I don't know what I just wrote. I guess I was in a mood? I don't know when it takes place yet. I hope it's good and emotional and all. Enjoy!

**1 Corinthians 13:7 - [Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preservers. **

EXT. CITY BATTLEGROUNDS - PLANET - SUNSET

A lump hits the ground. Aleea turns around immediately. She notices Cayson lying on the ground, blood forming a puddle beneath him.

Aleea runs to his side and kneels down.

ALEEA
Cayson! No, please.

Aleea rolls Cayson over onto his back. His eyes are shut, his body limp and still.

Aleea starts to panic. Hot tears stream down her face. This is not what she needs right now. She checks for a pulse. She finds his pulse beating steadily and she sighs in relief.

Aleea frustratingly tears apart Cayson's shirt and uses it to put pressure on the gaping hole in his rib. As she's doing so, Aleea hears constant blaster fire, but pays no attention to it. She realizes she has other priorities, which causes her eyes to blur even more from tears. She can barely see what she's doing.

Aleea sits there, leaning over Cayson, still applying pressure, and wondering if he's going to be okay. She fumbles to check his pulse again. He's still alive.

The blaster fire slowly becomes quieter and quieter. The battle is moving to the outskirts of the city.

Soon, Aleea sits in silence with Cayson. By now, she has wrapped his wound and applied a bacta patch, and is waiting for him to wake up. The medics aren't nearby yet, and she couldn't lift him to a medical bay all by herself.

Aleea shifts her legs under Cayson's head, so that he's propped up in her lap. She puts one hand in his hair and the other lightly on his chest. She looks out into the battle-worn distance. Her body shakes slightly, more tears drip down her face. She takes in all that has happened. She feels overwhelmed. She wishes Cayson would wake up healed and just hold her. But she knows that won't happen. She has to be strong, for Cayson, for her soldiers, for her planet.

As Aleea stares out into the distance crying, Cayson opens his eyes. Aleea doesn't notice. Cayson looks up at Aleea in confusion and thinks 'Why is everything so quiet? Why does everything hurt?' Cayson lifts up his head to look down at himself. 'Oh. That's why everything hurts.'

Aleea looks down at Cayson when she feels his weight lift off her lap, and immediately stops crying.

ALEEA
No. Lie back down. You're too weak.

Cayson gratefully lies his head down. His whole torso aches with pain and his head is pounding. Cayson speaks quietly because of the pain.

CAYSON
What happened?

Aleea rubs his head soothingly.

ALEEA
You were shot just after the second wave hit from our ambush.
(gently)
Please tell me you remember everything?

CAYSON
Yeah, I'm remembering now.

Cayson closes his eyes.

CAYSON
Are you going to take me to medical?

ALEEA
The medics haven't come yet. I can't take you by myself.

Cayson grunts in approval and lifts his hand to his eyes to rub them. He takes a deep breath.

ALEEA
(apologetically)
That must really hurt.

CAYSON
Ya think?

Aleea rolls her eyes.

ALEEA
At least you still have your sense of humor.

Cayson opens his eyes and smiles at Aleea, only for his smile to quickly be replaced by a frown.

CAYSON
Aleea, are you okay?

Aleea looks down at him and tries to smile, unsuccessfully.

ALEEA
(barely a whisper)
I'm fine.

Cayson tries to sit up. This time, Aleea doesn't force him back down. She knows whatever he's going to do, she needs right now.

Cayson, bearing through the pain, slowly sits next to Aleea, and wraps her in a side hug, so as to not further injure his rib. Aleea leans her head on Cayson's shoulder. He leans his head on hers. Aleea brings her knees to her chest and holds them tight with her arms, her head still on Cayson's shoulder.

Cayson slowly notices her body slightly shaking. He lifts his head to look at her face. She's crying. Cayson closes his eyes and plants a long kiss on her wet cheek. Aleea lets her legs fall and wraps her hands around Cayson's waist. He flinches from the pain, and she loosens her grip slightly, not wanting to break away from this. She stuffs her head below his chin and sobs. Cayson closes his eyes and holds her, despite the pain.

CAYSON
(softly)
Tell me what's wrong.

ALEEA
I can't.

CAYSON
You can.

Aleea continues to cry into his chest.

ALEEA
I... I feel...

Aleea cries more, her words unable to come out. Cayson waits patiently.

ALEEA
...overwhelmed. ...All this... is so much to deal with.

She continues sobbing.

Cayson tries to pull her in tighter, but it hurts too much, so he lowers his head next to her ear and whispers.

CAYSON
I can't imagine how you're feeling. Your parents are gone. You have to rule an entire planet by yourself, while leading the military into battle. And Dillon went missing two weeks ago. I can only feel part of what you're going through. You, you're serving the entire planet during one of the most difficult times in our history. The people owe everything to you. I owe you more times than I can count.

Aleea manages to speak through the sobs.

ALEEA
The people... don't owe me anything. ...You don't either.

Aleea cries even harder.

ALEEA
I don't know what to do. I feel lost. And alone. On all the issues our planet is dealing with. And worst of all... I've felt distant from you. ...I know I've pushed you away.

Cayson closes his eyes in guilt.

CAYSON
That's my fault. Ever since Dillon went missing... I... didn't come to you like I should've. I need you, and you needed me.

Aleea lifts her head and looks Cayson in the eyes.

ALEEA
I need you still.

CAYSON
I'm here for you.

Aleea gently presses her lips into his. She breaks away, and Cayson leans in for another kiss. Their lips meet again. They don't break away until they hear the medics coming with the anti-gravity stretcher.

The three medics find their princess and commanding officer with their mouths locked to each other. The medics glance around at each other, unsure of what to do, but then Aleea and Cayson break apart.

The medics shrug off what they just saw and move in to lift Cayson onto the stretcher and take him away to be treated. They ask Aleea if she needs someone to take her back to the palace. She politely declines.

Aleea watches the medics take Cayson away to be treated. Once he's out of view, she turns and heads towards the barracks. Finally feeling up to the task, she hopes to find some clue as to what could have happened to Dillon.