Bad Boys Ride or Die (Armando x Reader) PART THIRTEEN (LAST PART OF S1)
Death. The end of the life of a person or organism. A permanent ending. Such a weird thing to be able to grasp. A person is here with you one minute and then gone the next while time slowly passes by, ignoring the fact that person once existed. It had been a couple months since the operation happened. Since the death of McGrath and the passing of Armando and Ladybug. You took a deep breath and knocked on the door that was in front of you. You weren’t sure what reactions you were about to receive from the other end since it’s been a minute since you’ve last seen them. However you knew that it was time to stop running from the pain and just face the fact that Armando wasn’t here anymore.
You could feel yourself become self-conscious. Becoming uncomfortable in the clothes that you were wearing. You had cut your hair short, allowing your tight curls to shape itself into a small circular shape. You looked down to see a small table next to the door. Setting down the pan that you were holding, you began to straighten out your dress and jacket. You weren’t sure what Mike and the others would say once they saw you. Would you be too awkward? Too weird? You took a deep breath, knocked on the door and then grabbed the pan to hold it in front of you.
“You look fine, no worries.”, you thought.
“Well here goes nothing…”, you whispered to yourself as you waited for the door to open. You listened as you began to hear loud voices approach the door. Watching as the door opened, you were greeted by Marcus and Mike arguing with each other. You cleared your throat and watched as they turned their attention from each other onto you. You could feel your heart drop while their eyes burned into your skin. What were they thinking? Did they like your new look?
“Hey…”, you smiled, nervously holding up the pan of macaroni and cheese that was in your hand. You watched as they slowly examined you up and down.
“Hey!”, Marcus grinned. “You look different.”
“Is that bad?”you asked, looking at him. You could feel the back of your neck become hot, hoping that it wasn’t a horrible thing.
“Hell no! You look good, I love it.”, Mike added, pulling you in.
You turned your attention to Mike and then back to Marcus, seeing him nodding his head in agreement. You could feel the nervousness leave your body, it had been a couple months since you have seen the team so you weren’t sure how they would react however so far, good reactions.
You followed him inside and watched as Marcus shut the door.
“How have you been…it’s been a long time since we’ve seen you.”, Mike asked, while looking at you.
“No seriously, we need to catch up because this new look…with your hair and this glow that’s going on, we are needed for conversation, a good one.”, Marcus smiled, grabbing the pan out of your hand and walking towards the kitchen.
“Yeah...”, you mumbled, looking around Mike’s house. You turned your attention past the kitchen that led to the backyard. “Is that where everyone is at? Dorn and Kelly?”
“Yeah but just to warn you. Rita is here…. I know that you guys don’t get along, so as your partner… I figured it’ll be good for me to warn you.”, Mike explained, waving at you to follow him.
“Thanks for the heads up.”, you replied, following him to the backyard. You appreciated the fact that he took the time out about Rita’s presence. You didn’t exactly hate her, however the attitude that she always had bothered you. You liked peace and being around those who seem to hate that, made you dislike them.
You watched as Dorn, Kelly, and Rita laughed. Whatever conversation that they were having had to be good since Dorn’s face was turning red.
“Hey guys you won’t believe who finally—”
“Y/N!!!”Kelly yelled, setting her drink down and running towards you. You met her half way and felt her hands wrap around you tightly. It felt good to see Kelly, she was one of the only people beside Marcus and Mike to text and call you, even when you would go ghost.
“It’s so good to see you y/n, seriously and you look amazing!”, she smiled, breaking the hug.
“Thank you and it’s good to see you too.”, you responded, watching as Dorn and Rita stood there.
“You look different, in a good way though.”, Dorn added while staring at you. You watched as he put his finger on his chin and walked around you.
“Your hair is different.”
“Yeah I cut it.”, you laughed, rubbing the back of your neck.
“Yeah but…it’s something else, there’s a glow on your face…I’ll figure it out.”, he continued, giving you a hug.
“I said the exact same thing.”Marcus joined, pointing at you. You watched as everyone turned to look at you. They were examining your entire body and were looking at each other for clues. Answers.
“Well this is awkward…”, you whispered, turning your attention to the long table underneath the patio. “Sit down?”, you continued, trying to break the awkward silence that was happening. You turned around and began walking towards the long white table. Pulling out the chair and sitting down, you watched as the others followed.
“By the way, the food should be done in a few!”Reggie yelled, as he stood in front of the barbeque pit.
You watched as Mike and Marcus sat in the chairs next to you, as the others filled the rest.
“Where’s Christine and Theresa?”you asked, looking at Mike and Marcus.
“They are dealing with the kids right now, they should be out in a few.”Marcus responded, looking down at his phone.
“Y/N!”Christine and Theresa yelled in unison as they walked over to the table. You turned around to see Christine and Theresa walking towards you, while the rest of the family followed behind him.
“Hey you two look beautiful, as always.”, you smiled. Pulling your chair back to get up and hug them.
Hugging Christine and then Theresa, you sat back down and watched as each person sat in an empty chair.
“It’s so good to see you y/n, it’s been forever.”, Christine beamed, leaning into the table.
“Yeah how have you been holding, what have you been doing these last…what…six...seven months?”Marcus questioned, setting his phone down.
You observed as everyone turned their attention to you, allowing curiosity to be shown across their faces.
“I’m good..holding up.”, you chuckled, leaning back into your chair. You knew that was a lie and you were sure that they knew it also. You were holding on by a thread, each and every day. Barely surviving, however, now without a choice.
“DORN?!”Kelly yelled, awkwardly while looking at him.
“What? I mean no harm, it’s just that…it's obvious?”, he explained, pointing at you. You watched as everyone slowly turned their attention back to you after listening to Dorn.
“I’m good, really.”, you replied, allowing a small smile to leave your lips. You watched as Marcus and Mike looked at each other and then at everyone else.
“Can everyone go inside for a couple of minutes? Just to allow us to talk.”Mike questioned, turning his chair completely towards you. You knew where this was heading. You had been avoiding everyone, especially Mike and Marcus for months. You weren’t ready to face reality, to come in terms with the present. You watched as Dorn tried to reason with Mike about staying since he considers himself to be the “therapist” of the group, however Mike wasn’t having it.
“Mr.Lowery, do I have to leave?”, Reggie stiffly asked, while checking on the food.
You observed as Mike pulled out his phone and sat it on the table. His attention now being back on you, the both of them, staring you down intensely as if you had just committed a crime.
“What happened to you these last seven months?”Mike asked, leaning back into his chair.
“You know what he means, y/n.”, Marcus answered, leaning towards you.
“You stopped contacting us, we tried to stay in contact with you but you just…went ghost.”, Mike explained.
“Yeah and you know that we promised Armando that we will always be there for you but…we can’t if you don’t allow us to y/n.”, Marcus sighed.
You could feel your nose start to slowly burn and your chest slowly tighten. You cleared your throat and lightly shook your head.
“I’m sorry guys.”, you apologized, rubbing the back of your neck. “I wasn’t trying to ignore you guys but after everything had happened, it just all took a toll on me…That’s all. Nothing personal.”
“We know, we’ve just been worried about you. You changed your work schedule so—”
“I’ve been thinking about transferring guys.”, you interrupted while looking at them.
You knew that it was random, however it was needed. You didn’t want to get too deep into the conversation because you knew that it would bring up everything that has been happening for the last six months. You began to examine their faces and could see hurt begin to fill their eyes. That wasn’t your intention however, you knew that it was for the best.
“What? Why?”, Marcus sighed, looking at Mike and then back at you.
“I need something new. Something calm and collective, I'm tired of chasing people guys. Look where it led us to. This isn’t the kind of life I want to live, not anymore plus it’s not like I have a choice.”, you whispered, throwing your head back to swallow the lump that was slowly entering your throat.
“What do you mean? You have to Think about it y/n, we promised Armando that we will watch over you, we know that you’re not doing okay and that something is going on with you right now as we speak.”
“Mike’s right, you look good as hell but something isn’t right. I can feel it y/n.”
You brought your head back up and watched as they stared at you confusingly.
“Reggie…”, you sighed, turning towards him to see him preparing the food table.
“What’s up y/n?”, he replied, walking over to you. You got up from your chair and asked Reggie if he could tell everyone to come back to the table. You watched as he headed inside and turned your attention back to Marcus and Mike. They watched as a nervous expression appeared across your face. Getting up from their chair and walking towards you, you took a step back and waved your hand towards them to stop them from getting closer to you.
“I have something to tell you guys, but let's wait until everyone comes over here. Okay.”, you sighed, looking over to see everyone walking towards you.
“What’s wrong?!”Theresa yelled, walking to stand next to Marcus.
“I just wanted everyone here so that we can talk and so I can tell you guys something.”, you explained, looking at Theresa.
You watched as everyone stood there and looked at you, waiting for you to say something. You were slowly becoming anxious and weren’t sure if you should say something or just wait until the day came.
“Y/n…”, Mike whispered looking at you. “Whatever it is, it can’t be bad. Hell, we’re here for you no matter what it may be, you know that.”
You listened as everyone mumbled in agreement.
“Okay well, you guys know that it’s been difficult for me since..y’know, Armando died.”, you whispered, taking slow glances at everyone. You watched Mike slightly stare at Marcus, then at Christine and then back at you.
“And I haven’t seen you guys since his funeral and with me basically avoiding you guys until today…I just want to thank you guys for being my family, even when I may not act like yours. So with that being said, I have something to tell you guys and show you.”, you sighed.
You began to dig in your jacket pocket, feeling for the small box that you planted inside of it earlier before you got here. You were hesitant at first to show them however, you knew that it was time. You grabbed the box and held it up, watching as everyone looked at it confusingly.
“Inside this, is something that I hope is important to you guys. The way that it is for me.”, You shyly smiled, opening it and revealing the inside of the box to them. You watched as they stepped closer to the box and stared at it.
“Two mini tie’s?”Mike confusingly asked, grabbing it and holding them up.
“Wait…I FUCKING KNEW IT!”, Dorn happily yelled, turning to Kelly.
“No fucking way?! Are you serious y/n?!”, she laughed, pushing her way through the crowd.
You were happy that Kelly and Dorn were ecstatic but looking at everyone else…they had a bewildered look on their faces.
“What the hell does this mean?”, Marcus asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
You took an annoyed sigh and took off your jacket. Pulling back your dress, you turned sideways and revealed the outline of your stomach that was now poking through the dress.
“I’m pregnant with twins. Seven months…”, you nervously smiled. You watched as Mike's eyes almost popped out of his head while Christine began clapping. Kelly was still screaming, Marcus nearly passed out and Dorn was repeating how he knew it.
“How…what..whe— oh.”, Mike whispered, while looking at you. You could see sweat begin to form on his head, he was nervous and his facial expression nearly looked like he had seen a ghost.
You didn’t think that you cared much about everyone’s opinion but now, you were curious about how Marcus and Mike felt. Especially Mike.
“Congratulations y/n, I’m happy for you!”Reggie smiled, walking up to you to give you a hug.
“Also the food is done guys so you can make your plates.”, Reggie continued walking towards the food.
“Same here, if you need anything…We’re both here for you. Just a call away.”, Marcus' daughter added, putting her hand on your stomach and then walking away.
“That explains a lot! I knew something wasn’t right, at first I thought maybe you just had a bad time and gained a lot of weight which isn’t a bad thing….however, this explains the glow.”, Dorn smiled, giving you a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you y/n.”
“Dorn not too tight, you’re going to suffocate her.”, Kelly laughed, slapping him on his arm to let you go. You were released from his tight grip and then hugged Kelly. The smell of vanilla filled your nose and the way she hugged you brought you comfort and peace.
“You’re going to be sick of me….”, she laughed, letting you go and walking away.
You turned to look at Rita and watched as she gave you a slight smile and walked away. You, Mike and Marcus…the only three standing while the others prepared their plates. You were secretly praying to God in your head, hoping that they would support you because in the end, they were the ones who truly mattered to you.
“Mike…Marcus?”, you whispered, folding the jacket over your arms.
Mike stepped away from you leaving a good distance between him, you and Marcus. You watched as he pulled out his phone, began messing with it and then started talking on the phone.
“Come over here.”, Marcus whispered, creating more distance away from Mike
You were worried, why was Mike looking at you like that? Acting that way? You stared at Marcus confusingly, while waiting for a response. Until he broke the silence.
“How far along are you…when is the baby due?”, Marcus asked
“Seven months, my due date is in November, but they think that I may have them really early, what is it?”, you replied, looking at him.
“Nothing…nothing at all. We have been worried about you, especially Mike…and now this kind of explains the distance.”, Marcus explained, looking down at your stomach.
“Yeah, I'm so sorry for that. It’s just been tough for me since Armando’s death and then weeks later finding out that I was pregnant.”
“It is….Armando’s, right? Like I already know the answer to this but just to be sure, since you were gone for seven months and with you know…the hotel and stuff.”, Mike stuttered, walking back towards you and Marcus.
“Yeah it is and I know…I should’ve made a smart decision that night because now I'm alone so please don’t badger me.”, you whispered in defeat. You watched as an offensive expression came across their face.
“Y/n…you’re a grown woman for one and two we would never “badger you”.” Marcus sighed looking at Mike and then back at you.
“True..it’s just been hard, this pregnancy. With dealing with stress, grief, and depression. Life just has been tough.”, you mumbled, trying to blink the tears that were trying to make an appearance away.
“Do you remember what Armando told you, before he got into the water?”Mike asked, turning his body to face the lake that covered his backyard.
You turned your attention towards the lake and began to stare at it. Reminiscing you and Armando’s last conversation before he died. Everything was beautifully said, even if it was said more out of the fear of not being able to say it again.
“So just keep that in mind y/n, because he meant it.”Mike reassured, while clearing his throat.
“You're a good girl…Mike and I got you, remember that.”, Marcus smiled, randomly giving you a hug. You watched as Mike turned around and looked at you, you could see tears form in his eyes. You stared at him, hoping that he would join in and give you a hug. Catching the signal, Mike walked over to you and joined in on the session.
You let go of the hug and watched as Marcus walked off towards the food area.
“I want to apologize to you Mike.”, you whispered, looking at him.
“Not being there for you, like I should have Mike. I lost someone I fell in love with but you lost your son, twice. You lost him in time and now in life and instead of me comforting you at the funeral, you were comforting me….”, you explained, clearing your throat.
“I appreciate your apology but y/n, you needed it more than I did. You have nothing to worry about at all. You still trust me right?”, he asked, walking towards the table. You followed him and thought about what he asked. You felt that it was random and had nothing to do with what you were talking about.
“Uh..yeah, why ask?”, you wondered, grabbing a plate from the stack.
“I just want to be sure that you and I have trust, you know, so when we have to do things that the other person wouldn’t be able to understand…that our bond doesn’t be ruined, you know.”, he explained putting food onto his plate.
“Yeah Mike, I completely understand. I’m confused a little bit but I understand.”you laughed, scanning the table to figure out what you wanted to eat. You know that sometimes when Mike is a bit emotional, he begins to ramble his mouth, allowing unnecessary things to come out of it so you choose to ignore it.
You began putting food on your plate and then headed towards the table to sit down. Taking a seat you listened as laughter, arguments and loud talk began to fill the backyard. You could feel joy slowly creep across your face as you sat there with the people that you cared about. Those who opened their arms to you when you first began working with them. That was all you ever wished for to have a full support system since every time you received one, something ended up happening. Like with Howard, LadyBug and Armando. After a while of eating, you began to be bombarded by questions about your pregnancy.
“So..how do you feel y/n? Has it been easy?”Kelly asked, taking a bite of her food.
“Somewhat, I’ve had some complications here and there…due to stress but once I get that aligned, I'm sure everything will be fine.”, you answered, wiping the food off of your mouth with a napkin.
“Well, what are you going to name them? You should soooo let me name them! You have Alex, Ben,Connor M—”
“HELL NO!” Mike and Marcus yelled in unison. You were so caught off guard by Mike’s and Marcus sudden yell, that it made you choke on your food.
“Are you okay?”Christine asked. You shook your head and began softly patting your chest.
“What? Did I say something wrong?”, Dorn asked, worriedly.
You watched as everyone hid their laughter in their hands, as Mike and Marcus looked at each other offensively.
“Um…Dorn, look at y/n and ask yourself, why would she give her kids white names?”Marcus laughed.
“Well…I think they’re cute names Dorn.”, you smiled, straightening your dress.
“Y/n…you better not give my grandbabies…his nephews no white people names…”, Mike whispered, pointing at Marcus and then giving you a slight nudge.
“I mean, I do have an idea but I'm not sure if I should go for it.”
“Ooh what? Tell us!”Kelly smiled, leaning on to the table. You watched as everyone turned to you, waiting for a response.
“Well…uh, I thought about naming the oldest, Armando Junior.”, you answered, looking at everyone.
“Wait…Armando is the dad?”, Rita asked, waiting for confirmation.
“Yeah…”, you answered. Awkward silence began to fill the room, you knew that would happen once you told everyone who you were with but damn. You watched as everyone stared at each other and then back at you until Rita broke the silence.
“Well damn y/n, you couldn’t…I don’t know, fuck someone else.”, she laughed, swallowing the food that she was eating. You watched as everyone turned towards her shockingly. What the fuck was her problem?
“Dude what the hell?”, Kelly replied, folding her arms.
“Rita really?”, Marcus added.
You examined as everyone mumbled in disagreement for Rita’s sudden outburst.
“I mean, i’m all for bringing life into this world but, why in the hell would you fuck a fugitive y/n? Let alone the person who killed Howard”, she continued, looking at you.
You continued to stare at her, a part of you wanted to jump over the table and whoop her ass. However, you knew as soon as you would’ve jumped, so would the babies.
“You’re out of line Rita.”, Christine mumbled, shaking her head in disapproval at her.
“Um, Reggie and I are going to go and check on the kids…”, Marcus' daughter added, getting out of her chair.
“No baby, you go inside…we may need Reggie.”, Marcus sighed, putting his head into his hands.
“I’m sorry but this…all of this…is pure bullshit, I'm not going to congratulate you for being pregnant with someone's kid nor celebrate someone who deserves to be rotting in jail right now.”, Rita argued, pushing her plate to the side.
“He was born into that kind of life Rita. He had no fucking choice and you would’ve known that if you were with us but instead you judge him for …..”, you stopped mid-sentence and leaned back into your chair. You were tired, and your back ached in pain as you sat in the chair.
“Rita, just stop. Don’t get her upset, she’s fucking pregnant for God’s sake.”, Kelly sighed angrily, while pointing at you. You appreciated the fact that everyone was standing up for you. If you would’ve known that this bullshit was going to happen, you wouldn’t have come.
“Me? Get her upset, just imagine how upset she’ll be once she finds out that Armando is actually alive.”, She replied, grabbing her drink. You slowly lifted up your head and allowed anger to tap you on your back. You could feel your eyebrows slowly cave in and felt as the world around you went silent. You stood up, grabbed your drink and before you knew it, your cup was empty and whatever was in it, was now on her face.
“I was fucking there when Armando died, you bitch..The funeral and everything…What have I ever done to you Rita for you to feel like you have to say something like that!”, you yelled, looking at her hatefully.
“Y/n..try to calm down. You’re pregnant.”Reggie whispered, walking over and standing next to you.
“This is why I stopped coming around…it’s not even the fact that I'm pregnant or the fact that he died, it’s the fact that I knew that I would be judged for caring about someone that you guys feel should be rotting in hell. Someone who doesn’t match you guys standards, someone who you hated.”, you sighed, grabbing your jacket and putting it on.
“And I am too, Rita. I’m sorry Mike and Marcus but I'm going to be transferring, I can’t deal with this anymore, at all. I’d rather grieve in peace and deal with my babies alone than to deal with this bullshit…I’m sorry…”, you continued, taking out your keys that were in your pocket.
“Allow me to help you.”, Reggie suggested, letting his hand out for you to hold. You grabbed it and turned around to start walking, when you began to hear a yelling match happening behind you between Rita and Mike.
“You need to fucking tell her Mike, if you don’t tell her…I will!!”, Rita shouted
“THAT IS NOT YOUR PLACE RITA!!!”Mike yelled back.
You turned back around to see Mike and Rita staring intensely at each other. Marcus was standing up waving for Mike to calm down and Kelly was trying to get Rita to walk away.
“Look…I know, you guys used to be something so I don’t know if that’s why there’s like…tension between the two of you but the both of you need to calm down.”, Christine demanded, looking up at Rita and then at Mike.
“What do you need to tell me, Mike?”, you mumbled, allowing Reggie to guide you back to the table.
You weren’t sure why the tensions were high all of sudden, when you first came here, everything seemed calmed and peaceful. However, now, people seem to be walking on eggshells.
You watched as he kept his focus on Rita and as Rita looked over and glanced at everyone else and the back at Mike.
“You know what, I am no longer your friend… So don’t expect me to ever keep a secret or to do anything else that may jeopardize my freedom or job ever again. I am your boss, and that is ALL I will ever be until the boundaries between us all are respected and honored…and that goes for all of you.”, she asserted, grabbing her purse.
“By the way y/n…I don’t hate you, at all. I just..I just admire who you are as a woman and have allowed it to turn into jealousy…that’s all. Armando is alive, that’s why you are truly here…So Congratulations…”, she continued, looking at you defeatedly and then walking away.
You turned your attention back to Mike to see him slightly shaking his head.
“Mike..ahem..what’s going on?”, you asked, clearing your throat. The only thing that responded was the sound of the water moving behind you. You turned to Marcus to see him covering his face.
“I’m sorry y/n…she’s right.”, Marcus disrupted.
“I’m sorry Mike but she has to know…look at her!”He yelled, pointing at you.
“Wait a damn minute…what the hell is that supposed to mean Marcus?”, you responded offensively.
“You look good, I'm just saying…you’re pregnant and it’s so obvious that you are dealing with some heavy shit mentally y/n.”
You had no response, you knew that he was right so it was better to allow your silence to be the answer.
“Armando is on his way y/n…right now.”, Marcus continued, walking up to you.
“Stop Marcus…Seriously..”, you whispered, feeling your eyes start to water. Slowly blinking your eyes and holding on to Reggie’s hand tighter now. You could feel disappointment start to attach onto you.
“He’s right y/n.”, Mike responded, finally turning around to face you. His face was slightly red, you could see his body language shift towards being shameful now.
“We didn’t want to tell you this way, it was supposed to be more peaceful…not out of vengeance or anything like that…It was to….”
Mike continued talking, however, you slowly began to zone out. You weren’t sure how to feel. A part of you believed them…. but that voice in the back of your head felt that they were lying. You focused your attention back to Mike to see him now standing closer to you.
“I’m sorry but, it had to be done..it’s—”
“You guys are sickening…do you know that?!”, you sobbed, pacing back and forth. “I— I can’t….not anymore, us, this partnership….I'm going to finish my papers to transfer…and, and once they are finalized…I’ll be out of you guys hairs WITH my babies because…I can’t do this.”, you stuttered, walking away. You were there, holding him as he laid lifeless in your lap after you pulled him out of the boat. You were there at the funeral, on your knees in front of his casket, crying because you wouldn’t be able to see him anymore and now…they’re saying that he’s alive?
“Y/N! JUST LISTEN! "Mike yelled, following behind you. However, you kept walking, this time picking up the pace. Eventually you made it to the backdoor and went inside, being greeted by everyone in the living room.
“Y/n, maybe just sit on the couch, I don’t know what’s going on but hear them out…”, Reggie suggested, sprinting to get in front of you. You watched as he stood between you and the door.
“Good job Reggie!”Marcus yelled. You turned around and saw as everyone stood there looking at you. Mike began walking towards you, with his hands folded together.
“Y/n, i’m sorry but earlier you said that you trusted me…”
“I do Mike but what I don’t do is play disgusting games like this, Mike…”
“I’m not lying y/n, beli—”
“I WAS THERE!”You shouted, interrupting him. You could feel your breathing pick up speed, while your head spun. “You know, since I've been with you guys, you guys have always made it seem like…like I was just crazy…. A mad woman and I know that you guys like to play games with me but please…Mike..Marcus, please don’t play games with me, please…”, you begged, you continued putting your hand up in prayer. You turned back around and stared at Reggie.
“Reggie…move, please.”, you watched as he looked up at Marcus and Mike and then back at you.
“Let her out Reggie…”, Mike sighed, throwing his hands up.
“Help her to her car babe and make sure she is okay!”, Marcus daughter yelled, in the kitchen
You watched as he turned around to open the door and then just stood there.
“Well are you going to go….”, you whispered, looking at the back of his head. “Reggie.”
You became impatient and gently pushed him to the side to see a man holding his head down while wearing a black hat with a blue flannel shirt standing in front of the door. You turned back around to look at Mike, to see him rubbing the back of his neck.
“Mike…the next time you want to invite someone over to a gathering, make sure you give them a heads up about it being ruined so they wouldn’t walk in to guests leaving.”, You scoffed, turning your attention from Mike back to Reggie. Reggie wrapped his arm around yours and guided you towards the stairs, when you felt a slight hand, grip your wrist.
“Why are you leaving baby?”, the guy gently whispered, slowly lifting his face. You looked down at your wrist and then back at the guy confusingly.
“It’s me sweetheart…Armando.”, he continued, allowing a small gentle smile to make an appearance. You looked back at Mike and Marcus to see them looking at you worriedly with their hands up in a “We-told-you-so” manner.
Turning your attention back to Armando, you could feel yourself slowly begin to hyperventilate. Your eyes were scanning his entire body, noticing the tiny necklace, and how neat he looked. You removed your hand free from Armando’s and Reggie grip and began pacing.
“What…wha—What kind..what?! Mike…”
“We had no choice y/n…Rita—”
“You. You were dead. You’re dead. Your—”, you interrupted, while walking back and forth. You begin to rub your chest while feeling your body become light and your legs slowly become weak. You looked up to see Mike, Marcus and Armando standing in front of you to explain what happened. However, you weren’t able to understand them due to their voices and the world around slowly becoming disoriented.
You could feel your eyes become clouded with tears and your heart beat out of your chest. You tried to take a step towards the stairs but before you knew it, your entire world went black.
“MIKE SOMETHING’S WRONG!!”You shouted, pointing towards the boat that Armando was in. “We have to go help him, something’s wrong!!”, you watched as Mike and Dorn ran towards the water and began swimming towards the boat to get Armando.
You tried getting into the water but was suddenly pulled back by Marcus.
“Let them get him y/n! You can’t swim!”
“I don’t care Marcus, Let me go!”, you argued, trying to free yourself from his grip. He wasn’t letting go. Each time you tried yanking yourself free, the tighter his grip became. So you gave up, helplessly watching Dorn and Mike push the small boat back to land.
Once they became close enough, Marcus detached himself from you and watched as you ran towards the water.
“Y/n stay right there!”Mike yelled, pointing back at you. However you ignored him, running towards the boat and crouching down to grab Armando. You held his head up and began to touch his face to see if it would trigger any kind of movement. Nothing.
You began to panic, rubbing your chest to grab your heart
. “Come over here, please!”, Mike yelled as the paramedics showed up to the scene.
You began to check his pulse, digging your fingers deep into skin…praying that you could feel something.
“Let them check him, I’m sure he’s okay.”, Dorn whispered, standing next to you.
“No I'm staying right here, they can check while I’m right here…please Mike.”, you begged, looking up at Mike. You watched as Mike stared at you, then got up and walked towards the paramedics and began talking to them. You looked back down at Armando, secretly praying that he just passed out and that he's okay…alive.
“Y/n, they’re going to check him…you can just step to the side, we don’t have to go far.”Mike suggested, bring the people over. You looked up at Mike and then back at Armando.
Shaking your head in agreement, you stood up and stepped out of the boat. Standing next to Dorn and watching as the people began to check him.
“I may not care for him ….but I wouldn’t want something like this to ever happen. Everything is going to be okay..”, Dorn reassured, grabbing your arm to connect it with his. It felt good to know that he felt that way, especially knowing how Armando is perceived. You stood there and waited for what felt like forever, until you watched Mike stand up and walk towards you. As he stood there in front of you, you couldn’t help but to notice the people behind him bringing a long white-cloth.
You could feel your heart drop into your stomach, wanting to cry but not a single tear falling. Leaving you feeling hurt and empty. You knew the answer to the question that you were about to ask; however, you felt that you needed confirmation, so you asked.
“..Is he—is he dead?”, you mumbled, allowing the lump in your throat to make an entrance.
You could feel Dorn’s grip tighten as he began to caress your arm. You looked up to Mike to see him, looking behind you.
“Yeah…he—he lost too much blood y/n”, Mike answered, lightly putting his hand on your shoulder and then turning around to walk away. You turned your attention back to Armando to see him lying there. Letting go of Dorn, you walked up to Armando and fell down to your knees not caring about the hard impact of the ground.
You slowly began to study Armando, lifting him into your lap. You began straightening his hair and removing the small particles of dirt that were on his face to kind of clean him.
“Just give her some time. Take care of the other bodies and then come back over here.”, Dorn interrupted, pointing at the building in front of the beach.
“No..it’s..it’s okay. You can get him. I have a lot to say but ... .nothing's coming out so I’m not going to waste you guys time,”, you added. Leaning down and kissing him on the forehead, you could feel a single tear drop fall out of your eye and landing on top of his face. You thought about wiping it off but left it, since that would be the last thing of you that he would have.
Slowly opening your eyes, you could feel your head slightly spinning.
“Ugh, fuck…”, you whispered, grabbing the back of your head. You slowly scanned the room to see Christine, Theresa and Marcus' daughter sitting on the bed talking.
“Y/n…”, Theresa whispered, getting up to walk over to you.
“What..what happened?”, you asked, slowly shifting your body to sit up in bed.
“Honey you passed out, you’re in Christine’s and Mike’s guest room. How are you feeling?”, Theresa explained, bending down to feel your head. You’ve always liked Theresa. She’s sweet, kind and always peaceful. Her voice is as smooth as silk and her presence is always soothing.
“I passed out? Did I fall..oh my gosh—”, you panicked, looking down at your stomach.
“No! No! You’re okay, The boys caught you.”Marcus' daughter reassured, getting off the bed.
“Yeah…It was kind of funny because they all started panicking so we had to take over. Plus we called the paramedics to check you, you’ve been out cold for a couple hours.”, Christine laughed, getting off the bed. A small smile began to appear on your face. You looked over to the window to see the sun slowly make an exit.
“Oh and Mike and Marcus told us to get them once you wake up.”, Christine continued walking towards the door. You looked at her and then Theresa and Marcus Daughter confusingly.
“For what?”, you asked, turning your attention back to the girls.
Before they could answer there was a knock on the door, you watched as everyone turned their attention to it to see Mike opening it.
“Well this is our exit.”, Theresa smiled, gently patting you against your shoulder and then leaving the room, you watched as everyone followed.
“Y’all come on.”, Mike stated, looking back into the hallway, then at you. You stared as he walked in awkwardly, having his whole body facing you while rubbing the back of his head. You were confused as to what was going on until you saw Marcus, Dorn and Kelly walking in.
“We need to talk to you but before we begin. Are you okay?”Mike asked, rubbing his face.
“Yeah, I still feel lightheaded, but I should be fine.”, you replied, leaning your bed against the headboard.
You watched as everyone stood there silently as uncomfortable tension filled the room.
“Um, what is it?”, you laughed, looking at each person.
“Do you remember everything that happened before you passed out?” Dorn wondered, walking over to you to stand next to you. You sat there and allowed your mind to search, recalling any events that happened before you fainted.
“Um…no, not really…I remember being at the table…being upset about something and then I walked up front to leave and that’s pretty much it.”, you answered, rubbing the back of your neck.
“Do you remember why you were upset?”Kelly questioned, walking over towards you and sitting next to you.
You shook your head no and began to look at each person in the room, allowing curiosity to cloud your mind. They were acting weird and extremely suspicious, as if they were holding something back.
“Okay…well, Mike and Marcus have something to tell you but as your friend, I need you to promise me..you will hear them out and not get upset.”, Kelly explained, putting her hand on your thigh to grab your attention.
“What is this about?”, you asked suspiciously, looking at Marcus and Mike.
“Kelly, I don’t make promises that I know I won’t keep…what’s going on?”, you sighed, getting up. You were anxious at this point, thinking of the worst possibilities.
“Well..let’s try to help you remember about what happened earlier first, and then they can explain what’s going on.”, Dorn added, turning towards you.
You listened as Dorn began to recall the events from earlier, bringing up everything that had happened and the hurtful things that were said. Including Rita’s outburst. While Dorn explained, you couldn’t help but to take small glances at Mike and Marcus as they stood there anxiously waiting for your response. As Dorn continued to speak about the incident, you could feel the phenomenon slowly making an entrance into your mind. Making you remember.
“So you guys want me to believe that everything that was said earlier is true?”, you laughed, looking at each person in the room.
“Yes! And that is what we were trying to get you to understand…”, Mike answered looking at Marcus and then back at you.
“Guys…don’t do this to me, don’t..Okay. You guys have no idea what I have been through these past couple of months, I don’t need this…if you just wanted me around, just say that but saying something like this is serious.”, you wearied, leaning back against the nightstand.
“This is serious y/n, we wanted to tell you but we couldn’t.”, Marcus replied.
You were in disbelief that they continued on with what you believed for it to be nonsense. You stood there and watched as they all looked at you with a “c’mon” look on their face.
“So where is he then, huh? If he is alive, where is he. Because the Armando that I know, is dead. So let me know, tell me something.”, you demanded grabbing the water bottle that was on the nightstand and opening it.
You watched as Mike left the room, leaving: you, Marcus, Dorn, and Kelly in the room in silence. No one said anything but through everyone’s body language, a conversation was being said. You tried to wait, even though you had zero faith in what they were saying but as time passed, you slowly began to feel impatient and stupid for being there.
“I can’t do this..”, you whispered to yourself, walking to the other side of the room to look for your things. You began opening the drawers and spotted your keys and phone while the others started to try to persuade you to stay. However, you ignored them. Walking over to the chair that sat in the corner near the window, you grabbed your shoes and turned around to see Mike standing there with the door opened.
You looked back down and slid your feet into your shoes and looked back up to see him standing there. Armando. Gazing at you with his soft eyes. You didn’t say nor do anything, you just stared. You turned your gaze towards everyone else to see them observing you intensely. Closing your eyes, you began talking to yourself. Trying to convince you that he wasn’t there, just like you’ve been doing for the last seven months.
“I’m hallucinating…I. Am. Hallucinating.”, you whispered to yourself, softly rubbing your eyes. You opened them and allowed your eyes to adjust to what you were looking at.
“You’re not honey, it’s him…seriously.”, Kelly responded, walking towards you.
You licked your lips and began to bite the inside of your cheeks. A part of you wanted to cry but for some odd reason, you felt anger and hurt build up inside of you instead. You took a quick glance to the chair that was behind you, and slowly sat down. Covering your stomach with your jacket. You could feel your mind begin to race, you were lost and baffled not sure what to say.
“You..you were dead. You were dead, I was there. I–I–I was there, we all were.”, you stuttered, allowing your mouth to drop. You could feel your eyebrows begin to cave in as your eyes slowly began to open wider.
You watched as Armando began to walk towards you and kneeled in front of you. He tried grabbing your hand but you yanked it away.
“I had no choice baby, it was the only way I would be able to be free.”, Armando whispered, while trying to soothe you. You scooted away from him and weirdly looked at him. You felt odd and uncomfortable with him being in front of you. Almost a year ago, you had him in your lap, feeling empty because he was dead. However, now, he’s sitting here trying to convince you that he’s him.
“What? What the hell do you mean you “had no choice”.”, you asked confusingly, looking at him and then at Mike.
“We had to fake his death y/n, that would’ve been the only way for him to be free. Fake his death and give him a new identity so that’s what we did and that’s why he’s here right now.”, Mike explained, looking at you.
“ You were bleeding…pale, I even checked your pulse…Were they even real? The paramedics?”
“No y/n…I mean yes but the people who came to Armando were our buddies from back in the day, that we used to work with. Mike called them the day before the operation about needing help so they were on deck”, Marcus added, reminiscing about that day.
You sat there in silence and stared at him. He was worried and the small smile that he once had was now gone. He was studying you, trying to figure out what you were thinking about and how you were feeling. Hoping that the feelings that you once had were still there and that nothing changed.
“Wait though, I was at the funeral…what about the funeral, was that fake too?”, you whispered, fidgeting your fingers. At this point, things weren’t clicking. Million of questions were racing through your mind while you were trying to connect the dots; however, no matter how hard you tried, it wasn't working.
“Wax Doll…”, Kelly whispered in shame.
You watched as everyone looked at you, your emotions were out the door and the only feelings that you were experiencing at this point was hurt.
“Okay…um…lemme get this straight.”, you replied, scratching your hair. You stood up and began rubbing your hands. You didn’t know what was about to fly out of your mouth but you knew that it would be reciprocating how you felt in that moment.
“So all of you guys are telling me that this whole time.. he has been alive?”, you slowly asked, pointing at Armando while trying to receive confirmation from everything that was just said.
You watched as everyone awkwardly shook their heads, answering your question.
“And..uh, no one thought…to tell me. I mean like damn, we’re family…well at least I thought we were.”
“We are family y/n. We just had to do what we had to do.”Mike responded, pointing at everyone.
“Family doesn’t hide something like this Mike, you all knew and didn’t tell me… hell is what I’ve been going through these past seven months!”, you yelled, stepping back to look at everyone.
“We had no choice, we knew that you and Armando were seeing each other, which would put you at risk of being investigated if he was caught. Only Marcus had to really be in contact with him to keep him notified about the changes…..with the whole process of changing his identity, which was barely even successful, …it wasn’t easy, it was pretty damn difficult, especially with him being wanted y/n. Do you really think we wanted to keep that from you? Because trust us, we didn’t want to, it was hard.”, Dorn elucidated.
You took in everything that he said, you couldn’t help but to be upset but you knew that you had to suck in the emotions you were feeling in this moment. Especially after Dorn’s explanation because in this moment, it wasn’t about you and how you’ve been feeling but about Armando being okay. Alive.
“Well…I mean, they wouldn’t have known that we were together though. You guys just found out today besides Mike and Marcus.”, you sighed, pointing at Dorn and Kelly.
“Um, wrong. Girl we’ve been knowing. Every time you guys were around each other, the both of you would act weird and please, don’t get me started on when he pulled a gun on Rita to stop her from shooting you.”, she laughed, while looking at you.
“Well for us it was that night when we were at the fire after the plane crashed.”, Marcus smiled.
“I guess…”, you whispered, allowing silence to enter the room.
“We don’t want you to be mad at us, it was to protect you..that’s all.”, Mike whispered, walking over to you.
“Don’t worry…I’m not.”, you responded, giving him a small hug. You watched as everyone sent you a smile in relief. You knew that you couldn’t stay mad at them, even if you wanted to.
“Oh and I'm sorry for going ghost all those months…I was a mess. And then this pregnancy, everything has just been hard.”, you sighed, releasing the breath that you didn’t know that you were holding.
“So, you are pregnant?”, Armando whispered, behind you.
You looked up at Mike and watched as he looked over at you, when you suddenly remembered earlier when he walked away from you and Marcus and began talking on the phone with someone, it was Armando.
“Yeah man! She's havin—”, before Dorn could finish his sentence, Kelly hit him in the stomach.
“Guys, I think we should go downstairs and finish up the gathering.”, Kelly interrupted, pointing at Dorn, Mike and Marcus.
“Imma stay here.”, Marcus smiled, sitting down and crossing his legs while looking at you and Armando.
“Marcus…”, Mike whispered, looking over at him.
“GET your ass up! "Mike growled, signaling Marcus to the door.
You couldn’t help but to laugh knowing how real Marcus was for that. You would’ve done the same if someone else was in this situation. You watched as Armando walked past you and headed towards the door.
“We’ll be down in a few.”, He mumbled to the others as they walked out. While Armando held the door open for everyone, you began straightening your dress and shaping your hair. Hoping that you looked fine and that he would still be attracted to you since it has been a while since you have seen him.
You stood there and watched as he turned around. The room became cumbrous and each step that Armando took while walking towards you made you feel dreadful. You observed the clothes that he was wearing. He looked totally different. In a good way.
“I think we..well you should sit down, so we can talk.”, he whispered, grabbing your hand.
You held onto it and allowed him to guide you to the bed. You slowly sat down and freed your hand and watched as he walked over to the dresser that was in front of you to lean on. You guys were now face to face. His eyes were burning into your soul, and you could feel your heartbeat pick up in speed, and your chest become tight. It was a surreal feeling to be seeing him in front of you. After the last seven months of the mental and physical war that you have been battling, it all just seems like a dream now. A nightmare.
You looked up to see him adjusting his hips forward as he leaned against the dresser.
“So..you’re pregnant.”, he mumbled, looking at you. He was scratching the back of his neck as his cheeks slightly turned red.
“Yeah…found out a couple weeks after you died…Well, “died”.”, you replied, throwing your fingers up to emphasize on the “died” part. “It’s yours. Just saying so you won’t be second guessing or anything.”, you continued, looking at your fingers.
“I know it's mine.”, he laughed, putting his hands in his pockets.
“What?”, you replied, looking up at him confusingly.
“I know that the bun in that oven is mine. I made sure that would happen when we were at the hotel.”, he smiled, looking back at you.
You couldn’t help but to be in shock, your mouth had slightly opened and by the way it looked he was amused by it.
“Don’t be shocked….it was coming.”, he continued walking over and sitting down next to you.
He grabbed your hand and held on to it, allowing his fingers to caress yours. You could smell the cologne on him as it crawled through your nose and you loved it. Wasn’t too strong nor too light.
“So what are we having?”, he asked, slightly turning his head towards you.
You dug into your pockets and brought out the small box from earlier and gave it to him.
“Open it.”, you smiled, handing it to him. You shifted your body to completely face him and watched as he opened the box, revealing two small bow ties.
“Oh shit, twins?”he laughed, turning to face you.
“Yeah.”, you responded, looking at the box and then back at Armando. You observed as he stared at it, allowing his smile to reach each ear until suddenly, he stopped.
“Armando…what’s wrong?”, you queried, gently touching his shoulder.
“How have you been these last six, seven months? Truthfully.”, he responded, shifting his body and grabbing your hand off of his shoulder to hold it. You watched as he held both of your hands. You could barely see his eyes, since his hat was covering it but could tell by his facial expression that he was upset.
“That’s not important anymore, Armando. You’re here and alive so..that’s all that matters.”
“I don’t want to hear that y/n…The team was supposed to keep tabs on you for me, they were telling me everything that was going on at first but when they told me that they couldn't reach you anymore. It made me worry. What happened?”, he explained, scooting closer to you.
“Armando…I was just grieving okay. It’s crazy because when you died, we had only known each other for a couple days but…the feeling that you gave me at the time, felt like I had known you forever. So losing you was like I had lost my best friend.”, you whispered, looking down.
“I wasn’t trying to disappear but I couldn’t help it. Each day felt dreadful plus once I found out that I was pregnant, I wanted to deal with it alone. Even if I had my days where I started to feel lonely…”, you continued, keeping eye-contact with the ground.
“I hate that this happened y/n, I do. But before I forget to ask…how in the hell did Mike and Marcus not see you at work?”he asked, looking at you confusingly.
“I asked Rita to switch my days and hours so that I could avoid them, which surprisingly she did. So if I saw them I would run or someone from work would give me a heads up that they were coming.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of work honey and it’s crazy, because she played a huge role in helping me change my identity.”, Armando smiled, taking off his hat. First thing you noticed was the clean line-up that he had, his hair was smooth and laid back. You thought he looked scrumptious.
“Yeah..it wasn’t easy at all but allegedly she owed my dad a favor, from years ago..so she had no choice, I guess.”, He laughed. You could tell that he was reminiscing the conversation between him, Rita and Mike by the way he tilted his head. You couldn’t help but admire him, the way his Adam's apple was making a slight appearance, while his body scent caressed you.
It was a weird feeling for you to see him in front of you. All those months of you detaching yourself from reality, from those you loved, sitting in your room alone while allowing silence and darkness to consume you just for it all to be for nothing. Self-torture for absolutely nothing. Falling into depression for nothing. Not eating and being around others, for nothing. It wasn’t like you could control your emotions however, you felt that others could have control the way they went about it. The way they handled it.
“You’re still battling, aren’t you?”, Armando suddenly asked, interrupting your thoughts.
“What?”, you were caught off guard by the sudden question.
“Depression…Grief…all of the above... .You're still dealing with it…I can tell just by looking at you baby. You may not say it but your eyes and your body language does, so you don’t have to lie or hide it.”, he explained.
You remained silent because you knew what he said was true.
“Y’know spending all of those months not being able to talk to you and see you, made me feel as if I lost you ... .Like I was just existing on this earth without a soul because you weren’t around. So I know that if I felt like that, then words can’t explain how you must’ve felt, especially with you being pregnant.”, he continued, gently wiping the tears that were now streaming down your face.
“..yeah.”, you mumbled, swallowing the bricks that were stacked in your throat.
“Plus, I know with me being here, others may think that everything that you dealt with in the last seven months are supposed to just… maaaagically go away since I’m here now but just know, when you hurt. I hurt and I see you so, we’re in this together.”, he replied, grabbing your hand and standing up.
You stood up with him and watched as he gently grabbed you and pulled you in. You were hesitant at first but gave in, knowing that the hug was needed and long overdue. You could feel Armando’s chin on top of your head but paid it no mind because the only thing that mattered to you was feeling Armando’s embrace. You guys stood there for what felt like forever, until curiosity filled your mind about Armando’s new identity.
“So, what’s your new name?”, you asked, opening your eyes and facing his chest. You watched as the gold chain around his neck moved as he moved. It made his skin shine and stick out, that was his color.
“My new name, Dorn picked it..”,he laughed, shaking his head in embarrassment.
“Okay, so…what is it?”, you replied, breaking the hug to make eye-contact with him. You watched as his face went red as he quietly chuckled.
“That’s not important, just call me by my name.”, he laughed, kissing you on your forehead and then crouching down. You stared at him confusingly and watched as he stared at your stomach.
“Armando what are you doing?”
“Just let me do this…”, he smiled, putting his head against your stomach. You began to feel him gently poke your stomach in different areas and then set his head on the area that he poked. When suddenly, you felt a hard kick come from your belly.
“SEE! SEE, THEY JUST KICKED!”, he yelled, removing his head and putting his hand on it. He gave your stomach a couple of rubs before standing up. Standing closer to you while gazing into your eyes. However this time it was a different kind of look, a look of epiphany. It was silent between the two of you and as he hovered over you, you could tell that he wanted to say something but the words wouldn’t come out of his mouth.
“What?”, you chuckled, nervously messing with your earrings.
“Uh..nothing, nothing. It’s not the right time to say it. It can wait.”, he smiled, looking at your eyes, then at your lips.
You gave him a small smile in response and wrapped your hands around his neck, slowly stroking it. You could feel his hands intertwined around your waist as he softly pulled you in. Leaning down towards you, you closed your eyes and allowed you and Armando’s lips to connect. He was soft and gentle with it, pulling his lips away and then kissing you again. You pulled away as soon as you heard a knock on the door.
“Come in!”, you yelled, facing the door. You watched as the door opened to see Mike standing there.
“Are you guys okay, we’re all downstairs waiting on you.”. He asked, leaning against the door frame.
“Yeah just had to talk things out…we’re coming down now.”, Armando replied, grabbing your things off of the bed.
You watched as he grabbed your hand and led you out of the bedroom.
“I also noticed your hair. I love it, it’s a sexy short look.”, he smiled, guiding you down the hallway.
“Thank you, when you walked in…I was afraid that you wouldn’t be attracted to me anymore since it’s more in a circular shape.”, you whispered, holding his hand tighter.
“No, you look beautiful. I’m attracted to you all the way so you have nothing to worry about sweetheart.”, he reassured, stepping in front of you.
“Mike, can you come on the other side of her while we go down these stairs.”, he asked, guiding Mike to the spot.
Mike agreed and hurriedly sprinted towards the spot. It felt good to have a village standing behind you, even when you’re the one to push them away. After spending time with your family, eventually, you and Armando sat in Mike’s backyard and gazed at the moon that hovered over the lake while everyone else stayed inside and played card games.
It was just the two of you. You and Armando. Sitting on the dock and allowing nature to fill your ears. Allowing your bodies to comfort each other: your soul to connect and become one. You weren’t afraid anymore to be loved by someone again since he gave you pure love, protection and reassurance. He understood you and believed in you. He helped you feel seen and even though you felt that the time that you two have spent together has only been short, you knew that the story that was soon to begin would be everlasting. That he would be the one.
romaincrisis
kianamaiart
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
snowghoul
theartofmadeline
titsay