Chapter One: Til Death Do Us Part
The ambulance rushed in right behind Eve and her team. Gideon no longer responded on the phone, he told her goodbye. There was no fucking way it would end like that, that was not how this was supposed to go. They were to be married, have kids, and happily ever after, that was the master plan. Riley drove her to the scene, lights flashed in his uncover FBI issued suburban. There were sirens everywhere, and Eve’s heart dropped the longer she was off the phone with Gideon.
Eve arrived at the gnarly scene as tragedy unfolded in front of her. Gideon’s body lay in a pool of his own blood, and there was a shot in his chest. Riley jumped out of the car, heading in Gideon’s direction. Stopping halfway, he changed his direction, running off into the alley, saying he saw something lurking.
Riley was gone and Eve was alone bawling her eyes out. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t focus on anything but Gideon’s still form. His chest didn’t rise and fall, or at least she couldn’t tell. His face was pale, his body cold and balmy.
“Gideon! Please—oh my god! Please wake up!” She shook his body, tears and blood stained her face. “Baby, stay with me. Gideon, god dammit, stay with me!” The paramedics strained to get to him, pushing her away in attempt to reach his body.
“Ma’am we need to help him, please move.” They palmed her shoulder, understanding her grief. There was no budging her, these were his last moments and she needed to be there.
“Don’t let him die on me. He can’t die like this,” was all she could muster.
“We’ll do our best. Please, we need space to work.” She nodded, if she spoke, she may scream, and that sure as hell wouldn’t do any good. Riley showed up as they started their work.
They began chest compressions. Pushing down on his wound, they attempted to stop the bleeding. Blood oozed out of his wound, making Eve nauseous. “His body went into shock,” one of the paramedics said. They lifted his body on a stretcher, inserting an IV, and placing a heart monitor on his finger.
Bringing out the defibrillator, the shocked him. Not once, but twice in attempt to get his heart beating again. Every time his body shot up she’d cry a little harder, praying for the beep to indicate his heart beat again. Riley would hold her tighter, helping her feel put together.
Then out of the blue, just as she was about to give up, she heard the beeping of his heart on the monitor. They saved him. “Thank god.” Riley whispered.
Gideon was one lucky man. Or maybe it was Evangeline that was the lucky one?
His eyes never opened, but his heart beat and that was what mattered to Eve. He was safe, he was alive, and he was hers.
Turning towards her boss, she thought of him leaving. “What was in the alley?” She remembered him running off like a bat out of hell, almost terrified.
“Must have been a wrong hunch, there was nothing over there.” He shrugged his shoulders in indifference. The EMTs offered her to go in the ambulance with Gideon, there was no way in hell she wouldn’t.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” Riley offered, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze.
She rode in the ambulance with Gideon, sirens blaring throughout the city. When a cop went down, everything stopped. Police escorts escorted them securely to the nearest hospital. Her heart swelled in emotion, her throat thick with pain from trying to be strong for them both. The ride was quick, as she zoned out and watched his monitor vigilantly. There was nothing that would distract her from this task—she wouldn’t miss a moment.
Holding his hand fiercely, it felt lifeless and cold. If that monitor didn’t state otherwise, she’d believe he was gone. Her heart refused to believe anything than what the machine told her. His eyes remained closed the entire ride there, but she could only be grateful that his heart still beat. Silver lining.
The night burned into her mind, keeping itself at the edge of her mind. He could have died. She’d be in an immense pain if he hadn’t survived. For the short amount of time they’d been back together, her heart was completely his. There was nothing in the world she wanted more than to spend the rest of her life with him. If he’d died, her life would spiral, and she could only imagine the horrors she’d bring.
*****
She stayed aware most of the night, wishing and praying he’d wake up. The doctor explained to her it was a through and through and he’d be okay. Rest would help his recovery. She forced herself to stay awake, drinking red bulls and coffee. She knew if she slept, she may miss him waking up, or worse, him passing away.
It wasn’t a risk she was willing to take. “Kit—ten.” A solemn voice whispered. For a moment she thought she hallucinated him calling her name. His voice, Gideon’s voice was real.
“Doctors!” She yelled out of the door, hands frantically waving into the empty hallway.
“Doctors! God dammit! Why do you fucking work here if you can’t do your god-damned job!” She screamed, terrified and pissed off that they weren’t standing by her at every waking hour. In her head she knew it was irrational to be furious, but her fiancé was near death and they weren’t there to tell her that everything would be okay. Instead of continuing her onslaught of profanities, she examined Gideon.
His eyes watched her. They seemed to be working restlessly to concentrate on her. “Come here, baby.” No longer could she hold the emotion, she bawled like a baby, and there was not a care in the world. She nearly lost the man she loved and all for a stupid group that she could never ruin. Regardless of how many times Riley told her it was to do with Mitch’s case. She knew it was CK-21. Not only did her gut tell her, she knew they killed Mitch, and that was answer enough.
“Please don’t cry, love. I’m okay.” He mumbled, eyes never leaving her.
“I—I thought you were gone,” she sobbed, eyes blotchy, and her face ugly with emotion.
“There is nothing on this shitty planet that would keep me away from my future wife. I’m not going anywhere, kitten.” He attempted to raise his hand, to brush away a stray hair, failing miserably.
“You are quitting your job, Gideon Levi Blackwell. I’m never going through this again, you hear me? I can’t take this fear. I love you too damn much for it.” She wailed, her heart ripping with each admission. Never in her life did she ever feel this pathetic. Eve was anything but weak, but he was her heart, her world, and her happily ever after.
“We both know that that is not how this works. I’m okay, see.” He attempted a joke, pointing at his chest, “I’m guessing we can say my heart only beats for you?”
“I can live with that, as long as it beats.” She admitted, feeling frail and desperate.
For now she’d let it go, but she considered it every day. There was nothing that would stop her from pursuing his resignation from the FBI. If the only way to convince him was her quitting herself, she would. They could live off of the life insurance of her father. She had it stashed for years. Nearly five million dollars, she’d never understood how he had that much left for her.
After a week in the hospital, they gave him a physical therapy chart, giving him daily exercises to help. Once a week he’d go to a PT, and they’d work him relentlessly to build his strength back.
******
Rehabilitation took a while, but he was nearly back to new now. He took leave from his job, and so did Eve. Gideon invited Curtis to substitute for him for the time being, a liaison of sorts. As he took recovery time, Eve and him spent every waking moment together, just how it should be. This was the first time she had the opportunity to baby him, and she loved every minute of it.
“Ouch babe, be gentle,” Gideon whined when she pressed her soft hands near his nearly healed wound.
“Oh, you baby! We both know you like it rough!” She winked, horny as a cat in heat. Their sex life declined while he was in therapy. Her vibrator was currently her best friend, though she may have to buy a new one with a different name. Gideon wouldn’t take lightly to her vibrator being named after her boss.
Their chuckles resonated throughout their house. Their sex life may have suffered, but their love for each other only grew. Her hands massaged his back, rubbing in nice circles to relax his body. There was marred skin where he was shot, but weirdly enough it was shaped like a fat ugly heart. A really funky heart, but nothing about this was normal. She adored it, it gave it personality.
Her lips made their ascent, kissing his scar, and loving his near life sacrifice. There was never a moment that she wasn’t proud of what he did for his country.
“I love you so much, I don’t know what I would have done if you died on me. My life has no meaning without you, Mr. Blackwell.”
“I guess it’s a good thing we never have to find out right, Mrs. Soon-to-be Blackwell?”
“I love the sound of that. I cannot wait for you to call me your wife.”
“So soon, baby. I can’t fucking wait.”
“Let’s talk about something else? I don’t like thinking about your near demise. How about, we talk about the fact that we get married in a few weeks and no snow has hit?!” Eve pouted, lips protruding in a frown. Walking in a not so winter wonderland!
“It’ll come, love. You and I both know that it will happen. It’s fate, after all.” He stated, as if denying it would be useless.
“You are so cheesy! I hope it snows, what’s a winter wonderland wedding without snow?” Seriousness laced her tone.
“A not so winter wonderland wedding?” He questioned with a raise of his brow, laughing at her. She couldn’t help but laugh with him, he was right.
“Smart ass,” her brows scrunched in a false glare. Happiness was all she felt in the moment.
“You bet your pretty ass I am! Got to keep it interesting! You get bored so damn easy!” He teased, tapping her nose.
“Not with you, I don’t.” He could never walk again, never have sex again, and she’d never get tired of being with him.
“That is all I wish for, a lifetime full of happiness.” His grin brightened her mood.
“We will have it then.”
“Don’t forget the phenomenal sex!” He chuckled, making her want it more and more.
They laughed together, their relationship only growing with every passing day. Their wedding was so close and her dress was to die for. Ronnie and Ness helped her pick it out, and they planned the entire day with her to make it perfect. She had the best friends.
Now all that was left to do was to say, “I do.”
*******
Opening the box, the stick fell out feeling cold in her hands. How do I use it? Flipping the box over, she peeked at the directions, there weren’t that many. Easy enough. Sitting on the toilet, she ran the cold water in the sink hoping she’d feel the sensation to pee. After several minutes she peed on the stick, spraying it all over her hand. “Uh, gross!” she groaned, warranting a response from the girls. “You okay?!”
“Yeah, just a little pee to brighten the mood,” she mocked, disgusted at the sight.
Setting the stick on top of the box, she washed the pee off of her hands. “Now we wait two minutes,” she whispered to the open air. A life change in two minutes, ha. It felt like a lifetime before her phone alarm chirped. Turning off the alarm, she did a quick breathing exercise in hope that she wouldn’t have an aneurysm. “Deep breaths, everything will be okay, just look at the fucking stick.”
“Who the hell are you talking to?” Ronnie questioned, guffawing outside the bathroom.
“I’m trying to be brave, okay? This shit can change my life.” Eve breathed out, tapping her nose.
“Well, what’s the verdict?” Ness asked, on the other side of the door. Eve took another huge intake of breath. Looking at the little test, the air completely left her body; abandoning her at her time of need. Fuck me.
“Holy shit! Girls, the stick has two pink lines! Oh my god! I’m pregnant!” Eve screamed. Fear and elation filling her body, her heart pounded, and sweat traced her forehead. She rubbed her stomach in amazement, “I already love you so much, little baby.”
What would Gideon think?
Will he love you too?
“OH SWEET BABY JESUS ON A STICK!” Ronnie squealed, killing Eve’s ears. Opening the door, her face was one of nausea. There were too many variables in her life.
“Oh. My. Gosh. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” Ness exclaimed. Her face lit up in delight.
“If it’s a girl, you have to name her Veronica!”
“Hell no, she won’t. Vanessa has a much better ring to it!”
She didn’t listen to her best friend’s banter. The shock settled in, making her emotions roll over. The tears she held back threatened to spill, if only her dad was there to take care of her. He’d hold her, telling her she was the most precious gift, and this baby would be the best thing that ever happened to her. He never ceased to let her know how much she meant to him, how happy he was to have raised her, and how proud he was that she was such a brave and smart girl. I miss him so much.
Her daddy would love this baby so much. Eve didn’t know how to be a parent. Her dad was taken too soon, and her mom was nowhere to be found. What would she do without them to teach her? Her friends had no experience with babies—Gideon definitely had no experience. He mentioned wanting kids, hopefully he was ready for it to be a reality.
“I’m going to be a mom.” She finally let out. A mom? Where was her dad when she needed him the most? Why did he have to leave the world so soon?
“You’ll be badass MILF! Whoop! Whoop!” Ronnie hollered, cheery as usual.
Eve sat on the toilet, internally freaking out. She never had a mother, only a father and a damn good one at that. Could she be a mom, a decent one?
Her heart soared, but at the same time a sinking feeling slipped into her gut. Leaving her with more doubt than acceptance, and that mixture was a horrible one. What if Gideon didn’t want a baby and rejected her. Would he refuse to marry her? He loved her though. He’d never abandoned them, no. Gideon was too worthy of a man.
The girls attempted to settle her growing worries, but nothing would fix her misery except the man she was too terrified to tell. Christmas she decided, that was when she’d tell him. By then she’d know the gender, and if he could handle it. She’d love the bundle of joy no matter what. That would give her enough time to accept it too.
Together, they planned shopping trips, fetal photos for Gideon to make the best present, and a baby shower to put all baby showers to shame. Maybe he’d be so overjoyed he wouldn’t care that she hid it for so long. Hopefully she’d still fit in her wedding dress. Her biggest worry was that he’d notice before she was ready to show him.
Her belly could grow fast or slow, her hope was for as slow as possible.