F a m i l y ⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺
fandom ›› ncis
pairing ›› alden parker x fem!reader
part ›› 2/3 [ parker's stalker series | part one ]
summary ›› your wedding is only a few weeks away and the little bean in your tummy is growing healthily. everything would be wonderful, if it weren't for parker's stalker.
tags ›› established relationship; may december romance; stalker with a crush; fluff; female reader
warnings ›› implied age gap; stalking; death threats; angst; pregnancy; mention of miscarriage; english is not my mother tongue
word count ›› 3.154 words
🖋 Uhm–did I mention that I love writing multiple chapter fics? No? Well, probably because I don't, lol. At first it should've been a oneshot, then a two-parter and now it's going to have three parts. That's what you get, when you don't plan things. Maybe it'll even get four parts, who knows? I definitely don't. At least, you didn't have to wait nine months for this baby. Bad pun definitely intended. This part is angstier (is that even a word?) than the last one, thank Jane Doe for that and if risky pregnancies and just the mention of a possible miscarriage triggers you, you may proceed with caution or not proceed at all. Also, I'm really not satisfied with this part, like really, really not and hopefully will be happier writing the following one. But I figured, if I'd delete one more draft of this (deleted around 15k words), I would never update this fic, at all. So, without further ado, hope you'll still enjoy! ♥
Almost three months had passed since you had announced the pregnancy to Parker and finally, after eleven weeks, you were able to get up this morning for the first time without having to throw up. Despite the fact your future husband was always at your side whenever he was home, you were overcome with euphoria when you realized that this time it was only your bladder that wanted to be emptied. Also the aspect that the fourth prenatal examination did not cause any concern contributed to your good mood, regardless the present circumstances.
Thanks to your future husband's secret admirer, the first trimester had been more stressful than usual for you, which is why your pregnancy was considered a risk and you needed to be even more careful to avoid stressful situations. That wasn't exactly easy with the attention the stalker was giving not only to Parker, but also to you and your unborn baby. Still, you weren't going to let that dampen your spirits and you were glad when your future father-in-law invited you out for a walk after he had already accompanied you to the doctor's appointment.
"It's really sweet of you to join me today", you said as the two of you took a seat on a bench in the shade of a tree, while you were on your walk through the city park. Your belly barely revealed that you were already sixteen weeks pregnant, nonetheless you were glad for every moment you had the opportunity to sit down. Unlike every other part of your body, your breasts had gained significant weight and your back was more than willing to let you feel it every step you took. Parker didn't complain about this side effect, why would he, but you were unable to share his delight due to the pain and growing sensitivity.
Roman gave you a warm smile before he said: "Of course I'm here for you if my son can't seem to find a single day to fully support you and my unborn grandchild during this time."
A smirk settled on your lips. "I suppose you mean that I'm lucky he's not somewhere overseas, and thus assuring that I see him almost everyday instead of only once in a few months", you countered, aware of how much it still bothered Roman that his son was the only one in the family never to join the Navy. It was a privilege that you could see him most days, even if it were sometimes just for a couple of hours or only a few minutes. You knew what you've gotten yourself into, when you decided to date a federal agent.
You earned a laugh from Roman for your statement, which sounded more like a snort. "Alright. There may be an advantage he became a fed instead of following his family's footsteps like anyone else", he admitted. "But just this one."
"Just this one", you echoed with amusement.
"However, you don't have to tell my son that, you hear me?"
"Of course I don't. It would be an absurd thing if he found out, after all, that his father has a slight fondness for his current profession", you chuckled.
Roman shook his head at your teasing. "I knew you were going to be trouble the moment he had introduced you to me."
"You mean like you knew our relationship wouldn't last?", you probed, a smirk on your lips.
"Precisely. With the difference that I have been mistaken about that", he said sincerely, then gently squeezed your shoulder, the look of a proud father in his eyes. "But I'm glad I was wrong. For one thing, you're being really good for him, and secondly, thanks to you, I will soon get to hold my son's child in my arms. In all honesty–", he took one deep breath and exhaled audibly, "I had already given up hope for that, for him."
"You and Alden have something in common there", you responded. "Believe it or not, I have to assure him everyday that I'm actually pregnant. As if nausea, mood swings, and my newfound fondness for meat somehow aren't evidence enough for him."
"Oh, that will change once you gain a few pounds more", Roman said confidently. "When my wife was pregnant the first time, you didn't actually see any changes in her belly until the sixth month. With all the pregnancies after that, it was apparent much earlier."
"Perfect, I can't wait for my back to complain some more", you said, the sarcasm audible in your voice.
"Wait 'til you get to my age, kiddo." Roman smirked amused.
"Can't wait for that either, pops", you answered while mirroring his smirk. You loved to call him that, ever since he had accepted you as his son's significant other. There were times, when he didn't let you call him by his first name, always reminding you, that he was 'Mr Parker' for you. But that was in the past, fortunately.
The two of you talked for a while until a young man interrupted your pleasant conversation. In his hands he held a tawny teddy bear with a pink and blue bow tied around it and a bouquet of flowers. "Are you Y/N L/N?"
You opened your mouth to answer his question affirmatively, yet not a single word left your lips. Your throat suddenly felt dry, almost constricted, and you felt the palms of your hands grow damp. 'Please, not again', you innerly pleaded to whatever entity was holding the strings guiding your life.
Roman knew about Parker's admirer and rubbed your arm soothingly before he answered the courier for you: "Is there a sender for these–gifts?"
"A woman asked me to deliver these", he explained, confusion written on his face. "Is–Is everything okay?"
"A woman?", you queried perplexed, ignoring his question. The realization that there finally seemed to be a clue to the stalker had you regaining your voice. It didn't even accure to you, that this package could've been sent by someone else. "You saw her? Talked to her?"
"Yeah, she put $50 in my hand for the delivery. There's a card here, too", he reached for the bow of the plush animal and undid the black envelope that was attached to it. "Here." He handed it to you. But before your obviously trembling fingers could even touch the paper, Roman had already snatched it away, of which you were almost grateful.
He took out the note and whilst his eyes absorbed every word, darkness washed over his face.
"What's wrong? What does it say?", you asked, your voice laced with concern.
"I think it's better if we call Alden. Let him take care of it", the old man replied, ignoring your question.
"Roman, please, tell me what it says." Pleadingly you looked at him, though you were unsure whether you really wanted to know.
He returned your gaze with a pitying expression on his face, hesitant to hand you the card. But when you asked him again, he complied sighing and handed it over to you. After all you were a grown woman, and the message was directed at you. Yet, he wished you wouldn't read it, assuming that it would only cause you stress which would neither be good for you nor your child.
It felt as if someone had taken away your breath and your free hand moved absentmindedly to your belly. Protective and at the same time comforting, you stroked the barely discernible bulge as you tried to process the written words:
'An angel in the book of life wrote down your baby's birth. And decided when she closed the book, it's too beautiful for earth.'
The lids of your eyes were twitching, your breathing was heavy. You could not find any words to describe your inner turmoil, dumbfounded by the cruelty of this woman. 'How could she threaten the life of an unborn baby?', flashed through your mind questioningly. At the appointment today, your gynaeocologist told you, your baby was fine, that you were fine. There was no way at this point that you would miscarry, yet the text indicated exactly this.
It wasn't until Roman handed you a handkerchief, while holding his cell phone to his ear with his other hand, that you realized you were crying. As if you had been in the throes of drowning, you took a long breath like you had just reached the surface of the water which seemed to be suffocating you. But the feeling of your lungs being filled with fresh air, didn't take away the heaviness that seemed to press down on your heart. Why did this happen to you? What had you done to deserve this torment?
"Alden will be here any minute. He also informs the police, since the rest of his team is busy with a case", explained Roman after he got off the phone, interrupting your trail of thoughts. He sat down beside you again and put an arm around you, pressing you comfortingly to his chest, before turning his attention to the young man who had been watching the whole scene in silence.
"Can you tell us what the woman looked like? Height, age, hair color–anything?"
"S-Sorry, she was wearing dark sunglasses and a very large summer hat. There was hardly anything distinguishable of her face and how tall she was, uh–", he paused and took a moment to think. "She was shorter than me, I guess?" It sounded more like a question than a statement, and Roman sighed.
"Where did you meet her? If there are cameras there, my son will have at least something to go with."
"Sure, I-I can take you there", the courier replied, looking consolingly at your fragile-looking and trembling figure. "If I'd known–"
"You couldn't have known, kid", Roman cut the younger man off. "Just show us, where you met that vile woman."
It didn't take long for the police to show up at the meeting point, and Parker arrived just a few minutes after them. Before he asked any questions he gave in to his first impulse and pulled you into a tight hug, his arms protectively wrapping around you. He buried his nose in your hair as he just held you for a moment, while you clung to him like he was a lifeline, saving you from drowning. Only when he realized that your body was no longer shaking did he loosen the embrace. Gently, he lifted your chin, to look into your eyes which were red and swollen from crying. There was nothing in his expression visible of the anger and hatred that had been building up inside him. Only concern and remorse was written on his face that you, his fiancée and mother of his unborn child, had once again become the target of the stalker, his stalker.
"I'm so sorry, honey", he said, his voice just a whisper. "When I get my hands on that son of a bi–"
"Daughter", you interrupted him, your voice sounding brittle like a fragile tea set made of porcelain.
"What?"
"Daughter of a you-know-what, is more accurate. This guy–", you made a head movement toward the young man and Parker followed the motion, "he met her. Even talked to her."
"Good, that's great", Parker murmured, looking back at you. He cupped your face with his hands, his rough thumbs gently stroking your flushed cheeks. "Are you alright? Should we call a doctor or have someone take you to the hospital? Just to be sure that really everything's okay?"
"I'm fine", you tried to assure him, but couldn't hold back your tears. "I just can't believe she would threaten our baby. Who does that? I–" Your voice broke, and you swallowed hard.
Parker breathed a long kiss on the top of your head before leaning his forehead against yours. "Don't worry, we'll find her. And I'll make sure she never comes anywhere near you again."
"You should have made sure of that weeks ago", Roman interjected harshly, rebuking his son with a look that showed he was partially blaming him for the current state of affairs. And Parker couldn't even be mad at him for that accusation, hence he already blamed himself for it.
Before he could say anything in reply, however, you had raised your voice: "Please, don't argue. The only one at fault is this, this–" You lightly bit your lower lip, thinking of a word to describe her.
"Bitch?", Parker tried to be helpful, but merely earned a light slap against his upper arm from you for that.
"Pssht–not in front of the baby", you explained, forgetting for a moment why you were upset. Even if your child's hearing wasn't fully developed yet, you wanted to reduce the swearing, so you wouldn't let a cursing word slip later from your mouth.
Parker snorted, amused and relieved altogether that you were able to think about something else. He wiped away your glistening tears, planting a chaste kiss on your forehead preparatory to releasing you from his protective, bodily warmth. "I'm going to have a talk with the colleagues from the MPD. If there are cameras here that we can access, then we might be able to find out where our Jane Doe went." He turned to his father. "Dad, would you take Y/N home and stay with her until I get there?"
"Of course, son", Roman answered.
"Could be getting late."
"I'm aware and I'll be with her. You go and make sure to catch that she-devil."
Parker nodded at that, grateful for his father being there for you. The two men didn't always get along and the next argument was usually pre-programmed, but one thing was certain: They could always rely on each other. Although Parker trusted his father with all his heart, he dispised leaving you alone, not being able to be physically there for you once again. But he knew you would never hold it against him, that you understood why he was often bestowing you with absence. He was also aware that he was a lucky man. Not every woman was willing to put up with his limited attention, especially when she was so young and had almost every door in this world opened for her like you. His green eyes didn't leave you for a single moment, and he continued to stare for a while at the intersection where your car had left a few minutes ago. It was one thing having someone or something threatening his own life, but when it involved his family he took it even more personal and serious than usual.
Late that night, Parker finally made it home after a long day at work. The lights were off, and the doors to the guest room and your bedroom were both slightly ajar. Quietly, he glanced into the room where his father was sleeping. The hint of a smile crept onto his lips, as he figured that Roman wanted the doors to be open, so that he would hear if there was anything wrong with you. Who would have thought that the old man would grew so fond of you, after he didn't believe that a young woman like you was sincere with her feelings towards his son? Parker had hoped for this outcome, yet never assumed it would actually happen. Not after Roman had told him at the beginning, to end the relationship with you so he could get back together with Vivian, his ex-wife. He was sure, his father did regret this recommendation now and was as happy as he was that his son didn't listen to him.
He closed the door cautiously, careful not to wake the older man, and then slipped quietly into your shared bedroom. Carefully removing his clothes, he threw over a plain T-shirt and slipped under the covers. He hadn't even positioned himself properly when you had already shifted closer to him, your body nestling against his.
"I'm sorry I woke you, honey", Parker apologised, wrapping an arm around you before he planted a kiss on your temple, his beard slightly scraching you; though, you loved that feeling.
"You didn't wake me", you mumbled sleepily as you buried your face in his chest, inhaling deeply his welcoming and comforting scent.
Parker's upper body vibrated as he laughed softly. "Yeah, I can tell the way you're being so chipper."
You ignored that mocking statement of his, taking another deep breath before you said: "You smell good."
"Didn't want to wake you, so I took a shower before I left the Navy Yard", he explained, caressing the back of your neck.
"I'm glad you're finally here", you admitted, a hint of sadness audible in your voice. "I've missed you."
"I know", he replied, and a sigh left his lips. It hurt him everytime, when you said these words out loud, feeling the hurt and loneliness in your voice. "I talked to Director Vance, and once we finally get rid of the obstacles, I'll be able to cut back a little at work and spend more time with you."
"That's nice", you murmured, smiling into his shirt and Parker knew he wouldn't have your attention much longer.
"Go to sleep now, honey. You and our baby need to rest. I'll be here when you wake up."
"Promise?" With half-closed eyes, you looked up at him, barely able to hold your head up.
"I promise", he affirmed with a smile. He had placed a hand under your chin, gently running his thumb over your bottom lip before kissing you softly. "I love you", he whispered, before you snuggled back against him.
"Love you more", you replied and with the feeling of his warmth, the knowledge that he was right beside you, you drifted back to sleep.
Parker stayed awake for a while longer, drawing little circles on your back with his fingers, while your breathing was slow and steady. Although he had been out all day, he and the MPD officers had not been able to make much progress on the 'Jane Doe' case. It made his stomach turn, when he saw the gifts you had recieved and found out the meaning behind them. The blue and pink bow, which looked like a butterfly - a sign of losing a child prior the knowledge of their gender. The bouquet of chrysanthemums, an indicator for death and grieving - especially in European countries. And then the card, which meaning behind those written words couldn't be more obvious. With the other hints he had earned throughout the past months, everything indicated that this woman was someone who knew you quite well. He would spend the rest of the night trying to come up with a plan to draw this stalker out of her reserve. He was willing to do anything to keep you safe, wanting nothing more than to bring this Jane Doe finally to justice and bring back peace to his family.
If you enjoyed reading it, please leave a heart and feel free to comment and reblog. If you didn’t enjoy, please consider giving me feedback, I’d appreciate it! ♥