I won't give up on us

The Bullet

(This story begins near the end of The One, when Maxon is about to propose to Kriss.
NOTE: The beginning is taken directly from The One to give you context, so all credit to Kierra Cass for that.)

"Please don't do this. Please. I love you." My face was crumpling.
"Don't. You. Dare," Maxon ordered through gritted teeth. "You put on a smile, and you wear it to the last second."
I blinked away the tears and gave a weak smile.
"That'll do. Don't let that slip until you leave the room, do you understand?" I nodded. He looked into my eyes. "I'll be glad when you're gone."
After he spat out those last words, his smile returned and he faced Kriss again. I stared into my lap a minute, slowing my breathing and putting on a brave face.
When I brought my eyes up again, I didn't dare to look directly at anyone. I didn't think I could honor Maxon's last wish if I did. Instead, I focused on the walls of the room. It was because of that I noticed when most of the guards stepped away from them at some signal I didn't see. Pieces of red fabric were pulled out of their pockets and tied across their foreheads.
I watched in confusion as a red-marked guard walked up behind Celeste and put a bullet squarely through the back of her head.
The screaming and gunfire exploded at once. Guttural shouts of pain filled the room, adding to the cacophony of chairs screeching, bodies hitting walls, and the stampede of people trying to escape as fast as they could in their heels and suits. The men shouted as they fired, making the whole thing far more terrifying. I watched, stunned, seeing death more times in a handful of seconds than ought to be possible. I looked for the king and queen, but they were gone. I was gripped with fear, unsure if they'd escaped or been captured. I looked for Adele, for her children. I couldn't see them anywhere, and that was even worse than losing sight of the king and queen.
Beside me, Maxon was trying to calm Kriss. "Get on the floor," he told her. "We're going to be fine."
I looked to my right for Aspen and was in awe for a moment. He was on one knee, taking aim, firing deliberately into the crowd. He must have been very sure of his target to do that.
"Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flicker of red. Suddenly a rebel guard was standing in front of us. As I thought the words rebel guard, it all clicked into place. Anne had told me this had happened once before, when the rebels had gotten the guards' uniforms and had sneaked into the palace. But how?
As Kriss let out another cry, I realized that the guards who were sent to our houses hadn't abandoned their posts at all. They were dead and buried, their clothes stolen and standing in front of us.
Not that this information did me any good now.
I knew that I should run, that Maxon and Kriss should run if they were going to make it. But I was frozen as the menacing figure raised his gun and directed it at Maxon. I looked up at Maxon, and he looked "to me. I wished I had time to speak. I turned away, back to the man.
A look of amusement crossed his face. As if he suspected this would be much more entertaining for himself and much more painful for Maxon, he slid his gun ever so slightly to his left and aimed it at me.
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{Written by me :) }
AMERICA'S POV
Maxon lunged for the weapon but it was too late. I heard the thunderous sound of the bullet leaving the barrel and finally felt the bullet reach its home and pierce a hole through the shoulder of my dress. The burning sensation of it ripping through my skin was horribly intense. For a moment I didn't know what to do, the pain was overwhelming and momentarily disoriented me.
I just stayed there for a moment, eyes wide, clutching my shoulder and feeling the my warm blood gushing all too quickly from the wound. I suspected it was taking my life with it. I saw Maxon laying where he had fallen on the marble floor. He stood and up and quickly stumbled to my side.
"Maxon.." I managed to gasp out. I saw his lips moving as he frantically shook my shoulders, but I could no longer hear over the ringing in my ears. My eyes began to unfocus and my thoughts clouded. There was no time for me to contemplate my life or regrets before my world went dark.
MAXON'S POV
I saw the rebel change his aim slightly and target America. Not hesitating, I lunged at the hand with the gun in it, only to realize that my efforts were futile as the bullet whizzed right by my head. I fell to the ground in shock. Getting to my feet, I turned only to see that the bullet had hit America. I ran to her, but her eyes were already losing their light and drooping closed. I shouted her name. "Stay with me America! It'll be fine!" My eyes began to sting as I shook her, trying bring her back to alertness, but there was no response as she, all too soon, began to drift away from me.
She was dead. She was dead. My thoughts begin to swirl. I never got to tell her how sorry I was. How was I so stupid! She was the love of my life and I never got to tell her that!
Rage boiled up inside me as I saw the rebel who shot her standing there. I grabbed the microphone that was supposed to be used to announce my proposal and ran over to the man. I took the mike in my hands and banged it into his head countless times even when I know he was probably dead, or at the very least had some major head damage.
Soon, my rage turned to despair and I went back to America and, tears prickling my eyes, just sitting with her limp and lifeless form in my arms for a while. Eventually, I realized that I had to get to a safe room. If I stayed there and was killed, the country would be left without an heir to the throne, and the rebels would have succeeded. I was determined to not let that happen after what they had just done. Also, at least then, I could assure that America was buried properly. The rebels would have taken her body as a cruel finaly. I grabbed her and and began to make my way to a hidden safe room.  I broke into a run, but tears blurred my vision I didn't see a body on the ground. I fell onto the onto the carpeted floor of the hallway, and heard Americas body hit the ground with a thunk, landing beside me. I picked her back up and continued to run to a safe room That I knew they'd never find. It was in the Women's Room behind the extravagant fireplace. I pulled out a broken brick from the back and pushed a button and the room opened. I took Americas body and got in, staring at her beautiful features smeared with blood until I eventually fell asleep clutching her body with an empty feeling inside.
I was awakened by a bright light and voices. I rubbed my eyes as the door opened, and on the other side saw two very tired looking guards.
"We found the prince and lady America!" One yelled over his shoulder. Then they saw the bullet lodged in Americas shoulder, and the blood stains that ran down her once fine dress.
"What... what happened? the other asked. I just shook my head.
"C'mon," the first gaud said. After a moment, I got up and walked sluggishly to the hospital wing, where they treated my cuts and bruises. When we got there, they took America from me and placed her somewhere else. They were beginning to clean me up when a solemn looking man came in to greet me.
"Prince Maxon, I regret to inform you that the king and queen were assassinated in the rebel attack yesterday." It took a minute for what he said to sink in. My parents were gone. I walked out of the room and broke into a run, going to my room. I needed to be alone. Once I was in the room I slammed the door and slid down the wall, bursting out in tears as I was sunk to the floor.
I cried my mother. She was a beautiful woman, an amazing parent.
I cried for my father, even with all he was, I still respected him.
But most of all, I cried for America. She was the love of my life. I knew I would never feel that way about anyone again. And she died thinking I hated her. My tears fell for an unknown amount of time until I heard a knock at my door. I wiped my face, stood up, and took a few breaths to compose myself before saying, "Come in."
A young woman, one of the nurses, walked in. "I have come to inform you on Lady America's state," she said.
"You don't have to tell me," I looked down, "I know already, she's dead," my voiced cracked.
"Oh no, she's not dead, she is in a coma, though. She also has a major concussion."
My beautiful America! There's still a chance she will be okay! A small smile spread across my face. All was not lost!
"When will she wake up?" I asked eagerly.
"There is a good chance that she'll wake up within two weeks. After that, however, her chances of survival will decrease substantially, but it is likely that she will wake up within the two weeks and be perfectly fine." She added quickly, a bit disheartening, but I still had hope.
"Can I go to see her?" I asked.
"Oh yes, you can go see her right now. There's no more we can do in the hospital wing, so she's been placed in her room. Although, of course, she will be under constant supervision." The nurse explained.
"Thank you, miss!" I  excitedly said. With that, I rushed down the hall to where America, alive, would be waiting.