Trauma

The road to recovery wasn't easy. All five members of team S-F were bedridden with serious injuries. Cassie being stubborn was often found cuddled with Alex who had been found out cold after the blast with three former Revenants around him. Alex had been put through the wringer as old injuries acted up. He was aware of Cassie cuddling him constantly despite the medics trying to constantly remove her from his bed. At one point, in trying to pull her from Alex, they accidentally tore open some of Alex's wounds causing the young Black Dragon to go into shock. Once he had been stabilized Karkas who had tracked down Kano, stuck around when both Alex and his own brother Kabal had been brought in, He had seen his brother as a Revenant, and yet here he was alive, still suffering third-degree burns, but alive, said

"Keep the two together. I know it's against medical protocol, but we try to separate them, and their heart rate and blood pressure goes way up."

They were unsure but Sonya had given her approval. Karkas turned back to his still comatose brother. Karkas held back tears, sighing, and stepping out of the room. He while happy to have his brother back, couldn't help but feel worried he'd lose him again. They were close even up until his death.

Later that night Alex awoke to soft sobbing beside him. He looked down finding Cassie beside him and his voice was soft and low as he said

"Cassie, are you ok dear?"

She looked up and hugged Alex gently, but the message was clear she was glad he was ok, that he was awake. She shook and said in an equally low voice, with a bit of grogginess to it as well

"No. I came close to losing the three most important people in my life over the past few days and It is still so scary."

"I know dear. Why were you crying?"

She paused snuggling into his side, which she knew drew a pleased moan from Alex's lips. She then said in a soft and seductive voice

"I had a nightmare."

Alex smiled softly at her and rubbed her back in a soothing manner as he said

"Shhh, dear. I am here. Cuddle close with me and rest. We both need it."

Cassie nodded shifting to snuggle close to Alex, careful of his injuries and her own. She was soothed by his hand rubbing her back as she traced circles with her finger on Alex's chest. Alex stayed awake long enough for Cassie to fall asleep with her head on his chest. Alex fell asleep lulled by his best girl at his side.

The physical therapy was intense for Alex, as he had been bedridden for a month. But he wasn't alone. Kabal was struggling right at his side and had even encouraged the young Black Dragon to give it his all. Alex one fine day took his first unaided steps towards Cassie in a month. He looked at her in the eyes as he recalled the pain after his rescue.

-Flashback-

He was fading in and out. His body pushed to the brink by the Red Dragon which were eight members fewer now thanks to him, Uncle Kano, Jacqui, and Cassie. Oh, how close he came to losing his sweet Cassie. It had given him the strength to kill Maya and Jed, but nowhere he was laying on a gurney being wheeled into surgery as he had sustained many injuries to his body, and now a lot of his vital organs were in failure. He was wheeled into the operating room, where the best surgeons were on hand. Cassie had let her father know and he was sparing no expense for the young man's medical bills. He seemed to drift in the void of his mind for hours, helped to breathe on a ventilator, as his body had to rest as he was in a medically induced coma. As he started to wake, a whole month later, he felt a hand on his, rubbing circles into the back of his hand. He heard words

"…come back to me, Alex."

His eyes opened slowly as he gazed on the beauty, that was his Cassie. Ironically his first words to her were

"Are you an Angel?"

Cassie looked first shocked, then relieved to hear his voice again, but then quickly snarked

"Ok, Annie that's enough."

"A Jedi has got to try."

Alex said before he coughed. Cassie smiled as he relaxed with a smile.

-End Flashback-

Cassie held him and asked

"I know we are about a month and a half removed from Shinnok, but…care to pick a date and get married?"

Alex smiled at her before saying

"Aside from last-minute logistics what is stopping us from doing it today or tomorrow?"

"The logistics and you know my father; he wants to spare no expense."

"What do you want Cassie?"

Alex asked in a tone like Kano's when he wanted answers. Cassie looked up at Alex and said

"To say, screw the ceremony and traditions and let's just go to a courthouse and get married. I mean neither of us are religious."

"That can be arranged."

Alex said and Cassie smiled at him before she said

"As much as that is what I want, you know how much that would hurt everyone we both care about."

Alex would have spoken but Johnny having overheard the whole conversation cleared his throat, which got the young couple's attention. Cassie looked pale as she said

"Daddy?"

"Cassie, please. I heard the whole thing. If you really want it to be the quick route, I will be fine with that. However, let me say this, I think you two should still have the ceremony, distract from this whole debacle."

Cassie looked at Alex and asked

"What do you think dear, it's just as much your big day as it is mine."

"Your father has a point, Cassie. We really should have a sense of normality, after all, we have been through. So do our friends and family."

Cassie smiled hugging Alex close.