legacy [james conrad] 2

Chapter 14

OMG YOU GUYS WE REACHED 10K ON THE FIRST STORY IM SO HONORED AND HAPPY AND EUEEHV YSBESGKEVEKSSNWJSMDJDKSJS I CANT TELL YOU HOW GRATEFUL I AM!!!!

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James heaves in a breath, coughing out water as he fights to stay afloat.

He looks around the dark waters with panic, his hands flailing around while his eyes catch on the gigantic beast in front of him.

He watches as the beast gulps down a warhead like it is a mere hamburger, and then continues to watch as the train falls into the water in front of him with a giant splash, the fire dying slowly and leaving them in the dark.

He knew they were doomed.

He strains to stay afloat in water, his uniform weighing him down.

Then he hears another person, heaving in breaths and sputtering our coughs.

With the hopes that it's Charlotte, he turns to look to his right, disappointment flooding into him as he find it's only Ford.

"Where's Charlotte?!" He yells out hoarsely, loking at Ford as he sputters out water.

Ford shakes his head quietly, panting for breath as he looks at the creature as it backs away and then at the remains of the train.

James then starts to worry.

He looks around the dark waters, hoping to find a sign that she's alive, each time his breaths becoming more labored.

"Charlotte!" He yells out, looking around as he swims in circles.

Desperation inches on the back of his throat.

"Charlotte!" He yells out again, put of breath as he swims forward, not knowing where he's going.

Then he catches something.

A dim light, flickering on and off on the bottom of the murky waters, barely visible.

At first he's confused, what could a flashlight have been doing down there?

But then he remembers: Charlotte has a built in flashlight into her gun, and that might be it.

Hope floods through him, and he stares at the flickering light for a moment, his mind processing.

The dim light trails underwater silently and almost serenely, and then James can see a wisp of Charlotte's black hair pass through the light, blocking it off completely.

"Charlotte" He mutters gladly, smiling to himself before taking a deep breath and pushing himself underwater.

He follows the light, and soon enough, her can feel the fabric of her heavy military uniform.

He reaches under her arms and tries to pull her upwards with all his strength, but he can't.

His lungs are running out of air, but he doesn't care.

He reaches around her limp body, and then to her legs, his hand knocking on something hard.

A metal beam is snatched on her pant leg.

Without giving t a second though, James reaches into his pocket, pulling out a knife and cutting the fabric as fast as he can, letting the beam float down into the bottom of the lake before pulling an uncouncious Charlotte up into the surface with all his might.

His feet kick with all his strength, and he is desperate for a breath of fresh air. With one final kick, he pulls himself up and put of the water, and lets out a heavy breath.

Sputtering, he tries to keep Charlotte afloat, making his way towards the edge of the lake with tired strokes. .

His lungs burn for air, and he can feel the blood pounding on his ears.

He's scared.

He can't lose Charlotte. Not now. Not ever.

The thought of Charlotte dying pushes him forward, and He keeps swimming.

When his feet can feel the murky ground underneath him, he stands upright, dragging Charlotte into the coast with the remaining strength he has left.

Her hair is coated with mud, there's blood running from her eyebrow and the back of her head and into the damp soil. Her lips are purple from the temperatures of the water, and she is pale, lying lifeless on the ground.

James kneels besides her for a moment, catching his breath for a mere second before turning back to Charlotte.

He takes off her jacket with a rush, leaving her in a plain black t shirt.

She's not breathing.

James lets out a savage curse and looks around, trying to look for help, but there's no one around. He doesn't know what happened to Ford.

Then, with desperation, he turns back to her and then he tries to make her breath.

"Come on, Charlotte. COme one" He mutters, as he pumps her chest.

For a few moments he stops, and stares at Charlotte's unmoving body, and lets out a frustrated breath, his eyes misting up.

Then there's a sputtering sound, and Charlotte stands upright, heaving out water and the remains in her stomach.

In between hurls, she sobs, tears flooding down her cheeks.

James sighs out in releif, and he holds her hair back, though at this point, there's no dofference

Then Charlotte leans back, and turns to look at James.

Her eyes are filled with sorrow ajd greif. They hold pain and suffering.

Then, without a word, Charlotte looks around, tears flowing down her cheeks

"I have to get iut of here" she whipsers hoarsley, trying to stand up.

"Chalotte" James warns, looking at her with alight pity.

"No. I have- i have to go see my mom" she tells herself, trying to stand up, but her knees buckle under her, and he falls into the mud.

"Charlotte" James repeats, holding her back and turning her around to face him.

"No. I- I have to go. I can't be here. I need- I need to-" James grabs her harshly, and envelops her in a hug, not letting her go.

And then Charlotte lets herself go. She sobs into his arms, shaking her head repeadetly into his chest, tears pouring down her cheeks. 

"Hey, hey it's fine. You're fine. We're fine. It's okay" James soothes, holding her close as he hears her sobs. He clutches her close, running a hand through her wet hair. 

And they lay on the ground, on each others arms, for what seems like hours.

Finally, Charlotte stops crying, and she turns up to look at James, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. 

"Thank you James, for everything" SHe whispers, before pulling her lips into his. 

James stays still for a moment, and then he wraps his arm around her as he kisses her back. 

Finally, they break away, and Charlotte wraps her arms around James's chest, resting her head on the nook of his neck before closing her eyes and letting sleep take her away. 

And then, for a few seconds before James falls asleep as well, he looks down at Charlotte's sleeping figure, and then at the dark cave around him, and despite the circumstances, he can't help but feel happy that she's back.

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OMG YOU GUYS SO DARN FLUFFY (I'm sorry it isn't edited as much, I just wanted to get a chapter out there)