If I Die Young

52. Always have

"GAL!"

I grabbed my gun, firing at the agent until he was perforated through and through and watched as he fell, bleeding and most likely dead. After I was sure he wouldn't be getting back up I fell over, pulling myself over to Gal's side and seeing that she was still alive, there was still a chance!

"Gal, please say something," I gripped her shoulders tightly, watching her eyes open and close quickly, as if she were trying to blink away a nightmare. Judgement was buried in her left shoulder, its blade too deep to pull out while she was still breathing without surely killing her.

"No mortal blade or bullet could pierce my skin," she laughed softly, a tear slipping down her cheek, "but I let go of my sickle for one moment, and it's all over."

"It's not over, we're going to get you out!" I looked up, spotting Ladon across the hallway, "Ladon, go get Ritter! NOW!"

"Sable," Gal's hand reached out, gripping the sleeve of my shirt tightly as Ladon ran off, "no one survives a wound like this, not even you or me."

"I'm not letting you die in this God damned building!" I sobbed, pain and fear overwhelming me. She was the opposite though: her body was relaxed and her eyes soft, knowing. She'd accepted it.

"This last year has been the best of my life," Gal whispered quietly, her voice shaky, "I've been stuck here for so long but seeing you that day, you saved me. You didn't even know it but I'm sure someone else did, and they made sure you found me."

"Don't do this Gal..."

"I do believe in God. You've always known this," she laughed, "I'm going to go thank the man who gave me another chance with you."

"No..."

"I love you, Sable, with all my heart and soul," she smiled, blood leaking over the side of her mouth, "always have and always will. Now go live."

"Don't do this..." I cried, gripping her shirt tightly as the last bit of light left her eyes. "Don't leave me again..."

Another explosion rocked the building, something that I just barely felt on the peripheries of my senses as I wrapped my arms around Gal and sobbed. The life was gone from her body and I was holding a corpse, our own blood littering the ground around us. Lily's hand touched mine and I looked up, seeing the tears fall down her face while she mourned the same as I. Her presence was something I was grateful for.

In the next few moments I saw Ritter return, his whole body jolting back when he saw me holding Gal in my arms. In the next moment he'd crouched beside us, a hand reaching out to cradle my head as I cried like a baby. This was the love of my life, dead in my arms. My angel.

I can bring you all back to the truck, he offered, she deserves a proper burial.

"Leave," I coughed out, squeezing her body tighter, "tell Kitty to blow this place to smithereens."

"What about you?" Lily asked, fear in her voice.

"I'll be just fine."

Ritter didn't wait another second and grabbed Lily, hoisting her up before they both disappeared from sight. I wailed, my heart practically tearing apart in my chest as all of the warmth began to fade. More explosions went off and I let myself collapse, laying on the floor beside Gal as I gasped for breath.

"At least we'll both die here in this mess," I croaked out, my sobbing subsiding to a silent stream of tears. I reached out and gripped her hand tightly, squeezing my eyes shut, "I love you Gal, always have..."

"...and always will."

In the next moment everything began to collapse around me. I felt fire and rocks and concrete, all surrounding my body and pummeling us until our bodies bled. I felt every moment of the explosions and put it to memory, knowing no pain would be greater than the one I felt in my heart. Gal was gone, that I knew. Her short-lived freedom was meaningless.