My Heart Turned Red

Chapter 18: Don't Wake Up Then

Author's note:

IM BACK! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE! COLLEGE IS ABSOLUTELY THE WORST! ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TRANSFER!

I am now a student at NYU, studying drama!

I'm so so sorry. It's been like two years, but you have to understand that college is so stressful. But I swear I have not abandoned this story and I will finish it.

I've been so excited to write this chapter! Because finally our favorite pair can finally be together and the feud is finally over!

Due to the release of Sherlock Gnomes, I've decided to finish this story. However, I'm ignoring the plot of Sherlock Gnomes because I had my original vision for the story and its end 7 years ago when I wrote Unbreakable Love and I'm not changing it as a result of the sequel being released. I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone, but that's just how it's going to be. My story and its ending were established when I finished Unbreakable Love and that's just how it's going to end.

We got 7 reviews! I'm so glad! My goal is to hit at least 230 reviews so hopefully, that will be reached. Also, for those of you that don't know, I need at least 6 reviews before starting another chapter alright? Seems fair? Good, very good.

College has been so stressful, but thankfully, it's over for now! I'm happy to finally be writing again.

Notes about this chapter: For those of you who read my story Unbreakable Love, which for those who don't know, was Gnomeo and Juliet, told through Juliet's point of view, there was a chapter after this point where Gnomeo and Juliet have a private moment together after all that happened, where unbreakable and undying love overcomes all. This will be that chapter from the story, as told through Gnomeo, of course. I've been very excited to write that, so please be patient!

BIG NEWS: A couple of months ago, it was the 7 year anniversary of when Gnomeo and Juliet was released in theatres!

This chapter is dedicated to everyone who was kind enough to review!

Disclaimer: I own Gnomeo and Juliet on DVD proudly! I wish that owned more than that but... oh, well.

I stopped listening to Mr. Capulet and Ms. Montague's argument a long time ago, even though it was near impossible to do so. It was the usual sort of yelling. It was Ms. Montague's fault, it was Mr. Capulet's fault, the old same routine as it had always been. I didn't have the patience to listen to it after the hell I had been put through over the last few days. All I wanted was for this whole thing to be over. The gardens were in complete disarray and close to being complete rubble. I was absolutely amazed that we all survived and that no one got hurt. It was nothing short of a miracle that Juliet and I survived a lawnmower coming towards us at full speed. I will never understand how exactly we managed to live, but I have no complaints. Whatever fate had been thinking when it decided to spare us, I was forever grateful. I wouldn't waste this second chance that she and I had. I just couldn't do it. I almost threw away the beautiful love we had because of hate and it was almost the biggest mistake I could have ever made. Whether the feud was over or not, I'm not going to let anything get in our way of being together ever again.

Even though we were free to be together, it still didn't seem real to me. Maybe it was because of the lawnmower that almost killed us or the never ever darkness that cloaked us after it hit us, I didn't know. I was still struggling to keep myself together and keep reminding myself that it was finally over. I was just trying to keep myself together, honestly, which is not as easy as I thought it would be. Even though our parents had vowed to end the feud, it dampened our spirits to have listened to Mr. Capulet and Ms. Montague fight for hours and hours upon end. It clearly brought back the emotions of hate and anger between our families.

I looked up at the sky after hearing the incoming thunder. I hadn't realized how black the sky had gotten. A huge storm was clearing brewing, one full of chaos. I knew immediately that that was the reason that we had been put on what was left of Mr. Capulet's and Ms. Montague's porch. We still had been separated from each other. Whether or not the feud was truly over was something the jury was still out on. Despite my

I looked over at Juliet from where I was sitting. I was very worried about her. She could have fooled anyone else here, but she couldn't fool me. When she looked into my eyes, I saw someone who was fighting a huge battle inside of her. I didn't see the usual sparkle in those emerald eyes of hers. The ones that looked at me right now looked at me as if she was looking at a ghost or a stranger. It was terrifying to look at. I could tell that the whole ordeal had been much more trying on her than it had me. Make no mistake,

I managed to get away without anyone seeing me. Sitting here without being able to hold the person I loved when she was clearly in turmoil was hurting me too much. Not to mention I had been away from her for so long and made a vow of love before everyone in our families. I refuse to go back to hiding our love even if our parents decide that the feud will continue. If Mum and Lord Redbrick break their vow and continue the feud, I'm not sticking around to have it tear Juliet and me apart again.

As I waited for my love to come to me, I leaned up against the fence of the Old Lawrence Place, taking a good look at what was left of the two fences of the Red and Blue Gardens. Two fences that at one point separated us and forced us to be apart. Even though the lawnmower had destroyed the fences that kept us apart, it still didn't feel real to me. The Reds and Blues were still acting very distant of each other.

She began sobbing in my arms just as the rain began to finally come down upon us. It was almost as if the sky was reflecting her pain. I knew that this was going to happen, but I still didn't know why she was crying in absolute despair. Our nightmare was finally over, so why did it feel like it wasn't? Why did it feel like there was something else on the horizon that was still in our way? Then again, had things ever been easy for us? The answer was no.

"Juliet, why are you cryi..."

But I never got to finish my sentence as she smashed her lips against mine in a desperate measure. At first, I froze. I couldn't think straight. I wasn't used to this kind of desperate kissing. But after a few seconds, I couldn't stop myself from returning her passionate kiss. Even as the rain fell down and even began drenching us, I couldn't feel it. All I felt was her, every single part of her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around my neck, both of us trying to get as close to each other as we possibly could. The rain began to fall down on us even harder than before, but we didn't even notice. The lightning pierced the sky and the thunder nearly shook the earth, but I wouldn't have really cared. My entire universe shifted to the girl in my arms. I felt so incredibly selfish for indulging in this kissing as opposed to trying to figure out what pain she was still in. But I couldn't help myself. I had been without her at my side for too long. I had almost watched her die and held her close to me as I thought we were going to die together. I couldn't help myself. I missed her and I needed her desperately. I needed to hold and kiss her to confirm to myself that this wasn't a dream.

There were no words. At this moment, I don't think words were really needed. Only intense and desperate kissing. I found myself unable to stop myself from kissing her back and holding her as hard as I could against me. I couldn't let her go and she had made it very clear upon our first kiss that she wanted me to never let her go again.

She needn't have worried.

I never intended to let her go ever again.

If I'm to be honest with you, I don't even remember how we got back to the Lawrence Garden. All I remember is just the feel of her lips and hands and the rain crashing down on us until eventually, we got inside the Greenhouse. This was selfish of me. Beyond Selfish. But I couldn't stop the desperation of our kisses. I couldn't stop my desperation to feel her body in my arms, her lips on mine, just any sort of confirmation that it was really over, that we could finally stop hiding. She clearly was emotionally unstable and needed me and this more than anything. She was the one who needed this more than me, and yet here I was trying to do the exact same thing for entirely selfish reasons. I needed this so much as well. Every time we broke apart, one of us would just come back in to steal more kisses from the other. Being without her for too much time and having almost died had taken its toll on me and I was like a man starved. We eventually made our way inside the Greenhouse, sitting in front of where we had planted the Orchid and just holding and kissing the other. I can only be so strong and at this moment, after everything that had happened, I just couldn't bring myself to have that strength.

She, that started our intense kissing, was eventually the one to end it. Even though I couldn't get enough of her after being apart for so long, it was strangely enough for me to have had what we just shared. Though I was uncertain about our future back home, at this moment, I didn't have to worry about that. This place always had this feeling of calm and serene peace. It was the one place where we didn't have to pretend to be someone we weren't. This place was the one place where we didn't need to have secrets, so I hoped she would tell me what was happening inside that head of hers.

She raised her hand and placed it on the scar on the right side of my face. She had always touched it and looked at it as if it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Now, even in her current state, that didn't seem to have changed.

"What's wrong, love?" I asked, hoping she would say something, anything. "You look more scared than I've ever seen you before. Why are you crying?"

I asked the same question I tried to ask her before she started our intense kissing session, hoping I would get an answer this time. The girl in front of me both was and was not the girl I had fallen in love with. While I knew we had been through near death and suicide today, I thought that after us finally being together, Juliet would be happy that we could finally be together. And yet here she was, acting as though I was a complete stranger. Acting as if she was clinging to an illusion, an illusion that she was beyond terrified of letting go. She touched me as if my face was something fragile. As if a single touch would shatter my entire being.

She stroked my face and then finally made eye contact with me again. She then buried herself in my arms again.

"I'm so sorry," she said in complete and utter despair and devastation.

What in the bloody hell could she possibly be sorry for? She had absolutely nothing to be sorry for. Neither of us did. We didn't do anything wrong.

"For what? You didn't do anything," I said, laughing even though I shouldn't be. I awaited her answer.

Nothing could have prepared me for what she said next.

"I'm the reason you're dead," she said, sobbing. "It's all my fault. If only I'd listened to you about the tulips. Maybe you would still be here."

Those words made my blood run cold. So the news of my supposed demise must have driven Juliet mad with grief. I knew the feeling. I probably would be in the same state as her if I had come back to the garden to find her gone. I didn't know how to think or act in a situation like this, but I knew I had to be the strong one in this situation. Even though what happened today nearly tore me apart both figuratively and literally, I needed to be the anchor that she needed. I needed to stay strong where she wasn't because that's how we will get through this. If we could survive nearly dying, we could get through this, too.

"Juliet, you think I'm dead?" I said, truly confused and trying to keep myself together. I had to try to bring the girl I loved back. "I'm not, alright? How would I be here right now, holding you and trying to tell you that I'm not dead?"

"It's just my imagination," she responded, true despair in her voice. "So please stop lying to me."

I quickly pulled away from our embrace to take her face in my hands. I did not almost die twice today to lose the girl I love. I would not let her sink back into the despair that we had just beaten hours earlier. We were finally free and I am not going to let her go again. She refused to look me directly in the eyes or even open her eyes. She was resisting me, but I couldn't give up. After everything that's happened, I can't give up.

"Love, look at me," I said firmly. I realized that was the wrong approach and tried again. "Juliet, please. Open your eyes and look at me, please."

After much hesitation, she finally opened her eyes and made eye contact with me. That look in her eyes was the most heartbreaking sight I had ever seen in my life. Here was the girl I loved, eyes filled with complete and utter despair and sadness. I had caused that. No. Our families hatred had caused that. If I hadn't charged Tybalt, if I hadn't given in to peer pressure, and maybe if I hadn't been so careless, maybe the girl I loved wouldn't be in this very fragile state of mind.

"Juliet, darling, listen to me very clearly," I said calmly, trying to not show my panic and fear of losing her all over again. "I didn't die, and neither did you. We're alive, and I'm right here with you."

"How then are you here?" she demanded through her tears. "How are you alive then?"

I sighed and began my story. It was quite a traumatic experience, but compared to what Juliet has gone through, it was practically a cake walk. That knowledge gave me the strength to say what had happened to me.

"I managed to barely escape the truck smashing me," he said. "I managed to jump on it before it hit me. It was pretty close, but I managed. And I wanted so badly to get back to you because I heard you crying and saw you almost jump in front of a car trying to kill yourself. I knew I had to get back to you before you tried anything else or if the Reds would do something to punish you for falling in love with a Blue. But then a stupid dog grabbed me and took me halfway across London, very far away from the gardens. I didn't know where I was or how to get back. I think almost a day had passed since I'd seen you..."

I stopped what I was saying and looked at her in her eyes. All of a sudden, the despair and loneliness that I had felt upon being apart from her came flooding back to me all at once like water to the front of a damn during a hurricane. It was truly hard to keep myself from falling apart like her.

"And it was torture, it was like when I had to go back to the Blue Garden because it was away from you. Far away from you, I can't tell you, Juliet, how hard it was for me to be away from you, especially because I was certain that you thought I was dead. I was scared of what you might've done. I know that if I thought you were dead, I don't know what I would do."

And then, from my lover's eyes, fresh tears fell down her face. I could see the desperate love in her eyes. Her desperation to see me as alive, but I could tell she was fighting hard to express herself and come back to me. All I had to do was just continue to be her anchor.

The words she said next, however, were words that I never hoped I would ever have to hear her say ever again.

"I was trying to end it all, just to be with you. When I thought that truck ran you over, the world shattered and it shattered me with it. All I wanted was death, existing in a world or living out of my life without you is like living in a frozen wasteland, without life, without happiness, without anything. I can't live without you, and I honestly don't know how I lived for even a day without you with me."

I knew all of this already, but hearing it from her lips as opposed to someone else's is a completely different story. It broke my heart to hear her say these incredibly sad things. I can't say I blame her. I said it before and I'll say it again: if the situation had been reversed, I probably would have gone mad too. A life with Juliet is not a life I want to consider ever having ever again. It was unthinkable. Having Juliet come into my life reminded me how much of my life I was throwing away but not trying to get past what had happened to my father that day. That person doesn't exist anymore and the reason for that was because of her. I can't imagine losing her ever again. I know that the minute she leaves this world is the minute I do as well.

I held her hands tightly in my own trying to keep my composure, before continuing with my own story.

"And then while I was lost, I came across a statue of someone named William Shakespeare. I'd never heard of him and he asked what in the world was a gnome doing in a park like this. I was tired and decided that I might as well stop and talk, and tell someone who wouldn't know what I was talking about and probably wouldn't care. So I told him my story, about us, what happened between us, how when I saw you for the first time, I just couldn't even think, how the world just stopped, how much in love with you I was even from the first time I saw you, I just knew. And then I found out you were a Red and how no one would ever accept us, and I was afraid that you didn't feel the same way. I didn't care that you were a Red and decided that I had to see you again, and I told him that we decided that we had to keep seeing each other even with the feud still going on. Then Benny found out, and how Tybalt smashed his head and how I was so angry that I had to avenge Benny, even though he ruined our chance of being together. I then told him how Tybalt got smashed and how I was chased out and ended up on his head talking to him, and far away from you."

She still looked very confused, so I continued my story.

"As soon as I was finished he told me that my story was very similar to another that he knew. In this story, the two star-crossed lovers loved each other so much that they couldn't live without the other. The woman fakes her death so that she can be with him. The man thinks the woman dead and takes his own life, and then she wakes and takes her own life, and they're found dead in each other's arms. I then realized that maybe you were dead like the statue said. I didn't believe that there could be such a horrible ending for us. I mean, you and I didn't do anything wrong. We just fell in love and you can't help who you fall in love with. He argued that it was a tragedy and that the two of them had to die in order for the feud between the families to end, while I said that there had to be a better ending than that. And then he accidentally dropped me, and I was falling to my death thinking of nothing but you, and prepared for the end."

If I wasn't so involved with my story, I would have laughed at Juliet's reaction to my story. It was very endearing and innocent.

"And then, the next thing I knew, I wasn't smashed. Featherstone had managed to break my fall with his body, and that Shroom had saved my life by leading Featherstone to me. I'd known that in order for me to survive, Shroom had to get help and he did. Shroom then told me that you were in danger, that you thought I was dead and wanted to die too, and the Blues were so angry over my death that they were planning revenge on the Red Garden. I knew I had to get back to save you before it was too late, and Shakespeare said that you and I had no chance of ever being happy or even surviving and I told him otherwise. The three of us eventually managed to make it back to the gardens in time and then the next thing I knew was that the two Gardens were fighting probably to the death this time and I was confused. And then when I saw you, I felt relief and happiness because you were still alive and maybe hadn't given up hope that I was alive. But you were glued to your pedestal and I knew that the fighting was probably going to get worse. So I fought hard so that I could get back to you and try with everything I had to save you. And...well... you know the rest."

Recounting my adventures of life and death was not a very pleasant thing to do, but I hoped and prayed it would be enough to reach my Juliet. I just wanted our nightmare to be over so we could finally relish the fact that we were now free to be together.

"That's not true," she countered. "Why, then?"

Now, that statement confused me. "Why then, what?"

"Why then didn't you leave when I told you to go?" she demanded. "You're so stupid! Why didn't you go? You're young, you've probably loved more girls and you would probably love again."

I couldn't help but laugh at that statement. It was such a ridiculous statement. Yes, I had been with girls before Juliet, but I would never have been willing to disown myself to my family or die for any of them like I did for Juliet. Love anyone again? There was just no way that could ever be true.

"Then you clearly don't know me," I said with a smile.

"Tell me now."

I tried to find the right words. There were so many reasons why I chose to stay with Juliet instead of running and saving myself. But the one that stood out before anything else was the fact that I would rather die than go back to living in a world in which she didn't exist. She brought meaning into my life, she was just a never-ending light in a world of darkness. With that light, she warmed the coldest heart that had ever existed with her love. Without her, that heart would go back to being cold and lifeless and the light would just completely go out. I wasn't willing to risk living that life again. Thinking over all of these thoughts finally brought the words I wanted to say and what she needed to hear out into the open for the very first time.

"Well," I said. "I guess for the same reason you said that you don't even know how you lived a day without me with you." She looked at me confused through the tears. I tried again. "I had only one reason and one reason alone. Juliet, I can't live without you. I don't know if I could even do it and hopefully, it will never come to that ever again. You're my soulmate and the only girl I have or ever will love. I wanted to tell you here before Benny ruined everything, and now that we're here, I now have this chance.'

She raised an eyebrow.

It was truly now or never. The words I always desperately wanted to say to her but never could.

"Juliet, I love you. I love you more than anything and everything. And I mean it when I say I love you, and before I met you, I was fueled with nothing but hate and anger over Dad's death so much that I forgot about being happy."

I was just so sad about my dad dying and that manifested into a rage that sucked up any other emotions that I had. It had just made me empty and lifeless.

But Juliet wasn't having any of my words.

"You were happy!" she argued. "You must've been! You had everything!"

She was right. I did have everything. But even though I did...

"No, I really wasn't. I thought I was happy, but no, I really wasn't." I hated thinking back on how lifeless I really was. Just how I tried to fill the void that Dad had left through the girls I was with, through racing with Tybalt, to sabotaging Tybalt and the Red Garden, to trying to pretend like Dad's death never affected me the way it did. I never gave myself permission to truly grieve or truly feel. So as a result, I let the anger and hatred take over and stall every other emotion. "I was just fueled with hate and anger against the Red Garden for what I thought they did to Dad. But then I met you, and everything changed for me forever. Nothing will ever be the same, look the same, or anything be the same way it was before I met you. The times you and I were together, that's the first time I ever felt happy. You make me happy. I love you so much that a day ago, I would've forgotten my friends, my best friends Benny and Shroom, the best mother I ever had, and everything I'd ever known because I wanted you, not fighting, just you and you alone. Without you, nothing had life or anything. Please believe me when I say that I'm alive and that I love you. Please believe that."

Even though we had never had the need to say I love you to each other before, it was still so validating to finally say how I felt about her to her. Even though we knew we loved each other without ever having to say a word, after almost losing her forever, I vowed then and there to say it to her as often as I could. When I fell in love with Juliet, I never realized how many tears had been stored in me, or that I could ever be as truly happy and peaceful as I am right now. Even though we had survived a feud, a smashing in the street, a lawnmower almost killing us both, a pledge to each other in death, despite all of these things, I still feel happy and peaceful because I have Juliet with me. For the first time, I felt just so content and loved. Despite having a parent, friends, and multiple girls chasing after me, I didn't feel real love. Not until she came into my life and melted the ice around my heart so easily. How could I ever let her go knowing all of these things? How could I ever go back to the life I once lived knowing all of that?

She started crying all over again and I could see she was desperately trying to force herself to believe that I was here, to believe that this wasn't a dream, that I was never going anywhere, that I meant every word that I said to her. I realized that I couldn't force her to believe anything, even though I desperately wanted our nightmare to be over and for us to fall into each other's arms. I knew all I could do was just offer comfort, love, and patience to Juliet in her desperate struggle to come back to me. Even though we were back together, at last, my Juliet had yet to find her way back to me. But even if she never did, that would be alright by me. I would love her, however, whenever, whatever, no matter what. And when I kissed her again, gently this time to not scare her, she let me do it without any sort of resistance. She eventually began to kiss me back very desperately, almost as if she was trying to hold on to some hope that I was really here with her.

I eventually broke the kiss to hold her tightly in my arms. I, who knew her so well, knew she had always found comfort in my arms. There wasn't a need for words. I just held her to let her know that she could just stay here in my arms and cry as long as she needed to. I was never going anywhere else if she wasn't with me.

"I love you, Gnomeo. More than you will ever know," she said through her tears. I smiled sadly. I had waited so long to hear her say those words, but I was still sad that these were under the circumstances that we said it to each other. I knew that even though Juliet was struggling to believe that I was the Gnomeo she loved, her words of love were directed at me and that was very genuine. "I don't want to pretend anymore and I just want to shout it to the world so that it knows how much I love you. Whether you're real or not, I love you. I love you so much that I almost gave up my life for you, and would do it again in a heartbeat."

When Shroom told me she tried to kill herself after I died, my heart shattered into a million pieces and I was barely able to keep myself together. It was tearing my heart apart thinking something terrible might have happened to the love of my life. I couldn't get used to hearing those words because of how horrifying they were. I had almost lost her and I wasn't able to protect her in either case. I just couldn't bear it if I lost her. I would be completely broken and lost without her. Just thinking about that almost made me break down and cry with her. But I knew I couldn't. One of us had to remain strong in this situation and she needed me to be her anchor right now. That didn't mean that thinking about how I almost lost her didn't threaten to break my control over my emotions.

"I hope it never comes to that again," I said to her seriously. "I almost lost you once. I don't want that to ever happen again."

There were no words after that. The only sound that was heard was the sound of Juliet's heart wrenching crying for a very long time. We just held onto each other, sometimes kissed, never said anything. It was truly heartbreaking to hear all of her pain, but I was there to make sure she didn't do anything to herself because of how much she was hurting. On one of our dates, she told me that whenever she cried in the Red Garden, no one ever knew how to comfort her and often just left her alone after her mother passed away. It was the complete opposite of what my mother and I did after Dad died. Whenever I was sad, she always just stayed with me in her arms and waited until I stopped crying. In Juliet's current state, that was all I could really do for her. I just continued to hold onto her very tightly, stroked her back and the back of her neck with my hand trying to soothe her and calm her. At this moment, nothing mattered except her.

For the rest of my life, nothing else would matter except her. I would never allow anything or anyone to tear us apart again.

"We should probably be heading back. They're probably wondering where we are."

At those words, I felt her bury her face in my chest and increase the tightness of her grip. I was so foolish to say that she wasn't my Juliet before. I could feel her shaking all over again. I didn't really want to go back either. I just wanted to be with her. I smiled. I guess we'll be spending the night here, then. I embraced her back in understanding and then I brought her lips back to mine again. Every kiss just felt as warm and loving as our first kiss outside the greenhouse. I just would never get tired of them.

"I'll be right back," I said, temporarily leaving her arms.

If we were going to stay here, we needed to have some sort of arrangement for sleeping. It was getting cold, so we definitely needed a blanket. I was brought out of my thought process by her speaking.

"Don't leave," she said desperately.

I looked back at her and offered her a smile. "Never again," I said, putting every ounce of my love for her in these words.

She then offered me a smile through her tears and my heart melted.

I began looking around trying to find something, anything remotely related to the blanket material. My eyes wandered over to some bags made out of thick fabric in the corner. I remembered those as the ones that broke my fall the night I met Juliet. They were very heavy and thick. If I was to rip it, it would surely keep both of us very warm.

"What's that for?" she asked, seeming very confused.

I grinned.

"If we're staying here, you might as well be warm," I said.

The more I spoke and the more close I tried to make myself to her, the more I began to realize she was becoming more and more comfortable around me. She wasn't trying as hard to fight me. I was a fool to say that this girl wasn't my Juliet. She then promptly lay down on the ground as I pulled the fabric over us. She began to reach for me, but I beat her to it and wrapped my arms tightly around her. Just when I thought she had finally relaxed and had gone to sleep, she began shaking again as she tightened her grip on me. I pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked.

"How this can't be real. How much I love you," she said shaking like a leaf as she spoke. "You have to be an illusion, just nothing more than a dream."

I smiled at her, knowing her hesitation and accepted it. I didn't care if we lived out the rest of our days like this, with me constantly taking care of her and her constantly doubting how real this was. As long as we were together, that would be enough for me. I loved her utterly and completely, and that included every part of her, broken and not broken. If I had been in her situation, I probably would have done the exact same thing she did. I would rather die than go back to a life without her in it. If the roles had been reversed, she would probably be the one taking care of a shivering and doubtful version of myself. Regardless of who was broken, we would always be there for each other and I wouldn't let anything stand in our way ever again. Thankfully, fate allowed us to be together again and now I don't want to waste this opportunity. I would never let go of her ever again.

I stroked her cheek with my hand and just continued to smile. "Don't wake up then."

And as I spoke those words, I stopped her mouth with a kiss and stole any words she might have said. As we kissed, I had a feeling that the walls her mind had put up in the shock were starting to crumble. When we first came here, the kisses we shared were desperate, as we had almost died together and almost lost the other forever. It was truly a terrifying ordeal that took a toll on us both. But Juliet had it worse than me. She had spent a lot of time thinking that I was dead and had decided to try to take matters into her own hands. She tried that she would rather be dead than live without me. I now know that if the situation was reversed, Juliet would be here comforting me. Why? Because this was true love. Do you really think this kind of love happens every day? I don't believe it does. We kissed out of love this time, not out of desperation or the stress of the situation, but because we truly loved one another. Even though this Juliet thinks I'm not real, there is no doubt of her love for me or my love for her. Even if this is the way we live the rest of our lives, I will gladly live it as long as we're together. I refuse to be apart from her ever again.

Once we broke apart, we held onto the other as tightly as we could. As if we just couldn't bear to let the other go.

"I love you," she murmured, finally closing her eyes and relaxing within my arms.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly, trying to soothe her to sleep, running my free hand down her back.

"Shhhh," I said to her, urging her to sleep, but not before I returned her sentiment with all my heart. "And I love you."

Then she immediately relaxed in my arms and before long, I heard her gentle and sweet breathing.

God, I cannot even begin to describe the amount of restraint I had to not break down crying with her over the last few hours. As soon as I was sure my beloved was asleep, I let the tears fall from my eyes. I had held them for the whole day and I just couldn't do it anymore. Maybe one day I would feel strong enough to cry in front of her, but at this point, I just can't bring myself to do it. Especially not under these circumstances. She was like me. She had spent her entire life being strong and trying to keep everything together despite the fact that things were far from being alright. After the events that she had suffered through today, her mental state was completely in shock. It was like something inside of her completely snapped. It was quite terrifying to witness. Part of me wasn't sure if I would be able to take it.

I was wrong though.

She wasn't any different from my Juliet. She was another part of Juliet I had never seen before and that's perfectly okay with me. She's still the person I love no matter what. If I had to spend the rest of my life supporting her more than I would have had to anyway, that's fine. If I have to spend the rest of my life trying to convince her that I'm alive and besides her, then I will do that too. She and I have suffered too long and too much to be denied each other now. We almost died because we wanted to be together. Because of that, don't we have the right to finally put all of this feud nonsense behind us and move onto the future?

I don't care what Mum might say and as much as I would want Lord Redbrick's blessing, if he won't give it to me, then I won't any sleep over it. If they don't accept us or keep their word, then I will take Juliet far away from where we can be happy together. Away from all of this hatred and bitterness.

I then tightened my arms around her, trying to get as close as possible. I don't know what will happen when we wake up in the morning. But I do know one thing. No matter what happens, I never want to be apart from her ever again.

I had a very long and sleepless night. I spent a lot of it crying and dreaming nightmares about the trauma that we had just endured. I remembered that Juliet was still very mentally fragile after our conversation last night. I vowed that I would stay by her no matter what happened. If I wake up to the same Juliet I had seen last night, then I would greet the challenge as I did last night. I will never go anywhere again if she's not with me.

Speaking of which, where was she?

The space next to me in the fabric was cold and empty and Juliet was nowhere to be found. I shouldn't have worried, though. For through my sleepy eyes and state, I saw her standing over our makeshift bed, hands over her mouth, and tears in her eyes. I couldn't quite see them through my foggy eyes, so at first, I thought something bad had happened again.

"Juliet?" I asked.

I saw the tears running down her face, but these were different tears than the night before. Instead of tears of despair, they were tears of joy.

"You are real!"

I smiled back at her, feeling the relief rush over me, feeling the weight of the world finally get lifted off my shoulders. I laughed because I was so relieved. What else could I do? The girl I loved had finally come back to me. Even though I vowed the night before to love her no matter what form she was in, it still felt good to have the old Juliet back at my side.

"Isn't it wonderful?" I teased.

She laughed back and ran back to my side and we embraced. I held her tightly in my arms again, letting out a very well earned sigh of relief. I probably would have broken down crying too if I wasn't in such a state of relief at finally having the girl I love back to her normal self.

This was only the beginning of our much deserved and too long delayed happiness.

That's it! Hope you enjoyed it! Again, I'm very sorry for this delay. I've had a case of severe writer's block again as I have been trying to adjust to college life for the very first time. I hope you all understand and I appreciate your patience. I really and truly do. I refuse to give up on this until it's completely finished. You can be sure of that! I'm not giving up on this. I swear that I will finish it. Thank you to those who haven't given up on me!

ANYWAY!

Next Chapter: The long-awaited talk between our favorite pair and their parents. DUN DUN DUNNNN! For those that haven't read Unbreakable Love past chapter 13, it may benefit you to go back and read through those chapters so that you understand what's going on.

Again, thank you to those who reviewed and waited patiently for the story to continue. I've been so busy at college that there are times when I can't even think straight. It may be slow, but I will never abandon Gnomeo until it is time for us to part.

You guys are honestly the best and I'm really glad you didn't give up on me and you have no idea how much I appreciate that. Thank you again.

Please REVIEW! 6 reviews or more! You know the drill!

Next time!

Signed

kagomehater4ever