"I've missed this."

Johnny smiled over at her, he knew exactly what she was talking about...because that's exactly what he'd been thinking since the moment they'd started talking there in the cockpit. "Me too."

"I mean, I don't remember the time loss...but it still feels like too long," Dutch told him.

"Well, I do remember being sick with worry about where you were...and if anything had been done to you," Johnny said. "And there were times I'd sit in here and try to talk to you...and Lucy just got confused."

"I bet you didn't expect to come to my rescue and find me in such a state."

"That's about the last thing I could have possibly imagined, to be honest," Johnny admitted. He and Dutch had been Killjoying for some time and they'd never talked about either of them having a future with kids (family as it was had been just the two of them and their fellow Killjoys). Things had changed...and some things had changed a shit ton unexpectedly. "Don't take this the wrong way, though, Dutch...I think you'd make a great mom."

"Yeah, I've had so much practice," she replied with a shake of her head and her didn't miss the rolling eyes.

He smirked. "You've had me and D'av." She laughed at that and he loved the sound of it. "Seriously, though...I stand by my statement."

They were just quiet sitting there together for a few moments before they both seemed to notice the same thing at the same time. "Lucy, why the hells have we changed directions?" John and Dutch asked at the same time.

"Where are we going?" John added.

No response.

"Lucy?"

"I told her to change course," D'avin spoke up as he entered the cockpit behind them. They both turned towards him.

"Explain," Dutch said, clearly not pleased.

"We need a plan...and we need our people here...all of them," D'avin said. "We need the people who would give their lives for ours...and whom we'd trust." He paused. "This isn't just about our fight against the Hullen any more...this is about so much more."

"The Hullen are still the mission," Johnny said. He could see the emotion on D'av's face and at the same time, he was certain that there were layers of emotions that his brother was trying to supress. After all, he'd just found out that he was going to be a father. With everything that had happened and everything that had been going on in The Quad...it was understandable. That didn't, however, change the fact that they were a team.

"Dutch and the baby come first."

And there it was.

And D'avin wasn't wrong.

He was just the first one to say it out loud.

"D'av, I'll be fine," Dutch insisted quickly.

"For how long?" D'av countered.

Johnny found himself torn because he didn't want Dutch away again but at the same time all he could think was that was what needed to happen. "We were saying that this whole thing might be a shitty trap." He and D'av had been discussing it right before Dutch had woken up, but now...now all he'd been concerned about was how pleased he was to have his best friend back. "If Aneela comes back for you...for that baby, then you're not the only one who's put into danger."

It was clear that Dutch was getting increasingly upset over what he'd said and he wasn't surprised. Pregnancy was insanely new to Dutch and she was clearly quite far along. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that I can't still kick ass and take care of myself and this child."

"I meant...D'av, Zeph, and myself...but yeah...you and the baby are still two beings that we have to keep safe."

"I have a plan and you're both probably going to hate it," D'avin spoke up and then both looked into his direction. "I'm not a big fan of it, but I know it's the one plan that doesn't leave us open for a full on shit storm that leads to us basically handing you back over to Aneela and the Hullen."

"Where are we going, D'av?" Dutch asked quietly and it was clear that she was worried.

Dutch was always one who lived to be in control, so this was probably hard on her to have to let someone else do the planning and say what was going to happen (especially when it involved her). Johnny waited, though, he knew that if what his brother was saying was true...then this was going to suck...a lot.

"We've got to go pick up some family," D'av told her. "First stop, Leith."

"D'av, what exactly is this plan?"

"We've got to split up."

"No."

"Dutch, how many times have Johnny and I trusted you?" D'avin asked, his voice extremely serious and yet laced with emotion. "This time...this time you have to trust us."

"I've always trusted you both-"

"But this time, it matters more than ever," Johnny added quietly. "D'av's right. You have to trust us."

"Do you know the plan?" Dutch asked him.

Johnny shook his head. "But I know that D'av and his heart when it comes to you. I trust him."

Silence filled the cockpit. They were both waiting for Dutch to say something else. Johnny wished that he could read D'av's mind in that moment just so he could know what the hells was going to happen...what his play was. Nevertheless, that was what they were doing...because even though it was nice for them to have that moment, him and Dutch, the Hullen were still out there and they were all targets.

"Tell me," Dutch finally whispered.

"The war with the Hullen has to continue...because in the last two months, they've only advanced their forces and taken out more of ours," D'avin started. "We need every small victory we can get...and we need to do more...to use more of the resources we have in order to keep our people safe and the Quad-"

"Out with it D'av!"

Johnny looked between Dutch and D'avin, he'd obviously been holding off onto going into detail about his plan because he'd already stated that it wasn't something that any of them were going to be one hundred percent behind. He found himself holding his breath as he waited for D'av to spit it out.

TBC…