Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG-1 or its characters. The song used in this fanfiction is written and performed by Evanescence.
Chapter Five:
My Last Breath
They were running. Two jaffa behind them. Some more steps to go. They ran through the corridor, breathing heavily, exhausted, listening to the sounds of their boots. All of this seemed to happen in slow motion, every step was weak.
Charlie was a few meters behind her, shouting at her, ordering her to keep on running and not to look back. She ran. She did not look back. Until his voice turned silent. A terrifying scream filled with pain and agony. It echoed in her head over and over again.
Charlie.
She turned around and saw him falling down onto the ground, one more shot hitting him. Beaten down by his injuries, he was lying there, not moving, looking like someone dead.
"CHAAAAAAAARLIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE !" she screamed and caught the jaffas' attention.
Even before they were able to react, she drew her gun and started shooting them. She did not stop although they were already falling, they were dead.
But they shot Charlie. Her Charlie.
Die ! Die you damn bastards ! I'll make you suffer ! You cannot kill Charlie without being killed yourself. Die ! Die ! Die ! I'll make sure you're really dead. You'll never open your glowing eyes again, sons of that bitch named Apophis. Die !
Her eyes, full of anger and hate, despair and fear. In this moment, she was an angel of revenge, she was the bullet that hit the jaffa.
"Finnley ! They're dead ! Stop it !" she heard Jack shouting at her. His voice was so far away although he was watching the whole scene from a few steps away.
Finnley dropped her guns slowly, staring to where the two jaffa had stood. Silence. She listened to her own breath, her own heartbeat. Until she heard Charlie coughing.
Charlie.
She ran over to him. He was still lying there on his left side, hurt bad. Finnley knew that. The smell of his burned flesh and the coppery taste of blood were in the air. She placed herself beside him, looking at his face.
"Charlie ? Charlie, you OK ?" she asked with a trembling voice. He opened his eyes a little bit to see her.
Finnley... Finn. Don't waste your time by watching me die. My friend... my soul mate... my beautiful angel. My beloved Finnley...
So many thoughts were running through his mind. But there was nothing more important to him than Finnley being with him in this moment. She would be the last person he'll ever see. Her voice would be the last thing that he'll ever hear. And he wanted her to live...
"You... gotta go !" he whispered weakly.
"We'll go together. I'll get ya outta here. You gonna be alright, it's not that bad." she answered nervously.
"Don't gimme any crap, Finn... I'm hit. It don't look good. I know that cos it hurts like hell. I feel it..."
And then, Finnley saw that Charlie was lying in a pool of his own blood. She swallowed and restrained her sickness. Instead of breaking out in tears, she tried to smile.
"No, don't say anything like that ! You'll make it !"
"Don't lie to me... I won't... but you... You can still make it... So... leave... now !" he returned, losing his strength.
Finnley felt tears coming up in her eyes. This was her worst nightmare. Charlie meant the world to her. He had always been protecting her, he had been strong and invincible. That was her Charlie. And now he was lying there, shot twice by a staff weapon, dying. He coughed blood, must have been internally hurt.
She laid down next to him so she could look straight into his eyes. He was crying. She had never seen him crying before. Her face was close to his so she could feel his slow, warm breath on her skin. She reached out for his hand and held it tight in hers.
"I won't leave without you." she whispered.
"Yes, you will... You ... have to..." he gasped.
"I... I can't." Finnley could not hold back her tears anymore.
"Finnley, go ! That's... an order !"
"I'm a civilian. You can't gimme any orders." she said and tried to put a smile on.
"Then... I beg you... as a friend. Please, leave ! You deserve to live. You're too young to die, your time hasn't come yet." he answered.
"Oh God ! D'you know what you're expecting from me ? You're my friend. I cannot let you die here. I mean... how... how could I go on if...?" she sobbed.
"Dammit, Finn ! D'you know what you do to me if you won't leave ? I swear, I'd never find peace... You're my friend, too. And I could never forgive myself if you died tonight, just because of me. It'd be my fault, no one else's. Do you really want me to suffer from this forever ?!"
Finnley could feel that he was serious. He wanted her to go and to save her own life.
Dammit, Charlie ! How can you dare doing this to me ? You're my closest friend on earth, my only friend. My soul mate. My love. My Charlie. And now you want me to leave you lying there ? You want me to leave you to death ?
But it was his wish. And she could not refuse to do him this last favour.
"You're so precious to me, Charlie. I'll keep a part of you with me and treasure it. You're here...Inside my heart..." she sobbed.
Hold on to me love
You know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say was
I love you and I'm not afraid
Can you hear me ?
Can you feel me in your arms ?
"It was... an honour... serving with you... Finnley Jade Carter. I was lucky to know you. And wherever you may be... I'll be watching you... Keep that in mind..." he said smiling and crying at the same time. He gently stroke her pale face and wiped her tears away. Finnley closed her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath.
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight...
"And I promise, "Charlie went on, "we'll meet again. Somewhere out there. In any universe. Someday. You will find me..."
"I'll remember you... Forever." she finally said.
I'll miss the winter
A world of fragile things
Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)
With all of the strength that was left, he pulled her closer to him and looked into her eyes again, as if it would ease the physical and emotional pain. Then he kissed her tenderly on her lips. The bittersweet salty taste of her tears.
I know you hear me
I can taste it in your tears...
It was an innocent kiss-goodbye, a last sign of life from Charlie, a last farewell, another memory to keep safe in her heart.
As the kiss ended, he looked at her one last time.
Don't leave me... she thought, don't leave me... I need you... I love you.
Her lips formed the words and he understood.
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight....
Once more, he pressed her hand and smiled, before his heart stopped beating and he closed his eyes forever. Finnley still held his hand. He was dead.
Gone. No breath. Cold. Sorrow.
Closing your eyes to disappear
You pray your dreams will leave you here
But still you wake and know the truth
No one's there
"Charlie ? Charlie ! No, Charlie !" she whimpered desperately. And even if she knew she had to go now, she was unable to move.
"Don't go, Charlie ! Come back ! Come back ! Don't you dare leaving me here all alone !" she whispered, still crying. She closed her eyes. And suddenly, pictures of Charlie were running through her head. All those beautiful memories. Every moment they had shared, the good and the bad ones.
The day they had met for the very first time, him holding her the whole night, how he had been there when her parents had died, the nights they had talked away, every time he had saved her, the last goodbye, the kiss...
She felt as if she could not leave him until his last words echoed in her mind.
I promise... We'll meet again...
She opened her eyes and looked at him again. He was like a child, sleeping peacefully.
Say goodnight
Don't be afraid
Calling me
Calling me
As you fade to black...
"I'll never forget your promise... Hope you keep it..."
She took his dogtags, then kissed his hand she was still holding and let finally go of him.
--------
"Kill them !" Apophis ordered. His eyes glowed, his voice was angry.
"No, no, no !" O'Neill stopped them.
"If I was you, I'd start to pray to a real God right now !" he added.
"What are you talking about, Tau'ri ?" Apophis asked impatiently.
"What my husband wants to say is, that the whole SGC will explode in 20 seconds." Samantha explained grinning, then turned to O'Neill.
"You ready, love ?" he asked her with a calm voice.
"I'm afraid..." she replied.
"Don't be, I'm with you. And Finnley still has Charlie. Everything'll be OK." he said, not knowing how wrong he was.
O'Neill kissed her one last time and finally took her in his arms to hold her tight. Only a few more seconds and it would be over. Holding each other like this, praying and hoping that at least Finnley and Charlie would survive, they waited for their end.
Helpless. Tragedy. Silence. Death.
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight....
--------
Jack was still waiting for her. He swallowed as she walked over to him. This girl had just lost everything. Her team, her sister, her best friend. Her whole reality. And she still had the will to carry on.
Unbelievable. Amazing. Sad.
Sam, Daniel and Teal'c had already gone through the mirror and were now waiting for them to come. Daniel gave them a sign that there was not much time left and that they had to go through immediately.
"You ready ?" Jack asked carefully. Finnley nodded.
"So let's go..." he added.
As they arrived in the other reality, Finnley kept on staring at the mirror. Her world, her life, everything she had ever known would be gone in a few seconds.
"Ten... nine... eight..." Daniel was counting down.
Her whole life happened in front of her eyes. She still heard their voices, their laughter. An endless stream of memories...
"Four... three... two... Shut it down !" Daniel ordered and Teal'c deactivated the mirror.
"It ends here tonight." Finnley whispered before she broke down in tears.