Chapter 110

**Artemis**


Have you ever had a moment in your life when you feel like something isn’t right? Like a sense that something is going to happen, but you can’t pinpoint what it is?

I first feel it when I walk out of our house and climb into the car. There is a strong urge telling me to stay but I attribute it to the fact that I haven’t left Blue’s side for less than a couple of hours since she got pregnant. So, it’s possible that I’m feeling some separation anxiety, but the feeling follows me all the way to the airport. I feel it when I step onto the plane and the door closes. A feeling eating at me almost like DeJa’Vu.

“We’re ready to go sir.” The pilot tells me from the door leading to the cockpit.

“Go.” I tell him and he does so with a nod.

I take my phone out hoping to see a message from Blue or my sisters but there’s nothing. Since I can’t use my phone once we take off, I send Blue a quick message.

***Me: I’m taking off now. I miss you already baby! Tell Lilly I’ll bring her back a surprise and I’ll get something for the littles too. I love you.***

The message is sent but not read. Nothing unusual about that, but I hope she sees it by the time I land. I won’t stop worrying until I hear from them that Blue is okay. The doctor says that with multiples it isn’t uncommon for labor to start several weeks earlier, but if we can do everything possible to keep the babies in longer the better. Which is another reason why Blue has been taking it easy lately.

Once the plane starts to move, I put my phone on airplane mode and relax the best I can. It’s going to be a long flight. At least that’s what I thought.

I’m not sure how long I’d dosed off for, but I’m jostled awake by a surge of turbulence. I stand and try to walk toward the front of the plane, but it shudders and rocks making me lose my footing. My arm slams hard against one of the chairs and a shot of pain radiates through my arm and up to my shoulder.

“Shit.” I hiss under my breath, but I keep pushing forward.

When I finally reach the cockpit, I open the door to find the pilot slumped over. I quickly move inside the small space to check up on him, but he’s too far gone. As in when I check his pulse, I don’t feel anything. How did he drop dead like this when I was just talking to him? I glance around the cockpit for some indication of where we are, but another jolt throws me forward making me hit the control panels hard. My whole right side hits it with a force strong enough to knock the wind out of me. I have to hold myself up, but the turbulence is only getting worse making it harder and harder for me to stay upright.

I decide to sit in the copilot’s chair and buckle myself in. You would think owning a jet means I would know how to fly it as well, but I never got around to that part. I am good with electronics and computers though so now I’ll have to use those skills to survive this. I can’t leave Lilly and Blue. I have to survive this.

“Altitude dropping.” The alert system says.

There is a screen showing our current distance from the land bellow us and I can make out that we are losing height too quickly. We’re going too fast to make a safe landing. I need to figure out where we are and somehow communicate that to someone, both of which I am not familiar with doing. How could I have never taken the time to learn this?

There’s a radio and a book with coordinates and the channels to contact the various airports on our route. I turn on the radio and fiddle with the buttons until I find one that could be useful. That gives me nothing, but I continue down the list as quickly as possible. When I can’t get ahold of the right people, I decide to call The General. He’ll have a way to pinpoint us and advise me on what to do next. I twist my body slightly so that I can reach my phone. When I unlock it, I see a message from Blue. I open it and read every word more than once.

***Blue: I love you too! Be safe!***

I smile at the message and only when my whole body is shaken violently do I remember that I need to get help. Loud alarm sounds begin to blare, and I try to figure out what’s happening on the different panels. It isn’t good, so I pull up The General’s number and call it.

“Artemis! I know you’re excited to see me but you still have a few hours before-“His words and humorous tone falls away as the alarms get louder. “What the hell is happening up there?”

“The pilot is dead and now the plane is going down. I was hoping you could talk me through landing this thing safely.”

“Right. Jefferson! Get on the radio and talk Artemis though emergency landing procedures!” the General yells.

It doesn’t take long for another voice to join the call. “Alright Mr. Rhodes I need you to try to stay calm while I ask you some questions.”

I’m about to agree when something large comes into view through the front window. The plane slams directly into it and continues crashing through what I’m guessing are trees. My whole body is being slammed in all directions, but I stay calm. I lost my phone at some point so I can’t hear a word of help the guys at the base are offering me.

One more hard hit and I black out. The last thing I see before the darkness is Blue on the very first day we met.



**Blue**


I gasp suddenly when I feel a sudden sharp pain on the side of my stomach.

“Blue? Are you okay?” Athena asks from the other couch.

After I put Lilly to bed, we stayed up to watch movies and binge on sweets. They were trying to distract me from missing Artemis, but it hasn’t worked. Maybe I’m too dependent on him now that being away from him for such a short time is just too much now.

“Yeah, it’s just a fake contraction. I’ve been getting them for a little while now.” I say waving off her concern.
“Are they painful enough that you might need to get checked out?” Rhea asks.

“No, it was sudden that’s all but I’m fine.” I try to give her a reassuring smile, but she doesn’t look convinced.

Another pain hits and I can’t fight back the hiss that escapes my mouth.

“Blue it’s clearly not nothing. We should take you in just to be safe.” Rhea stands and Athena follows quickly after.

“No!” I yell without meaning to. “I can’t go. Artemis isn’t here.”

Once again I’m proving that I am too attached to the man if I would rather be in pain then go anywhere without him.

Rhea moves to sit next to me and she takes my hands in her’s. “I know you’re scared Blue, but those babies and you are the most important thing. We’ll make sure to keep him updated, but he would want you to be checked out. So please, it will put everyone’s minds at ease.”

Her words aren’t the only things pleading, her eyes are as well. She’s worried and a glance over at Athena shows a similar expression. I don’t want them to worry, so I nod.

“Okay but I’ll send messages to keep Artemis in the loop. I don’t want him to worry.”

“Good idea. Come on let’s grab your purse.” Rhea helps me to my feet which is getting harder as the babies get bigger.

“I’ll stay with Lilly.” Athena offers.

“Oh Lilly!” For a brief moment I hadn’t considered what to do with her.

She’s going to be worried too!

“I will look after her. Blue, please stop worrying.” Athena wraps me in a hug, and I melt into it.

She’s no Artemis, but the sentiment is there, and I needed it.

Rhea helps me gather my stuff and Dane pulls our second car out of the garage to drive us to the hospital. He looks nervous as well and keeps glancing at me to be sure I’m okay. It’s sweet how much they care about me and the babies, but their worried expressions are making my worries get worse. Artemis is my rock and knows how to keep me calm when I start to panic.

Artemis please hurry home. I can’t do this without you…I don’t want to.