Lost Protecting Slovenia: The Joke's On You

03, A Special Promise

"ZALA!" Gašper cried and knelt down next to her. Her green eyes were filled with terror, pain, and relief. 

"Gašper...." She trembled.

"Zala, please!" Gašper wept for his lover as she lay on the ground after being speared by Sherman... She was slowly slipping away. Gašper could see the glow in her eyes slowly fade as he held her close.

"Oh Zala! Stay with me!" Gašper begged. 

"Gašper..... You need to go.... before he comes back...." Zala trembled, gasping for air. 

"I'm not leaving you!" Gašper wept, still holding onto Zala tight to keep her warm and comfortable. 

"Gašper.... You have to let me go..." Zala said.. Gašper's heart broke when he heard her say that. He knew he couldn't let her go.....

Gašper shot awake. Breathing heavily, he realized he was just having another nightmare. He shook his head violently to get the image out of his head. His beloved Zala... He didn't want to lose her. He didn't want fate to separate them before he got to tell her how he felt. He decided to get up and get a drink of water to get his mind off of the dream. 

He walked down the hall and noticed that the bathroom door was shut, meaning the bathroom was occupied.

He sighed. He decided to go to the pantry for something to munch on. He needed a distraction from his nightmare. 

He found some Christmas cookies from last month to munch on. He began to nibble on a sugar cookie, when he heard muffled voices coming from the bedroom. He decided to go see what was up. When he saw Zala crying on the bed, he gasped silently as she muttered the words "I can't do this again! I can't do this again!" 

"Hey, Zala? Are you alright?" Gašper asked.

"Oh Gašper! Uh, yeah, I'm fine!" She smiled, but it didn't match her eyes.

"Zala, I know when you're upset. Your eyes tell me that you're stressing about something." Gašper whispered so he wouldn't wake the others.

"Oh, Geps! You know me too well.... I can't do this again! I don't want Sherman to hurt us again... What if we lose someone here for good this time?" Zala quivered. 

Gašper held his breath. He was scared, but he didn't want Zala to know that. He needed to think of something to make her comfortable. Before he could say anything, he was cut off by something Zala said that he didn't expect her to say.

"Gašper... I don't want to lose you."

Gašper swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't process what Zala had just said, but he knew he couldn't let it get the best of him.

"Zala... I don't want to lose you either... But I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will be with you. No matter where you go, and what you do, I will be in your heart." Gašper smiled. Zala looked at him. Her eyes showed faith that Gašper would keep his word . She smiled and blushed as she looked away. 

"You promise?" Zala asked.

"I promise. I'll always be with you." Gašper smiled. Then he chuckled. "Now that doesn't mean you can go and get yourself killed by Sherman to test that theory!" 

Zala chuckled.

"You really think I'd do that?" Zala snickered back. 

"No, I was just making sure." Gašper blushed. 

"Well don't worry. I'll try my best to not get killed by Sherman." Zala smiled.

Gašper sighed. It was getting bright outside. The sun was rising, and the others would be up soon.