Deamon Venator

Dani woke with a start, she panicked and her hands flew to her stomach. But of course she wasn’t pregnant anymore. Her next thought was a panicked one as well, ‘where was my baby’. “There is your panicky mommy.” Ryan stated, Dani glanced over to see both Ryan and Jace in her bed, her panic subsided and she sat up. She was a little confused she didn’t even hear her son cry as he woke up and she wasn’t there. “I went in to check on him, and he was up, and wouldn’t settle until we came in here.” Ryan explained.
Sighing she sat up, moved closer to Ryan and held her hands out for him; Ryan handed him over willingly but seemed a little sad to do so. Dani laid Jace between us and laid her head on Ryan’s shoulder. “We made one hellva handsome baby.” She muttered.
“Yes we did.” He sounded happy about that, “and one day we’ll have more.” It sounded like a promise.
“Don’t get your hopes up baby.” Dani muttered, “He looks like you, except the eyes, they are totally my eyes.” Dani smiled. He kissed her hair and Jace looked at us. She sat up and smiled down at the baby. Dani picked Jace up and got off of the bed, then carried him downstairs to find her father, Mr. Jordan, Mr. Hoag, and Mr. Langston as well as a woman. Ryan wasn’t too far behind Dani and stopped dead in his tracks.
“Mom?” He whispered. Dani glanced up at Ryan and was shocked. Jace wasn’t happy that he was no longer moving and started to cry.
I started to bounce lightly, “Is that my grandson?” Mrs. Jordan asked her voice crisp and tight.
“Yes.” Ryan said tightly. He was pulsing with tension. Dani glanced up at Ryan, then went to the swing and placed him in it, I buckled him up and turned it on, and he gently swayed. I sat down and watched him, his eyes started to close.
“You should have waited.” She snapped, scaring Jace, and he started to cry.
“It’s okay baby, shhh.” Dani tried to sooth him. “Please refrain from scarring my son.” Dani snapped. When he wouldn’t stop she turned the swing off and unbuckled him, picking him up and hugged him, and he still wouldn’t stop crying.
“Here let me try.” Ryan said. Dani nodded and passed him Jace. And he stopped crying, “See JJ only needed his daddy.” He sounded proud; Dani couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her lips. “Come on Dani, let’s go out.” He was tense being here with his mother, Dani nodded. “Get changed and we’ll grab a bite, bring JJ out.”
“You like that name for him?” Dani asked.
“I do, but I like the fact he has my name.” Now he couldn’t stop the proud or happy look that crossed his face. Dani followed him upstairs and went to her bedroom; she pulled on a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt. She pulled on a pair of converse and a black leather cropped jacket. She stepped out of the room as Ryan carrying Jace in his car seat headed towards him.
Dani decided to pump some milk just in case Jace gets hungry, this way she won’t have to excuse herself to feed her son, she pumped two bottles and it was so uncomfortable. She put them in the diaper bag, and took the bag from Ryan and they headed out. Raking her teeth across her bottom lip, she watched as he carried their son, he ignored his mother; he grabbed Dani’s car keys and headed outside. She glanced at the bewildered look Mrs. Jordan gave, she probably expected something a little warmer than this.
Even Dani didn’t know what to say. So she followed Ryan out to her car. Ryan had put Jace in the back seat and was checking to make sure he was strapped in properly, he moved so she could get in and then shut the door, she ran her finger gingerly down Jace’s nose; pulling back so she could buckled up. He drove off, he was still tense. Dani wanted to reach out and pull him into a hug, but of course she wasn’t sure if she should. So instead she turned her attention to the other man in her life.
Once he parked he opened the door behind the driver side and got Jace out, she grabbed the diaper bag and got out, Dani linked her arm with his free arm and they walked into the diner. She remembered the first time she and Ryan came to this diner, they had just completed their first demon hunt, and they were high from the hunt. Of course this time was different, she wasn’t as thin as she use to be, and their day old son was with them.
He chose a booth and set the car seat on the table and slid into the seat. Dani sat on the opposite side I pulled Jace closer to her. “I guess I finally understand what my father said to me, that you’d do anything for your children, but it’s not just Jace I’d do anything for, I hope you know I’m here for you as well. Anything you need just let me know, please.” This confused Dani; she did understand where this came from. She must’ve had a dazed look on his face because he smiled a little. “I love you.” He said.
“I love you too Ryan, but where is this coming from?” I asked.
“Since that baby was taken in the hospital, hell I think since the birth of JJ.” He sighed. A waiter walked over, he looked like a douche, he glanced at Ryan and then at Jace then Dani. He gave a look that said “who would want to be with a fat ass like her?”
“Just so you know, you can’t breast feed the kid in the dining area, it’ll make us loose business,” He sneered.
“Can I kick his ass?” Dani asked Ryan.
“Don’t think so; no.” He shook his head.
Sighing, Dani glanced at the waiter and said, “I’d like a glass of ice lemon water, and a glass of hot water.” Dani stated.
“What would you like in your tea?” He asked.
“I never said I wanted tea, I just want a glass of damn hot water.” Dani snapped. He then started to argue with Dani about the glass of hot water. “I’d like to speak to your manager.”
He let out an exasperated sigh then stormed off to get his manager, a moment later a pudgy woman walked over, she had her hair tied tightly back her brown eyes dark and she looked a little annoyed. “You wanted to speak with me?” She asked, her voice kind, despite her annoyed look.
“I had asked for a glass of hot water, and our waiter argued with me, he assumed it was for tea, and after rudely informing me I wasn’t allowed to breast feed my son in the dining area, I wanted the hot water to warm my son’s bottle, but apparently I need to order a cup of tea to do that.” Dani stated.
“I am sorry about that, I’ll have a word with him, and in the meantime what would you like to drink?” She asked.
“A glass of ice lemon water and a glass of hot water,” Dani answered.
“I’ll have a coffee.” Ryan stated.
“Alright, may I ask, how old is this adorable little boy?”
“He’s only a day old,” Dani answered.
“Oh my and you’re not afraid to expose him?” She asked.
“Fear isn’t something we experience.” Ryan explained.
Before she could say anything I quickly added, “We’re demon hunters.”
She gasped and went to quickly grab our drinks, as she came back with the tray, Jace started to get fussy, I knew he was hungry. “I’d like to feed him, since I don’t actually get to at home.” Ryan stated, Dani smiled and nodded he quickly got Jace out of his car seat and Dani giggled at his eagerness. Once our drinks came she put a bottle in the hot water, and before taking a sip of cool water. Dani checked the temperature of the bottle before passing it to Ryan. He fed him as we ordered. Dani ordered a chicken BLT, with sweet potato fries, Ryan got a hamburger with sweet potato fries as well, and he made it clear he wanted no onions on it.
Jace drank half of the bottle; Ryan was burping him, the bell above the door sounded, he glanced up and looked a little annoyed. But quickly hid it, once he burped he started to sway. “You know I didn’t think I’d feel this way about Jace so quickly, I was scared when I found out. Hell I’m still scared.” He sounded worried, Dani got out of her side of the booth, and slid in beside him, rested her head on his shoulder.
“Your one hell of a father already honey.” She noticed that Jenna was in the booth behind ours. Dani moved back to her side and gave him a look and he just shrugged. She held her hands out for Jace and rested him on her right shoulder, and patted his bum.
“Thanks.” He whispered. Dani nodded she could feel the diaper getting warm and grabbed the diaper bag, before standing, of course Ryan did as well, and it was a manner’s thing that is drilled into the men of Hunter’s. We will teach it to Jace as well, or Ryan will. Somehow it falls to the men to teach their sons and women to teach their daughter to respect the order of things. Of course Dani never learned that.
She went to the women’s restroom, and got the change table ready; she laid Jace down and changed his dirty diaper. He had pooped, once he was in a fresh diaper I quickly washed my hands and then picked him up. They went back to the table to find their food there, he didn’t even start eating he stood up and took the diaper bag and placed it on her side of the booth Dani laid Jace in his car seat and started to eat.
“So when do you think you’ll go back hunting?” He asked, making Dani freeze, she didn’t even think about hunting again. Glancing at Jace she felt a sudden crushing fear. She didn’t want to leave her son motherless. “Hey, you okay?” Ryan asked. Before she knew it he was sitting beside her his arm around her. “Talk to me.”
“I don’t want to leave my son motherless.” Dani whispered.
“You won’t, you really think I’d let the mother of my son die?” He asked.
“Still scares the living day lights out of me, when I was pregnant, I thought I’d you know get back as soon as I could, but now that he’s here, and real, I can’t even think of leaving his side.” Dani’s voice trembled.
“Baby, Jace has something that you and I never had, especially you.” Ryan stated. Dani gave him a quizzical look, “Both parents.” Dani giggled and he kept an arm around her and they sat like that while they finished their meals.

SIX WEEKS LATER:

Dani was proud of herself, in the last six weeks she has lost all of the baby weight plus an extra ten pounds. She has found herself falling for Ryan. Of course he still was in the rocky relationship with Jenna, but Dani was tired of pretending she didn’t have feelings for him. She was sitting cross legged on the floor of the family room, Jace lying on a blanket; she was playing peek-a-boo with him. He was laughing, which made her giggle. She heard the door open then slam making both her and the baby jump and then Jace started to cry. She picked him up and started to sway, whispering silent nothing’s to him. She stood awkwardly and went to find who was so angry, and ream them out for making the baby cry.
It was Ryan; he stopped when he saw them. “Dipshit, you made your son stop laughing and start crying.” Dani stated. Of course she was teasing, but he was really tense. “Hey you okay?” Dani asked he shook his head and reached for Jace, I willingly passed Jace to Ryan, and he hugged him close. Dani was concerned, and of course a little curious about what was going on with Ryan.
“Want to see something amazingly adorable with your son?” Dani asked, he nodded and Dani took Jace, then took his hand and pulled him into the family room, sitting down she laid Jace down, and started the peek-a-boo game again, making Jace laugh.
Ryan was sitting beside Dani and Ryan couldn’t help but smile. Glancing at Ryan, Dani smiled and continued her game with Jace.