Life As We Know It

My prayers were answered. Harper Belle Gardener was born around midnight and she is the sweetest little thing in the entire world. I don't think I've ever been so happy. Just holding her in my arms for the first time gave me a feeling of something I've never felt so strongly before.

Happiness.

I've never seen Jackson beam a smile this big in the entire time I've known him. When he holds her, he is so full of delight. It makes me forget about the fact that we basically have to pretend she doesn't exist, pull off a life risking mission, and that my chip went off in my neck in the middle of labor.

I never told Jackson. Dr. Williams never said anything to me, and left without a word. That made me think that maybe it was a fluke, or that I only thought I felt it because of all the stress that was being put on my body. When he came for Harper's newborn checkups, he didn't say a word. That was until Jackson left the room to take a call from work.

Dr. Williams hands me back Harper, the looks at me. He doesn't say anything; just looks at me. To break the awkward tension, I go and put Harper in her crib. When I come back, Dr. Williams is still looking at me. I'm becoming a little uncomfortable.

"Is there anything wrong with Harper?" I ask, hoping that is all he's thinking about.

"She's completely healthy. She has a good mother. Too bad she's breaking the law," he says. My heart rate rises a little, but I don't show it in my emotions.

"What do you mean?" I ask nervously.

"You married and had a child with someone who isn't your match." Before I can respond, he begins talking again. "How, you ask, do I know this? Well, when I showed up the chip in the back of my neck went off and I know yours did as well because you've been very timid around me ever since." This guy is stepping out of line.

"Listen Williams I-" He cuts me off.

"Oh you can call me Alex, since I'm going to become your husband. Granted after I turn you in." He just caught my attention. If he turned me in, I would probably go on death row for treason against The Association. I try to hide my fear from him. He can't know that I'm hiding something.

"Alex, I'm not sure you understand me. Jackson and I are matched. You just delivered mine and Jackson's child," I say slowly. "That means that we are married and have a child. You can check all the records you want. They will say that our chips vibrated when we met." He looks at me for a while, then starts to walk towards me.

"I won't turn you in," he says, coming closer. "Just get a new name and marry me. I've been waiting for my one for so long. Everyone else in my family already has a family while I have nothing."

He is beginning to become uncomfortably close. I start backing up but soon find myself trapped in a corner. I begin to breathe harder. I want to scream for help, but I'm afraid on what he will do to me. "Leave Jackson right now, and I'll be sure the government never figures out."

That interests me. How could he be sure the government never figures out? He's only a doctor. I want to ask when he goes in for a kiss. Right as I'm about to push him away, he's jerked back. The next thing I know, he is on the ground with Jackson on top of him with one fist raised and the other holding him by his shirt.

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING TO MY WIFE!" Jackson yells in Alex's face. Alex, unmoving, responds simply,

"You mean my wife." That is when Jackson delivers his first blow to Alex's face. I go over to Jackson and try pulling him off of Alex, but he pushes me back.

"Let me ask you one more time," Jackson says, a little calmer. "What were you doing to my wife?" Alex just smirks, then spits in Jackson's face. At that point, Jackson blows his top and starts throwing punches. I go back over to him and pull him off before any serious damage is done to Alex the Pervert. Thankfully all the commotion didn't wake up Harper.

I take him over to the other side of the room and calm him down. I look over at Alex who is just lying there. He is conscious, but just lying there so I'm not concerned about him. I focus on Jackson who is still fuming with hatred.

"We are getting you a new doctor. This man is being beyond inappropriate," Jackson says. I can almost see the smoke coming out of his nostrils for how upset he is. His face is still cherry red. I make him take a few deep breaths before I let him talk again. I can tell he's still mad, but his face has regained a normal color. "What happened?" he asks.

I explain everything to him, starting from the moment my chip vibrated. The only reason why my chip vibrated is because mine and Jackson's match was fake.

Set up, in a sense.

Since it wasn't a true matching, my chip went off again when I saw Alex. Thankfully, the government isn't as smart as the chip.

He looks a little hurt by the end of it. I try pulling him closer to me, but he shies away.

"Don't think for one moment that I don't love you," I say. "I know I'm not one to say it often, but I really do love you." That gets a smile out of him. We come up with a plan on how we can utilize Alex since he said he had connections.

Alex's behavior just shows how messed up this system is. He tried making a move on me while I'm married, and then threatened turning me in for marrying the wrong person. I love Jackson. I wasn't matched to him, but I love him. Forbid me for wanting things to go back to the way they used to be.

When we walk back over to him, he hasn't moved a muscle.

"Get up, weirdo," I say. He gets up and makes himself comfortable on the couch.

"I presume that you've talked and that Wendy and I will be married soon?" Alex asks. My husband just gives a laugh.

"Yeah, in your wildest dreams," he says while sitting down.

"Well then I'll just turn you in for having a false and illegal, mind you, marriage." I look at Jackson and he nods at me. Little does Alex know, he just shortened our mission by months.

"You will not do that and I will tell you why. For starters, Jackson and I have records saying that we are matched and it is illegal to ever split up. Next, we can report you to The Association for not only assaulting me, but claiming you are my match when I am married." I see the giddiness leave his eyes as he now realizes that he could be serving serious prison time for what he's done.

"Please. Don't do that. My job is all I have left," says Alex. He begins stammering a bunch of words I can't comprehend. I try to calm him down, but I'm unsuccessful so I just let him go on until he's done.

"You didn't let us finish," says Jackson. "We will let you go without any harm if you agree to work with us." I can tell Alex is confused.

"Work with you? What exactly do you have in mind?" he asks.

"You told me that you had your ways in the government," I say. "Do you think you could get us some files that are crucial to the future of this society?" He looks really scared.

"What's in it for me? If I get caught, I'd be killed for sure."

"Jackson and I would make sure that you got in and out safely. You won't ever be punished for anything that happened today either."

He sits there for a while, pondering every outcome this could have. If he agrees, Jackson and I will be back at the rebel base with Harper in less than a month. The Association wouldn't exist anymore and I'd probably be the new leader of whatever government we decide to create. Most importantly: President Gina Harold will be dead. All if he says yes.

"What did you say this was for again?" Alex asks.

"We didn't say," says Jackson. "Just know that if you help us, you won't regret it." Alex begins nodding his head and gets up to shake Jackson's hand.

"You've got yourself a deal." Jackson gets up to shake his hand as well, but makes one last spiel.

"You also must know that if you make any advances on my wife, I will kill you. If you betray us in anyway, I will kill you. Finally, if you think no one is watching you know that someone is always watching you. We have connections. Are we understood," he says, extending his hand. Alex shakes it with a lot of excitement.

"I promise to help you. Anything to save my life."