22. Chapter 22

Four months later...

Florida, Panama City.

"Are you ready?"

My limbs tremble as I turn my head to look at Dean grinning at me. "To plummet to our deaths? No, I most certainly am not ready."

"JJ, you're sitting next to one of the world's best pilots. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, please trust me."

The engine's steady hum fills the small cockpit as I sit in the pilot's seat, my hands gripping the yoke. Dean's voice, calm and reassuring, comes through the headset.

"All right, baby. You're doing great," he says, his hand resting lightly on mine. "Now, ease the throttle forward just a bit more. You'll feel the plane respond to you."

I do as he instructs, pushing the throttle forward and feeling the twin-engine plane surge with power. The aircraft slices through the air with smooth confidence, and a rush of exhilaration floods through me. My heart is beating like crazy in my chest.

"Good girl," Dean murmurs, his voice full of pride. "Now, just keep her steady. We're heading out over the sea. How does it feel?"

"Amazing," I reply, my voice tinged with awe and nerves as I look out over the endless blue stretching below us. The sun reflects off the water, creating a shimmering pathway that seems to lead us straight into the horizon. "I can't believe I'm freaking flying!"

Dean chuckles softly in my ear. "I knew you'd love it up here. There's nothing quite like being in control of the skies."

"I can see why you love it up here so much, but I would never be able to do what you do. I imagine your jet is much faster than this."

"Ah, a standard jet can hit Mach two, which equals to around one thousand two hundred miles per hour." My head snaps toward Dean, my eyes almost bugging out of my head.

"One thousand two hundred miles per hour? That's insane. Jesus, it's giving me chills just thinking about it."

Dean smirks, "Try doing that speed while trying to dodge an enemy aircraft firing missiles at you during a dog fight. It doesn't matter how many times you do it, hands down, the scariest shit I have ever done in my life."

"Stop, I don't want to be picturing that when I think about you being up here."

As we fly further out over the sea, I feel a deep sense of peace and freedom. The worries and stresses of the world seem to melt away, leaving just the two of us and the wide open sky. I steal a glance at Dean, his eyes hidden behind aviator sunglasses, his expression one of contentment. For a moment, I forget that I'm the one flying the plane and just marvel at the beautiful man sitting beside me.

"JJ, take a look at your ten o'clock," Dean says, a hint of something playful in his tone.

I glance to the left, following his instruction, and my breath catches in my throat. Below us, the sea is dotted with small boats arranged in a perfect formation. Together, they spell out two simple words; ‘MARRY ME'.

"Oh my God..." Tears spring to my eyes as the realization hits me, and I look over at Dean, my heart pounding in my chest. He's smiling now, that lopsided grin that always makes me weak at the knees. "Dean..." I whisper, my voice overcome with emotion.

Dean reaches over and takes my hand, his fingers warm and strong around mine. "JJ, I know I screwed up our marriage the first time, but will you marry me again, so we can do it right this time?"

The plane dips slightly as I momentarily forget to keep my hands steady, overwhelmed by the moment. But Dean's hand is right there, steadying the yoke, steadying me.

"Yes," I breathe, tears spilling over as I smile through them. "Yes, Dean, I will marry you. I'll marry you a million times over if I have to. There is no one else for me but you, Dean. In any walk of life and any lifetime I will always choose you . If it's war, we'll face it together."

Dean's sexy grin widens, and I can see the relief and joy in his eyes, even behind those dark lenses. "Even if the odds are stacked against us?"

"Especially when the odds are stacked against us."

"I'm so fucking in love with you," Dean murmurs and leans over, pressing a tender kiss to my lips.

The world around us dissolves into a blur of colours as the sun slowly sets behind us, casting a warm orange glow over everything. "Hold on," Dean whispers with a devilish smirk as he takes control of the yoke and pulls away from me.

I can't help but feel a twinge of worry at his mischievous expression, and my instincts prove right as the plane suddenly accelerates and plunges into a nosedive.

"Dean..." I say, my voice trembling with warning, but he just winks back at me in response. "Don't you dar—oh my God, I'm going to kill you!" I squeal, a mixture of fear and excitement coursing through my veins as my heart leaps up into my throat. My stomach flips and churns with every wild manoeuvre he performs, and I want to reach out and smack him over the head, but I'm holding onto anything I can for dear life.

As terrified as I am in that moment, despite all his quirks and infuriating habits, I can't imagine navigating this wild and unpredictable life with anyone else by my side. Dean is my anchor, my constant in a sea of chaos.

"Dada."

"No, mama ."

"Da... da."

I sigh and drop the plastic spoon on the plate while Dean snorts a laugh from the breakfast table while chomping down on his stack of banana and syrup pancakes. I throw a dirty look his way and he shrugs. "That's my boy."

"This is bull-doo-doo, I'm with him the majority of the time and he's not said ‘mama' once. I thought boys were supposed to be more attached to their mothers?"

"That's an old wives' tale."

I raise a brow and pin Dean with a pointed look. "So says the mama's boy over there."

"I am not a mama's boy." It's my turn to snort and Dean cuts off a piece of pancake and shoves it in his mouth. "I'm not a mama's boy, Oz is a bigger mama's boy than I am. He still lives at home. Also, I resent that, because there is nothing wrong with a son loving his mother."

"No, there absolutely isn't," I coo, picking up the spoon and feeding DJ his breakfast. I still can't believe he's almost one year old. "And you're going to love me more than your daddy loves Nana, aren't you?"

"Na-na." I stare at DJ and hear Dean choking on his food behind me. Oh, you have got to be kidding me!

"Really?" I sulk, poking out my bottom lip. "You can say nana, but you can't say mama? Just once, please baby, say mama." DJ smiles, crinkling his tiny nose while he grabs the spoon and pulls it toward his mouth. I've been trying to teach him to use utensils, so far, he's not a fan.

"Honey, you forcing it on him isn't going to make him say it any faster. He'll say it when he's ready," Dean rationalises as he wanders into the kitchen and places his plate in the dishwasher.

"Fine, but if he doesn't say it in the next couple of weeks. I'm taking him to the doctors. Maybe he's suffering with some sort of delayed trauma from where he was abducted."

"Baby," Dean walks over and presses a kiss to the nape of my neck and I sigh, closing my eyes. "DJ was far too young to be affected by all that. Look at him, he's a beautiful, happy little boy."

Opening my eyes I look at our precious boy smile. He truly is a happy baby. "Yeah, I suppose you're right, but I think we should start using the word mama around him more to encourage him. Instead of calling me baby or baby girl, call me mama or mummy for a while."

I hear Dean emit a low groan as he leans in to speak into my ear. "I can certainly get on board with that, mama ." The deep burr of his voice mixed with the heat of his breath against my skin has me visibly quaking. "You like that?" I bite my lip and nod.

"Mm, my kitty seems to like it very much." Dean laughs, grabs my face with his large hands and plants a hard kiss on my lips. I'm not a fan of the term ‘kitty' to denote my vagina, but now DJ is starting to talk and is picking up words we are trying to keep our vocabulary clean when we are around him.

"Good, because I'm going to sneak back here and ravish your kitty later." The academy must surely be aware of his nightly escapades, as he sneaks out at least four times a week to return home and... ravish me. The rule is that during periods of intense training, officers are required to remain on base for anywhere from one to five weeks.

The gruelling sessions can occur at any hour of the day or night, leaving little time for rest or breaks. But despite the strict guidelines, Dean always finds a way to sneak away and visit me. Our love and need for one another simply can't be contained within the boundaries of rules and regulations. And though we know the risks involved, we can't resist the temptation of those steamy, late-night forbidden visits.

"I look forward to it, Daddy ." I reply, dropping my tone to a sultry one that has Dean's gaze darkening with desire.

"Stop that, you're going to send me off to an intense ten hour-long training session with a raging hard on."

I pout, "Aw, allow me to take the edge off for you." My fingers curl around his nape and I draw his mouth to mine and kiss him ardently. A primal growl travels up Dean's throat when my tongue teases his and his hand comes up and grips my throat deepening the kiss further. My hazy brain remembers that DJ is in the room with us, so I break off the kiss leaving Dean in a stupor. When his eyes flutter open, his eyes are almost black with need and they hold the promise of a wild night later which has my insides quaking with exhilaration.

"I'll see you after midnight, mama," Dean burrs, dragging his thumb across my lower lip while I gaze up at him sultrily. "No touching yourself. I want you naked, wet and legs spread wide ready for me to dive in."

"Yes, Daddy."

As the months flew by, Dean's intense training neared its completion and our time in Florida drew to a close. Our initial struggle upon moving here eventually gave way to a deep sense of belonging and contentment. Though I still long for home at times, the warm sun and tranquil atmosphere of this place has truly won me over. The beach is just a five-minute drive away where we spend most weekends with DJ. It certainly is a stark contrast to the grey and dreary weather we are used to in London.

My heart aches for my family and our old life, but a part of me can't help but want to stay here forever with just the three of us. Everything feels so serene and perfect in this little bubble we've created. And to add to that perfection, Dean surprised me with a romantic sunset ceremony on the beach where we re-tied the knot a couple of weeks ago. He flew out Ashlyn, Shane, and Oz without my knowledge, making it an impromptu but unforgettable wedding. I think it was even more magical than our first one, with only the ocean as our witness and the gentle sea breeze as our music.

The life we have built here in the space of a year is the life I always envisioned having with Dean, but as with all good things, it has come to an end.

We head back for London in a couple of weeks where Dean will go back to the Air Force and put all his new skills and tactics to use. I'm just not looking forward to the long months apart whenever he's called for deployment. At least here it was just weeks at a time and thankfully the operations he was part of weren't all that dangerous.

"JJ?"

My eyes snap open when I hear Dean's voice calling my name. Damn, I must have dosed off on the back porch swing while reading. The sound of the raindrops hitting the small lake that's stretched outside the back and birds chirping must have lulled me to sleep.

"Out here." I call out to Dean. I can hear the thudding of his heavy boots as he walks through the house toward the back porch.

"What are you doing out here, baby, it's raining?" Dean questions as he steps outside and walks over to me.

"I was reading and must have fallen asleep." I frown when I realise he's not due to be home for another three days. "What are you doing here? You weren't due back till Thursday."

"We wrapped up early." Because the swing isn't big enough for two people, Dean lifts me off the swing, sits down and sets me on his lap.

I smile and snuggle into him when he wraps his arms around me. "Oh, well in that case. Welcome home, Captain." Dean returns my smile with a sexy one of his own and presses a lingering kiss to my lips.

"I've missed you like crazy this week," Dean breathes, his soft lips brushing against mine with every whispered word.

"I miss you like crazy always." My fingers trace the line of his jaw and slowly drift up to play with his hair while his lips fondle mine.

Dean moans softly, his voice a low rumble in the quiet room. "Mmm, before you distract me any more with those sexy little touches, we need to talk about something important." The shift in his tone—from playful to serious—sends a small shiver down my spine. I pull back slightly, searching his face for any hint of what's coming.

"Should I be worried?" I ask cautiously, my voice barely above a whisper. "Because every time you say something like that, I never like what comes next."

Dean smirks, the corners of his mouth lifting just enough to reassure me, but the flicker of seriousness in his eyes keeps my heart in my throat. He shakes his head, his fingers brushing through the stands of my hair.

"No, don't worry, it's nothing bad," he says, his voice warm and steady. The tension that had been coiling tight in my belly begins to ease, but there's still an undercurrent of anxiety simmering just beneath the surface. What has happened now? We've been settled and happy, it was only a matter of time before something bad happened to ruin it all.

"You know the training program is wrapping up in two weeks, right?" he continues, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that makes it almost impossible to look away. I nod, my attention solely focused on him, hanging on every word. "Well," he says, taking a deep breath, "I got called into the office today. They asked if I'd consider staying on to finish the training—and then, eventually, becoming an instructor."

For a moment, his words linger in the air between us, heavy with implication. I blink, my mind struggling to catch up with what he's saying. "Staying on?" I repeat, my voice sounding distant, almost foreign to my own ears. "What, like permanently?" He nods, regarding me closely.

"Yeah," he confirms, his voice firm but gentle. "They want me to transfer from the RAF to the USAF. I'd complete the training and, after that, become a full-time instructor. We'd be granted employment visas, leading to permanent residency here in the US."

The room feels like it's spinning, the reality of his words hits me like a tidal wave. It's one thing to daydream about living here, to imagine what it might be like, but the thought of it actually happening, of uprooting our lives and planting new roots so far from where we started, is very overwhelming.

My stomach twists with a mix of excitement and fear, the familiar comfort of the life we've built together suddenly feeling fragile in the face of such a big change.

I try to speak, but my throat feels tight, my thoughts tangled in a web of uncertainty. "You're serious?" I finally manage to say, my voice barely above a whisper. "We'd really live here? Permanently?"

Dean nods, his expression softening as he sees the storm of emotions flickering across my face. "Yeah, baby, it's real. They're offering us a future here—a fresh start. It's a big decision, I know. And I'm happy to go with whatever you want. If you're not happy here and want to go home, we'll go home, and there's opportunities for me there too. But I wouldn't have even considered it if I didn't think we could build something incredible here."

The weight of his words presses down on me, the enormity of the choice before us looming large. I can see the hope in his eyes, the possibilities that stretch out before us like an uncharted horizon.

"Wow, um..." I take a deep breath, trying to steady the racing of my heart. "It's just… it's a lot to take in, Dean," I admit, my voice trembling slightly. "I mean, I do love it here and the life we've built, and I always thought about what it might be like to live here, but I never really let myself believe it could happen."

Dean's hand comes up to cradle my face, his thumb brushing away the tear I didn't even realize had fallen. "I know it's a lot, and we'll be leaving so much behind back home, but we don't have to decide anything right now. We have time, we'll figure this out together, all right?"

Dean's words wrap around me like a soft, comforting blanket, easing the turmoil that churns inside. His steady and unwavering presence next to me is a reminder that no matter what comes our way, we will face it together. I nod slowly, finding solace in his touch as I lean into his embrace. The warmth of his body and the strength in his arms provide a sense of security.

"Okay," I whisper, my voice barely audible but filled with gratitude for his steadiness. Closing my eyes, I rest my head against his chest, feeling the gentle rise and fall as he breathes. The steady beat of his heart grounds me in the moment and I feel the first spark of excitement flicker in the depths of my being. It's terrifying to think about the unknown that lies ahead, but with Dean by my side, maybe it's not as daunting as it all seems. This is our story, our adventure. Perhaps this is just the beginning of something new and beautiful.

We sit there, the rhythmic creaking of the swing accompanying the gentle pitter-patter of raindrops. Dean's feet push us back and forth, our bodies swaying in sync with the motion. The peacefulness of the moment envelops us as we watch the world around us being washed clean by the soft rainfall. "Dean..." I murmur, breaking the silence.

"Hm…" he responds, his gaze meeting mine as I tilt my head back to look at him.

"Let's do it," I say with determination, my heart racing like it wants to stop in my chest.

Dean smiles. "Yeah?" he questions, his eyes alight. "JJ, are you sure?"

I bite my lip and nod my head slowly, "I can see us and DJ being really happy here."

Dean presses his forehead to my temple, a peaceful smile on his handsome face. "Me too, baby."

"We might have to do something about that lake though. DJ will be running around soon." I utter, gazing out at the backyard and envisioning DJ running around and playing football with Dean or learning how to ride a bike. "We can build a play area for him there instead."

Dean's lips press softly against my shoulder, his warm breath tickling my skin. His dark lashes frame his intense gaze as his eyes meet mine.

"Do you think DJ will be okay playing in this huge backyard all by himself?" he asks, intertwining our fingers as he speaks.

I furrow my brow, confused. "What do you mean?"

He leans closer to me, his expression serious. "I just think it would be nice if he had a sibling to play with."

My heart sinks at his words, dampening the excitement I felt just moments ago. "But that's not possible, Dean. I don't have a womb. Unless you plan on having a child with someone else..."

I try to move off his lap, but he wraps his arm around me, holding me tightly in place. "Hey now, calm down," he says, a small smile playing on his lips. "Why would I have a child with someone else when I can have a whole litter with you?"

I scowl at him, my emotions threatening to spill over. Is he purposely trying to hurt me? "What are you talking about, Dean?"

He takes a deep breath before speaking again. "JJ, they may have removed your womb, but you still have your eggs. We have options if we want more children; surrogacy or adoption. It doesn't matter to me how we do it, I just want us to fill this house with laughter and chaos and love."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I look at him in disbelief. "You... you really want more kids?"

Dean reaches up to wipe away the tears that escape down my cheeks with his thumb. "Of course I do, baby. Don't you?"

My lip trembles as I nod, unable to find the words to express how much this means to me. "Of course I do."

"Then fuck it, let's do it," Dean gushes with an brilliant smile. "Let's have another baby."

A watery smile spreads across my face as I meet Dean's gaze. "Okay," I laugh softly. "Let's have another baby." Dean pulls my face to his and kisses me, stealing the very last speck of oxygen from my lungs.

God, I'm crazy about this man.