Missing You

Chapter Ten: Reality Happens

In the morning, Draven had to get to work. He moved out from underneath a sleeping Nina to shower and get dressed. When he got out, she was still asleep. He kissed her shoulder and she stirred, turning to her back and opening her eyes to him. He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her as she did him and kissed her soundly. When he lifted his lips, “I’m sorry to wake you, baby. I’m heading to work,” he said softly, “I want you to be here when I come home this afternoon.”

She nodded and sleepily said, “Then here is where I will be.”

He kissed her and said, “Go back to sleep, baby. I’ll be back before you know it.”

She settled back into the bed, and he covered her up after kissing her shoulder. It was becoming harder and harder to leave her. Later, Nina was dressed in khaki shorts and a Billabong shirt with her hair in a messy bun working on her latest novel. She was cooking spaghetti when Draven came home.

She raised her eyes to see him removing his hat, “Damn, I could eat you up right now,” turning off the stove, “In fact, I am.”

Speechless, he watched as she came around and without further words watched as she went to her knees in front of him and took him into her mouth. This time she didn’t allow him to pick her up. She felt a hand in her hair, and he moved a hand to the counter to hold on. She kept pleasing him until he came inside of her mouth. She drank everything he released to her. After he gathered his composure, he watched as she stood with a smile on her lips. He kissed her deeply then and pressed his forehead to hers, “No one has ever done that for me.”

She smiled and put her arms around him. He slid his hands inside of her shorts to find her panty less, “Your turn.”

He then carried her to the couch where he laid her down and removed her shorts. Cupping her buttocks, he lifted her to his face, “God you smell so good. I could get lost in you,” and then licked, sucked and bit her gently until she came hard for him. He felt her hands go in his hair and a soft gasp with his name on her lips. He then took his time cleaning her as she had him. Gently kissing the inside of her thigh, he moved up to her sated face and kissed her lips until she responded. Then with an arm around her shoulders and a hand on her buttock, he entered her wetness. She placed her hands on his ribcage and bent her knees to take him deeper inside of her. They looked into each other’s eyes, and he moved hard and slow against her. Loving the gasps of pleasure that came from her supple lips. When she came, she closed her eyes and arched up to him. He reached under her shirt to palm her breast and he came inside of her. His arms were trembling at the point. She pulled him down to rest on her, both shaking and breathing hard together.

Later, they sat eating the dinner she made after they showered. They finished dinner and then sat to watch a movie. Though he couldn’t concentrate on the movie as her hand was stroking his thigh. Before long they were back in bed, and he was having his way with her again. Later they lay in the dark looking out at the waves, Draven spooning her from behind. He kissed her shoulder. She sighed in content.

“Nina?” he said softly.

“Yeah?” she said softly in response.

He turned her to have her on her back, he wanted to make sure she was looking at him. She could see him from the light of the moon and soothed the worry line on his forehead. He kissed the palm of her hand, her wrist and then her lips, “I want to tell you something. And I don’t want you to freak out.”

She lost her smile, “Okay. You have my attention.”

He pressed his forehead to her chest first to take in a few deep breaths. Lifting his head, he pressed a kiss to the inside of her elbow taking a deep breath, “I love you.” She went to respond, but he stopped her. “I know you are going to say that I shouldn’t because we haven’t known each other that long, but as you know with us SpecOps guys, time is not a luxury we have and when you know, you know. I want to tell you why I love you. I love it when you smile at me. I love it when you say my name on your luscious lips. I love when you put your hand in mine. I love that you trust me unconditionally. I love that you are here in my home when I come home from work. I love that you are kind and generous to the people around you. I love that you take care of your brothers even as they are grown men. I love that you are published under another name. I love that you are humble and so not materialistic. I love that when I look at you across a room, that you only have eyes for me. I love that,” seeing tears forming in her eyes, “you surprise me every day with something. Whether it is cooking for me or finding new things in the bedroom to surprise me with. I love you. My heart, my whole heart belongs to you and only you.”

She kissed him then, letting her tears fall. He wiped them with the pads of his thumbs, “Don’t cry baby.”

She nodded, “Don’t worry, they’re happy tears.”

He settled onto her soft body and kissed her. When he raised his eyes to look at her, she softly said, “I love you, too.”

For the rest of the night, he showed her how much he loved her. In the morning, he knew she was tired and kissed her sleeping shoulder. She turned to hug him and kiss him goodbye. He kissed her soft lips, “I’ll see you later.”

She kissed him again, “I’ll be here.”

“I love you.”

She smiled, “I love you too.” She watched him leave and secure the door. With a smile on her face, she went back to sleep. When Draven came back home, dinner was on the stove warming. Nina was nowhere in sight. “Nina?” he called out. No response. “Nina?” Still no response. He went from room to room and found her in the bathroom. She was laying on the tile with her cheek pressed to the cool tile. He immediately became concerned, “Nina,” and went to her side and tried to pick her up. She wouldn’t let him pick her up, “Don’t.”

He put his hand on her hip, her light pink shift barely covering her buttocks, “Tell me what’s wrong baby?”

She didn’t move and kept her eyes closed, “My doctor changed my insulin. He said this could be a side effect.”

“Then he needs to change it back. Tell me what I can do to help you.”

Nina kept her eyes closed, “Just take off my insulin pump. Please.”

“Walk me through the steps,” raising her shift gently. She walked him through the process, and he put the pump on the counter. “What can I do for you baby? Let me help you.”

“Just what you’re doing. I need the dizziness and the nausea to pass. I’ve already thrown up everything else and dry heaved.”

“Okay,” after wetting a cool towel and placing it on her forehead as best he could, he sat down on the bathroom floor with her, leaving his hand on her thigh.

“Tell me about your day,” she said, still with her eyes closed.

He started telling her. She loved the sound of his voice. They sat that way for a while. When she felt good enough to get up, he helped her to stand. As she was standing, “Something doesn’t feel-” and fainted. He caught and held her, “Nina!” She was out cold. He picked her up, grabbing her insulin pump and ran with her to the Jeep. Once he had her strapped in, he sped off towards the nearest hospital. Carrying her into the Emergency Room he shouted, “I need a doctor!”

A few nurses approached him as did a doctor, “What happened?” the doctor asked as she led them to an empty bed. He laid her down gently and handed them the insulin pump and explained to them everything that happened to her from the time he got home. He looked at the unconscious Nina and then at the doctor, “Please, help her. She is my life.”

The nurses were already working on her. The doctor nodded to a nurse. She went over to him, “Come with me. The doctor is going to do everything she can.”

Very reluctantly he left the area and was put in the waiting room. He sat with his hands between his knees squeezing his military hat, one knee bouncing nervously up and down. He kept looking at his watch as the time passed. Finally, after about an hour, the doctor came into the waiting room, “Draven McGarrett?”

He stood up and went over to the doctor. “Follow me, please.” She took him to an empty space in the hall just away from the beds. “She’s okay.” He sighed with relief, “What happened?”

“Her doctor prescribed too potent of an insulin for her. We have changed it back to her original one. Her sugars were just out of the ordinary. We have stabilized her. We are going to keep her here for the night to observe her. We will release her in the morning.”

He sighed, and shook the doctor’s hand, “Thank you, Doc.”

“She’s asking for you.”

He went to her bedside and immediately saw that she was sitting up and her color was much better. They had also changed her into a hospital gown. He sat on her bed and enveloped her into a hug kissing her neck, “Damn, are you okay, baby?”

She nodded, holding onto him, “I’m sorry I scared you.”

He pulled away and soothed back her hair, kissing her nose, “Don’t do that again.”

A nurse went in, “Well, a bed is open upstairs. Let’s get you transported up there. Do you think you can get in the wheelchair?”

“I’ll try.”

Draven stood up, “I got her,” and lifted her easily and placed her in the wheelchair. The nurse then took them up to the third floor and he repeated the process once she was in her room. The nurse was making notes on her chart and placed the insulin pump on her table, “How long have you two been married?”

Nina was holding his hand, “Oh, we’re not married.”

Draven looked over at Nina as he sat down in the chair next to her bed, “Something I plan on remedying very soon.”

Nina snapped her eyes up to his, “What?”

The nurse smiled, “If you two will excuse me. The doctor will be by to check on you later,” and left closing the door behind her.

Nina looked speechless at Draven. He let out a deep breath and tried to laugh, “Well, I just spoiled the surprise.”

“Draven, I . . .”

He stopped her, “Just hear me out. I had this elaborate night I was going to surprise you with. I was going to take you dancing and then to dinner, and end with a romantic night on the beach. But now it seems is the best time.” He reached into one of his camouflage pant pockets and pulled out a small ring box which Nina recognized as a Harry Winston box. Nina swallowed as he opened the box to reveal a large princess cut diamond ring with two smaller diamonds on either side with smaller diamonds going down the side of the ring in a platinum setting. If she had to guess, the total weight was at least five to six carats. Her eyes met his. “I love it when I come home to find you there. I love waking up and falling asleep with you in my arms. Being held captive,” he shook his head, “You saved me. I would have done anything to get back to you. I will always do what it takes to get back to you. But I can promise you that I will always come back to you. I will always be here for you. I want you by my side and in my bed every day. You are my life, Nina. Will you marry me?”

She was crying by then, and nodded quickly, “Yes.”

He smiled and put the ring on her finger, and then kissed her soundly on the lips. She moved over and he got in the bed with her, holding her to his side. All night he whispered loving words to her and held her close. In the morning, the doctor released her and gave her a new prescription for the correct insulin and Nina was on the phone to a new endocrinologist. Once she was released, Draven carried her to his Jeep since she wasn’t wearing shoes when he took her to the hospital, even though he took her some, he just wanted to touch her.

On the way home, Nina kept looking at her ring, “God this is so surreal.”

He smiled and glanced at her with his hand on her thigh, “Why?”

She held his arm with her free hand, “I would have been happy just to be with you for the rest of my life. Knowing you are legally required to be there just puts the icing on the cake.”

He squeezed her thigh with a smile and gave her a quick kiss, “Ditto.”

They got to his house to find all of his buddies, and their paddle boarding group unloading all of her items into his house. “Draven?” she said looking at him.

“I called them to go get your things. I want you in our home right now. I don’t plan on spending any more nights away from you. I also had Jay put your house on the market. Save you a few steps.”

She smiled at him, “You are so good to me.”

He parked, “I love you, baby.”

“I love you.”

He leaned over and gave her a deep kiss. That earned cat calls from anyone that saw. Smiling, “Stay there.” He got out and ran around to get her, lifting her into his arms after covering her with a sarong. He didn’t get a chance to get back to the house to get her clothes to change into since all she had was her little pink shift. He didn’t need his team or anyone else seeing her luscious ass exposed since her body was for his eyes only. Everyone congratulated them as he walked with her into the house, as they left. When they got inside, she discovered her brothers already there. They were rearranging items. Hunter stood up as they all did and smiled.

She smiled, “What are you guys doing here?”

Blaine stepped forward, “Well, we were coming to help spread Wes’ ashes. We get here and this guy tells us what happened,” then turns his attention to Draven, “Thanks for watching out for our sister,” then his eyes went to her finger, “Wait. Are you guys engaged?”

Nina smiled, “Yes.”

“Awe, man,” slapping his arm, “Congratulations!”

Everyone was happy for them, except Hunter. “Wait, you’re engaged to this guy?”

Nina looked at Draven and he set her down on her feet gingerly. His arms didn’t fall away from her until she had secured the sarong around her waist. “Yes, I am.”

“You can’t be serious,” Hunter protested.

Nina shook her head, “Look, this is not up for discussion. I am too exhausted to deal with you right now. Draven, will you help me to our bedroom?”

“Certainly.” He lifted her back into his arms, “Excuse us gentleman.”

He set Nina down on the bed, “Don’t move. I’ll be right back,” and kissed her quickly.

He went back out into the living room, “Guys, why don’t you go back to your hotel and get settled in. She’s okay. I’ll take care of her. We will meet up with you guys later to discuss the funeral arrangements and everything else you have questions on.” They all agreed and left as well. Draven secured the front door and went back to Nina. She smiled, “I need a bath.”

He smiled and went to her, “Yes, Mistress.”

He took pleasure in bathing her and teasing her and touching her until they both couldn’t take it anymore. Once he had them both dried, he carried her to the bed where he showed her how much he loved her. Later, she lay sleeping against his chest as he held her protectively to him. In the morning, not wanting to wake her and let her recover from her ordeal, he got ready for work. After a quick kiss to her cheek, he made sure she was covered and with one last look at her, he left for work. It has been weighing on him since that dream, but he knew that the decision he was making today was the right one. He was going to hand in his walking papers.

On his drive to work, he was listening to David Crowder “Red Letters” and the words really struck him. It was odd that he felt at peace with his decision. As he pulled up into his spot, so did the rest of his element. As he got out, they all looked at each other and knew. They stood facing each other.

Jinx looked at him, “So, that’s it.”

Radar looked at him too, “You’re done.”

Draven nodded holding his letters in his hand, “Yeah. I am.”

Freak looked at him, “Are you sure?”

He met his brown eyes with his green ones, “I am. She’s it for me.”

“Well, bro, I guess when you know you know,” said Jinx.

He nodded, “I do.”

“Good,” said Radar and held out his hand. Draven took it and shook it, and he was pulled into the bro hug with their hands clasped between their chests and hard thumps to their backs. Together, they put their hats on and walked inside. After line up, they each headed to their workstations while Draven headed to his CO’s office. Rapping with his knuckles, he was on the phone and held up his hand motioning him in and to have a seat. His CO or Commanding Officer, Carl Pierce was a tall, older burly man that definitely commanded the room with whitening hair and grey eyes. Once he hung up, he sat down, “What can I do for your, Shadow?”

Draven put his letter on his desk without a word.

“Is that what I think it is?” he asked.

Draven swallowed and nodded, “Yes, sir.”

“Is it her? Nina?”

He nodded, “Yes, sir.”

He sat back thoughtful, “Is she the one?”

He nodded again, “Yes, sir.”

“I understand,” and opened his letter. After he read it, he put it down on his desk and clasped his hands together, “Well, would you be okay postponing for one more job? I really need you on this one. You are the only one on the team that is motivated to get in, get it done and get home. I need it done fast and I need it done right. Once you return, we can expedite your request.”

“Sir,” implying he was good for one more job, “How long?”

“Two, maybe three days tops.”

“Yes, sir,” nodding.

He nodded, “Good, get your element together and wheels up in thirty. You’ll be briefed in the air.”

Draven nodded, “Sir,” and got up to make a few quick phone calls and then get his team together. True to his word, thirty minutes later with their gear in hand, his element, a four man team, was loaded up in a large cargo plane. Some minutes later they were on their way to an unknown location with a classified mission. Draven felt the same gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach, as if something was telling him that what he was about to do was wrong. He just wished, hoped, and prayed that he would get back home and to Nina in one piece.

Later that morning, Nina smiled and opened her eyes to look at her beautiful engagement ring. Turning over, she found the bed empty. Holding the sheet to her top, she sat up, “Draven?” She expected to hear something. She noticed that the house was still and no noise from anywhere. Then she remembered it was Friday, and he was probably at work.

Getting up she showered and dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a baby blue tank top with her hair in a messy bun and started merging her things with his after having some conversations with her brothers. By six that evening, when Draven hadn’t come home, she grabbed her cell phone and called him. They were due to meet her brothers for dinner in an hour. After trying his cell again, it went straight to voicemail. Hanging up, she was about to start calling around when there was a knock on her door. Going to it, it was a flower delivery driver. “Nina Moreno?” he asked. She nodded. “Please sign here,” and handed her a bouquet of flowers when she was done.

Closing the door, she smiled at the flowers and looked for a card. Finding one she opened it, “My love, I hate that I can’t say this in person, but my team has been called up. I can’t tell you where I’ll be going or how long-” Nina stopped reading it and threw the flowers and the card in the trash. She looked at her new engagement ring and started thinking if being a military wife is what she really wanted or if she could do this at all.

Putting on her shoes, she grabbed her purse and headed to the North Shore for dinner where her brothers were. As she pulled up, she wiped at her tears and put on a smile on her face. Getting out, she grabbed her purse and walked over to the tables that they had put together. When she neared, Blaine, knowing his sister, knew something was up. He looked at her, “Are you okay, sissy?”

She bit her lip to try to stop herself from crying and shook her head.

Jaegar walked up with a tray of food and picked up on that his sister wasn’t happy and put the food down quickly before hugging her tightly. She hugged her brother back and when she composed herself, Blaine handed her a napkin and she wiped at her face. “When?” he asked.

She shook her head, “Some time today. I tried calling him and it kept going to voicemail. Then just before I left to come, I got a flower delivery with him telling me he had been called up.”

“Damn, I’m sorry sissy,” Jaegar said.

“Thanks.”

The rest of the pack showed up and picked up on what was going on. “What’s going on?” Hunter asked as he set down a tray of drinks.

Jaegar looked at him, “Draven got called up.”

Hunter got a smug look on his face. Nina saw and stepped towards him, “What’s that face for?”

“He didn’t even have the decency to call you. We do. We all do. That’s elev-ten grown men that call you when we get called up.”

“He’s different, Omega.”

“Yeah? How? Explain that to me. Huh? You barely even know him. What, you’ve known him like a month! How could you possibly know he is the one? Do you even know who he is?”

“I know who he is. The question is, why are you so against him? What did he ever do to you?” Nina asked on the defense.

Gabriel raised a hand, “I can answer that,” and converted his speaking to sign language so that no one knew what they were saying. He started, “About a year ago, they had a meeting at a safe house overseas.”

Hunter slapped his hands together and signed, “Shut the f**k up!”

Gabriel waved him off and continued, “Our dear brother here got into a fight with one of Draven’s teammates in his squad, not his element. The men pulled them apart, but this asshole went for a suckerpunch and instead of getting the teammate, he caught Draven in the jaw because he pushed his teammate out of the way or his punch would have landed on the back of the guy's head.”

Nina snapped to look at Hunter as he radiated anger. Nina switched to angry sign language, “What the f**k, Omega?”

Gabriel snapped get their attention back and continued, “Draven was being the better soldier and walked away to end it. But our dear brother here was still pissed because his teammate had stolen his girl. It was an ego thing.”

Nina turned back to Hunter and signed furiously, “So your misplaced anger is at Draven for something his teammate did?”

Hunter hung his head.

Nina slapped her hands together to make him look at her, “You have no right to judge him. It was you that caused it I bet. You couldn’t handle the fact that a Teams Tramp dumped you for another man? Get over yourself. Draven is not that kind of man. Yes, I have only known him for a total month, but in this time, he has shown me more kindness and understanding and love than any man ever has. Including you.”

He tried to argue with her, and she cut him off, “No! He is the love of my life and when he comes back, we will get married,” and turned to walk away. She heard Hunter say, “That is if he comes back.” Stopping in her tracks, she froze feeling hot rage fuel her blood. Turning, she walked back over to him and without warning she sent a punch to his face which sent him to the floor. Since her brother’s trained her, she could throw a punch like they could. Nina then said outloud to him for all to hear, “You f*****g asshole. If you say one more negative thing to me or to our brothers about Draven, may god help you, you will be put on f*****g notice.”

Hearing the white hot words coming from her mouth, Hunter looked up at his sister and saw the rage radiating from her small frame. He knew he had f****d up. He knew what being on notice meant and he would pay for his indiscretions. He had before and it was indeed painful both emotionally and physically. They all watched as she grabbed her purse and left without so much of a look over her shoulder. Driving back to Draven’s, well, their home, she cried the whole way and pleaded with the powers that be to watch over him and bring him back safe. That night her brothers did not bother her as they knew she was dealing with Draven being called up and with their father and brother’s funeral the next morning.

That following morning, Nina did a quick workout on the beach and meditated with the sun rise. After, she showered and dressed for the services. Covering up with a white maxi dress with a lower back and her swimsuit underneath. Nina wore her hair in a braided updo to keep it out of her face, while under her maxi dress were white boy cut swimsuit bottoms, and a white tankini top she would cover later with a white Billabong swim rash shirt. As she was grabbing the things she needed for their services, she heard a knock on the door.