Chapter Text
Carina stood by Maya's bedside, her heart hurting at the sight of her wife hooked up to various monitors and IV lines. Maya looked so pale and fragile, and Carina couldn't help but blame herself for what had happened. If only she hadn't let that stranger into their cabin, none of this would have occurred.
She hated that once more she stood with their daughter looking down at the blonde who had sacrificed herself for them. The amount of times that this had happened was far more than one person should ever have to deal with. Maya, however, was no ordinary person.
Maya was stronger than anyone she had ever known and had an unwavering love for her family. But even Maya would break when she found out that Sanchez was still after her. Even more so when she found out he had escaped from prison.
Carina couldn't bear the thought of Maya waking up to the news of Sanchez's escape. It would shatter her, and Carina didn't know if she had the strength to put the pieces back together this time. She reached out her free hand and gently brushed a strand of hair away from Maya's face, her touch as light as a feather.
"I'm so sorry, Maya," Carina whispered. "I promise, we'll keep you safe. We won't let him hurt you again."
She heard a small groan coming from the tiny blonde lying on the bed. Maya's eyes fluttered open, squinting at the hospital lighting.
“Car?”
“Hi, Bambina. Don’t try and talk. You’re in the hospital and just got out of surgery.”
Maya's brow furrowed in confusion, but she seemed too weak to protest. Carina could see the pain in her eyes, both physical and emotional.
“You and Luci?” Maya rasped anyways, needing to make sure they were okay.
“We’re both okay and right here,” she held the baby up for Maya to see that neither of them were harmed.
Maya's eyes filled with relief as she saw Carina and their daughter unharmed. She weakly reached out her hand, and Carina gently took it in her own, careful not to disturb any of the IV lines.
"Maya, I need you to listen to me," Carina said. She needed Maya to know the truth, especially since they would soon be on the move. "Sanchez escaped from prison. He's out there, and he's looking for you. That was why that man came to the cabin. We're going to be okay, but we need to go into protective custody. We'll be relocated to a safe house where we'll have round-the-clock protection. I promise, Maya, we won't let him get to you again."
Maya's eyes widened in fear, her heart monitor giving away her feelings. Carina knew it wasn’t ideal, but Maya needed to know because things were about to happen quickly.
“I-I-I-“ she couldn’t form a sentence, her mind was moving at a million miles an hour. Her family was now being forced into hiding because of her. How could she justify any of this? All of this was her fault. She should have just died. She should just…
Tears welled up in Maya's eyes as she processed Carina's words and her dark thoughts. The fear and vulnerability that had been building inside her suddenly came crashing down. Everything she had dreaded was coming to fruition. She would never truly be free.
Carina's heart broke at the pain in Maya's voice. She leaned in close. "Bambina, we don't have a choice. We have to do whatever it takes to keep our family safe. I won't let him hurt you again, I promise."
“I’m-I’m not worried about me…” Maya whispered. She couldn’t voice her true feelings any longer. Carina didn’t deserve this. Lucia didn’t deserve to grow up like this. She felt her chest tightening and her breathing getting ragged. She was working herself up too much, only now she didn’t think she would be able to calm herself down.
Carina could see the panic in Maya's eyes, and she knew she had to act quickly to calm her down. She gently squeezed Maya's hand, trying to provide some comfort amidst the chaos that was raging behind those blue eyes.
"Bambina, listen to me," Carina said soothingly. "I understand that you're worried about us, but we're a team. We face everything together, remember? We'll get through this, just like we have before."
She wished she saw her words calm her wife like they had done a dozen times in the past week alone. This time, however, there was no change. Maya remained tense, her breathing becoming more erratic.
Before she could even attempt to calm her wife down, a nurse rushed in with a sedative. Carina watched as the pain in her wife’s eyes disappeared into nothingness.
“Carina, the medical transport is here to-“ Sanders paused as he noticed the scene before him. “What happened?”
“Exactly what I was afraid of,” Carina responded as she held her daughter tighter. “Are we ready to go?”
—————
Carina sat silently in the back seat of the van that was taking them to the safe house. Lucia was buckled safely next to her and Agent Sanders was driving. The medical van in front of them was transporting Maya.
Carina's mind couldn’t shake the feeling that things were irreversibly damaged. That her wife was now too far gone to help her. It scared her to her core and now they couldn’t even lean on their friends. They were on their own.
Glancing at Lucia, who was fast asleep in her car seat, she felt an immense sadness. Sadness that she had to grow up in a world where danger seemed to always be lurking around the corner. Sadness because her mommy was injured more than she hadn’t been since she had been in her life. Sadness because she didn’t know what was to come.
“How did they find us?” Carina asked after an hour of traveling in silence. “Not many people knew where we were.”
Agent Sanders glanced at Carina through the rearview mirror before returning his attention to the road. "We're still investigating that, but it's possible that Sanchez has connections on the inside. We're looking into any potential leaks within the system."
That made Carina’s blood boil. She clenched her fists as she stared out the window. “So now not even the FBI is safe?” She asked angrily. “Should we even be going to a safe house?” She could no longer shield everyone from her true feelings. The world was out to get them and she didn’t even know who to trust anymore. She wasn’t sure how to protect her family.
Agent Sanders sighed. "Carina, I understand your frustration and fear. But right now, the safe house is our best option. We have taken every precaution to ensure its security and I will personally be overseeing everything."
Carina nodded, though her anger and frustration still simmered beneath the surface. She knew Agent Sanders was doing his best to protect them, that he did mean well, but the situation felt overwhelming. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were constantly one step behind, always playing catch-up.
She wasn’t sure of how much time passed by but soon they were pulling up to an unfamiliar house. It was a quaint, secluded cottage nestled among tall trees, its windows covered with heavy curtains. It seemed peaceful, but Carina couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. This wasn’t their home, but it was going to be for the foreseeable future.
As the van came to a stop, Agent Sanders turned to Carina. "We're here," he said. "This place has been thoroughly secured. There are security cameras, alarms, and a team of agents stationed nearby. We'll do everything we can to keep you and your family safe."
Carina unbuckled her daughter from the car seat and held her close, taking comfort in the warmth of her little body. She looked at Agent Sanders and nodded, knowing she needed to say something.
"Thank you, Agent Sanders," she said softly. "I appreciate everything you're doing to protect us."
He nodded in response and opened the door, stepping out of the van. Carina followed suit, carefully carrying Lucia in her arms. She walked to the medical van where Maya was currently being unloaded. She was still unconscious, but she looked a lot less pale than she had.
Carina watched as the medical team carefully moved Maya onto a gurney and began wheeling her towards the cottage. Carina followed closely behind, her grip on Lucia tightening. She couldn't help but feel anxious as they entered the safe house.
Inside, the cottage was cozy, with a small living room, a kitchen, and two bedrooms. The walls were bare, reminding her that this was no one’s home. It was merely a stopping point on their way to normalcy, whenever that would be.
Carina walked into one of the bedrooms and gently laid Lucia down in the crib that had been set up for her. She watched as her daughter stirred slightly before settling back into a peaceful sleep.
Turning back to the living room, Carina saw the bed Maya was now lying on. The machines that had been promised were all being connected to her battered wife. She knew that she would physically recover from the gunshot, it was everything after that now worried her.
Carina continued to look around, taking notice of the video footage on a computer in the corner. It was camera feeds from outside of the cottage.
“There will always be someone stationed outside and also monitoring the footage,” Sanders said as he approached the feeds. “You’ll have your privacy inside of the house, but the wall phones are functional if you need anything.”
They had ditched their cellphones before leaving the hospital, not wanting to give Sanchez and the Syndicate any opportunity to stalk them.
Carina walked over to the wall phone and picked it up, testing it to make sure it was working. She noticed a list of numbers taped beside the wall, clearly for them to use if need be.
"Thank you, Agent Sanders," she said.
Before leaving he further explained how they would obviously be unable to contact any of their friends and family. Sanders would personally vet anyone who was going to be in charge of watching over the house as well as the doctors in charge of Maya’s care. He would also be leading the investigation into a possible leak.
“What about Dr. Lewis or Dr. Dylan?” Carina questioned. She knew her wife was going to continue needing her therapists after all of this.
"Dr. Lewis and Dr. Dylan are aware of the situation and have been briefed on the need for discretion. They have both agreed to continue providing therapy for Maya remotely, through secure video calls."
Carina watched as he left the room a short time later, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settle over her as she looked around the safe house. It was a stark reminder of the danger they were in and the uncertain future that lay ahead.
She walked over to Maya's bedside, taking a seat next to her. Maya still looked so fragile, her face peaceful in her unconscious state. Carina felt all of the responsibility fall on her shoulders.
Her wife was strong, but even she could only handle so much. She had worked so hard to bring herself back from the brink of despair but now Carina feared the worst. The look on her face in the hospital paired with Carina’s inability to calm her was proof that when Maya woke up things would be a whole lot worse.