When dawn finally broke, Ethan dragged himself from the depths of sleep. Where it would have normally been a slow easy waking, he gasped, startled, and off balance.
“Shhhhhh, we’re here, my darling,” she whispered, standing from the chair beside his bed.
Callen also stood. “We’re right here, Ethan.”
He stared around the darkened room. “God! Lights please!” he blurted, causing Callen to rush to give him what he requested.
Ethan sat in the bed shaking, until he could see more clearly.
Immediately, Elizabeth was at his side and gently stroking his battered face. “I’m right here, handsome,” she cooed soothingly.
Callen placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder in support.
“Shit,” he whispered, unable to speak more. “I can’t handle the dark,” he admitted softly.
How could they blame him? He’d been buried alive.
Despite fighting it, his eyes filled with tears and they began to fall. He simply couldn’t hold up anymore, and was breaking under the memory of it all.
Elizabeth climbed into the bed beside him and curled protectively around his frame. Immediately, he clung to her as his entire body quaked in fear and distress as the memories returned.
Callen wanted to offer the man he loved comfort too. Mimicking Elizabeth’s actions, he too slid into the remaining space, protectively placing his body alongside his brother’s. “We’ve got you Ethan,” he said, holding his brother against him as Elizabeth soothingly left kisses all over his abused face.
“We’re never going to leave you,” she murmured lovingly into his ear.
He clung to them both and allowed the two people who he loved to comfort him. In that moment, Ethan could find some peace after a full day of complete and total hell.
“I love you, Ethan,” Callen stated, meaning it with every single fiber of his body. For now, he would continue to be the strong one while his brother recovered.
“I love you, Cowboy,” she said, wiping his tears with her thumbs.
“Please don’t leave,” he whispered as the fear and pain were present in his voice. “I can’t breathe,” he whispered, as the panic overtook him and threatened to crush him under its weight.
Callen and Elizabeth stared into each other’s eyes, knowing it was going to be a long road back for their partner. They also knew they’d do anything to protect him, including covering for him at work.
The mission to save Ethan Blackhawk was far from over.
“We’re here for the long haul, bro,” Callen said, dropping a kiss on the top of Ethan’s head. “I promise that I’ve got you from here on out. You can lean on me.”
She stared into Ethan’s pain filled eyes. “Blackhawks stick together until the very end. You’re not alone, love bug. We’re going to go home and you’re taking a couple weeks off. In fact, so am I.”
Callen squeezed his brother’s hand. “I’ll head in and take care of the office. For now, you just need to heal and not worry.”
Ethan nodded. That was exactly what he needed to hear. Because deep in his heart, he knew it was truth.
He wasn’t sure when he’d be strong again. This had been far too close of a call for him. For now, he had his family back and he earned his second chance in life.
That was all he could focus on.
Ethan couldn’t hold up the world. In fact, he didn't think that he could carry himself right now.
Thank God, he was in capable hands.
Later, when he was back on his feet, he would revel in the only thing that mattered.
Ethan Blackhawk had faced down hell and the devil.
And he lived to tell about it.
~Epilogue ~
One week later
A week had passed, since they’d nearly lost Ethan. To say it was difficult would be an understatement. They had opted to take the time from work as they tried to rebuild what had almost been destroyed.
Gabe had flown in to take over for Ethan, while Elizabeth and Callen were taking a couple of weeks off. Originally, they had planned to have Callen run FBI West in Ethan’s absence, but that ended up not being possible.
He needed them both at home by his side.
Nights were the worst for him. Ethan would wake up from horrible dreams where he was buried alive. His screams would pull them both from sleep, and they would find him covered in sweat and emotionally falling apart.
Both Elizabeth and Callen would promptly move to give him comfort by surrounding his body with theirs. They would sooth and offer him peace, until he drifted back to sleep.
Their goal was to heal him and nothing else mattered.
Everything had changed in their partnership.
Roles were reversed.
Elizabeth even softened considerably and found herself doting on her husband whenever he needed her. The brashness was buried deep, as the mothering instinct took over. Rarely was she not at his side and watching over him.
Callen had stepped in and was holding them up. He’d taken on his brother’s role of paying the bills, managing the house and offering his strength to keep them all focused. It was the least that he could do for the man who once gave him so much.
Without Callen, Elizabeth would be lost. The man was taking his place as the backbone of their union. When she would find herself in a bathroom weeping, Callen would help put her back together. If she couldn’t face one more moment of the pain, he reassured her and would find a way to offer her peace. To say he was carrying all of them would be an understatement.
Callen had become the rock that they had come to depend on every day.
Since they were all battered, there had been no sex. For now, it was on the back burner. They were well aware that Ethan was too emotionally wounded to even consider engaging in it. Together, they decided to wait until he came to them and wanted to participate. For now, the ball was in his court. Where Elizabeth firmly believed that sex healed just about everything, they’d been unable to test that theory.
Ethan’s heart was all that mattered at this point.
That morning, when they had left the house to go grocery shopping, Ethan was adamant that Callen stick by her side. Elizabeth would have rather left him the company, but she wasn’t willing to argue with him over it. If this was what he wanted, so be it.
Wyler was busy at the studio that day, and Ethan would be left alone with the three children. At first, that worried them but as they saw his smile slowly returning when he was with the children, they relaxed. Whenever he was with the littlest members of their family, he found some deep well of peace.
So, off they went, believing that he knew what was best for his own emotional wellbeing. Once out, they began discussing the hair issue that had been plaguing the three of them. It was the big pink elephant in the room.
Whitefox had noticed his brother’s pain while Elizabeth braided his hair that morning. The look in his eyes said it all. He was mourning the loss of his wife’s touch through what had once been something she loved so very much.
The butchering of his raven black hair was just one more deeply inflicted wound. So, like any good family, they stepped up and decided to take one for the team.
Yes, Callen was scared shitless, but for his brother he would do anything. He went first, and had all of his hair cut off until he had a very similar haircut to his big brother.
It was going to take time to adjust, since he’d not cut his hair this short in…ever.
While he watched Elizabeth sitting beside him, his stomach was churning. Both Ethan and Callen loved her hair. In fact, Callen desperately tried to talk her out of cutting it.
He really wanted to take this one for the team alone. Deep down, he feared how Ethan would take the shock. Would it be too much for his already battered mind to take?
Of course, Elizabeth wouldn’t have it. Once she was aware that it was hurting one of the men who she loved, it had to go. This was about standing together and being strong.
They were the m
usketeers.
Besides, it was hair. It would grow back.
When the stylist had finished with her, Callen didn't know what to say. It was as if she were a completely different person. He had to admit that his body reacted to it almost immediately. There was no doubt in his mind that when he finally got her out to the car, he planned on kissing her like a starving man. Yes, her hair was completely gone, but what was left was intoxicating.
Elizabeth looked like some sexy forest fairy. The flirty pixie cut was sensual and bad ass all at the same time.
The drive home had been a long one, especially after he stole that first kiss. It had been very hard to stop mauling her, and it took every ounce of his sheer willpower. Now at each stop light, he found himself staring at Elizabeth. He hadn’t expected this reaction from her haircut. Now, his biggest dilemma was going to be keeping his hands to himself.
God, he really wanted her. This abstinence thing might just be the death of him yet.
There was a little part of him that still loved her hair long, but now he was pretty sure that he found his new favorite side of Elizabeth. He hoped this version stayed for a very long time.
Once in the garage, they headed in carrying the groceries. They could hear Ethan in the living room talking and playing with the kids.
“We’re home,” she called, trying not to giggle at their surprise. Man, she hoped he liked her hair and didn't have a big ol’ freak out.
“That took you a long time,” stated Ethan, getting up from the floor. “I was starting to worry about you both.”
“We had another stop to make,” Callen added, standing out of sight. He too was smiling.
“I’ll help put the groceries away,” Ethan said as he walked into the kitchen. “I missed you …” he began, and then stopped dead. “What happened?” he asked incredulously, staring from his brother to his wife.
She turned in a circle. “Do you like it?”
There weren’t words.
Ethan was so caught off guard that his mind had gone completely blank.
Callen grinned wickedly. “We decided that since you have to start over and regrow your hair out, we’d join you on the journey.”
Again, he had no words.
Ethan was well aware that one of his issues was his hair. Even though for many years, he wore it pulled back to deny his heritage, it was still a part of his identity.
Now that part of him was brutally chopped away, Ethan was feeling the loss. There were two things that Elizabeth had been attracted to, and they were his hair and raven tattoo. Now, the tattoo was scarred up and his hair had been scalped off. Ethan had to wonder if she’d still look at him the same way.
He desperately wanted to ask if she was still attracted to him and wanted him.
It was breaking his heart.
Automatically, his hand went to his own hair and his fingers ran through it. It was the same old average haircut any man on the street might have. In fact, it was very straight lace FBI. For days, he tried to hide his hurt, and he didn't realize that the two people he loved knew that it was damaging him.
“Well?” she asked, moving towards him. “Can you live with it? Or do I need to go get me a big ol’ Cher wig?”
He ran his fingers over the incredibly short hair and found it moved him on a few different levels. First, it touched his heart and next, it stirred his body.
If possible, his wife looked sexier and more exotic. The wispy pixie cut made her eyes stand out even more. It dawned on him that he suddenly felt the need to kiss her like he had before all this happened.
“I think I love it more than before,” he answered honestly, as she moved even closer. Life began unfurling once more in his cold, dead soul. Something so simple as this was pushing the darkness back marginally.
“Really, Mr. Blackhawk?”
He stared into her ice blue eyes and let her see the emotion building in his own midnight ones. “Yes, Lyzee my love.”
Elizabeth’s heart skipped. For days, he hadn’t used her nickname. It appeared that the old Ethan was fighting his way back to the land of the living.
Callen grinned, knowing what his brother was thinking. “You should kiss her. It’s like you’re getting a new woman out of the deal. Try it. I bet you’ll like it,” he urged as he tried to reconstruct his family.
Ethan wanted this part of him back so badly. He missed the physical contact with the people who he loved. “I just may,” he whispered, bringing his lips to hers, ever so gently. When her hands ran up his shoulders and slid across his newly shorn hair, his body raged to life.
Nothing had changed.
He was still the same man, just newly defined.
Ethan Jackson Blackhawk had lived through hell and found his way back to his vixen wife. His mouth plunged into hers as his hands wandered.
His brother was both wrong and right. Yes, it was like a new fantasy, but it was still the same foundation that made him crazy.
Here was his soul mate, and she was filling him back up with the life that had drained away.
When the kitchen door opened and Wyler stepped in, he began to laugh.
“I see we’ve decided to all cut our hair, I think I missed that memo,” he teased. He was glad that his son was fighting back to the life he’d once had. This had to be the first time in days that he’d seen him kiss Elizabeth like he really meant it.
He sent out a silent prayer to his father to thank him.
“It was a spur of the moment thing,” Callen added as Ethan reluctantly released the kiss.
“It’s good to see my son has returned,” Wyler stated. “I wondered when you would start mauling Elizabeth again.”
Yeah, Ethan knew there was a long road back, but if he could just recapture this little part, it would begin the healing process.
“I have something for you,” Wyler said, handing him a box. “I saw it in my dreams and thought you needed it.”
Ethan released his wife, only to take the box and place it on the counter. It wasn’t lost on him that her hand slid down his back to pat him lovingly on his ass. Focusing back on the box, he opened the lid and pulled out the carved sculpture.
Elizabeth gasped in pure delight. It was gorgeous and by far, Wyler’s greatest creation.
All three lovingly ran their fingers over it.
“It’s the upper part of a raven and he’s been remade into the phoenix. He’s rising from the fires of hell.”
It touched Ethan and was very poignant. It wasn’t just him, but the Blackhawk family. They had been battle tested and survived.
“I love it Dad,” he said with his voice full of emotion.
Wyler grinned and patted his son on the back. “Now I guess that I need to go back out and get a haircut.” He too was taking one for the team.
Elizabeth winked at her father-in-law.
Ethan had something else in mind for the moment. “I may need you to watch the kids for a little while, Dad. I seem to have some mauling to do. It may take a while, since I’m out of practice.”
Now, they were all laughing.
“Yee haw! The Cowboy is back!” stated Elizabeth, as he swept her up into his arms and headed towards the stairs.
“You coming, Cal?” he called over his shoulder, knowing that he wanted his brother to be there with him. They both had earned this time with their woman.
Callen had no intention of giving that up. He’d have to be absolutely crazy to say no to what was being offered. Sexy new Elizabeth in bed was an early Christmas present. “You better believe it. Want to play rock, paper, scissors to see who gets her first?”
She snorted. Some things would never change.
“You’re on,” Ethan answered.
Elizabeth had another little ‘welcome back’ present for Ethan. As he carried her to the stairs, she whispered in his ear. “Want to see if you can knock up the woman in your arms, Cowboy? I seem to be ready to start thinking about adding another Blackhawk to the tribe.”
His heart skipped
at what she was offering him. “Really? We can try?”
She stared deep into his eyes. “It’s time, Ethan.”
What could he say to that? More peace filled him. “Hell yeah, you bet I do!”
Callen hid his snicker behind a cough.
“Think you’re up for it, Ethan?”
Since she was pressed against him, he was sure Elizabeth already knew the answer to that. “Oh, yes I am, ma’am.”
Together the threesome ran up the stairs laughing. Ethan carried the woman he loved in his arms, and Callen followed with the new sculpture for their bedroom.
This didn't break them. It only made them dig their roots in deeper and build something even stronger.
They were unbreakable.
When it came down to it, they were unstoppable and more determined than ever to make it work.
When it came to love, only one thing would ever matter. Ethan, Elizabeth and Callen were a team, and not even hell could stop them.
Like the phoenix, there were some things that you just couldn’t keep down.
Across town at the Haunted Mausoleum
Early Evening
Cyra found the note as soon as she arrived home from work. It was sitting on their bed with a single red rose. Picking it up, she breathed in the sweet fragrance as she read his words.
Meet me in the garden.
~Christopher
Cyra quickly changed and raced from the house to meet him outside. It didn't take her long to follow the path through the tall labyrinth of hedges. As she got closer, there was soft violin music playing.
She smiled and couldn’t wait to reach him. It appeared that they were going to have a romantic evening under the stars. Pulling her sweater tighter around her body, she didn't let the chill bother her, since she knew that soon enough she would be heated up.
Rounding the corner, she slid to a stop.
Cyra couldn’t believe her eyes as she looked around.
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