Well folks, last chapter for this story, but have no fear the second story in the Aaron and Lily saga will be out very soon. Thanks so much to all that have read and commented. I had a real blast my first time around. And now, the conclusion!

Chapter Fifteen: New Beginnings

Lily's POV

The last thing she remembered was hearing a gun shot and the burning sensation in her side. She remembered dropping the gun and then she remembered darkness. The first thing she remembered was a slight rocking motion, a sore stiffness in her entire body, the sound of water lapsing and a warm hand resting on hers. When she opened her eyes only to slam them shut for a minute and slowly opened them again. This time she slowly looked around the room that she was in. She realized that she must be on a boat, hence the sound of water and the rocking. Next she noticed the hand that held hers and the head that lay very close to hers sound asleep. She slowly lifted her other hand, first because it was so painful, and second because she didn't really want to wake him. He had to be excused, she sure was and at this moment blissfulness had settled and she didn't want to change it. She wasn't entirely sure what had happened on that dock, she knew she had been shot and that she had killed a man. That was something she would have to always live with. She hadn't thought, just reacted as the assassin had pulled the gun and Aaron had stepped in front of her. She placed her free hand on his head, in his hair ever so gently. She had learned a lot with all of her recent experiences, not only about survival but also a lot about herself and about Aaron. She loved him, she always had, but for him to say it back to her had been of the most wonderful things she had ever heard. Yes, he had said it during a life threatening illness and during an intense situation but she believed he truly meant it. She just hoped that this could work because she knew that they would have to go into hiding until they could stop all of this. She still had the disk, still had the plan to release it and she knew she couldn't do it alone. She ran her fingers through his hair when he suddenly lifted his head and meant her eyes. She managed a slight smile, but even that took effort. He squeezed her hand, brought it up to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles.

"Look, who's awake." He said softly. "You had me worried there for a bit"

"What happened?" She asked him in a rough voice. He reached behind them grabbing a bottle of water, helping her to sit up slowly and giving her a sip.

"Well, my love you were shot. After you took out the bad guy." He slightly smiled at that last statement and then turned serious again. "One thing though, you are never to take a bullet for me again, got that." She slowly nodded her head because any other kind of movement hurt. "I thought I'd lost you and that is something I never what to experience again." His grip on her hand tightened even more. She nodded her head once again and she decided to move on to the next question as she tried to sit up.

"So where are we?" He helped her to sit up slightly as she winched.

"Somewhere in the South China Sea. A local fisherman found us when you were shot and took pity on us. We're on his boat for the time being. Until you get better that is."

"So doctor, am I going to make it?" She asked receiving a bigger smile from him.

"Well as long as the patient listens to her doctor and as long as there is no infection she should be on her feet before long."

"Well then doctor that's good news then" She said as he reached down and kissed her. It was a long kiss, a sweet kiss, and a kiss that said you are mine forever and always. He pulled away and looked deep into her eyes.

"I love you, you know that right?" She looked up at him with a tear in her eye and you brushed it away. "Hey, what's this?"

"I'm just afraid that all of this is just a dream. I guess I'm still that scared girl that you found in the barn. That I'm going to wake up and find myself back in that nightmare all over again. Besides my sister no one else has ever loved me before. I guess I'm afraid that I'm going to lose that. I love you so much." This time he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her in his arms. She clung to him as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"We are in this together. You made my life worth living, you say I saved you but I think it's the other way around. You saved me in more ways than you know." How long he held her she didn't know because before long she had fallen back to sleep.

The next few days seemed to move along in a comfortable pattern. Aaron taking care of her and them just getting to know each other. She would recount stories about her sister and he would tell her about her childhood. She started to move around more and her wound was healing up nicely. She was starting to get use to the calmness of the boat and she started to become concern that she was becoming too relaxed. They were still out there determined to kill them. She still had the disk and they still needed to be stopped. She was afraid that their little nest of security was coming to an end. Almost like a storm you could fell coming. One night she couldn't sleep so she slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Aaron who was asleep in the floor next to her cot. He had taken to sleeping there during her recovery; in fact he hadn't let her out of his sight almost like he was afraid that she would disappear. She slipped out to the deck of the boat and looked out to the sea. In the moon light she watched two dolphins playing in the distance. They seemed so free and at peace. She was so intense at watching them that she didn't hear Aaron until he slipped up behind her and put his arms around her pulling her close. With his lips next to her ear he whispered.

"I woke up, you weren't there. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just thinking. I couldn't sleep"

"Are you worried about them finding us?" He asked her.

"I still have all of their information. They are going to hunt us down until they get it back or they kill us. Either way they are still coming and that frightens me." He turned her around so that she was looking at him.

"Listen to me, they will be coming but we will be ready. We are going to get that information out there and we will end this together. You're not on your own any more Lily and you need to remember that. I know how to disappear and so do you. Come what may we will survive this." With a nod of her head she wrapped her arms around him and pulled close. She knew now that whatever happened she wouldn't be doing this alone and for now that was all that she needed. So come what may they would survive.

The End

The end? Say it isn't so, okay it's not. Story two will be along very soon. Thank you for all of the support and comments. This was some of the most fun I have had in a long time. So in the spirit of continuing the second part will be up very, very soon. So stay tune for Dark Waters. Thanks- Anna