[|]

The loudness of the gun was ringing in my ears and I could barely hear my heartbeat. I was frozen on top of Maddy as I felt fear move through me. I gulped and wondered why I couldn't feel anything, I was numb.

I rolled away from Maddy and looked down at my stomach. There was blood on my shirt but I couldn't feel any wound. It was when I looked at Maddy, that I realized the blood belonged to her and not me. She had a bullet hole in her chest while the gun was slack in her hands. Her eyes were wide as her chest moved up and down quickly.

I rose to my feet, holding my stomach out of fear and protecting the baby in me.

"Jackie?!"

I looked up at the sound of a new voice. I saw Lucas staring at me with fear in his eyes. He ran up to me and cupped my cheeks

"Jackie, you're shot," he said.

I snapped out of my shocked state and shook my head.

"No... Not me," I replied and looked down at Maddy who was laying on the ground, still breathing.

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows and slowly followed the line of my vision. He moved to stand beside me when he saw Maddy, bleeding profusely. The grass was turning a dark shade as her blood spread under her and over her leather tank top.

"P-please," Maddy said. "Help me."

I snarled. "Help you?"

I walked toward her and raised my foot above her chest. I hesitantly placed my foot on her wound and pressed hard. Maddy screamed at the top of her voice, holding my ankle in her weak grip.

"I should help you?! You want help now?" I asked.

"Ow! It hurts. Stop," she pleaded. "I'm dying, please."

Lucas hissed behind me and stepped forward. He grabbed the gun and pointed it at her. I saw the anger and hurt on his face, even his hand was shaking as he pointed the gun at her.

"You're dying?" He asked, voice soft. "Did you just say that you're dying?"

His voice was heavy, full of so many emotions.

"My brother is dead because of you!"

My heart shattered. Axel was dead? Axel was gone? It wasn't possible. There was no way Axel could die. The heroes always survive, there was no way my best friend was dead.

"What?" I whispered.

"Axel is gone. You killed my brother and almost killed Jackie. And you lay here, begging for your life. You dare ask for help when I couldn't even help my brother!"

"I'm sorry. Forgive me, please. I don't want to die," Maddy whispered.

"The audacity," I said. "You don't deserve to live."

"Please," Maddy begged more.

"If only you didn't end up this way. If only you allowed me and Lucas to be, maybe everyone would be happy and maybe, just maybe, Axel would still be alive. Tell me, do you expect us to allow you to live?" I asked, voice breaking and heart stinging.

I took the gun from Lucas' hand and pointed it at her. Her eyes widened and she began to shake her head.

"I hate you, Maddy. All I wanted was a happy life but you broke it for me. Even in this state, you still find means of hurting me," I said and fixed my finger on the trigger.

Maddy started to laugh and I lowered my hand. She laughed harder, blood flowing down the side of her lips as she did. She started to cough and wheeze, holding onto her bleeding body.

"You..." She coughed. "You will never know peace. You will forever... Forever shed tears. You... Lucas will never be yours. I swear to you."

I raised the gun and was about to fire it but when her head lulled to the side with her eyes wide open, I knew she was dead. I stared at her, checking to see if she was still breathing and when I saw no sign of it, I fell to my knees and started to cry. I let the gun slip from my fingers and covered my face, crying on my hands.

"It's over," Lucas said as he fell beside me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and placed his other hand on mine.

"It's not," I said after taking my hands off my face. "It's not over. Axel is gone."

"I know," Lucas whispered.

"Axel is gone. I don't like this ending," I said with more tears flowing down my cheeks, some getting into my mouth.

Lucas pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms fully around my body. I cried more against his chest, clutching his chest hard. I could smell Axel's blood on his shirt and that made me cry harder. I heard the distant sounds of sirens and shut my eyes tight.

"Everything will be okay, I promise," Lucas whispered against my head.

[|]

I slowly walked out from the corner of the church with Lucas' arm around my shoulder. I raised my eyes when I saw the paramedics wheeling Axel's body toward their ambulance.

"Axel," I whispered and ran to them. I pushed the paramedic aside and grabbed his cold hand.

He was not moving, his face was pale and his body was stained with blood.

"Axel, wake up," I pleaded. "Don't do this to me. Wake the fuck up. If you die and leave me alone with your stupid brother, I will not forgive you. Get up, you bastard!"

New tears rolled down my cheeks when I didn't hear his voice. My tears landed on his hand and I kissed it then the paramedics wheeled him away and lifted him into the ambulance.

"He's gone," Barry whispered, coming to me with their head bowed. "I can't believe it."

"I'm sorry," I said and wrapped my arms around them in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Barry."

I stared at Axel laying on the stretcher. It was hard to not imagine not hearing his voice, not seeing him good around, or teasing my relationship with his brother. I hated this life. It was unfair to me. It has always been.

"Please," I whispered. "Don't leave."

I continued to stare at Axel while crying. When one of the paramedics shut one door, I started to look away but did a double take when I saw Axel's hand move on top of his chest.

"Stop!" I said and ran toward the van. I pushed the closed door and stared at Axel's hand, hoping to see if I had not been dreaming.

Just like it moved, his hand moved slightly against his chest and I heard a loud gasp come from him.

"Axel's alive!" I excitedly said.

"How the fuck is that possible?" A paramedic beside me asked and I smacked him in the back of his head.

"Check up on him, you fool," I ordered and the two paramedics rushed to him.