I... I Know

Wayne Chang

His strength finally gave out and he collapsed to the ground.

She ran back to him and pulled at his shirt and his arm, trying to pull him off the ground, but he only grunted in pain.

"Come on! Get up!" she cried in near desperation.

"I... I can't."

She was on the edge of tears, "Yes you can! Come on! GET UP!"

"I... can't go on. I'm finished anyways..." he gasped through another bought of pain.

"Then... I'm staying with you! I'm not going to leave..."

"No! It's you they want! You... must... you must live!" he said with a sudden burst of strength.

She looked deep into his eyes, saw the conviction of his words. His face was white from the loss of blood, but the strength in his eyes...

"Please, go... I... will make sure they don't follow."

"But..."

"GO!" he nearly screamed. "I promised you I'd always protect you... with my life! Now... I will protect you... with my death."

Tears began to stream down her face, as she understood his intent. She knelt down and brought her face close to his. For one instant, time stopped as their lips met... for the last time.

"I..."

"I know," he said, laying his hand on her face, "I love you too... now go."

She stood slowly, tears blurring her vision. One last look... and she vanished through the mist of the alley.

He watched her go. The wound in his side and leg were bleeding steadily, but he knew he had one last act. He would survive till then.

He heard footsteps from the other end of the alley, and managed to turn his head to watch several armed soldiers walk out of the mist, cautiously advancing towards him. A communicator crackled in the distance.

"We've found the male... female will be tracked down shortly..."

He blinked away a tear and thought about her one last time, "I... know."

The grenade's counter quickly counted zero as he let go...

"How's are you 0003?"

"Shut up Kenrate. My name is Ryanne," said the prisoner behind the bars.

The man in the immaculate lab coat feigned surprise, "Oh, I'm sorry 0003, I keep forgetting! HAHAH!" he said sarcastically.

Ryanne narrowed her eyes, but didn't try to reach for the scientist through the bars. They were electrocuted.

Kenrate tilted his head to one said and observed Ryan's reaction. "What? Not going to try to kill me like usual? I should note this in your behavior log 0003," he said. "I guess you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! HAHAH!"

Ryanne concentrated and tried to shut out the mocking laughter.

"Well," continued Kenrate, serious again, "enough pleasantries. It's time for more tests."

She shut her eyes and waited for the pain to begin...

Ryanne woke with a start!

She was back in her cell, sore and in pain. It hurt to move. Someone was lightly patting her head with a moist towel. Immediately she went tense.

"No, no! Relax! I'm not here to hurt you," spoke the voice at her side. "They were pretty rough with you, just relax and rest."

Ryanne rolled her eyes over to see an unfamiliar medic tending to her wounds. "What happened to...?"

"Gravid? You broke his collarbone. He's not coming back for a while," responded the medic, still tending to a cut on her head.

"Good."

Gravid had been her old medic, healing her without compassion for her position. He was cold, and she hated him. The one time he tried to take advantage of her... he had paid dearly.

The new medic chuckled, "He had it coming. Now lay still or else you'll reopen those wounds."

Ryanne eyed him suspiciously, but he caught her glance.

"I'm not Gravid. I care for my patients."

For some reason, she believed him...

Over the following weeks, Ryanne became to know, trust, and even like Fraome, her new medic. Even though Gravid healed, he never did replace Fraome as her medic. They both had a laugh about that. Fraome would visit often as it was permitted, though her guards paid close attention. Eventually even they started to get lax.

One night she was escorted back to her cell to find a small table set up with candles sitting inside. Fraome stood in one corner, grinning sheepishly.

"I thought that... maybe you'd like something different than the crap they keep feeding you."

Ryanne's eyes opened wide, "How did you...?"

"I pulled some strings. But enough of that, please," he said, pulling out a chair for her, "Sit."

With a great smile, she sat down as he began to serve dinner.

Throughout the night they talked... and when the meal ended, and the candles burned down low, they slept together.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair.

She stammered, "I... I..."

Fraome nodded, "It's alright, I know. One day."

She dozed off peacefully in his arms with a smile on her face.

Fraome came to her in the middle of the night, but this time, he was anxious. Ryanne looked at his curiously as he snuck into her cell.

"Get ready."

Puzzled, she asked, "For what?"

The loud BOOM answered her question.

"Let's go!" said Fraome as he grabbed her hand.

He was breaking her out of her prison!

She pulled back a moment and he stopped, "What?"

"I..."

He stepped up and kissed her and held her tightly in an embrace, "I know. I know."

Then they were off as the alarms in the building came alive.

The explosion lit up the night in a brilliant shower of fireworks as Ryanne watched from a nearby hill. She knew that he had protected her like he'd said he would. She lowered her head for a moment and let the tears come.

"I... I love you too."

She'd finally said it. But he couldn't hear it. He always knew, even when she didn't.

The Jezebel-class GREL took one last look at the destruction before vanishing into the night.

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