Today is the day. Today, your life begins anew. You look at yourself in the ornate mirror, watching your chest rise and fall with every breath. Gently, you run your finger down the curve of your neck, your pulse racing, pushing precious blood throughout your body. While you adjust the low neckline of the silk robe that was picked out for you, you stare deeply into your own eyes. This is the last time you will ever look at yourself like this, the last time your eyes will sparkle with life.

You were assigned to Task Force 141 years ago. Something about the men made your skin crawl, and they all had various shades of red eyes. The welcome wasn't warm. They avoided you at all costs except within the limits of a mission. Slowly, you earned their trust until they finally told you the truth about themselves. They were a coven- vampires bound together by camaraderie and their sense of duty. And later, you found out, bound together by love.

Price is centuries old and the leader of the 141 coven. Soap has been with him the longest, fought by his side for so many wars after almost becoming a casualty of one neither of them can even remember. Ghost was on his deathbed, saved by them during WWI after the two realized they couldn't live without him. Gaz is the youngest, turned by Price during the Vietnam War after begging his Captain to make sure he made it home after an ambush. All tragic turnings, all on the cusp of death, all born of war.

You, they decided, would be different. You've captured all of their hearts in a way that no human ever has. The thought of you ever in pain, bleeding out on a battlefield, makes them sick. Even worse, what if you were to die before one of them could get to you? Losing you would be too much to bear, so they decided to keep you. Forever.

It's time. You take one final look at yourself, at the color in your cheeks and the way life flows through you so effortlessly. You make your way through the halls of the big coven house until you reach the den. They're all waiting for you expectantly. Soap gasps dramatically when you enter the candlelit room. "Mo leannan, you'd take mah breath away if I had any," the Scotsman grins, his sharp fangs glinting.

You can't help but laugh, but it gets caught in your throat when you see that they've all dressed up for you, that the den has been filled with roses and candles. "What is all this?" You ask softly as Ghost steps up and rests his hand on your back to lead you to a chair in the middle of the room.

"It's all for you," Gaz replies for the coven, "For your new birthday."

You look to Price, your leader, as you sit down. He reaches out and strokes your cheek, feeling the warmth of your skin under his cool fingertips. "The boys wanted to make it special," he says, his voice rough and a little smirk on his lips. As if he wasn't the one who planned this whole thing.

"Ah! And ye need yer birthday gift," Soap says excitedly, moving to brush your hair and the robe out of the way as Gaz presents a gorgeous necklace with a teardrop ruby pendant. The two fasten it behind your neck and nod approvingly.

Ghost touches the new pendant resting on your chest, over your heart that beats for these men surrounding you. "Suits you," he murmurs.

Price clears his throat, and the three men take a step back from you. All eyes are on him as he kneels in front of the chair you're in. He takes your hand in his and gazes deeply into your eyes as he asks, "I have to be sure this is what you want, love. You'll be bound to us forever. You're willing to give your life, your humanity, to be with us?"