You'll Always Be The One

Chapter 12: The GRIEF

"Teresa, omg my darling you are safe, thank god!" says Tara with a relief and hugs Teresa.

Blake notices that her daughter Teresa is not hugging Tara properly nor is responding in any other way, her face looks pale, like she has cried. He asked,

"What happened dear? Why do you look so pale? And where is Jessica?"

"Yes where is she?" asks Tara

"Mom, dad" says Teresa and a tear flows down her eye.

"What happened Teresa? Where is Jessica? Will someone answer me, where is my daughter? Is she safe? Asher, where is Asher?" she asked and noticed that Asher was standing back there, at the entrance, Tara ran towards her, holding her hands, she asked her desperately,

"Asher dear, everyone is here. You bought them all back, safely as promised..but where is Jessica? Where is she?"

Asher couldn't answer her anything, what would she even say her, that her daughter is dead? That Kai killed her! That she couldn't save her! That she failed her duty? She failed them all.

"Aunt, Jessica..s..he is dead" says Elijah with a heavy heart.

"What?" Tara couldn't believe what Elijah just said; that her daughter is dead? She is no more?

"Are you kidding me?" Tara laughs.
She continues  "Tell me you are joking and that you all kids are playing some sort of prank on us? Tell me, please tell me where is my daughter? Where is sheee?" Tara cried out, her vision gets blur and she falls down, but Asher holds her on time and saves her head from hitting the floor.

"Mom..mom" Teresa runs towards Tara, and takes her in her arms, she tries to call her down and says,

"Elijah is saying the truth, Jess..sh..e is dead" exclaims Teresa with a heavy heart.

"How? How did this all happen?" asks Blake with a heavy heart.

"Kai shot her, he killed her" says Justin looking at Teresa.

"No it was all Asher's fault. If she would have made a good plan and not bring her gang along; maybe Jessica would have been alive today, it's all her fault" says Teresa

"No no my daughter. She cannot be dead. No..no Jessica dear come back please. Please please get her back. Please get Jessica back, I know she is not dead; not yet..n..o please no" cries out Tara

"Mom please, please don't cry. I can't see you like this please" says Teresa

"Dad" says Teresa and went to Blake; she hugs him tight; cries in his arms like a baby. But Blake just pats her shoulder and doesn't reacts in another way.

"Let's prepare for the funeral of my daughter" says Blake

"Blake" said Tara getting up from the floor. She slowly walks towards him; she holds his hand and says,

"Blake" says Tara

"Tara our daughter wouldn't be happy to see us in this situation; she wouldn't want her sacrifice to go for nothing. I want her to have the best funeral; so let's prepare for it" exclaims Blake.

Tara wipes off her tears and,
"Yes..you are right, we should prepare for her funeral"

"You go and get fresh, till then I will make a few calls to our relatives. Teresa take your mother upstairs" says Blake and goes!

Meanwhile everyone went to prepare for the funeral. The funeral will be held the other morning!
Meanwhile Asher and Justin were still in the hall; they look at each other and Asher walks up the stairs to her room.

Asher's room
The door was already opened but yet Justin knocks, she looks at him but doesn't responds.

"Care to share your thoughts with me?" Says Justin but she still remains silent.

"Asher it was not your fault, please don't blame yourself baby. If someone is to be blamed for Jessica's death, then it's me; because I was..the One who didn't listen to your orders, i followed you and that's where I made a mistake. Kai was angry because I was there. He lost his shit because of me and killed Jessica, so I am the one to be blamed for everything not you"

"Really? No..no Justin. You are not at all to be blamed. It was me who was leading this mission not you, it was me who allowed you to come along, follow me. I made a mistake. I shouldn't have lead this mission, I should've let dad lead it. What sort of a leader am I when I can't protect my own family, when I couldn't fulfil the promise I made to aunt Tara. The..y didn't even once blamed me for the death of their daughter"

"They didn't because they know it wasn't your fault"

"It was, it was my fault only. I am the reason Jessica is dead. It should've been me who should've been dead, not her. That bullet was for me not her.. Justin h...er la..st words were "don't worry it's not your fault". How isn't it? It is my fault that my cousin is dead. Though they won't say it by words but I know it, that I failed as a leader, I failed everyone"

"You didn't Asher. You didn't. Mistakes happens, no human is perfect, we both made a mistake and as I said it earlier we both will face the consequences together"

"No you won't. I made a mistake and I shall bare the consequences alone" says Asher

"You are not alone in this, I am with you Asher. I am always with you"

The more Justin tried making me convince the more I felt bad. Why would he want to be blamed for the mistake I made? I am responsible for Jessica's death, she is dead because of me. I..I feel bad for them; Aunt Tara and Uncle Blake had high hopes from me, i broke my promise. I couldn't save their daughter. I am not a good leader. My emotions took over me when it should've, i shouldn't have allowed Justin to follow me, I should have gone according to the plan I made. I should've have gone alone to Kai. My one mistake took away a very important person from us.

While I lay myself on the bed for hours, uncomfortably but wasn't able to catch any sleep because it hurt me to see Asher like this; she didn't sleep the whole night. She was sitting in the balcony all alone. She was in her own thoughts, blaming herself for everything. She is not ready to understand that it was not her fault alone; I made a mistake too. I shouldn't have forced her to let me follow her. I shouldn't come there with her. I made a huge mistake and now she has to pay for it. Teresa blames her for Jessica's death and I am sure others may be too, though no one will say her because they know their words shall break her enough when she already is.

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