Gunshots and demonic growls were echoing in the clearing as the four brothers were killing off all of the agents as fast as they could. Upon a bullet striking him in the shoulder, the skin over Offender's eyes began to recede, reveal glowing, violet eyes. His whipped his head to the shooter who was taking aim. Just as the gun was fired, the creature teleported, appeared behind the agent, and swiftly snapped his neck.

"Offender!"

He spun around to find Trender limping toward him with black blood seeping through his pant leg and splattered with crimson blood on his sweater with his glasses missing. Offender was about to rush to him, until he spotted a nearby agent aiming a gun on the left in the bushes. "Trender!"

A shot rang out and his brother stumbled forward.

Offender's violet eyes widened as he ran to his brother and caught him by the shoulders, but he stood up, seemed to be fine, and looked around. "Look!" He pointed to the bushes and Offender's heart lurched with worry as he spotted Carol dart away a few trees behind the shooter. The two followed and found the sniper with a bullet to the head.

"Either that was a lucky shot or she has good aim," the nerd commented.

"Either way I don't want her to get hurt," he growled before dashed into the woods where the woman fled. He ran as the gunshots were lessening and agents were shouting at each other. Sounded like Splendy and Slendy were doing a good job at keeping them at bay. "Carol!"

The woman spun around, aiming the gun at him.

He skidded to a halt as his face was returning to normal.

She sighed in relief as she lowered the gun. "Oh, thank God it's you."

"I told you to stay away," he growled.

"I saved your brother's life!"

He sighed. "You're right," he said gently. "But you have to go, otherwise-"

"Behind you!" She screamed with wide terror-filled eyes.

Just as the creature turned around, he felt something strike him on the back in the head, causing him to go down to his hands and knees. He slowly raised his pounding head just as Carrol took aim, but a gun went off and she collapsed. If his blood could get any colder, it would have turned to ice.

"You monster," a man growled, then knocked him in the side of the head with a rifle.

Offender fell to the ground on his side with his vision dazed, trying to focus on Carol.

"You don't deserve to live!"

He hardly heard the man through a ringing. "Carol…." He tried to speak, but wasn't sure if words came out. He found himself being rolled on his back, looking up at a blurry vision of a man in black. He turned back to Carol. He wanted to reach out to her, but she was too far. He hitched a breath when the rifle's barrel was placed over his beating heart. He couldn't help, but to try to smirk.

That woman. That human woman caused all of this. Now, he and his brothers, and herself were going to die. He loved her, though. He still loved her.

Suddenly, the rifle fell to the ground followed by choking and gagging.

Offender slowly turned this head to the agent, finding him being strangled by a black tendril with a menacing, faceless being standing behind.

"How dare you try to kill my brother?" A deep voice growled. Slender slammed the agent into a nearby tree with his head and dropped him lifeless to the ground. "Offender," he said as he knelt beside him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry," he murmured as his head was slowly returning back to normal. "I'm sorry… that I allowed this… to happen. I'm so sorry… brother."

Slender sighed as he picked up his arm and tried to heave him to his feet. "Everyone is alright. We got the last of them."

Offender rubbed his head, then snapped his gaze to the woman. "Carol?"

She was curled in a ball, hugging her stomach, twitching.

Carol!" He hurried to her and knelt beside her. He gently cradled her in his arms, stroking her soft, brunette hair from her face. "Carol. I'm here."

"Offender?" Her voice was thick with blood as her face pale and her eyes were wild-eyed.

"I'm here," he soothed. "I'm here, love." He turned to his older brother. "We have to save her!"

"There is nothing we can do," he replied, darkly. "She is dying, Offender."

He looked back at her. "Carol, please. Stay with me. I-I'll figure out something."

"I'm sorry, Offender," she choked, a trickle of blood running down her mouth. "I'm so sorry." A tear ran down her cheek.

"She's suffering, Offender," Slender stated as he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"What are you saying?" He yelled, looking up at his patient brother. His eyes were beginning to show themselves once more, but faded back into the eyeless gaze.

"She doesn't have long."

"No," he whispered as he looked back at his lover, but he knew that it was true as she was gasping for a steady breath and silently screaming in pain as she would move a muscle. "Carol..."

She whimpered.

He gently kissed her lovingly on the forehead and whispered, "I love you. Sleep well, my love." He gently laid her on the ground, placed a trembling hand over her blue eyes as he gently turned her head to the side, then quickly snapped it. He stood up as his whole body was shaking, then walked away from his brother, past the other two as they arrived, and headed to the pond. He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket along with a lighter, placed it in his lips, and lit it. He placed the lighter away, pulled down his fedora and sank to the grass with his knees to his chest. If he had eyes, there would be tears, but instead he removed the cigarette, and squeezed in his bare hand. Memories of the human flooded his head from the day they met, to the smile on her face and their laughs. From that lovely night to the fear of betrayal. The one that he ever loved and the one that ever loved him was gone. Forever.

"Offender?"

"Came to tell me that I deserve this?" He snapped venomously, releasing the remains of the cigarette. "That this is what I get for trusting a human?"

"Why must you expect the worst?" Slender softly asked as he approached.

Offender didn't answer. That was all he knew in his life. The worst. Carol brought in the best.

"Trender and Splendor are starting to bury her along with the rest of the bodies, then we must leave this area."

Offender swallowed as horrible reality entered his drowning mind. "Why aren't you angry? If father was here, he'd kill me. I nearly had us all killed because I trusted a human. I–" He stopped. Maybe Slender was still going to kill him, just when he'd least expect it. The eldest brother was far too calm for this. There had to be anger or betrayal or something. Anything!

"I would never kill my own brother, Offender. Not unless I had no choice whether it was life or death. You did not threaten nor try to kill us personally. It was the humans that caused this. All you did was fall in love. There is no crime in that, Offender. I do not want you to fear being a traitor. No one blames you. Carol probably could have done things differently, but that was her job. She even came back to warn us and Trender told me how she killed his potential murderer."

Offender took a deep breath, listening to his brother's words as he looked up at him with heartache. "Thanks, bro."

Offender placed a bouquet of roses over Carol Williams' grave that had his rose bush as a headstone. Since he could no longer give her love or flowers, he gave her all of the roses and a safe place in his heart. He gave his final good-byes as the four Slender brothers were getting ready to leave and search a new home. He promised her that he would come see her whenever he could. If he could. He took a single rose from the bush and placed it in his coat pocket.

I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.