Later that night Riley was reading a book in bed while Hunter was checking over his equipment. She would glance over to her desk where he sat, all of his equipment laid out on it. In a way it felt weird seeing him in her room again, having it like it was before. She would be on their bed either reading or playing with their daughter, and Hunter would be going over his equipment, to make sure everything was in working order.

"You were always so thorough with your stuff."

"I have to be, I don't need anything malfunctioning while I'm on the surface." He put his VSV down and turned to her. "You know that."

Riley set the book down and sat up straighter. "I know, it's just…...I missed this. I missed seeing you sitting at my desk going over your equipment while I was sitting here either reading or." She sighed and looked down at the bed. "Playing with our daughter."

Hunter sighed through his nose and got up, walking over to the bed and sitting down in front of her. "I can still hear her laugh, you were the one to always make her giggle."

"You made her laugh too, it wasn't just me. She was always happy, always smiling. It made you forget about the state of the world." She gave him a small smile and sighed. "I wonder if the pain will ever go away."

"I don't think it will." He looked over at her, gazing into her green eyes. "We'll just learn to live with it."

"Yeah, along with everything else."

As he reached out for her hand, there was a banging on the door. She gave him a confused look, then went to open the door.

"Riley I know it's late ...I can't find Maks, I've looked everywhere."

Riley's face softened and gently grabbed the women by the arms. "We'll find him. Grab something of Maks and meet me on the platform, once Delta, Charlie and Echo has his scent they should be able to find him quickly. He shouldn't have gotten too far."

"Okay."

She turned back to Hunter and sighed again. "Get your gun we have a child to go find."

While Hunter grabbed his gun, a few magazines and his gas-mask, Riley went to go put on her boots. Her heart began to race as she laced them up, making her hands shake. She just hopes they can find the boy in time.

xXx

Riley and Hunter met Mak's mom on the platform, luckily Delta, Echo and Charlie were all there as well and she didn't need to go find them. When she and Hunter got closer to her she could see a teddy bear in her hand, the perfect object for Riley's watchmen to get his scent.

"Ah his teddy bear, that's perfect." Maks mom handed the teddy bear over while Riley whistled for Delta, Echo and Charlie to come over. "Once they have his scent we'll find him in no time."

She nodded her head and tried giving Riley as small smile, but couldn't and she couldn't blame her. If Riley was in her shoes she would be frantic.

Delta, Charlie and Echo came running up and stopping abruptly in front of her with a curious look in their eyes. She held out the teddy bear for them to sniff, then she handed it back to Maks mom. Now the only thing to do was wait until they picked it up.

Echo seemed to have picked something up when she sniffed at the ground, turning around and following it, which happened to be towards the Metro. Riley glanced over at Hunter with a worried look, if Mak went into the tunnels there was a good chance he could be dead and she wasn't ready for that outcome. She prayed he was hiding somewhere.

Riley took a firm hold of her shambler and followed Echo, with Hunter trailing behind her.

When they came to the last guard-post they switched on their flashlights, this part of the Metro was dark and crawling with nosalises. Which didn't help ease Riley's nerves, and it looked like her watchman's picked up his scent fast enough since they howled and took off.

With a groan from both Riley and Hunter, they ran off after them.

As they ran in the direction where Delta, Echo and Charlie ran off too they could hear them baying in the not too far distance, then again it could be echoing off the walls of the metro, making them seem closer than they actually are.

Suddenly Hunter stopped in his tracks, reaching his arm out to make sure Riley stops too. She didn't say anything, she just watched him bring his VSV up with his finger on the trigger. And she did the same with her shambler.

She looked around, seeing and hearing nothing. "What's wrong?"

Hunter loosened up a bit, pulling his finger off the trigger. "I thought I heard something."

And just like that, Riley's watchman's starting baying in the not too far away distance. They picked up their pace again, the closer they got the more the baying became louder and louder, but it was mixed with something else. It didn't take long for her to realize what it was, the Nosalises mixed with the screams of a child.

Hunter and Riley both put their fingers on their triggers and hauled ass.

A moment later, everything came into view. Delta, Echo and Charlie were fighting off some Nosalises that were trying to get into a small crevasse in the wall. Her eyes widened when she realized Maks was in there.

"Maks!" she yelled.

"Riley?" he replied back a moment later.

"Stay there until I tell you to come out okay?"

"Okay."

Hunter was already taking out some of the other Nosalies and she joined him. It didn't take long for all five of them to take out the small horde, then silence fell through their part of the metro.

Riley sighed and set her shambler aside, walking over to the crevasse to see Maks cowering in fear. She couldn't help but feel for him, she knew what it was like to witness this at such a young age. "It's over, you can come out."

Maks slowly made his way out and from what she can tell he wasn't injured, just very shaken up. As soon as he got out, he jumped into her arms and began to cry. She wrapped her arms around him and stood up, turning to Hunter.

"Let's go home."

xXx

Riley set her shambler down on her desk, going over to her bed and sitting down with a sigh. Her heart was still racing from that attack, Mak cowering in fear, thank god they got to him in time. And now he was safe and sound with his mother and hopefully he learned his lesson on not to go out into the metro.

Hunter looked over at her, seeing the absent look on her face, like she was off somewhere else. He set his VSV down near the desk, then sat down next to her, grabbing her hand. "Are you alright Riley?"

"When you and Alyona used to play together seeing her laugh and eyes lit up when you used to gently toss her in the air, I could tell you two would've been joined at the hip." She finally looked over at him, tears welling in her eyes. "Back then my worst fear was, what if Alyona sneaks out to try and find you after you leave one day. And by the time I find her it's too late. I know she was an infant, but the fear was still there, knowing exactly who her parents were."

"Riley…"

"I miss her Hunter, so much."

The tears fell from her eyes and Hunter wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. As she sobbed he held her tighter, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes, trying to keep himself from crying. As tough as he may be, he was still only human and losing his daughter broke something inside him. He became more angry at the world, more angry at everything. He was supposed to protect her, and failed. He'll never forgive himself for that, even though deep down he knew you can't protect people when they catch a virus, you can only let it run it course and pray they get better.

But he does blame himself for Riley's pain, if he was more careful when they slept together Alyona would have never been born and she would be her normal charismatic self. Not someone who was in constant pain over the death of their own child.

"I miss her too Riley, I miss her too." He nuzzled his face into her hair, breathing her in. "And I'm sorry."

"For what?" She sobbed out.

"For planting Alyona inside you in the first place. I should have been smarter, not letting my lust for you to cause me to do something stupid. You're in agony because of me."

Riley pulled away from him, her cheeks tear stained and eyes slightly puffy. She wiped her eyes, sniffling as she locked eyes with him. "It wasn't just your fault Hunter, it was mine too. We both should've been more careful, every time we slept together, you on top of me all I wanted was you, every part of you. I didn't care about the consequences of our actions back then. And a part of me still doesn't, because you gave me the greatest blessing in this messed up world, our daughter. Yes she died way before her time and there's not a day that goes by where I don't miss her. But don't you dare blame yourself for my pain, this isn't your fault."

Hunter sighed, glancing down at the bed then back to her. "How can I not blame myself for your pain. I was the one that got you pregnant and I wasn't here when you found out, and I wasn't here to help you make that decision. I knew you were waiting for me to return before you did anything, when I did you were already too far along to end it. I forced you to go through a pregnancy and become a mother because I wasn't here when you needed me. How is this not my fault Riley?"

She wiped her eyes again, grabbing Alyona's teddy bear and maneuvered herself so she was sitting against the wall.

"Yes I was waiting for you before I did anything, and maybe I would have but it didn't feel right to go behind your back and make such a big decision without your opinion. And yeah I was terrified, I didn't know anything about children, I didn't know if I was going to be a good parent or not. The moment I laid eyes on her for the first time I loved her, and I still do even after she passed away." She took a deep breath, setting the teddy bear aside. "She might have been unplanned but she was still the best thing you've ever given me."

Hunter moved over to sit next to her, taking her hand into his. She moved a little closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder - like she always used to do when they were in bed. Affection wasn't something he was used too, in fact he found it quite foreign to him. Having the affection come from Riley though made him feel at ease and truthfully he loved how affectionate she was.

"You won't have to worry about me not being there for you when you need me the most. I'm not putting you through that again."

"Good, or I would have to beat your ass Hunter."

He scoffed then chuckled. "I don't doubt that kotik."

"Good." She chuckled in reply. "It would be a shame if I had too."

"Why don't you get some sleep Riley, it's been a hectic night." He got off the bed, setting Alyona's teddy bear on one of the small crates in her room.

She nodded her head and started taking off her boots, setting them aside, then took off her sweater and laid down on one of the pillows. "Aren't you coming to bed?"

"Not yet, I will soon."

"Okay."

xXx

Hunter sat at her desk cleaning both of their weapons while Riley slept. He would glance over to her occasionally, watching her for a moment before going back to the guns. He knew he wasn't a good man, not by a long shot, he's done things he hopes she will never find out. Because even if he doesn't show his affectionate side a lot, he's still afraid of losing her.

He stood up, placing her shambler on the wall mount and sat back down. It wasn't that long ago where he would be sitting in this exact same seat while Riley slept in their bed and Alyona in her cradle. To enamored with his daughter to sleep himself, he would lean over her cradle and look at her, taking in every little detail of her little face. Her little wips of brown hair that curled at the base of her head, her blue eyes and the little birthmark she had on her neck that looked like a butterfly.

He never knew he could help make something so..beautiful. So perfect.

A light knock at the door forced him to snap out of his little dream state, sighing he stood up and opened it, seeing it was her dad. "Daniel? I expected you to be sleeping right now."

"One of our guards got injured a week ago, I've been taking up his guard duty until he's better." He glanced behind him, seeing Riley asleep on the bed. "I need to talk to you."

Hunter nodded and followed him, closing the door softly behind him. The station was a skeleton crew at this time of night, only the people on guard duty were around, everyone else was asleep. He followed Daniel until they came to his office, he opened the door, letting Hunter go in first. Closing the door behind him he walked over and leaned against his desk and sighed.

"I'm happy you've finally decided to take Riley to Polis with you." He crossed his arms and looked over at him. "She needs a fresh start, away from here."

"I should've done it sooner." He rubbed the back of his neck and sat down in one of the chairs. "But I didn't want to take her away from her family. Her home."

Daniel nodded, then pushed himself away from his desk and sat down. "Now this place is slowly killing her. She'll never have peace, this station will always hold the memories of Alyona. She needs a fresh start and I'm sure it'll be easier to start over in Polis."

"I would start over wherever she wanted me too." He looked down at his hands, then back over to him. "I've hurt her too much in the short amount of time we've been together."

"She never blamed you Hunter, not once." He leaned back in his seat with a sigh. "Not for the pregnancy, not for disappearing, and not for Alyona."

"I blame myself, I was careless and look what happened?" He averted his eyes to one of the posters on the wall. "I never intended to get her pregnant, when she did I wasn't here to help make that decision. She kept Alyona because she wanted me to be here for that decision."

"I know and she knows. There's only so much you can do to prevent a pregnancy nowadays, and Riley told me how you were both careless. Either way I think she would've kept that child anyways."

Hunter nodded. "I know. She was a good mother, the best I could ask for for my daughter!"

"She was, I was very proud of her!" A small smile formed on his face when he thought back on Riley taking care of Alyona, like she was made to be a mother. "I still am."

"Daniel, can I marry her?" He turned his attention back to him, seeing the shocked expression on his face. "I love her, I do. She might be the only person left on this world I love and I've messed up more than I would like to admit."

Daniel sat up straighter, the shocked expression still on his face. "I never saw you as a man who would want to get married Hunter."

"I wasn't. Then Riley came along and changed things. I never got close to anyone, yet I got close to her - even had a child with her. I think it's time to take that next step."

A smile started to spread across Daniel's face and he leaned forward. "You have my blessing!"

xXx

As Hunter walked back into Riley's room he saw that she was up. He shut and locked the door behind him, then sat down on the edge of the bed. "I wasn't expecting you to be up."

"Sleep hasn't really been a thing for me in a long time." She gave him a small smile and hugged her knees. He moved closer to her, rubbing his hand up and down her bare back, then leaned down to kiss at her neck. She bit her bottom lip and softly moaned. "I wasn't expecting you to do this."

He moved away ever so slightly, his lips tracing her skin. "I can stop if you want me too."

"Don't you dare Hunter."

Hunter smirked, going back to his attack on her neck. His free hand found one of her breasts, pinching her nipple in between his fingers to force a louder moan from her mouth. It was such a sweet sound to his ears, a sound he very greatly missed.

He stopped his attack on her neck, moving away. Riley moved her head, locking eyes with him and the butterflies in her stomach started dancing again, like they did every time she used to see him. Then she leaned forward until their lips met.

Hunter's hand came up and cupped her cheek and she hummed. Finally was all that she could think of. The first kiss in almost two years, something she never thought would happen again.

He gently pushed her down on the bed, nudging her legs apart and placing himself in between them. Seconds later he pulled away, gazing into her green eyes, and moved a few strands of her brown hair behind her ears. "Are you sure?"

She propped herself up on her elbows, giving him a chaste kiss. "Positive!"

A smirk formed on his and he pushed her back down on the bed, kissing her more hungrily this time. "Good."

xXx

Hunter was still wide awake but a lot more content than he was earlier. Two years it took for him to share a bed with her again, two very long and stressful years. And it was just as great as all the times before.

He looked over, seeing Riley sound asleep next to him. A small smile formed on his face, in a few days they would be leaving for Polis and that trip will be long and treacherous, but he knows she can do it and they'll have her watchmans with them anyways.

Hunter was looking forward to their new life, a life he hopes will turn out as good as it can be in this type of world. Polis has everything she would need and everything their child will need if they decide to have another one, until then he was perfectly happy with her being back in his life and he can't wait to see the Ranger she'll become.