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ANNIE'S POV
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I held him in my arms.
He had gained a bit of weight, which was a good thing.
His skin had also improved, it was more radiant and dense enough to hide his blood vessels. His tiny fingers were now strong enough to clasp at least two of mine and he could comfortably open his adorable eyes to take in his surroundings.

His blue eyes looked exactly like Jack's, but more innocent and genuine.
He could cry now.
He could comfortably feed.
Good.
Good.

Abel was now capable of leaving the hospital, but, it would do him no good to join the family as it was.
Jack was a mess. A violent mess who no longer even remembered about his child.
He hadn't asked about him, not even once.

Gawd!

I needed a break.
I needed some space from him.

I'd die of a heartbreak if I continued staying around him, or he would 'accidentally' hurt me physically.

The clicking of the door as it opened made me raise my head in its direction, catching Luke walking into the room. He was wearing his casual clothes, rocking a pair of faded blue jeans and a virgin white t-shirt. He always seemed taller in such clothes than in his professional ones, but still good-looking as ever.

With his charm, looks, kindness, and reliability, I was still in disbelief that he was single. He could easily pull in any woman, or man, of his choice.
Heck, even Matt was now dating the former heir of Black Blood, Noah Bass under my nose. But I still hadn't said a thing, after all, his love life was his own business as long as it didn't interrupt his work.

"How are you feeling?"

My eyes dropped on Abel who was resting in my arms and an honest smile curved on my lips. "Better than ever."

"Are you sure you want to adopt Ab-"

"He has no one. His mom might not be back anytime soon, and his dad is now a jerk. I'm not even sure he remembers him."

Luke sighed out loud as he sat on the bed, close to my knees.
"Well, I don't have anything against this little cutie pie as long as you're okay with him," he said caressing Abel's round cheek.
The little Angel reacted, smiling in his sleep. "Will you look at that, he can recognize me even in his dreams."
That was no short of bragging, but he deserved it.

Luke had kept Abel company every single day since he was born. For reasons known best to him, he had grown a soft spot for the little guy right from the start. Even without me around, I was sure that Abel would be just fine and taken care of.

"Do you need me to hold him for you?" Luke offered smiling down at Abel.

"Okay."
There was gentleness as Luke received him.
The sparks shimmering in his eyes as he looked down at the sleeping baby were heartwarming.
That was the look I always thought Jack would have when meeting his child for the first time.
It was hard to believe that Luke could still maintain such a cute expression even after being with Abel for weeks. He would make a great dad someday to some lucky child.

"How long do you plan on staying here?"

His question had my mind drown in my thoughts once more.
How long had it been since I arrived at the base? Two...maybe three days?

I was deliberately avoiding any communication with Jack even though he had tried calling me a dozen times.
This was my haven.
Even if the world outside came crumbling down, I was confident nothing would get to me.

It was an underground building, large enough to house at least two hundred people and designed warmly to mimic a hotel and a home at the same time. I had authorized Luke to carry out his scientific research here, as well as other technological research that would one day impact the outside world.

Here, there was no distraction from others. Not even the light government could infiltrate the premises or even dare to think of such a thing.
I had made it clear that I would not interfere with their business as long as they didn't interfere with mine. For my war was not with them but with WSG.

Breaching the agreement would put them at a disadvantage. After all, W-L3 was by far the most advanced weapon in existence and hadn't begun circulating the system.

"I'm not sure yet," I gave a vague answer, my eyes sweeping over the warm furniture in the room. The TV was still on, but the volume had been muted when they brought in Abel about ten minutes prior.

"Well, it's your decision to make. But, hiding from him will not change anything between the two of you. He has been calling like crazy and it's fucking annoying."

"Language," I shot a whisper.

Luke laughed it off, "Oh gawd! You're starting to feel like a mom already."

"Quit mocking me and fill me in on what has happened lately."

"Mm...let's see... Zack almost fell into a coma, and had a blood transfusion since you don't want him to die yet.  Jack had been restless of late, finding comfort in the arms of Lilith-"

"What?" I heard myself squeak.

"He's slept with her at least four times in the last three days," Luke informed, keeping a calm face while stroking Abel's face.

'As we agreed Annie. Don't let that bastard ruin all your days. Keep calm. Keep calm.'

"And, has he been acting different at work?"

Luke nodded.
"From Matt's report, Jack is more interested in the original Black Blood's files than in you."

Ouch!
That stung so bad that I wanted to sink my fist into his face and leave a dent.

"His choice of foods has changed, and so has his preference for the kind of cologne he uses. Judging by all the above changes, I'll be honest with you Annie... That's not the Jack you always bragged about. This is a scumbag who will mess up everything you've been fighting for."

Luke's brutal honesty was one of the reasons I trusted him to advise me on all occurrences in my life, both private and professional.

"I see." I sulked. "Maybe we should live apart for now... Could you, could you have Matt prepare for me a place to stay?"

"I've already prepared one for you. I was just waiting to hear your final resolution to this issue. But, you still have to face him before leaving the mansion."

I nodded, my head bowed and my mood sinking in a drainage. Where on Earth had I found this man? He sometimes had no brakes on what came flowing out of his mouth.