Page 2 of No Fear

“Oh, yeah, she loves it. Being on the beach, swimming in the ocean. It’s a dream come true for all of us. And she’s busy helping get the nursery ready for her brother or sister.” Steve placed a hand on his wife’s stomach.

Steve and Diane had been married almost ten years. Dex and Kelly were now engaged. Ryan, the team’s second in command, had fallen hard for Sophie, head of the E.R. at Westside, the naval base hospital. Tyler, the team medic, and Mira, who worked with Kelly on their intel team, had started dating a few months ago, and it looked like things were going very well. Donnie and Mackie, their tech guy, were the two remaining single guys on Raven.

Whenever Donnie saw his teammates with their women now, he envied what they had more and more. It had been six months since he’d been with a woman. He flirted and had offers, but the hook-ups he had once enjoyed seemed so... empty now. Fuck, he must be getting old. He was just twenty-nine, but he wanted more. He wanted a connection. Someone he could go to sleep with and wake up with every day. Someone waiting for him when he came home from a mission. Someone who understood him, what he did, who he was. He wanted what his parents had: thirty-five years of marriage and still so in love. Yeah, he wanted that. There was only one woman he’d ever felt that spark with, that connection, but he’d walked away from her. The decision haunted him almost daily now.

“I’m so happy for Dex and Kelly. Although Kelly said they haven't set a date yet,” Diane said, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“I’m sure they will soon enough.”

“I hope it’s not too soon. I don’t want to look like an elephant in their wedding photos.” Diane frowned, stroking her stomach.

“Jesus, woman. You will be as beautiful nine months pregnant as you always are.” Steve laughed.

“You would say that.” She smiled, then pushed at him and wandered off.

“I get the feeling Kelly might not want to set a date until Reborn are taken care of,” Donnie said, now it was just the two of them.

“Yeah, I got that impression, too. I didn’t realize how bad it was still affecting her.”

“Me, neither.”

The two men looked over to Dex and Kelly. Standing together, they looked happy enough, but Reborn were never far from anyone’s mind.

“So, what you doing with your week off?” Steve asked.

“I’m catching an early flight in the morning. It’s my mom’s birthday tomorrow.”

“Ah, a trip to upstate New York. Does she know you’re coming?”

“Nope. I spoke to Dad, to make sure he wasn't whisking her off on a romantic getaway. She has no idea.”

“How long since you’ve seen them?”

Donnie thought back. “Shit. Before we joined Onyx. I mean we talk on the phone, but yeah, it’s been a while.”

“It will be a great surprise then,” Steve said warmly. “I think you could use the break too.”

Donnie arched an eyebrow in surprise. “What do you mean by that?’

Steve leaned away, grabbing two beers out of the cooler next to him.

“You haven't been quite yourself lately.”

Donnie took one bottle from him and twisted off the cap, dodging Steve’s gaze. “I’m good. We’ve had a couple of back-to-back missions. We all need this break.”

“We do. But I think it’s more than that. Look, I’m not getting up in your business, but I’m here if you need to talk. You’ve been there for me recently. Especially after what happened with Diane.”

Steve and Diane had hit a low point in their marriage, then on top of that Diane had been held hostage by a crazed Russian businessman facilitating the transport of chemical weapons to Reborn. Onyx had taken down the Russian, rescued Diane, and secured the weapons, but Donnie knew Steve and Diane were still working through some stuff. Steve admitted they were seeing Claire, the team’s psychologist.

Donnie sipped his beer. “I’m good, Steve, but I appreciate the offer.”

“Offer is always on the table.”

“Things look good between you and Diane.”

“Things are good. She might not be working at a swanky law firm anymore, but she’s much happier working with Melanie, doing family law for everyday people. The job, moving, the baby coming. It’s been a lot of change but we’re taking it one day at a time.”

“Isn’t that how we all live our lives?”