Victoria 'Vic' Hughes walked through the streets of Seattle in a haze of smoke, ash, and embers. Indistinct voices whispered around her, their sources unseen. Where a normal person would panic at the thought of being surrounded by embers and ash, she felt...comfortable in it. This was her domain; she fought fires for a living. Hell, she lost her fiancé to a fire (though not directly), but all she could do was keep going, even though there had a been a point in her life where she had a very real fear of fire, but that was in the past now. As she walked, the voices got louder and yet somehow simultaneously quieter, until one voice came through, clear as a bell.

"Eggy?" Vic heard the voice, and tears immediately sprang up, but she forced herself not to lose her composure. That voice belonged to Lucas Ripley, former Seattle Fire Chief and the man she would've married had he survived his last call, and 'Eggy' was the affectionate nickname he had given her, after the breakfast she'd ordered at the diner where they would sometimes have their dates. It all came flooding back, and she couldn't hold back the tears. She looked up, desperately trying to keep them from falling when she saw him through the fog; not the frail Lucas Ripley that she had said her last goodbyes to in the hospital, but the Lucas Ripley who was healthy and strong. He walked towards her, embers and cinders swirling around him.

Vic couldn't stop herself, and she ran to him, into his open arms, burying her face in his chest. "Hey, Eggy," he murmured as she hugged him and breathed in the smoky scent that swam around them. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, "Yeah, I miss you too." Vic felt exhilarated and yet a crushing sadness weighed down on her, and she never wanted to let him go, not for one second. She wouldn't admit this to anyone, not even Travis, but she missed Ripley so much.

The tears began to fall, and she started to shake with sobs. It felt like she was choking, and the smoke felt like it was getting thicker until it threatened to suffocate her. Slowly, she breathed in and held it for a long count of 10, exhaling just as slowly. Looking up into his eyes, she steadily calmed down. When she could finally speak, it was almost lyrical;

"You were my North Star," she took a shaky breath, "You were my always."

Ripley smiled, but there a heaviness to it. A breeze picked up, kicking up even more embers and making it much harder to see. When it settled, they were sitting in their booth at the diner. She was a little shocked, but as it was a familiar environment, she slowly exhaled and relaxed. He picked up a fork, and it disintegrated in his hands, the ashes scattering. He looked at Vic, "So...how are you doing?" he asked softly. She looked back at him and shrugged. "I've been staying with Maya and Andy, and trying to pretend that everything is fine when it really isn't. You know, I almost didn't go to the funeral, no one could convince me, not even Travis. The thing that finally made me change my mind about going was a bouquet of flowers similar to the one you would've given me. And that just made it much harder to go, but I did, in the end." She took a shaky breath. "I know, but I'm glad you went. Jennifer was so...happy you showed up," he chuckled, "And Sullivan's eulogy? He couldn't have done a better job. Huh, I wonder how he's doing."

She laughed lightly, but she still felt that sadness weighing down on her. "I'm sorry for not answering my phone that day..." she trailed off. "Hey, hey," he took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "If there's one thing about you that I love, it's that you're always willing to help someone in need. I should never have left the hospital, I was just so desperate to find you, to tell you that I wanted to marry you. Jennifer was right." Vic chuckled, "Well she did tell me that she thought you'd be dating someone with a desk job." Ripley laughed and stood up, extending his hand. "That sounds like her. Come on." Vic took it and followed him out of the diner.

Another breeze started blowing as they walked hand in hand, and the smoke rushed around them. Once it cleared, they were lying in the grass at Kerry Park, looking up at the stars, her head on his chest and his arms around her. She traced her fingers around his chest. "I just want to freeze this moment forever..." she sighed. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back, "I'll always be here for you, Eggy." His voice started to fade, becoming as indistinct as the others. A shooting star streaked across the sky, and a bell sounded off in the distance. She looked at her watch; 17:43. This was it, the moment she dreaded even though she wasn't explicitly aware of it. The bell got louder, and she closed her eyes as the smoke billowed around them. The last things she wanted to see were Lucas Ripley's deep blue eyes and loving smile, and she drank them in as he was once again engulfed by the smoke.

When she opened her eyes, sunlight was streaming in through her window. She rolled over, half-expecting to see Ripley lying there next to her. Oh, it was just a dream, she realized, and disappointment set in. She hugged herself and shivered slightly. Oddly enough, her dream felt like it had lasted forever, but was also over in an instant. Ripley's words echoed in her mind, "I'll always be here for you, Eggy." She smiled, but it was immediately replaced by sadness as she'd never gotten to tell him that he was her compass, and without him she'd turned sideways.

But somehow, Vic knew she would see Ripley again, and she knew it was because of ashes and embers. She looked forward to it, and smiled to herself. As she got ready for the day, she let her music go on shuffle, and "Ashes" by Claire Guerreso began to play.

"Ashes, ashes. When it all comes down."