Before the scream, they were dancing. As they moved in time with one another, Opie felt her lungs tighten, and her heart pumped furiously. She never felt more alive than when she was with Lucius.

"It's really hard to keep my hands off of you, Op," Lucius said low. They were on the dance floor, a few feet from Lala and Thomas and Will, when she heard his words. Her gray eyes were huge as they stared at him. She was immediately grateful for the loud music, because she was sure that Lucius would be able to hear her thundering heart.

"My parents are here, Lucius." She was breathless as they moved in time to the beat. Lucius was a decent dancer, and he kept up well with Opie. She watched as his green eyes teased. He grinned disarmingly, and her legs felt like Jello as she tried to keep the beat.

"So?" The word was mouthed, not said aloud, and Opie didn't quite know if she loved or hated his audacity. She eyed her parents, who were too busy finally letting loose to worry about anything. Tara happily sat in Jax's lap, and they were having a conversation only they were privy to. Opie's heart filled with warmth simply watching them. They were the epitome of true and unyielding love.

Lucius' hands went to Opie's tiny waist. The music had slowed dramatically, and Lucius pulled her close. Opie's eyes darted nervously about the room. Tara and Jax were still talking, and Thomas and Will were dancing close. Once again, her heart warmed, but a flash of navy and dark hair slid past, and Opie stopped. Where the hell is Lala going? She tried to follow her, but Lucius pulled her back.

"Let her go, Op," he quietly demanded. A hot blush diffused her cheeks. She stopped for a moment, completely breathless. She narrowed her eyes as she stared up at him.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Her eyes flashed infuriated silver. She carefully pulled herself from his grasp, so she didn't create a scene. She glared at him as she turned to follow Lala out. Her feet swiftly ran across the stone. Her heart pounded with fury. Maybe I was wrong about him, Opie thought. Maybe I wasn't ready for this. Over the roar of her heart she could hear his feet trailing behind her, and that was really the last thing she wanted.

"You ok?" Lucius asked. Opie looked at him. He appeared genuinely concerned. She wordlessly nodded, but he didn't believe it. Without hesitation, she walked towards the end of the long hallway. She could clearly see Lala. Her sister's slender body cut an interesting angle against the mountains. She was halfway there when she stopped.

Victor Sinclair. The huge Marine came into clear view. His burly silhouette looked strange against Lala's angular body. The white cap was all Opie could see. She stopped walking. Lucius stopped behind her. She felt his big, rough hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and leaned into him.

"I told you to let her go," he quietly said. There was no malice in his tone. "I didn't mean to piss you off, Op. I just get precious few moments with you. We're constantly sneaking around—and we've got a couple months before you leave."

Opie was crestfallen. She didn't know what she was going to do once school started. She was thankful she wasn't following Lala to NYU—Duke University was more her speed, and it kept her close enough to come home on the weekends. It would still be hard. If it's meant to be, it'll work itself out. She turned to face Lucius.

He was simply stunning, even in darkness. His golden skin gleamed as the lights of the reception hall reflected off his face. She could see the glint of his peridot eyes as he stared at him. She felt his arms encircle her waist, and before she knew it, his mouth has captured hers in a kiss. His tongue slipped effortlessly over hers, and she felt a jolt of electricity rush through her. When he tried to pull away, she grasped his face and pulled him back in. A deep moan escaped his throat as he pulled her closer.

When they broke apart, Opie carefully scanned the reception hall. Things were slowing down a little, but there were still stragglers on the dancefloor, and to Opie's surprise, she saw her parents slowly moving across the floor. Breathing a sigh of both admiration and relief, she grabbed Lucius' hand, and she led him away from the corridor. To the left of the reception hall was a large stairway, and Opie, somewhat familiar with the property, led him away.

"You're such a bad influence," Lucius joked as she led him downstairs. She giggled, and it echoed beautifully as they hit the courtyard. Opie stopped and took her heels off. Even at five-nine, she was no match for Lucius' taller frame. Without the heels, she felt dwarfed.

Even in the dark, the courtyard was splendid. No one had touched the seating from before. A slight, cool breeze tickled the tulle that covered the chair backs. Lucius pulled Opie towards the aisle, and he linked his arm within hers. Humming Here Comes the Bride, he laughingly escorted her to where Abel and Hannah stood just hours earlier. Together, they stood under the cloudy skies. Their eyes met. Opie was spellbound.

"Let's get married," Lucius said. The look on his face was one of complete seriousness. Opie was taken aback.

"Are you kidding?" she raised an elegantly arched brow.

"Only partially," Lucius countered. Opie brow now furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You're so beautiful," Lucius began. "You really are. The first time I saw you, I knew how special you were." Opie resisted the urge to roll her eyes, especially when she saw the intent in his eyes.

"But that doesn't mean we should get married," she replied. Lucius nodded.

"I know that," he stated. "I guess seeing you with your family, seeing your brother and Hannah get married—I guess it made me really see what I have. And I don't want to keep it quiet. I don't want to hide it from your parents. I want everyone to know how much I love you, how I want you to be mine. Forever."

Opie's breath caught. "What did you say?"

Lucius smiled, and even that motion tugged at her heart. "I want everyone to know how much I love you." Opie pulled her hands from his and began to walk away. Lucius, completely dumbfounded, followed. "What's wrong, Op? What did I do?" He caught up with her and spun her so she faced him once more.

"Don't love me," Opie whispered. "Don't pin all your hopes on this heart. That is probably the worst thing you could do."

"I don't understand," Lucius said. "This isn't the first time I told you I love you."

"Yeah, but it is the first time you've asked for forever."

Incredulous, Lucius sat on one of the vacated chairs. "So what is this for? What's the point?"

Opie sat beside him. "I am eighteen, Lucius. In the grand scheme of things, I am just a kid. I can't promise you forever. I'm not my brother. I can't find forever in anyone's eyes. I want to find me first. I want to know if I like mimosas. I want to know what a sunset in Amsterdam looks like. I want to know the feeling of Canadian air on my cheeks. I want to cook for my mama in my own apartment. I want everything and nothing, all at once—and your dreams and my dreams may not be the same dreams. I am not the girl to pin your hopes on, not now."

"That's fucked up," Lucius whispered. Opie reached out and grabbed his hand. Lucius didn't pull away, but there was pain in his beautiful green eyes as he narrowed them.

"No, Lucius, it's not fucked up," she returned. "I love you that fucking much—I'm not going to lie to you and promise you forever when I can't deliver. I want you in my life for as long as we make each other happy. If that's forever, wonderful. If it's not, then at least I didn't make a promise I can't keep."

"It's gonna be forever, Op." Lucius' voice had so much conviction that Opie almost believed it. He bent to kiss her. Forgetting her speech from just moments before, she melted into his kiss. As Lucius' lips trailed the smooth, creamy column of her throat, those Amsterdam sunsets and mimosas were long forgotten. The straps of her navy dress slid off her shoulders, and her ample breasts were almost exposed.

"Not here, Lucius," Opie whispered. They were sprawled across the chairs. Opie's eyes flickered about the property, and with a rush of blood to her cheeks, she saw the perfect place for a clandestine tryst. Grabbing Lucius' hand, she led him to the blackened corridor just beyond where her brother's ceremony took place.

"Ain't no one gonna see us here," Lucius murmured low as Opie giggled. He stood against the wall and pulled Opie against him. His lips met hers, and as her fingers found the buttons on his shirt, his found the zipper of her dress.

"Oh no," she whispered teasingly. Her eyes darted the sliver of light that still remained from the reception hall. She pulled him away from the wall and into the darkness. Before her eyes could get used to the darkness, her feet tripped over something massive. As her feet flew out beneath her, she expected to meet the concrete, so when she met something softer and definitely less abrasive than stone, she was shocked.

"What the hell-?" her voice shook as she spoke. Lucius, in the midst of darkness and trying to help Opie, struggled to find his phone. He couldn't see a damned thing. Opie was almost in full freak out mode. "Help me Lucius!"

"Babe, lemme get my phone. I just need to see what's going on—"Lucius phone was in his hand. When he flicked the button to illuminate the night, Opie saw his face. As she turned to try and stand, the flash of light from the phone illuminated the source of her fall. Beneath her bruised body was no cobblestone. Opie's eyes widened as she realized what caused her collapse.

"What the fuck?!" Opie's voice was high, shrill cry. "Why is he laying here?" Lucius grabbed Opie's hand and pulled her up. He yanked her close, his large hand grasped her waist. She could feel the clamminess pushing through her dress.

"Probably just a drunk worker, babe," he whispered fearfully. Opie knew damn good and well that it wasn't a worker, and she knew that he sure as hell wasn't drunk. Even a drunk man would wake when a person fell over them. She began to shake uncontrollably as Lucius shone the light over the man's body. It was when they got to his face, they realized something was horribly, terribly wrong.

And that's when the screaming began.

Loud, shocked, frightened, the screaming grew louder and louder as Opie's terror poured from her throat. Lucius, phone frozen in place, couldn't help but see the man's brain splayed on the cobblestone. Dressed in head-to-toe black, the man was roughly sixty or seventy years old. His eyes were half-open, as was his mouth. Lucius had never seen anything like it.

He grasped his now very fragile girlfriend and tried to tell her it was going to be okay. Honestly, he didn't know if he was lying or telling the truth. To say he was shocked was an understatement. He was glued to where they stood. Neither one could move as Opie's screaming continued.

"What the fuck is happening?" a strange, masculine voice echoed from behind. An all too familiar feminine voice followed.

"Opie! Opie! What's wrong?!" Lala's voice rang out. They'd heard the screaming from the balcony. Lala's body flooded with memories. She knew who the scream belonged to the moment it rang out. The look on her face must've spoke volumes, because before she could kick off her shoes and rush down the steps, Victor beat her to it, and Lala could only follow. They'd rushed down to the courtyard as quickly as they could, only to see Opie in Lucius' arms.

Before Lucius could stop her, Opie's twin pulled her from his arms, and he was propelled backwards. His eyes slammed shut with the blow, and when he opened them, a massive hulk of a man, dressed in a Marine uniform, had him slammed against the opposite wall. The soldier didn't appear distressed or upset; in fact, he was very calm.

"What the hell is going on, kid? Tell me now." Victor Sinclair's voice was low. "Tell me what happened before this whole goddamned wedding flocks to us."

"Don't hurt him Victor!" Opie screeched. "He didn't do this! We found him! We fucking fooound him!" The screams were now alternating with cries and sobs. Opie was on the verge of a nervous breakdown as Lala held tight to her.

"Found who?" Victor asked. The screams were awful. They tore at Victor's soul. He'd known these girls since they were pre-pubescent.

"I'll show you," Lucius responded. "Just let me go." Victor's eyes were skeptical. "I won't run," Lucius promised. Even though his eyes were still wary, Victor released the younger man. He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone. Oblivious to the sound of footsteps closing in, Lucius pressed the button and shone it on the body.

Another scream rang out.

This time, it was low and pained, so guttural in nature, Victor thought it to be a wounded animal. Astounded by the sound, everyone turned to its source. Opie's screeches died on the cool mountain breeze that surrounded them.

"Chibs! Oh, God—Chibs, nooooo!" Opie and Lala were shocked to see their father standing just beyond them. Thomas stood by his side, but nothing could change the terrified look in his eyes, which were wide with incredulous dismay. His mouth trembled with fear and horror and heartbreak. The older blonde man, children forgotten, rushed to the man he'd known for the vast majority of his life. Since John Teller's death, Chibs had been the closest thing to a real dad he'd had. Even with eighteen years apart, the blow of seeing his corpse of the stone was too overwhelming.

The screams were over. Opie, Lala, Victor, Thomas, and Lucius watched as Jax sank to his knees by his old friend's side. With no care or worry for his beautifully fitted suit, he cradled his dead friend in his arms. Blood and brains soaked the creamy button-down as openly and brokenly wept. There was no worry about blowing any covers; the singular pain of his loss was all the mattered.

No one heard Abel feet as he neared. He stopped as he neared the fray. The scene that unraveled was part of a strange, otherworldly dream. His sisters stood, grasping at one another. Victor stood quietly as his dad's mechanic, Lucius, stood awkwardly as he flashed a cell phone spotlight on his father and a dead man. Just a few feet behind him, he heard the distinct crackle of leaves and grass. Abel turned, only to see Hannah, still clad in her robe. His mother followed.

"Mama? What's wrong?" Abel's voice rang out as he watched Tara's face lose all color. A film of tears developed over her eyes, and her body trembled uncontrollably. She was a ghost as she pushed past him.

"Jackson?" The hollow, small voice that came from Tara's throat was disturbed. She slowly moved towards her husband. "Jackson, tell me that isn't Chibs."

Jax turned towards his wife, his face soaked with agony and tears. His shattered heart was written all over his face.

"I can't Tara," he cried. "I can't tell you that." Jax began to rock back and forth. Tara, traumatized and blind to the people around her, knelt by his side. In one instant, they'd been catapulted back to Charming. Flashes of Nero, Wendy, Wayne, Gemma—they all flowed through her.

Jax and Tara sobbed, and their cries were the only sound amongst them. Lala and Opie stared at their father. Thomas had managed to stand at Abel's side, unable to take his eyes away. Another rustle of grass startled him, and he turned to see Will, standing just behind him. Will's solid arm encircled his waist. They watched as the scene unfolded.

"I'm so sorry, Chibs," Jax said quietly as he wept. "Thank you for trying to save this family."

"What in the world is happening, Adam?" Hannah whispered. "Who is this man?" Abel shook his head. It had taken moments for his life to feel like it was unraveling. As he held Hannah, his hand once again went to her still flat belly. He wished he could explain. He wish he knew, but sometimes, circumstances weren't made to be understand. As the sound of sirens grew closer, Abel realized there was nothing he could say. This was simply one moment in which he didn't have a good answer. Absolutely nothing made sense. Nothing at all.