Chapter two

Elliott 

I woke to screaming in the middle of the night. I jump off my living room couch where I was sleeping and run up to my room where Jessie was thrashing from a nightmare. I climb in the bed and pull her in my arms. She starts beating on my chest, freaking out and I speak to her in a soothing voice as she wakes up.

She breaks into uncontrolled sobs and slumps against me, shaking from her nightmare. I rock her side to side and she holds onto my arms around her chest. Her sobs slowly subside and I lay us against the pillows with her head on my chest. Her breaths shook as she calmed down, holding onto me as I played with her hair.

It didn't take long for her to fall back to sleep. I continue playing with her hair, thinking back to how I did this every night for Miranda to go to sleep, especially when she was pregnant with Macy. Tears fill my eyes at the thought of her and look down at the beautiful woman asleep in my arms.

I could feel the brick wall around my heart begin to crumble as she was slowly worming her way in. I just met her yesterday and I was already falling for her. Macy was already attached to her from the moment she asked me to make her her Mommy. I've had people ask me out since Miranda died, but I turned them all down, focusing on Macy. 

I woke the next morning with Jessie still in my arms. Her even breaths told me she was still asleep and I smile down at her. Macy runs into my room, as she does every morning and climbs up on my bed. She smiles at Jessie on my chest and lays next to me, caressing her small hand on Jessie's cheek.

Her eyes flutter open and smiles at Macy. "Good morning," Macy says with a smile.

"Good morning," Jessie says in a husky whisper. 

"Daddy makes yummy pancakes," Macy says and Jessie laughs. "Are you joining us?"

"I wouldn't want to miss those yummy pancakes," Jessie says with a smile and they both look up at me.

"I make yummy coffee too," I say with a smile.

"Mmm, coffee does sound good," she says with a smile.

The three of us head down to the kitchen and I get busy making coffee and pancakes. Macy sits in Jessie's lap at the breakfast bar, both of them watching me as I work. "Are you going to live with us now," Macy asks and I turn to see Jessie's answer. 

"Just for a little while. Your Daddy gave me a safe place to stay while I wait to hear if it's safe for me to go home," she says softly, tucking a stranded curl behind Macy's ear.

"Do you have to go," Macy asks in a choked whisper, tears in her eyes.

It breaks my heart to hear her sound so sad. It kills me how attached she's become with Jessie in less than a day. "I could always clean out the guest room and you'd have a permanent safe place to stay," I say quietly and they both look at me, surprised. 

Macy looks up at her with pleading eyes and I watch as Jessie's face softens in defeat. "How can I say no when you look at me with such sad eyes," she says and Macy flies into Jessie's arms.

Jessie and I were both surprised by how Macy responded to Jessie living with us permanently. I have never seen her like this with anyone before. She takes forever warming up to new people so it was a shock to me at how quickly she got close with Jessie. 

"Elliott," Jessie says with a smile and I hum a response. "You're burning breakfast."

She giggles as I quickly turn back to the stove and pull the pan off the burner. "Sorry, I'm just surprised that she warmed up to you this quickly. She's still warming up to her teacher at the daycare center and she's been going there for two years," I say quietly, disposing of the burnt pancakes and starting over. "Its only been the two of us since..."

"I get it," she says with understanding. "I really appreciate what you're doing for me. Thank you."

"You're welcome," I say softly, placing coffee in front of her and orange juice in front of Macy. 

Her phone rings and she answers it. "Hi mom...No, I'm still with Elliott," she says softly and covers the reciever. "She wants to come see me. Is that okay?"

"You're going to be living here," I say with a smile. "As long as your guests are appropriate around Macy, I don't care if you invite anyone over."

She gives her mother my address and she says her mother is on her way to join us for breakfast. I look down at my clothes, nervous that her mother would notice that I was intersex. "Elliott, you don't need to hide yourself from her, she won't judge you. I promise," she says in a soothing whisper as my breathing becomes erratic. 

"Sweetie, why don't you go play a minute while I help your Daddy finish breakfast," Jessie says softly and Macy runs up to her room.

I lean over the counter as I start to feel lightheaded and rest my forehead on the cool surface. I feel Jessie rub my back, speaking to me in a soothing voice. 

As I was trying to calm my breathing, my doorbell rings and Macy goes to let them in. She returns with Jessie's mother as she continues to help me calm my anxiety attack. "Deep breaths Elliott," she says in a soothing whisper. "Everything is going to be fine, I promise."

"What happened," her mother asks with concern as Jessie helps me onto a barstool and continues with breakfast. 

"Can I tell her," she asks, whispering in my ear and I give a light nod. "She had a panic attack thinking you'd insult her for being intersex. She was abused her entire life because of it."

"My older sister is also intersex," her mother says with a smile and I let out a relieved breath. "You have nothing to worry about with my family."

I nod lightly as my breaths return to normal. "My daughter insisted that Jessie lived with us," I say with a light smile. "She's been attached to her since we got home.

"Are you sure it's okay? I mean, I still have your old room you..."

"Reese knows where you live and would probably try coming to look for ne there if I'm not home and she makes bail," Jessie chokes in a scared whisper. "I feel safe here and I don't want to break a promise I just made with a three year old."

Her mother nods with understanding as Macy comes back in the kitchen for breakfast. She takes Jessie's hand, leading her to the table to sit next to her. Her mother takes notice of how Macy was reacting with Jessie and looks at me. I shrug and we join them with a mountain of pancakes and coffee.

Jessie 

We were in the middle of eating breakfast when the front door bursts open and Reese walks in with a gun pointing at me. Elliott had gone to change her clothes after Macy spilled her juice in her lap. Macy hugs at my side, scared and I do my best to shield her from Reese. 

"What the fuck are you doing here with my partner," she bellows and I flinch at her tone. "Why weren't you at home?"

"There is an innocent child here Reese," I choke in a scared whisper. "Put the gun down, you're scaring her."

In a blink of an eye, Elliott runs in, tackling Reese to the floor. I pick up Macy and run out of the kitchen with my mother calling 911. The struggle could be heard from the guest bathroom and I held onto Macy as she screams for Elliott. 

I don't know what I'll do if this precious little girl loses her only parent left because of me. Two shots are fired, each fifteen seconds apart. I felt my heart stop, eyes glued to the bathroom door. Macy tries to scramble out of my arms, but I held her tight to my chest.

Moments later the door opens by Elliott. Her left hand is clutching her right side and immediately I knew she'd been shot. Our eyes lock and Macy frees herself from my grasp. She runs to Elliott as she collapses inside the door.

Without hesitation, I go to her, examining her right side. My mother scoops Macy in her arms, taking her away from the scene. I spot Reese a few feet away, a single shot to her chest. I knew instantly she was dead and turn my attention back to Elliott. 

"I told you, you'd be safe here," she says between shallow breaths.

"Shhh, save your breath," I choke quietly applying pressure to her side.

"I still want you to live here," she gurgles and I nod as sirens become louder as they approach. "M-Macy?"

"She's safe," I choke in a whisper as paramedics come running in. "Single bullet to the abdomen, still responsive. I'm riding along."

They nod as they quickly load her on the stretcher. "Mom, her keys are in a dish by the door. I'm going with her," I shout as we run out the door.

It's been three hours since they took her in for surgery. I was sitting in the waiting room with my mother and Macy. Macy was asleep in my arms, having cried herself to sleep, asking for Elliott. A large group of officers join us, waiting to hear news on Elliott. 

They were all surprised to see Macy holding onto me. I guess they all know about Elliott's condition and what happened to her wife. Finally, Dani, one of my team members, walks over to me. She looks at Macy asleep in my arms and gives a light smile.

"It was touch and go, but she's stable, asking for the two of you," she says quietly. 

Tears roll down my cheeks and get up to follow her. Macy stays asleep on my shoulder as I carry her through the halls towards Elliott's hospital room. We stop outside a room and Dani looks at me in sympathy. "I heard from the paramedics why she's here, she sounds like a keeper. The kid too, judging by how she's attached to you," she says with a light smile.

I nod lightly and enter the room. Her eyes were closed, but as soon as I sat with Macy in a chair, her eyes open in slits and smiles weakly, looking at Macy asleep in my arms. She was in her sports bra and a pair of scrubs. Even in the scrubs you could tell she had a large bulge between her legs.

She lets out a light laugh, wincing in pain and I meet her eyes. She gives a light smile and asks, teasing, "See something you like?"

I feel my cheeks burn with a blush and she holds out her left hand to me. I put my hand in hers and she sweeps her thumb over my fingers. "I didn't get to ask you about a date," she says in a raspy whisper. 

I smile lightly and choke in a whisper, "I'd love to go on a date with you, but you need to heal first."

"It gives me plenty of time to plan one, but I might be bad at it," she says quietly, fighting to keep her eyes open.

"I've never been on a date," I say quietly, biting my lip.

She hums quietly, closing her eyes. Our hands stay joined as my mother enters the doorway. She smiles lightly at our joined hands and takes a seat next to me. "Seems like they both have grown attached to you in the last twenty-four hours," she says quietly.

"She asked me on a date," I choke quietly, watching her sleep.

"I hope you know I want grandkids," my mother teases, tucking hair behind Macy's ear. 

"I don't want to rush things mom," I choke quietly looking down at the sleeping child in my arms.

"Just don't leave them sweetheart. They were broken before you came into their lives. Just look at how this little girl is clung to you and how she's holding your hand," she says quietly and I do. "I saw the shrine where you said her keys were. I think they both need someone new to love them and they both chose you."

I woke to small lips kissing my cheek. I had taken Macy home last night, upon Elliott's request. I had slipped into a pair of Elliott's sleepwear, missing her scent and couldn't sleep without it. "Can we go see Daddy," she asks in a sad whisper. 

"How about some breakfast first," I ask softly and she nods lightly. 

"Thank you for letting me sleep with you, I just miss Daddy," she chokes quietly. 

"You're welcome sweetie," I say softly and we get out of bed.

We head to the kitchen and she sits at the breakfast bar. I look through what Elliott has to make for breakfast and saw she had what I needed to make cinnamon buns from scratch. "Do you want to help me make cinnamon buns," I ask with a smile.

"Can we bring some for Daddy," she asks with a smile, bouncing in her seat. 

"How about we make them and bring them and eat together with Daddy," I ask and she nods vigorously. 

We walk in Elliott's hospital room with the cinnamon buns and she takes a whiff of the still warm buns. "They smell delicious," she says with a smile. 

"Daddy, Jessie and I made them. She let me sleep with her because I miss you," she says, climbing in the bed on her left side.

She looks at me and I blush a crimson red. "I hope that was okay," I say shyly. 

"Thank you, for everything," she says softly and I give a light smile. She takes a look at what I was wearing and smirks. "I see you helped yourself to my clothes."

"I'm not going to lie, I missed you too," I murmur quietly and busy myself with handing out cinnamon buns. 

As I hand Elliott hers she takes my hand and I look at her. "I missed you too," she chokes with a smile.