by Honor James
* * * *
"She's living in Sweetwater," Anton said as he looked up from the computer he'd been working on for the past hour. "She owns a small property, works at the local hospital and her daughter is enrolled in the local elementary school. Never married and from what I can see of her financials, she doesn't date ever. Every penny she brings in is very carefully handled and either goes to the kid or to necessities."
"Doesn't mean she doesn't date," Marius said looking over his shoulder.
"No but this does," he pulled up another screen. "This guy Michael has been IM'ing her off and on for the last year. He asks her out and she says no, says she's not ready and so forth. Basically that is the cold hand of the brush off lads."
"Sweetwater's only an hour away," Gareth murmured to Mikhail as they stood out of the way of the others who were tracking down Daisy and her daughter.
Nodding he let out a breath, "She'll be on shift tonight which means we're not going to have a hell of a lot of a chance to talk to her. We need to get to her as she comes off shift. Get to her when she's tired and not thinking clearly."
"We corner her and she'll run off," Gareth pointed out.
"Yeah but we have to see her, if for no other reason than to return the diary that I'm pretty damned sure Honey wasn't supposed to be toting around," Mikhail looked at him. "We’ll leave early and get there well before her shift ends. We’ll take some of the lads and do a full recon to ensure she's actually there, and then use them to keep everyone else away from where we're talking to her."
"Sounds like a plan destined to get us thrown in jail," he muttered rubbing a hand over his short red hair.
"Won't be the first time and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last," Mikhail smiled slowly. "Hell, at least jails in the States come with toilets and benches."
"Shut up," Gareth said before he nodded, "Let's do it." Turning to face the room he moved to the table and looked around, "Boys, we have a shitty plan that has jail time written all over it. Who's in?" like he even had to ask.
Chapter Five
“Look, seriously Michael. No.” Daisy said with frustration once more. “I mean it. Ask me out again and I will report you to HR. I mean it this time.” Her fuse was seriously short with the janitor. She was exhausted and ready to just go home, curl up with a pint of chocolate decadence ice cream and cry herself to sleep.
“Come on D, don’t be like that.” Michael said as he cornered the little Asian nurse, who like all the others would fall. “You know that you want me. Hell, who doesn’t?”
“Then I suggest you find one of them. Not me. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. Listen this time. No. N-O.” She stressed. “I’m perfectly happy with my life. I’m completely satisfied and don’t need a man to muck it up.”
“Yeah, I fucking knew it.” He pushed from her quickly. “You are a fucking dyke aren’t you?” He growled at her. “Your kid one of those sperm bank kids?”
“Yep, you got me.” She decided it was better not to argue. She just wanted to get around the pig and go home. “Now move it or lose it bub.” She muttered while stepping around him, swiping her badge and heading out of the break room. “Oh, and you might want to put Dr. Hahn’s coat back. He will be pissed if he finds out that you are trying to pass yourself off as a doctor again.” she told the janitor, well just because she was feeling pissy.
Grumbling under her breath she stalked out into the pre-dawn light and pulled out her keys, clicking the remote unlock on the car so that she could get in and get home. That was her plan at least.
"Daisy," Gareth said softly as he walked around the bumper of her car. "We need to talk," he told her as he moved closer to her. "We need to talk, and you need to listen to us," he held up her diary, "We found some very interesting and revealing reading in this that doesn't quite match up with what we know."
Daisy stopped dead in her tracks. Standing there before her was one of the only two men she had ever, ever loved and ever would love. “I don’t think so,” she said and looked at the book. “Son of a fucking bitch. How did you get that?” She demanded from him and reached for her diary. “The time for talking is way past done Gareth.” She tried to keep the emotion out of her voice. Tried very hard to keep it from filling her voice, but failed when her voice cracked at saying his name, just as it had when saying Mikhail's.
Holding it up and out of reach he shook his head, "My daughter brought it out to the house and left it with Mikhail," he said softly. "We need to talk Daisy, and this time we're not taking no for an answer. If you'd rather we do this at your house we will. I have the address and we know where it is so we can meet you there if you'd prefer."
“Fuck.” Daisy growled. “No. I do not want you there,” she rubbed her temples, a massive headache heading her way. “She’s my daughter Gareth. Mine,” she told him softly. “She doesn’t deserve to be hurt.” Neither did Daisy but she would do anything to protect her daughter. “And who is we? Jesus Gareth you are alone.” She muttered and sighed. “Fine. I will meet you at the park. No. Shit. Too public.” She didn’t want anyone seeing her with him because it would start up the rumors again. “We can meet at the point. You remember where it is, right?”
"I know where it is," he said softly and then gave a whistle. Watching her as the other men bled from the shadows into the light he lifted a brow, "I'm never alone," he told her. Tucking the diary in his pocket he patted it, "We'll see you at the point and then, when you've heard what Mik and I have to say, I'll return this to you. Oh," he paused in mid-turn, "don't think to try and slip around us to get home. We are trained better than to fall for that." Turning, he walked away as the others slipped back into shadows and vanished in the night just beginning to turn to dawn.
“Son of a bitch.” She muttered and looked up to the skies. “God give me strength.” She had nearly had a fucking heart attack when all the men had seemed to bleed out of the shadows; and then again when they went right back into them. She was so fucking screwed. She wondered how far she would get with the ten grand she had in savings. Wondered if that would be enough to start life over somewhere else. “Fuck.” She swore. She never cussed but this situation totally called for it.
Getting into her car, Daisy started it and sighed. “I’m so not ready for this.” She whispered into the darkened interior and then put it in drive, texting Penny to let her know she would be a little later than normal; that she had an errand that simply had to be done. Now. When Penny shot back, ‘no problem’, Daisy sighed. “Damn, damn and double damn.” She grumbled as she drove.
When she arrived at the point she was slightly less cranky, barely. Getting out, she took a seat on the hood of her car and watched the sun rising over the small town of Sweetwater.
Walking around her car Mikhail stopped on her left and Gareth on her right. "Are you actually going to listen this time Daisy, or will you run off once more?" Mikhail asked quietly. "Because what we have to tell you will only be told once, and can never be repeated for anyone to hear. I'll also need your cell phone," he held out a hand to her and waited.
Daisy passed him her cell and sighed. “I will listen.” She told him honestly. “I’m here aren’t I?” She replied. “And don’t turn it off. In case Honey needs me I need to be able to answer. She’s not used to me not being there when she wakes.” She explained.
"I'm not turning it off, just setting it so that no one can listen in or track you," Mikhail said as he went through her phone. Setting it on the hood of her car just out of her reach he looked at her. "We were on leave, forty-eight hours and then we had to report back to Berlin where our team would meet us. We came back to the States because we were missing it. We'd been in training nearly non-stop and been moved out of the States after our third month. When we got the leave it was a relief just to be free of it all for a time. We never once expected to meet you Daisy, or to do what we did with you. The numbers we gave you were live when we left, we didn't realize they were burner phones that were demolished upon our r
eturn to base. Everything we'd brought back was taken from our lockers while we were on mission. Your number and everything we had of your contact information. We had nothing and no way to find you. We didn't even know your last name, and you honestly do not want to know the number of Daisy's in the United States."
"Which was assuming you were still here," Gareth said picking up where Mikhail paused. "We didn't know if you were or if you'd vanished. We looked for you for three years without finding a damned thing, so yeah, we gave up. We had nothing, no last name, no picture, nothing but our memories, which after a couple of concussions was a little fuzzy at best. You don't have to believe us. Hell, you likely won't because we're the bastards that up and left you aren't we?"
"Gareth," Mikhail said quietly shaking his head. "We only just got out of the service, we couldn't re-up anymore. We were all done with it. It had taken just too much from us all. I came home to see what was left of my ancestral house and land, and the others from our team followed. If Honey hadn't shown up on our doorstep, we would have continued to think you'd run off and were living the perfect life somewhere. Our night with you was nothing but a lie we'd tell ourselves on cold nights to try and warm ourselves. Or, worse yet, that you were gone from this world completely," he let out a breath. Picking up her phone, he handed it to her, "Five-six-four-two will turn on all your GPS and tracking software," he told her quietly before turning to walk away.
“She’s always known about you.” She called out to them with tears running down her face. “Never once have I held back anything from her. She’s the most perfect child you could ever meet.” She admitted. “If you want.” Daisy was so going to hate herself for this and the hurt that it was going to cause her, but she couldn’t deny them seeing her daughter. “If you want to get to know her, you can. All of her life she’s been told about her amazing fathers. Not one. But two. If you want to get to know her, do it together so that illusion I built for her isn’t shattered please.”
Sharing a look with Mikhail, Gareth turned his gaze to her, "What illusion is that Daisy? Some fable you created to explain why we didn't know about her? Or perhaps some noble tale that holds no truth?" Sighing he shook his head, "What did you tell her Daisy? Best tell us now before we go and destroy the lie you've fed her."
Seeing the look she cast over; Mikhail snorted, "She's changing her mind. While she might say we can see Honey she doesn't really want us near the girl. Besides, Gareth is clearly her father not I. No reason for me to be there and confuse it even more," he said his teeth clenching after his words.
“God you are such an idiot.” Daisy said with a shake of her head. “No, the illusion would be that you might give a damn about her. I’ve never once told her a lie. I’ve told her the complete truth from the start.” She took her phone and shook her head. “You know what? Don’t bother. Obviously it’s too much to ask that you get to know your daughter. And she would belong to you both. Yeah, its pretty fucking clear that Gareth is her biological father, but from the start I told her that the love that was shared between the three of us had created her. From the start I told her that she had two dads, not one. But that’s fine. Whatever.” She sighed. “You know how to reach me if you ever pull your head out of your ass.” She grumbled and tried to move. “But know this. If you hurt her, I will end you. Period. No one hurts our daughter. No one. Not even one of her idiot fathers.”
Catching her arm Mikhail looked down at her as she glared back, "Why would you do that?" he whispered softly, confusion clear in his voice. "You knew next to nothing about us Daisy, so why would you tell her that?" he murmured loosening his hold on her arm to lightly stroke his fingers up her flesh.
“Because I loved you. I did it because I knew that there was love there.” She shrugged. “And I never wanted her to question that love. Her grandfather hates her, hates us both, but all her life she’s known that her fathers loved her and would have been there for her if it were possible. I’ve never let her think that you walked out. I told her that I couldn’t find you to tell you that you would be fathers, which was true.” She looked up at him and knew that her heart would never heal from the pain that would be caused if they walked out again. “She’s smarter than a whip, and I knew one day she would figure out where I made my confessions. I just never dreamed she would succeed where I failed in finding you.”
"Shocked the hell out of me," he muttered lifting his hand to trace her jaw with a fingertip. "I have never forgotten you Daisy," Mikhail admitted quietly. "Every night before I go to sleep I give a prayer to whatever god might be listening that you were safe and happy. I've missed you Daisy."
“I missed you too.” She confessed softly. “I really do have to go though. Honey has never, ever woken and not had me there.” She looked up at Mikhail and then to Gareth. “Do you want to meet her? Really meet her and not have her just show up blindly on your doorstep? If you do then you need to say so. If not, tell me now. It’s all or nothing but I have to know now.”
Gareth nodded, "I need to meet her Daisy," he said quietly. "We'll follow you to your house," he told her looking to Mikhail. "It's best if she goes in and breaks it to her before we just appear."
Nodding in return Mikhail stroked her cheek lightly, "We'll be right behind you. And, if you see shadows, ignore them. The lads wouldn't let us leave without them, and they are having just a bit too much fun running around pretending they remember what they are doing." Leaning in he kissed her cheek before withdrawing and heading for their car.
Daisy nodded and looked from Mikhail to Gareth and back again. “When Penny leaves you are welcome to knock on the door. She watches Honey for me when I work nights and I feed her turtles for her when she’s off on a flight. She’s a flight attendant, but she’s on leave right now because some jerk broke her arm.” She shrugged. “Anyway. Yeah.” She wanted to go to both men. God she wanted to be held by them again and be told that she mattered, but right now the only person that mattered was Honey and letting her get to know her two dads.
"We'll be there," Gareth told her softly. "Drive carefully Daisy, and we'll be right behind you," he said before moving to follow Mikhail.
Looking over as Gareth slid into the passenger seat Mikhail lifted a brow, "Nothing like getting her on the defensive."
"Not my fault, she's always gotten me hot fast. Ten years hasn't done a damned thing to cool that down." Gareth commented.
Starting the car, Mikhail grunted. He knew the feeling. The softness of her skin and her scent was still the same and brought back memories of that night. Pulling out behind her, he settled back ten car lengths and followed her sedate speed through the city to her house. They could have just gotten there on their own. They knew just where it was, but it was better to let her feel some control over her life. Parking across the street from her house he watched her head inside and waited.
Chapter Six
Daisy walked into the living room and smiled at Penny. “Thanks for staying. Would you mind sticking around for just a few more minutes? I want to get Honey up and you know she will want to say goodbye to you as well.”
Penny smiled and nodded, “Sure thing. Is everything all right?”
“Yeah. Just. You know sometimes your past comes back to you, and you really aren’t sure if it’s totally good or not.”
“I know the feeling.” Penny murmured. “Is that why Honey was so bummed earlier? She wasn’t her typical laughing self.”
“Yeah, likely. Be right back.” Daisy murmured and went into her daughter’s room. Turning on the small bedside light she said, “Hey kiddo; time to wake up.”
Cracking her eyes Honey groaned, “Mom I don’t have to be up for school for like another hour!”
“I know baby, but I have someone that I want you to meet. Two someones. Hurry up and get dressed and come into the living room and I will introduce you to them the right way kiddo.” She said and touched her daughter's cheek.
“They are here?” Instantly the child was awake, her bright blue eyes s
hining. “Seriously mom? The dads are here?”
“Yes baby, now hurry. And remember to make your bed this time.” Daisy murmured and moved out of the room. Walking back to the living room Daisy smiled at Penny, “She will be out in a moment.” Sure enough Honey came running out of her bedroom, tugging on her sweater as she ran into the room.
“Whoa, slow down there kiddo.” Penny said with a smile as she caught Honey around the middle. “Hey, you be good for your momma okay? Now, I’m going home to have some sleep. Will you come by after school and feed Pinky and the Brain?”
Honey nodded happily and danced from foot to foot. “I might be able to, it depends though. Mom can tell you later.” She gave Penny a hug and then looked to her mom. “Well?”
“Soon Honey, just be patient. Sheesh.” She shook her head and walked Penny to the door. “She will come over and feed them after school. I take it that you have a flight coming up? Are you sure you are ready to get back in the skies?”
“As ready as I will ever get.” Penny said with a shrug. “Talk to you later?”
