I drove back as fast as I could. As much as I hated lying to the guys, I knew that I could never let them know what happened. Once I reached our place, I parked the car but didn't get out. A whole array of emotions that I couldn't identify, flooded my body.

        I was afraid that I would lose them, and Luke. At the thought of never seeing Luke again, I felt my heart stop beating. If he didn't come back, it would kill me. Tears threathened to fall, but I just blinked them away. It wasn't a part of me to break down and cry. 

        Stepping out of the car, I walked back inside and came face to face with four very upset looking men. "Why didn't you wake us up and let us know you were leaving?" Jason demanded as I sit the keys on the table. "I knew that if I woke any of you up, y'all would want to tag along. And I couldn't have let y'all come." 

        "And just why not?" Sam asked crossing his arms across his chest. I look him dead in the eye, and lie. "Because the person I borrowed the vests from is very nervous around men. And the four of you would have scared the daylights out of 'em."

        We talked for several more minutes but we all knew that we were just prolonging the inevitable. "Do y'all need me to drive y'all to the base?" 

        "Nope. We're meeting a bus about five blocks from here." I just nod, my face void of anything. But I knew that the second I looked at Luke, he would be able to see everything. I watched them as they lifted their things out of the back of the jeep. A feeling that I was looking at them for the last time washed over me and I thought my heart would break. 

        Luke pulled me aside, hidden by the darkness. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I held onto him just as hard. I wanted to cry on his shoulder and beg him not to go, but I didn't. Instead, I kissed him. I made sure that everything I felt about him was in that kiss and I knew he felt it and understood. As we broke apart, I gave him a wobbly smile. "You come back to me Luke. I'll wait until the end of time, but you come back to me." 

        "I will Ella. I promise." The tears welled up in his eyes, but didn't fall. Looking over at the other three, I noticed that they too were having a hard time trying not to cry. "Y'all watch each other's backs over there. And tell the newbie that if he or she doesn't keep an eye on the four of you, I'll come back for my job." 

        They chuckled but it was forced. Pulling a wallet-sized copy of Luke and I just after we said our vows from my pocket, I slip it into his. I keep my eyes on them until they're out of sight. Then I turn around and step into the building. Making sure that all my things were in the car, I wipe the place clean of any kind of trace that the five of us had ever been inside it. Getting into the jeep, I point it towards Montana and headed home 

        The days seemed to blur into each other and I lost track of time. The days turned into weeks. My family was worried about me, but I didn't let it get to me. I was only getting maybe three hours of sleep a night because every night the nightmares returned, each worse than the one before. 

        I spent most of my time running and avoiding Mom and Dad. They tried getting Jake to speak to me, but I would just clam up. Henry and Hopper would come to the house and spend the afternoon with me. I knew that everyone was hoping I would speak to them, but they understood. 

        Three weeks after they left, I was in the kitchen getting me a glass of water. I had just gotten back from a run, and it showed. Each day I made the runs longer trying to push the nightmares out of my mind. My phone rang just as I drained the glass. I answer it without looking at the caller i.d. 

        "Hello?"

        "I'm calling for Mrs. Abriella Stella."

        "You've got her." I reply. "This is General Stella." I couldn't stop the sound that left my mouth. "What...What happened? Are they alright? Is Luke alright?" Worries and doubt were swirling around my head a mile a minute. "Ma'am, are you there?"

        "Y...Yes sir, I'm here."

        "I regret to inform you that Captain Stella, my son and your husband, was killed in the line of duty." I couldn't breath. My whole world came crashing down around my ears. "The others? What about Sam, John and Jason?"

        "They were injured, but they're alive and expected to pull through alright." My legs gave out from under me and I slumped to the floor. "I'm sorry for your loss Ella. When the news came across my desk, I knew that I should be the one to tell you. I wish that speaking to you for the first time was under better circumstances." 

        "Thank you General. I'm sorry for your loss as well." I managed to hang up before the phone slipped from my hand and onto the floor. I heard the door shut just as darkness claimed me. 

        Beep. 

        Beep. 

        Beep. 

        Beep. 

        Beep. 

        Beep. Something was wrong and I knew it. I struggled to open my eyes, but they wouldn't cooperate with me. I could make out several voices and I strained to hear them. "Two bullet wounds...body under a lot of stress...miscarriage...must have recieved some upsetting news that her body couldn't handle..."

        The words swirled around my brain as I stuggled to make sense of them. The bullet wounds didn't bother me, I was used to getting shot. I knew that my body could have handled more than just the two. But a miscarriage? I didn't even know that I was pregnant in the first place. But I had lost not only Luke, but a small piece of him that we created together. 

        My eyes slowly opened and I looked around the room. It was a plain hospital room and nothing stood out to me. The door was partially open and I heared my mom talking. "Mom?" I manage to get out and she hurried into the room. When she saw that I was awake, she started crying. I couldn't find it in me to talk, so I just turn my eyes towards the window and stare at the gray clouds. 

        A week passed; one long, grueling week. I refused to talk, but Mom, Dad and Jake tried their best. They were getting little upset with me though and I couldn't blame them. Suddenly my door swung open, slamming into the wall. I jerk around and stare as my three guys waltz into my room. 

        I gave them a weak smile and then it disappeared. Though I was glad to see them, to know that they were doing well, their presence made me miss Luke all the more. "What have you done to yourself Ella?" John whispered, concern etched deeply in his face. The looks they were giving me made my walls crack, and before I could stop them, tears started falling. 

        Throwing my eyes back out the window, I sigh softly. "I knew that it would happen. I knew that I could fight what was coming, try my best to change it, but the outcome would always be the same. You can't fight fate." I speak in a monotone, but I knew they caught every word. 

        "I should've run, or just gave myself to Caine. I should've told the four of you the truth the moment I woke up from surgery. The things I could have and should have done differenly haunt me. The nightmares haunt me. I can't close my eyes without them jumping out at me." I stopped speaking and they stayed silent. 

        "Luke and I were expecting a child and I had no idea. When his father called me to let me know..." My voice broke and I struggled to speak. "To let me know he was gone, I collasped. Now, I have nothing but memories."

        "You have us Ella." Sam spoke up, cutting the silence in half. It was true, I did have them as well. But they would always remind me of the one person that I would never joke with, laugh with or see again. They would be a constant reminded of Luke. And the thought of never seeing them killed me just as much as the hole left in my heart. 

        "Thanks for coming to see me guys." 

        "Any time." The three of them answered at the same time. They stayed for several more minutes before leaving. With a promise to see them in the morning they walked out of the room. And I started working on putting a wall around my heart. 

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This is not the end I promise. There will be a few more chapters and a happy ending for all. :D Just trust me lol.