Love & War

Chapter 18

A/N: So sorry for the delay, still going through some family issues, I am going to try to update more often though. Ok, this is a bit of a short sad chapter, sorry again, but I do hope you enjoy it!

(Third Person- With Tom)

It’s been a month and a half since Anna and her team has been taken. Two weeks ago, the Navy listed them as casualties of war and they were holding a memorial for them tomorrow morning.

Tom threw himself into his work; he worked himself into exhaustion so he wouldn’t have to let himself think about it, he just couldn’t fathom why they weren’t looking harder. Ranger kept him and Chris in the loop as much as he could. Ranger was adamant that even though the military gave up, Belle Securities had not.

RDJ, Scarlett, Mark, Chris Evans, Jeremy and Chris Hemsworth were gathered in Tom’s room tonight, they would rarely leave him by himself anymore. They always made sure he ate something, even if it was only a few bites. The only time he slept was when his body was too tired to continue.  

But tonight was different, tomorrow was the memorial service and tonight they were running a news special about the Valkyrie team members. Three weeks ago, the media had connected the dots and linked Anna to Chris and him, meaning the media started to swarm them about everything. They had put filming on hold for 3 weeks after the initial incident and they were giving them some time for the memorial. No one had been their normal selves since they got the news.

Tom sat on the couch with Hemsworth on one side and Scarlett on the other, and when the special came on, they each grabbed one of his hands. Tom started to silently cry when Anna’s military personnel picture came on screen, along with the rest of the team photos. As the reporter talked they showed candid pictures of each of the team members, pictures of them growing up and pictures of them together as a group. Then they showed a picture of Anna and Tom together, someone had taken a picture of them kissing when he went over there to visit her.

Tom jumped off the couch, he couldn’t watch this anymore, he didn’t think his heart could break anymore. He went to stand on the balcony, put his hands on the railing, leaning his head down when he felt someone stand behind him.

“You doing ok?” RDJ asked him.

“No, no I’m not. I feel like my heart is ripping out of my chest.”

“I’m so sorry, Tom. I can’t even imagine. I liked her, obviously, she was so carefree and fun.”

“Don’t. Don’t say was. We can’t think like that, she’s still alive. I know she is. I just can’t give up. She’s my forever, she’ll come back.” Tom is crying even harder as RDJ pulls him into a hug, trying to pat him on the back. They walk back inside just as the news is showing a video of Anna and her team from a couple of years ago, it was a home video of them at a barbeque or something. He watched as Anna was joking around with Charlie, when he picked her up over his shoulder, turning and running away from the camera and threw her into the pool. She came up out of the water with a grin on her face.

Without saying anything, Tom walks to his room and falls into the bed. He can’t sleep so he just stares at the ceiling. He can hear the door open and close and his friends saying goodbye to each other. He knows one of them is staying, that’s how it’s been for a month. He closes his eyes, when he opens them the daylight is streaming through the crack in the curtain. I guess I ended up getting some sleep, he thinks to himself.

Chris Evans walks in his room carrying a garment bag, “Hey, we have to get ready for the memorial. Do you need anything from me?” Tom shakes his head as he makes his way to the bathroom.

Within an hour, his room is filled with his friends again. They make their way to the car that’s going to take them to the memorial site.

When they are walking up, they notice the media on the outskirts of the group as a grey haired man in full military uniform comes up to Chris Hemsworth wrapping him into a tight hug.

“General Stevens, I’m so sorry for your loss.” Stevens shakes his head.

“I’m going to present you with Anna’s flag, you were more her family than I was. You know our relationship has been strained since she was young,” her father doesn’t sound phased that he may have lost his daughter.  “You must be the young man she was seeing, if you want you can stand with Chris.” He gives Tom a look of disgust.

Soon the memorial starts, Tom and Chris are standing with her father with the four other families. They have the navy personnel photos of each member set up on five different crosses in the ground at the front. Ten navy service men walk out in pairs, every other one holding a folded flag, each pair stands in front of a photo. Most of the service went by in a blur, but Tom remembers someone, he thinks it was Commander Elliot, making a speech about the group and how much of asset each member was and how missed they will be. He remembers seeing each pair unfold and refold the flags, while 7 people off to the side shoot 3 shots each. The person with the folded flag turns to present it to the family members, saluting each person. Anna’s father receives her flag, salutes and turns to Chris, presenting him with her flag and salutes once more. What took so long seemed so short.

Afterwards people are milling around, talking amongst themselves, when Tom feels himself drawn to Anna’s photo. He walks over to the grave marker and drops to his knees, tears falling once more.  You’re my forever, I refuse to give up. Please just come back to me, he silently pleas.