AN: A little one-shot, by me.

The smoke, the ashes.... it was too much. I raise a hand to shield my eyes. That's when I realize that he wasn't holding my hand anymore.

I froze. I knew I should have continued running, or answered to Cammie and Zach's frantic yelling in my comms. But I froze. And remembered.

We were running. It was a race. We were young and careless and I was winning, but then I stopped. His footsteps behind me had stopped, and I was going to win-fair and square-not because that boy had let me win. The I felt his lips on mine, and my heart ran the race for me....

Tears. I expected tears, but nothing came. These memories hurt, tore at my heart.... So why wasn't I crying?

We were sitting by the lake, bathed in moonlight. We had just waved goodbye to Zach and Cammie, who were on their way to their honeymoon, and I was melancholy. There would be no more "Girl's Nights" in or out. All my friends had someone special in their lives, except me. I was still unengaged. Then he spoke.

"Hey Bex?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad you're not the kinda girl who wants to marry Prince Charming and get swept off to fairy-tale land."

"Fairy Tale Land?"

"Just bear with me."

"Hmm, okay. But why?"

"Because I wanna be your Prince Charming. I wanna make your fairy tale come true."

I saw the glittering ring and then I screamed.

I felt like screaming again, but for a totally different reason.

I remembered pulling him to the door. I was panicking. Our attackers were in the building. We needed to get out. We couldn't die. We were getting married net week.

I remember vaguely hearing a gun shot. Suddenly, running became easier. I thought it was because he was running with me. I never considered the possibility that he had let go.

I was trembling, shaking. I heard my best friend screaming. She wanted me to come out. But I walked back to him.

She was pleading with me now. I was the most important thing to her, she couldn't live without me. I expected Zach to crack a joke, but even he was silent.

Through the haze I saw the body, and ran to it, collapsing next to it.

It was Grant. His hair was matted with blood, and he was lying in a pool of it.

Finally, I cried. I cried, and cried. I screamed and threw myself over him. I begged for death, but it wouldn't come. Grant's murderer's were gone.

And then I realized it. I was gone too. Without Grant, I was nothing.

With grim determination, I took the comms out of my ears and shut it off, knowing it would be the last time I heard my friend's voices. I placed the comms on Grant's chest and kissed his forehead, knowing it would be the last time I saw him.

I stood up, ready to start a new life for myself. I took of my engagement ring and strung it onto the necklace I wore around my neck.

I walked away without a second glance. I knew that the news in the Agency the next morning would be that Rebecca Baxter and Grant Newman had died on their mission. I didn;t care.

~15 years later~

I'm waiting patiently for the verdict of my latest case. I'm currently a criminal lawyer in California. I'm far from home.

"The verdict is final! The court finds Micheal Georges to be guilty of the murder of Nick Watman, and sentences him to a life in jail!"

My team errupts into cheers of triumph, and hugs are passed around. I feel the glare of Sara Powell, Micheal's fiancee, on my back, but ignore it. I feel no sympathy for her.

My team is still cheering and I manage to sneak out of the courtroom, and begin the long solitary walk out the courthouse doors. I smile. I still got it.

I throw open the doors and am immediatly swarmed by a mob of reporters. I'm so caught up in my memories that I ignore them, until one of them calls out. "Ms. Newman!"

I'm jolted back into reality and remember that these memories are Rebeca Baxter's memories. My name is Alyssa Newman, legal attorney.

I look for the reporter who called me and step back as she approaches.

"How could you do this to Sara? She was going to live her happily ever after with him!"

I stare at her shocker, remembering him.

His laugh, his smile, his touch. His kiss.

I wanna be your Prince Charming. I wanna make your fairytale come true.

I smile, remove my glasses and respond.

"Well miss, I don't believe in fairy tales."

I begin walking away when she calls after me. "Why not?

I feel a small smirk tug at my lips as I answer her, never turning around.

"Because 'happily ever after' doesn't exist."