In Flames Extras

First Walk

"Yep, all good. Steady beat, strong BPM."

Eddie nodded, a solemn expression on his features as he moved the stethoscope further down. His patient let out a snort at his movement and rolled her eyes. Eddie shot her a wounded look and Mariana stole a kiss from him.

"What are you doing, you idiot?" she laughed.

"Checking to make sure my wife still has a heart after what she did to me this morning."

"Someone has to make the coffee," she teased. "Forgive me, dear husband, for leaving the bed."

"'S good coffee so you're forgiven," he murmured, pulling her in for another kiss. Mariana laughed against his lips but fell back against the pillows of their bed as he pulled himself up to rest over her. He stroked a hand along her thigh and she sighed, her head falling back and giving him a chance to mark her skin. Her fingers slid into his hair and she curled them against the follicles, tugging gently to pull him away from her neck and back up to meet her lips once more. He groaned against her forceful tug and hooked a finger in the waistband of her pants, intent on pulling them off and launching them across the room.

Until the baby monitor began to make noise.

Eddie groaned, this time in frustration, and pressed his forehead against the pillows. Mariana's body shook under him with silent laughter and she rolled his pliant body over to lay back against the pillows.

"I love my kids. I love them so much. I love them even when they stop me from getting laid," he announced. It was more of a reminder to him than a declaration for her.

"Really, you did this to yourself," she pointed out. He shot her a confused look and she grinned. "You just find me so irresistible that you couldn't resist."

Eddie rolled his eyes just as the bedroom door opened and Diego entered, one year old Hope in his arms, and Christopher close behind. Mariana gratefully took Hope from Diego and cuddled her daughter close to her.

"Good morning, little bears, how are we all feeling about today?" Mariana asked.

"More like how are YOU feeling?" Diego asked.

It was Mariana's first day back with the 118 since Hope's birth and then the shooting. She had been out of the game for a full year and now she was being put back in. She shrugged and settled down on the floor of the bedroom as Diego and Christopher crawled into their parent's bed. Eddie wordlessly joined her on the floor and sat a little ways across the room from Mariana and Hope.

"I'm excited to be back. I know your dad and Uncle Buck have missed me being there to make sure they stay out of trouble," she said, encouraging Hope to try and walk to Eddie. The toddler rocked slightly and took one step before tumbling down and happily crawling towards her father. Eddie scooped her up and pressed a kiss to Hope's chubby cheek.

"C'mon, princess, just a few steps for us," he whispered. Hope stared at him with wide brown eyes and he nodded. "Good talk."

Eddie set Hope down on her wobbly legs and held her hands before slowly letting her go. The toddler hesitantly took a step and then bent forward as if to fall down and crawl once more before she righted herself and took another step. Mariana sucked in a sharp breath and extended her hands out for Hope.

"Come on sweetie, come to mommy! You're doing so good!" she encouraged. Hope stumbled a bit and then walked the short distance directly into Mariana's arms. The Diaz-Ramirez family all stared in shock at one another before Mariana let out a cheer and raised Hope above her head, lowering her in order to press kisses all over the giggling toddler's face.

"You walked! Hope, you walked!" Mariana stood up and spun around before facing Eddie. "I don't want to hear one more complaint out of you. We are the parents of the best kids in the world! Our kids are perfect geniuses. Every single one of them. We only raise the cutest, funniest, smartest kids."

Eddie bit back a laugh and shook his head. "At least you're humble about it."

His wife didn't hear a word he said because she was too busy sitting on the bed with Hope propped up in her lap so Hope could "talk" with her brothers. He settled back against the wall and just watched the four interact, contentment settling in his chest. It was moments like this that the phantom pains in his shoulder disappeared and the biting edge of the nightmares faded.

Let the kids interrupt them. All he needed in life to feel complete was the sight before him.

A/N: wrote this in 30 minutes for practice for my creative writing class

I know some of y'all were sad there wasn't spicy stuff in In Flames

if you read my marvel story....

that is all I will say for now.