tattoos || c.h.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ sᴇᴠᴇɴᴛʏ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

mia

"thank you, kathy." i speak to a family friend who's an attorney, but i've called her a lawyer since i was little. "i love you, too, bye." when i walk back into the living room from the porch, calum's pacing back and forth with his arms crossed, but biting his right thumb. "why're you pacing?" my words stop him in his tracks.

"what'd she say?" cal swiftly makes his way to me. i can understand why he's eager to know the answer. "you're not answering me, so i'm going to take that she's not going to do-"

"calum," i grab his face to look directly at me, "shut up." his eyes go wide and i have to roll my own. "she said she'll be here, so calm down." never once has someone said "calm down" and the other person actually calm down.

"thank you." calum keeps repeating those two words as he pulls me into his chest and wraps his arms around me.

"quick pause in conversation," i embrace calum and lift my head so we're eye to eye, "y'know how i slapped reece?"

"where's this going?" he lifts his head and starts to freak out and i feel like i'm going to throw up.

"j and i did some talking and she thought if reece were to do this then i need to step back, and i agreed and still do agree with her." my words make calum shake his head and his eyes feverishly wide. "it'll only be until you get julian."

"no, no." he repeats the word over and over again. "i don't know how long custody battles last and i need you here, mia."

"look, i'll only be a phone call awa-"

"no," cal cuts me off with a depressing tone, "you're not leaving."

"look-" he cuts me off again.

"you can't leave."

"i'm not leaving for good." i look back and forth between his beautiful brown eyes and he opens his mouth. "don't you dare cut me off, again, okay?" i raise my eyebrows and he nods his head. "i'll stay with a friend in boston, only a few hour drive."

"why?" he rests his forehead on mine and shuts his eyes. "why're you leaving?"

"reece will most likely bring up how i slapped her and she'll use it to her advantage." i run my fingers through his hair with our foreheads still connected.

"what does that have to do with you leaving?"

"you can say i'm not present in neither yours or julian's life at the time." i try to explain, but calum lifts his head and cups my cheeks. "what?"

"i don't care if she brings it up." calum's voice becomes stern. "if she does then we'll bring up why you did, and if that doesn't help my case then there's gotta be something else." he sounds really determined. "you and the girls always talk about how being an fbi agent is your blood, i bet you five could find something." i love this man.

"maybe you're right, but-"

"i will bring you everywhere with me if that means making sure you don't leave."

"gonna be honest," i bite my lip to hold back a smile, "might of called june and texted the girls to find everything on reece before i called kathy."

"for once i'm glad you women are crazy." cal kisses the top of my head with a chuckle while pulling me back into his chest. i pinch the right side of his torso. no one calls crystal, sierra, gigi, june and i crazy unless it's one of us girls. "hey!" he unwraps one arm around me holds the right side of his stomach.

"don't call us crazy." i take a few steps back from him and cross my arms.

"fine," he purses his lips like he's trying to find another word. "you girls are manic." he seems proud with his choice of word. i slowly make my way back into arms reach of calum. "what?"

"everything's going to be okay." i place my hands on the sides of calum's face. he leans his head into my right hand and just gives me a small smile. the smile that says "thank you."

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a/n:

aahh i haven't updated in a short while buttt i hope everyone is having a good new year so far. (besides the upsetting loss of betty white.. 2021 wanted to go out with a bang, huh? fuck 2021) i wish you all a great year though! good luck on anything and everything!!