545A/N - This wouldn't leave my head until I got it out. I just did this quickly during my lunch break so it isn't beta'd all mistakes are mine. I don't own em...wish I did. I'm keeping this chapter here even though it is now the Shattered one shot since reviews might not make sense later.
Chapter 1 - Shattered
"Bomber, its Bobby, can you come to Haywood? He's back, but he isn't himself. I'm worried. Please, Steph, he needs you."
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Six weeks in hell. The things he'd seen and done wouldn't leave his mind. Images bombarding him as he continued to punch the bag, desperate to make the vision go away. The faces of the innocents who had been killed and he'd been powerless to stop it. He was too late….
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She went to the gym. Bobby told her that he'd been there for hours. The look of anguish on his face broke her heart. The guys were hovering just outside in case he lost it with her, but Stephanie wasn't afraid, he would never hurt her. She knew he loved her.
As she moved towards him, he stopped mercilessly punching the bag, closed his eyes, stiffened his stance and looked at her with the blank face.
"What are you doing here, Stephanie? You need to leave. Now."
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Please leave before I taint you with my darkness, he thought to himself. He saw the hurt in her eyes. He never wanted to hurt her. He wanted to love her, even if it was from afar. But he wasn't worthy of even that now…..
He saw as she covered the hurt at his dismissal and steel herself as she moved closer and reached out to him. What was she doing? Doesn't she realize the monster he has become?
"Don't. Please don't touch me. I can't bear it if you touch me….." he looked away from her. He couldn't look in her eyes or at her beautiful face because he wasn't worthy of her light.
Then he felt it, her light touch on his face and he shattered.
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Stephanie watched as the soldier in front of her crumbled and fell to the floor in tears. She sat down next to him and pulled him into her arms. She held the broken man who had seen and done too much. His anguished cries tore into her very soul, as she held onto him and stroked his hair. She tried to absorb his pain and take some of the torment away.
She would never know what had happened during his mission, but she knew it was horrible and something no one should have to experience.
"Shhhh, it is ok. I've got you now. It will be alright. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but soon and I'll help you get there. We all will. We're here for you. We all love you."
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Her light enveloped and overwhelmed him. For the first time after a mission, he felt that he'd truly come home. That is what she was to him, she was home, but one he didn't deserve.
He wanted to push her away. Tell her again to leave, but he couldn't. He was too selfish. He clung to her like he was drowning in the ocean and she was his lifeline. He never wanted to let her go.
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After several hours, she felt him drift off to sleep. She continued to stroke his hair and whisper soothing things to him. Once she was sure he was out, she motioned her hand at Bobby to come in.
"He's asleep. Do you think we can move him?" she asked, concerned that he'd wake up and be disoriented if they did.
"Tank will take him upstairs. We can handle him if he wakes up," Bobby replied as he motioned for his friend.
Once he was lifted into Tank's arms, Bobby helped her to her feet and she followed them. Once upstairs, Bobby opened the door and Tank carried him into the bedroom and Stephanie turned down the covers before Tank lowered him into the bed.
As she covered him up, he stirred and grabbed her hand and held it to his chest. "Please don't leave me," he whispered.
She looked at Bobby and Tank and indicated with her head that they could leave. "I'm not leaving you. I promise."
"I love you, Beautiful."
A/N 2 - Did that surprise you?