Hi guys,
First i'd like to apologise for the ridiculous amount of time it's taken me to write this. I've had a lot of work on, and had no idea where i wanted to go with refuge (I still don't, so any ideas would be awesome), and therefore haven't updated in an embarrassing amount of time.
Disclaimer: I don't own M.
Warning: This chapter is probably the saddest thing i've ever written, so if you're not prepared for your heart to be broken; I'm very sorry.
Hope you like it and please review if you did :)
In her darkest hours, Zoe turned to him for shelter. Now was no different. As her father lay on the ground, unmoving, she cried his name, averting her eyes from the pool of crimson that was quickly forming around him.
The image of the bullet embedding itself in his chest kept replaying in he mind, and Zoe sobbed even harder.
"Frank...please...just stay alive." Her body shook with sobs and she sunk to the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks and her breathing rapid. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see his clear blue eyes looking back at her anxiously. Without another word she flung herself into his strong arms and cried. "They-They shot him." she mumbled between sobs.
Dan nodded sadly. "I know gorgeous." he murmured, stroking her hair comfortingly. "MI9 are on their way." he said softly and she risked glancing over his shoulder at the cause of her distress.
Almost immediately she turned away with a gasp, the image burned into the back of her mind. Stella; no longer her sophisticated, controlled self, was sobbing uncontrollably, clutching at Frank's hand and kneeling in the scarlet blood that surrounded him.
Clutching Dan's hand tightly she mirrored his actions and stood up, molding into his side almost automatically as he stepped towards Stella.
"Stella..." Dan said quietly. "Stella, you need to calm down."
Zoe hid her face in his shoulder as the crimson that was leaking out of him seemed to swirl and overtake every sense.
Stella looked up at him, her eyes raw from crying. "Calm down?!" she cried, as the medics bustled around her. "That's easy for you to say!" she snapped. "Zoe's alive and well, not lying on the floor dying." A wave of sadness washed over Stella as they carted Frank into the ambulance and more tears rolled down her cheeks.
Aneisha ran up to her, pale and shaky, but in much better condition than Stella. She put her arm round her and led Stella into the ambulance as Tom watched over her protectively. He came to stand next to the couple, his brown eyes sad. "Poor Stella." he said quietly, breaking the heavy silence.
Zoe nodded numbly and Dan looked at her kindly. "Come on Zo. You too Tom. We need to go to the hospital."
"Oh Frank." said Stella quietly, gripping his pale hand tightly. "Why didn't I-?" she shook her head in frustration. "Why didn't i just tell you?!" she said in exasperation, hanging her head and letting the salty tears trickle down her face sadly and onto the hospital bedding.
"I'm gonna kill them Frank...all of them." She spoke to him as if he could hear her "God, I hate them so much. KORPS. The Mastermind. The Crime Minister. And you're going to help me." she smiled at him. "You'll get better and then we'll go and finish KORPS once and for all."
And in that moment Stella was sure she saw him smile.
Zoe shifted slightly in her sleep, causing Dan to smile. After much persuasion Zoe finally agreed to rest; on the condition that if Frank so much as sneezed he'd wake her. Right now though, she looked far too adorable to wake up, in his oversized beanie and hoodie that were way too big for her.
He looked over at Tom and Aneisha; both of whom had fallen into a state of restless slumber, curled up together in the clinical room. He looked back at Zoe and marvelled at how peaceful she looked in her sleep, unburdened by the very real possibility of losing her father.
Sighing, Dan took her hand in his. Looking after Zoe meant that he didn't have to face the reality. The cold harsh truth that Frank was dying. He couldn't ignore the nurses' sympathetic looks or the fact that it had been over 4 hours since they'd heard anything at all other than the sirens from outside the building. He felt a tear run down his cheek and sighed again.
"Zoe?" he asked quietly, watching her shift in her sleep. "Zoe?"
Zoë's eyes stayed shut but she mumbled under her breath. "i had a dream that we were spies." she murmured quietly.
Dan brushed her hair out of her eyes. "We are spies gorgeous." he said softly. Zoe nodded blearily. "That's what i said."
Suddenly the door creaked open and Zoe woke, her eyes wide and frantic. "Where is he? Is he okay?"
The nurse shook her head. "I'm sorry Miss. There's not much we can do for him. You have an hour at most."
Zoe's breathing quickened as she brung her knees up to her chest and Dan approached her slowly. "Zoe." He said calmly. "Focus on me, look at me Zoe." He repeated, brushing the hair out of her eyes. Zoe's eyes were wide and frantic as she looked at him and Dan felt his heart being torn in two as he saw the distraught look on her face. Moving closer Dan placed his large hands around her pale, small delicate ones.
"Just breathe Zo." Dan instructed softly.
"I'm trying!" Zoe shot back at him exasperated, before letting out a sob of exhaustion and resting her face in her hands.
"Shhhh, it's okay. You can do it." Dragging her hands away he saw her face lined with tears and her sweater soaked with them. Seeing her like this caused an aching pain deep inside his chest and his heart broke as he saw the hopeless look in Zoe's eyes.
"Come here." Dan said as he wriggled closer and she curled up in his lap.
After a while Zoe's breathing started to slow and her mind started to slow down as the tears slowly dried on her face. Breathing in Dan's scent she became aware of his presence and the giant wet tear stain that he now had on his t-shirt. Pulling herself into a more upright position Zoe clasped as the hem of Dan's shirt as she avoided his eyes. "Can i see him?"
The nurse nodded and she stood up, wrapping her arms around Dan's waist and breathing deeply; preparing her self, before stepping into the room.
Stella sobbed silently, her head in her hands, her feet tucked underneath her. As a senior MI9 agent, she'd been taught to distance herself from any losses and casualties; Hyperia was just one example. But no amount of training or lessons could ever prepare her for the insurmountable wave of grief that she was experiencing right now. Each breath hurt and all her body seemed to be able to do was cry. Like that would make anything better.
Seeing Dan and Zoe together seemed to make it worse. Reminding her of what could have been. As soon as they appeared in the doorway together she broke down again, her body shaking and trembling as it tried to cope with the hollow aching pain in her chest that she knew would never go away.
And that night, two girls sobbed and prayed as hard as they could. For that night, Frank London died. And the universe mourned the loss of a good man.
One of the best.