Cal. We'll find out everything we can." Jared promised and took my hand to make sure I come along.

"We'll see you guys later, good luck at the clinic today." Jared told father and son.

The car ride was quiet. Michaela was lost in thoughts and I felt it was better to leave her be for a while. I was sure she was debating with herself whether Ben was right or not, whether she should go to work or stay at home and try and find their family. Eventually, I took her hand in mine and gave her a reassuring squeeze, showing her my support and our eyes met for a second. I could see all her pain, she didn't cover any of it up in front of me anymore, didn't put on the strong mask everyone else got to see.

Once I parked the car, I stopped her from getting out. "Mick?"

She turned to face me once again and let me hug her tightly. "I'll always be by your side, no matter what."

"I know. Thank you." she didn't let go but held on tight and I just held her until she was ready to let go.

We walked into the precinct together, hands entwined we walked to the captain's office. That was unusual for us, we usually stayed professional at work, never hold hands or exchange affection. We were partners and one of the best teams. Several colleagues greeted me and welcomed me back from my vacation. I'm not sure how many were aware of my missing family and thankful for those who knew but didn't mention it. We had a quick chat with captain Riojas and he told us there were no new information so we went to our desks. I was disappointed but what did I expect? I wasn't sure.

"Bring me up to speed?" I asked Jared once we sat down next to each other.

And that he did. A lot has happened in the last week and Jared was currently working on two open cases together with Harrington. I was to assist them and get up to date with my paperwork.

"Stone, what are you still doing here? Weren't you supposed to leave at 2:30 pm? Captain Riojas asked me confused in the afternoon.

"It's no longer necessary. I'd rather stay and catch up on my paperwork." I said feeling a lump forming in my throat. Had the plane not disappeared, I would have picked up Olive from school today. What I`d give to see that little girl today.

"Alright."

I stood up and went to the bathroom to compose myself. Work had kept me busy and of course I haven't forgotten, but for a while the disappearance of my family wasn't the main thought in my head. Now it's back and I wished it wasn't.

Jared eyed me worried once I got back but I ignored him for now. I wanted to work and get done with my paperwork so I could go out in the field again as soon as Jared and Harrington closed their case and they seemed to be getting close. I really could use a good distraction, a good case.

Ben meanwhile took Cal to the clinic. They took his blood for tests and then proceeded with his treatment. There was no cure but they were still trying to slow down the progress, give him as much time as possible. Ben was still hoping to find some kind of miracle cure.

They played games all day long until they both had enough. Cal was overcome by tiredness and fell asleep after a while and Ben continued his research. It was difficult to focus because his thoughts went back to Grace and Olive but there was nothing he could do while he was stuck in the clinic so he kept telling himself, he might as well do research.

The next few days went on like that except for staying at Jared`s for some nights.

I hadn`t been to my apartment at all. Half of my cloth were at Jared`s anyway and I didn`t feel like being alone. I stopped by Ben`s place at least once a day, sometimes I stayed with Cal while Ben went out trying to find anything out. Most times I had no idea where he went and what he was doing but he didn`t want to talk to me about it. Ben needed to be Ben and that was okay.

"Hey hon. Look who I brought." Jared greeted me with a kiss. "Hey." I smiled back at him. "Hi Lou." I got up and hugged her tightly. "It`s so good to see you."
"It`s good to see you too, how`re you holding up?" I shrugged and sighed.
"I don`t know. One of us has to at least try and keep it together and that`s definitely not Ben."
"What can I do? Help out with Cal?"
"Thanks for the offer, I might take you up on that sometime."
"Always Mick. I`m still working on my bachelor, mostly from home so you don`t have to use all your overtime."
"Thanks. Are you staying for dinner?"
"Do you want me to?"
"Yes, that`d be nice."
"Then I`m staying."
"Great! Cal? Are you hungry yet?"
"No." He called from his room. "When`s dad coming home?" he asked a minute later and joined us in the living room.
"I`m not sure."
"Hi Lourdes."
"Hi Cal, would you like to hang out with me sometime?"
"Sure, you`ve got the best snacks." We all laughed. It was true, Lourdes certainly knew her way around the kitchen. The laugh sounded strange, unfamiliar, I haven't heard anyone laugh since the plane disappeared.
"How are you?"
He shrugged. "I feel fine. But the doctors said I`ll die in about 6 months. But I don`t want to die." The way he talked about his impending death took me by surprise. He deserved so much better.
I bit my lip, closed my eyes for a second trying to compose myself. Tears were threatening to fall and I just couldn`t cry anymore, especially not in front of Cal. Jared took my hand in his and squeezed it, then pressed a kiss on my cheek and whispered something only I could hear.
I didn`t really follow the rest of the conversation between Cal and Lourdes but was relieved it wasn`t me who had to talk to Cal about his passing.
"What are we having for dinner?"
"I`m not sure, did you buy groceries?" I asked Jared and he shook his head.
"Then there`s always takeout." Lourdes said.
"If Grace was here and saw what I was feeding Cal, she`d kill me."
"She definitely would." Cal agreed cheekily.

Ben got back home just after we finished our dinner and Jared and I drove back to his apartment. I can`t be at Ben`s all the time, I need room to breathe and Jared and I need to just be a couple from time to time. Though honestly, even when we`re alone, we`re not the couple we used to be. Right now, there was no passion, no laughing, no flirting. I missed all this and wished there was a button to turn all that back on.
"Do you want a glass of wine, or a beer?"
"No." He got himself a beer and sat down on the couch with me.
"Do you think there`s a chance we`ll find them alive." I asked for the first time. He didn`t want to answer that question, I could see it in his eyes. But I knew what he thought anyways.
"Me neither." I admitted. For the first time I said it out loud. I felt a lump in my throat and sick in my stomach. I got up to leave the living room but Jared stopped me and took my hand in his.

"Michaela?" Quicker than I thought possible I found myself back in his arm. I just admitted to myself that my parents, Olive and Grace were most likely dead and would never come home and I was overwhelmed by all those emotions. I`ve lost almost everyone important in my life, first Evie, now my parents, my niece and sister-in-law. This time I lost all control over my body and cried until I didn`t have a single tear left and eventually fell asleep in Jared`s arms.

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!