Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Chapter 46 Family

"Hey you two." Ace says, startling me. I drop my wooden spoon that I've been using to make the seasoning for dinner.

"Ace, you scared me."

"Sorry I didn't mean to." Ace says, hugging me from behind and looking at the food.

His finger shoots out at lightening speed towards my food, and I quickly swat it away. "Get your fingers out of there. It's not ready yet."

"That looks really good. When is it ready?" He asks, pressing a kiss against my cheek.

"In a few minutes. Why don't you sit down?"

Ace nods and sits down at the kitchen table. "It smells good. What are you cooking?"

"Your favorite - beef tacos." I reply, smiling as I set the steaming food down in front of his face. "I know you're stressed," I say, "So, I wanted to help in any way I can, even if it's just a simple meal."

The truth is, I'm stressed, too. In fact, I think everyone is right now.

But, I don't want Ace to know that I'm stressed, because then he will get worried and he doesn't need another thing to worry about right now.

"You didn't have to do this. You didn't have to go through all the hassle for making something like his for me."

"Of course I didn't have to do it. I chose to. Besides, it really wasn't that hard. I just sliced steak into thin strips and seasoned them."

Ace smiles. "Well thank you for contributing your time and effort. I needed this." He says, taking a bit from his taco.

"No problem."

We eat together and carry on casual conversations. Ace asks about Cole, and I tell him he's doing well. Cole has been kicking a little more lately, and I'm due any day.

Which worries me, though.

I can't wait to meet baby Cole, but I'm also nervous because Ace is close to finding out the rat any day now, and is close to defeating Spade. What if he's not there for the birth of our baby? I want him to be there but what if he won't be able to make it in time?

"What's wrong?" Ace asks.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just thinking about Katelin. She's stressed, too." I lie what I was thinking about.

"Yeah. She always gets like this in these sort of situations. I feel bad for constantly putting her and now you under this kind of stress, but....unfortunately it comes with my job."

"I know. I understand." It is an unfortunate truth that is hard to swallow.

* * *

Night falls and the sky is dragged into the darkness.

We were just settling into bed at eleven that night. I was in the bed, pulling the covers over my shoulders and Ace was crawling in after me.

But then loud, blaring alarms go off. Ace cusses under his breath and his eyes meet with mine. "It's time."

I know what is happening.

Spade had set off the alarms and is now moving in to attack.

"I am putting guards by this door. Lock it, and do not come out unless I command you otherwise!" Ace shouts over the blaring alarms.

Katelin runs into the room, her eyes full of tears. She runs up and hugs Ace and I.

"I've got to go, now." Ace says sternly, wiggling out of Katelin's grasp and running towards the door. He looks back one last time at me and mouths, "I love you."

And then the door slams.

I hear the lock click into place.

The call of danger has whisked him away.

The question is this:

To return or not to return?

* * *

Ace's POV:

"Stand down now! You are outnumbered!" I yell from behind my drawn gun. My men have surrounded Spade and his men completely in the backyard of my home.

This is basically a suicide mission for Spade's gang.

"I don't lose! I've waited for this moment for a long time, and I can't let it slip through my fingers. I'm here to finish what my father started! Now is my chance!" He shouts back.

"You won't be getting any chances as far as I'm concerned." I reply back.

Spade scoffs. "You won't take me alive."

"I wasn't planning on it." I reply and cock my gun.

"Go on, shoot me!" He taunts with a smirk.

Did he come all the way out here to just die?

I look at my men, Jordan and Drew, standing beside me. All I have to do is glance at them, and they know exactly what I mean. Each one of us will aim for the three men threatening what's ours and we will take aim and shoot.

The three men, Spade and the two men standing at his right and left, are the leaders that run this gang. Taking the three out would put his gang members in panic mode.

I can't believe people as dumb as Spade run a gang.

He knew my gang was a lot bigger and a lot more powerful than his, and yet he pulls this?

With a simple nod of my head, Jordan, Drew, and I shoot. The three gunshots clap loudly at the same time, deafening me. I watch as the bodies of Spade and his two men hit the ground with a thud.

Then all hell breaks loose.

The members charge at us at full force.

Most are slaughtered by my men surrounding us. I duck for cover and shoot as many of my enemies as I can.

What was the point of this? Surely they wanted something more out of this, right? Spade is already dead and his gang is just about wiped out for good. What was he thinking with this mission?

The look of craziness in Spade's eyes didn't go unnoticed by me, though. Could he possibly have been insane? Could his mental ability have driven him to plan such a foolish act?

Because no gang, no matter how evil they may be or their size, never wants to have their members die.

So was Spade perhaps mentally insane? Or did he just not care?

As I continue taking men down, Jeremy suddenly comes running out of the house. He had been guarding Dakota's door and his eyes are wide.

Immediately I become worried.

"Boss! Y-your wife!"

"What? She better be okay or I swear-"

"S-she's having her baby! She's in labor!" He exclaims.

My eyes widen and I become anxious. "Jeremy, tell my men to handle this situation. We've almost got it under control. Take any survivors to the lockup, I will deal with them later."

"Yes Boss."

And with that, I'm gone.

It's time to go to the hospital and meet baby Cole.

* * *

Dakota's POV:

I had felt my water break when a gush of warm water ran down my legs. Katelin and some guards had snuck me out through the back, where I was ushered into a vehicle and driven to the hospital.

The contractions had hit me like a truck, the first wave making me cry out in pain.

The hospital had given me a spinal tap to numb the aches and pains of labor, and now that I'm lying in a hospital bed with my mom, Katelin, and some doctors around me, I can't help but feel upset.

Ace isn't here yet.

"A-Ace. Where's Ace?" I cry out, "I-I can't do this without him! I want h-him to be here."

But he has to be here for the birth of our baby. I hope he's okay...

"You need to relax and start pushing. Do what's best for the baby." One of the doctors says.

My mom clutches one of my hands and looks down at me. "I'm so proud of you honey. You can do it."

"O-Okay..."

"One, two, three, push!" The doctor commands.

I push.

Suddenly, the door swings open and Ace comes rushing in to meet me. He takes my hand and his eyes are filled with worry. "I'm s-sorry I couldn't get here quicker-"

"Stop. You're h-here now and that's all that matters."

"Dakota, I want you to push again. Push for your baby." The doctor urges once more.

And so I do so. Over and over again until I hear the cry of a baby. My body instantly relaxes and relief and excitement washes over me like a wave.

They let Ace snip Cole's umbilical cord and Ace looked so joyful about this moment. His eyes lit up when he saw our son.

Baby Cole weighed in at seven pounds, five ounces.

And when the doctor handed me the little bundle and I held him for the first time, tears of joy rolled down my face. He could barely open his eyes and his little tuft of dark hair stuck to his forehead.

He was beautiful and adorable, and I couldn't be any happier.

I wasn't the only one crying tears of joy, though.

My heart warmed up when I saw Ace dabbing at his eyes when I gave Cole to him. He peered into the blanket and smiled at him. "Hello, little guy. We've been waiting for you." He says.

He is going to be a great father.

So, when we were finally able to bring baby Cole home, our lives changed.

Our lives changed for the better.

Ace had told me about Spade. Oddly enough, I felt a pinch of sadness. But I guess Spade was too far gone to even care about his own life.

But now that I'm here with my own family and a baby of my own, I feel whole again.

"It's your turn to change his diaper." I say to Ace, handing him Cole and a fresh diaper.

Ace just stands there with a blank look on his face.

"You mean to tell me, you, who is a gang leader, is afraid of dirty diapers? You're a gang leader, you've seen so many things much worse than a little poop!" I exclaim.

"Blood and poop are so different." Ace replies.

I roll my eyes. "Can you believe your daddy, Cole? He's not so tough on the inside, now is he?"

Cole sticks his chubby thumb in his mouth and stares at me.

"Have, fun," I say to Ace, "Think of this as parental bonding."

And with those words, I silently wish Ace the best of luck and head into the kitchen to prepare a snack for Cole.

As time passed, we both got the hang of being parents.

Though, I don't think I can ever get used to waking up to the sound of Cole crying in the middle of the night. But, as time passed and Cole grew a bit older, the crying ceased.

My relationship with Ace was great.

Marriage wasn't easy nor was our relationship perfect, but together, we can face the world.

* * *

Ace was serious when he said we could have "as many little monkeys as I want." Because months later, we are expecting another baby boy. We have decided on the name Malcolm.

"Get your clothes on right now mister!" I hear Ace's voice from Cole's room.

When I walk in, I see our little sixteen-month old Cole running around naked. His laughter fills the room as Ace tried to catch him and dress him.

"He takes after you, Ace." I say, laughing.

"I do not run around naked!" Ace exclaims.

I raise my eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

"Fine. That was one time! But that was only because I forgot to grab a towel so when I got out of the shower, you caught me running around in our room naked looking for one."

I laugh. "You're right. That was pretty funny though. I think Cole is definitely looking more like you. He's got your black hair and your blue eyes. He's going to be a handsome little guy."

Ace laughs and nods in agreement. "He sure is."

* * *

As our family grew and time passed, Katelin decided she wanted a house of her own. She moved out and now lives across the street from us.

She also found a guy she liked, and Ace performed a background check on the poor guy.

"Full name, date of birth, age, address, and social security number?" Ace asks Parker, Katelin's boyfriend.

"ACE!" Katelin screams at him, her face reddening from embarrassment.

Ace raises an eyebrow. "Any weapons that I should know about?"

Katelin folds here arms over her chest and glares at him. "Let's go, Parker." And with those words, Katelin and Parker leave.

Ace starts to walk to his office.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"I've got to get this background check started." He replies.

I wish I could say meeting Katelin's boyfriend went well. But Ace is the protective type. If I have daughters, can you imagine how that will play out when a boy asks them out?

World War Three would break out.

When the time for Malcolm to be born came, it was two in the morning. Ace drove down the high way like a mad man. He was cursing and muttering under his breath as he pushed the vehicle to go faster.

"I-it hurts, the contractions!" I cry, clutching my pregnant belly, "I-I don't think I w-will make it to the hospital in t-time."

"Oh, no no no. I can't deliver a baby." Ace says, panicking.

I throw my head back and let out a cry of pain. "Y-you're going to have to. Pull over and call 911. I feel him coming."

Ace lays the backseat down and sets me in the back. By now, I'm in so much pain I can't even talk.

Ace pulls over and calls 911.

"She's pushing! What do I do?" Ace asks the operator frantically.

"Sir, I want you to catch the baby."

"Catch the baby? I can do that."

I see Malcolm's head.

"Urge your wife to push."

"Push Dakota, push for Malcolm!" Ace encourages.

After minutes of pushing, baby Malcolm is born kicking and screaming. The pain of pregnancy instantly dulls, and I sit back, exhausted. Malcolm is in Ace's arms, and he's still on the phone with the operator.

The sound of the ambulance's sirens is heard in the distance, and as our chaotic night comes to an end, I'm just happy everything turned out to be okay.

It truly is amazing how time passes. Days turn into months, and months turn into years. And in those years, our family has grown a lot.

Ace and I now have five beautiful children.

The oldest one is Cole, he is already seven years old and he is rambunctious. Next, we have Malcolm, who is almost six. He's more quiet and standoffish, but he's sweet.

Then, we have Lily. She's our first little girl. She is a spunky four year old who is outgoing and talks to anyone and anything.

Next, we have Zane. He is a mamma's boy and is attached to my hip all the time. He's almost two years old.

And finally, we have Cahira.

Yes, her name is different and unique, but I think it's beautiful. Cahira is still a baby, but she gave us quite the scare when she was born.

Throughout the pregnancy, I knew something was wrong, despite what the doctors said.

But one afternoon confirmed my worst fears. I was just reading a book in the living room when I felt liquid slide down my leg.

It was blood.

I was only six months along with Cahira at the time, so of course, I freaked out. Ace rushed me to the hospital, where they were forced to perform an emergency C-section to save Cahira.

It turns out, the umbilical cord had wrapped around her, choking her. Her chances of survival was thin, because not only was she suffering from lack of oxygen to her brain for so long, but she was three months premature.

And she was tiny.

She was only two pounds, five ounces. She was only eleven inches long and she had to be placed in an incubator to keep her temperature up. She was also hooked up to a breathing machine, as her lungs still needed a little more time to develop.

The doctors said her survival was slim, and she probably wouldn't make it through the night.

This was Ace's and my worst nightmare. To lose a child no matter what age would be devastating.

But despite all odds, Cahira made it through the night.

And then she made it through another night and another.

She earned the name Cahira because it means fighter, or warrior, in Irish, which I thought fits her perfectly.

Life is odd.

It is full of surprises, both good and bad. You just never know what life is going to hand you.

My story of life was like that, it started off bleak, dark, and void. I was drowning in my own pain and I was convinced there was no way out. I thought all there was to life was pain.

But there s not.

There is so much joy in life.

I was blinded by my pain, but when I found the light, I pursued it.

I pursued it with everything I had. And when I finally caught the light, I held onto it and it brightened my dark world. It pulled me out of the pit of destruction, and set my feet upon solid ground.

Remember, you are not alone in your struggles. It may feel like it, but with seven billion people on this earth, it's safe to say that you are not alone.

I once thought I was alone, too. But, when I found that ray of hope, I grasped onto it and I haven't let it go since. Ace and my family have lifted me to new heights I'd thought I'd never reach.

And, it is so amazing.

And as life carries on, I will never forget the story I can tell.

The story of darkness, pain, rising up, and finally, redemption.

Because my name is Dakota.

And I have been rescued.

~The End~