Summary: Set in 3x10 when Vanessa couldn't get that hook out of her back, but Muhammad isn't there for her to turn back to get help. Things go differently.

A/N: Pretend that 3x10 is after Scarlett's sacrifice and Axel's promise to Vanessa in S4.

Axel was walking through some dead grass, seeing if he could find anything that would have some supplies, but stopped, seeing a feral nearby. It didn't look in his direction, though. It seemed to be more interested in the person that lay in the grass. And as it approached the person, he followed at a distance silently, but soon realized that he knew her. He saw that it was Vanessa, a hook lodged into her back, which was attached to a chain. It looked like she'd been able to get onto solid ground from the old meat factory, but had lost a lot of blood. Despite his anger from her not stopping Scarlett from sacrificing herself, though he'd promised to kill her if he ever saw her again, he knew he couldn't actually fulfill that promise.

"Hey!" he said to the feral, getting its attention. Then, when it turned around to look at him, he shot it dead with his M4. Then, when it was dead, he rushed over to where she lay on her side, and knelt behind her to examine where and how deep the hook in her back was. It looked to him like it had grazed a small part of her heart. He knew he had to be careful, but quick. He could hear her breathing, as well as see that she was so very weak. "Vanessa?" He rested a hand on her left arm, which was when he felt her shaking. Probably from so much blood loss. "I'm gonna get this out of you. You're gonna be okay, Sleeping Beauty."

About twenty minutes later, he got the hook out of her back, but she wasn't healing all that quickly.

"Vanessa," he said, as he slid an arm under her. He could see her starting to go under, but hoped that she'd be okay. He lost one Van Helsing. He couldn't lose another one. "You're going to be okay," he promised. He then slung his M4 strap over his shoulder and gently pulled her close, getting to his feet with her in his arms.

Half an hour later, as he drove his military vehicle, Vanessa lay on her back in the back of the vehicle, as he glanced at her to see if she was getting better, as he debated on where to go.

Stay with me, he pleaded to her in his thoughts, not wanting to watch her die.

A while later, he saw a building which he found to be abandoned and empty. Because of this, he brought her inside, laying her on the bed in the first room he saw. He then closed the door and set his stuff down, before going over to her, sitting on her bedside. He then looked at her, hoping she'd wake up soon, as he listened for any trouble, the butt of his M4 on the floor, the firing part aimed at the ceiling, as he held it. It had been a long day, but he was used to not sleeping long.

When Vanessa finally woke up, it came back to her. She remembered that Axel had found her, but rather than killing her or letting her die like he'd promised to her last time, he'd saved her. Now, awake, she felt that the hook was out of her back and she was healed. She also saw Axel seated on her bedside, but she didn't recognize the bed or room they were in. She could only assume that he'd found this place to temporarily hold up in until she was herself again. And even after the promised he'd made, he hadn't killed or abandoned her. He was being her friend that he was supposed to be. The person that was supposed to stick with her until the end came.

She sat up in the bed.

"You saved me," she stated. "What changed your mind?"

"Well, turns out, it was an empty promise. And I don't think I could stand there and watch you die," he answered her, before getting up, heading for the door. "What do you say we get out of here? Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me until the end. Besides, you can't save the world on your own."

She got up and followed him to the door, agreeing with him. Then they both left the building and headed for his military car to go save the world.