A/N: Thank you so much for you loves and reviews! Especially you, Jocie413. You rock!
Welcome all new readers! Please enjoy!
"B-Billy!" I gasped as The Walrider's dark claws tightened around my neck. "P-Please stop! I just want to help you!"
The Walrider's hollow eyes slanted momentarily before it hurled me towards the ground.
I screamed as my body smacked against the hard ground, blood trickling down my mouth and my vision going hazy.
Despite all of that, I tried to shake it off and scrambled over to the Morphogenic Machine.
Only to be thrown aside and rammed against Billy's sphere.
"W-Wernicke says you're beyond help, Billy." His eyes shot towards mine at the mention of the doctor. "But-!" I gasped, The Walrider shoving me against sphere, like it intended to squash me. "Billy, this is not living! You..-Ah!-..You didn't deserve this! So, please let me help you! Please let me turn off this damn machine and all the nightmares will be over, sweetheart! Trust me!"
Billy stared holes into my face, like he was actually considering what I was saying.
Suddenly, The Walrider disappeared and I slumped against Billy's sphere, air finally returning to my lungs.
"Don't worry, Billy." I smiled weakly. "I'm going to turn off this machine and everything will be alright. Just hold on."
Slowly, I pushed myself away from the sphere and whirled back towards the control panel, hoping this wouldn't be too difficult.
The Walrider wasn't attacking me anymore, so that should save me so-
"Mom…my…"
I froze in my tracks as something was whispered into my ear.
'Was that…? Did he just….?'
Gradually, I turned back on my heel and saw Billy glaring at me with livid eyes.
"….Billy? Did you just call me-?" I was launched back and pinned onto the cold ground before I could finish, and The Walrider appeared once more, digging its thick claws into my shoulders.
"No, Billy!" I screamed, struggling with all my might but to no avail. "You need to let me do this! So many people have suffered and…and your father wants you to be free too!"
At the mention of Wernicke, The Walrider snatched my injured right hand from its sling and lifted me up to the ceiling.
"Billy, stop it!"
The Walrider jerked my arm roughly before slamming its other hand over my face, muffling my screams.
Then, The Walrider began wrenching at my arm, causing me to scream bloody murder at the shearing pain.
It pulled harder and harder like it was trying to-.
My eyes snapped open, and my heart fell to my stomach.
"BILLY! NO!"
I could feel my bones cracking as the pain grew and grew until-.
"BILLY!"
Then, time slowed down.
And I felt nothing.
The Walrider released my face, and I felt the wind flying past me as I fell towards the ground.
And it hovered in the air, watching me plummet to the ground.
With my right arm in its grip.
My consciousness slowly began to fade away, and before I crashed into the floor, I heard that haunting whisper once again.
"Mom…my…"
"God, Young-ja. She's so tiny." Miles whispered, lying next to me on the hospital bed and taking our newborn daughter's tiny hand in his.
"Of course, silly. She is a baby." I chuckled, exhausted but happy. After going into labor at three in the morning and having a hysteric Miles drive me to the hospital, here we were two hours later, new parents to a beautiful little girl.
She had these small tufts of black hair, rosy cheeks, a cute button nose, and was wrapped in a blue blanket. I had her nestled in my arms as she slept soundly with her mommy and daddy watching over her.
"We…we made this." Miles mumbled, gazing at our daughter like she was the most precious thing in the world.
"We did, Miles. She is part of you and part of me." I smiled, my heart singing at the goofy grin plastered across my husband's face.
"Hey there, Cheerio. I'm glad to finally meet you." He leaned over and gently kissed her tiny forehead.
"You're actually going to call her that? You and your silly nicknames." I giggled.
"Speaking of names," Miles spoke up, shifting his positon on the bed so he was holding both of us in his arms. "We never decided on one for her."
"I was thinking….Ae-cha."
"Ae-cha?"
"Yeah. It means 'love', and she was made from our love, so…." My cheeks flushed under Miles' stare and I averted my eyes.
With a happy laugh, Miles leaned forward and kissed me with all his might.
"Ae-cha is a wonderful name, cara mia. It really suits her."
"You think so?"
"I know so," He scooted down and placed his ear next to Ae-cha's mouth. "And I think she agrees too. Of course my Babynese is a tad rusty, but I believe my translation is correct."
"You dork." I sighed, my body feeling so heavy all of a sudden. "The doctor will be angry if she finds you lying next to me, y'know."
"And your point is?" He snuggled closer to me, stroking Ae-cha's cheek.
"My point is even if the doctor yells at you, don't go anywhere. I want you next to me—next to us."
"As you wish, my love." Miles smirked before kissing both me and Ae-cha on the foreheads, and there we slept in that hospital bed, a new and beautiful family of three.
Three months after giving birth to Ae-cha, I finally went back to work at the concert hall while Miles became a stay-at-home dad.
At first, he was uneasy about being left alone with the baby, though he will never admit it. However, after showing him the basics of feeding and diaper changing, he got the hang of it pretty quickly.
And it is not like I completely abandoned him. Since I preferred to be at home with my family but still needed to put bread on the table, I came in early in the morning so I could be home by noon. There weren't any big performances going on at the time, so I was giving violin lessons to children.
After a particularly uneventful day, I pulled up to the driveway and kicked the brake on my bike, ready to cuddle with my husband and daughter.
The house was silent as I closed the door behind me, which was a rarity since Ae-cha's laughter always greeted me.
Placing my violin in the closet and slipping off my shoes, I headed up the stairs to find them.
Upon walking into the master bedroom, I had to bite back a squeal at the sight before me.
Miles was sprawled out on the bed with Ae-cha snuggled in the curve of his arm. My sweet husband was sound asleep, and my precious daughter had kicked free of her blanket and was shaking her rattle at the ceiling fan.
Biting my lip, I leaned against the door frame and watched my two favorite people in the world. It was a beautiful scene. Miles stretched out on the bed, dressed in a comfy plain button up and jeans, his thick black hair ruffled with stubble littering his face. A storybook laid face down on the coverlet, one of the many about princesses and their knights. And Ae-cha laid there quietly with her own thoughts, as if she understood she was part of this man's world.
Quietly, I made my way towards the bed and settled on the edge, giggling as Ae-cha shook her rattle at me in greeting.
It was times like this when I wished I was an artist, just so I could capture this moment on paper.
Just so the pure beauty and sweetness would never be lost.
I was tempted to brush the hair on Miles' forehead, but I didn't want to wake him. It was rare to see Miles so vulnerable, without that thick coat of sarcasm and sharp wit coating his face. Seeing him lie there without a care in the world, I remembered just how handsome my husband was. Even back in college, Miles was a looker, but his face was softer, more child-like. Now, there was nothing boyish about the man before me. And, deep down, I felt pretty damn proud. People can look at him all they want—and boy, do they look-, but they will never have him because he is my Miles. Just like how I'm his Young-ja.
Ae-cha began to fret, and I reached out and picked her up. At the first movement, Miles' eyes opened.
"Sorry," I whispered, rubbing Ae-cha's back. "I didn't mean to wake you."
Miles said nothing, just stared at me with drowsy eyes. Then he raised his hand and curled his index finger, signaling for me to move closer. I did as he asked, and he cupped a hand at the back of my head and drew my lips to his.
"Welcome home." He mumbled against my lips, nibbling at the bottom one. "We missed you."
"I missed you guys too." I sighed, rubbing my nose against his.
Then Ae-cha, deciding it was time to eat, began to root at my blouse.
"Hungry, little one?" I chuckled, undoing the top two buttons and letting her latch onto my chest. "Was she fussy today?"
"Nah, we were just taking a short break." Miles sat up and leaned against the headboard, resting his arms behind his head. "We need to find out if Cinderella goes to ball, right, Cheerio?"
I laughed and nuzzled my nose over Ae-cha's forehead before switching her over to my left breast.
"You're a wonderful father, Miles. Ae-cha is truly blessed to have someone like you in her life."
"Look who's talking." Miles reached out and took a lock of my hair between his fingers, twirling it around. "You wake up at ungodly hours, go to work, come home dead on your feet, and you still make time for Ae-cha. If anyone should win the 'Best Parent of the Year' Award, it should be you."
I smiled at his sweet word and patted Ae-cha on the back, causing her to burp softly.
"Have you already eaten?" I asked while bouncing our baby on my knee. "I can go make us some sandwiches."
"Actually, I was planning on eating once you put Ae-cha down for her nap." He smirked, that Upshur gleam in his eye. "You look pretty sexy with your shirt unbuttoned like that."
"Miles." I sent him a knowing look. "Be serious."
"I am serious." He chuckled. "But, yeah, I haven't eaten yet. Been too busy trying to please this little Cheerio." He plucked Ae-cha off my lap and blew raspberries against her cheek, sending her into a fit of adorable laughter.
"Aw," I cooed, scooting next to Miles. "My little baby is so cute! Even if she poops a lot!"
Ae-cha's laughter filled the room once more, and I felt so happy at that moment, I swear my heart was going to burst.
"Oh, my little Ae-cha." I sighed, leaning against Miles and taking her tiny hand in mine. "I can't wait for the day you start talking."
"Yeah, just make sure 'My daddy is freaking awesome' is the first thing you say."
"Miles, go back to sleep."
It was four months later when Ae-cha finally said her first word.
Not a random assortment of babbles.
An actual, coherent word.
I was doing the dishes while Ae-cha sat in her baby swing, gnawing on Ms. Bunny's head.
"After I'm done, Ae-cha," I hummed, placing a bowl on the dish rack, "why don't we go out in the flower field and make some flower crowns."
*Bark!*
"And of course you can come too, Annie." I chuckled, bending down to pet the adorable Corgi Miles brought home for me as my "new BFF".
Once I spoiled her with enough belly rubs and kisses, Annie wiggled out of my lap and pitter-pattered down the hallway and up the stairs, probably to go bother Miles for some loving next.
Turning back to the sink, I began scrubbing a frying pan when a soft voice spoke up from behind me.
"Mom…my."
Dropping the pan back into the soapy water, I twirled around and stared at Ae-cha, who was still trying to decapitate Ms. Bunny.
"What…what did you say, sweetheart?"
"Mom..my." She smiled, pointing to me. "Mommy!"
"HOLY SHIT! MILES!"
A loud thunk echoed from upstairs, followed by a barrage of stomping and swearing.
"WHAT IS IT?!" Miles shouted, flying down the stairs and into the kitchen with Annie hot on his heels. "WHAT IS WRONG?! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"
"She..she..she.."
"SHE WHAT?!"
"She said 'Mommy'!" I squealed, lifting Ae-cha out of her swing and twirling around the kitchen while Miles looked like he wanted to strangle me and jump for joy at the same time.
"What's my name, Ae-cha?" I grinned, poking her nose. "Who am I?"
"Mommy!" She giggled, patting her tiny hands against my cheeks. "Mommy! Mommy!"
"That's right," I sniffed, tears rolling down my cheeks. "I'm your mommy."
(Felix's P.O.V.)
I nearly jumped out of my skin when something was thrown through the double doors.
Peeking over the edge of the elevator door, I found the angel splattered on the ground, her dress soaked with blood.
And..her arm.
OH GOD, HER ARM.
"A-A-Angel!" I raced forward and fell onto my knees next to her body. "N-N-No! Did…Did our Lord..reject her?! O-Oh, the blood..! The blood!" I shoved my hands against the gaping hole in her shoulder, willing the blood to stop pouring out.
But it didn't.
And her body grew paler and paler.
And colder and colder.
"H-H-Help! Father..Martin!" I gathered her up in my arms, not caring that touching a holy being could damn me. "T-The Angel is dying! THE ANGEL IS DYING!"
A/N: Holy crap. This chapter was a ride from start to finish. And, Jocie413! I have plenty more flashbacks coming! And I'm just going to say this now. It is possible to survive losing your arm, but you need first aid like ASAP.
And this was inspired by a conversation with Jocie413. The original draft of "Milestones" was vastly different from the current one. So, I've decided to show how the story has changed from the original development.
-This story was originally six chapters long.
-Miles and Young-ja never got together, although Miles did have a crush on her.
-Young-ja actually had friends, so she and Miles didn't hang out as often.
-The Parks actually were nicer parents, while Miles only had his father, whom he didn't get along with.
-After graduation, Miles and Young-ja go their separate ways.
-Miles moves to Chicago, and Young-ja becomes a voice actress in L.A.
-Years later, Young-ja visits Miles for his birthday, and he thanks her for being his friend and wishes they might be together in another life.
-A month later, Young-ja turns on the news and hears Miles has gone missing, she then reflects on their past and wishes things were different.
Totally different, huh? I changed it simply because Miles already has a shitty time in the game. He should have some happiness. Love you, Miles!