W0000T!!! CHAPTER 69 IS FINALLY UP D!!!

ANGELICA Awww ) ...thanks for liking the previous chap D! I actually liked how it turned out too ). I also wanted to show that Will's relationship with Karen wasn't picture perfect (since he's a CIA Agent and she was starting to doubt his identity x.x...not to mention that he was still into Yuriko at the time). Heheh...kinda funny how Karen was basically the one who "confessed" her love first ;)!

SKETTY24 Thanks for the additional info about the timeline, Sketty )! But actually, I think I got it right )! In the conversation between Stryker and Senator Kelly in the movie, Stryker mentioned about his work in Vietnam during the Black Ops stint. And the Vietnam Black Ops thing, according to our history, happened during 1967 – 1971...making Stryker around 24-25 at the time )! As for Karen, I do feel sorry for her too x.x...Aaaah, poor girl...if she only knew...

Chapter 69: Husband and wife

"I'm really glad that you didn't have work today." She said with a giggle as she looked up at him. She held his hand as she walked by his side.

William looked at her and laughed. "I know what you mean." He said with a smile. "Today was wonderful." There was so much happiness in his face. "I didn't know you could do so many things in one day alone." He said excitedly, like a child who had just been to an amusement part.

Then he tilted his chin up and smiled to himself. "I mean, we had breakfast together --- at five o' clock in the morning." He said with a chuckle as he gently squeezed her hand. "Then after, that we went out and took a walk around the city, and then after an hour of walking, we watched a movie together." He said matter-of-factly. He was gently swinging her hand as they walked. He was looking up at the sky as he recounted the events of their almost perfect day. "Then after that, we passed by Nathan's and bugged the hell out of him." He laughed to himself.

Then he looked at her and tilted an eyebrow, a sly grin arching up the corner of her lips. "By the way...that was a damn nice scary movie." Then he chuckled. "I didn't know you get scared that easily! You kept on screaming and clinging on to my arm like a crybaby for the entire two hours!" Then he broke out laughing.

Karen's eyes suddenly opened wide and her jaw dropped. Did he just make fun of her? "I was not a crybaby!" She suddenly shouted in protest. Then elbowed him on the side of his ribs and he grunted in pain.

"Hey! You're playing rough." He said firmly. He moved his hand away from hers and rubbed the part of his rib that she just hit.

"Well that's what you get for poking fun at me." She said commandingly. Then she chuckled and took his hand in hers again. "After all," She moved closer to him as they walked. "Maybe I was really clinging to your arm on purpose." She said with a rather teasing tone in her voice, as she looked at him from the corner of her eye.

He looked back at her and smiled. No view, or sight in the world would ever compare to what he was seeing right now. The girl that he loved was walking by his side, smiling at him with sweet passion. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if it was destiny when they found each other in the bookstore three years ago. They started out as nothing but mere friends. And now, after being through so much together, after accepting each other as who they were, they were finally more than that. Unlike Yuriko, she returned the love that he gave. He loved her, and she loved him in return...unlike Yuriko....

Yes...he was still thinking about her. Despite his love for Karen, he was still thinking about Yuriko. And he didn't know when he would stop thinking about her, or if he would even stop thinking about her. But he had Karen now...and that's what mattered.

Karen's eyes wandered down to the pavement and she smiled to herself. She could feel her cheeks flushing as she felt his hand gently holding on to hers. She couldn't believe how perfect they were together. After that fateful night, when they confessed their love to one another, she didn't question his identity anymore. She had no need to anymore. She realized that William has his own reasons why he has to keep some things secret from her, and she understood that, she respected that. She realized that if she was going to love this man and spend the rest of her life with him, she had to accept him for who he was, including the part of him that she didn't know about. And he loved her. That was the one thing that she was sure of, and that was all she needed to know.

"So, where do you want to go next?" He asked as he looked at her. "It's still pretty early..." Then he looked at his watch really quick. "...It's only four o' clock in the afternoon so we still have an entire day ahead of us." He said with a smile.

Karen looked up to him again and smiled back. She opened her mouth, and was about to say something, when she suddenly noticed the sky darkening above them. William looked up and noticed the darkening sky too, and somehow, he knew what was about to happen next. Before either of them could say a word, huge droplets of water started to fall from the heavens, drenching them within the next few seconds.

William suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her after him down the street. "Come on!" He shouted as he pulled her after him.

Karen laughed. "William, where are we going?!" She asked. She could hear her voice mixing with the sound of the pouring rain hitting the ground.

"To my place!" He said as he they ran down the street. "It's just a block or two away from here. We could stay there until the rain stops." Yes. He was finally going to take her to his apartment. After all, there wasn't really anything there that would reveal his 'secret' life...though this was the first time ever that he would let someone from outside Code7 enter his place. But then, Karen wasn't really an outsider anymore. In fact, she was more to him than anything he'd ever had in his life.

"Wow! You're finally going to let me into your mystery apartment?" She asked through quick breaths as she ran with him. He was definitely a fast runner.

"Yeah! About time!" He replied and took a quick glance at her. "Just make sure you don't trip over the dead body when you step inside." He laughed.

Karen laughed and quickened her steps to catch up with him. If she went any slower, he would end up dragging her on the pavement. "Don't worry! I'll keep an eye out for it." She laughed back. "But really, thanks, William!" She said graciously. She was finally going to see his apartment, after two years of such a perfect relationship. But his apartment didn't really matter to her that much anymore. She may be curious as to what she might find in there, especially if she finds something that might point to his well-hidden life, but the only thing that was important to her was him. No matter what she finds in there, she would stay by his side without doubt or hesitation.

After running down one block to another, they finally found themselves standing in front of the steps that lead to the building of William's apartment. They were completely drenched now from the pouring rain, and the rain showed no signs that it would stop any time soon. Now was definitely the time for them to run inside, where it was dry and warm, before they caught any kind of cold or sickness.

Karen was now expecting William to pull her up the steps to his apartment, but instead, he stood in front of her and looked deeply into her eyes. He held her hand as he looked at her, staring at her as if this was the first time he'd seen her face. The rain that poured from the sky drenched his hair, causing them to stick to his forehead above his thick eyebrows. His clothes were wet, just like hers, but he still looked so perfect.

"I think we should get married." He said as he looked at her, a gentle smile curling up his lips. His hand continued to hold hers firmly.

She couldn't believe what he just said. This felt like the time when he first chased her down the street --- it was too good to be true. She didn't want to believe the words he had just spoken, but she couldn't stop the smile on her lips from spreading across her face. "What did you say?" She asked through the pouring rain. The only thing that stood between them now was the droplets of rain that fell from the sky.

"I want to marry you." William shouted out loud, smiling at her.

Karen remained unmoving as she looked at him, her mouth open with astonishment and her eyes filled with so much happiness. She couldn't think of the right words to say.

"Do you love me?" William asked, looking deeply into her eyes.

Of course he knew what she would say...he knew she loved him. He had heard her say that she loved him countless of times before, more than he could ever count or remember. But he wanted to hear her say that she loved him 'now'. He wanted to hear her say that she loved him now, more than ever...because if she says it to him now, then that would mean that she truly wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

"Do you love me, Karen?" He asked again, more firmly this time.

The mixed expressions on Karen's face made her look as if she was going to cry and smile at the same time. But that was because she was so happy. She never thought the time would come when he would ask her to marry him. She knew he loved her, but she didn't think about the possibility that she would be the woman he would want to marry. She never even thought that he was capable of marriage, due to the secrecy that he kept from her. But now, here he was, asking her if she really loved him.

Then she jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked up to him and stared into his eyes. Drops of rain fell between their faces but she could see still his soft blue eyes so clearly. This really was happening for real. It was as real as the rain that fell on their heads. Then she smiled and answered his question...

And before any word could escape from Karen's lips, Stryker suddenly found himself standing in the middle of a --- church aisle?

"I do." Karen said, smiling as she looked deeply into her husband's eyes. She spoke those two simple words as if they were the first words she had ever spoken, and she looked like she was about to cry. She was dressed so lovely in her wedding gown, and the young William looked so dashing and handsome in his suit.

They were standing in front of the priest, on the far side of the church where everyone could see them. They stared into each other's eyes as if they were the only ones there, as if the people sitting in the church were invisible to them. They had finally said their 'I dos'...and they were now two parts of one whole, married as Mr. And Mrs. William Stryker...to be together, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, through sickness and in health...to love each other for eternity, until DEATH do they part.

"You may now kiss the bride." Said the priest as he looked at the happy couple.

And then Stryker's eyes suddenly caught sight of Yuriko in the crowd. She was seated beside Logan in the second row. Both of them were dressed up in formal wedding attires. He walked to the side of the row and took a closer to look at her. She was holding Logan's hand, but her eyes were on William. She had a smile on her face, but there was sadness in her eyes. And she kept on looking at none other than his younger self. What did this mean? Why was she looking at him in that way? And why did her sorrowful eyes mask the happiness in her empty smile? Wasn't she supposed to be happy for him?

William looked back at Karen, and a wide, loving smile spread across his face. So much happiness emanated from his clear blue eyes as he looked into the eyes of his wife. Yes, she was his 'wife' now. She was now his, and he was now hers. And nothing would ever tear them apart. Only death could be the force strong enough to take them away from each other now. Only death and death alone...And death was still far away...so far away...it was decades away, and at this point in time, death seemed so non-existent.

They still had seventy or eighty more years of their lives together until they have to say their goodbyes. They were still so young, so vibrant, so in love, and so much life to live. Everything was so perfect, and it would continue to be such for as long as they had each other. And William, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He would stay by her side until they were both old and grey...until they forget each other's names by the time they were too old to remember their own. That's how much he loved her.

He stepped closer to her and ran his hand down her cheek. "I love you." He whispered. Though his voice was faint, she could see his words from the shape of his lips.

"I love you too." Karen whispered back, smiling at him.

Then they both leaned close to each other and gave each other a sweet and gentle kiss. This was 'the' kiss, 'the' kiss that would seal the beginning of their lives as one whole. Then they pulled away and smiled back at each other, both still reminiscing in the feeling of their kiss' sweet afterglow. And then they took each other's hand, and walked down the aisle, as a newly married husband and wife.

Stryker remained standing in the aisle as he saw Karen and William walking hand in hand towards him. Both of them couldn't see him of course, as he was only a visitor and a spectator in this dreamy illusion. But he could see them. And he could see the happiness in their faces as they walked towards him.

And as the couple walked closer and closer towards Stryker, he reached out and tried to touch Karen's face. He would do anything to touch her again...to feel her again...to feel the kiss that she had given his younger self, to feel her hand against his, to feel the breath against his face. If he could only feel her, just for this once, but he couldn't.

As he reached out to touch her, she and William walked through his transparent form like a visual gust of wind. The two of them walked through him, and they continued to walk to the entrance of the church, hand in hand, side by side. And Stryker, the older Stryker, remained standing, unmoving, wishing that he could relive this moment again for real. He didn't even turn around to see them walk out of the church. After all, that was him. He was the one who was walking with her. He was the one who was by her side. He was the man who married her. And knowing that, was good enough for him.

He looked at the altar before him and smiled to himself. He was happy for the married couple. He was happy for himself for having such a wonderful wedding. Then he suddenly furrowed his eyebrows as he saw Yuriko from the corner of his eye. He turned his head and looked at her. She was still sitting beside Logan, but she was looking behind her. She was looking at William. She was looking at William and Karen as the two of them walked out of the door. And there was sadness in her eyes...the same sadness that he saw when he first appeared in this part of his past.

Then he slowly turned around to have a last glimpse of his newly-wedded counterpart. But as soon as he did, he suddenly found himself standing in a military briefing room. He was now in another place and in another time, further into the future. And like the other places he'd been to in his past memories, this too seemed so familiar.