Sitting on the grass, I close my eyes and place my hand on the cold stone. Allowing the warmth radiating from this cold stone to reach my heart to provide some comfort.

Simply sitting, quietly, I let myself feel the presence of Pops around me cocooning me in a sense of security which only his existence brought in my life.

Letting Pops go was not easy for me, however, asking him to stay with me would have been selfish of me.

However, it is true Pops didn't die that day alone, he also took away his Avy with him. Now, who is living is just Liam's mother.

Why can't people we love can stay with us forever? Why a time comes when we have to learn to live without them?

Tears roll down from my eyes, involuntarily, when I open my eyes. Wiping the tears with the back of my hand, I take a deep breath then slowly exhale trying to ease off the burden from my chest.

I wanted to bring Liam to meet Pops, but he fell asleep in the car. And I didn't have the heart to wake him up from his nap, so I let him sleep and came here to meet Pops.

Kissing my fingers, I press them to his gravestone as my heart clenches painfully in my chest.

No matter how many years will pass, but saying goodbye to him will never be easy for me. Every time I feel the same ache in my heart just like the first time I felt when I said goodbye to him.

God, I hate goodbyes... there is nothing good about letting the person go who is an important part of your life.

Standing up, when I turn around I notice Alec standing a little far from me as he silently stares at me.

I want to say, I am surprised to see him here. But I am not.

"Please." His throat works as he swallows, "Come." He gestures me with his hand to follow him.

I wanted to say no because I don't want to listen to him. But I remember my promise to Pops that if I will ever meet Alec I will try to listen to him once. It is so strange, even after everything Pops never thought bad of him... even after everything he trusted him.

Just for the sake of that trust, and for fulfilling my promise which I made to Pops, I nod my head.

You better be happy, Pops. I am still listening to you even when you are not here. And better visit in my dream soon, because I can't wait to give you a tough fight as I have been practicing every day just like you used to force me.

After walking a little, his steps come to halt. Looking around, I feel perplexed but then my eyes land on something on the front. He turns to face me, with the most broken smile I have seen on his face.

"They are gone." He shrugs, "I could not save them, Avery, just before my eyes they were snatched from me."

My eyes shift to the stone behind him, as Lorene's smile flashes before my eyes which held so much love, along with Harold's face. Even though I never had a chance to interact with Harold much but I have seen the affection in his eyes for his family.

Swallowing the emotions, which starts to rise inside my chest after knowing about the loss of such beautiful people, I glance back at Alec.

His gaze locks with mine, as he quietly speaks the next words.

"They were killed."

Killed?

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"My great grandfather started an organization, a secret service group, with his friend after retiring from the army." He clasps his hands in his lap as we sit outside the cemetery, "Sort of clean up organization." He lightly laughs as if there is some kind of inside joke behind his words.

"We clean up the dirty messes which are left behind by the government." He elaborates.

"We work closely with government and law enforcement agencies." His stare fixed ahead, "In front of the world, we run just a private security company, but in reality, we are an undercover organization. We have a free hand to deal with unlawful activities."

Pops once told me about such organizations, they are covert agencies and work discreetly with the government and law enforcement agency. These organizations play really significant role because when the law fails they come in action.

"We are not the bad guys, we are the good bad guys." Turning his head slightly towards me, he smirks proudly.

"Many ex-servicemen are part of our organization. Even every new member recruited into our organization has to go through basic military training. A rule which was set by my great grandfather. He was a strict follower of military rules and regulations even after being retired from the force. A rule which is instilled in every member of our family."

"Person leaves the military, but the military never leaves you," I repeat the words which I have heard numerous times from Pops's mouth.

A small smile tilts the corner of his lips as he nods his head in agreement.

"Our lives are in constant danger, Avery." His tone becomes serious, "People who are associated with us also become the target."

"Being with me means, living with a constant target on your back. I never wanted that sort of danger for you." He shakes his head, "I tried to stay away from you, but I failed. So, I did the next best thing that was to keep everything secret from you. As the more you know, the more you can come in the eyes of people."

"My every fear for your safety came true when you were targeted that night, just because someone saw you with me." He glances at me, "However, they could have never guessed the girl whom they considered as an easy target is enough to give them nightmares for the rest of their lives only if I had left them alive." He chuckles darkly.

"I always knew I loved you, but at that moment I was sure I want to be with you." He raises his face towards the sky, "I can never imagine anyone other than you, to be with... to spend my life with."

He looks at me and sighs defeatedly, maybe hoping to see any reaction from me. But now I no longer believe in such words, they are meaningless to me.

You never leave the person, with whom you want to spend your life.

"I wanted you in my life, but at the same time I wanted to keep you away from the danger that came with being with me." He runs a hand through his hair, "I talked to dad, he told me the only way this is possible is to make you officially part of our family... letting my name attached with yours. So, in case anything happens to me even then you will be protected as we always protect what is ours."

"I knew, you were the only girl I would marry, there was no doubt in that. So, there was no need to waste time in waiting when I could have my happiness in my life." He lets out a humorless laugh. "For the first time, I thought for myself, I thought I deserved happiness... that even I deserved to be happy."

"And I was happy... beyond happy." His tone quietens, "But I never knew I was getting the taste of happiness, only to be snatched away from me."

"That night when I left home, my entire life turned upside down." His hands form into fists as he swallows. "The people with whom we were dealing with were more dangerous than we could have thought. Apart from that, there was someone from inside who was working with them, who was keeping an eye on our every movement."

He tightly shut his eyes like he is preparing himself to utter the next words.

"They killed my parents mercilessly in front of my own eyes, just to get back at me, and I could not do anything." He clenches his jaws tightly, "We never target anyone's family, but they killed my family in the worst way possible making me helplessly watch them die."

"I was scared, so scared... because if they had found out anything about you, I knew then they were going to come after you and I would not be able to do anything." He takes a deep breath, "I was ready to live away from you, with your hate, if it meant you were alive and safe. You are everything to me, I could have never let anything happen to you. I promised myself to protect you at any cost and this time protecting you meant to be away from you. I had to hurt you, even if it had killed me, so that you never try to find me."

"I swear nothing was more painful for me than to stay away from you... not able to hear your voice when all I had to do was to answer your calls. But any contact with me could have land you in trouble because I didn't know who was helping them. And I would die before letting anything happen to you."

"I can't let my emotions rule me. But when it comes to you, I have no control over my heart..." He trails off, turning his head to the side.

"Nobody can love you as much as I love you, even then I always prayed that you have someone in your life who loves you and gives you all the happiness which you deserve... which I was not able to give you." His voice cracks as he covers his face with his hands while inhaling a sharp breath. I silently watch him, his pain, but not able to do anything about it.

I am not an emotionless person, I am clearly able to see his pain. But the only difference is that now hardly anyone's emotions reach my heart.

The only person whose feelings matter to me now is Liam's, not even mine. He is the only one for whom my heart beats.

Alec raises his head as his reddened eyes meet mine, "I have lost everything. There is no one in my life whom I can call as mine. Even my fear came true, fear of being alone..." Tears slip from his eyes, while a rueful smile is settled on his face, "I am alone, Firefly."

His broken look shatters something in me... something which told me that even after whatever happened, still, I can't see him like this. Maybe, the truth is that, I can never see him like this.

He doesn't deserve this...but neither did I deserve that pain which he had given me.

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