Chapter Text
Riley felt herself floating, she felt good, zen, soothed. She was in the dark, but she was starting to regain consciousness. She could rapidly feel the weight of her body, while she was trying to remember what happened to her.
She was feeling good the second previous but abruptly, the next second, a wave of anxiety overwhelmed her, while a multitude of images, though her head : the party, the criminals, the outlaws, the gun sellers, the terrorists, and others all worse than each other.
She reminded Porces, the target, and then, Hault, the seducer, and then, the glass, the drink, the drug, the sickness, the bathroom, his hands on her. She remembered the fear she had felt understanding that he was going to abuse her. She remembered calling Mac in her mind desperately, knowing he was the only capable to save her from him. Mac. The fight. Mac. Mac above her, who was speaking to her without she was being able to hear him or say anything.
Then she had stopped fighting the illicit substance, which was doing damage in her head and body, leading her to be inoperative. Ultimately, it had been the black hole.
And now ? Where was she ? With who ? Had Mac managed to flee ? Had they been captured ?
Stressed and disoriented , she started to move on a soft surface. She could tell that her head was leaning on a fluffy pillow. She relaxed a little, if she was in the hands of the criminals, she probably wouldn't be as well settled.
She mentally scanned her whole body looking for pain.
She found none.
She was just a little cold.
However, her right hand caught her attention, it was rolled up in something soft and warm. It was something she had felt while she was unconscious, it had reassured her in some way, of the fact that she was alive.
She opened her eyes slowly. It was dark, but her eyes got used to the dark quickly. She looked at the ceiling, then, turned her head to look around the room. She recognized a motel room, so she was still in Mexico.
Finally, she looked down at her hand intertwined with Mac's.
All her doubts and fear disappeared. She smiled. He was always there to have her back.
He hadn't noticed she was awake. She looked at him for a moment in the darkness : he was shirtless and admired a plane he had done with what seemed to be the cover of a magazine, a pen and a bottle opener. He would always amaze her.
She moved her hand in his, rubbing her thumb on the back of his hand:
“You know, if we want to go back home, you should build a bigger one”, she whispered.
He raised his head and immediately came closer to her:
“Riles, oh god, I was so scared.”, he seemed exhausted but reassured.
His heart swelled with relied and love.
She squeezed his hand and he felt tingling sensation in his stomach while his heart warmed.
He smiled at her, unconsciously. God he loved her so much.
“ Is the mission successful ?
Mac was speechless, she was worried about the mission ?!
“Yes, it's a success.”
“Great ! Is the drug out of me ?”, she asked.
Mac seemed surprised:
“You knew for the drug ?”
“Yes, Hault told me he gave me something.”
“We didn't know, I went crazy not knowing what you had”
“I'm sure you rapidly figured it out”.
She believed in him more than everyone else with her life. He felt honored and lucky to have her in his life.
“I didn't find it by myself,... I was sure something was killing you, you were shaking in my arms and mumbling and hallucinated ! I never thought it could be not related to the mission, but just for the fact that you are a beautiful woman and therefore interesting for all these bastards. I feel so bad at myself for not having understood when we planned the plan to extract Porces.”
“Don't be so tough with yourself, you took care of me and kept me safe. Thank you, Mac.”
He tighter his grip around her hand and moved a strand of hair covering her face, gently:
“If we met him in the future, I swear I kill him even if he's not our target.”
“What was it ?”, she wanted to know, feeling by Mac's voice that it was bad.
Mac didn't want to worry her, but he had to informed her:
“GHB.”
“He was prepared.”, she said disgusted.
“It looks like he was”
“What did I say when I was unconscious ?”, she was afraid to ask.
Mac was happy it didn't destroy her to learn that some GHB had ran in her veins.
“You were talking about Hault, about the drink, I guess you tried to tell me about the drugs. Then, you started to divagate.”, he paused, remembering an interesting thing, “Riley, do you love me ?”, he asked abruptly.
He regretted it instantly, why did he asked her that ! He was an idiot.
“Why do you ask me that ?”, she seems uncomfortable.
He played nervously with his fingers. Then, he launched:
“All the stuff you told me over there were untidy but true, and you told me that you loved me.”
“Hum,..”, she didn't know what to say. It was true, she loved him, but she hadn't planned to tell him while she was unconscious. She preferred change subject: “Am I okay, will I have any side effects ?”, she felt shy.
“Uh, yes, a nurse came, a friend to me. He put you under infusion during an hour. He said you're going to be okay.”
He had noticed she avoided the subject, but it was fine, it could wait until they come home.
“How do you feel ?”, he inquired.
“I'm a little cold.”
Oh yeah, he had to tell her that. He had thought about how he would tell her, but he hadn't found the best way to say it, so, he launched:
“Well, about that, … The drug had bad effects on you, but,-”, he put a hand on her forehead to be sure she hadn't fever. “-we had to remove your dress to know if you had been poisoned.”
She seemed surprised. She lifted the blanket to see her body just dressed with her underwear and Mac's shirt. Mac had seen her like this, in underwear and had covered her with his shirt ?
“Is that okay”, Mac asked concerned.
“I think so, you tried to help me.”
“Yes, Riles, I swear I would never-”
“Mac”, she cut him off, “I know.”, she smiled at him to support her sayings.
“Okay.” he was reassured that she didn't hold it against him. “I'll turn off the air conditioner.”
He found the remote control, he pointed it to the ceiling and a “quiet beep” told them it was off. Then, he got up to take another blanket in the cupboard and came back to adding it onto Riley.
“Are you hungry ?” He remembered his friend advice.
“No, not at all”
“Okay, you'll have to eat in the ten hours coming. Medical prescriptions”, he added, sitting down on the bed next to her.
“Okay”
After that, they stayed a moment without saying anything. They observed each other, surrounding by a pleasant and soothing silence. Mac left his hand in her hair, stroking her forehead with his thumb in a reassuring and protective gesture. She yawned and he mimics her unconsciously.
“What time is it ?”, she broke the silence.
“Quarter past two in the morning”, he answered, looking at his watch.
She seemed lost in her thoughts:
“You should sleep”, he advised.
“You should too”, she opens the blanket.
He slipped under it and came closer to her. Instantly, she came closer to him, attracted by the warmth of his body. They were face to face before he wrapped his arms around her protectively, passing his chin above her head.
She felt her body warmed up thanks to Mac's.
Naturally, she found her head lodged in the crook of his neck. She put a hand on his chest and he ran a hand in her hair:
“So, you think I'm beautiful ?”, she asked softly.
She was referring to what he had said previously. During a minute, she heard nothing but his breathing, she could feel his heart beating under the palm of her hand, it rocked her peacefully.
“No, I think you're gorgeous.”, he answered in a whisper, with love.
He laugh softly but she could tell he was sincere. She smiled against his torso.
He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, tightening her body against his. She smiled, feeling the beating of his heart speed up, then, placed herself more comfortably in his arms and squeezed his entire body against hers.
Two minutes later, they were peacefully asleep, snuggled against each other, in a reassuring atmosphere. Safe.
END