Author's Note

Sorry if I left you salivating for this final chapter but truth be told, it was written out even before I started the ninth one. Before reading the final installment, please know that I do intend to write plenty more Blade: Trinity stories as long as the ideas keep coming to me. As another note…If it is at all possible, please listen to the lovely song "Run" by Snow Patrol while reading this chapter...It'll add greatly to it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to every reader, review, and fan. Y'all mean so much to me. Till next time…

xoxo-

McFadden-

P.S. My email box is ready and waiting.

Chapter 10: So Long and Goodnight

It had been a little over 12 hours since she arrived and still no signs of Abby coming about. Both Dash and Caulder had left King to keep vigil over Abby until the EDTA took. Dash had taken the liberty to tell Zoë that she couldn't come back as soon as they had planned. All that Zoë knew was that Abby was sick and that she had to stay put until Abby got better. However, if anyone took one look at her, they would know that being sick wasn't the only thing that was wrong. The drone of machines humming around him wasn't enough to disturb King from his concentration. He hovered close to Abby's bedside to speak to her even while she was unconscious. He thought that maybe if he kept talking, she might hear him. His poor coffee colored eyes were bloodshot from their lack of sleep. But, while watching his partner's limp body rest like the dead, suddenly he wasn't too jealous of her cataleptic state. The tips of his fingers traced around the red wound on her neck that started all the Hell he was going through. He knew that even though Abby was comatose, her senses had to be going into overdrive. With his hand, he smoothed the hair from her forehead and kissed her there gently. His eyes began to well up with tears, with hope that somewhere in there; she could hear what he was saying.

"I know its hard Abigail, but you have to come back to me. You made me a promise damnit and even though you're here, you haven't fulfilled it. I know you're strong. You're just going to have to meet me halfway Sweetheart and open your eyes. I won't rest until I see those beautiful hazel eyes baby…"

He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear about how she got like this. He wasn't really sure he could take it if he found out. The thought of Abby in at the clemency of a vampire's wishes was too much to comprehend. Especially one that he knew she once fought alongside of.

"Abby, you don't have to tell me what happened tonight. I'm sure I can always beat it out of Caulder later."

He tried to laugh and lighten the mood for her benefit, but still nothing happened. There was no choice other than to just sit there and wait. Given the state of event in King's life, he didn't pray often. But if it was for Abby's sake, he would kneel down and pray all night if he had to.

Another two hours had passed and King was getting desperate to the point of panicking. His voice shook and he body quivered with unshed tears. Abby's condition had remained the same.

"I forgive you…"

His hands clenched in his hair as he tried to will her to wake up. The tears rolled down her cheeks and onto Abby's hand that he was tightly holding in his. His distraught emotion was causing him to speak in fragments

"I forgive you for everything…even the things I don't know; for going out tonight, for the secret that you kept. I realize that you had your reasons. I'm sorry for everything I've done to make you mad in the past or even in the future. I know I say a lot of idiotic stuff, but that's just me, and you know that. I'm sorry for everything I haven't done that you may have wanted or have been waiting for me to do. I so sorry for the things I didn't do sooner. I so sorry we fought. Just know that I could never really be angry with you and remember I forgive you for everything! I'm not mad at you, either I promise. See…I made you a promise. Now you have to wake up so I can keep it. I just want you back so badly…"

King watched her silently as the minutes passed; One minute passing into another, into ten, into another thirty. His chin rested on his arms as he looked at her intently. Then he blurted out softly.

"I could marry you, you know that…"

He moved strands of her hair through his fingers. He stared at her, unable to look away.

"I mean, just think about it Abby. You're the only woman that I can fight with and probably get my ass kicked and enjoy it at the same time. You the only one I can argue with and get verbally assaulted just as bad. You and I are supposed to grow old and cripple-ly together so that every morning we can sit out on our porch in rocking chairs and reminisce over old scars and how we got them. And you can smack me with your cane when my memory goes bad and I start to embellish the stories for our grandkids."

He took her hand in his, examining it closely. His finger ran down the length of one of her long, graceful fingers.

"How about a beautiful diamond right here…"

He traced the center of her ring finger and then pressed his lips to it. His movements were so tender and gentle, like he was handling a fragile feather. Staring up at her closed eyes from his spot near her hand, he spoke again softly.

"You're the only one I know that can turn my insides to jello with just one look. I've met my match with you Whistler. What do you say?"

His ears were met with nothing but silence, and then it came.

"Yes…"

It was faint, but he heard it, causing him to look at her in disbelief. Her eyes fluttered open and King was met with those eyes he waited so long to see again. He smiled so bright at her that it caused her to smile back briefly despite her pain. His expression was so hopeful in that moment. He leaned in close to her and asked again because he wanted to make sure he heard her right.

"Yeah?"

She nodded and he beamed once more with that bright toothy grin of his. It was replaced by a look that King always gave her only now, she realized what it was. It was love. Bending down, he kissed her with all the emotions he felt and wanted her to feel instead of the pain stirring inside her. When they separated he looked at her with tears slipping from his eyes and he placed his index finger on her nose.

"I'm gonna hold you to that. You do know that's legally binding right? Once you agree you can never change your mind."

She continued to smile weakly because of her condition, and King saw the tear forming on her eyelashes. If she'd been better, he swore she would've laughed at him but she just assured him in a throaty voice.

"I won't… but just in case, let's make this deal in Heaven too, where all we have is time."

King looked at her puzzled and saddened. That was an odd request. He thought the infection must be getting worse for her to start talking crazy like that. His reply was soft but firm.

"Don't do that…don't talk like that Abigail."

For a moment Abby looked frightened and pleaded with him. Little did King know about the clarity that she as experiencing right then. She needed to hear him.

"Please just promise, King."

He sighed and stroked her cheek with his hand, seeing the haziness in her eyes.

"I'm not sure I can do that Kitten."

Perplexity was written all over her face when she heard his words. She wet her dry and cracked lips with her tongue and tasted the small amount of blood that came from them. Abby couldn't escape the scent of blood. Her voice broke under the seriousness of her question.

"Why not?"

King thought on it sincerely. Given his lifestyle both past and present, he doubted that the redemption he sought while killing vampires would be enough to pay the debt that he built up from his life before Abby came. As far as he was concerned, his soul was damned for all infinity. His voice as soft with reason but tinged with guilt and shame.

"Because, I don't think that's where I'm headed. But, I can promise you this… I'll love you no matter where I go."

He wasn't about to let those reservations prevent him from the life he strove for while he as still here to live it and that was obviously good enough for Abigail because she smiled knowingly at him. He placed another soft kiss on her lips and reveled in the moment. That moment however, wasn't long lasting. Abby's happy face turned into a painful grimace as she lurched to her side. King frantically tried to comfort her as much as he could but to no avail. She began thrashing around in what resembled slow motion. Her fists clenched, pulled, and unclenched the blankets. Her toes unconsciously pointed and flexed and then lay still till the whole thing started over again. King didn't know what he should do. He was scared.

"I'm burning up! I'm burning up King, make it stop."

She twisted in the sheets as he felt her forehead that was now covered with sweat. She moaned in pain and King drew in a tight breath. Her skin was ice cold…

It was happening…

No amount of warning or signs could've prepared him for this. King was whispering to himself even before Abby got the chance to say anything. He knew what was coming.

"God no…not her."

He would've spent an eternity with those sadistic bloodsucking bastards if that meant saving Abby from the same fate. Mental flashbacks of the pain he endured when Danica turned him started to play in his mind. The EDTA had failed to take. He was angry for reasons he couldn't explain, but not with her. He snapped out of his own anger when he heard her moan painfully.

"It hurts…King, it hurts so much!"

He looked at her helplessly as the veins in her neck throbbed in agony. Her skin flushed red as she arched her back and screamed. King's voice was a shaky whisper as he watched her.

"I know it does baby…"

His fingers skated across her skin lightly in soothing patterns, hoping to calm her. With each pass of his touch on her skin, Abby's breath would hitch. The tears mixed with sweat as she stared at him with delirious eyes.

"I don't want to be like one of them…"

Abby grabbed King by his shoulders and he looked completely torn. He knew Abby wouldn't want the life he used to live. What was more crushing to him though was the fact that he had to acknowledge that Abby knew what was happening to her as well.

"Please don't let me become one of them!"

King tried to reassure her as best he could but his heart was slowly breaking. He miraculously kept his voice firm and unwavering.

"You won't Abby, I won't let you."

This seemed to ease the anxiety that was evident all over her face and King watched her as she appeared to have come to some sort of a conclusion. Abby slowly reached out to his hip, grasping his electronic gun in her hand. King had completely forgotten about putting it in the waistband of his jeans after he cleaned it. She looked up at him pleadingly and placed the gun in his hand. King felt his heartbeat accelerate and the panic rise up in his throat as she pressed his fingers around the handle. Subconsciously he knew what she was going to say and all he could do was stare in disbelief.

"Kill me…"

That alone could've ended him. She said this and it sounded as though the life was already being drained from her. The stunned silence coming from King filled the room. He couldn't believe his beautiful Abby was begging him to take her life. He saw fear flicker through her eyes and in an instant, it was gone. King's hands shook as he hesitated, his eyes not meeting hers again for a fleeting moment. Conviction blazed in her looks again. Mustering up all the strength and will she had left in her, she screamed.

"DO IT!"

Every muscle in her gave out after that. She closed her eyes tiredly and defeated, sighing with sadness as the tears flowed down her cheek. It was the only thing she was capable of doing now. When she reopened them, Abby looked at King with a sad yet soft expression. He couldn't fathom what scared him more; when she was screaming or the fact that she had gone completely calm. Her voice came out composed and she sounded tranquil.

"King, I love you. Do this for me."

His heart sank even further as a shiver coursed through him, running his blood cold in the process. Not hours before, his pleading voice had asked her not to go out on the mission. And now she asked him something that almost mirrored what he had asked of her. This time, he was standing in his own way. She took his hand that held the gun and aimed the barrel over her own heart. With that she looked at him again and gave him a sad smile. Now it was up to him to pull the trigger. Time hung in the balance in what seemed to be forever until King's voice came in no more than a hoarse, heartbreaking, and final whisper.

"Close your eyes…"

There it was…Abby recognized that voice now. The voice belonged to him. With a peaceful look, Abby did as he said. He placed a trembling hand over them and with that, closed his own eyes, and pulled the trigger.

His ears didn't even register the slight pop that followed. All that filled the room was the continuous monotone sound of Abby's heart monitor as the pulsing green line slowed and went flat. King was huddled over her body, covering it with his own as he held her tight. His heart may as well have stopped along with it. He cried until he didn't have anymore tears left in him. The only thing that he had that was worth living for was dead now. As he leaned up, his hand was still covering her eyes. Underneath his palm, King knew that her hazel eyes with their dark lashes would remain closed. He was never going to see her hazel eyes again.

THE END