The war was over. They'd won. Amon was dead and the hybrids were defeated. But the cost was high and Jim Raynor was about to lose big-time.
He'd seen her go down. He'd see her get hit by a number of energy weapons from multiple directions and she'd fallen from her floating position near a group of Zerg.
He'd gotten to her barely in time. As he approached her he saw her shattered body stretched on the floor. Her wings had been torn off in the attack and her hardened abdomen was shredded. She lay there lifeless.
He wasn't sure she was alive as he knelt down beside her and took her face in his hand. She groaned at his touch and forced her eyes open to look at him. He'd looked into her brilliant purple eyes and told her everything was going to be alright. She'd smiled at him and brought a hand up to cup his face but she lacked the strength to raise it up and she settled for touching his chest instead.
He smiled back at her and urged her to hang on. He carried her to his ship and placed her gently inside. He'd brought her onboard the Hyperion and carried her straight to the sickbay. He'd placed her injured body down onto the bed and held her hand tightly as medics worked around her in a futile attempt to save her life.
"There's nothing we can do for her," came the soft words of a doctor Jim barely heard although the words echoed in his skull and shattered his heart. "We can make her comfortable, but you should say your goodbyes," the voice told him.
Jim felt tears burning away at his eyes as he looked down at her beautiful face. Her eyelids half closed and her purple eyes unfocused. "Sarah, can you hear me?" he asked as he moved his face closer to hers. He placed the hand that wasn't holding hers to her face and turned it to face his. "It's me, it's Jim," he said softly to her.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. She forced a smile past the pain that was slowly fading.
"Hey," he smiled back at her trying to hold back his tears. "The doctors say you are going to be fine." He stroked her face with his thumb gently.
She forced a deeper smile. "Liar," she said softly to him although thankful he'd tried to hide the truth. She could feel her life draining away through her injuries. She saw the tears lining his eyes and felt tears at her own.
"You just have to hang on," his voice was raspy as he forced the lump in his throat away.
She closed her eyes for a moment but that didn't stop a tear from escaping and rolling down her cheek. She forced her eyes open and held Jim's hand as tight as her weak hand could manage. "I wanted to be your wife," she said barely louder than a whisper.
"You're going to be," he told her optimistically with a smile on his lips but with glazed eyes.
She closed her eyes again.
"Sarah," he called to her. She couldn't go yet; he wasn't done telling her all the things he wanted to tell her.
She opened her eyes. "It doesn't hurt anymore," she said peacefully.
Jim felt the tears break loose from his eyes and he cursed himself for not being strong for her. "Just hold on, darlin'," he told her. "Think about our wedding day, and the house we're going to live in, and the beautiful children we're going to have."
She smiled happily. "Our family," she beamed at the thought.
"Our family," he repeated. "We'll live happy ever after."
She coughed slightly as she smiled.
He saw the glow of her eyes begin to fade and his heart felt as though it was being ripped out. "I love you so much," he promised her.
"I love you, too," she whispered. "My knight in shining armour," she barely breathed.
His heart fluttered as he heard her call him that once again. Although he couldn't save her this time.
"Kiss me," she begged weakly.
He smiled and raised himself off the chair. He moved his hand from her face and placed it under her neck, lifting her slightly off the pillow. He took her lips in his and gently kissed the woman he loved.
She kissed him back. She felt happiness and at peace finally.
A few moments had passed and Jim could tell Sarah had stopped kissing him back. He pulled away from her and realised she was gone. "Sarah?" he whispered in an attempt to wake her. "Darlin'?" he said softly as tears spilled from his eyes.
She died at approximately 2200 hours in his arms. He held her until the morning came, unwilling to leave her side and let go of her forever.
He'd taken her body to TarKossia and buried her beneath a beautiful willow tree. He decorated it with a simple plaque which read "Sarah Raynor". He wasn't willing to risk anyone finding a grave with the name "Sarah Kerrigan" on it and desecrating it. He knew she would have wanted it this way.
As he'd laid her body into the grave he'd considered laying right down there with her and dying. They'd at least be together and he wouldn't have to suffer each day knowing she wasn't there.
He pulled the blanket that was covering her face away for one last look. Even in death she was beautiful. He stroked her cold pale face and took in every inch of her.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you, darlin'," he said to her as tears blurred his vision. "I hope you are some place you can be happy now," she'd had a life full of sadness, betrayal and abuse and he hoped that wasn't all her poor soul would experience.
"I loved you," his voice cracked as he spoke and tears ran down his cheeks. "I wanted to make you happy and take away your pain. We were supposed to be together but," he couldn't finish speaking before emotions forced his throat closed.
"I will always love you," he forced out as he moved towards her and gave her one last kiss. He pulled the blanket back over her face, "Goodbye".
He didn't want to leave her there alone. He had no idea where her parents had been buried and she had never spoken about anyone else. He was saddened to think he was the only person she ever had in her life. He would later make Matt promise he was buried beside her when his time came.
Before you flame me for killing Kerrigan off... please read Chapter 2!