Author's Note: This chapter contains spoilers for the Rise of Nine although I have taken some liberties as this is fanfiction after all.

Chapter Twenty Three – W is for (This is)War

It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie
The moment to live and the moment to die
The moment to fight, the moment to fight
To fight,
To fight,
To fight
 -This is War (30 Seconds to Mars)

"John, you need to calm the fuck down."

It's not as though Sam can hold me back from putting Mark James through the fucking wall but the fear in his voice as he speaks those words is what reins me in – temporarily.

"Keep your fucking hands off Six," I warn Mark.

He gives me the finger.

I lunge again but this time Sarah steps between us. "Enough."

"Tell him that," I say as I take a minute to get my temper under control while keeping a wary eye on the jock. It's a small victory when Sarah turns to Mark and gives him one of her dirty looks.

We stole a mini-van and drove about three hours to the middle of nowhere. Now the five of us are in a tiny hunting cabin that Mark and his dad use during deer season. It's a one room shack with a fireplace, two cots and a chair. There is nothing else inside except for two cabinets. One is for guns and ammo. The other is a small panty stocked with a few basic supplies and enough canned stew to last a year. There is a door but no windows, the only light we have is from a small lantern.

Six is laying on one of the cots with Mark by her side. She's breathing again (thanks to Hero Mark's CPR and mouth to mouth – don't even get me started on that) but is still unconscious. Mark insists that she needs medical treatment (because now he's the expert on extraterrestrial biology) but I won't allow it.

I can't allow it.

Not that I want her to die – because I don't. I can't imagine living in a world without her. That thought alone fuels me into a sort of desperate insanity. What holds me back is I know if I let Mark have his way and she lives it's not like they'll let her leave the hospital. I don't believe everything that I've seen in movies but I don't completely discount it either. I'm not naive enough to trust that she wouldn't end up as a prisoner in some top secret government facility. I don't doubt that she'd spent every second trying to find a way to escape and knowing Six she'd eventually figure it out. Or die trying.

When I think of what they could possibly do to her – experiments – dissection – interrogation.

I've seen too much already and I will not let her suffer any more.

Mark is holding her hand and talking softly to her. He probably thinks I can't hear what he's saying but I can. He's reciting some sort of romantic poem that sounds almost Shakespearian. It's about love and beauty and trust.

I think I might actually hate him right now.

Sam is watching me with worried eyes and I know Sarah shares his concern. "Let's get some air," she suggests taking my hand. Even though it's warm and stuffy in the cabin I decline her offer and pull my hand away.

"John," she looks at me but I keep my eyes on Six.

"I'm not leaving her."

Sam sets his hand heavily on my shoulder. "Go with Sarah," he tells me. "I'll keep an eye on Mark."

"No."

Stubbornly I stand there, folding my arms over my chest. I can feel the scowl on my face as Mark smoothes Six's midnight hair letting his hand linger a little too long on her forehead and cheeks. It's good that I don't have Superman's heat vision because I would've incinerated him this very second.

"She's still cold," he announces to us. "Sarah, can you hand me that blanket?"

Sarah removes the stiff wool blanket from the nearby cot and places it over Six, who is already three deep in blankets. Sarah leans forward pressing her hand against Six's skin.

"Cold?" Sarah looks at Mark in shock. "She feels like ice. Are you sure she's still…"

"Yes. But I don't know how much longer she'll last," Mark sighs. His head turns over his shoulder as his jaw sets firmly. "Look, I get that you're all paranoid and shit but she's lost a lot of blood and she can't maintain her temperature. It's only a matter of time before her body shuts down. If she doesn't go to a hospital right now she's gonna die. Maybe you can live with that – but I can't."

He wraps the blankets around her like a cocoon. "Sarah, grab the keys. Sam, help me carry her."

"You're not taking her anywhere." My hands slide down to my sides and my Lumen fire up.

"Seriously?" Mark looks at me. "What part of "she's gonna die" don't you understand?"

"Go get firewood," I glare at him.

"Firewood? You really think that's going to help?" Mark steps forward challenging me. "She needs a doctor. She needs blood. Not a fucking fire, asshole."

When he shoves me I lose control. In a split second, I've thrown him across the room. Sarah is screaming at me but I'm beyond help. Things float around the cabin. I've set a small fire with my Lumen. My head is spinning with swarms of thoughts from all the forest residents.

In the midst of all the chaos, I realize that Six was right.

I'm scared.

No, more than scared.

I'm absolutely terrified.

Right now I need her more than I've ever needed anyone only I can't seem to think clearly enough to make any kind of rational decision. I know I have to do everything possible to save her but I can't let them take her to a hospital. I know that she would never want that kind of exposure. It would put not only her but the other Garde in danger.

She'd rather die than risk that.

There has to be another way.

Mark is shouting at me as Sam and Sarah try to calm him down. I take his place on the cot by Six. Reaching under the covers I take her hand in mine. Sarah was right. It feels as though I'm holding a piece of ice.

Six's skin is very pale and her lips are bluish purple. Her chest rises every so often in an erratic pattern. I know that if I decide on a course of action now, I could lose her forever.

Forever

Just when I finally made sense of the strange feelings inside me this had to happen. Some people search their entire lives for this kind of connection and never find it.

I had it and then I completely fucked it up.

I'm a fucking idiot.

Rolling back the blankets, I slide a hand underneath Six's shirt to her stomach. I can feel the irregular bump of burned skin where her wound is. "You fight for everyone else," I say to her. "Now fight for yourself." She doesn't move for several seconds but then I feel her chest rise. Using my lumen I try to warm her body. My hands glide gently across the skin of her midsection and up onto her ribs then her chest. Her skin feels warmer now but she still isn't responding.

I'm so focused on keeping her warm that I don't notice she's stopped breathing again.

Mark tears across the room and pushes me out of the way. He drags her out of the cot and onto the floor where he starts CPR again. I hear her ribs crack as he compresses her chest. Tears stream down Sarah's face as she kneels on the other side of Six. Bernie Kosar creeps out from under the cot and lays his head on Six's legs.

Seek peace. He says to her.

"No." I look at my dog. "Don't say that!" I scream at him. "It's NOT over."

Sam looks at me as though as I've completely lost it – and I suppose in a way I have.

Mark's mouth is on Six's and her chest puffs slightly as he forces air into her. When he's done he nods to Sarah who takes over the compressions as Mark presses a finger into Six's jugular checking for a pulse. I can tell by his reaction that he can't find one.

"I'm sorry," Sam sniffs as his hand touches my shoulder blade.

Mark leans over Six again, pinching closed her nose and tilting her head. His frustration and sadness are quite apparent but he's not ready to give up and begins to thump on Six's chest once more.

Sarah is sobbing. Sam is crying too.

I can feel something wet sliding down my cheeks but I refuse to believe this is how it ends.

"Move." I grip Mark's shoulder and toss him to the side. Sarah opens her mouth to protest but with a glare I silence her. She backs away slowly giving me space.

I wrap my arms around Six and lift her from the ground. I carry her a few steps to the chair where I sit down with her into my lap. Her legs dangle next to mine and her arms hang limply by her sides. Her head flops forward and her matted hair rests against my chin. I hug her tight, clinging to her with everything I have.

"I know I promised you that I would keep fighting," I whisper in her ear. "But I can't do it without you. You cannot do this to me. You can't die. You can't die."

I can feel myself trembling as the emotion pours out from deep within my heart.

"I love you," I confess as I kiss the top of her head. "I will always love you." I press my lips against her icy cheek. "Please stay with me. Please."

Gently I sway from side to side as my tears rain down into her newly dyed hair. I know that the others have left the cabin to give me some privacy. Even BK is outside waiting by the mini-van.

"They gave up on you," I tell her. "But I won't. I will never give up on you."

I pull her as close to me as I can and with every cell in my body fight for her life. With my mind I picture her heart and with my telekinesis I squeeze it, helping it pump what little blood she has through her veins. I imagine her lungs and will her to start breathing again.

Of course, nothing actually happens but I am determined.

Letting my Lumen ignite I send a power surge through her to give her strength. Then concentrating I focus again and will her to heal.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I grind my molars together and push through barriers.

Fight.

Fight.

Fight.

Through my eyelids I can detect a strange glow in the room. I ignore it and stay on task.

Come on, Six. You are a soldier. You have to FIGHT.

Then I sense it.

Our connection.

It's very, very faint but it's there.

She's still fighting.

Harder, Six. You have to be strong.

I fire more of my energy into her. I nearly faint doing it and have to catch myself as I nearly drop her. My head is dizzy and my vision blurry but I manage one more pulse of energy into her before I have nothing left. In fact, I barely have the strength to keep myself from falling out of the chair but my arms are locked around Six and I will not let her go.

Intangible pieces of us are being drawn together and I can feel her struggling to stay alive. In this alien hallucination I reach out to her. Not with words or my body but with something else. Another dimension of being that is completely foreign.

I can feel her reaching back at me.

We both strain hard.

Then we touch.

And I know that she's back.

The chair gives beneath us and we both crash to the floor. We must be near the lantern because there is a mesmerizing display of light and color.

I'm on top of her and as I lift my head I see something that I don't quite understand. The boiling wound on her stomach is moving. Propping myself on my elbows, I rub my eyes and watch as appears to be burying itself inside her. Untainted pale skin takes its place and in less than a minute it's as though the bullet hole was never there.

Just as quickly I untie the bandage on her leg.

There is no sign of injury.

I tear the hole in her pants wider. This can't be real can it?

I look at Six, who is a bit dazed but she manages to sit up. She exhales hard and opens her eyes.

"You can heal yourself?" I blurt in wonderment.

"Kind of," she smiles.

"Holy fuck." I collapse onto the floor with exhaustion. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Don't act so modest." She gathers her legs underneath her and leans forward so she's looking over me. Her dark hangs down tickling the tip of my nose. "You should have mentioned your healing Legacy."

"I don't have a healing Legacy."

"What do you think happened just now?"

"I don't know."

"You brought me back."

"I did?"

"You didn't know you could do that, did you?" Six smiles at me.

"No." I shake my head. I had no idea I had the ability to heal. We stare at each other for a second before I reach up and touch her cheek. I'm about to tell her that I love her but as I start to speak the door opens and Sam pokes his head inside.

"What the…?" his jaw drops in astonishment. "You're not dead!" he shouts as he rushes across the room throwing himself at Six as he hugs her tightly. "You're not dead."

"No. But you will be if you don't get your hands off me," she mutters.

"S-s-sorry," Sam stutters as he hastily pulls away.

"Just kidding," Six grins as she reaches out to embrace him again.

Sarah and Mark stand there dumbfounded.

I close my eyes and drift off for some much needed rest. Looks like I made the right choice after all.

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I'm not sure how long I slept but when I wake up the lantern is out and the cabin is dark. I use my Lumen to cast a faint glow through the room. Sam is asleep on the chair and Sarah is curled up the other cot. Quietly, I get up and stretch out my legs and arms. I'm tired and sore but I'm anxious to see Six. I need to talk to her about everything that happened. I need to let her know how I'm feeling. I'm actually incredibly nervous about it and I'm not sure why.

When I open the door bright sunlight stings my eyes. I have no idea what time it is but from the position of the sun overhead it must be early afternoon. Its springtime and everything is in bloom. Flowers and trees are coated with greens and pastels and I'm reminded of the visions I've had of Lorien.

I follow what appears to be a path from the cabin into the thickets of foliage. The sounds of nature serenade me and I think to myself this is the perfect setting for me to finally say the inevitable "I love you" to Six.

Only when I find her – my daydream turns into a nightmare.

She's with Mark and they're…

They're…

Holding hands.

Six and Mark are holding hands.

As in palms touching, fingers intertwined – holding hands.

"What the hell!" I exclaim charging forward.

They both look at me and Mark grins, "Hey there Sleeping Beauty."

"What are you doing?" I ask Six angrily.

"Taking a walk," she replies.

"I mean that." I point to their hands.

"On Earth we call this PDA," Marks jokes as he slaps my bicep. "But you know all about that…"

"You can't be serious?" I look at Mark and then at Six.

"I should probably give you two a minute to talk," Mark brings their entwined hands upward and kisses the back of Six's hand. "See you back at the cabin."

I wait until he's out of earshot before I turn back to Six. Her arms are folded across her body and her hip is sticking out to the side.

"You do know that he's an asshole, right?"

"You do know that your opinion doesn't matter, right?"

"How can you….?" I have so many thoughts going through my mind I can't even put together a sentence. "What about us?" I finally manage to choke out.

"There is no us." She looks at me with narrowed eyes.

"How can you say that!" I blurt out. "You've been all over me every chance you got. And you were the one talking about our connection. And don't tell me what happened back there was a legacy, because it sure as hell felt like it was a whole lot more than that."

She stands there staring at me blankly.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," I continue. "There is something between us. I don't understand it but I believe in it. We're supposed to be together."

She sighs heavily and lowers her head. "Yes, we're supposed to be together."

"Thank You!" I throw my hands up grateful for her admission.

"Because we're Garde," she adds. "We share a connection because we're Garde."

"That's crap and you know it," I tell her. "There's no way I could feel this way about anyone except you."

"Or Sarah," she says meeting my eyes.

"Is that what this is all about?" I ask. "Sarah? That's over. I broke up with her."

"Yeah. Sure you did," Six rolls her eyes and walks away.

"Hey!" I yell at her to come back but then she's invisible and I'm standing there looking like a complete jackass.

So Six is safe and sound and now we can get back to the story. The final three chapters are full of fun and lemons and our favorite couple.
-Gemma
PS: Reviews are awesome!