*6 years ago*

She laid as still as possible, her entire body frozen solid and tense as she heard soft thuds smack against loose gravel and sand. This was her third day laying in the same spot, holding the same position. The CIA was always fucking up their intelligence but she was used to it by now.

“Fucker’s taking forever to show himself.”

She let out a quiet sigh and felt her body relax as Massey flopped down beside her before covering himself with his camouflage netting again. She took her finger off the trigger, resting her cheek against the ground as she chuckled at Massey, “I know. MREs are fucking out and my damn stomach is growling!”

“Just think a year from now you’ll be back home. Somewhere where it’s not 120 degrees every damn day, home cooked meals that aren’t fucking packaged and dry as shit!” Massey said as he brought up his binoculars and searched for any sign of their target, “Able to piss in a bathroom and not in your pants for fear of missing your target!”

She laughed as she pressed her eye to the scope and watched the building 300 miles away from her, “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that!” She said with a laugh before cocking her head to the side, “W-W-Wait! Did you hear that?”

Massey cocked his head to the side to listen. If the situation hadn’t been so tense she would have laughed at him for resembling a curious dog. They kept quiet, too scared to move for fear of giving away their position. They could hear the light footsteps of someone climbing over the hill beside them.

“A woman?” Massey whispered.

She shook her head as they heard a soft voice, “A child.”

“Too heavy for a child.” Massey whispered as she shook her head again.

“AK-47 adds weight.”

“Maybe he’s a fat kid?” Massey whispered as she flipped him off.

“Kids are either starving or skinny around here, not fat.” She whispered as Massey let out a soft chuckle.

“Well…I’ll be damned. You turned into a mighty fine tracker!” He whispered as she glared at him.

She wanted to smack that shit-eating grin off his face as he reached between them and tried to smack her ass as she blocked him, “My man is going to kill you if he ever meets you.”

“Baby. He doesn’t need to know about us.”

“Shut the hell up,” she hissed, “you’re goin’ give away our cover.”

They both became silent as the child’s singing indicated that he was getting nearer to them. She closed her eyes taking even breaths as the child passed right in front of them. His large gun slung over his shoulder by a strap, the barrel dragging along the dirt covered ground. She thought they were in the clear when he kept walking but then Massey shifted a bit and she could feel the dread rising in her stomach as the child turned around.

The AK-47 that had once been dragging behind him now slung over his shoulder and in his hands. Her body tensed as she placed her finger on the trigger of her sniper rifle. Too many years in the military not allowing her to feel any emotion as she locked her target on the small boy.

‘Don’t do it. Put the gun down.’ She thought to herself as the little boy put his finger on the trigger of his gun and aimed at her and Massey. 

She knew he didn’t know where exactly they were but Massey’s moving around had given away their vicinity to some extent. She took a deep breath as time seemed to slow down. Just when she thought the young boy was going to turn around and leave them alone, Massey sneezed, she knew right then and there that she had to take him out. 

Her finger trembled as she placed it on the trigger. Her finger never shook. She took a deep breath, praying for forgiveness, before pulling the trigger and watched as the small boy fall to the ground. A deep sob tried to pull it’s way from the back of her throat but she shook it off as Massey got up from their hiding place.

She blinked back unshed tears as Massey pulled the young boy’s lifeless body to their hiding place and placed him next to her, covering the body with a part of their camouflage netting. She tried not to look over at the small boy’s opened eyes for fear that her nerves would get the best of her.

“Shit! Isn’t that our target?” Massey asked as he dodged under the netting and covered himself as a caravan drove up to the building they were watching.

“Looks like it.” She muttered as she brought her eye to the scope and lined up her shot.

She heard the helicopters before she saw them and she waited. She waited until her target stepped out of his humvee. She waited until the wind calmed down. She waited until the helicopters passed over her and Massey. She looked over at the young boy, wondering for a minute if anyone would miss him tonight. She wondered if he had a family or if he was an orphan like her.

“Aiden! Aiden! He’s right there out in the open!” Massey shouted as she was brought back to reality.

“Get ready to fucking run once those helicopters land.” She warned as he nodded.

She steadied her hands and prepared her body for the kick back on her sniper rifle before closing her eyes ad opening them slowly. Her body absorbed the kick back as she pulled the trigger and watched through the scope as their target fell to the ground, dead. She disassembled her sniper rifle in a hurry, tucking the pieces away in her rook sack as they waited for the fall out.

“Echo Charlie Bravo, position 2-4-5-6-9-2-1. Target is down. I repeat. Target is down.” Massey called out into their radio as she watched the group below them through her binoculars.

“Copy that position 2-4-5-6-9-2-1. Target has been confirmed. Rendezvous to position 5-6-3-8-5-7-1 for pick up. Radio silence will commence at 1900 Zulu Time. Echo Charlie Bravo out.” She heard over the radio.

*Present Time*

“So then Kale put his little cut on Evan. You should have seen it honey. It was adorable.” Justin said as he held onto Shift’s hand and gave it a squeeze when she didn’t respond.

He let out a deep sigh and ran his free hand over his face. He talked to her everyday. He slept beside her in his own hospital bed just in case she woke up but so far she hadn’t stirred at all. 

When she had first slipped into her coma he had been positive that she was going to wake up in a couple of days. Now that she had been lying in a coma for a couple of months his positivity was starting to diminish. He didn’t know if she was ever going to wake up and he needed her. 

“J, how’s it going today?” Lynsey asked as she walked into Shift’s hospital room.
His head turned towards the doorway as the cute blond walked in. His blue eyes watched her movement before shaking his head. The new club mama wasn’t worth the distraction. Shift had his heart. Shift would always have his heart…but he sure was lonely.

“I’m doing good Lyns. What brings you up here to see me?” He asked as her small hand made it’s way to his shoulder and gave him a light squeeze. 

He leaned into her touch, the guilt eating at him when he wanted more. 

It had been months since someone took care of him. Months since he felt a woman’s touch. He needed Aiden back. 

Before he slipped.

“Lynn sent me up here with some food for you. Teak wanted to know if there were any more updates too.” Lynsey explained as she dropped a brown bag of food on the small hospital table. 

“Well…Shift hasn’t stirred one bit. The doctors say everything is okay that she just needs time but it’s been months. I need her back. Right now!” He growled as he pushed his chair away from Shift’s hospital bed and took to pacing in front of the windows of her hospital room.

“I’m sure she’ll wake up soon. The doctors said she’s getting better. I’m sure they wouldn’t lie about something like that.” Lynsey explained as he continued to pace. 
He took another look at Shift, his Aiden, lying motionless in her hospital bed. LJ’s words ate at him everyday. It was his fault she was in that bed, unable to move. It was all his fault. She was only in this lifestyle because he couldn’t give it up. He had put her in danger. 

A kick from her bed caught his attention. He wondered if maybe he just imagined it all…until she kicked again. The monitors she was hooked up started beeping loudly as her breathing picked up in speed. 

“Lyns, get the doctor! NOW!” He shouted as he ran to Shift’s bedside. 

His eyes never left her as he gripped her hand in his. His free hand stroked her cheek, silently begging her to open her eyes. Every fiber in his being felt alive when her hand squeezed his. 

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

“Lynn, you might want to get the kids ready. Shift just woke up at the hospital. She’s says she knows who shot her.” Trace stated as he ran into Lynn’s living room. 

Lynn looked up in surprise as she cradled a sleeping Evan in her arms.

She never expected Shift to wake up. She never wanted Shift to wake up. 
She had been dreading this moment all along. If Shift woke up and was actually able to finger the person who shot her then all of Lynn’s plans would be a waste. She had never wanted to hurt Shift, the bullet had been meant for her son. After all Shift was nothing without Justin, the club was nothing without Justin. Just like she was nothing without Paul. 

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

“Massey better fucking run! Once I get my hands on him he’s a dead man!” Justin shouted as Shift watched him pace in front of the windows of her hospital room. 

She watched as his long fingers ran through his short tendrils, noticing how his hair had grown since she last saw him. Her heart was aching for his touch but his anger was getting the best of him, hatred seething in his veins. 

“JT. Come here.” She whispered, her voice still foreign to her.

“He’s a fucking pussy! What the fuck was he thinking? He just signed his own death certificate!” Justin continued to rage as Shift drummed her fingers against the railing of her hospital bed.

“JT!” She shouted as loud as she could, wincing when her voice cracked.

“What, baby?” He asked as he rushed to her bedside and took hold of her hand.

“Nothing. I just wanted you beside me instead pacing over there. We’ll get to Massey but right now I just want to be with you. Climb into bed with me.” She pleaded as he let a crooked grin slide across his face. 

He climbed delicately into her hospital bed as she made room for him. His arms encircled around her waist as she dug her head into the crook of his neck. 

He had missed this.

She had missed this. 

He felt the guilt eating at his heart for even thinking for one second that someone else’s touch could replace hers. She had been fighting, trying to come back to him, to the club, to their children and he… he had been secretly wishing for someone else to comfort him.

But he wouldn’t anymore. She was awake now and he knew deep down that no one could ever replace her.