Chapter 8: Love, Honor, Duty

Bunnyburrow…Present day…

Kaiden stepped off the train, the sun beaming down; all the reminiscing made it feel like all those years ago. Nick and Judy stepped off the train with him taking a look around. Kaiden was half a world away though, seemingly stuck between the present and all those years ago. Things had changed, modern, renovated, a marked changed from the sepia toned memories inside the fox's brain.

Bunnyburrow Station's concrete platform hadn't changed that much, but several years ago they put a new coat of paint on it, changing its color from yellow to pink. The three walked off the platform and out of the station, heading towards the town a distance away.

"Strange coming back here for non-Hopps related reasons," Commented Nick

"I guess you never did get to see the town itself last time we were here," Judy replied.

"Yeah, by the way, how are we getting to the south burrows? We don't exactly have a car," Nick stated.

"I have something in town that will help us with that, we just need to get there," Replied Kaiden.

The trio walked about half a mile to the town proper, getting occasional glances from the town folk. Seeing a rabbit flanked by two foxes certainly gave cause for a glance or two.

"Where are we going?" asked Judy.

"Just a place I keep a few things," Kaiden replied vaguely.

They made their way to the middle of the block and took a turn down an alley till they got to a freestanding building on a lot behind the businesses of Main St.. The lot was no larger than the building itself, which resembled a garage like one would expect to see attached to a house. The building faced a small driveway nestled among the trees that emptied out into the street off Main street.

Approaching the side access door from the alley, the trio stopped in front of it. Kaiden took a hard glance down the alley one way, then the other. He crouched down and pulled a loose brick, turning it in his paw, the brick had a small cavity that had been cut into it. Kaiden retrieved the contents of the brick, a single key on a small metal ring and then placed the brick back in its void, pushing it flush to maintain its appearance of being mortared into the wall.

Standing back up and unlocking the deadbolt and the handle, he opened the door and stepped in. Judy and Nick followed, the musty wood smell filling their noses. Kaiden went over to a nearby metal switch box, opening it and turning on the connected box lights which illuminated the inside. The garage contained a small workbench, several shelves filled with boxes and a beat up old pickup truck.

"Wait a second, that pick up…Is that the one from…"

"Yes," Kaiden chuckled.

"You kept her truck?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, I did. Her dad gave it to her and she always kept it running. It's one of the reasons why I love this old hunk of junk," he replied, patting it," This is how we are getting to South Bunnyburrow."

Kaiden grabbed a nearby gas can, giving a shake, feeling the weight of the liquid and doing some mental calculations. He walked over to the truck and opened the gas cap, folding the spigot forward and inserting the narrow top into the gas line, tilting the can and hearing the liquid sloshing out of it.

"So what kind of place is this?" asked Nick

Kaiden looked at the pair. Reluctant to answer, he turned his attention back to the truck.

Feeling that they must have struck a chord, they felt a bit awkward. Kaiden sighed audibly.

"It's a storage shed I bought after the fire. I needed to leave a few things here."

"I haven't gotten to telling that part yet…But we're getting close." The fox added.

Kaiden finished off the gas can, folding its spigot back. It made a low hollow reverberation when he placed it back on the ground. He grabbed the keys off a nearby hook, unlatched and opened the garage door.

"Nice day for a drive," he commented with a small smile.

The weather truly is good today, Kaiden thought, Lily would have loved this weather. Taking a deep breath of the clean air, he paced back inside. He opened the passenger side and ushered in his companions. They stepped up and into the old truck, the bench seat squeaking as they put their weight on it.

When Kaiden got in and started the truck, the engine at first gave a small groan of effort but nothing else. He pumped the pedal a few times, then turned the keys again; the truck roared to life. Kaiden smiled as his dependable truck managed to come alive yet again. He drove it just outside, jumping out to close and lock his shed before jumping back into the seat. The trio made their way south.

Bunnyburrow…17 years ago…

This last year had been a bit of a homecoming for Kaiden, and the happiest he'd had in a long time, which only made the fact that he soon had to return to the employ of the MIA all that much more heart-wrenching.

He had tried to put it out of his mind best he could; they both did. 'Enjoy the time we have together' was the mantra. They had gotten to know each other again, and caught up on their respective lives. Kaiden, despite protocol and everything he'd been taught not to do, confided in Lily. The inexorable draw he had toward her, and her non-judgmental belief in him, were gifts he knew he didn't deserve, but accepted graciously, if only for her benefit.

In truth there was a part of him that wanted to believe her, that maybe everything that happened, everything he told her was simply some endurance trial, some test presented by fate to measure his character. Part of him wanted to believe that, but the other also told him that it was a lie. There wasn't any rhyme or reason to it; it just happened. It could've happened to anyone else, and yet the nagging question of 'why him' always plagued him. No evidence or information ever presented itself and no answers were forthcoming.

'Do I really need all the answers?' he would often ask himself. Was it important to know? Perhaps knowing the answer to the 'why' of his past would somehow give him some kind of possible strategy or control over the present, maybe even the future. He knew that he didn't want to go back, not now; they would hunt them both.

He was mulling over his thoughts as he sat on a wooden table a fair distance away from the nearby ice cream shop. He was jolted out of his thoughts when Lily came up from behind him and brushed a cold paw on the back of his neck, snapping him back to the present.

She sat on the bench seat across from him and laughed at his surprised reaction.

"Hey, you supposed to be here, not a million miles away," She smiled, placing a sundae between them.

"Sorry about that, you're right. So you were saying?" he said.

Lily held up two spoons, offering one to the fox.

"I was saying how glad I am that you're back, and that I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"I was thinking that…" she started reluctantly, "We could go to Zootopia."

Kaiden looked up from the sundae.

"You know we can't. You know they would hunt us down."

"They wouldn't find us. You would always be one step ahead…" said Lily.

"And what kind of life is that, always looking over our shoulders, always living in fear, moving constantly? What kind of life is that?"

Lily didn't reply, she just took a bite of the sundae. Kaiden relaxed his expression and heaved a sigh.

"Lily, I don't want that kind of life for you," he said softly, reaching over and petting the top of her paw.

"You're going to go to ZU, and become a doctor like you always wanted."

Lily's expression turned sad and she shook her head slightly.

"How Kaiden? How? With what money? Also, I can't leave my parents; I can't leave my brother and my new sister. My family needs me."

"I don't think your family would want you to sacrifice your hopes and dreams for their benefit - not forever."

"Lily, you are just as entitled to the possibilities of life as any of them, you just have to be bold enough to take it and chase it with all your heart."

"It's not that easy," she said.

"Yes it is," he retorted.

"More than anything, I learned that when someone is committed to something, and I mean truly committed, there is nothing that can stop them," he said, before adding, "I believe in you, Lily."

"Isn't that my line?" she asked with a smirk.

"Normally," he said, mirroring her expression.

"But I'm serious; don't let your dream die just because it's hard, Lily."

"It just seems so far away. I mean I know I'm taking some community college courses, but…sometimes I just wonder if I'm kidding myself."

"No, I know it seems like it's far away, but if you just keep going, you'll make it."

"You really believe that?" she asked.

"I believe it…because it's you," he said.

Lily's head twitched at that statement, and she cracked a smile.

"I'm serious Lily, I think between the two of us, it's you who can do anything," he said.

"Says the fox who has done everything," Lily countered.

"Heh, I just know how to do what I'm told; I'm no leader," he said.

This time Lily placed her paw over Kaiden's. Her eyes, perfect pools of blue, fixed on his.

"That's not true, you are so much more than that."

"You're stronger than you know and better than you realize," she added.

They studied each other for a brief moment. A small smile crossed the rabbit's lips, and she came over to sit next to him.

"There is something I want to tell you...," she started, picking at the edge of the table with one of her claws, "My feelings never changed, even back then. I've always felt some kind of connection to you. Even when you were gone, there were nights I would stay up thinking about where you were, what you were doing. I just want to know…In all that time, when you thought of me, what did you think of me as?"

Kaiden wasn't quite sure of the nature of the question but thinking about it for a moment he had to divine an answer.

"I told you about training right?" he said at last.

"Yes," she replied, not understanding where he was going.

"And our final test?"

"Yeah."

"What I didn't tell you was what happened after that. I felt so ashamed and horrified by what I had done... I felt filthy, dirty...the kind that doesn't wash off. I tried anyway."

Kaiden told her the details of his breakdown, and wasn't sure how to gauge her reaction. He hoped for understanding, but life had a tendency to throw him for a loop on occasion. Fortunately, Lily understood and didn't hold it against him. In fact, in a strange way, she felt flattered.

"My point is, it made me realize how I felt," Kaiden said, "How I always felt. I just never knew what it was, I just…"

Kaiden's tendency to over explain things and ramble was hushed by a simple rabbit finger across his lips.

"Just hold me," she whispered.

He held her close in a warm embrace. He felt her nuzzle his cheek, her breath flowing into his ear, softly tickling its hairs which made it instinctively flick. He relished the slow hiss of air from her nose and the soft caress of her paw against the fur on the back of his neck. They closed their eyes and held each other, enjoying each other's warmth.

The moment was shattered when a loud obnoxious voice called out.

"What in the blue fuck is going on here?!"

The rabbit and fox snapped out of their daze and turned to see something they would have preferred not to: two very drunk Zebras, often a thorn in their sides.

"Clay? Clay Vancolt?! When the hell did you come back?" Lily snapped.

"Never you mind that, now what in sam hill are you doing with that there fox?" asked the elder Zebra.

"Wait, Clay, I recognize that fox…That's….that's Kaiden," said Jesse, pointing over his brother's shoulder.

Kaiden stood up and faced them.

"Well I'll be…it is you, fox. So what are you doing here?" asked Clay, crossing his arms.

"Does it really matter, Clay? I'll be gone soon enough," said Kaiden.

"Why'd you bother to coming back?"

"Unfinished business," he said.

Clay turned and shot a glance at Lily and then back at the fox.

"Really? That what you call it? Cuz 'round these parts we call it something else," The zebra chuckled suggestively.

"Look Clay, you're drunk, just go home before you do something you'll regret," said Lily.

The drunk Zebra turned around in a slow stupor, and stumbled over to her.

"What the hell do you see in that fox, huh?"

"Well for one he isn't you," she said with a scowl.

The older zebra chuckled and then back-hoofed Lily across the mouth, knocking her to the ground.

"You got a smart mouth rabbit!" Clay told her as he towered over her.

"You son of a-!" Kaiden rushed forward to attack Clay when he heard a small click and felt a cold blade against his throat.

"Nah uh uh," said Jesse.

The younger Vancolt had snuck up behind the fox, and was keeping him at bay with a switchblade to the throat, using his other hoof to hold his shoulder. Kaiden was staring daggers at Jesse, when he heard Lily scream out. He eyes turned back to see that Clay has picked her up and slammed her on the table holding her down with one hoof.

"You disgust me, Harrington, the fact that you would see yourself with this fox. God damn predo chew toy, you are," he sneered.

Lily struggled to breath as Clay in his anger wasn't paying attention to the fact that he was pressing his weight down on the small rabbit's chest. She gasped trying to pull in air.

"Heh, squish her good, Clay!" said his drunk brother.

Kaiden's heart started to race; the adrenaline flowed and everything went red.

When the redness faded back into reality, Kaiden heard a voice calling out to him-it was Lily's. He was somehow on top of Clay, knee to his chest, pommeling the knife that was previously in Jesse's hooves and centimeters from driving it into Clay's brain through his eye socket. Lily was tugging at Kaiden's shirt pleading with him to stop. Kaiden blinked a few times, getting his bearings and focusing on the voice from the zebra below him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The drunk zebra kept repeating over and over, holding his hooves up.

Kaiden noticed a bleeding wound on Clay's shoulder, the knife had blood on it, dripping, spattering on Clay's face, a combination of Vancolt blood. Kaiden's teeth were still gritted, a loud canine growl emanating from his throat. Every muscle in his body was tuned, ready to act, ready to kill. Every instinct and training regimen was telling him to kill. "You do not wound the enemy, you kill the enemy," Sergeant Kerberos' words echoed in his brain. The only thing slowing him down was Clay's attempts to hold back the knife and his own hesitation.

"Kaiden, please don't do this!" Lily said.

Kaiden snarled and pushed a little closer.

"Kaiden, no!" she screamed.

Her words finally reached him, and like a switch his expression changed. He stood up, and the zebra immediately took the opportunity to push back and away, clambering to his hooves. Jesse was on the ground holding his elbow; Kaiden must have broken it. A gash across Jesse's wife beater showed how the fox managed to curtail the younger brother. Clay gathered up his brother and took off.

"You're a fucking psycho, Ellison!" Clay screamed back over his shoulder.

The scene was quiet for a time, the fox's panting the only sound. He turned to look at Lily.

"Lily…What did I do?" Kaiden asked, dropping the knife.

"I've never seen anybody move that fast," she said, impressed.

"But….what did I do?" he asked again, stepping back.

"Kaiden, you saved me."

The fox didn't hear. He winced in guilt. 'I hurt everyone I come across,' he thought. He ran from the scene, trying not to let his tears blur his vision.

Kaiden ran until he was out of breath. He had run through so many fields, he wasn't sure where he was. It was now the dead of night; if not for the almost full moon, it would have been pitch black. He stumbled out of the field near a dirt patch, falling to his knees, the sound of his panting breath filling the silence. Wracked with guilt, he sobbed a few times, but the tears ran dry a mile ago.

A bright light came on nearby, causing him to look up, putting his paw up to shield his eyes. "Who's….Who's there?" he said.

The figure approached and leaned down, turning the flashlight towards them. It was Lily, she had gotten ahead of him with her pickup truck.

"Ya know, I thought about all the places you could have gone, but in the end, I knew it would be here," she said.

"Here? Where's here?" he asked, puzzled.

She pointed the flashlight at the nearby barn. His night vision resolved and he could see the forms of the house and barn; it was the Harrington's old farm.

"Come on," she said, offering her paw.

He grabbed it and she pulled him to his feet, leading him toward the barn.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm finishing our conversation," she replied

They made their way inside. The layout hadn't changed, only the contents. The ladder to the upper floor was there like always. Closing the door behind them, the pair made their way up the ladder into the loft.

Obviously, Lily's collection of things, the antiques and other collectibles she had gathered over the years, was long gone. Instead, the loft was being used for storage of whatever extras the current tenants of the farm had no immediate use for. In this case, spare housewares and furniture.

She sat him down on a couch that was propped against the back wall. The moon peered through the nearby skylight, casting its pale glow down on them. She sat down next to him, still holding his paw and looking not just into his eyes, but past that, to his core.

"I need you to know something, and it's very important you let me finish before you say anything."

Kaiden nodded attentively, staring back at her.

"There are so many assumptions about us rabbits, and for some, they might be true, but not me," she began, "I want you to know that in all these years, no one has ever made me feel the way you have."

"Growing up, going through puberty, going through school, not one person. The other boys didn't interest me, because there was already someone I was thinking about. Even on those lonely spring nights, when I burned for that kind of feeling, and had to figure myself out...It was always you…Every thought and fantasy, every dream and wish…it was your name I would say."

Lily's emotions finally overcame her, releasing her tears. Not tears of any particular emotion, but more of release itself.

Kaiden was blown away, with an expression to match. He knew how he felt, but he was never sure until this moment how she did.

"I love you, Kaiden Ellison...I've loved you since we were kids, and I want to know…," she sobbed, "I need to know, do you feel the same?"

Kaiden was halted by the lump in his throat; he had to swallow and take a breath to keep his voice from cracking.

"Yes…a hundred times, yes! Without you, I don't think I would be here right now," he admitted, "Lily…I love you."

She leapt into his arms without warning, knocking him onto his back, hugging him with a few squeezes for good measure. She looked lovingly into his eyes, leaning down to give him a peck on his lips, followed by a longer kiss. Kaiden pressed his lips against hers, a small smack escaping when they parted. With a loving look into each other's eyes, they kissed again more deeply. The fox ran his claws softly through her fur; she shivered under his touch, a small coo escaping her throat as his claws sent wonderful tingles through her. More kisses followed, Lily tugging on Kaiden's lips with her front buck teeth, giving it a slight pull, which earned a pleasurable chuckle from the fox. She smiled almost mischievously before letting go. The fox kissed gently along her sensitive ears, her gasps letting him know that it was certainly the right direction.

Kaiden buried the tip of his muzzle into her soft, supple neck, peppering it with kisses. Gauging by her small huffs and coos, he grew bolder, softly using his teeth and tongue along her neck, which sent even sharper waves of tingles right into her head.

"Oh cheese and crackers," she muttered as she gripped whatever fur she could find.

The tingle gave way to a loving smile and a happy giggle. Looking back down at Kaiden, she ran all of her fingers through his fur, grazing the soft tips of her claws against the skin underneath. Letting out a warm huff of breath.

They fumbled around trying to disrobe one another without breaking their moment; all at once they forgot about their pasts and simply existed in in the here and now. They marveled at each other's forms the sheer primal, wildness of it, their hearts beating like tribal drums and the buzz of the excitement forming that slight tightness in the chest.

She embraced him again, this time pressing herself against him fur to fur. She felt him tremble.

She petted his cheek with a gentle caress. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Sorry, I'm just a little nervous," he whispered back in a dulcet tone.

"It's ok, you're not the only one," she said, reassuring him with a smile and another kiss.

He probed his muzzle into the soft white of her fur, starting from her neck, letting out a soft coo as he reached her tender belly. He gave it a lick, earning him a happy giggle.

"That tickles," she said through her giggle, smiling down at him. "...Use your teeth," she added.

"You sure?" the fox asked with a raised eyebrow.

The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable, though from her expression discomfort seemed the farthest from her mind. He opened his mouth, carefully nibbling with his sharp front teeth across her fur, adding a few flicks of his tongue for good measure. Lily shuddered; Kaiden instinctively shot his head up.

"Oh god, don't stop," she whispered pressing his head back into her midriff.

Returning his attention to her belly, he kept his paws busy by massaging whatever he had inkling to, her legs, her sides, chest and belly, tracing a circuitous path around and around.

Kaiden could feel Lily's heat now, realizing what she meant by burning desire. She pushed the fox on his back and clambered onto him. She kissed him ever so gently, it sent a surge of electricity through him, his passion swelled for her, twitching softly as a soft rabbit paw directed it towards its destination.

They both gasped loudly as they met, nuzzling each other as their hips slowly drew together. The sensation and experience completely different than anything they had ever known before and sharing together at long last.

They stared into each other's eyes, illuminated by the cool blue reflected light of the moon casting down upon them from the skylight.

"I love you" she whispered.

"I love you too." He replied back.

A slow rhythm, seemingly in tune to the beating of their hearts, soft and gentle, living in the moment, taking joy in every kiss, every touch, every sound and motion. Two long lost mammals now finally together at last. Seeking the peace and contentment so many search for but few ever find.

The pain of the world, of loss and the horrible history they've had seemed far away. The world fell away and for a time there existed only the loft, the moon and each other.

Soft panting, thin beads of perspiration forming a soft glisten; she gripped his fur as she let out a short and soft cry. Passions building, like a fire starting as an ember and building into a bonfire.

She slowed for a moment to kiss him sweetly again, and whisper lovingly into his ear.

Her words excited him to his vulpine core, he kissed her deeply, his tongue flicking against her soft rabbit incisors. She moved his paws to her hips and he abided by his instinct, pressing further into her, a deep resonating growl in his throat as he felt the even more intense sensation.

Their pace picked up further, taking on a sense of urgency, the fire becoming an intense blaze, their restraint to be quiet in the barn gave way to the brilliant heat and sensation as their passions crested together like a tidal wave crashing upon the shore.

Embracing tightly, like an intense brilliant flare.

"Ah, Kaiden!" she screamed out, gripping tightly against him, digging her claws into his back.

Kaiden let out a growl, pulsing into her, her small white furred body trembled in his arms, nuzzling her, kissing her, caressing her, all the time looking upon her like a goddess from above.

He wrapped his tail around her to keep warm. She felt safe and content in his embrace, content with the fox that she loved so much.

They lay there for quite some time holding each other, listening to the soft gentle sounds of their panting breaths, staring at the moon as its light blanketed their bare forms. She laid her head on under his chin.

"I'm really glad you came back," she whispered, giving a wet sniffle and a few joyful tears.

"I am too," He replied kissing the sweet bun on the top of her head, drying her eyes.

Bunnyburrow Station…The Next Day…

Kaiden and Lily were at the station waiting for the train that would come to take him back to Zootopia. She was holding his paw the entire time. Lily was still reluctant to let him go, even knowing the consequences. It would be a lie to say the fox didn't consider staying, but he realized that the wrath of the MIA could come down upon them both.

Lily hugged him, squeezing hard. Kaiden held the small, sad bunny in his arms, nuzzling her cheek.

"Please don't go," she said.

"I don't want to," he said, "But you know I have to...you know what will happen if I fail to report in."

"I don't care."

"You should."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want that life for us," he said resolutely, "I committed to something, and I need to see it through, no matter what I ultimately think of it."

"I…I don't want you to die," she said softly.

Kaiden paused a beat. He continued to pet her, the thoughts of what could be rolling around in his mind. He moved his head to look at her in the face.

"I won't" he said, hoping to reassure her, "I won't because, I have something now that I didn't before."

"And what would that be?"

"A reason not to," he replied.

She smiled slightly, but tears welled in her eyes.

"I have a reason to come back, a reason to fight that much harder so I can come back."

They embraced again, hot tears running silently down her cheeks, the occasional wet sniffle coming from her. The train drew up to the station and a voice over the station intercom announced: 'Zootopia Express: Now Arriving, Platform A.'

The train came closer, it's engine noise becoming louder as it approached the platform. Slowing to a stop, it's doors of all sizes opened and a plethora of mammals great and small came forth from inside its metal shell. It took several minutes for the passengers to debark. Kaiden and Lily took that time to drown out the world and simply enjoy their remaining time together. Looking into each other's eyes, they thought of the loft and what they shared there.

Kissing lovingly, the warmth of their emotion heating the air. They knew that moment was coming, like the inevitable raincloud on the horizon. The announcer's voice rang out: 'Zootopia Express: Now Boarding, All Passengers.'

They both winced at the announcement, squeezing each other again.

"You come back to me. You do whatever you have to, but damn it…You come back to me," she ordered through the tears.

Kaiden smiled, pulling up his ID tags with his thumb. On the chain with them was his half of their heart pendant. "You're never away from me," he said.

Lily wore the lace necklace she always had, Kaiden had noticed it in the diner that day and every day since then.

"There's never a day I take it off," she said with a warm smile.

"Atta girl," Kaiden smiled back.

They shared a laugh, enjoying the memories of their childhood, completely forgetting where they were only to have the moment shattered by the intrusion of that dreaded voice again. 'Zootopia Express: Final Boarding Call, All passengers. Final Boarding call,' the announcer droned, snapping them back to the depressing present.

"I love you," Kaiden offered.

"I love you too," she replied.

"I'm coming back..." he said, not intending to leave such an awkward pause.

"I know you will," she replied with false confidence.

"And I will be with you… for the rest of my days."

"I'll hold you to that promise."

They shared one final embrace, their tears flowing freely. They didn't want to let go, but they knew they had to. Kaiden broke the embrace first, because someone had to. He backed away, looking at her. He didn't say anything, just giving a nod, which she mirrored.

"I'll be waiting, right here," she said, pointing at the ground.

"I know," he whispered, his eyes starting to water again.

He gathered his duffel and walked onto the train. Thankfully it didn't take any time in prolonging the wait. The doors hissed as they shut. Kaiden looked at Lily on the platform and she looked right back at him through the glass.

'Zootopia Express:…..Now Departing,' called out the announcer.

The train's engine hummed to life, the chug and clank of the car connectors tightening, the train starting to move forward. They held each other's gaze as long as they could, each holding back tears to remain strong for the other. There would be time for tears later. The train chugged ahead and with that, Kaiden, the love of her life, was gone again, on a course for an unknown future.

As the train departed and the station quieted again, Lily breath shuddered, placing her paws in the side pockets of her shirt. She wore a form fitting undershirt, and often wore the over shirt open, so she hadn't noticed that there was something in one of her pockets. She pulled out a folded envelope. She glanced in the direction of the train, now gone over the hill, then looked back to the envelope.

"When did you…" she said quizzically.

Wasting no time opening the envelope, she found two things: some official looking form that was filled out and signed, with the word "Photocopy" on it, and a folded paper with handwriting-she could see it as the sunlight glowed through the paper.

She examined the form; it was part of the enlistment paperwork Kaiden had filled out, specifically in regards to benefits and pay. Puzzled, she opened the folded paper and read it.

'My Lily,

You have been the light of my life before I even knew what it was. You have saved me in more ways than I can count.

Don't give up. You are stronger and more powerful than you know. Go be a Doctor, Go get your dream.

Because you've already given me mine.

Love, Kaiden.'

Lily's was stunned by the letter, but also confused. She knew that Kaiden was aware that she had no money, so she went back to the form and looked closer. She had to read it twice to be sure it was saying what she thought it was saying. The form was in regards to salary, and Kaiden apparently had told the military to forward all of his paychecks to her instead of himself, as he had no need since the MIA provided whatever he could possibly need while away.

It suddenly dawned on Lily what Kaiden was doing; he was giving her a chance, a fighting chance like he always did, taking the burden upon himself to save another. It was his trait, and it came around again. She closed her eyes and held her paw up to her mouth, kissing it and placing it onto Kaiden's words. She whispered into the air,

"To the end of my days and forever, I shall always be with you."