Life Without Them (On Hold)

Chapter 16: Crucial Information

~Gabriel~

Holy fucking shit! Kota's dad!? Kota's fucking deadbeat, abusive, asshole of a father is Volto? And he tried to take our kids? Oh fuck no!

"Kota, what the fuuudge do you mean that's your dad?" I ask.

"Pookie, I don't think the kids should be in here for this," Sean tells Sang.

"I don't think I should be in here for this," Sang mumbles.

"Trouble?" I ask. Her face is a little pale, her eyes dilated and widened slightly. She's holding onto Cole tightly, her hands are fisted in his tiny t-shirt. "Trouble?" I say a little louder.

She seems to snap out of whatever's going on in her head as she blinks a couple of times before looking around the room and settling her gaze on the twins.

"I'm—" she stops to clear her throat. "I'm fine. Sean? Can you take the kids to the room? Owen, can you call Axel and get the guys over here?" She stands up as she's talking, handing a still sleeping Cole over to Sean before walking to the kitchen in a daze.

"Trouble, what are you doing?" I ask her.

"I'm just getting some water Meanie," she responds in a monotone voice.

Holy shit, she must really be out of it. While she hasn't stopped us from calling her by her various nicknames if they slip, she's made sure not to use ours. Fuck, I gotta snap her out of this.

I lift Morgan off my lap, standing her in front of me. "Hey, Lizzy? I need you to go with Daddy Sean ok? I gotta go talk to Mommy."

"Is Mama ok?" she asks in a small voice.

"I don't know, Liz, but she will be ok."

"Ok," she nods.

Grabbing Sean's hand, they walk down the hallway and turn the corner to head to the twins' room. With the kids gone, I get up off the couch and walk over to where Sang is standing at the fridge with the door open, just staring inside.

"Trouble?" I call, standing behind her. She makes no noise or movement to indicate that she's heard me.

Fuck! This is worse than that day in the closet. At least then I was able to bring her back before she went too deep. I don't know how I'm going to reach her like this.

I close the fridge and move in front of her, tilting her head up to look at me.

"Trouble, can you hear me?" I ask lowly.

Shit, no response.

Pulling her into my chest, I wrap my arms around her, tucking her head under my chin.

"Trouble, listen to me. Please don't leave me. Don't leave us. The kids need you. We need you. We were an absolute mess without you." My throat tightens as the back of my eyes prickle with unshed tears. I take a deep breath to clear it, knowing I have to get through this. I have to get her through this. "Please don't make us go through that again, Sang. Please, please come back to us. You can't leave the twins. They'd be lost without you. Please come back, Sang. Please."

The twitch of a muscle in her arm lets me know that I'm getting through to her. Knowing that it's working, I just keep talking, desperate for her to come back to me, to us. I don't even know half the shit I'm saying anymore. All I know is that she's listening and it's working. Slowly, her arms wrap around my waist in a vice grip, much like how she was holding Cole earlier, fisting my shirt in her hands.

"Come back to us Sang. We love you, we need you."

"Gabriel?" she says in a small voice.

My body sags in relief at hearing her sweet voice. I did it. She came back.