Hi all! So, this fanfic is just super fun and easy to write. I am having a blast! I hope you all are enjoying the story too! AS for posting... I'm thinking I'm going to stick posting 3 chapters at a time. It takes a little longer to write like that, but then ya'll get a bigger chunk to read. Let me know what you think! Or if you have some ideas for the upcoming chapters. I love being inspired by others :).

John

I knew Evangeline wouldn't have just stayed and waited to be rescued. She wasn't that type of person. When we had first brought her to the compound, she fought like Hell to get out. I imagined that now she would be doing so with the same ferocity. The river was where they planned to evac her, but it was also the safest place for her to descend the mountain. I was going to be there to meet her. I was going to find her first.

I had kept a radio on me, tuned in to the same frequency as Joseph and Jacob so that I would be able to pinpoint a location for when they radioed in that they had found Evangeline. Just as I had thought...when they arrived she had not been locked in any of the offices.

"That's my girl…"

I smirked as I drove the jeep towards the bridge that would serve as one of the checkpoints.

I pulled out a pair of binoculars and scanned up the river. There, not even a mile away, was the small boat that was transporting Eva. I pulled the car into reverse and parked it in the brush so none of the resistance fighters would spot me, and I began racing down the hill to find a good enough spot to flag down the boat.

I stopped short as I began to hear the crack of a rifle and quickly dropped down, pulling out my own handgun in response. Quickly I realized they weren't firing at me...they were firing at Evangeline. My pace quickened as I ran as fast as I could down to the water. I slid over gravel, tree branches until finally the forest gave way and I was able to see her.

She looked up at me...and even from this distance, I knew our eyes had locked onto each other. I continued towards the water, planning on doing whatever I had to to get to her...but before I could even reach the riverbank, another loud crack sounded and I watched in utter horror as a stream of crimson began to roll down Evangeline's arm.

"J-John?"

The splash felt like it had happened in slow motion and I dove into the river, pushing myself with every ounce of strength and adrenaline I had until I found her. I swam deeper, past the blossoming red liquid that swirled encompassing her until I was able to wrap one of my arms around her and push us to the surface. I gasped as we broke through the river's current and I continued to swim towards the boat. I wasn't going to be able to get her up the hill like this...we had to go with plan B. Once on the boat, I pushed her onto her side and held her firmly...letting her cough up all the water that had pooled in her lungs. As she choked and gagged, I went back to the wheel of the boat and threw it into the highest gear I could to get some distance between us and the resistance.

I couldn't tell how far we had gone, but I knew we had put enough mileage between us and the rest of the fighting when all I could hear was the sound of the river and Evangeline's labored breathing. I turned the engine off, certain that we could take some time to coast while I went back to Eva.

She was breathing, but she wasn't awake. When I turned her onto her back, I immediately had to sit down and place a hand over my mouth. Her forehead was bruised...just as it had been when I had found her in my compound...but it wasn't just that, her skin was ashen and if it could be at all possible, she looked like she had grown thinner. Her dress was ripped and filthy...no longer white and neatly pressed. And her feet and legs were scarred and bloodied.

I would destroy them. The resistance. All of them...for what they had put Eva through. I hadn't cried for someone in what had to be decades...but as I sat with the woman that would eventually be my wife...I did. I cried because I couldn't be there for her to protect her, and I cried because I was so god damn angry that Joseph had refused to let me join the frontlines to punish each of those fucking animals.

"John…" I heard Joseph suddenly over the radio. "Can you hear me?"

My eyes squeezed shut tight and I tried to compose myself before answering.

"Y-yeah...I'm here," I coughed. "I have Evangeline...she's wounded. I'm taking her to the counselor's cabin."

"I'll meet you there...alright?"

I wiped my eyes and took in a shuddered breath.

"Joseph…"

I let go of the transmission button, I wanted to let him know how broken and afraid I was. How out of control of the situation I felt. I wanted him to comfort me and tell me that Evangeline was going to be okay...but I knew myself well enough to know that I couldn't be that vulnerable… especially not right now.

"Just...don't bring anyone else."

The feed went silent and I went back to steering our motorboat down the river. It would be a drive to the cabin, but at least we would be safe and I'd be able to have a sort of convoy as we got to where we needed to be. I brought us to dock as the road became clearer and I radioed my coordinates to one of my personal guards. Luckily they hadn't been far and they came with one of our vans in tow. They moved around me as if to grab Evangeline and I quickly pushed them back. No one...not even our own people were going to touch her. I tried to be careful when pulling Evangeline up, but the sudden motion had her whimper in pain. Her wound was still bleeding...and to keep it from getting worse I was going to have to get the bullet out and sew her up.

We got into the back of the van, and I placed Evangeline down on the bench seat. I stayed on my knees beside her and gently moved so that I could get a good view of her wound without jostling her too much. For the first time in a long time...I wanted to avoid causing someone pain.

"Give me your knife." I snapped, holding out my hand.

A hunter's knife wouldn't feel great digging into her arm...but I had to...I had to get the bullet out and then to stop the bleeding I would cauterize it. I took my lighter from my pocket and flicked it on, running the flame over the silver blade...just to ensure it would get any of the contaminants off. I held Eva's arm firmly, to keep her still, and taking a deep breath, I pressed the tip deep into the wound to open it further.

"Gah!" she screamed, her back arching from the burning metal.

"I know baby...I know…" I said, turning the blade until I felt the slight scraping of something that wasn't supposed to be there.

Her cries of agony filled me with a pain that I could never truly describe. It was an emotional pain that I had always felt so numb to...but as I heard her voice crack and break...something within me began to break as well. I pushed the slug up until finally, it just popped out and I was able to throw it down onto the floor. I wanted to tell her that the hurt was over...that she could rest, but after I had dug the bullet out she was losing more blood. I didn't have the kind of thread needed to sew her up, and she would just bleed through a tourniquet. I took the lighter again, holding the flame longer to the blade, causing the smell of hot rust and salt to assault my senses. The blood began to dry and when the knife was red from more than just the crimson stains that had been left on it, I held Evangeline firmly and pressed down on her wound once again.

To say that her screams could be heard the next state over felt like an understatement. This was a scream that would no doubt be heard around the world. Finally, I was able to pull the blade away and I handed it back to the guard. He was afraid to touch it, no doubt feeling unworthy of being so close to the Mother's blood. Good. Because he was.

"It's okay...it's okay angel," I hushed, gently resting my forehead against her own. "You did so well."

Weakly her hand touched my cheek, and I held it there. She turned to face me and I couldn't believe that after everything I had just put her through, she was able to give me the smallest of smiles...a gaze that just radiated so much warmth and affection. And I felt so fucking unworthy of it. How after everything she had just gone through...could she be happy to see me? How could she possibly forgive me for letting this happen to her? I couldn't understand it...I just couldn't. But then she made it clear why...why she wasn't angry, why she couldn't blame me for what happened...and it was three words that I would never, ever, forget.

"I love you."

Ever since Joseph and I had been reunited after our separation as children, he always seemed to be where I needed him at a moment's notice. He always knew when my anger was too much, my pain was too great, and as if to make up for all the time missed...he comforted me and helped me off that ledge. The van had barely come to a full stop before I was throwing the doors open and carrying Evangeline towards the old cabin.

Joseph came out to meet us. His hands smoothed the hair from her face and I could see his fingers shaking slightly. We went inside the cabin, Joseph telling the other followers to stay outside and only come in when told to. He locked the door behind him and I placed Evangeline on one of the sofas in the living room. Her eyelids were twitching and every now and again she would wake up and cry out. I didn't know what to do with myself...but I was grateful Joseph did.

"There should be...towels in the one bathroom down the hall with a first aid kit."

I nodded and left him with Evangeline...throwing open cabinets and grabbing anything I thought would be useful in this situation. I came back and sat them down on the floor beside my brother, who was gently wiping away the sweat from Eva's forehead.

"I...I'm sorry…" she cried, her hand gripping Joseph's. "I...I can't…"

"No...no, you are okay...you are going to be okay," he whispered, his voice breaking. "You are safe...you are safe."

We switched places for a bit, Joseph wanted to get hot water and tell the guards outside to leave and get Evangeline clean clothes for when she would finally wake up. I did my best to comfort her...going as far as making her swallow four Advil capsules to dull the pain. Her breathing started to calm after a bit...and I was beyond grateful when she eventually drifted off to sleep. I sat on the floor beside her exhausted...only realizing that I was still wet from my earlier swim that evening. Joseph came back and sat a large pot of warm water on the floor beside him as he sat down. I was about to reach for a towel to help when he grabbed my wrist gently...but with enough strength to stop me...and shake his head.

"I will take care of this," he said. "You will go shower and rest."

"Brother...I...I can't leave you to deal with this alone."

"Evangeline is going to need to see you well when she wakes up, John…" he continued. "Do not cause her to worry for your wellbeing when hers is clearly in question.."

Any other time I would have argued with him...but the more I thought about a nice hot shower the more tired I became. I stood to leave, but not before pressing my lips gently to Eva's forehead and whispering, "I love you.", on my way out.

The shower did little to comfort me as I watched Evangeline's blood swirl down the drain with the rest of the muck that had managed to stick to me during her rescue. I could still see her face as the bullet shot into her shoulder. I saw the one thing she had said as it did, "John". She had called to me...with what could have very well have been her final breath. I had never believed Joseph when he told me that there were many within Eden's Gate that loved me. I wasn't a fool. They feared me...they loved Joseph. I had been fine with that, because as a child...I knew that love wasn't worth the disappointment. I had done everything I could to inflict my pain on others, but still, it had brought me no relief. I had felt nothing but hatred.

Evangeline had been different. The moment I had met her, I knew that she would not be the same as the other followers. The way she looked at those she cared about...it had shaken me to my core...and then, when I had finally been on the receiving end of her love I felt something I had searched for the last three decades of my life. Peace.

(I HOPE YA'LL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER! PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YA THINK :D)