Chapter 34 Hope

Church's Medical Facility

Tool sighed heavily from the chair next to Lee's bed. They were keeping him in a medically induced coma until some of the swelling went down in his head. Tool just hoped Lee didn't forget Ava this time. It'd be a clusterfuck.

They'd reinflated his lung and patched him up, but Lee wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Tool ran every memory he had of Ava through his head, knowing Barney would save her. He was still worried though. What condition would they get the feisty red head back in?

In Route to Mike's Warehouse

Thorn was thankful the tracker for Ava was still active and it seemed Mike underestimated the woman he was obsessed with.

Ross was in full Expendables mode with an underlying seething rage.

The rest of the guys, and Luna, stayed quiet as they drove.

They parked a few blocks down at a closed gas station out of camera range. They made their way to various viewing points to analyze what they were up against. Besides a few guards along each set of doors, there was no clue. Whatever windows were available were covered with various colored tarps. They regrouped near the trucks and tried to formulate a plan. Thorn started digging in the back of the truck he'd come in. He pulled out two cases and set them down carefully, unlatching them and flipping them open. Ross turned towards him.

"Thorn, what do you got?" he asked sternly.

Thorn pulled out a very familiar toy, "Ava's Drummand Mark 6TX EMP."

He stood and checked the small monitor screen to make sure it was at full capacity.

Luna rubbed her hands together, "We finally get to use her directional EMP?"

Thorn nodded, "Way I figure, we activate the EMP at the building they're in, disable any internal cameras and securities. Go in quickly and viciously. Get our girls back."

"Our girls?" Barney queried.

Thorn blushed, "Well come oooon! Mama Maggie makes the best Snickerdoodles I have EVER had!"

A small smattering of chuckles came from the guys and Luna shook her head in amusement. Barney looked at his team, all locked and loaded.

"Let's go get our girls," he said with a smirk, lifting his favorite guns into his hands.

They discreetly made their way towards the warehouse Mike was holed up in with the ladies. Thorn took point and aimed the Drummand at the building with an upwards angle. He pressed the red button and held it. A loud thoom echoed out across the local area before a loud thwack sounded as the EMP hit the building. The lower floors windows blew out and any light that'd been on went out. Thorn threw the strap to the Drummand over his shoulder and they all hightailed it inside. The blast had knocked a few guards out, but the Expendables weren't sparing anyone this trip.

Fighting broke out on the third floor, Luna winning most of them herself before Yang could get involved. Smilee grinned at him and shrugged before following Luna to the next floor. Each floor seemed to progress into a full out battle, but Ross wasn't sure how much time they had. He motioned he was going ahead, and snuck up to the top floor with Doc close behind.

Earlier

Mike sat on the bed next to Ava, stroking her cheek and petting her hair. He was looking at her in a whole new light. A child. Their child. A small baby growing inside of her. The family he had wanted from her. His lips kept twisting from a smirk to a genuine smile. He hadn't felt this happy in a long time. He'd keep her safe this time. He'd make sure to take his temper out on someone else. He didn't want to hurt his baby.

Maggie sat in her chair, working her hands free of the ropes. She had a rule to not go anywhere without a knife on her. It'd saved her life many times, and she hoped it would save the lives of her soon to be daughter and grandbaby. She tried not to hiss out as she sliced open part of one of her fingers by mistake. The rope was thicker than she was usually tied up with over the years. Perhaps the bad guys were getting more intelligent after all.

She watched as Mike started stroking Ava's neck and even laid a kiss on her cheek. He was getting more touchy feely than she was comfortable with.

Mike sat up a bit more and frowned. He looked like he could hear something, but Maggie caught nothing.

Thoom…thwack!

The windows on the lower floors shattered and the top floor they were on rumbled. Ava shifted on the bed, groggily waking up. She winced and brought a hand up to her head, feeling dried blood. She tried to bring her other hand up and found it heavier… with a long chain attached to it. Her eyes opened quickly and she looked down to see the chain. She followed its length to the metal headboard and slowly sat up. She looked around to see Maggie tied to a chair and Mike standing near a window, looking down. She stayed quiet, hoping to not gain Mike's attention immediately.

They heard gunfire from the lower floors and Mike turned towards Ava. His frown turned to a smile so quickly she felt her stomach drop.

"Sweetheart," he said softly, taking a step towards her with arms opening up in a hugging gesture.

She scooted back in the bed, fear filling her every sense. Flashbacks appeared in her head, making her whimper.

Mike slowly dropped his arms and frowned, "Now now, there's nothing to worry about now. I know about our baby. I'm going to take good care of both of you. I promise I won't hurt you."

"You've lied to me before," Ava said softly, the fear clearing a bit, though her hands shook.

He tsked at her, "That was before we were going to be a family. Have you been to the doctor?"

She nodded, but said nothing.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

She shook her head no. He let out a frustrated sigh.

"I know it'll take time, but we'll be one big happy family."

"She already has one big happy family," a deep voice growled in the dark.

Mike turned quickly, looking into the shadows. A large, muscular man with dark hair stepped forward with two guns in his hands.

"Don't believe I've made your acquaintance," Mike said, drawing his own gun and pointing it at the man.

"Barney Ross, Ava's father." he said simply.

"Well, you should lower your guns then," Mike said with a smile, lowering his gun a bit, "She's having MY baby after all."

"No. She isn't," Ross said before a smirk crossed his face, "It's Lee's child."

Mike frowned, "That's not right. Lee's mother said she was pregnant before."

"She was," Ross growled at him, "Until you beat it outta her."

Mike's face fell a bit, "No, I wouldn't have hurt my child. If she had just TOLD me."

"It doesn't matter," Maggie said, standing as the ropes dropped from behind the chair, "You're dead either way for what you did to my boy."

Mike growled and lifted his gun, but two shots and a thunk sounded out. Ross lowered his guns as Mike fell heavily to the floor. Two bullet holes and a knife littered his chest.

"I think I was a bit faster than you this time," Maggie said with a small smile.

Ross shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Yeah yeah, whatever."

Epilogue

Ava was checked over for injuries and treated for the minor concussion she received. She stayed with Lee until they let him wake up, barely leaving his side. When his eyes opened, his mother and Ava were the first people he saw.

"Mum," he grumbled, "What happened?"

"What do you remember, dear?" Maggie asked, holding his hand on one side of him while Ava held his other opposite her.

"Buying steaks and getting into a fist fight. Then a whole hell of a lot of someone trying to break me into pieces."

"That's pretty much it," Ava said softly.

He looked closer and saw the gash on her head, "What happened to you?"

"Mike," she said with a small smile, "But your mum and my dad took care of him."

"You okay? The baby?"

"We're alright," Ava smirked, "Your mother had him believing it was his until dad came barreling in."

"Well I owe them for that."

"You don't owe your family anything, darling," Maggie said with a teary smile.

"At least now I have a name for our little girl," Ava said, catching Lee's attention.

"Yeah?"

"I want to name her Hope."

Lee smiled softly, "I think we're having a girl too."

Ava smiled widely, "Think of all the Uncle's to keep an eye on her!"

"Uncle Trench!" Trench said a bit louder than the others.

Laughs filled the recovery room and for the first time in a long time, everyone was safe.