A/N: Fastforward here, after Alec comes back. Afterall, the story is based on what is there when he returns.

Eyes are red, and Tears are shed
five years later...

Been far away for far too long, I keep dreaming you'll be with me.

"I miss you Max..." I whisper to myself. My heart beating faster with anticipation as each second passes by, each second closer to the ground, means each second closer to you. I've kept myself alive for you, for us… we were a destiny, bound to come true. My fingers drum lightly on my knee, I'm still clad in my uniform, and exhausted from the flight. There was no sleep for me during the 12 hour flight, my insides fluttered, some would call it butterflies, but everything was buzzing. I would see you in less than 20 minutes, finally see you. My gaze falls upon the view outside the window, its beautiful and serene from afar. From this view everything looked perfect, from this view I could see the bright shining hope appeal to me; I squinted my eyes, I think I can see you down there.

My muscles tense, heartbeat racing, I clench my fists as we land. I hate that part. I feel like I'm going to throw up. My stomach lurches forward, the sickness overwhelms me, the nerves overwhelm me, I can't believe I'm finally going to see you again; we'll finally be united. IOh max… I've missed you more than you know/I.

Finally, I feel the airplane touch ground. Just smooth sailing from here. My muscles loosen; my body relaxes. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was still nervous, incredibly nervous. Five years of anticipation, and this is what it was going to come to, finally. I drummed my fingers along my knee, nerves were still building up, every second that passed by seemed like hours on end, I couldn't wait to see you.

Even though, we haven't spoken in five years, I know you'll be waiting for me, you promised. I kept my promise; I came home. I'm coming home to you. The minute I saw you, I would hold you tight. I would finally breathe those three words to you, and finally we would be what we always should have been, a miracle. IGod, I love you so much, Max./I My heart was swelling, it was about to burst, this was it, this was it.

I hope you weren't too mad at me, for not writing very often. I couldn't seem to find the right words to say to you, and even then I wanted it to be more than just a letter. We never talked much about anything in those letters, you would tell me about how you found a stray cat, and I would talk about how I got to fire my weapon that day. Nothing more than just small talk, I never said anything too personal, and neither did you.

The plane finally reaches a halt, my heart races, we're at the gate.

I rushed out of my seat, the seat I had been sitting in for the last seven hours, and hurriedly retrieved my luggage from the overhead compartment. And I raced off of the aircraft. I plaster a toothy smile on as I exit the plane. My heart beats faster with each step I take, closer. closer to you. I'm almost home. The butterflies are kicking in, hard. The world is spinning; my vision is blurred. I'm so close to you. I scan the crowd for signs of your beautiful eyes, I promised you, I'd come home. Here I come.

I swiveled my head side to side, searching for you. I turned 360 degrees, and looked all around the terminal, where are you? Disappointment began to flood inside of me. You promised you'd be here. I refuse to believe you would break the promise. You're here... somewhere. Why aren't you here? Where are you, Max? My head was spinning, you couldn't have forgotten, no you didn't forget, you were here; you're here. I know you are, you promised. You never break promises…

I stood at the opening of the gate, my smile begins to fade as the crowd thins out. All the other soldiers are returning home to their families. But my home is with you. Now I think I'm really going to throw up... you're not here. I kept myself alive these last five years, thinking of the day where you and I would be reunited, and of the day where I would finally tell you, I love you. Max, how could have you forgotten? Maybe you just got the dates mixed up; maybe there was traffic. Maybe you found another cat you had to attend to. Maybe something, you couldn't have forgotten about me, how could you have forgotten?

I want to scream, why did you forget. I found an empty bench and sat down. I waited for you, and you didn't show, the minutes ticked by, soon turning into hours, still I was sitting alone. The true meaning to my life… didn't even show up. Was I angry at you? Or was I angry with myself for believing that you'd wait for me? I shook these thoughts out of my head. I didn't know anymore.

I glanced at the others in the baggage claim area, tears or joy rolled down their faces as they were reunited with their kin. I rolled my eyes in jealousy; that was supposed to be me. I lowered my head into my hands, I felt my own tears forming, but nothing came out. I refused to let myself cry over this. I was a soldier, I couldn't let this little endeavor bother me. No, I refused. Instead, I rubbed the tiredness out of my eyes, and lifted my head. My breath stopped.

You're more beautiful than I remember. Your perfect smile shines upon me as your walk closer and closer, your pace quickening with each step until you are almost running. It feels as though I'm frozen in time. My heart stops, I just can't breathe. At first, this could have been a hallucination. But I soon realized, it was real. You didn't forget me after all. I jump out of my seat and sprint to the door, I don't even care that you're late. Just as long as you came; just as long as we were together.

Your eyes sparkled just like they did five years ago, your hair is shorter now. I drop the bags that I was carrying and I held out my arms as I ran towards you. Your embrace was just as warm as it was five years ago. I held you close, I held you tight. My heart feeling warm, my life feeling complete. You completed me, every inch of me.

"Max!" Words could not describe the pure bliss I felt in this moment. My smile was just as wide as yours. I held you tighter, never wanting to let go. Tiny tears of joy filled my eyes, I had never came close to crying before. And it was in this moment that I decided, I was going to say it… I love you, Max. I formed the words inside my head.

"Alec, I'm so sorry I'm late. It's just that, I got caught up at work, and then traffic was horrible, oh I'm so sorry Alec, you must have been waiting for hours." Your words flowed fast, but I no longer cared that you were late, I forgave you. You came after all, I smiled really big, you came.

"I've missed you so much, Alec." Your breathe was soft as you voiced those words, at the same time reconnecting our embrace, your arms wrapped around me tight, you rested your head on my shoulder.

This was it, my heart pounding against my chest, this was finally it. This moment, this hour, we would finally be everything we should have always been. This was the perfect moment. My lips part, as if I'm about to converse. I pulled back from our hug, and held onto your shoulders, I looked intently into your eyes, a tiny tear had rolled down your cheek.

"Max, I Lo—"

"Oh, Alec!" You interrupt, your face beamed with so much happiness. "I couldn't wait to tell you." You flash me one of your biggest, most sincere smiles. I haven't seen you that happy since we were children. Maybe you already knew what I was going to say. Maybe you were going to say the same thing to me. I knew what was in your heart, I knew you would tell me how much you loved me. I could see it in your eyes, pure bliss.

You hold up your hand to me. I curved my eyebrows in confusion; I didn't know what you were trying to say, until my eyes focused onto the big sparkling rock attached to your finger. I froze. My smile is immediately gone. Vanished. I knew I didn't give you the ring… No, this can't be happening… I can't accept this.

"I'm engaged, Alec!" Your smiled beamed at me, your incredible happiness leaked all over me. I couldn't take this, no this isn't right. Max, it was suppose to be you and me, you and me forever. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I didn't know what I wanted anymore.

My hands fell from your shoulders and down to my side in defeat. You can sense that something isn't right. Nothing is right anymore, nothing has meaning, no purpose. Not anymore. Why couldn't I make you see, make you see that we were meant to be.

"Aren't you happy for me?" You ask, you hold you hand out in front of you and examine the ring, once more. "I've been dreaming of this my entire life." Your voice is so lively and so full of joy. It sickens me, I'm overpowered with this intense jealousy, you have no idea how much I love you. And you never will.

I felt like my heart had been ripped out and stomping on, over and over. Never in a thousand years would I have imagined this kind of reunion. In each and every one of my dreams, I held you and said forever and ever, and you replied to the depths of eternity. It was supposed to be you and me. I swallow all evidence of my pain. And forced a smile. I couldn't ruin your happy streak, that would have been selfish.

"Of course I am Maxie, I couldn't be more happy." I lied. This was the worst possible scenario. And to think, I was just about to pledge my love for you. I felt the lump in my throat, I felt the tears in my eyes. You have left a wound no remedy could heal, you were my wound. The most fragile piece of me.

"Really?" You ask, rhetorically. "I want you to meet him."

No. I said inside my head. That was the last thing I wanted, meet he guy whole stole everything from me. Everything I lived for, now belonged to him. Before I can refuse, you whip out your cell phone and dial a number, only pausing for a few seconds before being answered.

"Logan." You speak. I cringed at the sound of his name, Logan. I hated the way you said it. I hated his name. I knew I would hate everything about him. You are laughing with him on the phone, like you were still a teenager. I shake my head, I can't take this. It was never this hard, when it was just you and me. No one else, definitely no fiancé around.

"Uhh.. listen Max." I say, I don't want to hang around and wait for him to show. You pause from your laughing at look in my direction, hold on you whisper into the phone. "I'm –uhh, pretty tired from the flight" I look down at my feet, I couldn't look you in the eye. "I think I'll uhh, catch a cab home."

You raise an eyebrow.

"Alec, is everything alright?" You seen genuinely concerned. You take a step closer, but I take one back. I can't get too close.

"Yeah, I'm just tired, jetlag and all." I forced a grin. "We'll catch up some other time."

And without waiting for your reply, I pick up my luggage and head out of the terminal. My mind is racing, I don't hear you yelling my name. I just want to fade away.

After all this time, I couldn't make you see it. That I loved you more than you'll ever know.

A/N: feedback is mahhh best friend. This was all dedicated to the many vanilla wafers that fed my muse. Which actually isn't much, because I sort of slacked.