Michigan/ Motor City

24 hours after the Edonia Mission Failure

Piers POV

My head was pounding, almost as if it was being repeatedly slammed into a brick wall. I was dragging my feet until I reached the door to apartment B002. I knock twice realizing just how bad my shoulder hurt. The door swings open and I smile to the woman who opens it. "Hey, Abby." I say weakly.

"Oh my god." she gasps hugging me tightly in her small arms. "Come in." She lets me lean my weight on her while she guides me inside the apartment. She shuts the door and relocks it tightly. "You should have called." She scolds, helping me lay down on the couch in her living room. "Or at least have used your own key."

"I know." I moan softly, slowly closing my eyes as I lay still. Within minutes Abby was back with pills and a tall glass of water.

"Here you go." I quickly take the pills and drink the cold water. "Mission went badly."

"I know….I work in intel remember?"

"So you know about Chris?"

She nods shaken. "Yeah and I know that you two barely made it out of there alive."

"It was messy….I really didn't think that it would have ended that way."

"Show up and I'll look you over." It was hard to sit back up, but even harder to stand to my weak feet. I lean against the wall to balance myself as I stagger to the bathroom. Abby insisted on helping, but I needed to be alone right now. The pain reliever was already starting to kick in once I stripped down and stepped into the tub. The hot water was the best sensation that I had felt all day. My body no longer left cold and I could once again feel my legs. My knees were bruised along with my arms and back, my face stung from the cold but then burned when mixed with the hot water, I felt secure…..and tired. Abby had left out a pair of clothes for me, gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt. I quickly change then collapse on the king sized mattress.

"I'm sorry about Chris." Abby said when she walked into the bedroom, I heard her set something down on the side table. "What have the doctors said about his condition?"

"No much." I answer sitting up again. "They said that they'll keep me posted." I allow Abby to look over the cuts on my knees and blisters on my palms. She rubbed them with disinfectant then bandages them tightly. She had already changed into a pair of white yoga pants and a pink Detroit Tiger shirt, her hair was pulled into its usual pony tail.

"I'm sorry this happened this close to Christmas." She sighs while she helps me to lean against the backboard of the bed that we share. "It's probably the worst right?"

"It's defiantly nightmarish." I breathe, hanging my head. A feeling of security rushes through me when Abby wraps her arms around me tightly; her head rests on my shoulder.

She sighs deeply, making rotational motions with her hand against my back. "I'm sorry. I'm sure that they were good men." They were. Not one of them deserved to go out the way that they did. I didn't know what would happen next, at least not with the BSAA anyway. But I knew what was going to happen right now.

"Hey." I say kindly as I climb over Abby.

"What?" She smiles happily, laying on her back as I prop myself up on the right of her

"What would you say to us taking some time off together in a few months?"

Her eyebrow elevates as her lips pucker, she was carefully thinking over the nice idea of us getting away together. "I'd say yes, but first what's the catch?" I laugh at her suspicions, but I can understand it. "No there's no catch, I swear. There's. Just….uh…there's something that I want to ask you." I fumble with the box that I had removed from my bag. I made sure that I kept it out of Abby's sight. "Would you go with me as Abigail Nivans?" Her eyes widen and her mouth slightly drops. She remains like this until I show her the small white box in my hand. I slowly open it to reveal a silver engagement ring. "Will you marry me?"