"You're sure there were no other survivors?" Emma asked Colonel Schaffer quietly.
The lady sighed and looked toward her. "We've been through this Kelly." Emma frowned at her new name and looked up, making eye contact with the Colonel. "There we no survivors."
Emma's heart dropped and she looked towards the floor. "Yeah" She replied quietly. When she spoke again, her tone was taken over with pure heartbreak. "It's just um... Paul..." She thought about the man who had been by her side, the man she had slowly but surely fallen in love with.
"He was a good man, Kelly. If not for his sacrifice, the outbreak would've spread the the mainland." Colonel Schaffer said aloud, as if reading from a script.
"Sacrifice." Emma mumbled, tears springing to her eyes.
"Goodbye Kelly!" The lady said, bringing her hand up to her head to salute Emma. "Good luck with the pot farm."
Emma saluted back slowly. "Thanks."
"Oh! One more thing." Colonel Schaffer turned around and looked at Emma straight in the eyes. "You'll be escorted to Colorado by a Mr Ben Bridges. He's waiting outside."
"Oh." Emma frowned and tightened the backpack she had been given around her shoulders. "I-I don't know any Ben Bridges."
"Well, according to our records, you two were very good friends." The Colonel replied softly. "People liked to say it could've become something more." And she winked at Emma before disappearing around the corner.
Seconds later, a tall man walked in from where Colonel Schaffer had left and smiled at Emma.
"Oh my god." Emma dropped her backpack and stared at him. "Paul?" You made it. We made it!"
Paul ran over to her and held his arms open. Emma crashed into him and hugged him tightly, burrowing her face into his blazer. "Emma, you're okay!"
She looked up at him and let the tears fall down her cheeks. "Of course I am!" She choked out. "But how did you survive?"
"That doesn't matter." Paul replied softly, wiping away her tears with his hand gently. "But we're here, together now."
Emma smiled through her tears and brought her hands up around his neck, embracing his again and holding him close. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in, not wanting to ever let go again.
"I love you." Emma whispered to him.
Paul let her go slowly and looked down at her, staring at her hazelnut eyes. "I love you too, Em."
She moved her hands to his face and cupped his cheeks, her face all smiles. "I'm never letting you go again." Emma said softly, her gaze falling on his lips. She pulled him down slightly and rose her face up to meet his, and kissed him gently.
Paul's eyes lit up and the feel of his lips against hers made his body feel like it was on fire. He reached a hand up behind her neck and kissed her back, before pulling away slowly. "Never leaving you again." He said breathlessly.
Emma wiped away a tear from her eye and laughed softly. She let go of his face and picked up her bag, being gently slipping her hand into his. "Let's go live our new life."
Paul dropped her hand quickly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Together." He replied, smiling down at her.
She looked back up at him and slid her arm around his waist so they were close. Her reply was a simple "Yes," and together they walked to the car to begin their new journey.
note: let's just do it together aHHH!!!!~~~ ah the firebringer harmonies are so amazing
