The Ember In The Storm (undergoing editing)

Part III

"What?"
Jackson pulled away from Elizabeth, taking her hand off of his chest, wondering if he had heard right. His brows knitted and met together, his smile from earlier dropping and eyes fixated on her face, looking for traces of humor.

"Jackson—" Elizabeth cut herself short with a cough, blood leaving her mouth with every heavy cough she took. "I think I am dying".

He let go of her, quickly and yet gently enough. He stepped away from her, leaving her laying on the bed pillow as he stood at least five feet from her, a look of perplexity on his face. He was confused. His hands were stained in her blood and she had to internally frown at the sight of him still brushing through his hair.

"Elizabeth, wuh-what are you saying? It is making no sense. Make sense", he clapped his hands together, the sound echoing in the room. She closed her eyes a second before looking back at him.

"You heard what I said and you know it is true—"

"No it is not!" He exclaimed angrily at her, finally snapping, paving around the room. "Do not utter such ill words! You are fine, you will be fine!"

"Jackson look at me!" She said with almost the same volume, except her voice was breaking off with sadness. "I look like death. I even smell like it. I have lost too much blood and it would be a miracle if I last another two hours".

"No, no, no", Jackson stopped walking and jumped next to her, holding her hands gently and yet firmly. "Why do you want to let yourself die? Th-think about the things we can get to do together, Elizabeth. Family. We can grow a family together, you want that, do you not?" He placed a hand over her bleeding stomach, feeling bliss of how she was carrying their child. He wanted this just as much as she did.

"You were already my family. That was enough", she said softly, letting more of the tears fall.

He still shook his head in denial at her choice. "Children, little children, they will look like us both—"

"Jackson".

"—imagine waking up to little cries, Elizabeth and we will be so annoyed by them and yet have the strongest love—" he was now crying, asking for her to at least try living for that life, for their life. She wanted it too, he knew she did. It would be beautiful.

"Jackson", she breathed, looking at his face.

"—It will be far from here, as far as you want. Asia? Europe? The Dark World? Even the desert", he laughed at that thought. She did not smile, only curved her brows in how unfortunate this was.

"I'm sorry", she forced her hand to squeeze his. "I can't, I can not. I really tried I swear".

"Try harder!" His voice raised, startling her this time. The two faced each other, silently and thoughtfully. Jackson broke down and wrapped his arms around her body, crying intently and sniffing. He could now not remember just how many times he had cried that day.

"I love you. I love you so much", she breathed against his ears before he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers before reaching in for a kiss, the last kiss.

Elizabeth tried pulling him off due to how she had been constantly coughing blood for the last hour and he still kissed her. Eventually, her hands stopped pushing him away and only pulled him in.

That kiss, it almost brought life to her. She kissed him as if he was her last hope, or maybe he was. It was the most gentle and beautiful thing she had ever felt.

Everything hurt and she forgot all about it, she only felt him. It was a kiss that would wake Snow White up, except she was not her, she was far from being her.