It Started With A Fire

Prologue: Unexpected Plans

Prologue: Unexpected Plans

*Hunter's POV*

"Finally, some alone time," Maura says plopping down on the couch laying her head in my lap. I let my fingers run through her dirty blonde hair. God, she is so perfect. And she is all mine. At least, she will soon be for forever and always. How did I get so lucky?

"You were just being you babe," she answers my thought.

"I didn't say that aloud did I?" I ask. I have a bad habit of doing that around her.

"Yup you did," she laughs and I lean down and peck her lips. I can't wait. She'll be with me everyday of our lives for good this weekend. That's when I will be the luckiest guy on Earth wearing a black tux waiting at the alter waiting for Liam to walk her down the aisle. I don't like her past and I'm glad that Liam was there to help her through it until I showed up. She deserves everything and I plan to give it too her. It's one of the main reasons we're flying down to London tomorrow.

"I love you Maura," I tell her being the upmost sincere that I have ever been. I stare down into her gorgeous green eyes, only to notice her smiling back at me.

"I love you too Hunter," she responds back. I will never get tired of telling her that. Ever. Again, I ask, how did I get so lucky? I give her another peck on the lips. We've barely had some alone time lately and I don't want to let it go to waste.

"Maura?" I question.

"Yes babe?" she answers, playing with the ring on her finger.

"Are you sure that you want to marry me?" I ask her. I don't want to make her do something that she doesn't want to. I would love to be selfish with her, but I know I can't from my past mistakes.

"Hunter," she says sitting up then continues, "Out of everything that has come into my life lately, you are the only thing that I am sure about. Of course I want to marry you." She then kisses me this time, but laughs when she hears crying.

"Oops. I forgot about Benjamin. I should probably go check on him and see what he wants," she says causing me to smile. I have the perfect family. I give her a kiss and am about to get up when I hear glass shattering in the kitchen.

The fuck?

"H-hunter? W-what was that?" Maura asks clinging onto me. We live in a pretty good neighborhood so criminal activity isn't that common. I can't even imagine what it could be.

"I don't know love," I reply standing up. Maura clings to me as I walk towards our kitchen. We look around for the source which isn't hard to find. Flames are enveloping our kitchen. Everywhere. There's an empty glass bottle on the floor and our curtains have caught the flames. I run to the fire and start hitting it, trying to put it out, but it only makes it worse.

"Hunter! Get Benjamin outside! I'll gather what few belongings I can!" Maura yells at me. She looks so panicked and scared. I never want to see her this scared.

"No! Just go outside! Call the cops!" I yell at her back, just as panicked. I never imagined that I'd be in this situation.

"No babe! I need to get something. I won't take long, I promise," she says coughing as the smoke is starting to envelope us. I start to go after her as she leaves. She can take care of herself, but Benjamin can't.

I run to little Ben's room. I open the nursery and see my two week year old son crying in his crib and coughing because the smoke is pretty thick. My heart drops at the sight, my pulse pounding in my ears as I act on instinct. I immediately run over to him and pick him up carefully. I grab his blanket and favorite stuffed animal. I also grab his diaper bag. I then run outside of our flat as quickly as I can and to the neighbors across the street. I frantically knock on their door, not spotting Maura anywhere.