The Arrangement Ch. 12

"Tell him to take a fucking number and stand in line," Daniel replied as his eyes caught Dwayne holding Chloe's hand while she sobbed quietly. So fucking much destruction. "We should have killed the bastard when we had the chance."

Samuel shook his head, "Then we would have been no better than he was. All right, maybe we should have actually let the woman press sexual harassment charges, instead of just arranging a quiet transfer for her. But what difference would that have made? Other than ruin her life even more."

Daniel choked as he acknowledged the truth of his friend's word. But it did nothing to quiet the hatred that boiled in his gut. "David. Thad and Dwayne. Rachel. Trisha. All those fucking accidents that kept happening and now this. He was responsible for it all."

Samuel looked at the floor, "I know, man." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, his hand on Daniel's shoulder squeezing lightly. "I should probably tell you now before you hear it from anyone else. NCIS was at the police station, but they don't think they will find enough evidence bring him up on charges for either the drone attack or the helicopter accident. And without Trisha to testify the Hampton Roads DA won't proceed with rape charges either. So I'm afraid they are only charging him with kidnapping and attempted murder for what happened at your house today."

Daniel shook his head in denial and clutched his fists at his side, "Fucking bastard's going to get away with it."

"No, man, they have him on those charges and no lawyer his daddy can buy will be able to get him out of them. The man is going to do time, real time. And they might not have enough evidence to bring him up on charges, but trust me NCIS was very interested in the drone technology. I don't think Old Man Dodd is going to have many military contracts renewed anytime soon."

"Not much justice for the lives of two good soldiers, well half a dozen counting Dwayne and the other British Marines that were injured."

"Got to move on, man. Learn to live with it."

Daniel shook his head as he strained to see down the hall. 'Got to move on. Learn to live with it.' He was not sure if he wanted to live with anything. Not if something happened to her. His throat tightened and his eyes clouded over once more. He felt the hand on his shoulder squeeze until it was almost painful. He looked up at his friend.

"She's a fighter. I know she's going to be fine, man."

Daniel could not speak past the knot in his throat, so he merely nodded. But the stoic look on the doctor's face as he approached revealed nothing. His green scrubs were covered in dark stains. Daniel was glad for Samuel's hand on his shoulders as he felt his knees give. He had seen blood...too many fucking times. He had drawn blood, killed men. But it was not her blood, not the blood of the woman he loved.

"How is she?" It was not his voice, but the feminine accent of Simone that asked from just behind him.

The doctor nodded, "I won't lie, it has been a rough few hours. The bullet ripped through her liver. We lost almost half of it before we could get the worst of the bleeding stopped. We also had to removed her gall bladder and repair a tiny hole in her diaphragm. The bullet fragmented on impact, which is how it did so much damage." He looked Daniel in the eye, "There is a large fragment lodged against her spine, but we thought it too dangerous to try and remove it just now. I'd rather have a specialist do that later."

The man smiled weakly, "But I am pretty confident, Commander, that your wife will make a full recovery."

Daniel chuckled with relief, but the man's face turned somber once more, "But I cannot be so certain about the babies."

He shook his head in confusion, "No, the Lieutenant was here earlier. Bel and the twins are both recovering nicely in the pediatrics ward. I'm afraid you must be confused." If the man was mistaken about his daughters, might he also have the wrong woman? Was Jill going to be all right? Or had something horrible happened? He struggled to break free of Samuel's hands until he felt the nails of a smaller one bite into the crook of the other arm.

Simone looked up at the doctor, "Did she loose the baby?"

The man shook his head, "Babies, twins. And not yet. Like I was saying your wife lost a lot of blood." The doctor put his hand on Daniel's other shoulder. "The hole in her diaphragm meant her oxygen levels were pretty low for quite a while. That plus the whole shock process. Well, I'm sorry, Commander, but I can't be as optimistic about your wife's pregnancy. The next twenty-four to forty-eight hours should tell though."

Daniel swallowed, trying to work down the dryness that felt like a hair ball so that he could speak. A baby? No, babies. Another set of twins. Their twins. His and Jill's. But even as he learned of the miracle, he felt it being snatched away. More lives ruined by the man. His babies, he thought as he felt the scalding heat of tears running down his cheek. He could barely see as he finally found enough of his voice to plead, "May I see her?"

The doctor nodded, "Yes, she's in recovery now. But I need to prepare you, Commander. Because of the repair to her diaphragm, we are going to leave her intubated for a couple of days. Save her body the strain of trying to breath on its own. She still has the IVs of course. And monitors for both her heart and the babies."

Daniel nodded, "But she'll live? You're sure of that?" he pleaded.

The man shook his head, "Commander, I don't think I need to tell you that there are no guarantees in life. But yes, I'd give your wife very good odds of making a full recovery."

He squared his shoulders and nodded as he shook off Simone and Samuel's comforting hands, "Then we'll deal with whatever else that comes together."

He turned and looked at the small crowd that had gathered behind him as the doctor gave his update, "Go home, folks. Get some rest. I'm sure we'll be needing whatever help you can give over the next few days." The crowd nodded and mumbled words as they passed, some offering more reassuring squeezes. As the room cleared, Daniel noted the stragglers.

Dwayne sat silently in his wheelchair in one corner. The man's best friend was dead, the use of his legs gone just as surly. If it had been hard enough to live with the doubts, wondering if he could have done something more, if he missed something, how must this feel? Knowing that they had been betrayed by someone they had once thought a friend and ally.

Travis cowered in the opposite corner. He looked like a wounded animal, one of his father's prize bulls caged and injured. Daniel knew what it felt like to stand by helplessly as your wife was hurt. But this man's pain was deeper. The injuries that Trisha suffered went deeper than just her body, the damage that the man had done to her mind and their marriage might be irreparable. And Travis carried his own guilt too. His betrayal of their love and vows was just as damaging as anything that Dodd had done, maybe more so.

The other lone figure huddled near the door. Her legs were drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly about them, so that her body formed an upright fetal ball. Her head rested on her knees. A reminder of his own failures as a husband and a father. How much had his oldest daughter borne the sins of her parents? What must it have been like, being forced to choose sides? Betray your mother? Or lie to your father?

"You go ahead. We'll do what we can here," Simone whispered. "I'll take Jesse home with me for a few nights. Chloe and Beth are with the other girls in pediatrics. You just take care of her, all right?"

He nodded, "Thanks," as he turned to face his best friend.

"You know you don't even need to ask man. I got those two as well. Not sure what I can do though. Afraid only time can heal some wounds."

Daniel smiled weakly, "And some scars can't be seen," he whispered as he followed the doctor down the hall way.

***

Jill fought her way back up from the darkness that seemed to envelope her mind. She swallowed and while her throat was dry, this time it did not seem to be stuff full of something cold and plastic and much worse than a cock. Her hand went automatically to the gentle swell of her abdomen as her eyes opened and she stared up into his.

"The baby?" she whispered even though it caused a fiery pain in her throat.

Her husband poured water into a cup and lifted her head. A few drops parted the parched desert of her lips and slid down her burning throat. "Slowly, sweetheart. That's the first thing you have had in three days. We don't want it making you sick."

She nodded to him to take the cup away. She looked around her at the hospital room for the first time. She had tried to wake up a few times over the past couple of days, but it had been too much. All she could remember were glimpses of his dark curls pressed against her hand. His fingers laced through hers. The pain that seemed to bubble and burn inside of her. Trying to speak and nothing coming out. And the incessant beeping from somewhere.

She tried to focus past the fog as the rest of it came back. Dodd was in their home. Bel was hurt. The twins drugged. And the man had Jesse. Then Daniel was there to save them. The rest of it broke like rainwater over a dam. David. The man was responsible for his death, but Daniel had thought it was his fault. Oh god, how that must have felt. Memories folded her. The way Daniel's fingers had stilled as he traced the tattoo on her back that night. Was that when he realized? Or had he known all along? Was their whole marriage nothing more than some sick sort of penance for a sin that was not even his own?

The accidents...those were all Dodd's doing too. And Rachel, the woman had not committed suicide. She had not willingly left her husband and daughters. Did that change things? Would Daniel's anger at the woman be replaced with more guilt? And Trisha, dear god, what the man had done to her friend? And Dwayne too. Her mind swum with all of it until it was hard for her breath. The damned beeping became a shrill alarm. She felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Breath deep, sweetheart. Slow and deep. Follow me. In, one, two, three, four. Good girl. Now out, one two, three, four. Again," he smiled down at her and squeezed her hand as he talked her through the worst of the panic attack. Oh god, it had been years since she had one.

"The baby, Daniel? Did I loose the baby?" she whispered as she stared at the pure white sheet that covered her body.

She felt his fingers under her chin as he lifted her head and turned it to face him. He reached behind him and pointed to the machine that was beeping. "They are doing fine, sweetheart. I think it shocked the shit out of the doctors after all that the three of you have been through. But they are fighters, just like their Mommy."

Jill shook her head, "They?"

He chuckled, "Hope you are getting used to the double diaper duty, Missus Monroe, because we're having twins. Fraternal this time. Although the little cheats keep hiding from the ultrasound so we still don't know if it is boys or girls or both."

Jill's vision blurred, "Does it matter?"

Daniel laughed, "Well, DJ and his brothers are placing bets on which way the four-four tie will go?"

"The boys?"

He nodded, "They arrived a couple of days ago, well all except for Darren. He was doing some joint training exercises with the Air Force in Colorado so he's been here almost since you came out of surgery."

"Must have been bad then, if they all got emergency leave."

"Let's just say, don't you ever fucking do that to me again," his voice was gruff and she could see the film of moisture that covered those blue-grey pools. More of the fog rolled back as she remembered his words.

"Made you love me, Commander?"

He smiled, "Yes, damn it. What else do you call it, sweetheart? Did I ever stand a fucking chance from the moment you walked off that plane and into our lives?" He bent until his forehead was pressed against her. She stared into those eyes that had captured her heart even in that grainy photograph, eyes that were ringed with dark circles. "I love you, Jill," he whispered as he bent and brushed his lips across hers. Heat and longing instantly exploded, warring with the pain that gripped her abdomen as she lifted her head and parted her lips, taking the kiss deeper.

"Aww, man," came the deep rumble from behind them. Jill fell back against the pillow as Daniel curled up protectively next to her.

"I see what you mean, little sis. Those two are disgusting," said the tall man with the laughing brown eyes that brought up the rear of the group.

"DJ," she whispered as she brought her hand to her mouth and tears coursed down her cheeks. It had been over a year since she had seen her eldest. Another long deployment in the land that had claimed his father's life. Her breath froze in her lungs as she took him in.

Her mind flew through time and space to a warm beach and the demi-god that rose laughing and joking from the waves. Their son looked so much like his father in his fatigues that for a moment she had trouble separating past from present. Until the gentle squeeze of her hand reminded her of the present...and the future as she listened to the steady beep-beep of fetal monitors.

He laughed, "Trust me, Mum, I get that reaction a lot. You remember Major Reynolds...well Commander now? I thought the man was going to have a fucking coronary the first time we met."

Damien, her third son stepped to the other side of the bed and brushed a kiss on her cheek. "Lucky, fucking bastard. I refuse to go anywhere near the damned pubs with him. He gets all the women." Although he was six foot one, he was the smallest of her sons. His hair that was close cropped like a good Marine was a sandy blond like her own. His cheeks were ruddy and his eyes a softer brown, flecked with green like her own.

Jill smiled, "I think that has more to do with the bold American mouth he got from his mother than his father's looks. You didn't do so damned bad with those either, my dear. You just didn't get your brother's confidence."

Her second son shoved the laughing man aside and made his way to the foot of her hospital bed. Declan was an inch or so taller than his eldest brother and at least twenty pounds heavier with hair that was a shade or two lighter, his eyes the same warm brown,. "Well, Mother, did you have to give us such a fright? If you wanted to see us all, you simply needed to wait until Her Majesty no longer required our services."

Jill laughed even though it hurt her side, "Do you have to sound so fucking posh, Dec?"

DJ pulled Jesse into the room, the two eldest seemed to have formed a bond, perhaps brought about by the shared responsibility of their positions. "Tell him, Mum. The little prat thinks his fucking degrees and position in Intel makes him hot shit."

Daniel cleared his throat, "I thought we had this discussion about watching your language around your sisters, son," his emphasis on the final word brought peals of laughter from his brothers.

"Yes, sir," DJ said with a blush and a salute.

Jill shook her head and giggled, "Oh god, what have I done?"

DJ's laughter rumbled through the room, "Gees, Mum, I thought you would have figured that one out by now." He cupped his hands over Jesse's ears before continuing, "Do you need a refresher course in the facts of life? Seems you forgot your own condom lesson?"

Daniel speared his step-son with a glance and held up his wife's hand, "I think this about covers it, don't you?"

DJ squared his shoulders, "Rings are cheap, old man. Taking care of what's yours takes a real man. So unless you want to face me and the troops here," his brothers once more surrounding him as if it was all part of the plan, "I suggest you fucking re-evaluate your god damned priorities. It was one thing when our father got his ass blown up and left Mum to pick up the pieces of our lives and hers. But it is another when she's the one left in harms way."

Jill held up her hand, "DJ, it isn't your place," she began.

Daniel captured her hand and brought it to his lips. "No, sweetheart. He's right. This is a young man's game," he looked from one to the other of his step-sons. "I suppose between my men and these young punks I can rest assured that things are in good hands."

He turned back and smiled down at her, "Besides, I missed you. Every damned night, all I could think about was falling asleep in your arms. Well, that and soccer games, Barbie's and what other first I was missing." His hand caressed the swell of her stomach, "I've missed enough of those. This time, sweetheart, I'm not missing any of it."

"Gees, man, have some dignity. Don't grovel like a pussy," laughed DJ.

Daniel turned to him with a frown, "You might be a friggin' bootneck, but I know one thing. Your Mama taught you better than to use those kinds of words around your sisters. So consider this your last warning, son. I might be an old man as you say, but I can still teach you a thing or two about manners."

Darren stepped up and kissed his mother's cheek, "I think that is our cue to leave you two alone for a bit. Get some rest, Mum. We have another week on leave so we can catch up more later."

Jill caressed her youngest son's cheek. Of all her children, he was the most like her. His hair a sandy blond, his eyes true green and his demeanor always calm under pressure. It was a characteristic that would serve him as a pilot with the Royal Air Force.

One by one the others stepped up and said their farewells too. Her eldest was last, "I'm sorry, ma'am. It's just that I'm tired of seeing men put you last, Mum. As the Commander says, this might be a young man's game, but it should also be a single man's one."

"Oh, DJ, that damned vow again? You're going to use this as another excuse to bully your brothers into it, aren't you?"

"Ma'am, a man cannot serve two mistresses. Her majesty or a wife, he should choose."

"It isn't always that simple, son," she said through tears. "I know she hurt you badly, worse than the others. But you can't let what happened with Sarah, keep you from loving all your life."

He shook his head and chuckled, "Trust me, ma'am. Nothing will ever stop me from loving that woman. Been doing it since I first saw her squirming in that pram when I came home from Reception. Her daddy couldn't stop it, when he showed his mean side and beat her Mum to within an inch of her life. Social services couldn't stop it when they took her away. Hell, ma'am, even when you moved us to London, you couldn't stop it. I was nineteen and I knew better than to be messing with a fourteen year old, but you had nothing to worry about Mum. Trust me, if none of that has stopped me loving her, then some stupid vow to a god damned church sure as hell won't."

Jill nodded and squeezed her son's hand, "I wish things could have been different for you, sweetie. But you know, she's running from the past, not you."

He shrugged, "I know and trust me I know better than any of you just how bad that past is, but that won't stop me loving her either. Hell, even these three little shits you saddled me with as brothers haven't managed to stop it. If I didn't know that they loved her as much as I do, I would have killed them for the way they looked at her. Brothers or not."

"Give them a break, DJ. We all love her. If there was anything more that our father and I could have done, trust me, we would have."

"I know, Mum," he said as he bent and kissed her cheek. "Get some rest."

"Yes, Sergeant," she said, lifting her hand to her brow for a salute.

DJ looked at the fetal monitor, "And for god's sake, let those two be more girls."

She laughed, "I don't know, I'm pretty damned proud of how my boys have turned out."