Sick Leave

Sick Leave

Gregory was just climbing off the plane after a very long mission overseas when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, Gregory glanced down at the screen and frowned when he saw who it was. 

“Miss Austin, what’s wrong?” he asked, holding his phone against his ear as he slung his duffle bag over his shoulder, a cold feeling entering his stomach as he glanced around for his car.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Winfield,” Simon's babysitter said, sighing on the other end of the phone. “I know I’m not supposed to call you unless it’s an emergency, but I can’t make heads or tails of what your son is saying today.”

He stopped walking and stood there for a moment. “What do you mean?” he asked. “Is there something wrong with him?”

“He’s spouting what I’m guessing is German or something like that,” she said. “Are you coming back home soon? because I don’t know what he needs. Every time I say something to him, he starts saying something to me, but I have no idea what he’s saying. I think, I think he might be sick.”

Sick? Simon was never sick! “Okay,” Gregory said, jogging toward his car and opening the car door, tossing his bag into the back of the car before climbing inside. “I’m at the airport now; I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thank you for letting me know what’s going on.”

He hung up and tossed his phone onto the passenger seat as he pulled his key out of where the agent had left them for him and started the engine up. Twenty-four minutes later, he pulled up in front of their house.

Quickly hopping out of the car, he left his bag as he hurried inside. There was a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach as he thought about the fact that something might be wrong with his son.

“Hey, Miss Austin,” he said, glancing around the second he saw her pacing the hallway. “Where’s Simon?”

“In the living room,” she said, motioning down the hallway as if he didn’t know where his own living room was.

Gregory nodded as he reached into his jacket. “I’ll go take care of him now,” he said, handing the woman her check. “Thank you so much for watching him for me.”

“No problem,” she said, taking the check and tucking it into her pocket as she turned toward the door. “Let me know if you need me to watch Simon again.”

“Thank you,” Gregory said, opening and closing the door behind her. He knew he probably would have to call her; it took months for him to screen someone enough to trust them with Simon.

Shaking away that thought, he headed toward the living room, but Gregory stopped when he realized that Simon was curled up on the couch, his arm wrapped tightly around his teddy bear with his head pressed into the corner of the couch.

“Simon, are you okay?” he asked, stepping forward. 

Simon rolled over and onto his back. “Daddy, я krank,” (Daddy, I’m sick) he mumbled, holding up his arms toward Gregory as he looked at him with his dark, tired-looking eyes. 

Gregory could see now why Miss Austin was having a hard time understanding him. It would seem not feeling good made Simon mix up what language he was speaking.

“Oh?” Gregory said, his chest tightening as he swept him up into his arms, kissing him on the cheek, and it was then that he realized that Simon was warm, warmer than he should be. “I’m sorry to hear that, Kiddo,” he said, grimacing as he tightened his arms around his little boy. “But I’m home now, and I’m going to take care of you.”

Glancing around, Gregory grabbed up Simon’s teddy bear, before heading out of the living room and up the stairs to Simon’s bedroom.

“Где (Where) are we going?” Simon mumbled, once they reached the top of the stairs.

“To bed,” Gregory whispered into Simon’s hair.

“But Я не (I don’t) will (want) to go to bed,” Simon mumbled, burying his warm face against Gregory’s neck.

Gregory chuckled as he kicked the bedroom door open and stepped inside, heading straight toward the twin bed. He placed Simon on his hip as he pulled back his covers with his  freed up hand. 

“Sleeping always helps when you’re sick, Kiddo,” he said, placing him onto the bed as he brushed a strain of his wavy hair back and pulled the covers over him.

“Don’t go,” Simon whispered, grabbing the edge of Gregory’s sleeve as his eyes flickered closed for a second.

“Oh, dear,” Gregory said, lying down beside Simon as he tucked him up against him. “You really don’t feel good, do you?”

Simon shook his head as he buried his face in Gregory’s side and gripped the front of his shirt. “Нет,” (No) he said. “And I missed du (you).”

Gregory smiled to himself. “I missed you too. Just go to sleep, Kiddo,” he said, kissing the top of his head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Ich знать,” (I know) Simon mumbled, yawning as he scooted closer to Gregory. Gregory wrapped his arm around him and held him close as they both drifted off to sleep. It was some time later that he was jolted awake by a vibrating against his leg.

Simon moaned slightly as he shifted beside him. “Stupid phone,” Gregory growled, fumbling to answer it as he slowly pulled himself away from Simon and quickly stepped out of the bedroom.

“Hello?” he said, quietly closing the bedroom door behind him.

“Agent G-Force? This is Command, confirmation code: 085JN407IJFY6.”

Dread settled in the pit of Gregory’s stomach. “Look, I just got back from a mission,” he said. “I mean, I just got back today.” 

“I’m aware of that,” the person on the other end said. “But a top priority mission has come up, needing your team on it immediately.”

“But I…” Gregory started.

“This was not a request, Agent G-Force,” the person huffed. “You will either proceed with this mission or be charged with treason.” 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Gregory snapped. “I’ve got a sick kid, and you’re telling me I have no say in this?”

“I’m sorry to hear about your son, Agent G-Force, but there’s nothing I can do about it,” they said. “I’m only following orders. You will leave the airstrip at 0700 hours.”

“Yeah, fine, whatever,” he growled before hanging up and fighting the urge to throw his phone at the wall. He hated this! Simon was never sick, and the one time he was, and needed his dad there for him, Gregory had to leave him.

Sighing, Gregory bit his lip and leaned back against the bedroom door. The fact that Simon made things harder in many ways. He couldn’t leave Simon with Miss Austin; she spoke English of course, but definitely not German or Russian, not to mention any of the other languages Simon might start mixing in.

Shoving himself away from the door, he went to work finding someone who would be able to watch Simon and actually understand him this time. After several hours, he was able to track down an agent he’d worked with before that was also willing to watch Simon for him.

With that done, Gregory felt slightly better about leaving Simon. Though he’d much rather he was the one taking care of his son. Shaking away the thought, Gregory slipped back into his son’s bedroom and crept back beside him.

Once he laid down again, Gregory fell asleep. 0630 hours came quickly, and he was forced to get up. Fifteen minutes later he found himself standing in the entryway, welcoming Agent Elissa Cartwright into his house.

“Morning,” she said, pulling off her jacket. “So, where’s the monster I’ll be looking after?” she asked, smiling as she looked around her.

“He’s still sleeping,” Gregory said, waving her into the house. “I was putting off telling him I’m leaving again. I’ll go get him.” With that, he left Elissa in the living room and headed upstairs to Simon’s bedroom again.

Gregory tried to be quiet as he entered, but Simon shifted and opened his eyes before he even reached his bed. “Daddy?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, and his teddy bear rolled off the bed onto the ground.

“Hey, Kiddo,” Gregory said softly as he knelt down beside the bed, picking up the bear and handing it back to his son. “I wish I didn’t have to go, but… I have to leave for a bit. Okay? I promise, I’ll be back soon.”

Simon frowned, his bottom lip sticking out a bit. “Почему?” (Why?) 

Gregory winced and ducked his head. How to explain this to a sick four-year-old? “You know you’re the most important thing to me, right?” he asked, looking back up at his son. “But I have a job I have to do, and you know how… vital my job is.”

“Will people повредить, wenn du nicht go?” (Will people be hurt if you don’t go?) Simon asked, sniffing as he yawned and wrapped his arms around his bear.

He hesitated a second before nodding. “Yeah, Kiddo. They will.”

Simon sighed. “Then you have to go.”

Gregory’s chest tightened, and he smiled at his son before pulling him closer. “You’re too grown up for your age, Kiddo,” he whispered, kissing him on the forehead. 

Giggling, Simon pulled his head away, and Gregory grinned down at him. What did he do to deserve this kid?

“Come on,” Gregory said, scooting him up off the bed and out of the cocoon of blankets. “I want you to know who’s going to be babysitting you while I’m gone.”

“Was ist mit Miss Austin?” Simon asked, wrapping his arms around Gregory’s neck as he headed toward the door.

Gregory chuckled as he stepped out of Simon’s room. “Kiddo, the fact that you just switched to German just now is why she can’t watch you this time,” he said. “But I was able to find someone I trust who speaks multiple languages to watch you while I’m gone.”

“Fine,” Simon grumbled, leaning his head against Gregory’s shoulder as they headed down the stairs toward where Elissa was waiting for them. Once they reached the bottom, Gregory sat Simon back on his feet.

“You must be Simon,” she said, smiling as she knelt down in front of him. “Ich bin Elissa.”

Simon narrowed his eyes as he crossed his arms. “Вы говорите по-немецки, но как насчет россиян?” 

Elissa raised an eyebrow as she glanced up at Gregory before turning her attention back to Simon. “Я также говорю по-русски,” she said. “Is there any other language you’d like me to speak for you? I’m fluent in Mandarin and Spanish. I can pass in several other languages as well.”

“Does she pass your little test, Kiddo?” Gregory asked, bending down and resting his chin on top of his son’s head, and Simon nodded. “Congratulations, you’ve been approved,” he said, smiling at Elissa as he stood up. “Very few have been.”

She laughed as she straightened again. “He’s an intense little guy.”

“He can слышать you,” Simon huffed, tilting his head back and frowning at both of them. “I’m sick, not deaf.”

Gregory chuckled, ruffling up Simon’s hair before he turned his attention back to the woman standing in front of him. “Elissa, thank you so much for watching him,” he said. “It means a lot to me.”

She gave him a small smile. “It’s fine, G-Force. I’m happy to help,” she said, offering her hand, and he shook it.

“Well, you would not believe how rare it is to find someone who speaks English, German, and Russian,” Gregory said, smiling down at his son as Simon leaned back, resting his head against Gregory’s leg.

Simon stood there for a second and closed his eyes, causing another stab of guilt to hit Gregory. Why couldn’t he stay home the one time he got sick?

Elissa looked at the two of them and raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure my security clearance helps things too,” she said, smiling as she ran her hand through Simon’s hair. “Besides, having him get the languages mixed up I find it kind of cute.”

“I’m не süß,” (I’m not cute) Simon said, scrunching up his face as he frowned up at her, and Gregory chuckled again.

“Okay, Kiddo,” Gregory said, then he knelt down. “I’ve got to get going. Now, promise me you won’t cause Miss Elissa any trouble, alright?”

“G-Force, he’s a sick four-year-old; how much trouble can he be?” Elissa asked, but he decided not to respond to that.

“Simon?” Gregory said, raising an eyebrow.

His son sighed. “Fine,” he mumbled, then he wrapped his arms around Gregory’s neck. “Come home quickly.”

“Love you, Kiddo,” he whispered, kissing him on the top of the head before he pulled away and stood up, turning toward Elissa.“I want you to call H.Q. if he starts to get worse, okay? I want to know immediately if he does.”

“He’s going to be fine,” Elissa assured him as she reached out and picked Simon up before he could stop her. “Go on, the sooner you go, the sooner you’ll be back.”

“Right,” Gregory said, rubbing the back of his neck as he stepped toward the door. “I’ll be back soon, Kiddo.” Without looking back, he headed out the door and down the driveway where his car was parked from the day before.

The next three days were the longest three days of his life. As soon as their plane landed in D.C., Gregory hurried into the base to grab his things and hop into the car, waiting to take him home.

He skimmed past the other soldiers inside as he quickly found his locker and grabbed his duffle bag. He unplugged his phone from where it was charging and glanced down at the screen. He froze when he saw that there was a voicemail from Elissa.

Surely she would have called H.Q. if it was something serious. Right? Gregory felt his blood run cold as he quickly moved to play it. His heart was pounding by the time he held it against his ear and it started to play.

“Alright, I know you won’t get these messages until you’re done with your mission, but… I had to take Simon to the hospital,” Elissa said, but what she said next made his heart stop. “G-Force, Simon doesn’t have a cold or something like that. I… I should have recognized the symptoms sooner. Someone’s been poisoning him.”

The second she said ‘poisoning’, Gregory felt his phone slip from his hand. Quickly, he grabbed for it, catching it just before it would have hit the ground and broken. The next second, he bolted out of the building and toward the parking lot where his car was waiting for him.

He fumbled with his phone and dialed Elissa’s number as he grabbed the keys and started the car up before flooring it and zooming out of the military base probably faster than he should have.

But at the moment, he didn’t care.

“Elissa, what’s going on?” he asked the second she answered. “What do you mean that someone’s been poisoning him?! Where are you?”

“We’re currently at the ER nearest to your house,” Elissa said, sounding much calmer than Gregory felt at the moment, which was ironic considering his job. He could go into a terrorist cell and eliminate a target without his heart rate rising even a beat. But this had his heart doing a marathon in his chest.

Gregory quickly mapped out the quickest way to where they were. “Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes. What… What about this poison you were talking about? What was it, and how… How did someone give it to him?” 

“It was hemlock, and G…, the doctor said he was lucky to still be alive,” she said. “As for how he was given it? I don’t know, but I promise that we’ll figure it out as soon as you get here.”

Gregory tightened his grip on the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. What kind of father didn’t know their kid was being poisoned?! But thank God he was still alive. Gregory wanted to throw up at the thought of losing him.

“Yeah, okay, sounds… sounds like a plan,” Gregory said, swallowing as he forced out an even breath. “Are you with Simon now? How is he doing? Is he going to have to be transferred to the hospital?”

“Yeah, I imagine he’ll have to stay overnight so they can monitor him,” Elissa said. “And no, I’m not with him right now. They took him to a room and are checking him over. I’m standing outside right now… huh.”

“What? What’s wrong?” Gregory asked.

“I’m not sure,” Elissa said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “But I just saw someone going into what I think was Simon’s room. Just… hang on a second while I check it out.” There was a pause, then Elissa said. “What do you think you’re doing?! Who are you?!” 

There was a scuffling sound on the other end, then there was the sound of Elissa letting out a cry of pain.

“Elissa?” Gregory said. “Elissa?! Are you still there?!” There was no response, and dread settled in Gregory’s stomach when there was breath on the other end before someone hung the phone up.

“Oh, please, God, protect them,” Gregory prayed, tossing his phone onto the passenger seat as he pushed the gas. Only a few minutes passed before he reached the ER, but it felt like a lifetime for him.

As soon as he stopped the car, Gregory didn’t even bother to shut it off before he jumped out and bolted inside. He went straight toward the front desk and slammed his palm against the counter, causing the nurse behind it to jump and turn toward him.

“Sorry, uh… my name’s Gregory Winfield and… and I think my son’s here?” he said, biting his lip. “He was brought in here because of… of being poisoned.” Gregory grimaced and fought back the nausea that entered his stomach. “I think something else might have happened to him.”

Her face paled as she read something on the screen. “Oh, I see. Come with me,” she said, standing and hurrying about the counter, then down the hall. “He was taken down here to see Dr. Paulo.”

Gregory didn’t really care what the doctor’s name was, so instead of responding, he wordlessly followed after her. They didn’t have to go far before the nurse stopped in front of one of the doorways and let out a gasp.

He didn’t even wait for her to say anything before he pushed past her and entered the room, quickly taking everything in. The hospital room had been trashed, the bed was empty, and Elissa and the doctor lay on the ground. But there was no sign of Simon.

“Oh, gosh,” Gregory whispered, quickly dropping down beside Elissa and checking her pulse. She was still alive, but it was obvious that she had been knocked out. 

His gaze flickered over to the empty bed, and he fought back throwing up. No doubt whoever had tried to kill Simon had decided to go after him a different way.

“Nurse, did you check the doctor’s pulse?” Gregory asked, standing up and looking around him for any clue about the kidnapers. He didn’t listen for a response as he headed out of the room and looked around him, quickly spotting an old camera in the corner in the hallway.

It probably wouldn’t be much, but it might be something.

Looking around him for the security room, Gregory fished out his phone and hit Evan’s number. It rang twice before it was answered.

“Gregory? What’s going on?”

“Evan, Simon’s been kidnapped from the ER nearest to our house,” he said, hitting the speakerphone as he found a corner and started typing. “I’ll text you the address. Hurry, whoever’s behind this has already tried to kill him using hemlock. They have no reason to keep him alive.”

“Got it!” Evan said. “I’m on my way. And Gregory? We’ll find him; this is what we do.”

Gregory let out a breath. “I know,” he said. “But thanks. See you soon.” With that, he hung up and hurried to find the security room and whatever might be on the cameras. He knew there was a chance there was nothing, but he had to give it a try. 

He turned around and headed toward the front of the building. 

It only took him a second to spot a door behind the main desk, and he took a step toward it. But just as he did, the door opened and a man stepped out. The security guard that no doubt worked for the hospital and hadn’t done a very good job of protecting his son moved to block his way.

Gregory gritted his teeth. “I need to see your video feed,” he said. “My son was taken from one of your hospital rooms, and I need to find him. Here…” He pulled out his wallet and flashed him his ID. “If you need to, you can check with the records.”

“There’s no need, sir,” the guard said. “I’ve already been informed of the situation. Unfortunately, I can’t show you the videos. This is a matter for the police.”

Gregory fought the urge to punch the guard right then and there.

“I work for the US government,” Gregory growled, taking a step toward the guard. “And I’m a part of a team that specializes in getting kidnapped men and women back from hostile environments. I’m not going to wait around for a couple local police officers to find my son because some… cop wannabe tells me to.” 

“Now, you listen here…” the guard started to say as he advanced toward Gregory. And the second he was in reach, Gregory acted.

He grabbed the man’s arm, twisted around and threw him over his shoulder and onto the ground. “Sorry,” Gregory said, only half heartedly, as he turned and stepped into the security room. 

Gregory closed and blocked the door before hurrying over toward the desk in front of the computer screens. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he brought up the angles he wanted. Unfortunately, the videos were pixelated, and it was almost impossible to see anything.

Almost, but not quite.

The video was just clear enough for him to roughly make out the shape of his son’s kidnapper’s face. Gregory’s chest clenched as he watched the man walk out of the hospital, carrying his unconscious son. 

But even though he couldn’t make out the details, there was something familiar about him. Gregory watched numbly as the man placed Simon in the passenger side of his truck, and that’s when it clicked.

“Got it!” he said out loud as he snapped his fingers and jumped to his feet, pivoting around and bolting back toward the door. He unblocked it and stepped out, ignoring the guard as soon as he spotted Evan heading down the hallway toward him.

“Evan!” Gregory said, catching his friend/coworker’s arm and yanking him around the other way as he headed toward the front door. “I know who took Simon,” he said, pulling Evan back out of the hospital. “It was that trucker dude we caught helping smuggle terrorists into the country.”

“You mean Emerson? But I thought he was supposed to be in prison.” Evan said as he hurried over to his car and unlocked it.

“Well, he obviously isn’t,” Gregory snapped, yanking the passenger door open as he pulled out his phone. “I’m calling for backup, and for that man’s address.” Without waiting for a response, Gregory dialed the number and held the phone to his ear.

After five minutes of talking to the right people, Gregory had the address where Emerson lived, and a SWAT team was already on their way there. He’d rather have had his own team do it, but the rest of them were already gone.

“Gregory, I’m not sure you should be a part of this,” Evan said, pulling down the street where the address was. “You’re emotionally compromised.”

Gregory shot a glare at him as he bucked up.“And who exactly is going to stop me?” he asked, crossing his arms as he turned to look straight ahead. “Come on, Evan. I know that if this was Killian, you wouldn’t step back and let someone else handle it.”

Evan sighed. “I just had to say it.”

“Good, because I’m going to go get my kid back.” With that, they both fell into silence for the rest of the ride to the house, which Gregory spent praying to God to protect his son. He’d already lost his wife; he couldn’t lose his son too.

Once at the house, they coordinated with the SWAT team that had luckily beaten them there. With surprising efficiency, they were ready to enter the house five minutes later. 

“What if Emerson didn’t bring the kid here?” one of the SWAT members asked as they all waited for the signal to enter.  

Gregory gritted his teeth and glared at him. “He did,” he said. “He wants to draw me out, otherwise he wouldn’t have gone after my kid.”

“And even if he’s not here, we have to check,” Evan said, then he gave Gregory’s arm a tap. “No matter what, we’ll find them.”

“I know,” Gregory said, giving him a sharp nod as he fingered his gun. “I just hope it’s now, rather than later.”

They both fell silent as the signal came, and they headed toward the door. One by one, they swept the rooms as they made their way down the hallway, searching through the house. One team stayed downstairs; the other headed up.

Gregory was forced to stay toward the back of the team as they made their way up the stairs. They had barely reached the landing before there came a loud ‘bang’ from one of the bedrooms, followed by a yell.

“Daddy!”

“Simon!” Gregory said, shoving his way forward and past the SWAT team that tried and failed to stop him from grabbing the door and stepping into the room the yell had come from. He had his gun out as he smashed the door open. 

“Ah! I don’t think so, Daddy-O,” Emerson said, pressing the gun to Simon’s forehead where he stood only a few feet away from the door. “Stay where you are and put your gun on the floor. Scoot it over here, or your boy here’s the one who will pay the price.”

Gregory hesitated only a second as he complied. “This has nothing to do with him, Emerson,” he said, setting the gun on the ground and kicking it lightly over toward the man. “Just let him go.”

Emerson chuckled. “You don’t actually think I’m going to do that, do you? You can’t be that stupid.”

“Okay, okay,” Gregory said, holding up his hands as he forced his breathing to stay steady. “What do you want? You obviously have something that you want, or you wouldn’t have taken my kid.”

“Well, at first, I just wanted to kill him,” Emerson said, grinning as he ran the barrel of his gun through Simon’s hair. Simon whimpered and tried to pull away. “Now? I’m not so sure what I want to do.”

Gregory’s heart was thudding, but he forced himself to keep calm for Simon’s sake, his mind mapping out the best course of action. Finally, he knew there was really only one option, and he locked gazes with Simon.

“You’re going to be okay,” he said, softly. “This is just… another Thursday afternoon.” Man, he hoped Emerson didn’t realize that it was Tuesday. “Okay?”

Simon studied him for a second, his eyes far too intelligent to belong to a four-year-old, then he slowly nodded. “Yeah, okay,” he said, and Gregory could see him swallow.

Not taking his gaze off of his father, Simon took in a deep breath. The next second, he slammed his legs back hard into Emerson. 

Emerson cursed, and the second he loosened his grip, Simon wormed his way free from his arms. He hit the ground and bolted forward toward Gregory.

Relief flooded Gregory as he lunged forward and swept him up into his arms. He pressed him tightly against his chest, then twisted around and covered Simon with his own body as the rest of the SWAT team leapt into action. 

They converged on the room and aimed their guns toward Emerson, but not before the man got off a shot. The sound reverberated around the room as the bullet slammed against Gregory’s back.

Gregory had enough presence of mind not to fall on Simon as he lurched forward. Feeling a lot like someone had just hit him with a baseball bat, Gregory fought to get in a breath of air as he crumpled to the ground.

“Don’t move!” he vaguely heard Evan order Emerson, but at the moment, Gregory was trying not to pass out from the pain.

“We’ve got you, sir,” one of the SWAT members said, grabbing Gregory’s arm, steadying him as he slowly helped him into a sitting position on his knees. “Do you need to lie down? Or what? What do you need us to do?”

Gregory forced out a breath, and he opened his eyes as he felt small arms wrap around him. He winced from the pain in his back. The bulletproof vest had saved his life, but it sure did hurt.

“Daddy?” Simon said, clinging to Gregory’s side.

“I don’t need anything,” Gregory said, gritting his teeth through the pain as he wrapped his arms around his son, holding him as he slowly rose to his feet. He had everything he needed right there, though he was probably going to want some pain killers later.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Simon whimpered, burying his face against Gregory’s neck. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t mean to get sick. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Gregory felt another stab of pain, but this time it wasn’t physical. “Shush… It’s okay. I’m okay, Kiddo,” he said, kissing him on the top of the head as he pulled him against his chest again, wincing as his back protested the movement. 

At the moment, Gregory wasn’t sure he’d ever let go of his son again.

“Are you okay?” Gregory asked, pulling back just a bit so that he could see his son’s face. “Did he hurt you?”

Simon shook his head. “No.”

Gregory squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. “I’m so sorry. I… I never should have left,” he whispered, kissing Simon on the head again. “I… I should have known what was really happening. I should have realized that… that you weren’t just sick before going. I’m so, so sorry, Kiddo.”

“Daddy, this isn’t your fault,” Simon whispered, giving Gregory a squeeze with his little arms.

“I love you so much, Kiddo,” Gregory said, resting his forehead against the top of his son’s head as he breathed in the smell that was so much his son it hurt. 

Simon nuzzled himself closer to Gregory. “I love you too.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Gregory said, shifting his grip on Simon as he looked around him. “I’m ready to go home.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I’m driving,” Evan said, quirking a small smile as he came up beside them. “I assume you’re going to ride in the back?”

“Yeah, I think that’s a safe bet,” Gregory said, tightening his arms around his son as he stepped toward the exit to the room. “What happened to Emerson?”

Evan held up his hands. “He’s been taken care of,” he said, ushering him and Simon out of the house. “The SWAT team is taking him to the base, then to a secure location where he’ll be dealt with.”

Gregory let out a breath. “Good,” he said, stepping down the steps leading out of the house and toward Evan’s car. He opened the back door and climbed in, still holding Simon against his chest. 

As soon as they were seated, with the door closed and the seatbelt on, Simon curled up and rested his head against Gregory’s shoulder. “I missed you, Dad.”

“I missed you too,” Gregory said, sighing as he held him and rested back against the door as Evan climbed into the driver’s seat, started the car up, and headed toward Gregory and Simon’s home.

Once they reached the house, Gregory thanked Evan for everything and asked him to check in on Elissa for him. 

With that done, Gregory headed inside. He carried Simon up to his bedroom, laying Simon down beside him as he laid down and held him close, tossing a blanket over the both of them.

Simon curled up on top of Gregory’s chest, his breathing slowly lulling Gregory to sleep. 

It was late in the evening when Gregory woke up again, with the comforting weight of his son lying on him. But the buzzing against his leg told him the reason he’d woken up in the first place.

Mentally cursing the phone, Gregory pulled it out of his pocket and quickly answered it.

“Hello?” Gregory whispered, holding it against his ear as Simon let out a low moan and shifted around.

“Agent G-Force? This is Command, confirmation code: 537HR332GEJS7.” Almost instantly, Gregory felt his grip on the phone tighten.

“You must be out of your mind,” he growled, only keeping his voice low for Simon’s sake. “I’ve already gone on two consecutive missions in the past month. I’ve barely been home this last year. I’m not leaving again.”

The person on the other end of the call sighed. “Sir, keeping track of your calendar is not a part of my job,” they said. “If you do not comply, Agent, I will be forced to contact your superior.”

Gregory snorted. “You go ahead and do that.” Without waiting for a response, he snapped the phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket. He shifted around and curled his arm a little bit tighter around his son’s small frame.

Shifting around, Simon’s eyes flickered open, and he looked up at him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, letting out a small yawn. “Are you leaving again?”

Running his hand through Simon’s hair, Gregory shook his head. “Nah, Kiddo, you’re stuck with me.”

Simon smiled, before closing his eyes and laying his head against Gregory’s chest again. “I’m glad.”

“Me too,” Gregory said. “Me too.”

It was a whole twenty-four hours before Gregory received the visit he knew was coming. He’d spent most of that time throwing everything they ate or drank out and buying all new food that he thoroughly vetted before bringing back to their house. 

He’d done it after Evan contacted him and told him Emerson confessed to poisoning (to Gregory’s horror) Simon’s cereals, after taking Miss Austin out on several dates before talking her into letting him meet her ‘little friend’. Needless to say, she wouldn’t be watching Simon again.

When Gregory opened the door that evening, he’d already known who’d he find standing there. “Mitch,” he said, grimacing as he leaned against the doorframe. “You’re just in time for dinner.”

“Will I be staying that long?” his handler asked, raising an eyebrow as he stepped forward.

“I don’t know, will you?” Mitch sighed as they both stepped back into the house and Gregory closed the door behind them. “I don’t know why you bothered coming here; I’m not going on another mission.”

“I kind of figured,” Mitch said, stopping in the living room and turning back toward Gregory. “You’ve never refused a mission before.”

Gregory pushed out a breath. “I’m taking a job at the Stanbur PD,” he said, crossing his arms. “It’s a small town, only a couple of hours from here, and they’re looking for good officers. Considering my… abilities, I’m pretty sure I can get a job there.” 

Mitch grimaced and nodded. “Is there anything else I should know?”

“Evan told me about it, and it seems like he’s thinking about doing the same,” Gregory said. “I will remain a part of Delta Force to be called upon only if the mission is so vital that no one else can handle it. Do you understand me? I mean end-of-the-world type missions.”

His handler sighed, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you’re doing this. And why? Because one terrorist tried to get revenge? Come on! You’ve been through worse.”

“Yes, I have. But I almost lost my kid, and I don’t think you realize what he means to me,” Gregory said, taking a step toward him. “He means more than this stupid job, or anything else. There is nothing in this world that is more important to me than he is. Nothing.”