A/N: Hey fellas. It's Haygood. Got a new story for you fellas to enjoy.

I had this idea of mine in my head for just under a month, but just yesterday I was able to put it into words. That being said, yesterday I wrote the entire thing, and today I revised it for publication. So, if there are any things wrong with it, please don't hesitate to let me know. Usually I'm better at proofreading, but I just wanted to get this out while I had a spare moment.

So, being this is a new story—and yes I have every intention to finish this unlike my first project that probably won't go anywhere at all—I'd like to hear from you fellas on it. Shep always gets all the publicity, so I guess it's my turn to sap some up. Hopefully I can get the next chapter to this out soon. Hope you fellas enjoy.

Chapter I: I'm Sorry

If it weren't for the blaring screams of telephone lines, the constant clatter of equipment echoing down the starkly white halls, or the faint voices traveling from one end of the hospital to the other, it would have been dead silent.

Well… at least she was dead silent.

Sitting in a chair directly adjacent from room 307, Krystal stayed silent and curled up—her muzzle resting on her knees and her paws clasped together in front of her legs. She could barely breathe without feeling his pain. His agonized pain just on the other side of the wall she was leaning on. She felt more pain than he did to be frank.

She felt helpless sitting alone, just waiting and praying that Fox would be okay. She pleaded that he would be okay. It wasn't often that he had to go to the emergency room, and from there straight into the ICU where they immediately started operating on him. It just happened so fast that she just now was able to sit and attempt to process the absolute hell she endured just over the span of a few hours.

She still didn't even know why Fox was in there in the first place. She was safe and comfortable at home until she got a call from Peppy saying that Fox had been hurt bad, and that she needed to get to the hospital immediately. She only caught a brief glimpse of what the orange fox looked like before being carted off into the ICU, and what she saw didn't raise her spirits. Not in the slightest.

Her ear twitched erratically when she heard Fox's door unlock. Out stepped one particular figure, the one who sent her the first message of Fox's dilemma. Although Krystal knew Peppy was getting up there in the age groups, he never let it show. This was one instance where she was proven wrong. The poor hare looked ten years older than he actually was judging by his expression. Krystal's first thoughts she found of his were plagued with overwhelming worry and distress, yet she couldn't completely decipher their intentions. She herself was too distraught to fully utilize her telepathy.

Peppy immediately let his expression drop into the abyss when he first saw Krystal in the position she was in. He sniffed and slowly walked up to the blue vixen, placing a paw on her shoulder.

"You okay Krystal?" he asked.

"How is Fox?" the vixen abruptly questioned. "What happened to him?"

Peppy sighed and took a seat directly next to the vixen. "Someone organized a hit on him."

Krystal about exploded in sheer shock and overwhelming rage. "What? Who?"

"I don't know," replied the hare sadly. "All I know is that we were having a day off like we always do, and… Fox, he… …I…"

He eventually let tears flow from his eyes and looked down at the floor. "I'll tell you what Krys, I'm gonna find the son of a bitch that did this if it's the last thing I do," he growled, trying, but failing to withhold his emotions.

He eventually picked himself out of the seat without another word, slowly walking down the hall in such a flustered, frustrated, and a predominantly sorrowful manner that Krystal couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She knew how much Fox meant to Peppy; hell he essentially raised the vulpine way back in the day when Fox's father died. Seeing Peppy so distraught over Fox's well-being only exponentiated her own worry for how he was really doing on the other side of that wall.

Krystal lowered her head and deepened her prayerful state. Talk to me Fox, she thought, hoping her telepathy would let her talk to him. Please. I need to hear you say you're okay. Tell me you're okay Fox.

Her prayer to him was abruptly terminated when she heard the door unlatch once again. This time, a lean lupine doctor exited the room with a recognizable blue avian closely following. Falco was just as, if not more upset than Peppy was, and that was saying something right there.

"Please tell me you're joking," Falco practically demanded, grabbing the doctor's shoulders so that he couldn't move.

"I'm sorry Mister Lombardi, but…" the doctor started, folding his ears back as he let a sigh out of his nose. "We can't do anything more."

"Bullshit!" snapped the avian, reluctant to let the wolf go. "You have to do something! Please!"

"We've done everything we can," stated the doctor frankly. "I'm sorry. His… his wounds were just too severe."

Falco let out a silent string of profanities and let the doctor go, cupping his head in his hands in complete disbelief. He just aimlessly spun around and paced the hallway, cursing every single curse he knew under his breath until his eyes locked up with Krystal. He immediately froze.

Krystal never saw the avian so inconsolable in her life, but she was literally within seconds of seeing him break down and cry. With his beak slightly ajar, he slowly trudged up to the vixen, but couldn't do anything more than that.

Krystal herself couldn't bring herself to speak either. She was in complete shock at what she just overheard, and judging by Falco's expression, he didn't want her to hear it yet.

"Fox?" the blue vixen squeaked out, making the avian immediately cringe in emotional pain.

Falco blinked twice, and as a singular cold tear left his eye he shook his head slightly.

Krystal's heart snapped in half.

"I'm sorry Krystal," he said softly, practically on the verge of a breakdown. "I'm… I… I'm so sorry."

The blue vixen refused to take that for an answer and sprang to her feet, nearly plowing the avian over as she stormed into Fox's room. Inside was dimly lit, only by the large hanging light that was pivoted upwards slightly. Underneath the large hospital light laid an unmoving vulpine body.

Fox.

Krystal slowly encroached on his frame, tears beginning to stream down her face. Everything below his neck was covered up, but the vulpine had a massive bandage over the entire left side of his face. In one particular spot just above where his eyebrow would have been was a large red stain almost two inches in diameter, giving the vixen a sick feeling to her stomach.

Her first action was to reach out and touch him, right on the spot where she could find his neck. If she could find it, his pulse was incredibly weak and almost nonexistent. Her paw slowly moved up to the exposed part of his forehead, and she nearly gasped when she couldn't detect the slightest bit of his brain patterns.

He was still alive, but… at the same time he wasn't.

He was stuck in limbo, reluctant to accept a complete death but unable to speak against it. However, he was slowly losing his fight as his pulse faded little by little. Krystal knew this evident fact, and slowly started to lose her composure.

"Fox…" she squeaked in disbelief. "What… what happened to you…?"

She grabbed his limp arm that had multiple IV needles sticking out, and clutched it tightly as if her life depended on it. She felt his soft arm fur on her face, but what made her even more upset was the lack of warmth it had. Compared to her body, his arm was ice cold.

"Fox… …please don't do this…" the terribly broken voice of Krystal just barely became audible to even herself. "Please don't leave me Fox… …Not like this…"

Much to her dismay, Fox still didn't even recognize her presence. His pulse and brain activity continued to drop, despite her internal efforts to try and stop them. She couldn't be left like this. Not without saying a goodbye if this was what it came down to.

Channeling all of her telepathic powers, she leaned over his bedside and pressed her forehead into his, hoping and praying with all of her ability to finally hear his voice again. Please talk to me Fox, she thought to him, deepening her hold on the vulpine's head. Come back to me. Tell me what to do.

Silence ensued. She repeated her message to his mind once more with more intensity, trying to break the barrier between his spirit and what had become of his mind. She prayed with all of her mental strength, but nothing was coming through. He wasn't responding to anything.

"Fox, please come back to me," she eventually whispered, letting her tears drip onto his face. "I don't know what to do without you..."

Again, nothing came back. She was starting to lose hope.

"I won't ask for anything else of you Fox," she tried to reason, deepening her hold and attempted link on Fox's spirit. "Just come back… just once… tell me what to do…"

For a third time in a row, she was left unanswered. Letting her pent up anger and sorrow explode outward, she burst into tears and pressed her face against his, desperately trying to talk to him again. "I just want to hear your voice!" she spoke in a hoarse, choking whisper, drowning in her emotions. "Just talk to me Fox! Come back and talk to me! Please!"

Her grief eventually overwhelmed her as she slowly peeled her face off of his, matting her face fur in the process of trying to get his attention. She grabbed his unmoving cheeks and stared at his one closed eye that wasn't covered. He just looked so peaceful. So calm and serene.

How she wished she could feel that same tranquility, not having to deal with Fox's completely unexpected departure. How she wanted to give up everything just to be with him one last time.

Sobbing one more time, she inched her muzzle closer and planted a kiss right on Fox's cheek. "Foxy…"

Krystal?

She nearly jumped in surprise. Her pleas and prayers finally worked.

"Fox!" she yipped in surprise, finally letting a grin surface. "Fox, what happened to you?"

Someone didn't want me around anymore, he said weakly. Krystal noticed that whatever brain patterns the vulpine had were very faint. It wouldn't be long before she lost her mental connection with him. She had to make it quick, much to her discontent.

"Fox, I'm so sorry," cried the blue vixen.

It's not your fault, Fox replied. If anything… I'm sorry for putting you through this… I'm sorry for not coming back home to you, and… I'm sorry I can't tell you how much I really am sorry for leaving you.

"Fox…" she whispered sorrowfully, letting more and more tears stream down her face.

I want you to promise me something Krys.

"Anything," she sniffed. "Anything to make you happy."

That's the thing… …Krys, I want you to be happy. I want you to be happy without me.

It was almost as if he was just asking to drive a dagger into her heart. "Fox, you know I can't be happy without you. I gave up my life to be with you. We were supposed to live our lives together. We were supposed to start our family Fox. Tell me how we can do that when you're gone…"

The lack of a response she got started to worry her, but right as she was going to speak again she heard Fox's faint voice in her mind.

You don't need me to be happy, he thought sincerely, the smallest trace of a tear leaving his unresponsive body. But I need you to be happy. Please. I don't want your life to be miserable because I'm not there by your side. I'll always be with you Krystal, but the only way I can is if you let me go.

Krystal shook her head in disbelief and started crying again. "I don't want to let you go Fox," argued the vixen. "I love you too much to let you go!"

I love you too Krystal… …which is why I need you to keep my promise. I can stay with you if you keep that promise. Just stay happy.

Krystal nearly burst into tears again. "Fox if this is some kind of sick dream please wake me up from it! This is a nightmare Fox! I don't want to live without you! I can't! I just can't Fox!"

Yes you can, he thought back confidently, trying to be reassuring with what little mental strength he had. I believe in you baby. You can do anything as long as you put your heart to it. Trust me.

Krystal sucked her lips into her muzzle and let a shaky sigh out of her lungs. "Will you always be with me?" she asked pitifully.

Of course. I'll always be with you, just so long as you are always with me. I'll never forget you, but you have to promise me the same.

"I will," she squeaked, her first genuine smile surfacing. "Thank you Fox."

No, thank you Krystal, he thought back extremely faintly. Thank you for making my life the best it could have ever been. I tried to do the same to you, but unfortunately that was cut short. I'm sorry I couldn't be with you longer.

Krystal couldn't help but let the waterfall of emotions continue. "I love you Fox. I'll never forget you. Ever."

Krystal's heart melted when the faintest trace of a grin found its way on Fox's muzzle.

I guess this is goodbye…

Krystal sniffed and let even more tears flow. "Goodbye Fox," she silently squeaked out. "Thank you for everything. I'll miss you so much."

I will too, he responded, then used the rest of his strength to let five words out of his muzzle.

"I… love… you... …I'm… …sorry..."

Krystal let those words wash over her ears and more tears cascaded down her eyes, listening intently to Fox's mind. Within moments, she didn't have even the slightest bit of brain patterns from him, or even the slightest bit of a pulse.

Fox was gone.

Again, she burst into tears and embraced the lifeless vulpine tightly, never wanting to let go. His warmth slowly faded away into nothing while the blue vixen just let her emotions dump out of her eyes.

"I'll keep your promise Fox," whispered Krystal almost silently. "I'll never forget you."

She leaned over and planted one last kiss on Fox's forehead, another tear dropping from her jaw and onto his cheek.

"Ever."

SHEPPARD'S REVIEW: Oh my god. Oh. My. God. Dude. DUDE. Why? Why you do this to me? I didn't ask for these feels dammit!

I don't know where the hell you're going with this, but this is amazing. I haven't cried this much since K.S. Reynard's "6:23". I can't wait to see this continued.

To everyone: please drop a review on this. It deserves the publicity. Thanks in advance fellas.

-Sheppard