AN: This chapter is a bit short, I initially wanted to start the action in this chapter but then I changed my mind and thought we all deserve to see Mika's state of mind after the accident and how it's affecting her thoughts and judgement. I know I'm the writer lol, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for Mika in this chapter. Thanks for the positive feedback and hits to everyone who's reading. Writing for an audience is fun. :)
"Drink this Mika" it will make you feel better, it's chamomile tea" Marlene said to Mika who was lying on the couch in Raizo's quarters.
"Thank you Marlene" Mika gave her faint smile.
"Oh, don't mention it schatz, how are you feeling now?"
"I don't know how I feel Marlene, I've just lost my house, I've lost my car, I almost lost my life and now I'm losing my freedom too, all in less than 24 hours, how am I supposed to be feeling?" Mika's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm so sorry schatz, it's all hard to take in at once but we're all there for you" Marlene gave her motherly hug, Mika sobbed like a baby in her arms. Her whole life had gone upside down in less than 24 hours. How did one walk away from such an experience unscathed? How did you begin to make sense of it all? How did you pick up all the pieces and go on with life? She thought of all her family heirlooms, her pictures, her work, her achievements. Every extension of hers now lay destroyed in the rubble and wreck that had become her apartment. Of course they would put together the recoverable stuff and give it to her but Mika had lost more than just material stuff, she had lost a part of herself too, everything she was used to.
For a moment Mika thought she was falling into pieces while sobs racked her being. She felt everything she had been trying to bundle up in front of Raizo and Ryan start to come out.
"It's going to be all right Mika" Marlene whispered. She patted the beauty's back in maternal fashion and waited till the sobs subsided.
"Oma, I can't find my animal farm puzzle, I want to pack it!" Henri called out from outside.
"I'll be back soon, Mika, now finish your tea" Marlene chided letting her go and standing up. Mika nodded like a child and wiped her tears away. Anytime Raizo and Ryan would be back, with the agents who were supposed to take them to a safe house outside Berlin, where they were to stay until the threat was over. While the tea soothed her it also made her sleepy, she dozed off after several minutes.
"Hey, Coretti, time to wake up and hit the road" Maslow shook her gently an hour later. Mika opened her eyes from her dreamless sleep.
"Are we riding shotgun?" she tried to joke despite the pain she felt trying to sit up.
"Hmm no, I bought a tanker, how are you feeling now?" he replied helping her after hearing her wince.
"I'm sore all over, where's Raizo?"
"He's with Marlene and the boy". Mika nodded smoothing the duvet that was covering her and spoke in a conflicted voice that echoed her internal struggle.
"I seem to be famous for opening a can of worms, now everyone is waist deep in the mud"
"You can't save the whole world but you sure do your part Coretti, you're a good woman. Unfortunately we don't live in a world that is black and white, there many shades of grey"
"And I seem to drag myself down with the others" she said sadly.
"Do you think we would stand by and watch you do this alone, do we not all want the same thing at the end of the day?"
"You've been a good friend to me Ryan, the only friend if I must say" she hugged him.
"Best researcher and friend" Maslow grinned.
"Hey, are you ready?" Raizo asked entering the lounge carrying luggage and trying to be oblivious to Mika and Maslow's hug. She smiled at him over Ryan's shoulder and he smiled back. Maslow nodded at Raizo and quietly excused himself.
"I bought you some things" Raizo indicated at the two Louis Vuitton cases he had set on the carpet. Mika looked at the cases and looked back at him.
"Raizo do you have any idea those bags cost an arm and a leg?" she said incredulously.
"Does it matter?" he shrugged not understanding her alarm. With Ozunu's vault and Swiss account now belonging to him, money was the least of his worries, not that he needed it that much, he was happy living the way he was now and he would never be one of those men riding around town in a limousine, wearing a suit and barking orders. He had never grasped the hang of it; to him it seemed like a sad and pathetic existence.
"And…you shopped?" she teased him now, the idea of Raizo at the women's section of clothes and lingerie department was a hilarious one.
"I—uh asked the woman in the store to help me" he said a little self consciously.
"And I got size 36 right this time" he teased back reminding her of their private joke.
"Come with us Rai, we can just decide to forget about this and runaway together and start over somewhere" she said biting her lower lip.
"Mika, I spent seven years of my life running away and hiding" he shook his head reminding her of his time after going rogue on Ozunu. "And I cannot start running again, especially when someone did this to you" he said in a brittle voice.
"You know, I—just want us to start being a normal couple, Rai. I want us to worry about what movies to watch, about who's going to do the dishes. Not about who's going on the chopping block this time, not about who's putting their ass on the line. I almost died today, and who knows how long we'll all live. If it all ends today or tomorrow, is this how we would've wanted to live our lives, is that all there is?" Mika seemed to be questioning herself more than him.
Raizo didn't know how to reply her, because every word she had said rang true; he took her face in his hands.
"I love you so much Mika" he murmured.
"I love you too" Mika bit back the sob that was threatening to choke out of her. Raizo carried her in his arms and took the cases going outside where everyone was now waiting.
"I'm not an invalid Raizo" she grumbled with embarrassment as Raizo deposited her on the backseat alongside Henriech who was grinning elfishly, the idea of one adult carrying another was new and certainly appealing to him.
"Take care of her" Raizo said to Marlene who nodded and smiled, the prospect of fussing over one more person thrilled her.
"My man, I'll see you soon" Raizo ruffled Henriech's hair fondly
"Bye Raizo" the little boy was obviously jazzed about the journey to pay much attention.
"And you….." Raizo raised Mika chin with his fingers and kissed her tenderly in the presence of everyone.
"Oma! Raizo is kissing Mika!" Henri shrieked in the backseat calling to Marlene.
"Stay out of trouble" he finished after she broke their kiss. Mika blushed wishing the seat stuffing would swallow her.
"PG rated stuff there guys" the young agent who was driving them said in a snarky tone, everyone laughed then he started the car after Raizo closed the door. Mika gave him a small wave as the car reversed. He wistfully watched it disappear at the end of the lane, feeling a huge part of his heart had also gone with her.
"You know Raizo, how you managed to stay away from her for the past three months beats me, it's still a mystery to me" Maslow said shaking his head.