A/N: I've been writing this chapter between studying for and taking finals. I know it's been a long time but I hope you all are still hanging on there and patiently waiting! As an apology, this chapter is extra long - I really do hope it's worth the wait.
September 24, 2008
September was almost over. It meant three more months until Sam had to leave for his first two year tour on JTF2. It meant snow, lots of snow in Canada. But most importantly, it meant Jules was now seven months pregnant.
And unfortunately, the teenager was definitely feeling it.
"Come on love, you have to eat something. Just one more bite?" Sam pleaded with Jules, who continued to stubbornly refuse another bite of the pasta he had lovingly prepared for her. She was currently laying across the couch, her head on a pillow while he knelt in front of her, a spoon with macaroni on one hand.
He put the bowl on the side table with a sigh as she continued to shake her head, her sleepy eyes closed.
He placed a hand on her cheek, gently forcing her to look at him. "Jules Braddock, look at me."
At the use of her last name, she instinctively smiled. She opened her eyes, looking into his worried blue orbs. "Sam, I'm not hungry. Just tired."
"The last time you ate was about 5 hours ago Jules, and all you ate were two granolas. Just eat a little and then you can nap some more, okay?"
At the reminder of the granolas, Jules felt her stomach twist painfully. The same way it had all day. Was it this painful to be pregnant? She thought she wouldn't have to worry about the intense pain until the baby was born. Discomfort, sure, but intense pain?
"Just a little more sleep?"
Sam ran his hand through her brown locks, brushing her hair with his hand in a comforting gesture. "Okay, just a little more. But then you have to eat some macaroni. I even made it with that gooey cheese you love so much."
Jules groaned as she felt her head pound, shutting her eyes tightly and barely registering her husband's words. She clutched the pillow with one hand and placed a hand on her belly with the other as the baby kicked strongly inside of her.
Sam furrowed his brow at her pained expression and immediately became worried. "Jules? Baby talk to me. What's wrong?"
When she failed to respond, he placed a hand on her belly, and feeling the kicks, understood. He gently smoothed his palm under her shirt and caressed the unborn baby. He placed his mouth to her belly and whispered soothing words, feeling the tension leave Jules's body and the kicks ebb to gentle movements.
Jules finally opened her eyes and looked at him with an adoring smile. "He loves to hear your voice."
Sam grinned like a fool. Two months ago, they had discovered they were having a son. And he was happy beyond words. "And I love this baby more than you can ever imagine Jules."
Jules opened her mouth to respond in kind, when a sharp pain pulsated through her stomach. A blood curling scream escaped her lips and tears leaked from her eyes.
Sam was immediately at her side, fear and worry evident in his blue eyes. He put his hands on either side of her face. "Breath, love. Just breath. Sniper breathing remember?"
Jules whimpered and clutched onto Sam's shirt, not hearing his words. All that cut through her mind was the searing pain.
Sam immediately reached for his cell, dialing for the ambulance. He held onto her tightly, soothing words leaving his lips in between informing the dispatcher of their location.
He hung up and looked at Jules, who was now oddly still. He ran his thumb over her eyes and his voice cracked as a sob escaped his lips. "Jules? Baby, open your eyes. Jules, I love you sweetheart. Please. Open your eyes."
He vaguely heard the paramedics come in. Vaguely heard their frantic urgent orders. Vaguely recollects how he got on the ambulance.
All he knows is he never let go of her limp hand.
FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP
Jules felt another sharp pain rip her body in two and another scream of agony explode from her throat. She kept her eyes locked on Sam's blue ones and clutched his hand with bruising force. Tears streamed unchecked down her cheeks as the doctor encouraged her to push in the background.
Jules weakly shook her head and gasped out. "I can't, I.." She gathered her breath as a sob and scream melded into one. "It hurts so much. Sam, please, make it stop."
Sam's heart was breaking as tears streamed down his cheeks as well. It was as if he could feel her pain. He put a hand on her cheek gently. "Baby, listen to my voice, okay? You can do this. I know you can. Jules, you are so strong, so amazing. You're so brave and beautiful. And I love you so much. More than I've ever loved anyone and more than is humanly possible. I knew you would be mine since that first day, Jules. It was you or no one sweetheart. And no matter what others say, it'll stay that way till the day I die. So you need to be strong baby, for me. For that beautiful baby boy we created. You hear me, Jules?"
Jules heard him and she was pretty sure his presence and comforting words were the only things keeping her alive. "I- I love you too Sam."
Sam kissed her hand, his voice breaking with emotion. "Love, breathe. You can do this. Just breathe."
"Almost there!" The doctor announced. "Just one more push, honey."
Jules shook her head wearily and gave it all she had as she clutched Sam's hand. A piercing cry filled the room and Jules smiled in relief, closing her eyes from exhaustion. She felt her body go limp as darkness beckoned its invitation.
Sam immediately shot up at the sound of his son's cry. He felt relief wash over him along with an overwhelming happiness. He watched as the little boy was cleaned and wrapped up.
The doctor placed the too small baby in his arms.
Sam felt his heart stop and his voice broke. "Is he supposed to be this small?"
The doctor looked at him sympathetically. "No. He's premature. I just wanted you to hold him so I can then take him up to the nursery's ICU."
Sam nodded as his heart shattered and he placed a kiss on the baby's forehead. "I love you. Be strong for Daddy, okay?"
The doctor felt his eyes mist and took the baby from Sam, quickly ushering the baby to the nursery ICU.
Sam would have gone after them, to make sure his son would be safe but he couldn't, not until his Jules was okay. He turned back to his young wife and frowned. His eyes trailed to the machine displaying her vitals. Her heartbeat was slowing down and then...
It stopped.
He screamed as if his own heart had been ripped out of his chest and lunged towards Jules.
He felt arms restraining him as they pulled him out of the room, shouts of "Charge!" reaching his ears.
Alone in the hallway, he sunk to his knees and pleaded with heaven for his Jules to be okay. To live because if she didn't neither would he. Heartbreaking sobs tore though him and he weakly tried to get up and attempt to plow into the room, put his legs gave out after two steps. He vaguely felt a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't have the strength to move or look up.
Then he felt arms wrap around him and comforting words in his ear. "It's gonna be okay Sam. My daughter is strong. She will come back to you and your Son. Please, be strong for her and your son too."
Sam finally calmed down and looked to see Mrs. Nuella calmly looking at him with tears in her eyes. Sam vaguely wondered when Jules's adoptive mother had gotten here and how she knew of the situation.
"That's it my boy. Come on, why don't you get up?" Mrs. Nuella glanced behind him and directed her next words to whomever was there. "Sweetie, go get him a glass of water."
Sam slowly got up with Mrs. Nuella's help. He frowned at the feeling of another pair of hands holding him up. He looked sideways and was pleasantly surprised to see Sgt. Williams standing there.
"Jules?" He croaked out, his eyes immediately darting to the closed double doors.
"She's gonna be okay, Son. That's what we were trying to tell you. They got her heart to restart and they moved her up to ICU and have her closely monitored. You can't go see her just yet, but hopefully in a couple hours they will allow you to enter. So in the meantime, why don't we go see that boy of yours?"
Sam placed a hand to his heart. It was still beating and, although it didn't seem logical, he figured since it was still beating so was Jules's. He took in a shaky breath. "Did the doctor say where my son is?"
Mrs. Nuella smiled, turning to take a cup of water from Claire and handing it to him. "Yes. Do you want to go see him?"
Sam gratefully took the small plastic cup and took hesitant sips, promptly disposing of it in the closest bin. "Let's go."
Mrs. Nuella led Sam, Sgt. Williams, and Claire up to the nursery's ICU and towards the room where the baby was being held.
A doctor writing on her notepad looked up when she saw them approaching. "Sam Braddock."
Sam nodded. "Doctor Coleen."
She smiled tightly. "The baby's doing better than expected. He's a fighter. We currently have him in the incubator but if things continue to look up, he can go home in a couple days." She cut her eyes to Sam. "Would you like to see him?"
Sam nodded, following the doctor as she passed her card at the door and ushered him inside. He washed thoroughly and put on the scrubs.
His heart beat wildly as he approached the incubator that held his son, Dr. Coleen already there, smiling down at the infant. She then fixed her gaze on Sam. "You have 30 minutes."
Sam nodded and waited until the doctor that seemed to hate him left. He then gazed at his son. Blue eyes, light skin, blond baby fine hair, and perfect little features. The baby boy was a spitting image of him and he felt his eyes fill. His son. Their son. How did he get so damn lucky?
He placed his hand in the glove inside the opening of the incubator and nudged his son's small hand with his own. The baby's eyes locked on his and he kicked his little feet. Sam could swear the baby smiled and for the first time in hours, so did he.
"Hey there, I'm your daddy. And I love you and your mommy so much. But mommy can't see you right now but as soon as she can, she will. I want you to know that you are a gift and the most precious thing I've ever had, along with mommy. You two are my whole world and I promise to protect you and love you for the rest of my life. Nothing bad will ever happen to you Son."
Before he knew it, Sam felt a hand on his shoulder and he tore his eyes away from his son reluctantly.
Dr. Coleen sighed. "Im sorry. It's time you go."
Sam looked at his son one last time and forced himself to pull his hand away. His feet felt like lead as he walked away, but he didn't have a choice.
The woman ushered him out and as soon as she did he was assaulted by eager questions from Claire and her mother.
"Is he okay?"
"When are they releasing him?"
Sam ran a hand through his hair. "He's perfect. They didn't really tell me when they would release him though." He looked at them hopefully. "Any word on Jules?"
Mrs. Nuella shook her head. "We got the room number for you but we'll have to wait in the waiting room."
Sam nodded wearily and in no time found himself slumped in a hard chair with his head in his hands.
He doesn't know how much time passed, between sitting and pacing and threatening nurses for information, he never saw the use in looking at a clock. But then the double doors swung open and a doctor placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Sam Braddock?"
He nodded, trying not to lift his hopes.
"Julianna is asking for you."
And then he felt hope surge. He quickly followed the doctor and burst through the door to Jules's hospital room. "Jules?"
"Sam!"
He immediately gathered her in his arms, tears of relief rolling down his cheeks. He whispered soothing and loving words in her ear, pulling away to kiss her urgently. She responded in kind, sinking back with a content sigh after pulling away.
Suddenly, Jules's eyes widened with worry. "Where's my baby? Sam?"
He rubbed her hand. "Sshh, baby, calm down. He's okay, Jules. Our baby boy is perfect. He's in the nursery ICU."
Jules didn't look convinced. She wanted to hold her baby in her arms and then she'd know he's okay.
Sam saw the worry and kissed her hand. "If you want I could ask the doctor to bring him in for awhile."
Jules nodded eagerly, taking a shaky breath. She closed her eyes as she felt sleepy again. The morphine they had her on made her drowsy.
Sam's brow furrowed. "Sweetheart?"
She smiled. "I'm okay. Just tired."
A knock at the door had Jules raising an eyebrow. Sam simply smiled at her and went to open the door, allowing the three visitors in.
Jules smiled widely as her best friend and mother hugged her tightly, bringing fresh tears to her eyes. Sam and Sgt. Williams simply smiled, watching the three hug and whisper comforting words.
Sgt. Williams patted Sam's back. "She'll be okay. And so will your son. In no time, you three will be back home and safe."
Sam looked over at the older man and smiled. "Thank you, sir."
FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP
Present Time, outskirts of Toronto
"Sgt. Williams." Sam growls.
Matt rolls his eyes. "How did I know you would choose him?"
Sam's jaw rocks as he forces himself to keep his voice low, so the other customers in the small diner can't overhear a single word. "Matt, that man earned my trust. Jules's trust. I trusted him with my family and I thought they were safe. I couldn't have been more wrong. He stabbed me in the back, he blackmailed me with my wife and child. He's a monster Matt and he deserves a slow painful death."
Currently the two are at a small diner eating breakfast, deciding which of their targets would be crossed off the list first.
Matt nods. "Okay so Sgt. Michael Williams." He takes a gulp of his soda. "Do you know where he is?"
Sam shakes his head in frustration. "No I don't. When I moved Jules and the kids to Toronto, he disappeared. I only heard from him whenever he sent me a new target through Major Clinton."
Matt frowns, retrieving the laptop they carried. He flagged each man on the list so whenever a move that could be detected by a satellite was made, such as using a credit card or making a call or if a camera saw their face, they'd know about it. "I have the locations for only three of them. The other five are seriously off the grid."
Sam feels like throwing his glass across the room but resists the urge. "Okay, who do we have?"
"Clinton, McAllister, and Hanston."
Sam nods, each name bringing with it a terrible memory. At one point or another, he witnessed all eight men doing something atrocious or ordering for it to be done by the men they had brainwashed or exploited.
Although he has to remind himself that some of the men under their control had been there voluntarily for the money - Hanston had been one of them. Williams had seen his potential and willingness and offered him leadership status, lifting his rank in the army as well. Williams had then offered Sam the same deal, if he was willing to put his morals aside and quit fighting them. Sam had simply spit in his face and suggested he go to hell.
"Hanston."
Sam saw anger flash in Matt's eyes when he said the name. And Sam knew why.
Hanston and Matt were captured the same fateful day, and although they didn't know each other, they created an unspoken alliance at finding themselves in the same situation.
Or so Matt thought.
The two men shared a cell for days, both unbeknownst as to why. They were questioned and tortured for information on their families. Matt didn't understand at the time but kept his mouth shut anyways.
But on a particular day, he and Hanston talked. He thought they were friends - they had survived for weeks together. Matt shared he had a younger brother in the Army and that he would do everything in his power to get back to him. Hanston also shared and both men formed a bond that night.
But Matt had gotten the surprise of his life when his captors knew about his brother the next morning and used his brother as the blackmail they needed. Matt had been devastated and forced to join the underground group of government assassins, if only to keep his brother safe.
But the biggest blow came when he saw Hanston grin at him from the other side, standing among his captors.
Matt snaps out of his thoughts and takes a couple breaths. He types into the laptop and scribbles down the coordinates of Hanston's location. He looks up to meet Sam's gaze, a frown on his face. "He's in Nova Scotia. Halifax, to be exact."
Sam involuntarily shudders at the idea of being so close to the ocean, his heart aching at going so far from his family. But he has to do this. "You remember Gio?"
Matt thinks for a second, chewing on some bacon, before he nods his head in the affirmative. "He's that pilot that was discharged from the Air Force after he stole some confidential documents, right?"
"Yes and no. He was actually framed by General Hastings after he refused to join the underground group." Sam shrugs. "He owes me some favors. I can give him a call and get a ride to Halifax."
Matt grins. For once, things seem to be going their way.
"Sounds like a plan."
FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP
Present Time, SRU HQ
"I'm your father." The dark haired man in the crisp military uniform directs at Jules once again. "I am -"
"It doesn't matter." Jules interrupts, her voice even. "I don't want to hear it. I want you to leave."
The man squares his shoulders in defiance, his dark eyes boring into hers. "Well, Julianna. You will whether you want to or not. I am your father."
"No you aren't." Jules hisses. "Or did you forget abandoning me? Did you forget I existed for the last twelve years? Where were you, huh, when I actually needed my dad?" Jules takes a deep breath, anger radiating off of her in waves. "I don't have a father."
The man opens his mouth to speak but Ed walks forth. "Sir, I'm sure you know where the door is."
He ignores Ed and looks at the petite brunette. "I have an explanation. If you would just give me a chance."
Jules shakes her head, jiggling Sadie as the little girl begins to stir. "I don't want to hear your excuses. You've obviously moved on with your life," she motions to his uniform and then looks at her daughter, "and so have I. No need to open old wounds."
"Very well." The man adopts a contemplative look and, as if deciding what he wants to say can't be heard by others but is for her ears only, retrieves an envelop from his pocket and thrusts it in her hand. "Read that as soon as possible. I have included my number if you wish to contact me."
With that he displays a tight smile and heads back in the direction he came from.
Jules places a now awake Sadie on the ground, watching her run towards her brother as she gathers her thoughts.
"Jules, can I talk to you?"
Jules looks over at Spike, amazed at seeing a blank look on the man whose emotions usually show on his face.
"Something we need to know, Spike?" Greg probes, also alarmed at the Italian's blank look.
Spike simply continues to stare at Jules, who simply nods. She looks at the guys. "Can you all please take care of Sadie and Jake?"
Wordy is the first one to agree, patting her back as he makes his way to the gym. Lew, Greg, and Ed are soon to follow, albeit uncertainly.
Once they're alone, Spike grabs Jules's arm and pulls her to her locker room, locking the door behind them.
"I know who he is."
Jules eyes him incredulously. "I don't care Spike."
He shakes his head worriedly. "Well, you will." He takes a deep breath. "His name is Nathan Collins -"
Jules frowns. "Spike, I know that."
Spike runs a hand through his hair in frustration. "Jules, just listen, okay?" He takes a calming breath. "He's one of the leaders of the underground group of government mercenaries. He's a crooked military official and I don't think he was here for a family reunion."
Jules feels her heart drop as her insides twist. She hesitantly unfolds the envelope and opens it, revealing a letter.
Julianna,
I knew you wouldn't want to talk to me. But I have been searching for you all my life and I'm not about to let you go now that I have found you, despite what I have led you to believe. You are my daughter and I will have you back.
Fortunately, I have a way to ensure you have reason to speak with me. Samuel Braddock. That man is under my control and imprisoned by my men. If you need proof, I will provide it. At the moment, he is alive. However, if you do not call within 24 hours, it will not remain that way. Alert your team or anyone other than yourself, and I will not hesitate to rid myself of Braddock.
And I will go after you and your children with resources beyond your control. You can't hide anymore Julianna, all you can do is call.
801-0711-9100. You have 24 hours.
Nathan Collins, your father
A/N: Review? Share your thoughts on what you think will happen next. Will the guys get to Halifax and find Hanston? Will Jules actually call her father - who is blatantly lying about having Sam?