Let's Try it Again

Beginning of Our End

A/N: Major character death

She sighed and opened her eyes, squinting at the sunshine that branded her eyelids. She put an arm over her eyes and listened to the birds in the tree outside her window.

It was almost spring. The snow was melting and the days were getting warmer. She lifted up her hand to see the glint of the ring and she let out a sigh. The past few months, Amelia and Bryan finally set a wedding date for June and she realized she hadn't done anything for the wedding. She just had no motivation what's so ever. And lately, all she and Bryan ever did anymore was fight about her job.

Today her and Ali were going to the mall to do some dress shopping and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why she was so hesitant. She loved Bryan, that much was sure, but she couldn't wrap her mind around why she wasn't as excited as she should have been.

With another sigh, she threw the covers off of her and sat up in bed and noticed the note lying on the pillow next to her. She reached over and grabbed it.

"I love you with all my heart and soul. I love waking up next to you and can't wait to spend my life with you. I love you, B."

She smiled and placed the note on the nightstand and walked over to her dresser and grabbed some jeans and a blue sweater and took a quick shower.

She walked downstairs to see that Ali was sitting at the table, looking through a bridal magazine. Amelia let out a yawn. "Morning."

Ali smiled and looked up. "I think I picked out a maid of honor dress." She held up the magazine and pointed to a lavender dress.

Amelia smiled and walked to the coffee pot and grimaced at the smell. She passed on the coffee and walked to the fridge and opened it up,surprised that nothing sounded good. "That's beautiful."

Ali dog eared the page and stood up from the table and looked at her watch. "Well, we better get moving. I hear this store can be a mad house."

Amelia grabbed a muffin off the table. "Sure."

***
The arrived at the Atrium Mall an hour later and Amelia parked her Mustang in the covered parking lot and the girls walked into the elevator.

"So, are you excited about the cruise?"

Amelia was flipping through some racks of bathing suites and she shrugged. "Sounds OK, I guess."

Ali smiled and held up a blue and white bikini. "OK? It sounds fantastic. Four days of sun and fun, sounds awesome." She noticed the frown on Amelia's face. "What is wrong?"

Amelia put a bikini back on the rack. "I don't know. Bryan and I had a fight about it the other day. He doesn't want me to go."

"Well, that's just stupid," Ali said as she selected the bikini. "Why?"

Amelia shrugged. "He didn't really say. I think when we get married, he wants me to quit my job."

Ali frowned. "Well, that's not right."

Amelia grabbed a purple string bikini and walked to the cash wrap. "I know. I'm just tired of fighting about it. Maybe I should take a break for a while."

Ali noticed Amelia grabbed her stomach. "Are you OK?"

Amelia smiled as she handed the sales associate her card. "Yeah. I'm fine."

After purchasing bathing suites, the two girls realized they were hungry, so they walked to the food court, which was packed with shoppers. Amelia put her bags on the table and sat down. '

"Why don't you get yours first? I need to sit down for a minute."

Ali nodded. "Just tell me what you need, I'll get it." She noticed that Amelia's face was pale.

Amelia shrugged. "What ever is fine."

She watched as Ali walked towards Saborro's and she put her hands on the table and let out a huge sigh. She didn't want to express to Ali her fears. She was afraid she was pregnant. She was a month and a half late and she was scared to death. Scared because there was a possibility it was his.

She was taken out of her thoughts when she heard several loud pops. She looked around to see no one had reacted and she figured some kids had set off some firecrackers.

But that changed, when she heard screams erupt around her and the crowd around her table began to spread. There she saw a man dressed in all black, with a black ball cap walk into the middle of the food court. He pointed something in the air and she heard the loud pops again.

Her heart thudded in her chest as it took her a second to realize he was firing a gun. The man pointed the gun into the crowd and fired. Several people fell and the crowd began to run and scream.

Several people pushed her table and she was knocked out of her chair and kicked as they ran past her. She covered her head up with her hands as she heard the pops again and a man fell down next to her, blood coming out of his chest.

Amelia let out a small scream and she tried to get up, but was knocked to the ground by several people. In the food court was several trees and they were only a few feet from her, but it might as well been five miles.

She crawled to the tree, where several people were hiding. Her heart thudded in her chest as she heard the screams and the pops. She looked around the food court, trying to see if she could see Ali, but all Amelia could see was mayhem.

The man was walking up to shoppers, pointing the gun at them and firing. Tears came to Amelia's eyes as she frantically looked around the court, trying to find some way of escape.

A mother and a child were next to her and they were both crying. Amelia's hands shook as she took out her cell phone and flipped it open and dialed 911. She quickly explained the situation to the dispatcher and hung up her phone.

The man walked away from the tree where Amelia was hiding and the mother and child made a run for it. Amelia waited a few seconds before she joined them and as soon as she began to run, she heard the pops and whizzing above her head. She felt white hot pain exploded in her leg and she fell to the ground.

She rolled on her back to see the man walking up to her, the gun pointed to her. Her heart thudded in her chest as she realized this was it. She put her hands up, her eyes squeezed tight as she waited. Several thoughts flooded throughout her mind.

Would she feel it?

Would she hear the life ending shot?

Before the man could fire, he looked past her and Amelia turned her head to see several officers run into the food court and she realized Bryan was one of them. She screamed.

"Bryan!!!!"

Bryan stopped in his tracks as he heard his name and looked to see Amelia lying on the ground, holding her leg, blood seeping through her fingers. This gave the man ample time to react and he began to fire at the officers.

Amelia watched in horror as one of the bullets caught Bryan in the neck, sending him backwards. Amelia screamed as the other officers opened fire on the man, hitting him several times.

Amelia got up and hobbled over to where Bryan fell and she fell to her knees and her hands shook as she saw the blood pouring from his throat. She didn't think, there was no time. She put her hand over his neck, trying to hold in his blood. It was squirting all over her hands, her shirt, her jeans. He slowly put a hand over hers and looked into her eyes.

"Amelia.." He wheezed. "I love you."

. "No!!!" She screamed. She grabbed his head. "Bryan!!!!" She began to sob as he didn't respond. There was so much blood. She put her other hand over her left trying to squeeze the blood. She was screaming. Screaming for someone to come help her.

Byran's partner, Dave, approached Amelia and grabbed her shoulders. "Amelia, it's too late, he's gone."

Amelia screamed and tugged on Bryan. "No! No he's not dead!!!" She held him to her and touched his face. "Bryan!!!' She let out a horrific scream. She moved her legs out, and scooped his limp body into her, holding him. She put his limp hand on her face, rocking him back and forth. Her tears mixed in with the blood on her face, but she tuned that all out.