All the air in my lungs rushed out in a breath I didn't even know I was holding. A weight lifted from my shoulders and tears welled in my eyes from sheer relief. He believed me. And he called me Ladybug.
"What do we do now?" he asked. He smiled and wiped the tears from my cheek.
"We're about two and a half hours from the Mexico border. We run," I said simply. I couldn't have kept the smile off my face if someone had paid me. He believed me. We were going to be together.
Tony took a deep, shaky breath and twisted his hat in his hands. "That means I'll have to leave Dean and Matt. I'll be considered a deserter. Can't I just go with them and just not go to work that day? Be sick or something?"
I shook my head sadly. "No. The Fountain said that if you step foot in that country, your fate is sealed. You have to leave them."
He closed his eyes, debate clearly raging in his mind. I hoped my position was winning. "I hate the idea of leaving them."
"But you'll be alive," I countered gently. He opened his eyes as if the argument in his head was finally decided.
"And I'll be with you." He smiled and touched my cheek again. His brows tightened and he glanced out the window toward the base. "Will they be okay without me? I mean, if I'm not there, what's going to happen to them?"
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "They survive it the first time, though. I would imagine they will survive it again. They were injured mostly because they tried so hard to save you."
Tony looked out the window for another moment before turning back to me. He smiled, putting his faith in me completely. "Let's do this then. My bag's packed, I just need to go get it."
I frowned. "How are you going to leave an army base with your duffel bag when you're on high alert?"
He shrugged. "I think you met the gate guard yesterday. He talked about you at the poker game last night. He said I was a lucky guy, and I think he believed it. I believed it too. I was so lucky that I won $200 from him." He grinned at me again. "I gave it back to him to look the other way today."
I leaned over and kissed him. He was coming, and we were going to make it. As long as we made it to the Mexico border, he was safe.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you," I whispered as we pulled apart. I wanted to cry in relief. I wanted to stand on the roof of the car and whoop for joy. I was going to be with my Tony.
"Enough that you apparently traveled back in time to come get me," he said. His eyes met mine, warm and brown like a sunlit wooded glade. Like the picture I had been trying to paint. "You know I love you, right?"
I nodded, unable to find the words. Words were inadequate. I kissed him again, sending happiness straight down through my toes. He left me breathless and full of joy.
"I love you, too," I finally managed to whisper. He chuckled and kissed the tip of my nose.
"I'll be right back," he said, reaching for the car door. "Can I leave a note for them? I don't want anything to happen to Dean and Matt."
"I never really got the details. It was a top secret mission. You were supposed to guard someone important in January. No one would tell me anything else. I guess, just tell them to expect the worst on the missions in January." I shrugged. I had dug for more, but it was still classified top secret. Part of the pain of his death was not knowing anything about it.
He nodded gravely. "I love you," he said one last time before opening the door.
"I love you," I said as he stood up and closed the car door. I watched him walk back onto the base and leaned back in my chair to wait for his return.
***
The next ten minutes were the longest of my life. My brain went through every possible scenario as I waited for him to return.
He changed his mind. He was really just seeing if I had somehow gotten top secret info and is actually telling his commander. He ran into Dean and Matt, and they convinced him to stay. He fell and broke his leg walking in to get his stuff.
I almost drove the car to the gate at least five times before looking at my watch and telling myself that I just needed to give him time. Logically, I knew that he needed more than thirty seconds to walk to his room and gather his things, but every second that passed just made me more nervous. I was terrified that he was going to change his mind or get caught. We were so close to being together that every minute spent waiting was torture.
My foot tapped restlessly against the floor of the car until I finally saw him emerge from the gate. He had his green duffel-bag slung over his shoulder and a broad grin plastered across his face. I popped the trunk and he tossed his bag inside.
Tony opened the door and immediately kissed me. I could smell the heat of the sun on him from walking back and forth. It was like he brought heaven with him.
"I told them I was going to go spend some time with my girl," he said with a wink. "No one will look for me for at least a day."
"Then it's a good thing that we can get to the Mexican border in just a couple of hours," I replied and put the car in reverse.
"Then start driving, Ladybug." He leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable. He grinned at me. "I'm looking forward to some authentic tacos."