If Today Was Your Last Day

Angel had never been so terrified in her life. She'd been telling Cody for days that she heard noises outside the house at night, but Cody had assured her that it was nothing. Now Cody had gone out for a night with the guys, a customary event after a long time on the road. Little did he know when he got home, the scene before him would be the last thing he'd ever expect to see.

There Angel was, lying in the middle of the living room floor, blood pouring from a bullet wound in the abdomen, another up higher near her ribs. She was sure the was going to bleed to death as she watch the men that had broken into her house rumaging through everything the couple owned.

If Cody didn't hurry, he'd be coming home to a tragedy.

Cody had tried to party with his friends, but the whole night he couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong,

"Hey guys" he sighed and grabbed his coat "I'm going home for the night, I'll see you guys later."

Driving back to the house, Cody slammed the brakes when he saw that the front door was hanging wide open.

"Oh no..." he murmured, getting out and running into the house "Angel, ANGEL!!!"

"Cody," Angel said weakly, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Angel, oh my god..." Cody dropped to his knees and ripped his shirt off, balling it up and pressing it to the wounds in Angel's body "Hang on sweetheart, I'm going to call an ambulance, alright?"

Angel nodded weakly as she started to cough, blood beginning to coat her pale pink lips.

"Angel hold on" Cody shifted his girlfriend into his lap while he waited for the ambulance to arrive, as much as he wanted to carry her to the hospital himself, with her injuries he didn't dare move her "C'mon Angel, stay with me" Cody bent down and kissed her gently "Stay with me."

"My...cross," Angel whispered. "Did they...did they take it?"

Cody looked around and found the necklace lying a few feet away on the carpet, the cross partly covered in blood "Here it is" he murmured, gently placing it in Angel's hands. He sighed in relief when he heard the sirens approaching "The paramedics are here" he whispered, gently stroking Angel's head "You're going to be alright, I promise."

"Cody....it hurts....so bad," Angel wheezed.

"I know..I know" Cody held her hand tightly as she was lifted onto a stretcher "Just hang on Angel, your dad's going to kill me if you don't make it."

"Cody, I swear....if I don't die tonight....you'll be sleeping on the couch for that," Angel muttered.

"Angel I'd gladly sleep on the couch for a year" Cody murmured "Just as long as you're alright."

Angel was slowly losing the battle with the darkness that was threatning to consume her, her eyes falling slowly closed.

"Angel stay awake!" Cody squeezed her hand, wishing the ambulance would go faster "Don't fall asleep!"

Angel tried as the darkness pulled her closer, and a light began to shine through it. Standing in the middle of the light was a slender brunette man, no older than 19. As she approached him, she looked up into the gray-blue eyes she hadn't seen in almost two years.

"Angel, ANGEL!!!!" Cody started to cry "Please don't leave me Angel, I LOVE YOU!!!!"

Angel held tighly onto the hands the welcomed her.

"CJ," Angel smiled.

"Hello my little songbird," the young man spoke.

"I miss you," Angel whispered, leaning into the forgotten embrace.

"Angela, it's not time yet darlin' you can't come back to me just yet," CJ spoke.

"Angel...Angel please..." Cody leaned down and kissed her paling face "Don't go, please don't go..."

"Go back to him," CJ whispered. "You're his little songbird now, you sing for him."

Angel looked up into CJ's eyes, leaning closer to him. "I don't want to leave you, not again."

"Angel if you can hear me" Cody whispered "Please come back, listen to my voice and come back to me."

"See?" CJ said. "Darlin', he wants you back."

Angel nodded.

"But what if I don't wanna go back?"

"What if I don't wanna go back?" Cody's heart dropped when he heard Angel mumble those words

"Sweetheart" he whispered, tears falling down his cheeks "You're the only one I've ever loved, don't you love me?"

"Go to him Angela," CJ said. "If you're not careful, he won't be there to go back to."

Angel wanted nothing more than to wake up and tell Cody she loved him. She loved him dearly, but the amount of blood she's lost was keeping her from returning to reality.

"Angel I love you" Cody whispered, following the stretcher into the hospital "If you can hear me, I'll always love you!"

Angel had no idea what was going on around her. She could hear Cody's voice, but she heard nothing else.