60Hi guys!
I'm so so sorry for the late update. A lot's been going on in my life lately.
If you guys heard any news about Turkey, then you probably know that my country is on the verge of a civil war. Our current government has done everything in their power to ruin this beautiful country, steal from our people and use religion wrongly to manipulate people. I'm not going to go into deeply into politics cause I know that none of you want to hear about our problems. But I just want you to know about our prime minister who is the murderer of 7 innocent lives during the Gezi Park Protests and again so many innocent lives in Syria. In just a couple of hours we have a minor election and this will be our only way to strip him from his powers. He's already blocked Twitter and YouTube in the past week and is planning to do lots and lots more.
Again, I'm sorry for bothering you with all of this. I just had to get it all out.
That's the entire reason why I couldn't update this week and why this is more like a filler chapter. I promise you some Gabriel-Connor bonding next chapter. And there will be some action in the upcoming chapters.
I love you all and thank you so much for all the support!
It's also so sad to know that next episode of Intelligence might be our very last episode If you guys have any news about it's renewal please let me know.
P.S. I didn't have time to read it through carefully so there might be a lot of mistakes.
Enjoy!
"I found some games for him on your computer so this should keep him distracted for a while." She said entering the living area.
Gabriel nodded and motioned her to sit down next to him.
After Riley had talked with the boy, he came to apologize and they all sat down for a late breakfast. There wasn't much talking involved and the mood in the room was so tense that eventually, after finishing up with their breakfast, Riley took Connor to Gabriel's bedroom and found something to occupy him until she could talk to Gabriel. He needed someone to talk to and express his emotions even though he would deny it and find it ridiculous when she would suggest this to him.
"Lillian just called to tell me that I could take a couple of days off to get everything settled."
"That's good." She said. He was still looking down at his hands, avoiding eye contact with her and she instantly knew that he was going to ask her something.
"How do you do it?" he asked after a few seconds, just like she expected him to. "If someone had told me that you would be this good around kids, I wouldn't have believe them."
Riley chuckled. "Does that mean you find me cold, distant and… well, boring?"
"Of course not! You know that's not what I meant with what I said." He defended himself.
She gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "It's alright Gabriel, I was just teasing." She laughed. "I'm glad you think like that actually. It's just… I'm just like this around him because I have quite the experience."
"Is this where I learn that you have a kid that you've been hiding from us all these months?" he asked sarcastically.
"Riley Neal! No way!" he almost choked in his words. His eyes were shot open in surprise and he was looking at her, trying to get and answer.
Riley looked at him with apologetic eyes. "Gabriel… I…" And then she buried her face in her hands and went silent.
Gabriel put his arm on her shoulder in a comforting way and tried to get something out of her. He couldn't believe it. Was Riley Neal, his partner for the past 10 months, actually a mother?
"Riley..." He started. His voice was filled with concern.
Riley's body started shaking and that made Gabriel quickly pull back, puzzled.
Riley looked up at him and held her breath. She tried so hard, but after seeing his face she couldn't hold it any longer and burst out into laugher.
"Of course not, you idiot!" She was now laughing uncontrollably while Gabriel scowled. "You seriously thought I had a secret child that I left behind just so I could come here and protect you?"
"What? You're the most unpredictable human being I've ever met, Riley. For a second there it didn't seem so impossible!"
She smiled. "Calm down Gabriel. Look, back when I was working with the president I used to live right across my best friend, Katie. She has two adorable kids and I used to spend nearly all my free time with them. That's why I know my way around children."
Gabriel was looking into the distance with a smirk on his face.
"What are you thinking?" she asked.
"Nothing, just Auntie Riley running around with a bunch of kids." He said. "I bet they loved you."
"Yeah… Yeah they did. Katie's a single mother. She is juggling two jobs while trying to give her children the best life she can wish for them. I used to babysit for her almost every week. And she needed a lot of help, especially when Aaron, her youngest, got into his trouble two's. He was a handful! And Ella… She's just the sweetest little girl you can possibly meet. She just turned 8 last week."
Gabriel watched his partner's eyes glow as she talked about these two kids that she so loved. "I'm sorry." He said out of nowhere.
"Why?"
"Because now you can't go and spend time with them. Because of me."
"Gabriel, I have no regrets." She assured him with sincerity.
"No? You went from protecting the president and having a steady life around the people you love, to helping a robot that just found out he had a kid!"
She rolled her eyes and punched him on the shoulder. He pulled back with an "Ow!" and started rubbing the area.
"Robots don't say Ow." she said.
"Okay. Okay, you made your point. Did you just have to punch me for that? You could've just said so."
"Where would the fun be in that?"
Silence once again filled the room, as both of the agents were lost in their own thoughts.
Riley was thinking about what Gabriel had just told him. When she left her apartment that day to go to Angel's Bluff, she had no idea that her life was going to change so drastically. And when she took the job, she had assured herself that it would only be temporary. She didn't want to believe that going off to dangerous missions with a man with a chip would be her life forever. But of course that had changed just after a few short weeks she spent with Gabriel. He quickly became her best friend. Her partner...
No.
She had no regrets.
"You have a lot of things to consider you know." She reminded him after a while. "He will need a proper bedroom. And a school... You might want to try to make this place more, uhm... child-friendly? You need to do a lot of shopping as well Gabriel Vaughn."
She added that last one just to tease him. She knew how much he hated shopping.
"You meant we..." he corrected. "Since I won't be going to work for a few days, you won't be needed there. And I think Lillian would prefer you with me in case someone decides that I'm a threat to this country and comes after me."
"Funny." She commented.
"What's funny?"
"You always hated me being in your face the entire day. What changed?"
"I guess I realized what a fool I was. It always nice to have your company."
Riley gave him a threatening glare. "You just want me around in case you can't handle one of Connors breakdowns, don't you."
"No!" he raised his voice in defense.
Riley rolled her eyes at him.
"Alright, alright… Yes, that's true. However I also want you here because I will need my dear, oh so dear partner to help me get through all these difficult changes." He said in a dramatic tone, with his blue eyes sad and teary.
"Oh now you're just being cheesy." She said as she stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"Home." She shrugged. "I couldn't even go on my morning jog today! Plus, it will also give the two of you the opportunity to spend some alone time and bond."
She was right at the door and about to leave when he grabbed her arm to stop her. He looked at her with all his sincerity and it sent shivers down her spine. They exchanged smiles.
"Thank you for being here Riley. Seriously…"
They spent the rest of the day inside. Riley didn't come to check on them which disappointed Gabriel but he figured it would be for the better. He had learn eventually learn how to take care of Connor on his own.
He knew he had to break the ice between them somehow and start acting more like himself around the boy.
After all it was only going to be two of them for the rest of their lives…
After Connor got tired of watching TV, Gabriel gave him some of the coloring books they had brought with them for England. And after they were all done, he plugged in his computer, which he hadn't used for months after having the chip. He hacked into one of his neighbors' Wi-Fi and connected it to the Internet. It took him only a few seconds to find a child-appropriate game website. And after showing Connor how to play the game, he left him in the room and went to wash the dishes.
As he scrubbed and rinsed all the plates he also made extensive research for a potential school. He wanted somewhere where he would be safe. That was his first priority since he was the son of America's most important super weapon. Finding a school was the first thing he had to check off his list. It was already a few weeks into the second semester and he didn't want Connor to miss out a lot. Also, he thought that if he made some friends, it would get him more used to his life here.
He was lost in his thoughts when he felt someone tug on his shirt. He looked down to see Connor's chocolate brown eyes looking up at him, expectantly.
"I'm bored." He said, his voce barely audible.
He knew this would happen sooner or later. He sighed and picked the boy up, placing him on the counter.
"Okay then buddy… Do you have anything in mind?"
Connor shook his head.
"We can play a game." Gabriel suggested but got the same response.
"There aren't any toys in your house Gabriel." The boy explained.
"Who needs toys!" He said excitedly and threw his arms in the air. His sudden actions startled Connor and looked at him with big, confused eyes.
"How can we play a game with no toys?" he asked.
Good point. Gabriel thought. His house was usually very empty and dull. He only gave space to things that are needed to survive and a few items here and there that reminded him of his old life. The life he shared with Amelia….
Not in a million years would he have thought that he would need to find something in his house to entertain a six year-old.
He started to walk around the room, drawing circles and expecting the objects to give him an idea for a fun game. Connor was still on the counter watching the man while kicking the surface with the back of his feet.
Gabriel continued looking around. Suddenly an idea hit him and he cursed at himself for not having remembered that earlier.
They were three boys growing up in the Vaughn household. All three of them were as naughty as three boys could ever be. It was almost impossible for their mother to stop them from doing something mischievous, especially during the times when their father was deployed to some dangerous place in the world.
Their mother would usually just throw them out to their backyard and let them run around and play until they were all worn out. But when the weather was bad… Well then, they had no choice but stay at home and turn the entire house upside down. They would make a huge mess every time and drive their mother crazy.
But she was a smart woman. And she usually found a way to keep them occupied with a game and not destroy her home.
Back then; they didn't have all these kids' channels, iPads or computers. So she would have to improvise and somehow come up with these fun, creative games that only needed a few basic items.
Gabriel looked back at Connor and knew exactly which game he would play with the boy.
It would just be perfect!
Next chapter will be up really soon (well, unless our government doesn't block our internet access completely)
And also I have a question for you guys. Are any of you Lost or Jate fans? And if I wrote a fanfic about them would you read it?
Thank you so much and please don't forget to leave a review!