Chapter 44 – Is This Really The End Or Just Some Crazy Dream

Mike's POV

I still haven't wrapped my head around the whirlwind that has been the last week or so. First we have a devastating earthquake to deal will.

Dealing with the death that usually accompanies a natural disaster little on a natural disaster of this magnitude is never easy, but the amount of victims is staggering.

There has been so much loss. There have been a few miracles where we were able to find survivors and successfully get them out of the rubble, but sadly there are so many not so happy endings.

I know that the reality of the job has been hard on all of us. Thankfully Amber and I have each other to lean on.

That was until Amber received a telegram that would change both of our lives forever.

Amber's POV

It seemed like I couldn't move fast enough. I know that even if I broke the sound barrier it still wouldn't be fast enough.

I clutched the telegram in my hands for most of the first leg of my trip back home.

The telegram informed me that my Grandma Mags is in a coma after having a massive stroke. I already knew what that meant and that the chances of her recovering were slim.

I miraculously was able to make it back home to Texas in 16 hours. It still wasn't fast enough.

I don't remember much after the doctor informed me that I had lost both of my grandparents.

The only thought that kept running through my head was that I was alone, again.

That I was once again, an orphan.

My grandmother had passed away mere hours ago and when she passed my grandfather was by her side, just as he always was.

Their love was so eternal and beyond any rational understanding that within minutes of my grandmother taking her final breathe my grandfather died from a heart attack.

But I knew the truth.

He died from a broken heart and he followed my grandmother into the afterlife. They were inseparable in life and now even in death their love endures.

Everything was a blur for the most part. My grandparents had thankfully set everything up with their wills, so that I didn't have to try and make a bunch of decisions while I was still in shock.

The funeral was a beautiful testament to the impact that both of my grandparents have made throughout their long lives.

They had touched so many lives and it was healing to see people giving testimony about how much they loved my Grandpa Roar and Grandma Mags.

It wasn't like I didn't appreciate everyone and their outpouring of love and support, but I was quickly becoming drained having to keep it all together in front of everyone.

I'll be honest the evening of the funeral after everyone left and it was just Mike, Kat, and I, we all got completely drunk. And by us I mainly mean me, not to say that Mike and Kat didn't do a heavy amount of drinking as well.

I woke up late the next day and after checking on Mike and Kat, who were still passed out, I went for my post wake up swim in the lake.

I swam around for awhile loosening my body up for the long day ahead of me.

I spent the rest of my day with my grandparents. They wanted to be buried under the big live oak tree out on the property. It's weird to think of it as mine now even though I'm pretty sure a small part of me will always think of it as theirs.

I poured my heart and emotions out to them with all of the words that I wished and probably should have told them over the years, but I was unable to ever fully express.

Grandma Mags anyways said that I was a woman of few words, like my Grandpa Roar. We were both the kind of people that it was easier for us to show our emotions through our actions.

When I couldn't formulate anymore words I pulled out my guitar. My grandparents always loved to hear me play, especially my grandma.

That's where my brother and sister found me later that night.

Thankfully giving my fingers a much needed break after playing for hours on end.

Kat had made dinner and Mike thought it would be nice to have a picnic all of us together, all 5 of us.

We ate, told stories, and reminisced. Surrounded by family and surrounded by that love and memories I realized that I wasn't alone. My grandparents may have died, but they are forever with me. Just like my parents, Cody, and every other person that I've lost.

It will take time to deal with the pain, but I will learn how to deal with it, and I'll keep them close to my heart. The memories and the love that we shared will forever guide me and fill my heart with the fire to live on.

For no one shall ever truly die as long as they are remembered.

Kat's POV

I can't help but give a small smile as I see Amber's large frame try and fit onto my smallish couch. I carefully cover her with a blanket that I know will either end up on the floor or most likely my loveable idiot will become tangled in during the night.

Mike and I were able to be here for the funeral, but he was unable to stay longer than a few days. Mike had to head back to Sweden to finish up with the recovery efforts.

Thankfully I was able to take a week off and look after Amber.

I have never seen her so...lost.

Amber held everything in and was the rock that everyone has always come to depend on. Throughout the funeral and everything leading up to it. I will always be amazed how Amber has always been able to do that. To hold it all together even when everything is falling apart. She held it together right up until the last person left the property. Until it was just the three of us and then it was like the dam broke. There were a lot of tears and even more alcohol consumed.

It's with a heavy heart that I recalled the day after the funeral and finding Amber playing her guitar for her grandparents.

I had silent tears running down my face when I heard Amber playing "I Wish Grandpas Never Died" – By: Riley Green as Mike and I brought dinner. My heart nearly broke when instead of singing I Wish Grandpas Never Died, Amber sang I Wish Grandparents Never Died. Making eye contact with Mike I know he felt this loss just as strongly as Amber. I just wish that I could have had the opportunity to know them better.

It took about 4 days before Amber's grief was able to level off. That's not to say that she isn't still grieving, but I know that with how much Amber has been through it's easy to understand how she is able to process this loss easier than most people.

I'm just grateful that Amber seems to be in a better state emotionally and mentally.

Amber's POV

Numbness...anger...disoriented...you name it I was feeling it.

I had always known that this day was coming. I just never realized that it would be this soon.

My grandparents were very old and I will always take comfort in the fact that they are together and that they both went quickly and painlessly.

It doesn't mean that it makes it easier being alone. Though these last few weeks have proven to me that I didn't lose my whole family.

I have my brothers and sisters. They are what held me together.

Right now I'm on Kat's small couch at her place.

When her leave was up I couldn't stomach the idea of being alone back at my grandparents place, at least not yet. So Kat dragged me back home with her.

It's been about week of comfortable co-existing and it was something that I never realized that I desperately needed.

The reminder that I'm not alone. I still have my family and that I will be okay, in time.

Tomorrow I'm headed back to Fairchild for a few days while I check in with my unit and fill out some paperwork.

Rosalie's POV

I think I might have ran faster than I ever have back to the Denali's house. I slowed down as make my way into the house. I don't find who I'm expected when I realize that the whole family is back, but I don't see Amber.

Now that I'm calmer and I actually take in my surroundings it becomes clear that Amber isn't in the house at all, or the surrounding area.

In a flat tone that I am demanding more than asking "Where's Amber?"

The lack of eye contact sets me on edge.

Jasper ever the courageous one says in an even tone "Amber's gone. She left before we got here."

My stunned lack of asking for more of an explanation didn't stop Tanya from knowing that I wanted answers.

Tanya handed me a small note as she said "This was left on the kitchen counter. I could clearly see the messy handwriting that belonged to Amber.

With shaking hands I read:

Thank you for having me, but I have to leave.

Goodbye and take care,

Amber

Alice answered my unasked question. "That's all that she left."

I knew if my heart still beat that it would have shattered with the realization that I didn't misread the situation. Amber really isn't my mate.

I didn't know that a vampire's legs could give out, but that's exactly what happened as I started to collapse to the floor. Only being saved from falling by the arms of my 3 brothers.

Carslie's POV

Disappointment and anger are the two most prevalent emotions that I have been feeling these last 3 or so weeks.

It took almost a full week for us to bring Rosalie out of her despair to finally get off the floor. After that it took us another week to finally get her to drink some blood. For awhile I thought that we would have to figure out a way to force feed her so that she wouldn't starve while she was in her depressive state.

I wasn't alone in the feeling that there has to be more to the situation. We couldn't wrap our heads around who we knew Amber to be to her being the kind of person to just leave and not try and reach out to Rosalie.

Amber was my daughter's mate...wasn't she?

It wasnt like Amber's character to just runaway.

Maybe there was an emergency and Amber had gotten deployed. That has surely happened enough.

I figured that I could get some answers about where Amber was from someone at the schoolhouse.

It was like a slap in the face when I had asked where Amber was and I was told that she was on vacation leave.

Apparently Amber finally is showing her true colors, because she sure as hell isn't the person I thought she was.

Amber's

Thankfully Mike was back home from his deployment, so we could catch up while I figured out my next step.

I still haven't heard from Rosalie and as anxious as the lack of communication made me I held firm knowing that I needed to hold onto my promise to Rosalie in my letter that I would give her a much time and space as she needed.

Once I was able to get a replacement for my phone, which took almost 2 weeks, I must have picked it up a million times praying for it to ring. I was desperate to hear from my girl. To talk to the love of my life especially with all of the chaos going on, plain and simply I just needed Rosalie.

I wound up getting back home to Spokane around 7pm so Mike decided that we should go out to one of our favorite restaurants to gorge ourselves on some of our favorite foods.

After eating enough food to feed several people and talking about everything and anything. Just enjoying being together and relishing in the peace that being in each other's presence always brings us.

Which leads us to where we are now, telling each other the most ridiculous stories and laughing and giggling as we have to lean on each other as we make our way down the street back to Mike's truck.

Mike suddenly stopped laughing and turned me so that I could see what or should I say who we almost ran into.

I froze when I made eye contact with the beautiful eyes that I could always drown in, except that these eyes weren't a bright gold and they seemed to take on a burning rage that I never had imagined would ever be aimed at me.

Author's Notes

This is not how military leave works. In most cases though in emergency essential jobs won't be given leave. The leave that is given to military personnel is very short.