By His Side

Chapter 10

At this moment that he's standing by the door with a Glock strapped to the belt of his pants, I can't help but feel my heart sink to the bottom of my stomach. In the back of my mind, I should have known or at least guessed by now that the syndicate they work for is Cosa Nostra but I guess I've been so holed up with being mad at them for the last six years, couple that with the events of the last few months, I can see why I didn't connect the dots.

Shino who has been keeping tabs on me plasters on a look of indifference as Adam steps into the hospital room, shutting the door behind his back. If the tenseness of the room isn't any indication that he isn't welcome, Shino takes it a step further to block Adam from standing by my bedside. For Shino to block Adam who is family (both in family and organisation sense)from me, he's challenging his status to me.

"Stand down, Ootori," Adam warns him, directly meeting Shino's eyes. "I'm here to see my sister."

"Are you sure she wants to see you?" Shino questions him darkly. 

Crossing his arms over his chest, Adam responds, "Who are you to be the judge of that?"

"I can judge because I was her family before you," Shino grins maliciously, enjoying the fact that he was indeed my family before the Summers. "As an Ootori, Alastora isn't as forgiving as she makes herself out to be."

"Sensei. Adam. That's enough," I cut in, looking at the two men sizing each other up. "As much as I enjoy giving my bothers a hard time, I've gone through enough for the last week that I think I want to go without seeing any blood for a while."

Like children that have been scolded by their mother, both of them hang their heads low in shame. Having been raised by Shino who is all about respect and honour, I know that being my senior and family Adam deserves the basics of respect even if I disagree with what he's chosen to do with his life. What all of them have chosen to do with their lives.

Isn't that what I've been doing the last four years? Avoiding contact with them so that I don't lash out and disrespect them? There is no reason why I shouldn't be able to do that now.

"Thanks for coming to see me, Adam," I smile gently, gesturing for him to grab one of the foldable chairs behind him. "Sensei, please sit as well."

For a moment, Shino has a look of absolute shock on his face as he watches me interact with Adam then he realises the tone of voice and pattern of speech I'm using to speak to him and the old man can't help but shake his head at me. Whether it's out of disapproval or humour, I can't tell.

"Dad heard about what happened and he's coming to Italy tonight," Adam updates me seriously, his eyes glancing between my face and three-month pregnant baby belly. "He's also heard about Alexander's position in Cosa Nostra and your pregnancy."

Oh no...Dad...he must be shocked at the turn of events. Now that I think of it, not once since I started trying to bring down Logans did I think of him. 

"Is he mad?" I ask tentatively,  looking away from Adam. "Is he...disappointed in me?"

A heavy sigh is heard from Shino when he hears the tremor in my voice. I'm barely holding back tears over here. Dad is the only non-organisation related man who raised me who I greatly fear of disappointing or upsetting. If Mum were alive, she and Shino's wife would be the only two women who I will ever fear of losing their love and attention from.

"You'll have to find out yourself tonight, kiddo," Adam responds maturely. "The other guys are here too. They're dying to see you. Can they..."

"I would rather not see them," I inform him coldly, shifting my gaze to his face. "I'm neither in the right place nor the right temperament to see them. I almost wanted to have Sensei throw you out the minute you walked in here but I respect you too much to do that and I am closest to you of all my brothers as well."

Wow, Janette...what happened to give them all basic respect despite what they've chosen to do with their lives? That flew out the window real fast.

"Janette..." Adam trails off, his eyes scanning my face for a trace or maybe a hint of something that would allow him to doubt my words. He drops his eyes from mine when he finds none of the sorts. Not like he would have if he looked even longer.

Clearing my tightening throat, I scoot down the bed and pull the covers of my blanket further up to cover my chin in a show that I am tired and would like to sleep. Adam takes the cue and tells me that he'll come and visit me again sometime later in the day and that he'll bring Dad along as well.

Once he's left the room, I sit upright with the tears on the verge of spilling out of my eyes. My breathing is erratic and my nose is blocked. Shino shakes his head at me as he wraps his arms around my body in a tight hug which has the waterworks pouring.

"Subete ga sugu ni sugisarimasu (It will all come to pass soon enough)," Shino whispers comfortingly into my ear as he pats my trembling back. "Subete ga sugu ni sugisarimasu (It will all come to pass soon enough)."

I'm not crying only because of my brothers and my Dad. I'm crying because of everything that has happened in the last three months.  Missing Danny's milestones, Alexander having to deal with my mess, Shino worrying about me, my growing baby. The children that I've helped Logans traffic, the people I've killed on his orders. 

Everything is just crashing down on me in this one moment.

And as like it was in the beginning, Shino is there for me. Holding me as I cry for what I have lost. Again.

When I've cried myself out, Shino explains why I have swollen eyes and puffy lips to Alexander who came back shortly after I had calmed down. From what he explained, Daniello pulled him to do some office work after he put Danny to sleep. Danny is still asleep and Alexander's got the baby monitor to prove it. Not like I have the right to doubt him after everything he has had to go through with me going AWOL.

"Do you feel better?" He asks me once we're alone. Shino left to get some food for all of us, honestly, I think he left the room because he knew we needed some alone time but I'm going to bet that the Oyabun would never admit to that. Even if I asked.

"Mmhm. Much," I reply simply, taking his hand in mine. "Are you feeling better? When I was in the coma...I heard everything. I heard you crying."

Alexander looks shocked, to say the least. 

"I didn't know you heard all that," He coughs discreetly trying to hide his shocked expression. "I also didn't expect you to bring it up."

"You started it," I smile deviously, squeezing his hand in a silent way of telling him to answer the question. 

"I'm better now that you're awake," He informs me in a tone that sends shivers down my spine. "I've got to say that it like I was sent to hell when you disappeared after Taiwan, tossed into heaven when you returned and tossed back to hell when Logans took you from me. But yes, I am better now."

"Good," I mumble as my cheeks heat up from his admonition. "Um...so about the baby's gender-"

I don't get to finish my sentence as Alexander suddenly leans down over me, his lips pressing against mine. For a moment, I am stunned at the sudden kiss but it doesn't take me long to kiss him back. Pulling away from me for a moment, I am about to complete my question about whether or not he wants to know the baby's gender when he presses his lips against mine again, this time more aggressively.

Honestly, I can't blame him. 

It's been three months.

I'm finally back in his arms.