The dreams are becoming too much. I close my eyes and I see his face…

I wake up in a cold sweat. I get out of bed and walk through the dark to the bathroom. I turn on the light and stand still until my eyes adjust to the new light. I walk to the sink and open the medicine cabinet above it. I grab the orange pill bottle that sits inside. I twist the cap and shake two small pills from the bottle. I grab the cup off the sink and fill it. I put the pills on my tongue and drank the water to wash them down. I sigh and put the cap back on the bottle and put the bottle back in the cabinet.

I stare at myself in the mirror. I look at my right hand. On both sides are scars from our final night together. It was a fight. We didn't fight but he tried to fight the gunman. We were in a restaurant. The gunman came in and we ducked under the table.

"Are you crazy?" I asked, trying to hold him back.

"I can do this. You have to trust me."

"I do trust you but I don't want you dead."

"I won't die. I'll end this."

He kissed me and then attacked the gunman.

He got shot that night and didn't make it through the ride to the hospital.

But before I tell the present we have to look at the past…

My name was Rienna Mortez. I was 19 years old when I lost the love of my life.

My family never approved of my boyfriend so I moved in with him. We met our freshman year in high school. I didn't care for him at first. He kept to himself and was always in black. We were made lab partners for our Biology class. We got closer. We started dating. We fell in love.

We were high school sweethearts. Graduation night he became my first and my only. He gave me a promise ring. I didn't think that the very next year I would lose him. I was 18 graduation night. That night was the best of my life.

One year later, while celebrating our five year anniversary, the restaurant we were was held up. He tried to fight the shooter. In the end he was shot. The gunman was arrested.

I sat in the back of the ambulance with him. His hand was in mine. He was unconscious and the medics were doing what they could. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough. He died on the way to the hospital. They couldn't use the ambulance again until that next morning. I refused to leave his side but I wouldn't let them move him. I held onto his hand and cried.

Finally, I let them move his body. He was taken away in a body bag and I had to get his best friend to come pick me up. I couldn't stop crying so I couldn't drive. The best friend wasn't much better. He dropped me off at the house and then went to pick up his boyfriend. I went into our bedroom and went into the closet. I grabbed one of his polo shirts and pulled it on. As I breathed in his scent, I began to cry harder.

I lay on the bed clutching my chest. Then the light in doorway changed and I swear I saw him there. He was smiling.

"Don't cry, babe. This isn't the end of us. It's just a delay. I'll see you again. I promise. I'll be waiting for you."

Then he was gone and I could feel how empty the room became. The light changed again but it was Demyx in the doorway this time.

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

I didn't answer him. He came into the room and sat on the bed next to me. He put his hand on my shoulder. I sat up and looked at him. He opened his arms for me and I buried my face in his chest. His arms wrapped around me and he cried with me.

"It'll be okay. You'll see him again."

Years passed and nothing changed with me. The only people I saw were Demyx and Zexion. Every year, I visited his grave site and left a single red rose. I would go there whenever I need to talk. I would go there when missing him was too much.

Now the past has been revealed…

My name is Rienna Lunara. I took his last name three years ago. I'm 25 years old. The love of my life was named Axel Lunara. He died at 20. Tonight would have been our 11th anniversary and probably our sixth wedding anniversary.

I'm on my way to his grave. I'm walking. I'm holding a single red rose between my fingers. I walk into the cemetery and weave my way through grave stones. I stop in front of his stone. It reads:

Axel Lunara

February 16, 1990 – June 19, 2010

Beloved and Missed

"This isn't the end. It's just a delay."

I set the rose on top of the gravestone and sat down in front of it.

"Axel…" I whisper, "I miss you so much. I know it's been years but I can't stop thinking about you. That night was one of the worst of my life. I wish you were here with me. I know you said it wasn't the end but it feels like the end to me. I don't know how much longer I can go on without you. You said you'd see me again. I can't wait any longer."

I reach into my purse and pull out a gun. I cock the weapon and hold it to my temple.

"I love you, Axel. I'll see you soon."

I pull the trigger and I fall dead.

Ascension…

He's waiting for me like he said he would be. I ran into his embrace. He kissed me and held me tight.

"I didn't mean for you to kill yourself."

"I was going to die anyway. I couldn't handle life without you anymore."

"I've missed you so much."

He put his hands on either side of my face, his fingertips in my hair. He kissed my forehead and led me through a shining gate.

"We have forever." He muttered as he pulled me into his arms again.

"That's exactly what I wanted."

XXXXXXXXXX

It may seem unfair to end it there but I can't go any further with it. They have each other again. That's all that matters. They have forever.

XXXXXXXXXX

I changed my mind about ending it. There are three other parts. I call this the heaven series.

Heaven, Earth, Hell, and finally Heaven on Earth.