To Hell and Back // Alex Keller.

Storm on a sunny day.

Bright green leaves lazily danced with the wind in the heat of a summer day. The sky seemed endless, while not even a single cloud floated along the blue canvas. Bird's songs rarely could be heard from the darkest corner of the forest, as every living soul was hiding away from the heat. The heatwave turned everything around it into a ghost town. Once welcoming homes were closed shut from the visitors, the thick curtains and blinds kept the sunrays away from the chilly rooms. Blooming flowers were kissing the ground, as the soil was getting dryer with each passing hour.

Wind entered the small car through an open window, just to play with the long, fiery hair of a woman. The fan was blowing right into Kelly's face, but it was helpless against the afternoon heat. Ice in a tall cup melted a long time ago, creating a fog on the thin plastic walls, trying to keep a hint of cold water inside of it. Her freckles got more noticeable,as the sun rays kissed the skin on the woman's face. A lonely breeze of fresh air felt like a glass of cold water in this weather, giving Miller strength to reach Keller's house faster. The ground felt sizzling hot even through the shoes, as a redhead hurried to hide away from the heat in the cool walls of the old place.

"Alex?" Her voice echoed through the empty rooms of the house. Kelly made a few steps inside, closing the tall, wooden door behind her. Curiously, the gaze of the hazel eyes travelled around, trying to find the man. The house felt unusually quiet, and for a split moment, Miller wondered if she was greeted by the emptiness.

"Hey, Kel." It felt as if Keller's voice appeared out of nowhere. The kitchen counter was hiding his tall silhouette from a redhead. A fragile porcelain cup sat in the strong hand of an officer, as he watched the woman from afar, wondering how long it would take her to find him in the distance of a few meters. A hint of a smile stayed on the man's face, despite the continued physical pain that seemed to eventually become a part of him.

"Where are your crunches? Do you need help?" Kelly needed a moment to finally realize that Alex was right there, in front of her eyes. At the back of her mind, a woman blamed her blindness on the heat. For the first time, the height difference between the two was noticeable. Redhead raised her eyes at the officer, catching the absence of crunches right away. The surprise, with the mixture of emotions, was written all over Miller's pale face. A note of worry flew out into the thin air out of her mouth with the words.

"Not anymore." The man turned towards her, towering over the small figure of a woman, and finally uncovering the reason for the absence of the crunches. The emptiness of his left leg was taken over by the prosthetics, as Keller was slowly getting used to being in control of his own body all over again. His steps were slow and careful, but both of them knew that everything comes with time. A bitter taste mixed with the sweetness of an old life stayed on Alex's tongue ever since he stepped on the cold ground of the house with the prosthetic leg.

"Oh my, Keller! I'm so happy you finally got it!" Kelly's face brightened up, as she watched Alex walking towards her with no help of the crunches. A sudden wave of emotions took her by surprise like a storm. Throughout her life, a woman had trouble hiding everything that was happening inside of her mind. Instead, it was written all over her face.

A shadow of surprise stayed on Keller's face, as he felt the arms of a woman wrapping around his shoulders in a strong,yet warm embrace. The officer found himself off guard when the fresh citrus scent of her fiery red hair reached his nose. Hesitantly, Alex held Kelly's body closer to his, as his hands found their place around her waist. The veins over the tattooed hands of the man seemed more noticeable, as the two stayed in the arms of each other. Miller closed her eyes, feeling the hot breath of the officer on her skin. Two souls craving closure were doomed to eventually find it when they least expected it. At the end of the day, even the most independent person needs the comfort of the other person.Kelly felt as if the weight of the last year fell off her shoulders, as Keller held her closer to his strong body. But,everything good ends eventually. The distance slowly grew between the two bodies, as nothing but silence was present in the kitchen in the rays of the sun.

"You can finally escape this house and enjoy the 4th of July." Redhead's voice cut through the quietness of the room, as the cold water filled the cup to the brim. The hot weather suddenly took a woman under its power, bringing a sudden feeling of thirst to her body. Or was it the weather?

"You can join me in this escape too, Kelly." Keller leaned against the countertop of the kitchen, letting his leg feel a moment of rest. The officer did not know the meaning of steady recovery. A couple of hours on foot turned into the whole day, as the fire of motivation was burning inside of the man's chest. It's been a long time since Alex was back home for the 4th of July, and Alex Keller was never a man who missed the opportunities. Celebrating America before leaving for the other side of the world sounded like the best plan for the officer.

"As if you don't get enough of my company already, Alex." A soft giggle escaped out of Kelly's lips, as the hint of blush was painted all over her cheeks. British National Day was a week away from them, and celebrating the country that wasn't her home felt wrong to Miller at some point. White dry wine was chilling in her fridge far away back home, ready to be a part of a lonely celebration with the redhead. But, every plan has its tendency to fail.

"I'll take this as yes from you, ma'am. " Alex caught the look of the hazel eyes on his face, forcing the eye contact between the two. He winked at a woman, not leaving her much room to protest any further. If the officer was going to celebrate America, it wasn't going to be in his own company.

After all, the locals always know best how to party, right?

Did we all know that Alex's height is 6'1 (185 cm)???? BIG BOOOOY. Okay, the fact that keeps me up at night (or not) is that Alex, Graves, and I are all Pisces lol, and I am the smallest fish out of them all. The fact that the internet says Graves' birthday is the 5th of March when mine is the 6th, is even funnier. Okay, I'm back from deluly land. Sorry for the short chapter, it was quite a mentally complicated day for me. Eternally grateful for every single one of you, and I hope you are enjoying the story. Have a great week everyone!