Falling in Love : I love you, Today and Forever

"What?" Ian exclaimed out loud hearing her words.

"Yes, that is our apartment. Ivy, Ivy what happened to her?" Aria was about to lose her mind in fear and Ian held her lest she should collapse. He could not help but start to worry too. But then he remembered something. The news did not mention anybody getting hurt. So, that meant Ivy was safe and sound.

"Aria, Ivy is safe. Don't worry. Nobody was hurt in the process except for a little girl who suffered some minor scratches. So, relax. I am sure Ivy is fine."

While Ian tried to calm her down, Stuart handed her a glass of water which she took with a grateful smile. 

"I am sure everything is fine Aria." Stuart too assured her. 

Aria relaxed a little on hearing their words. Yet, she wanted to make sure of it herself by calling Ivy. But there was a problem. They were allowed to use the telephone only at a certain time after sunset and there was still an hour for it. She could not call her right now. But she was not the one to wait when her sister's life was in danger.

Aria ran out of the recreation room suddenly, startling Stuart and Ian. The next second, they too went behind her. 

Aria went around the camp searching for Ethan as the gunshot sounds increased with every step she took. She was slowly approaching the white line that separated the danger zone from the safe zone. However, her mind had completely forgotten about it. She only had Ivy in mind, everything else had gone into the drain.

Ethan was deep in discussion with his subordinates when Aria noticed him. She did not even care that he was in the danger zone and sprinted even faster to reach him. She was about to step out of the safe zone when Ian pulled her suddenly with all his might. She tried to push him away, but Ian held her not allowing her to move.

"Are you out of your freaking mind?" He almost shouted. His heart had come to his throat when he had seen Aria near the white line. They were given strict orders to not cross it else their lives would be in danger. He knew that Aria had forgotten about it completely in her hurry and worry. But he didn't. So, he had sprinted towards her at full speed to stop her.

"Aria, listen to me." When she did not heed to him and tried to push him away, he pressed on her shoulders and arms with force to stop her. He knew with the amount of force he was exerting it would leave his fingerprints on her fair skin. Though he did not want to hurt her, it was necessary for her to stay sane. So, he had no choice. He applied more pressure and this time Aria cried out in pain. 

"Aria, stop trying to push me away. I will not allow you to hurt yourself or put yourself in danger. Open your eyes and see that you are near the danger zone. Do you want to die?" Ian seethed in anger seeing her behave recklessly. He knew she was not at fault for behaving this way. However, he had no choice but to be strict with her, else the woman might try to put herself in danger again.

After a few seconds, Stuart came to them. He was panting loudly as he took deep breaths. He had been shocked when he had seen Ian dash like a mad man. However, he had been shocked all the more when he saw Aria was about to cross the white line. He then saw a soldier nearby and went to him to convey a message to Ethan. The man nodded on hearing his request and he approached Ethan with the message.

Ethan saw the trio involved in a discussion that looked more like an argument to him when the message was relayed to him. What was more astonishing was they were just a few inches away from the white line and his eyes widened in disbelief which in a few seconds was replaced by anger. He had ordered them not to cross the white line, but that did not mean they could linger nearby. There were supposed to be at least ten meters away from the line, they were not even ten inches away.

"What the heck are you doing here and how dare you defy my orders?" He shouted, not giving them any face. All his subordinates stared at him for a second before they went back to their work.

Aria was in no mood to entertain anybody's anger. So, she did not heed to it. "Major Ethan, please allow me to make a call. My sister's life is in danger."

Ethan frowned on hearing Aria's words. "What do you mean?" He led them away from the line towards the inner safe zone before he stopped to stare at Aria, his eyes questioning her silently. One could still see the anger in them on a closer inspection.

"Have you heard about the armed man who tried to break into a house?"

"Yes?" Ethan answered folding his hands. He had heard about it from the junior comrades during his break, but he had not given it much thought.

"It was my apartment. My sister is living all alone. I need to make sure she is fine. Can you please allow me to make a call?" Aria did not know that Ivy was not staying in their apartment currently. Ivy had not informed her about her new living conditions as she did not want her sister to worry or end up assuming something about her and Joshua when she had moved in with Joshua in the beginning. But later when something did happen between them, it had completely slipped out of her mind.

"Oh my God." Ethan now knew the reason for them to come near the danger zone and his anger subdued a little. "Sure. Go ahead. You have my permission." Ethan took a slip of paper from his pocket and wrote something on it. "Give this to the operator and he will allow you to make a call."

"Thank you so much." With that Aria dashed towards the main building with the slip in her hands and Ian and Stuart were right behind her. 

Aria almost lunged at the operator when she reached the main building, startling him. He was about to scold her for her behavior when she handed him the slip Ethan had given her. On reading it, he knew that there was an emergency and he allowed them to make a call immediately.

Aria thanked him and dialed Ivy's number immediately. But nobody picked up the call. She tried again and prayed for her to pick up. "Pick up Ivy. Please." But again nobody picked up the call. 

Ian saw her place the receiver down and could guess what might have happened. "Try calling Noah." He suggested and Aria called him the next second. But he too was not picking her calls. She shook her head at Ian while she tried again.

Meanwhile, the operator found out what the emergency was from Stuart and he too was scared now, though he did not show it on his face. He had listened to the sister's conversation every time Aria called her and he knew how much they loved each other. He had also started to like Ivy's cool character. Now that she was in danger, he could not help but fear for her life.

"Let me call Joshua," Ian suggested and took the receiver from her hands. But he too did not pick up the calls. "Why is nobody picking up their phones? Damn it." He yelled. He then dialed Ronnie's number hoping that at least he would pick up his call and to his relief, he answered.

"Hello?" Ronnie answered, confused by the unknown number.

"Ronnie, it's me, Ian."

"Doctor Ian." Ronnie was flabbergasted on getting a call from him and he straightened his posture subconsciously.

"What happened there? Is Ivy safe?"

Ronnie realized that the matter had reached the border zone too. He did not waste any time deviating from the topic and told Ian everything.

"Yes, Doctor Ian. Miss West is safe and sound. She was not at home when the incident happened. You have nothing to worry about." He assured Ian and he sighed in relief. "Doctor Ian, it's still chaotic here. I have.."

"I understand. I'll call you some other time. Take care." With that, he cut the call and faced Aria was staring at him intently.

"Ivy is fine. She was not at home when the incident happened and don't worry. Nothing will happen to her. Noah will take care of her." 

Aria finally smiled in happiness. Her soul which had almost left her body came back again. Seeing her smile, all the three men finally relaxed.