A/N: Yay, an update! Yes, I know this is not the most interesting chapter in the world, and that these chapters just keep getting shorter and shorter, but I'm trying, and it is necessary, so just bear with me. ;) Enjoy, R&R, tell me what you think, and I will keep working! :D

Song: Storm, by Lifehouse.

If I could just see you

Everything would be alright

If I'd see you

This darkness would turn to light.

Marcus watched as Baird got off the elevator and walked up to the front desk, and then he pressed the button for the lobby. He knew that Baird wouldn't appreciate him following any further, and respected that; some things were just too personal, even between the closest of friends.

The shiny metal doors slid shut, and the former sergeant sighed heavily as the box car began it's decent. Everything still seemed unreal, even two weeks after everything had happened; it didn't' feel at all like Sam was gone, or that Damon Baird was a father. It felt wrong how everything had shifted in the blink of an eye.

After a minute, the elevator dinged, and then opened up again. Marcus was met with a small crowd of people waiting to get on, their faces a contrasted mixture of happiness, worry, anticipation. Judging from the looks in each of their eyes, it was simple enough to guess which floor they were heading to; the older man, with a smile that seemed too wide for his aged face, was going to see his new grandkid in the nursery. The young brunette, a handkerchief clamped to her nose in an attempt to stop from crying, was heading to the intensive care unit. The young boy, no more then seventeen, wringing his hands anxiously with a nervous grin, was going to the maternity floor to meet his pregnant girlfriend for her first ultrasound.

So many different feelings encompassed a hospital, that sometimes it seemed like the happy floors should be separated by miles and miles from the sad ones; that way, Marcus thought as he pushed his way through the mess of bodies, the happy people wouldn't have to feel sorry when they saw the sad ones, and the sad people wouldn't get jealous over the happy people. Things would be easier.

But then…where would that leave a man who had just lost his wife, and became a father all at once?

"Marcus!" Dom's voice interrupted the sergeant's thoughts, and he looked around the crowded lobby until his eyes met those of his oldest friend.

"I got your note," the other man continued as they approached each other, referring to the small scribble of paper Marcus had left in the apartment before he and Baird had left. "How is he?" he added, concern etching into his chocolate brown eyes.

"Off the medication. Again." Marcus had a way of keeping his voice low and still managed to be heard, kind of like the distant thunder that was currently rumbling outside the hospital walls.

Dom folded his arms over his chest, shifting his weight to his other foot. He could've predicted that answer, but it still didn't get any easier to listen to. He wondered absently why Baird wasn't using the numbing pills, but then remembered how he himself had been encouraged to take medication after everything with Maria. Looking back, it just didn't seem right to be trying to forget about the person you loved. He couldn't blame Baird for feeling the same way.

"What happened with Grant?" Marcus's gruff voice broke Dom out of his thoughts, and the Latino rolled his eyes and shook his head at the mention of their boss.

"What's there to say?" he responded, raising his muscular shoulders in a gesture of helplessness. "Compton Grant is a complete asshole, and there's not much you or me can do about it. Needless to say he didn't take too kindly about the two of us skipping out last night, but whatever. You look like shit, by the way."

"Thanks," Marcus responded dryly, not bothering to pursue the subject. Both men fell silent, wandering to a quieter corner of the lobby as they waited for Baird, and settling down into some old chairs. After a few minutes, Marcus noticed a distant look in Dom's eyes, and he nudged him with his elbow.

"You ok?"

Dom glanced at him, and smiled sadly. "I miss her, Marcus." He sighed, and rubbed his face. "I miss her so much."

"I know," Marcus responded after a second. Although his answer was simple, Dom understood what he really meant to say.

I miss her too.

Fifteen minutes later, Baird got off the elevator, and Marcus noticed that he didn't seem as shaky as before, and that his eyes seemed a little brighter. Dom tried to hide his surprise at the sight of the blonde, with all the bruises covering his face.

They caught each others eyes as he walked deeper into the lobby, and Dom raised his hand in greeting. Baird nodded at him.

"Hey," he breathed as he approached the two of them, hands once again pocketed away.

"What's up, man?" Dom clapped him gently on the shoulder. The questioned sounded general enough not to be intrusive, but all three men knew what he meant by it.

Baird, in reply, gave a small shrug, and an encouraged nod. "They said he's doing better," he admitted slowly, his voice scared and hopeful all at once; he wanted to believe what was being told to him, but didn't want to get his hopes up either. "They said that, if he keeps improving, I'll probably be able to take him home in another two, three weeks."

Marcus blinked slowly in that surprised way of his, and Dom was silent for a second before actually smiling, as if he couldn't process the information right away.

"Baird, that's great." He paused, shrugged, and then flat out hugged Baird. "That is so great."

"Isn't it?" the blondes voice was subdued, but there was an actual smile playing at the corners of his lips. It was nervous and small and barely there, but it was a smile. The first one either Dom or Marcus had seen in quite some time.

It was good enough for them.

A few minutes later, Dom, Marcus and Baird were driving back to the apartment. Dom drove in his own truck, while the other two rode back in the car they had arrived in.

Baird seemed to be in higher spirits, if only a little, which prompted Marcus to try to get some conversation out of him; it seemed more natural for the blonde to be talking, and the former sergeant figured it'd be better then leaving him alone in his thoughts.

"You hear from Cole lately?" he spoke up as they glided down the highway, puddles of rain sloshing under the old tires of the truck. Lightning flashed overhead, and it was quickly followed by a mellow rumble of thunder.

Baird rubbed his eyes, settling into a more comfortable position on the seat. Everything was still sore from last night, and he was having trouble ignoring the throbbing pains that were pulsing through his head.

"He left a message a few days ago," he replied simply. "They won the game over at Chimley, so he'll be coming back in another week."

"Did you ever call him back?" Marcus asked again, awkwardly dividing his attention between his friend and the rain soaked road. His hands were tight on the steering wheel.

"Haven't gotten a chance." Baird went quiet after finishing, and it was obvious that he wasn't keen on speaking much right then; he instead leaned his elbow on the armrest, his head in his hand, and closed his eyes.

Marcus didn't pursue it. Today had been a long enough day, filled with a lot of mixed emotions. Thinking about it, he probably wouldn't have wanted to talk either, if he had been in Baird's shoes.

After a few minutes, he flicked the blinker on to get off the highway, and he watched through the rearview mirror as Dom did the same.

The neighborhood that housed their apartment wasn't anything special, but it was decent enough; the higher-ups who had been left after the war ended had made sure the soldiers who saved the world had gotten at least that much.

During his time as law enforcement, Marcus Fenix had seen far lousier parts of Hanover then where he was currently living, and he knew Dom would say the same thing; there were no gangs here, or prostitutes working every available corner, or random bouts of gunfire in the middle of the night. No, this neighborhood wasn't perfect, but it suited Marcus just fine.

Another fifteen minutes later, the old pickup lurched to a stop in the apartment's parking lot, and Marcus undid his seatbelt. It was really pouring, so much so that nothing was visible through the windshield as soon as the wipers stopped.

Wordlessly, the two of them got out of the car, and squinted as they were pelted with icy droplets of rain. Thunder clapped overhead as Dom slammed his own car door shut, and jogged over to the two of them. They walked to the doorway, where they were at least partially sheltered from the monsoon, but then Baird gestured over to his car.

"I think I'm gunna head back you guys." He had to raise his voice to be heard over the slapping of rain on the pavement.

"You sure?" Dom shouted back, his bearded face crinkling with concern. "Don't you think this shit is a little thick to drive in?"

It was true that the storm had only gotten worse since they'd arrived at the apartment, but Baird waved him off.

"I'll be fine," he called over his shoulder as his jogged over to his truck. It was unlocked, the keys hanging from the visor. "Call you later?" he added, unrolling his window so that they could hear as he settled down.

"Sure," Marcus replied, and as Baird started the car, he called to him again, and then tossed something through the window. The blonde caught it in rain-slicked palms before noticing it was the same orange bottle Marcus had mentioned earlier.

He nodded one more time to the two of them, and then rolled up his window before his whole car flooded.

As he pulled out of the driveway, the blonde tossed the pill bottle on the passenger seat, and tried not to think about it staring back at him, all the way home.

A/N: One more quick thing, if you have any suggestions for Baird's baby's name, leave it in the comments, and if I use it, I'll mention you in the next chapter or so. Also, I just realized I haven't been jotting down the name of the author/s of the songs I have been using. So to remedy that…The three chapters that I missed…

Mad World: Gary Jules

Fix you: Coldplay

My Immortal: Evanescence