Final. The straws have been drawn.

A.J's POV:

Descending in the lift, A.J watched the faces of his friends and colleagues, dreading the moment when they would disappear.

He tried to derive reassurance from their expressions, but all he could see was their underlying pity.

He, the youngest of the men, was chosen to sacrifice himself for the greater good.

Through a stupid straw system.

Why couldn't they have stuck with Harry's choice to stay behind? Or Rockhound's?

A.J had been the only one not to offer.

He had a fiancée, a family to think about. He had his whole life ahead of him!

Maybe it was fate, karma whatever that had brought him to this point.

He was selfish not to volunteer, now he was picked and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Darkness. The light from the shuttle had faded away and now he was alone with Harry and the darkness.

Huh, Harry had always wanted me out of his life. Now he was getting his wish permanently.

The lift had reached the bottom. He would need to leave in a matter of seconds. The doors opened.

Swallowing the lump in his throat and blinking his eyes that were threatening to overflow, he managed to say "Do me a favour, will you? Just tell Grace that I umm... That I'll always be with her. Okay?"

There was no reply. Why wasn't Harry answering?

"Can you do that?!"

Finally, "Yeah, okay kid."


Harry's POV:

Watching A.J throughout the lift ride, it honestly surprised him.

This young man was arrogant at the best of times - no, what was he saying?

Harry knew without a doubt that beside him stood the bravest and most loyal man he'd ever know. The spitting image of his father.

Who Harry had given a promise to, to take care of his son.

Was this breaking the promise?

He knew he hadn't been the best of guardians for A.J, that he'd been rude and unrelenting, especially when it came down to his daughter.

She deserved a rich, business man, not an oil rigger.

But as A.J said those words Harry heard the passion and the desperation underneath, and that's why he did it.

Pulling the oxygen tube out of its socket, he knew he had mere seconds before A.J would suffocate, so he ripped off his badge and stuffed it in the pocket.

"Give this to Truman. Make sure Truman gets that!"

Something to remember him by.

"Get in there."

Shoving A.J back in the lift, he air locked the door and watched as the young man got his breath back.

"It's my turn now."

"Harry! Harry! You can't do this to me! It's my job!"

Harry shook his head. "You take care of my little girl now. That's your job."

Harry smiled. Only a few weeks ago, he would never have dreamed of leaving his daughter's safety in the hands of A.J.

On second thoughts, maybe, deep down, he had always known that the son of his best friend was more than capable for this.

He trusted him.

A.J was choking on his words, and Harry would need to keep it short if he didn't want to fall to pieces too.

"I always thought of you as my son. Always. And I'd be damned proud to have you marry Grace."

"Harry…"

"Take care of yourself."

He punched the lift button, while A.J started slamming on the doors, trying to reach him as he was lifted to relative safety.

"Harry no - Harry I love you, don't do this - no! Don't do this! Harry!"

"I love you, my son."

He wouldn't be there physically on their wedding day, but both A.J and Grace knew how much they meant to him, and that's all that mattered.

He was doing this to give a better man a chance at a life he himself had messed up.

They were all heroes up here.


The End.