1977 Mexico

Erik's arm draped around me under the thin sheets, the smell of the ocean and the slight breeze blowing on my skin, I felt so happy and at peace. The sound of boots on the sand shattered my calm; it was slight but not completely silent. I knew it would happen one day but I thought we'd been careful enough over the years. I sat up as my hand grabbed Erik's shoulder; his eyes squinted as I shook him. "Vivienne give me some time to wake up first."

I was quick clamping my hand down over his mouth and putting my lips to his ear. "They're here for us. Get dressed you keep close to an exit and if things get too out of hand you are to take off." I moved my hand and kissed his lips, letting him see that I was truly afraid. "I love you and I won't lose you to them."

Before Erik could respond I was out of bed and making virtually no noise as I dressed myself, my pants were on and a top half over my head when the front door went down. Pushing myself forward I took those who were in the front, my hands shutting into fists as I constricted their muscles before punching, with those two out of the way I heard the sounds of crashing as metal was flung around the room, Erik was never one for the subtle. My bare feet lifted effortlessly off the floorboards with no sound. I stalked the house looking for the soldiers.

I found them and was quiet in my disposal of them, it wasn't until one managed to fire off a couple of shots connecting with my stomach that things started to heat up. I bent slightly trying to breathe once more, as the bullets were pushed out of my skin and it started to heal over again I leapt at them before they knew I was coming. I threw my fist forward the initial impacted hurting while the follow through with the elbow knocked him unconscious. I got in three precise kicks as the other one fell to the grounded concussed and bleeding.

I had slipped into a familiar pattern of taking out my targets by whatever means possible. The sound of Erik's call pulled me out of it. His voice was laced with pain as he called my name and I could hear the sound of metal colliding with the walls and a few grunts. All notions of subtlety were beyond me as I skidded across the floor boards my feet making tremendous noise as I ran back to our room. "Erik!" I shrieked at the hallway which bounced sound the best, hopefully creating a slight distraction to give me time. When I made it to the door for once my mind was devoid of thought.

The scene in front of me made my blood boil. Erik was crumpling on the ground clutching at his side; I could see the blood spilling through his fingers. The men in the room didn't have time to scream as I watched the blood pool out of their eyes, ears and noses. My hands firmly clutched into fists as I felt a connection to their brains pooling into almost liquid muscle. I grabbed a knife which was lodged in the wall, we kept a collection in the bedside table just in case, Erik and I had an aptitude for throwing them. Blade in hand I shut the door and moved furniture in front of it. I knew the noise would attract attention and that it would do very little against what these guys had, but it made me feel a little safer and as though I was protecting him. I knelt down beside Erik, who by this point was lying flat on the ground. I put the knife down beside me as I placed my hand over his. Any reluctance he had was short lived as I gently pressed my fingers into the wound covering the best part with my hand and starting to pull the pain away. Erik's breathing was ragged as he looked up at me. I smiled down at him kissing his lips. "How'd this happen?" I choked out as I felt the wound starting to open up in my side.

Erik smirked. "Would you believe I actually got shot?" He winced as I applied more pressure. "They make plastic bullets now." I nodded smoothing back his hair with my other hand which was covered in blood.

I looked down at the floor; there was plenty of the red liquid around and too much around Erik. His eyes were fluttering shut. "It's okay babe you can go to sleep and when you wake up things will be better." I tried to soothe him, but Erik knew me too well as I fought back tears.

"I love you." He said quietly.

I nodded letting a few tears fall down my face. "I know." I leant down and placed a kiss on my loving Erik, not wanting to let him go as I felt the slight pressure of his tongue. My free hand found the knife beside me as the deep parts of the wound settled into my side and I could feel my body starting to heal me. "Just close your eyes and lay still. Trust me this will work."

Saying those words I removed my hand, to look at his side appeared pretty butchered when in reality it was now only really a bad graze, I'd removed all the deeper damage and the shallow breaths that weren't uncommon for Erik, it wouldn't be a hard sell that he was dying and bleeding out on the floor.

I was just coming to stand when the widow burst open. I stepped over Erik hoping that they wouldn't bother to check if I gave them enough reason to think he was already dead, leaving the tears on my face for better effect. The bullets flew fast as I slashed at as many of them that I could. I was riddled with holes, but since none of them were in my head nor aimed at it I knew they wanted me alive. It wasn't until I felt the distinct feeling of a sword behind me slicing through my ribs and rupturing some of my organs that I knew I was beat. The taste of blood in my mouth was distinct as it all started to pool out. A signal was given and the line of men in front of me parted. The sight which greeted me turned my stomach. "Ms Dane we have to stop meeting like this or is it Mrs Lehnsherr now?" The smug smile on Stryker's face made me want to yell every obscenity I'd ever learnt and there were a lot. But the sound of a gunshot going off and the distinct sound of a male groan behind me stopped me. I couldn't move the sword had damaged my spinal cord and being in me it left little option. My muscles twitched with anger and loss as more tears ran down my face. It was weak and I hated it but in that time I didn't know what else to do. Stryker spoke. "That's enough, soldier." The command had barely left his mouth before the blade slide smoothly out of me.

I flopped to the floor like a useless fish; two sets of hands grabbed my arms and dragged my useless body across the floor and sand to the awaiting helicopter. The sting was dulled as it mixed with my wounds. As we went up I had gained enough control to crawl over to the side, I could see my little slice of paradise flickering with orange as the flames lapped up what remained of my one shot, and the sky was just starting to glow with an orange and pink hue. I knew the eyes trained on me were ready at any second to pounce if I decided to jump, but knowing that the fall wouldn't do anything but mangle me further and in a small time I'd be able to get up again, it hardly seemed worth it. My house was getting smaller and smaller as we approached the ocean.

I let my last couple of tears run free, the single drops in an ocean and all. As I went to wipe the final ones away I felt the cold metal of my wedding ring brush against my cheek. The reminder of him hit so hard that I'd ripped it off and had the beautiful work of art dangling from the very tip of my pinkie screaming at myself to throw it into the ocean. But as I stared down at the pretty colours bouncing off it in the sunlight I hopped it from finger to finger until finally clutching it in my palm and bringing it to my lips. I'm sorry, was the only thought I had as I crawled away from the edge.