I will be moving to California in exactly 1 month to start law school. I have a feeling that by the time I graduate, the things I wrote down now will make me laugh.

He held his breath.

Abby stirred in her sleep.

He let go.

His fingers reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face. His eyes trailed south, smiling at her state of undress, the bare skin of her waist peeking tentatively from under the covers. He suppressed the instinct to touch her right there, knowing it would wake her up. Her peace was his sole priority.

Three weeks had passed since he had disclosed her his plans. Three weeks had gone by with every day of it filled with this woman by his side, trusting him, supporting him and loving him. Marcus had discovered Abby all over again.

She had promoted herself from being his classmate whom he couldn't dare talk to, being the woman he'd let himself taste the day of her wedding, being his secret, to being the woman who lay there right next to him. To being the future mother of his child. The woman who's hand rested divinely on his upper arm, like a pianist resting his fingers on the pristine white keys.

Abby was the woman he had vowed to protect since the day he'd found out he was assigned to her. He had repeated his promise in his head, whispering it over and over again with each step like a prayer, that first night they were scheduled to see each other.

"Hi…" She had breathed out that day. She had rendered him speechless with just one word.

Marcus was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the change in Abby's breathing.

"You're staring."

He heard her speak, but when his gaze found her face again, he saw her eyes shut tight. There was a small, sleepy smile playing her lips.

"No, I'm not." His instant reaction was denial, and he mentally kicked himself for being embarrassed in front of her, even after spending almost every night sleeping next to her for the last month.

"I can feel your eyes on me." She replied, eyes still closed. She did snuggle close to him and he felt her warm body under the blanket.

"I remember telling you to get some rest." That was another trait of hers he had discovered over the last few weeks; she became restless when she was anxious. Both of them counted down the days to his plan, to the vote, and to the end of the Ark. It had become nearly impossible to keep her steady. She spent her days running around, attending to every possible emergency Marcus didn't even know existed.

She slept after he did and got up before he even had a chance to open his eyes. And Marcus only slept for 5 hours…

"Abby, you need to rest."

"And…" She finally opened her eyes. "Why should I start listening to you now?"

"Because I'm worried." He tightened his grip around her shoulders. "Because the world is ending and you continue operating on patients even after Jackson calls the time of death."

"How do you kno-"

"The point is," He could never tell her that he would sometimes watch her attempts to resurrect the dead. "If you are going to try to save the world one person at a time, you need to at least be well rested."

"Says the guy who spends his days by his desk, reading the same pages he'd read weeks in advance." Abby sat up on the bed. He followed her lead, resting his back on the headboard. "I know what you're going through, Marcus. And the worst thing is, you insist on going through it alone."

"Abby-"

"You have to let me help."

No. She had been his rock, she had been the person he had turned to whenever he sought peace, and a little bit of hope. But he couldn't let her see the final act.

"You are already helping. What would I do without you?"

"Don't make fun of me," she laughed, and hit his arm playfully.

He wasn't, but he laughed anyway.

#

Change is symmetrical.

When the leader shows signs of a change, his subjects follow; for the leader is erected from the very society he was molded in. Despite the illusion of an absolute power, the leader doesn't possess the authority to make his own calls; he is shaped by the people. The two bodies are separate but codependent. If the ruler is corrupt, the roots lie within the very mob he rules.

So when Jaha broke the rules, the Ark was eager to fire back. The angry crowd, rendered hungry, impatient and desperate by their executioner, demanded revenge. They yelled and protested, the women threw fits. Those who fell pregnant under the laws of the tyrant, fought to see him. They yearned for a chance at survival. Most of them, malnutritioned, grew weak.

By the time Marcus took the matters into his hands, he was left gazing into the eyes of a disorganized crowd. The medical was packed with those who couldn't go on anymore. Jaha had already made his decision. Abby came into their quarters every night with sorrow in her eyes.

Marcus ached inside. Her pain and the people's perpetual anger were what had prompted him to act.

He had started out by drafting an impeccable plan. This elaborate layout had taken a week to construct. Every night he felt her hands on his shoulders, lightly massaging the knots.

"Share with me," she would say. "I can help."

"I already have," he would reply, placing his glasses on his desk and placing a hand on hers on his shoulder.

"Not completely."

And he wouldn't have the heart to turn around. Because she was right. It was essential that Abby was kept in the dark, for her own protection.

He spent the last week organizing various meetings with various representatives from each group. Some were too weak to fight; looking up at Marcus as a last resort, some still guarded their demands.

Their once unified society was now highly divided. Corruption began to show its ugly face. Reports of theft came in almost every day; mostly of food and medicine. Upon being on the other end of those crimes, he would see Abby curse under her breath. He would watch her close her eyes for a second, exhale and sit down. She never did get angry, instead she remained uneasy.

He longed to make it all end for her. She refused his help. She was, however, always eager for a collaboration.

When the scheduled date began to show its face in the horizon, people grew anxious. Though, none of them backed down. Marcus saw pride in their eyes; pride, dignity and honor. They stole to feed the children; it was an act of despondency. But their hearts remained true. They all desired the same outcome…. Survival.

Marcus designed his scheme based on the loophole he had discovered. He longed to confront Jaha, but he knew that his ruler was unapproachable. Besides, without the use of a force, he had no leverage. Being right or moral failed to be enough, he needed to win. He had a responsibility to the people who desperately looked for a way out. The best plan was their only plan. They followed Marcus religiously. He promised to deliver.

The coup took place at 5.00 AM.

That was the protocol with military interventions; Marcus being the head of the guard knew that. The hallways are empty during the early hours of the morning, everyone being asleep. It is done that way to reduce collateral damage. During the day, the people will try their best to intervene; that is the natural instinct. But when you hear hell breaking loose in the waking hours, your sense of security vanishes. A lockdown is applied, so that the people stay safe. They stay alive.

"Be careful," Abby had asked him in a hurry seconds before he left.

"Lock the door after I'm gone," was his only reply.

They took out the guards one by one. There remained a few who still kept their loyalty to the Chancellor. The rest of the people despised them.

By the time they made it to the main hallway, most of the Chancellor's private security detail was dismantled.

Jaha was woken up.

Marcus repressed his fear. Breaking the law gave him a sense of terror he couldn't possibly deny; the same law he had vowed to protect for ages. His mind darted back to Abby. He frowned, and turned to the man next to him, telling him to up her security.

It was 6.15 AM by the time they took down all the guards. He fought personally with the last one; Matthews. Marcus knew his wife. He winced when he threw him another punch. He refrained from using his gun.

"Sir?" Asked the man from behind him.

"Don't hurt him," Marcus pushed the disoriented Matthews into their arms. "That's an order."

Then there was silence.

"Is he inside?" The man's voice was trembling. When Marcus turned around, he saw horror in his eyes.

He probably was. After having been woken up, there remained only one destination that Jaha could possibly seek refuge in. The rest of the chambers were covered. He was trapped, like a mouse in a cage.

Suddenly the footsteps behind him grew louder. Marcus turned around and he saw the crowd getting larger. Knowing that the situation was under control and they were nearing towards the end, the men started to abandon their posts, coming to watch the fall of their leader. Everyone wanted to see Jaha crash and burn. Eyes multiplied in the dark. Men and women stood side by side with hope in their eyes.

Overwhelmed, Marcus took a step back. Then among the crowd, he saw her.

He watched her gasp when she realized she had been spotted. His heart skipped a beat. He couldn't possibly allow this to happen.

"Abby," he breathed out and watched painfully as she pushed people aside, stepping out of the mob that hid her even for a brief moment. She wore the same shirt from that morning. He recalled the memory of her putting it on. Her hair was down.

There, then, in the middle of the revolution, she still took his breath away.

"I couldn't stay behind," the confession slipped past her lips the moment she stood before him.

He shook his head. No matter what her reason was, she couldn't be there. The air around them was thick with tension.

"You need to turn back, go home, lock the door like I told you to do-"

"No."

"Abby…" He dropped his gaze to the ground. He knew that tone. That tone meant she had made up her mind.

"Let me come inside with you."

He froze. He knew he could accept and welcome any action she decided to take, but this was impossible. This was something he couldn't let her do.

"This is something I have to do alone." He swallowed and looked into her big brown eyes that sparkled under the flickering lights. Her looks were bewitching. He promised himself to stay resilient. "I need you to stay here, and keep an eye on these people."

"They need you, Marcus." She bit down on her lower lip.

"They need me to be inside those doors." He nodded, his mind was made up. He took a step back. "I trust you."

He took another step back, slid his card into the slot. The door was opened. They looked into each other's eyes.

He disappeared behind the metal.

What awaited him inside this chamber was much more difficult to face. He turned around.

The room was dark, the very room he had spent discussing bill after another with the members of the council. He had so many memories in these chambers. The council table which had witnessed far too many embarrassments, victories, loses was now illuminated by the single light on the ceiling.

Jaha indeed remained alone.

It was the final act. The game was over. Marcus walked into the room, pulled out his gun.

When he was by the table, looking down at the man who claimed his usual seat, they made eye contact. Jaha's gaze, then, shifted lower to the gun.

Instead of pointing it to him, Marcus put the weapon on the table.

"I've never wanted this." He spoke quietly.

"And yet, you're leading it." Jaha replied from where he was sitting.

"Someone has to." He kept his gaze on the other man, knowing that the pistol was not necessary. It was over. "I couldn't let these people die."

Jaha smirked. "And is that what I'm doing?"

"You made a call. It affected all of us."

Jaha stood up, a small smile of incredulity still playing on his lips. Marcus gave him time. The man took a couple of steps back and turned to him. This time, Marcus saw fury in his eyes. "What you're doing is illegal. Nowhere in our constitution it says that this government permits a violent act such as this one."

He was right. Arranging this coup was a clear breach of the rules. But, Jaha wanted to fight him on this, and that is exactly why Marcus had come in here alone. Dragging the crowd into the council room would only result in bitterness.

"No, it doesn't." He replied, closing his eyes before dropping the bomb. "I am not here on behalf of the coup. I am here to help you end this with honor."

"Honor? How dare you speak to me about honor when you go behind my back and-"

"Look," He put a hand forward, stopping the man from talking. "During the voting process in the council, in order to stay fair and unbiased, the constitution places the Chancellor on the acting duty of a judge so that you can remain impartial."

"What's your point?" Jaha raised his eyebrows.

"We have commenced the voting process the second there was a division of opinion. You are officially the acting judge." Marcus completed his train of thought, staring right into Jaha's eyes.

The man was silent. The wheels turned in his head. Marcus spared him from further thinking. "Sir, I am asking you to recuse yourself."

"You wouldn't dare-"

"It is completely legal." Marcus took a step towards him around the table. "No one will force you to step down. It will be on your own free will, but this Ark cannot run under your administration anymore."

"And who will you be Chancellor then? You?" Jaha raised his voice, mocking his idea.

"I don't think we will need one anymore. We are dying." It was difficult to speak the words. "I will try my best to get us to the ground."

"And what happens then?" Jaha slammed a hand on the table. "What if the habitat is still filled with radiation? What if you can't find food? What will you eat? Rationing was a necessary ca-"

"The decisions have been made. Please, recuse yourself." Maybe he was right, maybe he wasn't. But people were dying, right in front of him. His people were starving, when he had food just in his reach. Survival was possible.

"I have no reason to recuse myself," was his next answer. He seemed determined on evading every route Marcus pointed him towards.

He sighed. "The law requires you to recuse yourself in any proceedings in which your impartiality might reasonably be questioned. These include proceedings in which the judge has a personal bias or prejudice against any of the parties in the council." He had read the constitution enough times to know every law, every bill, and every amendment by heart.

Marcus quietly begged Jaha to give in. The conversation was heading towards a place Marcus was afraid of. He did not want to do what he needed to do next.

He turned his head to the metal doors. Abby waited for him behind them.

"I do not, and have never had personal bias towards any of the members in this council, nor will I ever have. What you're doing right now is illegal and I demand to see your proof!" Jaha raised his voice even higher. The fear was evident in the man's eyes.

Marcus' voice trembled when he spoke. "Abigail Griffin."

"Excuse me?!"

"You love her. Therein lies your bias." He stared right into his eyes. He could not back down now. He tilted his head upwards and examined the man before him, curious as to what his next move would be.

"You're the one sleeping with her!"

Those words angered Marcus. The hypocrisy behind them was tremendous. "Because of a law you passed!" He found himself also raising his voice. "Mandatory intercourse doesn't equal to love, whereas you have proved your bias numerously in matters concerning her."

"I never-"

"You killed her husband!"

Jaha was taken aback. He paused, eyes fixed on Marcus as though he was having trouble believing what he was accusing him of. Marcus stood his ground. He looked down at the man, refused to back down.

Moments passed when Jaha finally replied. "He committed a crime."

"To which they both came forward with." Marcus responded, walking around the table so he was finally face to face with Jaha. Fury still coated his voice. "She confessed, Thelonious, because she trusted you to avoid the sanction. She sold out her husband for a slight chance of reconsideration. Jake was a trusted member of this council and a chief engineer of the Ark, and you murdered him because you are in love with Abby."

When he finished, his voice was a lot calmer but his eyes still carried the traces of everything he had watched him do for all those years… everything he had allowed his chancellor to do as he sat back and watched without putting a stop to it.

"It…" Jaha paused. "That doesn't change the fact that he committed a crime."

"This council has always shown mercy towards crimes committed by the members of the council." With that he took a step back and reached for one of the drawers located under the council table. With one swift move, he pulled out dozens of files and slammed them all onto the table. "The precedents are your proof."

When Jaha was silent, Marcus continued. "So either recuse yourself now, or I won't stop the hungry crowd behind these doors from treating you the same way you treated Jake Griffin."

Silence.

#

Marcus heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The second he saw Abby's face, he shut his eyes closed as though he was not ready to look her in the eye after what he had done. The villain had fallen, the curtain was closed. And yet, there was no one left to take the final bow. It was lonely under the spotlight, a final call he forced himself to bear so she wouldn't face the catharsis.

Abby could never know what Jaha had done.

"How are we doing?" he asked, solely to fill the silence. He knew how they were doing.

She answered anyway. "We'll make it."

He had done it for her, for her future. Looking at her now, he saw the potential she held. She gave him the will to turn the world around. One command from her and he would move planets so they could change their course for her. One word from her and he would bring the whole population to their knees. One tear of hers, he would move heaven and earth to see her smile again.

He rejoiced in the authority she inspired. She was the reason behind the power. He loved her. He had loved her for countless years.

As she approached with timid steps, he sensed the uneasiness in her slim figure. It rendered his senses alert.

"Abby?" His eyes searched for clues, hers remained unresponsive. She swallowed, her stare giving away her hesitation, and yet he could identify the traces of a young smile.

A shadow passed through the half-open doorway. She drew a breath.

"I'm pregnant."

THE END

"Love that is happy, won't have a story". These are the words my History of Literature professor repeated every semester I took his class. First time I've heard him say it, I was a sophomore in college, and I wanted to negate it by saying "No, there is always fanfiction!". My mind had refused to take in the fact that happy love won't have a story on its own. However, now graduating from university and having read many many works from many many authors, I have come to realize the truth behind that statement.

Love that is happy, will not have a story indeed. Without those obstacles, without having anything to overcome, without having something a reader can relate to, that love will be storyless. It will be plain, too boring for its own good, too domestic and calm. The good will always remain; but good people won't make good lovers.

You can choose to imagine that Kane and Abby did indeed have their baby, and made it to the ground (that's how the tone of the story is set anyway). However, that is the part I will not put into writing. If I do, I must create conflict and I do not have the heart to do that for these two brilliant characters.

Please choose to believe that they had a happy life, a happy love… which is exactly why they don't belong to this story anymore.

Thank you for the journey.