The Punisher and The Assassin

Epilogue

(TW: mention of suicide)

All Alex could do was dream of him. Nothing felt real except for the memories and dreams she had of him. Memories seemed to plague her mind-- all she could do was be haunted by him.

"Al," he whispered into her ear waking her up. He kissed her temple.

"What?" She murmured half asleep.

"Wake up."

"Why."

"I need to tell you something."

"That's what daylight is for." Alex looked up at him leaning over her.

"Shut up," the corner of his lips quirked up as he met her eyes.

"No you. Please I'm begging." Alex signed rolling away.

"Alex." He whispered pleadingly. Slightly alarmed at his tone she rolled over to face him propping herself up with her elbow. He did the same facing her with a fragile smile.

"What?" She asked suspiciously.

"I love you." He spilled out quickly. Alex almost wanted to roll her eyes and go back to bed. She already knew he loved her. It was obvious to everyone even her, but this was the first time he had admitted it.

"Look, I have a lot of regrets in life, but I don't want you to become one. So I love you and I just–I don't know. I just want to–" No. It wasn't marriage on his mind. He just wanted to be allowed to have her in this thoughts always, he wanted to reach out for her always, he wanted more time with her always. And he wanted to admit that to himself and to her. But nothing about those three words seemed to describe how he felt about her.

Recognizing how hard this was for Frank, Alex placed a hand on his chest. "Frank, I love you too. No one will ever know me like you do." Alex admitted. Frank's permanent scowl lifted. His hand rested on her cheek. He pulled her closer and kissed her. Tomorrow she would leave for somewhere unknown to him, but she would come back to him. And that was all he would ever admit to needing, and now she knew it. They would never have a forever, mortality weighed heavy. But what was forever anyway? The minutes together had to be enough.

Relaxing on the hotel bed staring up at the ceiling the ghost of Frank laid next to her. He laid there with his arms crossed behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankle, a small smile on his lips too. Alex looked next to her unsure what to do and wondering if she truly lost her mind. He consumed her thoughts. She was on her way back to New York after Karen's awful letter. She rolled on to her side away from his ghost that couldn't be real and the world shifted. One second later there was a couple screaming in her room like she was the one who scared them. Getting up from the bed she looked for Frank's ghost. He was gone, but the couple was yelling for her to get out now.

After finally understanding what The Blimp was she called her mother and siblings. Alex was ready to go home instead of going to New York now. She had been missing for 6 years. She sat in a new rental car which she fought tooth and nail to get and looked at the passenger side. Frank's ghost sat in the passenger seat staring back at her. He wasn't smiling nor scowling but still looked concerned. She could almost feel the touch of his hand on hers. If he had really been there, she imagined he would have brought her hand up to his lips and told her to relax. But somehow she dreamed, and now it had been 6 years now since he died.

"Won't you leave me alone?" She mumbled starting the car. She could almost hear his laugh. Cancelling on her family, she decided that New York it was. It was time to bury Frank Castle and to release whatever his ghost needed. As much as it would hurt, grieving is not something a person is supposed to do forever.