In the past few months, following Mason's arrival, Michelle White never knew the deranged turn her life would take. Her sister's death and her psychotic ex were just the beginning, but she never saw the day she'd be standing over her father's lifeless body, riddled with bullets from a gun she fired.

At first, she couldn't comprehend what had happened, she didn't even see the person standing behind her, equally as dumbfounded as her. He dropped his gun onto the floor, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She pivoted on her heels slowly to face him and they stood staring at one another speechlessly, both of them unable to form a proper sentence. But Mason was the first to break the tension in the room and in long strides, he moved towards her, tugged her into his arms and crashed his lips down onto hers in a deep kiss.

She immediately kissed back, her trembling hands gripping his bloodied shirt tightly. And everything came crashing down onto her and she cried against his lips both from grief and happiness. "Y-you came, I thought y-you wouldn't come." She whispered softly as they pulled away.

Mason brushed away her hair from her face and even though she was covered in blood he could see beneath it, the beautiful girl he called his. "I'd search the ends of the earth for you, Michelle. I should have never left you, never a-and I did and look where you are, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry Michelle."

Tears trickled down his cheeks slowly as he gazed into her eyes, wondering how she couldn't hate him, after everything he put her through after it being his fault she was here. And as if she read his mind, she shook her head and cupped his cheeks in her hand, "don't blame yourself, Mason, this wasn't your fault, you were just another pawn in this game, and I'm so sorry."

"Don't- don't apologize, okay? But we need to get out of here, there's a bomb a-and I don't know what time it's gonna go off," Mason exclaimed as his eyes flickered towards the door frantically. Michelle nodded her head and slipped her hand in his, tugging him out of the room.

They rushed down the hallway, hand in hand, never looking back. Mason wanted desperately to ask her where Kaleb was but he knew now that he found Michelle Kaleb didn't matter anymore, he was just a distant memory.

They stumbled down the stairs towards the front door, and for a moment Mason thought to himself how easy this all was. He was relieved, relieved that no one he loved died today and that only kept him moving forward and out the front door, vowing to himself to never let Michelle go again.

Mason's hands slipped from Michelle's own as they tumbled onto the lawn, he peered up at the house, his chest clenching tightly as all the memories from his childhood came rushing back into his mind. All those times on the grassy lawn, trying to make the best of their lives but they survived, and he was happy.

Now as he stared up at the house, he no longer missed it, because with the good memories came the horrible ones, and he had more years of horror than happiness. "Mason, come on!" Michelle exclaimed. She grabbed his hand to tug him away but froze when her eyes zoned in on the silhouette in the upstairs window.

There was something perched up in his hand and Michelle frowned deeply, but when she realized what it was it was too late. Michelle didn't have time to scream or warn Mason before a gush of flame enveloped the house, it appeared as a fist or orange flames that punched its way through the roof, causing all the windows at each end of the house to shatter.

Pieces of glass punctured through their skin and the force of the explosion sent them both propelling across the lawn. They slammed into the ground, unable to move at the deafening screech in their ears and the shock of it all.

Before they could comprehend what was happening, a pair of arms wrapped around them both, carrying them towards the white van sitting on the curb. Mason flickered his eyes open at the feel of the van moving beneath him and immediately his mind went to Michelle.

He snapped his head around him, searching for her frantically but he was only surrounded by the gang, however their eyes won't focused on him. "Where's Michelle?" He asked, his voice cracking as he pushed them out of the way.

Then he paused, and when his eyes settled on her his entire world came crashing down.

Her hands were pressed against her stomach which was gushing out blood rapidly, she couldn't move, she could barely speak as she peered up at him, but she still managed to get a few words past her lips, "M-mason I don't-I don't feel-"

"No, no, no Dollface, no." He crashed down onto his knees and crawled towards her. He could barely see her through his blurry vision and his head snapped over her limp body frantically, unsure of what to do. "No, this c-can't be happening, no, Michelle. . ." he trailed off.

A tear trickled down her cheek as she watched him break down, break down like she's never seen before. She didn't feel the pain, she knew she was hurt but, there was nothing she could do other than say goodbye, goodbye to the guy she loved.

"Y-you have to be okay right? Right, y-you can't die. If you die I-I won't- I won't have anyone left." He cradled her head in his lap and lowered his head down onto hers, then a sob racked through his body and he tightened his grip around her, afraid to let go.

"P-please don't leave me, dollface, I can't live without you." Her finger twitched against his and she stared upwards, eyed wide. She wheezed and gasped for air, unable to speak, to say the words at the edge of her tongue, "I-I l-"

She paused and swallowed hard, blood gushed out from her lips and Mason shook his head frantically, the realization that she wasn't going to make it sent him into a panic and he snapped his head towards the driver's seat, "drive faster! Drive fucking faster!" He cried out, his hands trembling in fear.

He turned back towards her and bit down onto his lips as their eyes came in contact, "fuck." He whimpered softly, "y-you said you wouldn't leave me. You lied to me, you said you w-wouldn't go, Michelle. And now- and now you're going."

"Mason. . ." Leo trailed off. The van was quiet and Leo watched, for the first time since knowing Mason; he watched his world come down, completely crushed beneath the rubble that he desperately tried to carry on his own.

"D-do you remember that day I gave you the ring? I-I told you wherever we were, a-and however long it took I'd m-marry you someday. H-how am I supposed to marry you if you're n-not here? How am I supposed to make g-good on my words if you're not here, you can't leave me, -you- you just can't."

Her hand twitched again and he gripped onto her tightly, peering down at her as she hung between life and death. "Say something, dollface, p-please just say something." And then, in the silence, her mouth began to move and she whispered with her last breath, "I love you."

~~~

They found him cradled in the corner of the hallway, still, breathing hard, covered in the blood of his own and Michelle's. Sasha, Sebastian, Tristan, Kaden, her mother; they all rushed down to the hospital the moment they received the phone call.

Mason peered up at the sound of his name, Kaden approached him slowly and they stared at one another intently. As if upon seeing the only person he had left, his hours of composure came tumbling down and he rushed into Kaden's arms, breaking down all over again.

Tears trickled down Kaden's cheeks but he didn't wipe them away; instead, he comforted his brother, comforted him as he sobbed into the crook of his neck, growing unstable with every second that passed.

"She can't die, Kaden, I just got her back, I–I can't lose her again...I need her, she's my life Kaden, I love her."

Mason knew, deep down in his heart that she might not make it. Because he was there, unlike everyone else he was there to see her bleed out in his hands, unable to do anything for her as they rushed to the hospital.

She wasn't coming back? How could she? How could he accept that he has lost everything he loved in one day? Lost her to a life he never wanted to live. They knew, they both knew that she might not make it and Mason cried harder, his grip tightening around Kaden as he cried his eyes out.

Doctor Grey tumbled into the waiting room and immediately everyone sprung onto their feet, rushing towards him, eager to hear the news. Mason sat back, he didn't want to know, he just sat and watched, watched as the doctor's mouth moved and everyone's faces fall.

He watched as her mother crashed to the floor, a heartwrenching wail escaping her lips as she clutched her chest tightly.

I'm sorry for your loss. . .

She didn't make it. . .

He knew he was right. . .

Not all stories are like fairytales.

Not all stories are perfect.

. . .

Not all stories end happily.