So this is the alternate ending, I have started it off where Bo and Lauren are in the heat of the gunfight that both are wounded in, please read through it and when you get to the next section there is a POV change. this chapter was a rough one for me to want to post, but I feel its a part I should share. I hope you enjoy after reading the last chapter I provided you all with!

The three of us ran to the helipad, Lauren was met by one of the nurses and handed a large medical bag, a helmet and a flack jacket. I was handed the same and climbed after Lauren, I was taking the spot of the young private who found us. He seemed relieved but guilty, I winked at him, "Tell whoever the egotistical American made you get off, they will understand." I was tapped on the back by the door gunner, and helped in the helicopter by the other armed escort that was riding with us.

The helicopter lifted off quickly, Lauren was struggling getting her helmet on. I leaned over in my seat and took it off, yelling, "Put your flak jacket on first." she tried to shake her head no, signaling it was too heavy. I shook my head and forced it on her, "You are wearing it." I then helped her with the helmet. The helicopter turned quickly and I was lurched to one side in the middle of trying to get my flak jacket on, I lost the grip I had on my flak jacket, watching it tumble out the open door. I clenched my jaw, and threw my helmet on, I knew helicopters carried extras. I would grab one when we landed. I looked up at Lauren. She was trying to keep her eyes on the metal rivets, I could tell how nervous she was. I yelled into the microphone, "First time in one of these?"

Lauren nodded quickly, her death grip on the medical bag was the other give away. I smiled and motioned for her to look in my eyes, "Look here and I promise it will all be okay."

Her golden brown eyes focused on mine and she began to ease up. As the pilot announced we were getting close, and that we should brace for a quick landing, Lauren mouthed "I love you." I mouthed it back to her as the helicopter descended quickly.

The sounds of yelling and screams overtook the sounds of the helicopter blades cutting through the air. A dirty, bloodied soldier ran up to the open door, grabbing the medical bag he grabbed my hand as I unbuckled, he screamed in my ear as I was close, "I got two guys that are bleeding heavily, and one is having a heart attack, he is over by the Humvee. We chased the bastards off, but they will be back now that the helicopter is here." I nodded and let him pull me off the helicopter. Lauren was quick to follow me as we ran to the small squad. The two soldiers that were also on the helicopter followed us, keeping a close eye on our backs.

I ran to the two soldiers first as Lauren was taken to the one having a possible heart attack. I looked over them quickly, I started ripping open bandages and digging under the field dressings, one was in need of immediate surgery to remove the large chunk of metal that was lodged into his upper thigh. I yelled instructions to the other soldiers to apply pressure while I checked on the second. The second had a chest wound that had stopped bleeding on its own, but had filled the chest up with blood. I had to do a quick field chest tube and begin wrapping it up to stabilize the soldier. I looked up at where Lauren was, she was working on the cardiac arrest, giving him aspirin and trying to get him to calm down enough so she could get him back to the helicopter. She looked back and met my eyes. I went to smile at her to reassure her when I heard a quick series of pops, pops like firecrackers. I flinched knowing exactly what it was.

All of the soldiers dipped their heads down, I watched as the one with Lauren pushed her down to the ground. I laid onto of the soldier I had just put a tube in. that's when I remembered I had not bothered to grab the extra flak jacket on the way out. The door gunner ran over to me and dropped down, "We gotta get outta here, there's a large squad of bastards coming our way, the helicopter drew them out. The pilot is going to lift up, lay down some covering fire to scare them off. I need you and Commander Lewis to hustle your asses and get these boys closer to the chopper. We will drop back down and do a grab and run." he looked at me with wide green eyes, "You copy?"

"I copy." The door gunner stood up, fired a few rounds and ran back to the helicopter. I grabbed one of the other soldiers, "I need you to help get these two back that way. I also need one of you to help the other doctor, we have a few minutes at most to get these boys out of here safely." the soldier nodded and tapped a few of his buddies, they all moved quickly, laying down cover fire as I moved with the one with the chest tube. I kept my focus as the helicopter lifted up and spun around, emptying as much ammo as they could on the enemy. It gave us a reprieve as we pulled the wounded towards the landing zone. The helicopter lowered back down, the door gunner jumped out and helped to load the first two.

I looked back at Lauren, she was struggling with her soldier. I motioned to the door gunner that I was running back. He nodded and covered me as I ran. I picked up the end of the small tarp that we were using to carry the wounded. I looked at Lauren, her eyes were full of fear but determined to get the guy on the helicopter. The door gunner met us halfway with the other soldier who was riding with us, they took over for us, moving faster than we had back to the helicopter. I was two steps ahead of Lauren when I heard the firecracker pops start up again, followed by the barrage of return fire. I turned to Lauren, she was running towards me, when I saw a bullet tear into her arm as another hit her in the side knocking her from her steps, forcing her to drop to her knees.

I screamed, "NO!" I turned to run back, I felt a hand try and hold me back, I ripped my arm out and ran towards her. She was trying to get up, but I could tell the bullet had broken her arm. I made it to her and dropped to my knees pulling her up, "Come on, come on, get up, Lauren. We are almost there." She looked up at me with tears in her eyes, I forced her up. She had the wind knocked out of her and was going into shock. I wrapped an arm around her, "Three more steps and its back to the shitty meatloaf you love." I swallowed hard as I got her to jog with me, the back and forth of the gunfire radiating around us. The door gunner met us halfway, he scooped Lauren up like she was nothing and ran towards the open door. I ran as fast as I could.

Then I felt what felt like two extremely hot bee stings tear through my upper shoulder and on my middle back. It was so hot it forced me to a stop, the sound around me became muted and things felt like they were slowing down.

I instinctively looked up at the door of the helicopter, Lauren was sitting in her seat, tears running down her face screaming and looking at me. Her arm reaching out for me as the other soldier held her back, trying to strap her in. I tried to smiled and as I tried to run again, I coughed hard and tasted blood in my mouth. I reached up and wiped at my mouth, my fingers were covered in blood. I closed my eyes and felt woozy, I looked up at the door gunner who was running towards me, he was suddenly blurry. I reached for him, and the last thing in my head before everything went black was, I should have grabbed that goddamn flak jacket.

I watched as Bo fell into the arms of the young man. I was still screaming and trying to push the other soldier off of me, I had to get to her. The pain was too much and the soldier's grip was too strong. I couldn't move as he strapped me into my seat. I watched helplessly as Bo was loaded into the helicopter. She was unconscious, there was blood coming out of her mouth. The young man who had been the door gunner worked fast as the helicopter started to lift off, he was holding gauze over Bo's injuries, checking for vitals he started yelling at the other soldier to help him. I struggled to tear at the restraints as the helicopter lifted up, the two young men started CPR on Bo, screaming at each other and over the microphones on their helmets. I couldn't hear anything than the groans of the wounded and the frantic pace of the helicopter blades. I lifted my broken arm and tried to slide out of the seatbelt, to go to Bo, to do anything to save her. The surge of pain that rocked my body was too much, I passed out.

One Week Later-

"Bo, you should have listened to me, stayed home." I whispered it to her as I placed my hand on the simple white casket, draped in the American flag. I could barely get the whisper out, I had been crying the entire flight to England. I demanded that I would be the one to take her home. I stood next to her body, in my full dress uniform, my hand had not left her from the moment they took me to her after it was all said and done. I closed my eyes tight, remembering at the sight I saw a few days earlier and how it hurt my heart more than I knew I would ever recover from.

Bo looked so peaceful as she laid on the trauma table, everyone had done the best they could, Bo had lost a lot of blood in the short flight back to the unit. The doctors tried so hard to keep her alive, but her body just had enough and slowly went. I stood over her, my arm in a cast, bruised and battered. I reached out with a trembling hand, brushing her hair off her face, they had wiped most of the blood away. Her skin was still warm, but cooling fast. I couldn't stay strong, I fell apart when I went to kiss her forehead. I sobbed harder than I had ever in my life, knowing that she was gone, I could not bear it. The guilt washed over me, this was my fault, she was close to being free from this war and never having to look back. I brought her back, I brought her back into this war, and I was the one who brought her back to me when I was shot. I would not leave her until it was time for her to be cleaned up and sent home, I had stopped speaking completely, only sitting with her in the morgue, whispering things I had wanted to say to her but never got the chance.

Now as the engines died down, I ran my hand again over the rough fabric of the brand new flag, Bo was going home a hero, I had made sure of that. I kept my eyes on the spot my hand was as the rear doors of the AC 130 opened up to a rainy morning in England. I looked up, clenching my jaw to fight back the tears that never stopped falling, and never would. When the rear doors opened wide enough, I had to choke back a sob when I saw Grace standing with Kenzi and Aaron by a large black car next to the funeral hearse.

I had to look away as I saw Grace slowly fall apart when she saw the lone casket. Kenzi leaned against her, crying. Aaron was in his full uniform and walked towards me as the doors opened wide enough for him to enter. When he moved closer, I could see he had been crying as well. He walked to the end of the
casket, placing both hands on the edge, "Goddamit Bo, you were the one to out live us all." his voice was raspy as he looked up at me, "Commander Lewis, we can take it from here. My dad has made arrangements."

I shook my head, "I am not...I won't leave her." I looked at the metal floor, "Not until she is safe."

Aaron gave me a steely gaze, I had a strange feeling he also felt that I was at fault for the death of the woman who saved him. He nodded slowly, "I understand." he turned and motioned to a handful of Naval officers, all who looked as if they had been crying as they walked to take their places on the side of the casket. I couldn't hold the tears as I saw Admiral Williams come up the rear and take his spot near the end of the casket. Aaron gave the command, each officer lifting Bo up gently and taking the slow steps out into the morning rain. I walked with them, ignoring the slight downpour that quickly soaked my hat and my uniform. I walked a few steps behind Bo as they loaded her with such care into the back of the hearse. I turned to look at Grace who was sobbing in her handkerchief, Kenzi was staring at me with so much sadness and anger. I took a deep breath and walked over to them, "Grace...I am..."

Grace shook her head, "Not now, I have to get my niece home and buried." her tone was soft and gentle, as she spoke. Her eyes were locked on the hearse as the casket disappeared. When the back doors closed and Aaron started walking back over, Grace smiled tightly, "Jack is at the manor, with John. He is awaiting you patiently." she turned to look at another black car waiting, "That car will take you to him." She took Aarons hand as he helped her into the car. I looked at Kenzi to say something, she angrily shook her head at me, "Don't, she did all of this for you, even died to keep you safe so you could come home to your son." her tone had an edge to it, "Don't shit on this second chance she gave you and him." Kenzi stopped as tears took hold and she grabbed onto Aaron's hand. He went to step into the car after the two women, I grabbed his elbow, "Where is...where is Bo going."

He swallowed hard, "Too be buried next to her parents on the far end of the manor property." he clenched his jaw, "You are more than welcome to come with us, I know how much Bo loved you." he smiled tightly as a tear slid down his face, "She was one hell of a woman, I am glad you broke through some of her walls and let her live again, even if it was for a short time. You know she saved all of our lives in one way or another." he nodded to no one and quickly sat in the backseat closing the door.

I watched as the hearse and the family car drove off, I couldn't tell which were my tears and which were raindrops on my face. I raised my head up to look in the sky, closing my eyes as I let the rain soak me. After a few minutes I felt a hand on my shoulder, and an umbrella come over me, "Ma'am? I can take you to the manor if you like." I glanced at the young driver as he tried to smile warmly for my benefit. I nodded and walked with him to the car.

When we drove into the manor's driveway, the rain stopped and the sun came out to poke its rays through the clouds. I sighed as I stepped out of the car and walked up to the front door, the doors opened and my son came running at me full blast, "Mummy!" I crouched down and held my good arm out to catch him in a hug. As soon as he crashed against me, I held him tightly and lifted him up. I was crying, as I held him. He whispered against me, "You are squishing me." I laughed lightly and set him back down. He held my face in his hands, "Why are you sad? Grace has been sad too." He looked around me, "She said Bo was coming home today, is she with you?"

I had to take a breath, how could I ever tell my son that Bo was gone. And that it was my fault.