AN: And so, this is the last part of this little fic:) Love you guys for reading!

Epilogue

Juice POV

As I felt my body slowly coming to life, so did my dreams. In a streaming rush, all the visions of Her came back to me and I felt my heart break all over again. No, it didn't just fucking break, it felt like it was being ripped to shreds by unsharpened claws. Over and over again, until there was nothing left, except for an echoing emptiness. It hurt, it actually physically hurt to think about not being able to pull her against me, smell her hair, and listen to her melodious laugh. The only thing that made this fucked up situation remotely better was the fact that we'd gotten the bastard who stabbed her. I was sure I'd have finished him off with my bare hands if he hadn't shot me.

I finally managed to pull my lids apart to take in my surroundings. At first the light blinded me but I was soon able to make out the shape of the room. It was your average, typical hospital room, complete with white walls and framed posters of landscapes. Right now the only thing I could think about when I saw the poster of the Alps or some shit, like taken straight out of fucking Sound of Music, was that the grey, silvery shade of the mountains was nowhere near as beautiful as the color of her eyes. As my gaze kept scanning the room it landed on a lonely figure slumped against the wall. The figure didn't seem to belong here. The broad shoulders were covered by black, worn leather and his jaw was covered with a sprinkling of blonde stubble. His eyes were closed as if he was asleep.

It was as if he somehow felt my eyes on him. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked directly at me. For a long moment not a word was said. Finally Jax moved up from his seat and made his way over to the hospital bed. This close I could see that he had tears in his eyes. We didn't need words. I knew what he wanted to say. But he said it anyway.

"Thank you Juice", his voice was raspy. He reminded me a lot of Clay.

"You know I didn't do it for you, right? I did it for her", I swallowed back the hurt that I inevitably felt whenever I thought of her.

"I know. But it doesn't matter. Thank you for giving me my son back".

He gripped my forearm tightly and that was how Gemma found us when she entered the room a couple of minutes later.

"How are you holding up, champ?" she whispered.

"Shit. Not holding up at all", I muttered. Thinking I should just get it over with I asked:

"How long was I out?"

"Just a few days", Jax answered.

"So, when's the funeral?" I felt my throat constrict as I imagined her in a casket, cold and alone. Fuck! Why couldn't I have gone too? That way we would've been buried together and she wouldn't be alone wherever she was now. Shit, I'd probably not even go to the same place as her. She was an angel and I was… well, not. I closed my eyes tightly and waited for their answer. It didn't come. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Gemma and Jax exchanging looks.

"What funeral?" Jax finally said.

"What do you mean what funeral?" I asked, irritated. "The funeral of my girlfriend, my would-be future wife! The woman who would've borne my children! The one I was stupid enough to lose!" I slumped back toward the fluffy pillow behind my back, suddenly exhausted. The room was dead silent. Both Jax and Gemma stared wide-eyed at me as if I'd suddenly gone crazy. Maybe I had. But I didn't care. The love of my life had been ripped from me and I was allowed to go fucking crazy.

Gemma opened her mouth as if to say something but was interrupted by a loud crash and screams outside the door. At first I coouldn't make out what was being said, but as the sound came closer, I heard fragments.

"Get the fuck out of my way! …get to him! …mine… I don't care"

The moment before the door swung open I recognized the voice. There, in the doorway, lit up by the hospital's florescent lights like an angel was her. Her hair wild and unruly and she was fashionably dressed in a hospital gown. Her feet were bare and as she stalked toward me I could see her hand going to her stomach. But as she landed in my arms I couldn't find it in myself to care about anything other than the fact that she was alive. She was still here and I was not planning on letting her go anywhere again.

"Ashley", I sighed as I buried my nose in her hair. For the first time since I had woken up I allowed myself to think and say her name. She raised her head and looked into my eyes.

"Hi", her smile was slight and as I placed my hands on either side of her face she leaned into them and closed her eyes. I spoke softly and slowly. My tears flowed down my face. I was not a guy who cried very often, but right now I didn't fucking care.

"Ashley…" I took a deep breath. "I love you so fucking much. I… I thought you were dead and… and I can't even describe to you what went on in my head. I can't fucking imagine my life without you". She opened her eyes and I could see the emotions I felt, mirrored in her gaze. She smiled.

"And you told me you suck with words", she smiled secretively. And then she turned serious. "I love you too. So much it hurts. I don't think I can let you go", she admitted and I felt my heart soar. I decided to just go for it.

"Ashley. I know we're young and that there are so many things standing in our way, but I just need to ask you one thing. Ashley Armstrong, I love you twice around the world and back and I promise to always be there for you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Fin.

AN: And yes, I can't bear unhappy endings! So if you think this is cheesy, pretend as if this last chapter wasn't there;)

And I suppose this is where I (once again) thank you all profusely for reading, reviewing and just taking the time to finds this:)

Someone else i'd like to thank is my mom. She is the one who has always kicked me in the ass when the updates have been too far apart (so you guys can thank her that I finally finished this) :P And she hasn't even read this! (Mostly because I wont let her *PERFORMANCE ANXIETY*)

In any case, I might write a one-shot sequel to this fic (like a glimpse into the future of Juice and Ashley), but it all depends on if you guys want one ;)

Okay, one last time, you guys are AWESOME for reading my fic and making me feel like something close to an author. You have no idea how excited I get when I see a new review, or a fav!

Infinite love and hugs,

Nat 3