Raiden awoke in a small dark room to the musical, yet eerie sounds of machines beeping in the distance.
He looked around, noticing immediately where he was.
A hospital.
He appeared to be alone, not a soul around. He was saddened by this, sighing as he sat up. He saw the sun beginning to peak in through the drawn curtains, and wondered quietly to himself how long he had been here, and more importantly, how he got here. He swung his legs to the side of hospital bed, placing his feet on cold tile. He noticed then that his armor had been removed, and his ribs and collar bone had been bandaged. He wore nothing but a pair of tight boxers and the bandages on his chest.
He got shakily to his feet, looking around the room. He noticed a mirror in the far corner, and limping slightly, made his way over too it. A raw red gash stood out across his nose, purple and bruised at the edges. He felt worn down, depressed. He missed Anna, craved her presence. He dropped his eyes to the floor, a feeling of hopelessness overtaking him.
A soft click and the sound of footsteps behind him and he turned. Snake walked in, a smile on his face. Following closely behind him, looking tired, eyes dark and bloodshot from tears, was Anna.
She smiled and ran to him, throwing herself into him, and wrapping her arms tightly around him. He did the same, nearly sobbing at the joy swelling in his chest. He could smell her perfume, her breath, sweat and blood...and he wouldn't have had it any other way. He looked down and noticed a blood soaked bandage on her back, soaked in blood.
" Anna are you okay? What happened? Where's your father?"
She smiled up at him, barely able to contain her joy.
" Raiden he's dead! I saw his heart stop beating. He's gone for good now"
He smiled at her, then glanced up at Snake, his smile widening as he saw the spark on his friends eyes.
" he's dead now. That last missle hit him right in the face. Tore his head off. "
Raiden hugged Anna closer, breathing deeply the scent of her hair.
" I'm glad you're finally awake, Raiden. I missed you"
He nodded, rubbing her shoulders. He felt content, and finally like he could relax. He had her now, and he would never let her out of his sight. She was his...
" Raiden, we can be together now" she pulled away, grabbing his hand. She placed it against her stomach, and placed a small object into his other hand, pressing it against his palm as she looked up at him, locking eyes with him.
" all three of us..."
Raiden looked at Snake, puzzled. Snake smiled, if possible, even wider. Eyes narrowed, Raiden glanced down at the object Anna had pushed into his hand.
He gasped, eyes wide, looking down at Anna with astonishment.
" you're pregnant?!"
She smiled and nodded, and Raiden felt his world explode around him. A flood of emotions hit him, and he dissolved into her, cradling her stomach.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Winter turned to spring, spring to summer, summer to winter, and time continued on. Joy and sorrow, madness and ecstasy, all seemed a dream as the months passed.
Moonlight shone through the open window, illuminating a mass writhing between silken sheets. Two figured entwined together, rising together, gently...then harder.
He touched her, and she melted to him. Her skin burned at his touch. He was surrounding her, filling her, until he became all she knew and all that possessed her.
" Raiden..."
He caught her mouth in his, silencing her, running his fingers through her hair, and together they danced a dance of passion and lust.
Unnoticed, a door creaked open, a tiny hand gripping the knob. He looked up, brought the sheets around himself, cursing under his breath. rolling to the side as a voice called out, timid and frightened.
" Mommy..."
Anna was on her feet, grabbing her robe, wrapping it around herself quickly. She rushed forward, kneeling before the child, taking her hands to her child's.
The girl was small, barely three years old. Hair the color of her fathers, with her mothers eyes.
" Lilly...honey are you okay?" Raidens voice was gruff in the stillness of the room.
The girl nodded, folding into her mother.
" Mommy I heard a noise..."
Before Anna could speak, Raiden was on his feet, suddenly wearing dark, ripped jeans.
" where did you hear a noise?"
The little girl pointed towards the door, clutching an ageing white stuffed cat in the other arm, clinging to it as if life depended on it.
" Downstairs."
He was at the door, ushering Anna and his daughter towards the bed, grabbing a gun from a rack behind the bedroom door.
Anna stood now, her growing stomach curved in the dim light. Twin boys, due any day now...her stomach looked almost bigger than she did...
" Stay here, lock the door."
Anna nodded, picking up their daughter as Raiden disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. He crept down the hallway, his gun held at his side, though his finger was steady on the trigger.
He heard light footsteps, his breath hitching in his lungs. Silently, he looked down over the banister, blood running cold as a figure passed beneath him.
Coal black hair, a large opposing man with glowing blue eyes, scars running like a lightning strike, radiating from a metallic seam running diagonally across his face...
-fin-