The Other Side by Audiomachine

Let's Ride (Trailer Version) by Boris Harizanov

Until We Go Down by Ruelle

Taking Over Me by Evanescence

Hold On by Chord Overstreet

Come Up for Air by Skylar Grey

I hope everyone enjoyed the previous chapter! Happy reading :)


2020

South Carolina

Luke zipped his bag shut and looked over at Mei standing by the doorway, watching. He hated to leave her, but he had to find Rita and Brendan.

"You're gonna go find her? R?" Mei asked. He looked down at the tattoo on the inside of his wrist. He'd gotten the letter R that Rita had designed on him years ago, the one that he'd never forgotten and was able to describe to the artist in full detail. In his own weird way, it made him feel like she was still with him.

"Yea," he answered. "I am."

"I hope you find her," she replied. "Brendan too." Her voice was sincere. She knew how much they both meant to him. He took some breaths, trying not to feel worry. He glanced at Mei again.

"Don't look at me like that," Mei said. "I'll be fine."

He stood there, thinking. This could be the last time he ever saw her. He tried to think of the right thing to say, but he didn't know how to even start. He licked his lips quickly, sucked his teeth, and tried anyway.

"Thank you for saving me," he said quietly. "I owe you a lot for that."

"Thank you for being my friend," she replied. "I think we're even."

He gave a small smile and looked down at the floor before her again. He moved to get his pistol from his bedside drawer and handed it to her as he passed her.

"I don't think that'll stop a full grown Mimic from killing me, but I appreciate the thought," Mei said with a laugh as she took it.

"It's not for them. It's for the assholes who might try to hurt you in order to save their own skins," Luke replied.

"Ah, got it."

He went to the door, regulating his breathing. This was it. He might soon be with Rita again...with his son. God, he really hoped he could find them, that they were still alive. He put his hand on the doorknob and looked back at Mei.

"Good luck," she said. "I'll see you again, one way or another."

"Take care, Mei," he replied. Then he forced himself to go out and not look back.

Heathrow

Rita sat and stared as others around her ate and talked. Some even laughed. She wanted to rip their faces off. How could they laugh? Did they not realize that people died? Did it mean nothing to them? She picked at her food, unable to eat. She saw Pete giving her sideways looks, and she knew he was concerned about her...they all were. Kamden and Harvey just didn't know what to say, though.

"You okay?" Pete asked her.

"I'm fine."

People ask you how you are and you say fine but you're not fine, and they'll never know that...

"I know you're not fine," Pete said over the sound of the quote in her head.

"Just leave me be," she ordered, not up for it right now.

"We miss him too," Pete added. "Don't forget that. You don't have to grieve alone...we all are too."

Rita shoved herself up and out of her seat, making the other two look at her as well. She left them sitting there, not caring about what they were thinking or feeling.

You'll bring me back, Rita...right?

She'd failed, and she alone would live with that forever. No one knew what she'd endured. No one knew anything about it.

Except...

She turned on her heel, going to find the only other person who believed what she experienced was real. She found Dr. Carter at his desk, and she closed the door behind her.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Hi," she said, stopping in front of him. "My name is Rita Vrataski, and I had the ability to reset the day. I've got loads of information about it to tell you."

He stared at her. Then he smiled.

Italy

Brendan had never wanted his mother so much in his life. He regretted getting so angry at her after finding out her last name, his last name, was fake, that she'd even used her middle name instead of her real name with everyone. There was a shroud of mystery to her that he didn't think he'd ever find out about or understand. He certainly never understood why his father would only see him in secret or why his mother had left him in the first place. He wanted answers, but he didn't think she'd give them to him.

It didn't stop him from wanting her warm embrace right now, though.

He thought about all those times when he'd been hurt or angry or scared, and his mother had been right there for him with a hug or encouraging words. Sometimes he got annoyed by the things she said, but he realized now how meaningful they were and desperately wished he could hear them. He closed his eyes, trying to conjure some of those conversations.

Be the best you can be but do it for yourself, not anyone else. Do it because you want to and not because you have to.

It might not feel like it now, but things will get better.

Don't spend too much time feeding your fear. Trust me, it only destroys you if you let it.

Brendan opened his eyes again, suddenly feeling like that last statement he recalled was more important than he'd realized. What had his mother done or not done because of fear? Was that the reason his father wasn't around?

He'd gotten so angry at her. He felt bad now, recalling her hurt face. She still hadn't given him answers, just said she'd done it to keep them safe. From what, he had no idea. He didn't think she'd ever tell him.

Shouts and wails made him look to see hospital staff rushing to aid someone who was injured. They weren't a soldier, but Brendan recognized the damage done. This person had been hurt by a Mimic. Brendan shuddered at the memory of what they looked like. He hoped he never had to see one again.

He hoped this war would be over sooner than later.

Heathrow

Luke felt out of place here. He was jostled by people coming and going from all directions as he stood with his bag over his shoulder. He was to find J-Squad as instructed by Master Sergeant Farell, who had recently returned from Verdun. Luke noticed the man looked exhausted, and he wondered if he'd ever get a chance to rest and rejuvenate. He wanted to ask if he'd seen Rita, but he didn't dare after hearing how foul Farell could get. He hadn't been able to go to Verdun to look for her like he wanted; they assigned him here and it didn't look promising to be able to leave the base.

"Oye, Kimmel! Come on!" a guy was shouting as another guy let out a wicked laugh and carried on with whatever mischief he was up to. Luke felt a small smile grow on his face. At least some people were still lively over here.

He looked around before entering the barracks and froze. His stomach dropped, and he felt warmth in his heart as he looked at her face. Rita was plastered on a poster on the wall that had the message of joining the UDF.

"Isn't she beautiful?" a man asked, stopping next to Luke now.

"She is," he agreed a little warily.

"Angel of Verdun," the man went on. "She won for us there, you know. Unbelievable stuff that was."

"She did?" Why was he surprised? He knew what she could do; he'd shown her how after all.

"Yea. I mean, the public call her the Angel, but us lads call her the Full Metal Bitch. She doesn't take any shit, you know? I wish I was on her team," the man said with a sigh.

"Is she here?"

"I'm not sure to be honest. I haven't seen her." He held out his hand next. "Name's Skinner."

"Luke." They shook. He was annoyed at not getting an answer, but he had to deal with it. "I'm looking for J-Squad."

"Look no further," Skinner said with a smile once he got his hand back. "That's my crew. Right this way."

Luke took one last look at Rita on the wall before going to follow Skinner to the others. He tried to stay in the moment when he was introduced. It was hard, though, when all he wanted to do was search for her.

...

Rita packed up Travis's things slowly, leaving his whiskey under her own bed. She'd drink it as a tribute to him whenever she needed it. She ran her fingers over the framed photo of him with his mom and Chloe, and she felt sadness in her chest get bigger.

"I'm sorry, my friend," she whispered. She set the photo down in the box among the rest of his belongings, and then she taped it shut. She slid it under her cot after writing his name on it and his mother's address. She was going to take it to Doris personally when this was over if she survived. If she didn't, then someone else could. Rita just felt like she owed it to Travis to be the one to take his mother back what remained of his life.

She sat on her cot and thought about her visit with Dr. Carter. He'd been excited to document her experience, expressing his hope that someone else would get the power in the future. Rita wasn't so sure that would happen. She felt like they were all doomed, and she was stuck here without Travis, without Luke, and with the sinking knowledge that her son was probably dead.

It was pretty shitty.

She looked up at the sound of footsteps, and Dr. Carter appeared a moment later.

"Hi," she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been demoted," he answered.

"What?!"

"I tried to convince Brigham about the resetting. He called me bonkers, confiscated my project I had just finished, and demoted me to mechanic."

"I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be. It's not his fault he's small minded," Dr. Carter said with a heavy sigh. "Unfortunately, though, we won't be able to discuss this matter unless we're somewhere very private."

"Okay."

"Don't give up hope...yet," he advised, moving to leave again. "I think our success is just around the corner."

Rita didn't respond. She had nothing to say anyway. After a while, she left and went for a walk, just needing to clear her head and try not to think about anything painful.

That's when she saw him.

He was standing there looking at her poster, his bag over his shoulder. She was looking at his side profile, and her heart began to race.

Luke Wright.

Trembling, she worked to catch her breath. So many different emotions went through her at the sight of him. She was rooted to the ground, though. She couldn't make herself go talk to him, and it was because, despite everything, she still felt angry at him. She also just didn't have the energy to get into everything with him. Outside of the anger, however, it was a bit of a comfort knowing he was there with her. She'd never felt so conflicted and off balance before.

Instead of walking to him and saying sorry like Travis wanted, however, she turned away and fled. Now all she had to do was keep out of his sight from here on out.

A Month and a Half Later

Heathrow

"Lockdowns suck," Ford complained bitterly. Luke couldn't agree more. He had no way of contacting Mei now. He'd told her in his last call that he wouldn't be able to talk to her for a while. She'd sounded fine, which brought him comfort. As long as she was safe, he was happy.

The other thing that would make him happy was if he found Rita or Brendan. He hadn't seen either yet, and no one seemed to recognize Brendan when he asked or know if Rita was on base. It left a bad feeling in his stomach, but he refused to believe his son was dead. He was pretty miffed that Brendan had signed up at 15 and left without telling him. When he saw him again (and he kept saying when and not if...if was not a possibly in his mind), he was going to let him have it—once he told him how much he loved him, of course.

Farell was brutal with PT. Rumor had it he'd lost most of his last squad in Verdun, so he was working overtime to make sure this squad would survive. Luke wasn't sure how viable this was, but he didn't complain. He was no stranger to hard workouts or someone yelling at him.

"Damn it, Kamden!" someone hollered, and he looked to see two men having a slight tussle. One was smirking while the other was scowling. Luke assumed Kamden was the smirking one.

"Aw, lighten up, Harv," Kamden said now.

"Lighten up? You just about busted my jaw!" Harvey exclaimed back. Luke watched them bicker as they kept walking by, heading towards the area where the elite soldiers trained. He didn't think much about it. Instead, his eye caught that poster again. He hadn't seen her in a very long time, not since the day he'd watched her playing with Brendan and almost went to talk to her. He still remembered that day vividly. He'd made himself promise to leave her alone since she clearly hadn't wanted him to find her, even though it had just about killed him to walk away. It was enough to know she was okay. Then his son had caught him at one of his games, and Luke had no choice but to be honest since Brendan knew who he was. As much as Brendan didn't understand why Luke didn't just talk to Rita, he'd respected Luke's decision to stay away. That being said, what really got under his skin was that if there was no war, he had intended to approach Rita and sort it all out once and for all.

The more the day went on, the more rumblings he heard about an upcoming battle. It made him feel nervous inside. He hadn't seen a Mimic yet. He didn't know what he was in for, but he knew it wouldn't be good. He just wanted this war to be over.

And if they were all still alive afterwards, then he'd make his move and see if Rita was truly finished with him for good or not.

...

Rita pushed herself hard to stay in shape. The PT and extra training she did kept her mind busy as well. It was also a great place to hide from Luke. He wasn't really allowed in there as a private, and she didn't want to run into him anywhere else. She didn't really want to run into anyone at all if she was honest. She mostly kept to herself now, which helped her avoid connecting with others and getting attached. If she wasn't attached, she couldn't get hurt.

On the rare moment she walked outside, she spotted a young woman with enough energy in her to fuel an entire team. Rita watched, intrigued. After a moment, she couldn't help herself and approached her.

"Hey," she said. The woman turned and almost fell over in shock.

"It's you!" she exclaimed.

"Yea," Rita confirmed. She hated that poster. To victory? What victory? It didn't feel like one. What was so victorious about having so many soldiers slaughtered? And for what? If she didn't know any better, she'd think the Mimics let them win in Verdun to give a false sense of security.

"You inspire me so much," the woman went on.

"What's your name?"

"Mei."

"Nice to meet you."

"You as well, Ms. Vrataski."

"How would you like to train under me?" Rita offered. "I think you belong on a more elite team."

"I...I'd be honored..."

"Good. My training area six am tomorrow sharp," Rita instructed.

"I'll be there!"

Rita gave a ghost of a smile at Mei's enthusiasm. She went on her way, and she tried not to think about how long it would take before Mei lost her drive and became numb and bitter like she was.

A Week Later

Luke punched the bag hard, fighting off flashbacks as he did so. He had a lot of pent up anger inside of him, and he couldn't stop thinking about what Rita was going to do or say when he told her about her mother.

If he could even find her.

Rumor had it, finally, that she was here on this base, but he had yet to see her, so he wasn't sure if it was a false rumor or if she'd seen him first and was avoiding him. He kind of figured it was the latter.

"Whoa," Ford said, passing him now and giving him a look. "What did that bag ever do to you?"

"It's hanging wrong," Luke answered a bit sarcastically.

"Remind me to stay on your good side, old man."

"Watch who you're calling old," he warned, and Ford laughed. Luke shook his head. He had a little over 20 years on Ford...maybe not even that. He muttered slightly under his breath as he faced the bag again.

Train, train, train. It was so familiar, and his body fell back into it very easily. After all, it was mostly all he'd ever known.

...

Rita was drinking water when Pete approached her. She'd been very grouchy the last while and shutting them all out. She knew they'd probably had enough.

"Rita," Pete started. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"About you giving us the cold shoulder."

And there it was. Rita lowered her water bottle and gave him a level stare. He looked slightly unnerved before clearing his throat and continuing.

"We know you're grieving Travis. We know you know we are too. We know that you feel like letting anyone else in right now is a set up for another hurt, but we are a team, Rita. We need to stick together. You can't isolate yourself like this. It's not good."

"Pete, I appreciate what you're trying to say..." she began.

"I'm not trying to say anything," he cut her off. "I'm telling you straight up that you're being a cold hearted bitch and to knock it off before you're really, truly alone."

The words hit her hard, but she knew he was right.

"Pete," she said. Then she paused.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know that was harsh, and I didn't mean to say it like that, but seriously, Rita. You have to stop with the walls. Let us in. Please. We're a team, and we need you. We need each other. It's the only way we're gonna survive this. Be hard if you have to be, but don't shut us out altogether."

She said nothing, and he didn't wait for a reply. He simply reached to squeeze her shoulder before leaving her alone again. She pondered his words, and she knew he was right. When it came time for breakfast, she went to sit with her team, making them all look at her. Pete smiled, and she smiled back a little. It felt foreign to smile.

"Nice to see you," Kamden said to her. Harvey nodded.

"I know I've been distant," she said, playing with her fingers. "And for that, I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Harvey replied. "We get it."

"Just don't do it again," Kamden warned, but he was smiling. She nodded and smiled back. Her face almost hurt to smile, but a small part of her was slightly feeling good doing it. It didn't last long, though, and she knew it would take some time to stop being so hard. If she could get to that point at all.

"So," she said, looking at them all. "How bad did Harvey lose to Kamden this time?"

"Aw come on!" Harvey exclaimed as Kamden launched into the summary of their last sparring session. Rita appreciated that they didn't dwell on her mood or behaviors the last two months. She listened to them all and felt a tiny crack in her walls. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

An hour later, she was heading to train when a man jogged up to her. She slowed her steps, feeling wary.

"Rita?" he said.

"Yes."

"I'm Damian...Travis's contact. I've got news for you."

"You do?"

"Yes. About Brendan."

Rita felt her heart almost stop, but the man did not look sad, so she held her breath and waited.

"Go on," she encouraged when he still didn't speak from waiting for her go ahead.

"He's in Italy in a hospital. He's alright, just some minor injuries. They're keeping him there for now and then will ship him here once lockdown is lifted."

Rita almost hit her knees from relief. She blinked back her tears of joy.

"Thank you," she said to him. "Thank you so much."

"My pleasure," Damian said with a smile. "It's good to give some happy news for once, you know?"

"I agree." She was genuinely smiling now.

"Take care of yourself."

"Thank you. You too." Rita watched him leave, and she hugged herself tightly and felt so happy inside. Brendan was alive. She'd get to see him again.

Now she just had to survive the battle that was coming.

A Week Later

Luke woke up the day before the battle and felt dread. He was nowhere close to finding Brendan or Rita, and it was very likely he was going to die tomorrow. As he walked to the mess hall, he started to think that Rita wasn't even here after all. She could be anywhere, really, and he couldn't go looking for her because he'd be accused of deserting. He was stuck here.

He ate breakfast, mildly paying attention to the banter and bickering of J-Squad. He searched for her face but didn't see her. Again.

It wasn't until he was walking out with Skinner when it happened.

"Man, I'd kill to meet her," Skinner groaned, and Luke turned to see what he was ogling at. His breath caught in his throat.

Her.

So she was here. Seeing her in person and not just on some poster (something he was a bit embarrassed to say he looked at a lot) was a shock to his system. She was talking to a fellow soldier, someone who was familiar to Luke, but he didn't know why. A piece of his brain flicked back to two boys on bikes in Australia laughing alongside him, but he couldn't be sure.

"The Full Metal Bitch," Skinner went on, sounding impressed. "She won Verdun for us."

"Uh huh," Luke said, not knowing what else to say. Had Skinner forgotten he'd already told him that? It seemed so...or maybe he just liked to say it all the time. Maybe it gave him hope of winning this war.

He preferred Angel of Verdun if he was honest. He watched her still, willing her to turn her head and see him. After two months of wanting to see her, he wanted to make eye contact.

"Well, maybe in another life, eh mate?" Skinner said, clapping Luke on the shoulder and continuing on towards the training area. Luke stood and stared until she finally looked his way.

He watched her speech falter as her eyes met his. The soldier gave her a prompt, and she tore her eyes away from Luke and looked at him again, closing her eyes briefly while she tried to get her train of thought back. Luke didn't wait for her to look at him again before melting into the background and continuing on.

He knew she wouldn't want to talk to him anyway.

...

He'd seen her. Rita felt shaky as she continued on with the rest of her day as best as she could. He'd seen her and then disappeared. Was he angry? Was he going to find her later? Was he surprised? She wanted answers to these questions as she walked to the armory later that evening. Something was pulling her there, and she ignored all the warning pings in her stomach as her feet kept going.

Once inside, it didn't take long to find him. She knew he'd be the only one there this late. He always did like to take care of his weapons before a fight.

"I'm not breaking any rules," Luke said irritably as he turned to look over his shoulder at her. He froze upon seeing her. She felt a thousand things at once, but the biggest emotion came out rather than the one she'd wanted.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Rita," he said. She could see on his face that he was surprised to see her there. Also relieved.

"Answer the question," she ordered.

"Why do you think?" he retorted. "Did you really think I'd just sit idly by with this going on?"

"I thought you'd be too busy with your head up your own arse. Either that or you were dead."

"Ha, ha," he said sarcastically.

"I heard you moved on to someone else."

"How did you hear that if you weren't looking into me?" he asked. His eyes were so intense that she shivered. Did he know? Had he seen her? No, she'd been careful that night. He couldn't have seen her.

"I had a source."

He looked at her carefully. She knew her anger was emanating out of her, but she wondered if he could see the other emotions...the sadness, the fear, the love. Could he still read her like a book?

"Well, Annie's dead," he told her. "Nine years ago now." She processed this information. The woman she'd seen hugging him was named Annie.

"No kids?" She had to know. She knew it would hurt if she knew he did and had a relationship with them when Brendan didn't even get to meet him.

"No."

"Well," Rita said, feeling relieved. "Good luck tomorrow." She moved to walk away when he dared to catch her by the hand and stop her. The contact startled her, and as much as the part of her that longed for him wanted it, the tough part of her kicked in.

"Rita," he said, and she yanked out of his grip and took a step back.

"Don't," she ordered. "Don't pretend we're fine, like you didn't break my heart."

"Me? You were the one who moved on!" Luke exclaimed. "I came home that day and you were gone! No note, no explanation, no nothing! Do you have any idea how much that hurt me? I couldn't understand what I'd done, and I tried to find you right after to get an answer, but you were nowhere to be found."

"I'm pretty sure you have a good idea as to why I left," she said sharply.

"I have no idea why you left!" he exclaimed. She rolled her eyes. How could he not have a clue? How could he have uttered all that shit and not think somehow she'd find out about it?

"Did you think I really wouldn't hear about it?" she said out loud.

"Hear about what?!"

"Luke, I really don't care that you can't remember, and I don't need to remind you," Rita interrupted, holding up her hand. "It was forever ago, and we both moved on from it, so..."

"Maybe you moved on," he said roughly, "but I never truly did."

"You got with someone else!"

"Don't change the subject!"

"It doesn't matter," Rita said, moving away again.

"So where is he?" Luke called after her. "Since you moved on and all. Why isn't he here fighting with you?" Rita gave him a look, one that couldn't hide the pain she was feeling about Travis, even though he wasn't who Luke thought he was to her.

"Sod off," she said, her voice tight as she tried to swallow the emotion.

"Rita," he tried, but she shook her head and disappeared outside. She struggled to breathe, sobs escaping as she walked away quickly.

Promise me.

She'd failed Travis. She couldn't even tell Luke what happened to their relationship, not now. The hurt was too big for some reason, and she knew she'd caused most of it. He should be furious at her, but he hadn't been.

"Rita."

She looked up through her tears. He'd found her, just like he always did. She didn't know what to say. When he reached for her again, she let him. When he pulled her into an embrace, she let him. She sank into him, feeling so many things and having so many memories. He was so strong, so safe. He was comforting and genuine, at least she thought he was. She pulled her head back, studying his face as he looked back at her. For a selfish moment, she wanted to feel like she did at 18. She gave him the signal, wondering if he'd even recognize it all this time later.

His mouth was on hers instantly, indicating he had, and it felt like no time had passed at all. He kept it brief, his shaky breath giving away his feelings as their noses brushed.

"Rita," he managed to say as they looked at each other. "Oh my God, Rita." She released a sound in her throat as he held her tighter and kissed her harder. She'd been craving this for so long; it seemed he had too. She dug her fingers into his neck as she held on, her knees growing weak as their kiss went deeper. He pressed her against the wall, their kiss breaking for a second. She felt his fingers find the chain around her neck, and she heard his breath catch.

Yes, she thought, recalling their conversation so long ago, there is still a chance.

"Luke." Her voice was barely a whimper. He ran his lips up her neck to her mouth. She was doing this. She was honest to God making out with her long lost husband right now. She gripped his wrist as his hand cupped her jaw. She let herself get lost in him. He smelled the same, tasted the same, felt the same...it was as if there hadn't been all this time apart. She wanted him so bad.

His fingers found his name on her skin, tracing it lightly, and she broke the kiss to lean her head back against the wall, trying to get her bearings.

"My love," he said next to her ear, lips grazing her jawline. He moved his other hand from her cheek to grasp the back of her neck gently, his mouth close to hers again. She opened her eyes to look at him, taking in all the feelings he was conveying in his gaze back at her. She was so close to saying it, the "I love you" that was suddenly ready to burst out of her. She pressed her mouth into his once more instead. Their heads twisted and turned in synch, his lips pushing and pulling at hers until she opened her mouth against his and kissed him deeper yet again.

It was raining now, trickling down her skin. Luke held her close as if he was afraid she would disappear, and she felt at home. It had been such a long time since she'd felt this way.

Do it now, Travis's voice said. Tell him now. Make it right...

She put a hand on Luke's chest to stop him, breathing hard. He was too. She went to speak, but he beat her to it.

"I'm sorry," he said. "For whatever it is that made you leave. I'm sorry."

For some reason, the fact that he didn't know (or claimed he didn't) still really pissed her off. She pushed him back. What was she thinking? There was too much broken between them; it'd never work out, and she'd be worse off than she was now. She was insane. She couldn't do this. How could she let her desire for him outweigh all the rest of it?

"Forget it," she said, going to walk away. She needed to be in survival mode right now. She couldn't risk getting hurt again.

"What the hell?!" he shouted after her. "Why are you just walking away?!"

"Don't worry about it!"

"Rita, I came here to look for you, for Brendan!"

She froze, turning around to face him a moment later. "How did you know about him?"

"I saw you that day in Jersey. I followed you home. I saw our son."

"You followed me?!"

"You came looking for me!" he shot back. "I thought you wanted me back in your life!" She felt frightened. Had Simon followed Luke? Had he always known where she was? Was he watching her now? She thought about the shape she'd seen off and on but hadn't focused on. Had it been him?

"It was a mistake," she said, her voice shaking. "It was a mistake, and I regret it."

"No, you don't," he insisted.

"We are over, Luke," she said fiercely, trying not to cry. "I don't know why I thought I could make it right or...or try again."

"You're wearing it," he said now, referring to her chain, the one he'd given her. "That means I've got a chance."

"You imagined it," she shot back, her jaw almost breaking from clenching to stop the tears. Hard, she had to be hard. The lie was tough to say, though. "There is no chance. Goodbye, Luke."

"Rita..." His voice was almost anguished sounding. She ran then, needing to get away from him. This was not at all how she thought their reunion would go, but she had no idea how to change it.

The Next Morning

Luke felt nauseous when he geared up that morning. He couldn't stop thinking about last night. A part of him felt angry. Why had she left? Why did she say she regretted coming to find him in Jersey? Why did she say she didn't know why she thought she could make it right? How could she just walk away from him again? He hadn't even gotten to tell her about her mother, which he still feared her reaction about. He didn't want to make her mental state worse right now, but she needed to know. He made a promise to himself that if they survived this, it was going to be one of the first things he told her.

He could feel the nervous energy from J-Squad once on the transport and gave his shoulders a shake. Griff was helping hook the others in, and when he got to Luke, he gave a small smile.

"Ready for this?" he asked.

"Gotta be," Luke answered. Griff gave a snort and finished up without another word. He moved on, and Luke looked down at his controls for his weapon and practiced switching the safety on and off. It could be tricky if you didn't know what you were doing.

The turbulence jostled him, so he braced himself. He worked to even his breathing, letting his mind wander back to the night before. Having Rita in his arms, kissing her...having her walk away and say they were over...it was just too much.

"Hey," Kuntz said, making Luke look at him in surprise. Kuntz didn't normally talk much. Instead of saying anything else, Kuntz just bumped his fist over his chest to indicate strength and power and gave a nod, and Luke nodded back. Farell was saying something about no courage without fear, which Luke was pretty sure no one was listening to.

Then their transport was struck.

"DROP! DROP! DROP!" Farell bellowed. Luke reached to hit his release, and then there was nothing under his feet. When he finally did hit the ground, he was out of breath and trying not to lose his shit. He saw Mimics everywhere, and it left him shaken and scared, not that he'd admit that out loud. He moved forward, trying to stay alive. Kimmel was shouting about how they'd made it and then got crushed by a falling aircraft. Luke swallowed his bile and looked around to see the rest of J-Squad trying not to die.

It was a nightmare. This whole damn thing was a bloody nightmare. Everywhere he looked on that beach there was nothing but pain and death. He suddenly hated himself for signing up and thinking this was the right thing to do, for trying to find a piece of his past and make things right. It hadn't worked out like he'd thought it would, and he was left feeling angry and confused.

He got thrown, and he landed hard on his stomach. He lifted his head to see Rita swinging a melee with all her might, slashing at a Mimic. She got thrown down, but she used the guns on her mech suit to take it out. He watched as she stood up and turned to see him. She looked right into his soul, and somehow, the answer he'd been looking for was conveyed to him. It had been there all along; he'd just missed it among her anger and walls. He opened his mouth to call out for her, to say something, anything, that would somehow prove he was sorry and convey the same message back when she was suddenly struck and collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"RITAAAA!" Another cut to his already broken heart.

He wanted to go to her, but he couldn't. There were too many enemies. He got up and ran for it, dodging and weaving as best as he could. He was no match for the enemy, and he was taken down in minutes. Without hesitating, he reached for the bomb on the front of his vest just as the enemy launched at him, a bigger Mimic that was blue and angrier, but Luke wasn't going down without a fight. He didn't want to live in a world without Rita or Brendan in it anyway.

Then it went dark.


As you know, this leads into the events of Part I :) I decided to write out their first meeting before he began to reset, and because he wasn't sure what was happening at the start, he doesn't fully remember all that was said or done, which is why some of it is the same as what happened in his first reset and some is new info :) I also added Brendan in the final sentence because he's no longer a secret I'm keeping lol.