I didn't expect to get a call. I never get phone calls. But after hitting a perfect serve and going to get water, my phone starts going off. I have no idea who it is. I decline the call and start packing up. It rings again. I decline again. I'm almost at my car when it rings again. The caller is persistent.

"Hello?" I give in.

"Alana." His voice. I get chills, and I nearly hang up. "Please, don't hang up." Frustrated, I dump my things inside the car, just as another car ups in. One of the guys is here to play tennis.

"What do you want," I say, as the guy gets out and gives me a nod. I nod back and get inside my car.

"I just wanted to hear your-"

"Don't pull that crap, please, don't pull that crap," I interrupt. I hear a sigh from the other side. "I blocked you, this isn't your number, what do you want?"

"Maybe an explanation?" he replies. I freeze. The one thing I didn't want to talk about, the thing I haven't talked about for months. I start to laugh. "You called me... for an explanation?" I ask as if he were the idiot, and I wasn't the one who messed up.

"Alana..." he sighs, "Okay, fine, talk, about anything please." There's something about his voice that indicates pain, and if anything, I do owe him. "Okay," I breathed. "Where are you?" I ask, I always ask. I want to visually see what's around him and what his facial reactions will be as I talk. "I don't think you want to know," he says softly. "Liam," I start. "Alana," he says back. "Where are you?" I question, again, nervously. "I had a car accident."

"What?" No, no, no. "Are you good? Did you call someone?"

"I'm alright, I'm talking to you am I not?" "Liam, this is serious, are you okay?" I ask, I don't even notice the tears that fall off my face until I catch my reflection in the review mirror. "Alana, I called someone, but I don't feel anything, I'm not sure if...I'd make it."

"Liam," my voice cracks, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

"Alana, just talk, please?" I give him what he wants, and I talk about my day, about the previous days, about everything, and anything new. It's not a lot. "Liam? I love you. I'm sorry." But I don't get a response from him. It's a man instead.

"He's lost a lot of blood, do CPR."

Into the phone, "Hello? Is someone there?"

"Will he be alright?" I question. There's a pause as if he were looking up at one of his men.

"I don't know," he says softly and hangs up.

“Hey babe”

“Hey Babe? HEY BABE?” FUCK OFF…how dare you have the audacity to call me after ignoring my calls and texts for hours.

“I’m sorry”

“SORRY?!! SERIOUSLY. It’s not that hard to send a simple text, even if you didn’t want to talk”

“My phone died and I charged it as soon as I got down from the tree stand”

“After nine years, I will always be second the the woods and the deer”

“Ellerie, I need you to know that you’re number one. You always have been.”

“Yeah right, Nick.”

“Elle, I mean it. I’ve messed up so many things I’m my life, but you are the one thing that makes my heart sing.”

“Awww babe. How can I stay mad at you?”

“You can’t. I wish I could see your face one last time.”

“Whaddya mean…I’ll see you in 15 min.”

“No, Elle, you won’t, I fell. And my rifle accidentally went off when I landed on the ground.

*Ellerie sobbing*

“Elle, I’m shot. And I’m bleeding. And I’m not going to make it back to you.”

“Nick! Where are you? I’ll send help…omg I’m so sorry. I love you. Where are you?”

“Ellerie. I love you with all of my heart and soul. And you were right, we should name the baby after you mother. I love you both so…”

“Nick?!! NICK!!!!!!! Noooooooooo!!!!”

*sirens coming through the open line fill Ellerie’s ears, but she’s knows it’s too late. He’s gone*

The comms crackled.

Shadow looked up again. Before returning to the map of the Arctic. They were just finishing their survey when.

"...in..." The comms popped.

one of the attendants moved over to adjust the frequency he listened for a while before the voice came in and he switched to ship board comms.

"Ma'am to the bridge now. "

Several minutes later, a woman with dark brown hair and a scar holding down her cheeks walked on to the bridge where the comms officer displayed the com signal on the main table and let the signal rise before opening a reply.

"Bloodfallen come in."

Shadow sighed in relief.

"We hear you loud and clear. Sir,"

"It's a wonderful experience to see."

the woman chuckled.

"I bet. How's space from there?"

"I would guess it looks amazing for the people."

That sentence gave pause for Shadow and the woman.

"Lord, what do you mean?"

there was a long pause as if the communications were cut before he spoke again.

"Cee take care of the empire, and shadow take care of everything else."

Cee looked over to shadow, and worry was evident on her face.

"H? where are you?"

a long pause before.

"off the coast of hawii. I won't make it, I'm trapped under a beam and the fuel from the carrier is going to ignite soon."

Shadow moved to the helms man to instruct him to go after the signal, however when he reached the man he was already moving the ship over the sea. Albet slowly without warning, the ship lurched as 2 speedship connected to the hull and added there speed to the max speed of the bloodfallen.

"helm time?"

"With the added help I'd say 3 hours. I've ordered the crew to get any ships nearby to the launch location to move as well. The closest ship is Ravock 12 minutes out from his location..."

shadow moved back to comms board showing Cee 3 fingers.

"H, were 3 hours out hold on ok?"

"Hey do you remember what we decided to name our son when he was born?"

She did, but to keep him talking.

"No, what did we decide?"

there was a massive explosion through the comms. Then silence before it crackled to life again.

"i remeber... Cough... the argument we had."

they listened intently as he mumbed and shifted the groaning of the beam he was under, shifting a pained squeak from him before the comms officer. spoke up. over what H was saying.

"ID signal Ravock has gone dark. The second closest ship is the Darmock ETA 40 minutes."

A sharp intake of pained breath silenced the bridge of the bloodfallen. as they listened.

"Cee?"

"Yes."

"I-I-I-I..."

Another boom this time from some sort of cannon fire. in the distance.

H started to talk to himself.

"Live the life of freedom my brethren." they heard his next sentence and it brought chills to their bones.

"I just saw the I.C. Ravock fall to enemy fire."

there was a cut in communications.

12 minutes to hawaii.

after the lord cut out the bloodfallen had been trying to get him back, losing hope the men had moved to the deck to get medical ready before anyone could move to the chopper on board, a signal flare flew from the wreaked aircraft carrier in front of them the flare exploded in a blinding purple light. However, even though the flare meant to turn back due to danger, the bloodfallen did not listen and continued unimpeded coming along side the carrier. or what was left of it, the entire crew of 500 jumped ship and moved onto the carrier searching for the lord.

The comm cracked.

"Cee?"

the bridge froze. then faster than lightning, Cee operated the speaker. and called back.

"H!"

"I wanted to let you know. no.... i love you. with all my life. continue in my stead to lead our people."

a short pause before.

"name him dragon. our son, name him dragon when he is born."

Cee looked at the comm and he knew how she had never told anyone she was pregnant, how did he? but that all changed when the crew said they found him over the comms, and then after another few minutes he was aboard Cee started to move before a crackle over the com came online, this one a crip military voice. one belonging to a female.

"Life signals none, time of death 2:34.45 AM Central Eastern time. The last order finalized protocol black initated. all known members of the imperium and core holders/ships/equitment to be transported to the project Colony shift. NOW."

without warning a loud BRITZZ sounded as nearby imperium and sycamore vessels transported off the planet cee looked around as aircraft ships, people and equitment belonging to the imperium and holding disappeared. The bloodfallen then followed, appearing in a station in Drydocks. they looked around and saw...

Shadow spoke first.

"Jupiter station it's real! and he kept us all safe."

the computer spoke one last time.

"A.I program ALEINA. signing off last order received and sent. The master is dead. total people evacuated from earth 50.56 million p[ersonal. code 3F4S: FIRE."

from the depths of the planet, Cee and shadow witnessed the missiles rising and firing, disappearing through a transporter before they realized where they were heading, he kept his promise he would protect them even if it meant ending the world.

9 months later Dragon H Imperium was born.

onboard the I.C.F. Yamato.

Jack lay by himself in a pool of his own blood, he tried to block out the pain, after all he should be used to it by now, but that’s what hurt him the most, the fact that he was used to it. And That’s what made him cry, he cried so hard that his throat ached. After a while he slowly got up and went to the bathroom to wash his face, he was determined to make sure Taylor never knew how much he cried, he couldn’t give her that satisfaction. He sank to the floor once again and dug his phone out of his pocket, he hadn’t dared put Monica’s number in his phone, but he had a back up phone he kept in his suitcase, Taylor never looked there, he was careful, he never used it in front of her, but when she was gone, that was his lifeline, Monica was his lifeline. He was glad he’d memorised her number, he knew this day might come, he just didn’t think it would be off the back of him trying to push Monica away yet again.

Monica was out with the girls trying to forget about what happened, her phone had been vibrating for two minutes straight, annoyed she went outside and answered it:

”Hello”? She answered, a hint of frustration in her voice.

”Hey“…. Jack answered quietly: “i missed you so much”.

”Jack”? “why are you calling from your main phone what’s going on”?

”Nothing I just…. Needed to hear your voice”.

Monica sighed exasperate: “You can’t keep doing this to me Jack, you can’t keep pushing me away then pulling me back when you miss me or you’re feeling vulnerable, you”-

“I know, I know I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m such a mess”. despite his best efforts he broke down again,

Monica hated it when Jack cried , she could feel her heart break every time: “Hey… hey it’s ok, let’s start over yeah”? “I can come over if you want”.

Jack cleared his throat, trying to compose himself: “No, no don’t I’m fine, what are you up to”? “Tell me about your day”.

Monica paused: “You don’t sound fine, where’s Taylor”?

Jack: “I don’t wanna talk about her please, please just… tell me about your day”.

”Jack”-

“Mon please”.

Monica sighed, she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach but it seemed like he needed to be distracted, she made a note to come back to that afterwards: “Well, today was my day off as you know so I had a lay in, hung out with Beth and Em, and I’ve just been with them all day really”. She purposefully left out the part about the club, not wanting to upset him further.

Jack nodded: “How are they”? “Any news”?

“Yeah, yeah they’re good, Beth tried to make chocolate chip cookies that came out rock hard”.

Jack laughed: “Wow, hope you didn’t break your teeth”.

Monica laughed too: “She’s lucky I didn’t or I’d have to sue”.

Jack laughed again: “Anything new with Em”?

”Yeah she’s going on vacation next week, France I think”.

Jack sighed wistfully, closing his eyes: “I’d love a vacation right now”. He whispered

”Mm me too, so what have you been up to all day then”?

”I was working from home today”. He swallowed: “That’s why Taylor was”- He stopped himself, realising what he was about to say.

”That’s why Taylor what Jack”?

Jack shook his head: “Nothing, don’t worry about it”.

”baby I am worried, I can’t help you if you keep shutting me out like this, at least tell me where you are”.

”I’m still at home”.

”Ok and where’s Taylor”?

Jack’s lip quivered: “She’s out, went for a walk I think”.

”Ok, will you tell me what happened”?

“We had an argument… I’ve been trying so hard to make it work… I love her so much Mon”…

Monica winced: “yeah… I know you do baby”.

Jack: “You know I’ve been taking a lot of time off work lately to spend more time with her, I didn’t want her to feel neglected, but I couldn’t do it forever you know”?

”Yeah, I know babe”.

”She said she didn’t mind me working from home but then… I don’t know i think she was trying to show me something, I was in a meeting so I snapped, told her to go”… He swallowed another lump in his throat: “When I’d finished I apologised, she wouldn’t talk to me at first but I kept trying, she said I needed to stop putting everything else before our relationship, I told her I wasn’t, that that meeting was important, she wasn’t having it, anyway we argued some more and then…. Then she pushed me, I fell against the fridge and she shoved me onto the floor and started kicking me, I tried to get up, I really did but she kept pushing me down and then she’d kick harder, she hates it when I try to fight back”… Jack was in tears again.

”Ok… Thank you for telling me, you’re so brave baby, I’m gonna come over and be with you ok”?

Jack jumped: “No no don’t come please, I don’t know when Taylor’ll be back and she can’t see you here please”-

“You shouldn't be alone right now we can figure something out”-

“No please”. Jack’s whole body trembled with fear.

Monica sighed again: “Ok, ok well get some ice for your back and I’ll stay on the phone with you ok”?

Jack nodded: “Thank you”. He got up, took off his shirt and cleaned up as much of the blood from his back as he could, then went to get some ice from the freezer, wrapping it in a cloth.

”How is it”?

Jack let out a breath: “Helpful”.

”That’s good, tell me what else you need”.

”Tell me what you’ve been doing these past couple weeks, tell me anything”.

”Well aside from working, I finally watched that film you told me about, the one with the creepy talking doll”.

”Finally”! “What did you think”?

”Yeah it was pretty freaky but honestlh after Chucky i think I’ve been desensitised“. Jack chuckled then hissed in pain. ”I’m sorry, I wish I could be there with you”.

Jack shook his head again: “It’s too risky”.

Monica sighed, closing her eyes: “Maybe j can be there in spirit, close your eyes”. Jack did so: “Imagine me holding you, my fingers running through your hair, my lips softly kissing your forehead”. Jack sighed: “You are so valued, and wanted and strong and worthy and special, you’re kind and funny, smart, you are one of the best people j know”.

Jack let out another long breath, resting his head on the table as he took in her words: “Hm, better than being told how worthless and stupid I am”.

”She’s a liar, but you’re safe now, I’m right here baby, don’t be scared ok”? Jack nodded: “Everything’s gonna be ok”. Monica whispered.

”Don’t leave me… please”. Jack whispered back, beginning to drift off.

”I’m not going anywhere, I promise”.

”I love you Mon”. Jack mumbled as he fell asleep.

Monica froze, she didn’t know if he meant it or if he was just feeling overwhelmed with everything that was going on, she’d wanted him to say that for weeks, her heart hammered against her chest, she could hear Jack’s breathing slow and even out: “I love you too Jack”. She whispered her reply, fairly certain he hadn’t heard.