It was dark, with only a weak streak of light from outside illuminating the command center of the ship. In the same room, there was a woman with a quizzical expression on her face. She was looking directly at him, and then she said, "Charles, can you kill Sarah Walker?"

At the sound of the name, Charles's heartbeat skipped a bit. But his demeanor had not changed. His hazel eyes were adamant and as cold as ice. But there was something else in his eyes. Something that sparkled.

With his usual stern tone, he said, "That's my duty." And then the sparkling bead fell from his eye to his cheek. A teardrop. "I will kill Sarah." He paused. And another tear fell from his eye. "I must kill her."

Anna Wu, stared at him, wide-eyed. For all the years she had known this man called Charles Carmichael, or callsign Snow White in this era, he had never shed a tear. Ever. It eventually went to show that despite his stern persona, Charles Carmichael still had his heart that only beats for the woman whom he had sworn to kill.

Everything then became a blur and vanished. A different scenario appeared. This time, Charles found himself in the middle of a battle in space. Equipped in his customed prototype vanguard gear he obliterates the unmanned assault droids in his path. Just then, he received an unknown transmission. On his HUD was the beautiful, un-aged face of Sarah Walker.

"This is Snow White. What is it?" Despite being in the midst of battle, Charles looked calm and collected.

"Charles..." Sarah's eyes brimmed with tears, though she appeared delighted to see him. 50 years had been way too long. "I missed you, Charles..." Her raucous voice wavered. A tear tainted her calm countenance.

Unfazed, Charles said. "Sorry, but I'm in battle right now. Could you just tell me what's so important?"

"Yes." Sarah wiped away her tear and stood straight with poise as if she were standing on a stage for a speech. "Charles, please come quickly and kill me." It was more of an order than a request. Still, her eyes overflowed with emotions she was holding back.

Charles, however, spoke with the same stern tone. "I've accepted that mission already. Once I'm done here, I'll carry it out immediately."

Sarah nodded.

"But Sarah, you won't let your war end."

She blinked. "My...war?"

"End communication."

As both their comms closed, the scene changed, as well.

This time, they were in a different room. Sarah was standing a few feet away from him, dressed in her white diplomatic uniform. She looked calm and collected at the sight of the man in front of her, though tears were freely cascading down her cheeks.

"Charles, " Sarah said, a thousand words willing to be said weighed heavily on his name. "Finally, we're at the end of the line. It took so long."

Across from her, Charles Carmichael's hand was raised, pointing a gun at Sarah's head. He, too, was calm and collected. Save for a tear that escaped his eye. "Sarah, this is the only way," Charles said, wondering if he was saying this to her or for himself.

"I understand," Sarah answered. "I wish everything was different." She forced a smile and took a step closer. "I don't know how much you remember about the past and about what we went through. But after all this," Sarah swallowed. "When you go on with your life, please don't remember me as the Sarah Walker of Mars."

Charles tightened his hands on the gun.

"Now complete your mission. For the peace between Earth and Mars," Sarah said. "Kill me." She then closed her eyes and smiled, accepting her fate to die at the hands of Charles Carmichael.

In an instant, a stream of memories with Sarah's face flooded his mind starting from their first meeting on the beach up to the start of the new war. Another tear escaped his eye, and he did the thing that he had not made himself do since meeting her until now: he pulled the trigger.

At the sound of the gunfire, Charles Carmichael sat upright on the bed, bewildered and panting. Beads of sweat covered his naked torso, still reliving the sight of the bullet he fired that pierced through Sarah's head. Standing up, he made a beeline to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face.

Charles had never believed in superstitions or premonitions. But there was this appalling feeling that crept on him, making him fear for the future, of what he might do to the woman whom he loved more than life. Why was an older version of Anna with him on a ship, and why was he un-aged? Why was he crying? In his dream and most of all, how could he accept a mission to kill Sarah, also known as operation Mythos in his dream

Returning to his room, he picked up his gun from the bedside drawer and unloaded the bullets before placing it back, just in case he could no longer distinguish his dreams from reality.

Charles woke up once more, panting and sweating. It was that dream again. That dream. Charles tried to dispel the images of Sarah's tears as she commanded for him to kill her, as she wished that he would remember who she was before everything had gone mad, as he shot her without remorse, and as he watched her body fall to the ground soaked in her blood.

Getting out of bed, Charles put on a shirt and walked out of his room. The lights in the mansion had already been switched off, and only the moon's light that penetrated the glass windows illuminated all the parts of the mansion it can reach. He went to the kitchen, drinking down cold water in hopes that it would aid in clearing his mind.

It didn't.

It took him quite a second late to realize that there was already someone standing behind him. At the next step, he instinctively turned around and grabbed its wrist. The stranger was made to turn around as Charles twisted its arm over its head to have its hand on its back along with its other one. The stranger yelped in surprise at the act.

The cloud of anxiety disappeared from Charles's eyes as he recognized the beholder of blonde hair that pressed against his chest. He let go of his captive in an instant.

"Sarah," Charles said, surprised and curious.

Sarah, wearing only a silky nightgown, chuckled. She rubbed one of her hands on her wrist as she turned to face him. "And I thought that there was nothing more today that can surprise me."

"Why are you here?" Charles asked.

"I couldn't sleep," Sarah answered, pulling a chair from the table in the middle of the room to sit. "Well, I just woke up again and I couldn't sleep." She continued to dab her fingers on her wrist. "I got thirsty. And on the way here, your door was open, and you weren't there. And I thought that..."

"That?" Charles also pulled a chair and sat beside her. "What?"

"That you left."

"Why would I leave?"

"Funny you should ask," Sarah said almost sarcastically, still embittered by his change of behavior and his track record in the past of always leaving.

It took her by surprise when his hand reached for hers, running his fingers on her wrist tainted with red discoloration. He must have held her too tight. "I apologize."

"For what?" Sarah asked, ignoring the sensations that their physical contact elicited. For ignoring me the whole time? For almost attacking me?

"I hurt you," Charles answered, caressing the discolored skin with his thumb. Touching Sarah like this, just being able to hold her like this, alive and well, he also felt alive. He also knew right then and there that he now truly lived for her. He had always believed that after the war and the missions were over, it was when there wouldn't be any more reason for him to exist. But then there was Sarah, just a girl sharing the same age, who showed him that there was life in a world devoid of battles and that his life was worth more than just a nameless fighter who should never have lived until the advent of peace.

Sarah was the purest he had ever met. And he had never imagined staining her body with her blood, even when he had first made a vow that he would kill her. Now as her pulse, her proof of living, drummed against his finger, his mind drifted to his recent dreams. He did not want to admit it. But he was starting to fear it. And the thought of him doing something as much as just scratching her was appalling.

"Charles," Sarah called out softly, like a whisper. "What's wrong?"

There was a momentary shock to Sarah's eyes that Charles saw before she nodded for him to go on.

He continued, "I just had this dream, Sarah."

"Dream? What about?"

Charles nodded. How could he possibly tell her that he had been dreaming of actually killing her? "I hurt you in my dreams."

Sarah chuckled lightly, in hopes of enlightening the mood. "But, seriously, is that what's bothering you? It's just a dream, Charles."

Charles shook his head. He squeezed her hand he did not realize that he had still been holding, and then he relayed every bit of what he can remember from his nightmares.

When he had finished, Sarah asked, "You will not hurt me intentionally, right?" She smiled, knowing his answer well. "You said that the others there seemed old? Like Anna?"

"Yup."

"And both of us still look the same?" Sarah asked. "It's odd. But if it is related to the future, maybe I will do something bad that will make you kill me?" Squeezing his hand that held hers, Sarah said, "Charles, I know you wouldn't hurt me. And yes, we wouldn't know what will happen in the future. But when something happens, peace will be shattered again and everything will be in chaos, especially when it's my own doing. If the situation calls for it, don't hesitate to take my life."

He had no idea how Sarah could still talk about her death so casually. His eyes bore into her, wondering why she was condoning the content of the reason for his anxiety.

"You don't have to worry about that, Charles. It's why I'm here. It's why I'm in this position. If the Earth Sphere returns in turmoil once more, then it'll be my fault, my responsibility." She lifted her hand to his cheek. "When that happens, I won't be able to take it. If you will have to take someone else's life for the sake of peace, then it should be me. You don't have to hurt others. And don't even think about hurting yourself."

Charles blinked, confounded. All this time, he had believed that he had been protecting her. Now, it dawned on him that Sarah's selflessness for billions of people reached no limits, and in reality, she was also protecting him. She cared. She was always so caring towards him. It had always confused him since they met.

An uninvited tear then cascaded down his cheek, warming Sarah's hand. Sarah drew in a breath. This was the first time that she had seen him shed a tear. Charles Carmichael had never cried no matter how screwed up the situation was. It had eventually, actually sunk to her that this matter was a big deal to him. It surely couldn't just be about the dreams, right? She thought.

The princess looked at her reflection in his eyes. He may have shed a tear, but there was no trace of change from his piercing gaze. He was still composed outside, if not inside. There was this battle inside of him, she knew, that he wanted to suppress. She wanted to kiss the pain away.

"What is it that you truly fear?" Sarah asked, caressing the side of his cheek that was unreached by the moon's light from outside.

Charles lifted his hand to cover Sarah's that was on his cheek, cherishing the warmth it brought to his being, savoring the comfort brought about by the physical contact. The lights in the mansion were still turned off, and the moonlight was enough for Charles to see every bit of her: the way her golden tresses fell below her shoulders, her eyes that twinkled like gems, her slender figure underneath the silky nightgown, even her great strength and spirit.

"I don't want to lose you," Charles finally admitted, both to himself and Sarah.

After hearing his words, Sarah bit her lip, not knowing what to say. She had expected Charles to be unafraid of anything. Anything. But about losing her? Now that could have been a joke. "That's my line," Sarah answered cheerily, pulling away from his grasp. She stood and approached him, closing the distance between them as she wrapped her arms around him.

With Charles still seated, Sarah's arms went around his neck, guiding his head to gently lie against her chest so he can feel her heart beating fast. In an instant, his arms also made their way to her waist to pull her closer. Sarah leaned so her cheek would rest at the top of his head. She gently rocked back and forth for comfort, in hopes of driving away the anxiety of this man who had always been strong for everyone, especially for her.

"You will always have me," Sarah muttered tenderly with the realization that Charles needed her as much as she needed him. She forced back a sob, and then she said under her breath, "I love you." It was quieter than a whisper, but even though he had probably heard it, she knew it did not matter anyway.

"Can you stay?" Charles then offered.

Later Sarah found herself underneath the sheets of a different bed. It was smaller than her usual king-sized one but considered it the most comfortable bed she had ever laid on. Rolling to her side to face the man lying beside her, she called him, "Charles?"

Charles, who had his hands on his stomach, averted his gaze from the ceiling to the source of his inner emotional turmoil. Acting on one's emotions could drive someone off the edge. He waited patiently as he stared at her hesitating, beautiful face.

"You can't protect me forever, though," Sarah said as if stating a fact, and also considering Charles's dreams. Who truly knows what could happen in the future? They may even fight on different sides. "Eventually, we may even be forced to go our separate ways."

"Then I'll search for you. I won't stop searching even in outer space until I find you again," Charles answered without hesitation.

For the second time, Sarah bit her lip and felt her cheeks warm up. "If you have to kill me..."

"I won't," Charles cut her off.

"You don't know that. What if your dream becomes reality? What if I become the bad person that should be eliminated?"

"I'll find a way. I'll make sure you live."

Charles then shifted to place his arm on Sarah's side so she could lie on it. Sarah cuddled closer to him, placing her hand on his chest, while his hand soothed her as he ran his fingers threaded through her golden tresses.

"It's the first time I've seen you cry," Sarah said.

"Congratulations. You're the first person ever to witness that."

Sarah lifted her head; the ends of her hair tickled his arm. "Really?" When Charles nodded, Sarah sunk back at his arm. "I should have put that tear on a vial, and had it frozen to preserve it," she teased.

A frozen teardrop, huh? Charles thought.

"But I hope I wouldn't see you like that anymore," Sarah said before closing her eyes, she was starting to feel herself drift when a sudden vibration jolted her awake.

Her phone. Sarah rolled over and grab the device, all lit up on her nightstand. It only sounded once, so it must have been a text or email alert. She reached for the mobile and, sure enough, the message icon was displayed on her lock screen. She tapped out her PIN and opened the message.

It was from an unknown number that appeared as a series of jumbled numbers and letters, and it had an attachment. Sarah frowned, knowing better than to open attachments from any unknown sender, but a series of thumbnail images in the text gave her pause. Because the images were of a man and woman kissing, and they looked an awful lot like…

No. Sarah's blood went cold. Before she could try to reason with what she was seeing, Charles rolled over in the bed, blinking awake. Sarah glared at him as he sat up and the blanket pooled around his well-toned torso.

"Huh? What is it?"

Without further preamble, Sarah stomped over to the bed, her phone outstretched. "Why don't you tell me, Charles?!"

Frowning, he reached for the phone and began to scroll. His scowl deepened, and he handed it back to Sarah.

"Bring me your laptop," he said, his voice thick with irritation. Sarah stood gaping down at him.

"Why? What for?"

"I want to trace this number and see who sent this to you," he grumbled.

Sarah planted her hands on her hips as she glared down at him. "Aren't you going to explain yourself?"

Charles rolled his eyes. "This isn't what it looks like. Do you honestly think I would do this on purpose, to hurt you?"

Sarah's face was already burning but grew even hotter as her anger flared. "Why should I believe you?"

"Because I love you." Charles reached for her, but she took a step back.

"Not now," she snapped. "I'm mad at you." She thrust the phone back at him. "You and Heather? Really?! She's my friend, Charles!"

"Some friend," Charles muttered, running a hand through his hair, which was mussed from sleep. Sarah had to work to ignore how sexy he looked, along with the thought of how nice it would be to crawl in bed again beside him… Wait, no. She was still furious.

" Heather sent you these," Charles added, pointing at the phone.

"And why would she do that?" Sarah cried. "Why would she want me to know that you and she were… involved?" She spat out the last word, hating the way it sounded.

Charles's eyes rolled. "We are not involved. We never were. This is just some crazy stunt she pulled to make you jealous."

Sarah's brows shot up. "Why would she want me to be jealous? I don't get it..." She sank to the bed, forgetting her vow to steer clear of Charles for the time being. He took full advantage of their proximity, moving to sit behind her, wrapping those strong arms of his around her and pressing her back against his broad, bare chest. Sarah's chest tightened, and she drew in a shaky breath.

"Charles… please explain." She twisted around to look him in the eye, working to keep her resolve. Those bedroom eyes of his were always her undoing, but she was determined not to fall under their spell… not this time. "What were you even doing with her?"

Charles sighed his face inches from hers. "She asked me to meet with her to discuss you and Daniel. I agreed, only because I didn't have a way to get a hold of you at the time. I was waiting to get my new phone," he added.

Sarah arched a brow. "Why didn't you just come to my office?"

"I didn't think you'd want to see me," Charles said. "I thought I should at least call you first."

"Well, you could have shown up, anyway. I'm surprised you didn't."

"I'm sorry." His face was earnest, his eyes sincere. Sarah felt herself relenting, although she still had so many unanswered questions.

"But why… why were you kissing?" The words, and the image of the two of them - the love of her life, and her best friend - sent a fresh shudder coursing through her. She felt like she was about to vomit.

Charles's face fell into a scowl. "She kissed me. I didn't want her to. She just… did it. Then I got the hell out of there." He looked as disgusted as Sarah felt. "You can ask her, although knowing her, she'll probably just lie. She wanted me to pretend to be dating her so you'd get jealous."

Sarah's eyes bulged. "But why? What's in it for her?"

"Daniel."

"Huh?" Now Sarah was even more confused. "Daniel?!"

"Yeah. She's in love with him. Figured she could make him jealous, too." Charles shrugged his shoulders. "She was under the impression that you and Daniel orchestrated a phony engagement to rile up the both of us."

"What?" Sarah twisted in Charles's arms, ready to bolt up from the bed. "I have to call her. This is ridiculous…"

Charles tightened his hold. "Call her tomorrow," he murmured, his lips brushing her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Uh-uh." Sarah twisted out of his grasp. "I'm not going to let you kiss your way out of this…"

Charles's eyes glimmered. "I can do better than that if you'll let me."

"No." Sarah shot to her feet before Charles had a chance to grab her again. "We will discuss this after I talk to Heather. And Daniel."

The sly smile he'd given her vanished. "You don't believe me?"

Sarah sighed. "I want to… but you have to admit this looks bad, Charles."

"You got engaged to another man- who happens to be a friend of mine. But you're acting as if I cheated on you. How is that fair?"

Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. "It's not. But I already explained myself to you, and this is new information."

"And I chose to believe you, but you won't do me the same courtesy," Charles countered. His face darkened, but Sarah could detect the hurt beneath his stormy expression. "I was honest with you, Sarah. Why don't you trust me?"

Sarah's throat tightened, her heart pounding. How badly she wanted to believe him, but the trust between them was still so fragile. "I want to," she whispered through the tears that had an annoying way of showing up whenever she felt vulnerable, even if she was angrier than anything else. "But I'm afraid," she admitted.

"Of what?" Charles asked. Sarah lowered her gaze to the floor, her cheeks growing hotter along with the rapid thrum of her heartbeat. Now she was too afraid to even explain why she felt that way… too afraid of losing what they had only just started to rebuild.

She heard Charles moving from the bed, coming to stand in front of her before she could put any more distance between them. She raised her eyes slowly, taking in his near-naked form, clad only in his familiar black boxers. His face was gentle, questioning, mirroring her fears.

He opened his arms, and she took a tentative step forward before allowing herself to fall against his hard chest.

"I'm sorry," she murmured against his bare skin. He was so warm…

He hugged her tightly to him. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone anywhere near Heather. I always knew she was trouble…"

Sarah laughed drily. "Ugh, this is such a mess…" She sighed and tilted her face to look up at Charles. "Where do we go from here?"

He reached a hand up to her face, cupping it in his palm. "You can call Daniel and Heather if you want. Clear the air. Then let them do whatever the hell they want, and we can do the same."

Sarah nodded. This situation had gotten far enough out of hand. She just wanted to let the dust settle so she could move on… her and Charles.

He was looking at her like he wanted to kiss her. So, Sarah closed her eyes, parted her lips, and let him. His mouth enveloped hers in an instant and crushed her against him. Sarah looped her arms around his neck, pulling him even nearer.

And that was all it took for him to lift her in his arms and carry her back to the bed.

Sarah broke their kiss and leveled him with a stare as he laid her down. "Remember what I said earlier, Charles…"

"No sex," he said gruffly. "I remember." His eyes glittered as he hovered above her. "You can stop me anytime," he said. And then he leaned down and captured her lips in another kiss, even hungrier than the last.

"I don't want you to stop…" Sarah sighed against his lips, already breathless.

Charles paused to rest his forehead against hers, his deep blue eyes drawing her into their depths. "Are you sure?"

Sarah nodded eagerly, casting any lingering doubts away. "I've missed you."

Charles chuckled, his breath tickling her skin. "It's only been a few weeks…"

And those had been a hell of a few weeks, Sarah thought wryly. But she wasn't about to dwell on that now…

"Shut up and kiss me, Charles," she commanded, pulling him down to do just that. Charles's chuckle was lost as his lips greedily fed on hers. And when they parted, his smile was positively wicked.

"Anywhere in particular, or…?"

Sarah gasped as Charles trailed more kisses down her neck and chest, hitching up her nightgown as he made his descent. She wasn't wearing anything beneath it, a fact he quickly discovered. And the growl of pleasure he made at the sight was enough to send her reeling before his mouth even reached her center…

And when he did, Sarah's eyes fluttered closed, her back arched, and she moaned and writhed against his touch, losing herself to the bliss only he could give her.