Kiss it all better, I'm not ready to go,
It's not your fault love, you didn't know…
Light shot straight through Aubrey's skull as she blinked awake. Where was she? The question seemed to be dwarfed by the question that came next.
Why is there so much blood?
Gingerly touching her head, the blonde winced when she felt a lump and caught the crimson tinge to her fingertips. One mystery solved. The next mystery was still unsolved. Where the heck was she and what was that whimpering sound coming from nearby.
Swallowing back the queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, Aubrey sat up slowly, blinking rapidly as the world swam for a moment. When her vision cleared, so did her memory.
Walking home after a date, oh so happy and carefree, one of the rare days they both had off. A guy jumping them, screaming about money as he pointed a gun at them.
Beca jumping in front of her, a fight, the butt of the gun hitting her in the head as she tried to pry them apart. She remembered hitting the ground and then a sound so loud it seemed like a bomb went off next to her ear.
Beca.
Looking behind her, she caught sight of brunette hair and a small body laying in a pool of blood. Choking back a sob, Aubrey scrambled over as fast as she could, knees scraping across the pavement.
"Beca.. Beca!" Her hands fumbled before catching Beca's shoulders, pulling her to settle her head on Aubrey's lap. Smoothing her hair back, the blonde checked her over with blurry eyes, heart stopping when she noticed the ever-growing dark spot on Beca's stomach.
Pressing on the wound, she whispered her sorrys in response to Beca's sharp intake of breath. The shorter girl was pale, a little cool to the touch and Aubrey's heart was breaking with each passing moment. "You're not allowed to leave me, you ass." Eyes tightly closed, Aubrey almost crumbled completely at the broken chuckle from under her.
"You're not allowed to stop loving me, you bitch." The response surprised Aubrey for a moment before she realized what those words, so soft and rough, really were.
"Beca, no. No, you're going to be okay. I just need to get some help, you'll be okay." The words sounded like a lie, coated in false hope. Even Aubrey knew what she was saying wasn't true.
"Don't you dare leave me here to die on.. on the ground by myself." Gravelly or not, Beca's voice still sparked something in Aubrey's heart, nothing she wanted this time though. This was never something she wanted to hear.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Kiss me." The request was barely a whisper, heard just over the sobs welling up in the woman holding her to the world.
"Anything you want." Leaning down, ever so gently, Aubrey pressed their lips together, her tears mixing with the ones sparkling against Beca's cheeks.
"Stay with me…"
"Always." Beca was fading, right in Aubrey's arms and she had no way to stop it, her worst nightmare was coming true and all she could do was sit there and cry.
"Do you promise?" The last word was broken, coming out as short gasps of air were gulped down.
"I promise."
"Tell me… you love.. me." Beca's eyes fluttered, body going slack, her chest heaving the last few breaths she could manage.
Aubrey gripped her close, gathering her up completely in her arms. "I'll love you forever."
Stay with me until I fall asleep,
Stay with me…