Laura Acton

​December 21 – Dan’s Apartment

​

Energized and drenched in perspiration from a vigorous cardio and weight-lifting session, Dan strode toward his bedroom to shower and change for the day. Mason and Zach followed him inside the apartment, arguing over who would use his guest bathroom first. He chuckled as they decided to play a game of rock, paper, scissors to solve the impasse.

​

Though he didn’t like needing their protection, with his eyesight impaired, he appreciated his former unit brother and his younger cousin’s willingness to assist him. If they hadn’t agreed to come to Toronto with him, he’d still be stuck rehabbing at his parents’ home in Ottawa. He much preferred being where he wanted to build a future, whatever it may be.

​

Dan shut the bedroom door, kicked off his sneakers, and stripped off his sweaty clothes. After dumping them into the hamper in his bathroom, he turned on the tap. As he waited for the hot water to flow, his thoughts returned to the get-together with his TRF teammates yesterday.

​

While under Blackout protocol, he’d been prohibited from having contact with Alpha Team or anyone outside of his small security detail. So, getting to hang out with Lexa, Loki, Bram, Nick, and Jon last night and catching up with their lives felt like coming home. The only damper on the evening was the lingering doubt of whether he would ever return to the police force.

​

However, his father’s unanticipated appearance at his door and surprise news about converting his re-enlistment to a short-term assignment had brightened everyone’s spirits. Unexpectedly released from his multi-year military contract, Dan was now free to pursue a path he desired and the woman he cherished. Lexa was his beauty, his one and only, his soulmate, and the best part was she chose to stand by him despite the uncertainties he faced.

​

Though he’d been through hell during the past five months and was still dealing with the aftereffects of his final mission, things appeared to be moving in the right direction. However, building the life he wanted presented him with several challenges. His vision was the major obstacle, but this morning gave him hope. Objects appeared less blurry and remained focused for longer intervals.

​

If his sight continued to improve and returned to normal, he was confident he’d regain his TRF position. That’s what he dearly wanted, although it would make Lexa his teammate again and create another hurdle for them to surmount because fraternization within a team was against regulations.

 

Fortunately, back in July, which seemed like a lifetime ago, when they had come clean with Nick about reigniting their relationship, their sergeant had been amazingly supportive. Boss agreed to turn a blind eye to their couple status until he found a workable solution that allowed them to remain on the same team. However, until Nick worked things out, they promised him they would keep their after-hours involvement from their teammates.

​

As Dan stepped under the stream of warm water, his thoughts turned to his plans for the day. After breakfast, he would go Christmas shopping. He wanted to buy gifts for Bram’s, Jon’s, and Nick’s kids, an ornament for Loki, a drum set for Micky, and something exceptional for Lexa. He also needed to find a wedding present for Jeff and Aubree, as they would be getting married in four days.

​

Though a little anxious about how all the kids would react to seeing him after almost half a year of no contact, he looked forward to visiting with Allie. She was a ray of sunshine who brightened his darkest hours. During his first six months with TRF, he’d been so lost and alone. But the barely three-year-old angel had nestled into the corner of his heart when Bram invited him into his home on Christmas Eve after a minor accident.

​

He formed an incredible connection with the precocious girl who, though she didn’t look like Sara, reminded him of his little sister’s personality. With Allie now six years old, Dan wondered if she had outgrown her unintentional use of incorrect words and mispronunciations. If she had, he would miss her cute malaprops. He smiled, recalling Bram relating the humorous yet embarrassing situation when Allie yelled ‘erections’ instead of ‘directions’.

​

His mind shifted to Micky and Daphne. He was glad his memories returned, or he would’ve missed spending time with Brody’s son. Although still a bit mindboggling that Daphy was alive and she and Brody had a child, knowing his chosen brother lived on via a son made him both happy and sad. With every fiber of his being, he wished that Brody would’ve gotten the chance to meet his boy and be a father to Micky—but it wasn’t in the cards.

​

Dan’s musings continued as he reached for the shampoo, jumping back and forth from pleasant recollections to current worries. He hoped being home would help stabilize his wild mood swings. Processing all the memories that flooded back only two months ago was like riding a rollercoaster. One moment, he would be riding high, only to plunge to the depths of despair in the next.

​

Though he prided himself on his ability to cope and compartmentalize, those skills were severely frayed after recently remembering all the losses he suffered and the terrible things he’d endured, seen, and done in the past decade.

​

Lexa’s Home

​

After putting her toothbrush into the holder, Lexa paused upon catching the reflection of her exquisite necklace. When Dan presented the velvet box in June, she’d worried he was proposing. She hoped her mien hadn’t betrayed her immense relief when he revealed the contents, the jewelry she admired during the sting operation at Tourterelle Boutique two years ago.

​

Her feelings for Dan continued to evolve after the undercover assignment. She wanted a keepsake of the day she’d openly shown him affection in front of the team, albeit the guys believed they were acting the role of a loving couple to catch the thieves. So, a week later, she returned to the quaint shop intent on buying the unique pendant, but disappointment greeted her … it had been sold.

​

However, that night, the sweet, elderly owner, Miriam, somehow tapped into her internal emotional struggle. Their ensuing conversation over a cup of hot tea nudged her to consider taking a chance on loving Dan. Although it was the most frightening thing she’d ever done, she found the courage to open her heart and allow him to take up residence.

​

Sadly, only a few months later, she let her fears get the best of her and cruelly pushed him away. She learned the hard way that Miriam was right. Loving someone was messy and scary, but worth the risk. The past few months of missing Dan and not knowing when he would return taught her to cherish every moment she had with him.

​

Refocusing on the platinum butterfly pendant with a rose gold heart entwined around the delicate body, she traced the diamond outline of the amethyst and sapphire inlaid wings. When Dan gave this to her, she discovered butterflies were meaningful to both of them … reminders of important people they lost. For her, it was her mother, and for Dan, it was his little sister.

​

They both also embraced the symbolism of metamorphosis. When Dan gifted her the necklace, he said her love wrapped him in a cocoon and transformed him into a better man. Though she doubted she had such a profound effect on him, she knew for a fact that his love for her had changed her.

​

Before Dan came along, she refused to become romantically involved with men, keeping them at arm’s length and never dating anyone more than twice. She had trust issues and believed they would break her heart and abandon her, as her father and brothers had done. She fought hard against the invisible magnetism drawing her to Dan, but her soul’s tiny, insistent voice wouldn’t be silenced no matter what her rational brain uttered.

​

The doorbell pulled Lexa from her musings, and she did one last check of her hair in the mirror … she left it loose today, and the auburn curls bounced with the excitement she felt at spending the day with the people she cared about and, with any luck, the night with Dan.

​

With pep in her step, Lexa exited her bedroom and skipped down the stairs. She opened the door and greeted Amy with an exuberant, “Come on in. The coffee should be ready.”

​

“Fantastic,” Amy said as she stepped inside, noting Lexa’s cheerfulness and the sparkle in her hazel eyes, two things missing since Dan rejoined the military and moved back to Ottawa. She had sincerely hoped their relationship would’ve blossomed with them no longer on the same team, but the last time she asked about him, Lexa ended the inquiry so fast it left Amy stunned.

​

As Lexa poured two cups, Amy took a seat on one of the island stools and studied her friend. She still wondered what had happened and why Lexa never mentioned Dan. Though she initially liked Dan and understood Lexa had been the one to end their relationship the first time out of fear, she couldn’t help being angry at the man who pulled a disappearing act on Lexa … abandoning her.

​

Though she didn’t know for sure, based on Lexa’s refusal to talk about him, she figured Dan ended things this time and hurt her best friend by never visiting or calling. She tried to be supportive, primarily by avoiding the topic in the last few months, but something had changed in Lexa’s demeanor today, so she asked, “What’s got you so happy?”

​

Lexa slid one mug to Amy. “Dan’s coming over for dinner tonight.”

​

Amy’s jaw dropped. “He is?”

​

Nodding, Lexa lifted her mug and blew on the hot brew.

​

Confused, Amy stared as many questions raced through her mind, but she finally settled on, “Didn’t you break up? You haven’t mentioned him in ages, and when I asked about him three months ago, you nearly bit my head off.”

​

Lexa moved and sat on the other stool. “No, we didn’t. I’m sorry. I wasn’t permitted to say anything.” She paused, set her cup down, and explained Dan’s absence with the agreed-upon story. “He was in protective custody, and to safeguard him, we were all under strict orders to pretend he didn’t exist. He wasn’t allowed to contact us either. Thankfully, the threat was neutralized, and he can return.”

​

Scrunching her brows, Amy asked, “What kind of threat?”

​

“I’m not allowed to say more.”

​

“So, you know, but can’t tell me?”

​

Lexa pursed her lips, remaining silent.

​

“Okay, I won’t press for details. But with Dan in the army, does that mean you can be open about your relationship now?”

​

“No.”

​

“Why not?” Amy wrapped her chilled fingers around the warm mug.

​

“Dan won’t be in the military much longer. Once medically cleared, he’ll be discharged and hopefully return to Alpha.” Anticipating her friend’s questions, Lexa proactively added, “He was injured in an explosion.”

​

Amy recalled that Lexa and her entire team had been hurt in the massive explosion while serving a warrant in August. “Sorry to hear that. I didn’t realize he was still recovering from the shoe factory blast.”

​

Though not technically the source of his current injuries, Lexa believed the first explosion might’ve been a compounding factor. Since she wasn’t privy to the details of Dan’s mission, she decided not to correct Amy’s assumption. “Yes. Dan’s vision was compromised and still is, but it’s improving.”

​

Amy’s brows drew together again. “How bad is his eyesight?”

​

“He has difficulty focusing.”

​

“Surely, he won’t be returning to TRF with poor vision. He’s a sniper. He needs perfect sight to do his job.”

​

An uncharitable thought crossed Lexa’s mind. If Dan didn’t make it back, it would resolve their conundrum with the non-fraternization rule, but she replied, “We’re both aware of the requirements. If that comes to pass, que sera, sera.”

​

“Your job is so demanding, and adding the additional stress of taking care of Dan seems like too heavy a burden to carry.” Amy carelessly said as she glanced down at her coffee.

​

Lexa’s eyes flashed, and her tone became stern, “Dan isn’t and will never be a burden, even if his eyesight never returns to normal. I love him, and he loves me. Together, we will build our future.”

​

Amy blanched as she realized what she’d said. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it to come out that way. Truly, I didn’t. Dan’s a great guy. He must be if you opened your heart to him. Can you forgive my thoughtlessness?”

​

“Yes, I forgive you.”

​

Relieved, Amy added, “On the bright side, if he doesn’t return to TRF, it’ll solve your problem about being on the same team.”

​

Though bristling over Amy voicing the same thought she had, Lexa said, “To be clear, I want Dan to return to the team. It is important to him, so it’s important to me. We’ll just have to trust Nick to help us resolve the dating issue.” Rising, Lexa changed the topic as she said, “Let’s get busy making cookies.”

​

“What kind do you want to make first?” Amy asked.

​

Smiling, Lexa replied, “Oatmeal, raisin, walnut cookies. They’re Dan’s favorite, and I want to have them for dessert tonight.”

​

Dan’s Apartment

​

While Blondie and Zach showered, Mason lounged on the sofa, his thoughts mirroring Dan’s in many ways. Mason genuinely appreciated General Broderick’s efforts to convert Blondie’s re-enlistment to a special assignment. Now, the man he considered his little brother couldn’t be involuntarily recalled for any reason. It was past time Blondie’s life was his own to dictate.

​

He sighed and rotated his head, stretching his muscles. They’d risen at five this morning to work out before a busy day. Once they all cleaned up, they planned to go out for breakfast. After that, Blondie wanted to go shopping for Christmas gifts and visit his teammate’s kids individually this afternoon so he wouldn’t be overwhelmed with questions. Mason thought it was a good strategy, particularly with the age differences of the kids. They would round out the day with dinner at Lexa’s home, something Blondie was eagerly anticipating.

​

A grin grew as Mason thought about the relationship between Blondie and Lexa McKenna. Blondie fell head over heels for the petite, auburn-haired constable, and after everything the brother of his heart had been through, Mason wished Blondie all the happiness he deserved.

​

Shifting his gaze to the photos on the wall, Mason sought out Brody’s image. Bittersweet memories of his unit mate flooded in. Brody had been a light in the dark for all of them during the years they spent in Kandahar, but none more so than for Dan. Those two were closer than blood brothers, and although Brody’s death devastated him, Blaze, Winds, and Jim, it almost killed Blondie. If not for Baboon, aka Nils Carsten, being with Blondie when he collapsed upon finding Brody’s body and starting CPR, Dan would’ve been dead, too.

​

Moving to the snapshot of the TRF team, Mason thanked the Lord for bringing Nick, Jon, Bram, Loki, Lexa, and Ray into Blondie’s life. Though he had a rough start with them, they saved his life by giving Blondie a renewed purpose after he inadvertently killed Brody in a friendly fire incident.

The sound of breaking glass, followed by a thump emanating from Blondie’s bedroom, pulled Mason from his thoughts.

 

He surged from the sofa and rushed into the room. When he found the bathroom door closed, he called out, “Blondie, is everything okay?”

​

Receiving no answer, Mason knocked on the door instead of barging in. “I heard something break. Do you need a broom or help?”

​

Again, he received no response, so he gripped the knob and turned, but found it locked. Worry ratcheting up, Mason’s voice raised as he demanded, “Blondie, open up now or answer me!”