Jackson shot up out of bed, seemingly awakening his wife as her eyes opened groggily, she looked up at him, her eyes looking past him for a second to look at the clock on the wall. 1:00 AM. She mentally sighed, sitting up as she leaned over to the bedside table to turn on the lights, her eyes searching his in silence. He looked down, shaking slightly, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead as she looked at him intently. She moved to pour him a glass of water before helping him sip on the liquid before setting it back down. Her hand moved to his face, along his chiselled jaw to move his line of sight to hers. "Jack..." she breathed softly as she looked up at him, "What did you dream of Jack..." she whispered tenderly, her hand holding his now calloused one. "You died." He stumbled out, "Oh babe..." she said, bringing him into her embrace, his head resting on her shoulder as she wrapped her arms to secure his face before drawing patterns on his back with her other hand. "I'm sorry." She whispered to him lovingly, her lips kissing his forehead. She felt him let out a shaky breath. As Jackson placed a hand on her stomach. "He killed our child." He said louder after finding his voice. She looked at him knowing that this fear was deeply running in his veins, to the point where he believed that Jin or Suho would kill their future children. She placed her hand atop of his, before resting their foreheads together, her hands playing with the nape of his neck. "We will end it before it gets to that." She spoke. "I need you to be strong Jackson. Your my strength, if you fall apart I won't be able to stand strong. I need you..." she said, kissing his lips, "Please...." she breathed out. "Please stay strong. Nothing will happen to me. I'll be fine. Our future won't be impacted. We will still have one together, but we need to stay strong together." She finished. He nodded, the previous shivering halting as she pushed him gently back into the comforts of the bed. "I love you." She said clearly, and it was those three words that had the power to return his peace and restore his strength. He pulled her back to his chest, her ear listening to his heart beat as it calmed down. She looked up at him less than half an hour later grateful to see him fast asleep. And she looked at him with great admiration, especially at the way he seemingly picked himself up with ease. He was her strength through his own. He wasn't weak in any sense and Irene admired that, she admired his need to do things right, his heart forever lying in the right place and she knew that he was strong enough to destroy the whole fabric of the universe  for her. She moved her hand slightly. Yet it was that very factor that scared the shit out of her. She had a feeling, the same one she had received last time. And she knew something was about to happen. Something neither of them would be able to control. Her concern however didn't lie with that, it lay with her husband. She prayed silently, hoping he'd pick himself up if needs be. That he would let go of fighting for her. Because the reality of this was that it was a losing game. A losing game for them both.

Irene woke up after a restless night, happy that her husband had received more moments of peace that he had seemingly missed with the events that had conspired over the past months. She kissed his forehead before heading to the medical cube to go and speak to the girls who were busy with their shift coinciding with the paper work and patients that lay on the beds. She let out a contented sigh, grateful she wasn't on that side anymore. "Anyone want to come for a walk?" She asked, Wendy instantly nodding, signing of her shift before heading out with Irene, the two girls walking out the army complex, smiling brightly as their laughter rung out, each taking the piss out of each other. "How's things with Mark?" Irene asked, as they headed towards the park. "Good. We have been taking things slow, but I'm happy. He's attentive and he's loving. It took awhile to build but I'm glad we didn't rush into things. He's happy. I'm happy. And that's the only thing that matters for us right now." "The future?" Irene questioned. "I love him Rene. I'm in love with him, I think I've known for awhile and I'm genuinely better with him, he makes me want to do better, he makes me love this version of myself more and more each day and I couldn't be more grateful. The future...I see one with him. I can see us married like you and jack...a few kids. And happy. But I'm not sure if I want to be the wife of a solider. The uncertainty....I've watched you go through it with both your dad and jack and the fear that grips my heart thinking about one day he might not come home scares me. I've become dependent on him in so many ways. I couldn't handle it if he was to leave." Irene let out a breath, her eyes softening as she looked towards Wendy. "It is scary. But wends if he's the right one, you and mark will navigate your way through it, and you'll find your own way. Just take things as they come..." she said looking up at the sky that hung over them. "How about you and jack? You've been on a rollercoaster." Irene chuckled slightly. "It's better. Things have improved so much, and I'm happy for once, he is an attentive lover and it's amazing at the way he loves me. Months ago I could never see us like this. I thought I was tied in game that I couldn't win but he won. He makes me feel special every moment of the day and he has done so much to prove the words that I had no belief in. I love him...."She said, as a million dollar smile broke on Wendy's face. "I don't love him because he loves me, I love him because he is captivating. Ever since the first time I met him, the connection we shared was strong. He's like the other half to me. When I'm angry he's calm and when he's angry I'm calm. He's like the fire to my ice. When I become too cold he has the capability to warm my heart up enough and when his flames become too wild my ice is strong enough to calm him down. I love him because I find that I'm a better person whenever I'm with him. I have this peace in my heart that i can't explain when I'm with him. When he's not there, I feel like a half of me is physically missing, I can't think straight when he's not around, I find myself looking for him, always and when he holds me in his arms I know I'm home. I love him wends more then I thought I could ever love someone. He's given me so much, a family that I always craved for, a love that I would not only die for but more importantly I would live for him. His soul...it's humbling to see him with people, with his job, the way he puts his life on the line for something he loves. I admire that in him. He has this fire in him, a passion that burns with everything he does and it's that, that I can't help but love every second of the day. I see him with kids and I can see this being our reality. I want to be the one to give him children, I want to be the mother of his children as the next step of our journey and it's those possibilities of our future that make everyday worthwhile. It makes me hang on for him. Because I love him." She finished, tears glistening in her eyes her heart softening to see the same tears in Wendy's eyes. Wendy pulled her into a hug. "I'm so glad your happy Rene." Irene smiled "I'm happy your happy too wends." She finished, the two smiling as they continued their walk. "Also I recorded that entire declaration." Wendy said cheekily.

In any other situation she would have chased Wendy and made her delete it but that burning sensation in her stomach prevented her from doing so. She looked down with a small smile. "And if it comes  to it, give it to him." She said. Wendy's face dropped. "Rene what do you mean?" Irene continued walking. "I feel like something is about to happen, and if I don't get to say those words to him, promise me wends that you will." "But Rene..." "Wends please..." she said, the desperation clear in her voice. "I promise."her best friend uttered, as Irene hugged her. "Thank you wends. And thank you for being with me through it all. Tell the girls I said the same. Before I had Jackson and his family I had you guys. And you will forever be my sisters." "Rene..." Irene smiled at her softly. "Let's go." She said.

As the two girls headed back in silence, black cars surrounded them. And Irene knew; this time she wouldn't be able to escape. She looked to Wendy. "Call Jackson." She said as Wendy did just that, Irene waiting for the men to pour out the car, just as Wendy ended the call. Irene needed to stall. And as she heard the end of the call, she waited to be approached standing in front of Wendy as a shield. "Stay behind me." Wendy nodded. As Irene waited. Men clad in black rushed forward to grab her, Irene instantly activating her kill mode. She grabbed ones wrist twisting it back before shooting her leg to jab him. She did a round house kick, before moving up in a fast movement to floor the third man who approached her. Irene looked towards them. She knew it was best not to fight too much. She needed to save her energy for what she would be dealing with, and for Wendy's benefit she had to make it out like she had tried. She gave them an opening and she felt handcuffs being placed on her hands followed by duck tape. The army car pulled up moments later. Irene taking a note out of her coat before throwing it to Wendy with a silent message. She let them haul her up as Jackson and the boys aimed their guns at them. She breathed a ragged breath when their eyes met and she hoped he caught onto the silent apology. Wendy was let free and told to run, before someone from the opposition shot her leg. Irene screamed against the ductape, the men struggling to keep her back, as Jackson and mark crouched down. A car door opened revealing Jin, who smirked, taking out his handkerchief before walking towards them to tie Wendy's wound. Irene heard Wendy grunt out in pain. As Jackson glared at Jin. "Enough with the playing." Said a booming voice and Irene knew exactly who it was. He stood, clad in black suit with sunglasses covering his eyes. Jackson looked towards Irene and with one look he knew who this was. Her nightmare was standing in the flesh. She closed her eyes momentarily before returning to the scene. Suho whipped of his glasses before eyeing Jackson up with a disgusted look. He walked back to the car. "Stop playing with the food Jin. Get her in the car." He said. Jin smirked as he looked up to Jackson. "Don't worry Wang. We will take care of your wife." Jackson's eyes widened as they flashed to Irene's who had widened. She was in for it. And they both knew ultimately her fate had been sealed. Jackson passed her a look before setting his sights back onto Jin. "What do you want?" He seethed. "Other than your destruction, well your wife." Jackson's fists clenched in anger, "Shut the fuck up!" He shouted. "Now now now, no need for the anger. I have what I wanted Wang. You should plan what your going to do. Who's the next  candidate for the title of being your wife? Youngji?" He chuckled at Jackson's face before standing and retreating back to their cars. Jackson forced to helplessly watch as his wife was taken. Wendy looked up at him handing him the note, his glistening eyes focusing in on the words. 'I love you. But let me go.' He looked back up, seeing her turn, with tears in her eyes. And he knew she was scared. He shook his head, he wasn't leaving her, and he was adamant to tell her just that. She caught it and closed her eyes, the tears slipping out. Jackson's eyes trialed after the car, his fists tightly clenched. War had officially been declared.

TBC

Authors note:
Hey guys. Hope your enjoying the story. We are reaching the climax so I hope that you like what I have planned for this. Let me know what your thoughts are in the comment section below. Lots of love and best wishes to you all. Stay safe x