**This scene happens during 3Below Episode, 'Asteroid Rage.' Thanks!**

~ Chapter Fourteen ~

The Sky is Falling

The Military cleared out of the hospital by the time Barbara arrived for her shift the following morning. She worried that Colonel Kubritz would seek her out, especially when she saw her battered face, but, surprisingly, she never said a word to her.

Last night, the Colonel had stared at her with a long, angry, and calculating stare that Barbara could feel upon her back. It was evident that she, Douxie, and Walter had stopped whatever dark plans the Colonel had for them, forcing her to retreat or give up, and she was livid over it, but Barbara didn't let it phase her. She didn't care, as long as Walter was safe.

The hospital wasn't as busy as the night before. If anything, it was slow, which gave her more time to think about things and check her phone. Unable to help herself, Barbara groaned, pulled out the stupid thing again, and stared at the screen.

It was the same as when she checked it ten minutes ago, with no new messages and voicemails.

Earlier, she had tried calling Jim, thinking it wouldn't be such a bad thing since she hadn't tried in over a week, but to her anxiety, it went straight to voicemail. Jim either had his phone off, the phone didn't have service where they were at, or he'd let it die by not charging it. Regardless of the reason, Barbara wished her son would contact her again.

Each passing day with him gone wasn't as bad as the first, as she seemed to fret less and less and just accept that he wasn't going to call her, but she still wished he would at least text.

Her phone suddenly pinged and vibrated with a new text message, and Barbara's heart nearly burst out of her chest. She glanced at who the message was from, and instead of Jim, it was from Walter- which was the next best thing. She also hadn't heard from him since the attack, which she thought was strange.

She ended up coming home late last night after working some overtime and fell asleep almost instantly after crashing on top of her mattress- with her scrubs and shoes still on. Then, when she woke up for work a few hours later, she guessed that Walter had taken her shoes and glasses off and tucked her into the sheets and blankets.

Barbara meant to thank him for doing that for her, but he wasn't in bed with her when she woke up at six. She didn't know where he went, but NotEnrique was already up and stated he would watch the kids while the bossman was 'out' so she could go to work.

Barbara had texted him a few times throughout the day, but Walter wasn't answering her. Around lunchtime, she gave up on trying and tried to ignore the nervous clench in her stomach. But now that he'd messaged her, all worries melted away.

Opening the message with a smile, Barbara sipped down her bland hospital-made coffee, trying not to gag, and read the message to herself:

Good evening, my beautiful darling. I hope you are having a fantastic day!

I apologize that I wasn't home when you woke up this morning. Some things have been on my mind, and I needed some time to consider them.

Barbara frowned slightly. Consider what things? She continued to read his message:

I just wanted to text and let you know that I love you more than anything and that you are most precious to me. Every time I think of you, I can't help but smile in true joy. Joy, I've not known my entire life.

Barbara shut her eyes in relief. He still loved her! Almost all of her worries faded away now. She didn't know why her mind jumped to so many different and drastic conclusions, but it made her feel much better that he wasn't ignoring her because he was having second thoughts about their relationship.

Still, something else was bothering him. She continued to read, hoping he explained his behavior and why he had kept his distance from her:

I have debated telling you this, but I feel it best, to be honest with you. We never got the chance to talk about what happened when you got home last night, which I completely understood that you were exhausted, but I wanted to let you know that last night's military attack was most troubling to me. And while I don't like texting, writing does help me express my thoughts much better, sometimes. So, I hope you don't mind if I express my thoughts in such an informal manner. I hope to discuss them face-to-face when you come home tonight.

Barbara, last night, I thought I lost you and the babies, and, honestly, it frightened me. More than I care to admit. I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't relax, knowing I had not protected you better.

I apologize that I wasn't in bed when you woke up this morning. I stayed awake, watching you sleep all night long, and every time I peered upon your beautiful face and saw the cuts and bruises that soldier left on you, I swore I could have burned everything around us with my rage. So, to cool down, I went for an early morning flight to the reservoir and took a swim.

Barbara, to be honest, my heart is heavy today. I promised Jim that I would take care of you, and even more so, I promised myself that I would be your protector, but I failed to do so properly last night.

I'm so sorry and humbly ask for your forgiveness.

I promise you, my darling Barbara, that I will strive to be better for you. You are my world, and I would do anything to make sure you are safe. I just wanted you to know that.

Barbara's heart sank at the words she was reading. She couldn't believe that Walter was feeling this way. Had she known that he was this upset over the attack last night, she would have talked to him when she got home. Shutting her eyes and clutching her phone to her chest, she swore she was going to make it up to him when she got off tonight. Somehow.

Just then, her phone buzzed a second time, and when she looked down, he had sent her another text, which read:

Also, unrelated to what I said in the last texts, we may need more milk, as I didn't realize we were running low. I hate to ask this of you, but since I can no longer go to the store and be seen in public, would you mind stopping by the store and getting a gallon on your way home, please? The babies are doing just fine, so it's whenever you can. Thank you, my darling.

I apologize if this message is a mess or negative, but this whole 'remain incognito' situation is frustrating, but as always, I'll make due.

Anyway, text me back if you can or want to; if not, I'll see you tonight, and we can talk more then. Please, be safe. I can't wait to see you. I love you.

"Oh, Walt, I love you too," Barbara whispered to herself, sitting back in her chair and holding the phone to her chest again. It was nearing nightfall at this point, but she still had a few hours left of her twelve-hour shift. Time was beginning to drag, and each passing minute felt like an hour.

Sighing, Barbara leaned back in her chair in the break room, waiting to be paged or needed by someone, and began texting a heartfelt message back to Walter. She liked talking to him because they both were sincere, honest, and upfront about what they were feeling, and ever since they admitted their feelings for each other, everything was so much easier.

Barbara was shamelessly flirtatious, emotional, and mushy in her message, telling him that she loved him with all of her heart and couldn't wait to lie in his arms, kiss, and softly talk until they fell asleep. She then typed that she would pick up milk and anything else they needed-

Barbara must have been smiling brightly to herself because her head nurse, Roxanne, suddenly came into the break room without her realizing it.

"Alright, who's the guy?"

Barbara jumped slightly at her voice, looked up, and chuckled. Roxanne was the closest thing to a girl's best friend and was often brutally honest with her but exceptionally loyal and loving. Roxanne crossed the room and then began fixing her waist-long brunette hair into a better ponytail.

"I'm not texting a guy," Barbara said with an unconvincing smile.

"Uh-huh, and I'm not dying for a good cup of coffee right now or wine." Roxanne poured her coffee, replaced the pot, and began pouring a ton of creamer into the mix. Spitting out her gum, she sipped the coffee, grimaced, then gagged. "Yeah. I'm definitely not craving wine right now. No way. That would be impossible."

Barbara laughed and gave up texting for a moment as Roxanne settled down into the seat opposite her and stared at her. She was a beautiful woman, had caramel-colored skin due to her Hispanic heritage, and chocolate brown eyes.

Roxanne grinned at her, blowing on her coffee. "So, who is it?"

Barbara sighed and gave in. "His name is Walter Strickler. He's Jim's old high school world history teacher. He and I began dating, um, a few months ago."

Roxanne froze. "What? And when were you going to tell me about this? Months, you say that this has been going on?"

"Yes, but it was casual for a long time," Barbara explained, sipping her half-cold coffee, and she, too, grimaced in disgust. Roxanne instantly took her cup, stood up, and dumped out the lousy coffee, pouring fresh. Barbara smiled at her. "Thank you."

"And now?" Roxanne asked.

"Well… the short version of the story is that he left for a while, just like my ex-husband did. Without a word. He just left."

Roxanne raised her eyebrows. "And you're still seeing him?"

"Well, yes. Walter came back, explained what happened and why he left. And it turned out he left for a decent reason." When Roxanne didn't look convinced, Barbara continued, "no, trust me, I was pissed off for a long time, but Walter has been a much better partner than I've ever had before. I mean, he's helped me out with Jim, he has helped me around the house, and with the babies, I am fostering. He's romantic, thoughtful, loving, sweet, respectful, handsome, and gosh, honestly? He's been a dream, Roxanne, and I am in love with him."

"Whoa," Roxanne gasped, her eyes wide. "I feel like we haven't talked in forever, Barbs, so to me, this is coming out of nowhere! Holy cow! This is crazy! I mean, you love him?"

Barbara smiled. "Yes, I'm head-over-heels for him."

"Oh." Roxanne clutched at her chest. "Barbs, that is so sweet! Well, damn girl, if you're this happy, then I'm so happy for you! It sounds like you've got a winner."

"Thank you," Barbara grinned, blushing slightly and turning back to the text she was about to send to Walter. She proofread it a few times and was happy with its genuine mushiness, then hit send. She smiled at herself, then looked up at Roxanne again. "Walter makes life so easy. He's truly wonderful."

"Awe, that's so sweet," Roxanne sighed, sitting down in a chair next to her. "I wish my husband was more romantic and more willing to help me out. Juan thinks dropping the twins off at school is enough to get out of everything else. The cooking, the cleaning, the laundry. You name it. I mean, he gets home before I do and leaves after I do. We both work, so it's hard when it ends up being me to clean up after everyone."

"Yeah, I get that," Barbara said. "James, my ex, didn't really help out when Jim was young either. Even before he up and left us for someone else." She paused and smiled. "But, Jim ended up helping out in that department, you know, with the cooking and cleaning and such. But now that he's gone, it's…."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you mentioned that a few weeks ago," Roxanne cut in suddenly, "Your boy and a few of his friends are at a summer camp for a few months, right?"

Barbara nodded, smiling tightly. "Yeah, but Walter has instantly stepped up to the plate and has taken care of everything with him gone and while I'm gone at work." She sighed and rested against her chair. "Being with Walter, I didn't realize how happy I could be, nor how wonderful cohabitating with someone again could truly be."

"Cohabitating?" Roxanne drawled with a teasing smile, "Oh, so he is living with you?"

Barbara nodded.

"Ooh, this is so exciting, Barbs! Do you think it's going to go anywhere?"

Barbara raised an eyebrow and laughed nervously. "Like?"

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Marriage, chica. Matrimonio."

When Barbara bit in her lip and began blushing, Roxanne gasped. "Oh. My. God, you've talked about it with him already, haven't you?"

Barbara sipped some coffee. "Well, yeah, kind of, but we are still taking things slow. Until the foster children are adopted by the families that want them, Walter and I live in chaos. But, yes, down the road, I could see myself happily married to him. Without question."

Roxanne smiled and shook her head in amazement. "Wow, Barbs, this guy sounds unreal. Are you sure he is even human?"

Barbara glanced up at her, unsure what to say, but when Roxanne began laughing, she chuckled nervously with her.

"Yeah. He's… something like that."

Just then, the door to the break room opened, and another nurse burst in, her face white with panic. She was younger but was also on Barbara's team and was very good at her job.

"Julia," Barbara said, staring at her as she was panicking. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Outside," The nurse, Julia, choked out breathlessly. She took a deep breath and exhaled a sob as she clutched her chest. "We… we are all going to die!"

"What?" Barbara gasped.

"What are you talking about, chica?" Roxanne asked seriously.

"Turn on the news!" Julia cried, grabbing a nearby remote and clicking on the breakroom's television. "Arcadia Oaks is once again on National news!"

Barbara grabbed the remote and turned the television up.

Just then, the break room door opened, and more staff began piling in, yelling to turn on the television, but all Barbara saw on the screen was a conference in front of Arcadia's city hall, waiting to begin. She turned to Julia.

"What is going on?"

But she didn't answer her.

"There's an asteroid, the size of LA county hurtling towards us right now," a fellow doctor, by the name of Dr. Gilberg, answered. His tan skin had paled a horrible green color out of terror. "The scientists following this are saying that impact is inevitable and will kill us all."

Barbara's jaw fell, and she was waiting for someone to tell her that she was being pranked or being messed around with- but seeing the terror and panic on everyone's faces- she didn't think anyone was going to.

"Jesús, ayúdanos," Barbara heard Roxanne breathe, praying out loud, and she wasn't the only one. All around her, fellow doctors and nurses were praying out loud, holding each other, or texting and calling their loved ones- saying goodbye.

Barbara felt her insides melting with fear. This had to be a prank of sorts—a horrible, terrible mistake.

But it wasn't.

Suddenly, Ophelia Nunez stepped up to the podium at City Hall, speaking to all of Arcadia and the Nation in a solemn voice- "We have confirmed that an asteroid is headed for Arcadia. Impact is likely within the next twenty minutes. Experts suggest seeking shelter..." The conference continued showing footage of two massive rocks hurtling towards Earth's upper atmosphere on the screen and military experts telling them their odds of survival.

Gasping, she felt like she was going to faint. What was even happening right now? Were they going to die? Just like that? Despite everything she, Jim, and Walter had endured, this was how their story was going to end?

Unable to take the stress or panic anymore, Barbara ran through the crammed breakroom towards the outside and burst through the ambulance bay doors. Panting, she looked up at the setting sky and saw, just above the crescent moon, two giant fiery streaks approaching Earth. She gasped out in horror.

It was true.

They were all going to die.

Tears filled her eyes, and panic filled her heart. She then pulled out her phone and dialed Jim, which went straight to voicemail.

When she heard the beep, she shut her eyes and let her tears fall.

"Sweetheart, it's mom. I wanted to call and tell you that there is an asteroid heading straight for Arcadia Oaks right now, and it's… it's not looking good. So, if anything happens to me, I want you to know that I love you and am so proud of you. You are my entire world, Jim, and I am thankful to be your mom." She stopped, and her words choked in her throat. "I miss you and hope you are safe. Please, Jim, know whatever happens that I'm alright and that I'm happy."

She smiled through her tears, then whispered, "I'm also... in love with Walter, Jim, and as long as he is by my side, I'm happier than I've ever been. I just wanted you to know that and know that I will forever love you." She stared up at the asteroids, then whispered, "goodbye, kiddo. Continue to make the world a better place. I love you."

Clicking the end button and ending the call, Barbara wrapped her arms around herself, walked backward until she hit the outside wall, then fell to her knees and began openly sobbing.

"- impact is likely within the next twenty minutes. Experts are saying to seek shelter…"

NotEnrique spit out his drink while watching television. "Whoa, holy crap! Bossman, are you hearing this?"

Walter was pacing the living room floor, bouncing a fussy Sarah in his arms, his eyes glued to the television.

"Hearing, but still trying hard to believe it," Walter replied, his heart pounding in his chest. "Here," he thrust the fussy baby into NotEnrique's arms, "hold her for a second, please," he then ran through the front door to the lawn and looked up into the darkening dusk sky.

Sure enough, right above the crescent moon were two fire rocks plummeting towards the atmosphere, and Walter's jaw fell open. NotEnrique followed after him, still holding the fussy baby, Sarah, and looked up.

"Geez, how many times is Arcadia Oaks gonna face its end?" He cried out. "I don't wanna die!"

Walter was without words, but then his heart sank, and true, sickening terror settled in. His eyes widened in horror.

"Barbara!"

"It doesn't matter if she's alright or not, right now," NotEnrique cried out unhelpfully. "In case you haven't noticed, we are all gonna die!"

Ignoring the small changeling, Walter pulled out his phone, saw she had replied to the message he had sent out earlier, and quickly read through it. His heart melted, and he read and re-read through the message, over and over again.

Her words of love, gratitude, and admiration for him pierced through every inch of him, and tears filled his eyes. He then checked the time the message was sent and found it was right before the asteroid warnings started.

Quickly dialing her number, he pressed the phone to his ear, praying she picked up, but to his despair, it went straight to voicemail.

"This is Doctor Lake. I'm not available at the moment. Please leave me a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as-"

"Damn it," Walter growled, clicking his phone off and staring up at the sky again. He felt unsure of what to do.

This wasn't like the Gumm-Gumm battle with Gunmar, where he had some control over what he did to stop it. An asteroid was something too big, too powerful, and was completely out of his control. He couldn't do a thing to save the ones he loved. He could only hold them as they all died...

Or not.

Something filled his heart, suddenly. A true desire to protect Barbara, the Familiars, and do everything he could to protect what was his.

His.

Walter's eyes widened. He had never had anything that belonged to him. True, he had a beater car, a nice apartment, but they were something the Janus Order supplied him. It was never something he had put in the effort to keep or work towards having.

With Barbara, it was different. He had to work hard at redeeming himself before her eyes. Every day he poured his heart and soul out to her, having faith that she would take care of him, and she had. More than he thought was possible.

All-day, he had been thinking deeply about his and Barbara's relationship and where it was to go. Seeing her get injured when the military officers attacked, he had never felt more afraid or outraged. The moment the officer punched her in the face, hard enough to hit the ground, he had never felt that much rage and fury before.

Barbara was his to protect, and he knew that they either had to cut their relationship off or move towards a more committed physical, emotional, mental, and sexual relationship. A constant, strong, and full-time intimacy that he'd never known before but wanted more than anything with her.

A marriage. A future.

Walter's heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the large space rocks about to claim their deaths, and the truth had never been clearer. He couldn't bear to be separated from Barbara. Never again.

Barbara was the woman for him, and he wasn't sure why it had taken him this long to realize that truth. Now that an Asteroid was barrelling towards them, promising them all an inevitable death, he longed to be with the woman he loved with all of his heart and soul and save her.

Ripping his nice brown jacket off and throwing it on the lawn, Walter pocketed his phone, then suddenly willed his large bat-like wings to tear through the back of his dark blue sweater, freeing them to take flight.

"Excuse me, but where do you think you are going?" NotEnrique exclaimed, chasing after Walter through the front yard.

"I'm going to Barbara. If we are going to die, then I'm bringing her back here where we can all be together."

"But! The Asteroid is comin'! You can't just...!"

"I've almost lost her twice now in a matter of weeks," Walter suddenly cried, looking more intense than NotEnrique had ever seen him before. "I'm not going to lose her again!"

"But, you can't just leave me here!" NotEnrique suddenly choked up. "I don't wanna die alone."

Walter's face fell, and he felt compassion for the small changeling. "You won't be alone. I'll be right back with Barbara, and we will face this together, come what may, alright? Until then, will you please watch the babies for me and maintain calm? I'll be right back, I promise."

Shaking but trying to be brave, NotEnrique nodded. Walter clapped his shoulder and smiled warmly. Standing up, he then spread out his long wings and then took off like a bullet into the dying sky.