Faithfully

“Do I have to answer that separately, darlin’?” Red asked embarrassedly, after Cooper’s response.

“No,” I smiled and looked over at Mikey and Cooper, who looked equally, put on the spot. “You don’t have to stand here; you’re not in trouble guys.”

“Have a good day, your highness!” Mikey waved and took off ahead of the others, I laughed as I watched them high tell it out of there.

“I really like them,” I told James as I turned back to him. “What exactly do they do on your team? You’ve never told me.”

“Well as you already know we’re a specially put together team, trained in different areas. When the government put together the alphas team, they recruited me because I’m able to transport anything anywhere using any vehicle or plane, though I’m best at a chopper and because I worked med evac, I’m a medic. They recruited Mikey because of his specialty with weapons and demolitions; he was a soldier in Iraq when he was brought to our team. Red was a Scottish immigrant to the USA of about five years, he worked for the Scottish version of the CIA for several years, they brought him aboard as our operational command and tactician, he’s pretty handy as a liar so we use him as bait a lot,” he paused to smile and shake his head.

“What about Cooper?” I asked wrapping my arms around James waist the best I could.

“Cooper was one of the best hackers in the world; he was caught hacking into the pentagon for a fifth time, just for fun. His options were jail for a very long time or join the government cause against crime. He’s only shot a gun a handful of times, he’s like our little brother that waits in the car while we do the dirty work,” James laughed at the irony, Cooper looked absolutely lethal to me but to know he’s a big teddy bear was hysterical.

“I love hearing you talk about what you do, your so animated about the people you work with,” I smiled and patted his chest. “It’s nice to see you smile like that.”

“I love what I do, helping people around the world,” he held my hand to his chest, I could tell he was serious by the serene look on his face, I was truly proud of the man I married right then, he was genuine and I kind of silently thanked my parents for ruining my life just for him. “Bad people are everywhere, Grace, where you least expect it. I like being able to save innocent people from those that want to cause harm, that’s what worries me about you. Your innocence comes from being sheltered your whole life, you don’t know how bad people can be.”

“You don’t know how good people can be either,” I grabbed each side of his face and held him still, knowing that this subject was a lost cause that we would eventually be going over again and again and again because of how stubborn James is. “You have to have faith that one way or another, people will surprise you, whether it is for the good or the bad.”

“I envy your faith in people,” James whispered, his blue eyes shifting into a cloudy bright gray color I had never seen them before. I held the undeniable urge to kiss him senseless back, just so I could lose myself in his miraculous orbs.

“I love you but I don’t envy your bitterness towards people, you’ve seen more than I wish you had and someday I hope you get the chance to see the good in people,” I paused and gave him a long passion filled kiss, my eyes closed and I held onto him for dear life. When we pulled apart, I smiled. “You never know, one day you may be surprised.”

“I love you,” he touched my cheek and then slid his hand down to the base of my neck; he swept his fingertips over the area my heart beat. “I wish the world had your heart, and then I would know the good intentions of people, my love.”

______________________________________________________________

The next couple months dragged by because James had satellite meeting after meeting with his bosses in DC, about DeMotta I’m sure, and currently I’m waiting patiently in the den, reading a book while he’s in his office. “Dinner is ready, darling,” Annette posed by the entryway like a model in a white and gold jump suit made of what looked like silk, smiling with happiness.

“Thank you Annette,” I smiled back as I folded the corner of the page and sat my book down, I stood with little difficulty and almost waddled my stiff eight and a half month pregnant self into the large dining room we almost never use, only when there is a big crowd to feed. I sat down beside the head seat where James sits; I hated sitting all the way across the table from him so at dinner, the main Queen chair sat empty across the table unless Annette sat in it.

A maid named Jennifer came in to serve drinks, while she filled all the glasses with wine; she came back with a glass full of grape juice just for me. I thanked her quietly, I was always afraid to speak to loud in the big room, it echoed like crazy. Jennifer nodded her response and left to help Paul or so I assume.

“Hi,” I jumped when Betty greeted me with a hug from the back and a kiss on my cheek.

“Hi,” I laughed at my jumpiness, I followed her with my eyes as she sat across from me, with Dominick beside her. “What have you two been up too?”

“We went walking today, down to the stables and then we walked to town to do a little clothes shopping,” Betty smiled a mischievous smile, which meant there was more to her story, to ask later because she couldn’t say now.

“Who are you, darling?” Annette plopped down gracefully in the Queen’s chair at the other end of the table, closest to Dominick, where I was supposed to sit. I smiled and cleared my throat, Annette had been so busy lately and Dominick had been so stuck to Betty’s hip that a lot of people hadn’t met him, Annette being one of them.

“I’m sorry for my manners that were rude of me. Annette I want you to meet Nick, he’s the one that saved me from Italy,” I gave Dominick a stern look, to agree with whatever I said. “Nick, this is James’ mother and former Queen Annette, she’s been busy with baby stuff...”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Beast,” Dominick politely nodded his head and gave her a quick charming grin.

“Why young man, please call me Annette, you saved my Grace’s life, you’re practically family now,” Annette boasted, waving her hand at Dominick like a school girl with a crush. “I’ve seen you around with my dear Betty, I just thought you two were dating.”

“Hmm, how about that, Annette,” Dominick gave a gracious bow of the head and left it at that, we sat in silence until James and his team burst in like a rowdy pack of wolves, followed by Colin who was laughing at Cooper tripping over his own feet.