Little Wonders

Silence

The silence that filled Red was almost maddening.

Lance was barely hanging on. Barely surviving. Red had stopped talking to him after she had alerted him about Green. When she had told him that Green had picked up on their location, for the first time since crashing, he felt somewhat optimistic. That maybe, just maybe, his family would find him in time.

But that was days ago, and since then there was nothing but silence.

Part of him wanted to believe that the team, his family, were on their way to save him. But a bigger part of him was convinced that maybe Red had lied to him. That maybe, the lion could sense that he wasn't going to get out of this alive. Not this time.

And if that was really the case, he understood the reasoning behind Red's lie. She didn't want him to die thinking the team wasn't searching for him and yet, he was pretty convinced he was going to die waiting anyway.

His body was beginning to fail from the lack of water and food. In all honesty he was impressed he had even made it this far.

Taking his helmet off for the first time, he wiped away the sweat and dried blood from his forehead. There was no point in wearing it anymore anyway.

".. Hnngh." He cringed at the pain that ran through his shoulders as he lifted up his arm.

There was one last thing he needed to do.

With a few deep breaths, he forced a smile and hit the small 'record' button on his suits control panel.

"... If you're watching this, chances are I'm no longer here."

It felt almost wrong to do this.

"-And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for letting you all down like this." He glanced apologetically at the camera.

"You guys were the best team I've ever had the privilege of being apart of. And you're my family."

They always were going to be. After all the shit they had seen, the endless battles in deep space, being defenders of the never ending broken universe- You never truly forget something like that.

He took a minute to breathe.

"I want you to know that I only have one regret in my life..and that's not being able to live to see Katie walk down the aisle. To not have a family with her like I've dreamed about since I first realized that I loved her. "

He wiped at the tears that had managed to escape.

"Katie. I love you... And I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."

A red box appeared on the screen, alerting him that there was minimal charge left.

It was time to say goodbye.

"I know that this is going to hurt. I wish it didn't but I know that that's impossible. Mourn me but please, for all of your sakes, learn to move on in time. I-"

The screen disappeared as the suit powered off for the final time, cutting him off entirely. And maybe the was for the best he thought.

Because for the first time in years, he was crying like he had never cried before.

*

Everything about the Garrison was bullshit. That much had been obvious to Colleen the moment they had covered up Sam and Matt's abduction as a simple 'mission failure'.

And yet they still continued to bullshit through everything - even after the war.

"Colleen? Love?"