"Volkoff found me," Mary choked out between sobs as Stephen Bartowski entered the apartment.
"How is that possible? We disabled the tracker almost fifteen years ago," Stephen replied.
"We both knew when you helped me escape from the detention center either Volkoff or your government would someday find us."
"We can run…"
"We can never outrun Volkoff. If it was only your government, we could try but what kind of life would that be for our children."
"We can try."
"I won't endanger my family. I'll go with him."
"But I love you, Mary."
"I love you too, Stephen. It's because of that love that I have to go. If Volkoff ever found out that someone other than him fathered my children, he would kill you, and then he would kill Eleanor and Charles."
"How long do we have?" Stephen asked.
"I have an hour to get to the rendezvous." Mary started walking to the door.
"You have time to say good bye to the children."
"I can't. If I see them again, I won't leave them. Its better this way," Mary cried as Stephen embraced her.
"Will I ever see you again?'
"You know we were destined to be together. I won't forget that, I'll keep trying to take down Volkoff from the inside and if I do, I can return to you. Just remember I love you with all my heart."
Tears streamed down Stephen's cheeks as he kissed his wife for perhaps the last time. "Please stay, we can try to run and hide."
"We can't hide from him, he'll find us. We've hidden for so long now; I can barely remember my life before. I don't want to remember it because you've become my life. Stephen, promise me you will always keep the children safe. Someday your government will find you. You'll have to leave too," Mary said while inching her way to the door.
"I know, Mary."
"You can't let them know about Charles and Eleanor. Promise me. We know they're special and someone would want to exploit that."
"I promise, Mary."
"Please don't follow me Stephen, it's too dangerous," Mary said as she took one last look at her husband and walked out the door.
Xxx
Stephen Bartowski hid in the dark shadows of the forest. He needed one last look at his wife. She was all he ever wanted; he'd broken her out of the NSA detention fifteen years ago after they'd fallen in love. It was something he had to do. The woman who would become his wife and the mother of his children was special and had captured his heart.
He watched as Volkoff came down the gangway to embrace his wife. There was fire in Stephen's eyes. She was no longer the woman Volkoff had sent on a mission. She was Mary Bartowski. He so wanted to kill Volkoff but he heeded his wife's instructions. 'Protect her family'
"I'll always love you, Mary," Stephen whispered from the shadows, knowing she couldn't hear him.
He watched as Volkoff and Mary walked up the gangway, and it closed behind them. With awe and tear-stained cheeks, he saw the lights begin to flash and then the ship shimmered before rising to the heavens and outer space.
Turning away from the scorched earth, Stephen made his way home knowing he could never explain to Charles and Eleanor what had happened. They would hate her. I only hope when I have to leave they don't hate me too, he thought
He would become Orion again; his Mary had been taken from him. He only hoped the heavens were right. Within Orion were three stars that were called the three Marys. Perhaps that meant she would come to him twice more.
Xxx