Duplicity Ch 17

Hey guys,

Here's the next chapter. Sorry it's a bit shorter than usual. I just felt good about ending this chapter where it did. That way the next chapter will be kinda like a new beginnings type of thing. Don't fret, there's another chapter (maybe two) and maybe an epilogue. Special thanks to TJ and thelovely1glo with all their help with editing. As always don't forget to comment. Thanks!

P.S. The title Hold you in my Arms is taken from the song by Ray LaMontagne. :)

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Everything was quiet and still.

The sunlight peeked through the blinds as if peppering gentle kisses enticing him to rise. He was in a drunken haze of sleep. His eyelids were heavy as bricks.

He'd slept so soundly, so content without any disturbance of his unconscious past. He had forgotten what that was like, to sleep so soundly.

It was the most delicious dream. Layla was there. He recognized her sweet voice, her smell, her touch. The way her breath hitched every time he touched her. The way her soft lips traveled down his neck. The way her most sensitive spots were never too far from his deft fingers.

Sean slowly opened his eyes. He saw Sienna as she stood by the far corner window arranging bright flowers in a vase. He was about to ask her what she was doing in his room, but took in his surroundings for the first time.

There was a gentle beep of a monitor and the smell of sterilized equipment wafted the air. It made him realize where he was. The IV tubes flowed up his hands and arms. He tried to move but let out a loud groan instead.

Sienna snapped her head in his direction and ran over to him.

"AAHH!! Oh my God. Oh my God. Sean! You're awake," she cried hysterically.

She ran out of the room. "He's awake! He's awake! Oh thank God," she screamed.

Sean looked at her as if she'd gone mad. What the fuck?

She ran back inside and rushed to his side. As she hugged him, tears fell from her face.

"Thank God. Thank God," she whispered.

"Where are we?" Sean's voice sounded hoarse. His throat was dry.

"We're in a hospital in New York." Sienna handed him a cup of water.

After swallowing Sean asked, "New York?"

Two nurses rushed in and fussed all over him. One of them asked him a series of questions while the other checked his levels.

Their heads turned at the sound of the door opening.

"Hi Sean, my name is Dr. Hellman. It's so nice to finally meet you. How are you feeling?" He was fairly young looking and had a pleasant face. He did a thorough check and asked Sean questions about his pain level.

He ran a metal tool down Sean's left foot and asked if he felt anything. Sean looked up at him in confusion but nodded that yes he had. He repeated the action to his right foot and although it was faint, he felt it as well.

The doctor and Sienna seemed extremely relieved. "There are still more tests to run, but for now it seems we're out of the dark."

The doctor pulled up some x-rays up on his iPad and showed them to Sean as he spoke, "Your recovery has really been remarkable. When the blade pierced your back it just barely missed any of your major organs. You're extremely lucky. Now you have a bit of long road ahead. I estimate you'll need to be in rehabilitation and physical therapy any where from 8 months to a year.

Sean's eyes widened and the doctor raised his hands. "Maybe less. It really depends on you and how you take to it. You healed beautifully from all your other injuries, but the damage to your spine was pretty severe. You'll need to take it one day at a time."

He looked towards Sienna and smiled. The patient's sister was a force to be reckoned with. She hadn't missed a day in coming to see him along with other family members. "It looks like you have a really good support system here so I'm confident your recovery will go smoothly."

Sean was trying to wrap his head around everything. He was in shock.

"Sean, count yourself lucky. You could've easily been paralyzed from an injury like this, but you're young and extremely healthy. Plus we work with some of the best physical therapists in the country."

The doctor left, saying he would be in to see him tomorrow and that he should try and get some rest.

When they were left alone, Sienna clasped her hands to her chest and exhaled. Of all the days, she was the only one there right now. It was a miracle. She should have run out and call everyone with the news, but instead took in this moment with her brother.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Layla... Is she-?" Sean tried to sit up, but the pain pulsed through him.

Sienna quickly nodded. "Layla is fine. She's not here right now, but she's fine." He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"What happened?"

"The men who took Layla... they almost killed you both." Sienna's voice cracked. It was still hard to talk about.

"But one of the men saved Layla and you shot the other one. No one knows who he was. As soon as help came he disappeared."

Sean nodded. "Haseem. His name is Haseem Kamran. He saved Layla. But he saved me long before. He was one of Rollins' most trusted lieutenants. I met him a long time ago when I was held prisoner. At first, I thought he represented everything I hated, but eventually I realized he wanted the thing same I did."

Sienna's eyebrows rose in expectation.

"To be free. We both just wanted to be free. From a very young age he was forced to become who he was and he was tired of it all. He sought me out and promised to help me. He taught me how to fight. Not just how to fight, but to conquer and destroy the enemy by calculating and targeting them accurately. He taught me how to wait for the right time to strike. In return all he wanted was for me to help him bring down Rollins. Together we gathered all the information we needed and when it was time he helped me escape."

Sean's expression turned haunted. "There were times when I really didn't think I was going to make it. He protected me from the worst of it. I owe him my life."

When he finished talking, Sienna's eyes were as wide as saucers. "We had no idea who he was. He called for help as soon as you were stabbed. That was how they were able to get to you in time."

With watery eyes she sniffled and rubbed her nose. "But Sean, it was so close. If it'd been even a minute later... you wouldn't have made it. I was so close to losing you again, Sean." She couldn't help it. She burst into tears at the thought.

"Hey... but you didn't. I'm here."

Sienna grabbed some tissues and blew her nose noisily.

"Hey, you wanna know something? When I was held as prisoner I went through some of the most ... horrible things. You wanna know what held me together? What kept me from going crazy for real?"

She shook her head in response.

"You."

Her brows furrowed in confusion.

Sean nodded. "In the military they train you, prepare you for every scenario. If you're taken prisoner, they teach you to focus on a good memory. You have to go to a good place in your mind in order to get through it and not lose grip on reality. It centers you and keeps you mentally strong. All of my good memories were of you. Cece, you were my center, my rock."

Sienna's eyes widened and they couldn't contain more tears. Now they fell with more gusto. They were a mix of happiness and heart-breaking sadness. The things he'd endured, she couldn't start to imagine.

She hugged him tight and squished her cheek to his. "I love you Sean. So much."

"Ok, alright. It hurts... you're squeezing me too hard."

She let out a chuckle and apologized. She fluffed his pillow and remained quiet, as if deep in thought.

"God, Sean, the shit you went through... I want to meet this guy Haseem and thank the hell out of him. Do you know where he could've gone?"

Sean let out a crooked grin. "No, but I'm sure you'll meet him someday, hopefully soon. Now that Rollins' operation has been destroyed, it's not safe for him out there. He always wanted to come to the U.S. and often talked about what he would do when he'd get here. I have a number I call every so often to check in with him. I gotta make sure he's somewhere safe and find out about getting him to the States." He looked around for his phone. "What day is it?"

Sienna cringed and bit her bottom lip in apprehension.. "It's Tuesday... February 6th."

His eyes widened. "What?!"

She slowly nodded. "Your injuries were really bad Sean. Your spine was almost severed and you had internal bleeding. You had to go through several operations and were kept sedated. Then you slipped into a coma. We kept praying for a miracle. As soon as you were stable, we assembled the best team of doctors and flew you back to New York."

Sean sighed. "Fuck. It's been almost two months." She pursed her lips and waited for him continue.

He wouldn't dwell on it. He was just grateful he was alive and back home. "Where is everybody anyway?"

"We rotate times when we come and visit. In the beginning it was pure chaos with everyone here at once. The family was driving the nurses crazy. So I sent them all home with a schedule."

Sean rolled his eyes and let out a small smile. He could imagine the scene unfolding. "I'm sorry I ruined your wedding."

Sienna let out a laugh and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah that. It'll happen. Not sure when, but someday."

He looked down looked at her stomach; she'd already started to show. "How's my nephew?"

She smiled and rubbed her belly. "Good, the baby is really good. I'm still rooting for a girl, though."

"You can root all you want, but that baby is going to be a boy."

She laughed. "What do you have against girls?"

"Hey I got nothing against girls, but I want the first to be a boy so I can do guy stuff with him. And he can look out for his little sister."

Sienna laughed. "Little sister? I'm not planning on having another one just yet. So if it's a girl you'll just have to plan to do uncle and niece stuff together."

There was a stretch of silence and she stared at him. He had a faraway look about him. As the conversation turned to starting a family, she knew who he was thinking of. She was about to say something about it, to reassure him of his doubts when she felt her phone vibrate. She looked down at the screen and smiled. Perfect timing.

She responded to the text then said, "Someone is coming up to see you."

Sean was still in a daze and didn't really hear her. The meds were finally kicking in. The door slowly opened and in she walked. Layla was cautious as she entered, as if she was scared to see him again.

"You're here." Sean's groggy voice was full of surprise. It was as if he summoned her with his mind. She looked different, if possible even more breathtaking than before. Her natural hair was starting to grow out and her natural curls bounced by her neck. She wore a fitted tee and her jeans hugged her thighs in the most delicious way.

Sienna looked between the two of them and how neither of them were talking. "Right, well I'm going to go out to the hall and make some calls. I'll be back."

When Sienna was gone, Layla simply stood rooted in place. She rocked back on her heels avoiding eye contact. This was very strange. She visited him regularly while he was unconscious. Initially she felt a desperate urge to be next to him, especially when he was in critical condition. She'd talk to him for hours, about everything. She wished and prayed he would just once open his eyes and respond back to her. Now he was finally awake and she had no idea what to say.

"Come here." He softly said.

Layla slowly walked towards him and sat in the chair next to the bed.

Sean looked into her eyes. They were just as beautiful he remembered. "Hey."

She averted her eyes from his. "Hey..."

Silence.

"How do you feel?"

"That depends."

Layla's eyes finally connected with his. "On?"

"You still mad at me?"

Layla's eyes widened and she let out a laugh. But suddenly, as if a memory struck her, her chuckle turned into something else and she turned serious. Her mouth trembled and she lowered her head. Silent tears fell down her cheeks.

Sean grabbed hold of her hand and brought it to his. "You gotta stop crying. I can't have everyone that comes to see me cry on top of me. I'm not dead damn it." His voice was full of humor.

Her tears subsided and she whispered, "Sean, what you did for me. We almost... You almost..."

Sean held her hand and examined it for a minute. He turned her left thumb over and saw there was a very faint line of a scar there. He smiled the memory.

"You remember this?"

Layla pursed her lips then smiled. "Yes."

It was one of the first times she ever spoke to Merle. She accidentally cut herself with a box cutter and Merle provided some "assistance" with her injury.

Sean brought her thumb to his lips and gently kissed the tender flesh.

"That was the first time I ever touched you. I knew then that I was in trouble."

Layla subconsciously bit her bottom lip as she felt her body heat rise. This man was in a freaking hospital bed and still managed to get under her skin.

"But then I fucked up when I should've told you the truth about who I really was."

Layla was reflective for a moment but then replied. "Yes you should've told me. But you had a good reason for not telling me. I should've heard you out."

In response he raised her hand to his lips again. "You think we can start over?"

Layla let out a small smile. "That depends..."

"On?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Anything else I should know about you?"

"Well..." Sean looked thoughtful for a moment. "I do have an unholy and probably unhealthy addiction to some girl named Layla."

A flutter of heat traveled through her as a coy smile emerged.

"Oh really?"

"Mm-hmm."

Sean tugged her close. She easily complied, but stopped a few inches from his face. Sean breathed her in and whispered, "It's fucking good to see you."

Layla chuckled. "It's fucking good to see you too.'

He gave her a kiss. It was soft and sweet and full of promises. As his tongue probed hers she let out a small moan. He nibbled on her bottom lip and let out a groan. When he pulled away his eyelids were droopy and he couldn't contain the yawn that escaped his lips.

"Tired?"

Sean let out a crooked grin. "Not anymore."

"Liar, you should rest."

"We have a lot to talk about."

"There's no rush. We have time."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Sean tried to suppress another yawn by covering his mouth.

"Close your eyes and rest. I'll stay for a while and then come back tomorrow."

He nodded in agreement. Then he slowly moved his body to the right and patted the empty space next to him on the bed. Layla seemed hesitant at first, but Sean stuck out his bottom lip out like a petulant child. She chuckled but obliged him. After removing her boots, she maneuvered herself on the bed next to him while being careful not to disturb his IV lines.

She lay on her side and settled her head on his chest. As he closed his eyes he let out a deep sigh and instantly relaxed. This is what he was missing. Absently he ran his fingers down her neck and back. This was the best medication.

Afraid of touching him at first, she lay stiffly next to him. After a moment, she softly rubbed his strong chest. It steadily rose up and down as sleep overcame him. There was so much to talk about. So much to figure out, but there was no other place Layla would rather be.

She reached for the TV control and turned it on. The sound was low enough to not disturb his deep slumber. Layla's eyes were heavy as well, due to lack of sleep from worrying about him.

The evening news was on; Rollins' take-down had been the top story for months now.

Sienna and Jason had already sat Layla down and told her the truth. They told her of the whole plot, some of what Sean had been through and what he'd done throughout the years. They wanted to wait for Sean to tell her, but as the days passed it only seemed fair to fill her in.

Now her ears perked up, curious to see what the veteran journalist would say.

"Good evening. In recent news, we learned of a massive government raid on terrorist's camps and the internal investigations that have taken place. These efforts were only possible because of crucial Intelligence the U.S. government received. We've learned the man behind it was ex-CIA director Carl Rollins. Rollins, along his network of enemy combatants had been systematically attacking and capturing U.S. encampments all over the world.

"Enemy forces killed and tortured U.S. troops while others were taken captive. Our brave men and women were taken to reconditioning camps where they would endure physical and psychological torture. Most of these soldiers were thought to be dead. Their families were told as much and burials were performed. No one knew these reconditioning camps even existed until this Intelligence was brought forward.

"We now know it was all possible due to an extraordinary plot involving one CIA operative and several civilians. Special Forces were then able to capture Rollins and his accomplices. Apparently, an injured Rollins died en route to the hospital after being captured. The cause of death has not been released to the public. The names of the CIA operative, civilians an Special Forces unit have also not been released to the public.

"In addition, a list of individuals working within the U.S. government and supplying Rollins with information to execute terror plots was

also retrieved from this Intelligence. These men and women have been apprehended and await trial. This has been hailed as the single most significant counter-terrorism effort.

"Fortunately, the amount of brave men and women rescued from these reconditioning camps are in the hundreds. These individuals have endured significant trauma. Their families have been notified, but they have a long to go towards leading normal lives.

"Today we learn a bi-partisan committee has been formed to directly address these veterans' unique needs. Several treatment centers are being formed around the country to facilitate their recovery. We've been told the principal one is being established right here in New York City.

"Who will head this rehabilitation center? Who is this mystery CIA operative whose heroic efforts brought down the most notorious terrorist and his organization? Perhaps these will be one and the same. Hey, I'm just throwing it out there." The reporter smiled. "At any rate, whoever or wherever this person is, all we can wholeheartedly say is... Thank You.

"More after these messages."

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Hey guys- I just wanted to thank you all for your comments throughout this story. I don't know if you realize it or not, but your comments and feedback have been really important. The good, the bad and the ugly. All comments are important. It's like a temperature read on the story and characters and I often gauge it by your reactions. For example some anonymous person with military background left a comment back in chapter 7 about how they didn't believe Sean was crazy because of how they're trained in the military; to go to good place in your mind and focus on a good memory. Well as you read in Sean and Sienna's conversation, I was able to add a little of that in this chapter. Your feedback and encouragement has been invaluable. So thanks again. You guys are awesome.

-p2p