A month after the Ali's incident happened, Halil and Oguz had received orders to go back to their base. They'll only get such sudden calls if there was a mission that needed urgent attention. Both of them had gone back to their perfect shape and their bodies functioned fully. They both knew that this wasn't a normal call and it definitely meant they were both going to be sent away on a faraway mission. Oguz was yet to confess his feelings to EdaNur and Halil Ibrahim just recently promised Zeynep of a life away from all this. They obviously couldn't just leave their loved ones unaware of their situations and hence before they answered the call, they asked for a week time to tie loose ends. It took a lot of convincing and pushing their commanders, till they were allowed a week's time before their official departure.

The next morning, Halil took Zeynep got into their car and drove away. In the car, he looked extremely nervous. Zeynep kept staring at him and for quite awhile he didn't even notice her staring.

"Honey... What's wrong?" Zeynep asked as she placed her hand on Halil's knee.

Halil looked her way and smiled at her, he then turned back facing the road then said, "I'll tell you once we get there..."

Zeynep without any response, moved closer to Halil and wrapped her hand on Halil's right arm, placed her head on his shoulder then answered in a soft voice, "Ok..." Halil drove the car and in no time they reached their destination. To Zeynep's surprise, Halil had brought her back to his pertanal home. The house looked dump and most of it's walls had collapsed. Grass and climbing trees had grown all over... there were leaves dropped everywhere.

Halil Ibrahim alighted the car and hurried to open Zeynep's door. She looked hesitant and unwilling to get off the car but Halil extended his hand to her and subtly worded 'it's ok' with his mouth. Zeynep looked into his eyes and she saw the warmth they bore and together with his words managed to convince her to let go of her doubt. She carefully took his hand and stepped out of the car as well. She walked a few steps forward as Halil went to get a few stuff from the car and started completely staring at the almost worn out house. She noticed the broken windows and their panes, the trees that made the house their support and the several wood that had fallen off from the roof. She then suddenly felt a hand slide across her back slowly with Halil standing beside her. She looked up at him, Halil instead stared at the house for a moment then turned to her and said with a smile on his face, "Welcome to my home, Zeynep..."

This was the house Halil grew up in, the house he knew every corner of and the house that his father used to tuck him to sleep. For years they lived there and as Halil stared at it, all the images and memories kept replaying in front of his eyes. His face lit up with a smile as he recalled the good old days. He could clearly see his young self run around the house, do chores and even get scolded for this and that. Those were the good times until that day changed his life completely. He saw his young self come through the door with his shotgun, working and struggling to load it so he can be able to stop his father's murderer. The image of his father dropping down to the floor and even witness as his life fades was still as fresh as the morning dew. He clenched his fist as he recalled how his life was robbed off of a normal childhood. Zeynep witness this change of mood first hand, she saw how his eyes full of warmth turned red from rage.

The touch from Zeynep calmed him down a bit and they finally walked towards the house. Before they could enter the house, Halil decided they should greet his parent's grave for a moment. They both went and stood right in front of the two graves, the graves were clean and had several plants growing on top of them. Halil bent down a little and cleaned some of the dust on them then stood right back.

"Mom, dad... I can finally introduce you to your daughter in law..." Halil said with his eyes fixed on the graves, "Zeynep, she's so beautiful and gets even more beautiful because of her beautiful heart."

"Thank you for giving birth to my husband..." Zeynep added. She took Halil's hand and they interlocked fingers. Halil proceeded to pray for them and Zeynep joined in. Finally they headed towards the house.

At the door, Halil fought through so they could enter, although he had tried to clean it up when he first came back to KaraDeniz after several years, this task remained uncompleted after the events that followed. Eventually they managed to enter, inside mazes of cobwebs and dust welcomed them wholeheartedly. Zeynep started sneezing from the dust, her hair got caught between cobwebs and they were both getting entangled throughout the house. This slightly brought them to laugh at their situation, Halil went on and helped Zeynep free herself from the cobwebs then Zeynep also helped Halil rid himself of the cobwebs on his clothes. Then suddenly Halil took Zeynep's hands and said, "Everytime I see this house, it always leads to me being so angry I can't control myself. I end up seeing myself cry in the corner with bloody hands as people rush in to check on me..." He said as he looked at one of the corners.

This state which Halil is in actually hurts the both of them. There's no way Zeynep could bring herself to tell him any words of solace when part of the reason he'll forever feel wronged was her family. She wishes to be able to tell him that she's there for him and that she'll heal that wound of his but such words just feel so small compared to his pain.

"I really don't want to see pain and anger in this house, I want to feel safe and happy everytime I come here again. I want to change it all, change the sadness to happiness, change anger to hope and change tears to laughter. I want to change with you and for you Zeynep..." Halil added as he slowly went down on one knee. Zeynep never expected to see such a proposal from him. In fact, she didn't expect a proposal at all, however, whatever happened in front of her could only summon tears in her eyes.

"What... wha... Halil Ibrahim..." Zeynep stammered as her voice chocked up from the overflow of emotions. She looked at Halil Ibrahim who was already on his knee as he reached out to his pocket and take a ring box out. She didn't know how to react and involuntarily let out a laugh along with streams of tears.

"I don't remember when I started loving you actually, at some point I thought you were such a nuisance... (laughs) then I thought if I didn't see you my day wouldn't be the same. Like a joke, this nightmare came to and I thought I'd never see you again. I ended up losing a dad and the love of my life on the same day. Sometimes I was so angry, I never wanted to see you again and in other times, recalling your voice and eyes, made me want to hold onto life. Then I saw you again and it felt like I had gone back twenty years before. You stood in front of me and the urge to hug you almost costed me my plans." Halil chuckles as he wipes the one tear that had fallen from his eye. He then took Zeynep's hand and looked up at her then continued, " I want to love you for the rest of my life Zeynep. I want you to be mine for the rest of your life. I want to show you all the love I stored for you while we were apart, I want you to love all of me and finally uncover this anger and hate that had taken over my heart and mind. Am ready to make the only tears fall of your eyes be of happiness and happiness only. If you think am worthy of all this then let us be a family... please..."

Zeynep's hand was on her mouth, she didn't want to let out a loud cry and alarm this situation in the wrong way. After hearing Halil's speech, she couldn't even bring herself to speak the words out, she just nodded agreeing to the marriage. Halil took the ring and carefully slid it across Zeynep's finger. He then stood up and took Zeynep into his arms, Zeynep sobbed for a while then eventually calmed down. She was clearly overwhelmed with the emotions and Halil saw all that clearly. And that's how they got officially engaged. They stayed in the house a few more hours and in that moment, Halil took the liberty to share his secret with Zeynep. He explained his position and also informed Zeynep of the new orders that had reached them a day ago. Even though Zeynep had her doubts about Halil's identity, she now understood his whole situation.

The week ended and Halil and Oguz went to their mission. Zeynep was left behind with a lot of worry and concern for Halil. She couldn't sleep for days out of nervousness, despite the fact that Halil contacted her whenever he got a chance. On the phone she always asked if Halil was eating well, she even warned him of volunteering to danger most of the times. Sometimes she'd cry on the phone telling him how much she misses him and that she was extremely lonely despite the company she has. Several months passed and the two had not returned yet. The mission clearly took longer than expected and the calls had also stopped coming in. It was said that they both went on deep undercover and as was protocol, they weren't allowed phones nor any kind of communications that could put anyone in their families or organization into jeopardy.

So Zeynep waited and waited for news but she received none. They were very difficult days, she couldn't give up hope but her heart just couldn't relax despite being told that 'no news is good news'. Then it came one day, Zeynep was sleeping in their bedroom. Halil quietly opened the door to their room and sneaked in stealthily not to wake Zeynep. He put down his bag and walked quietly to the bed. Zeynep was soundly sleeping, in her hands she held Halil Ibrahim's shirt and it looked like she caressed it to sleep. Halil climbed on the bed and laid right next to her. Zeynep's hair had spread on her pillow as she slept, Halil moved onto Zeynep's pillow and slightly carried a chunk of her hair up then rested his head on Zeynep's pillow as well. He then took the chunk of hair he carried and moved it to his nose. It was a scent he has missed for several months now.

Not long after, Zeynep turned her head and they were now face to face. She still held Halil's shirt tightly in her arms. Her nose tip touched Halil's, finally Halil could breathe in her air now. It was like he could finally breathe again, with his hand he stroked Zeynep's hair and removed it from her face then used the same hand to caress her face. His eyes really spoke of how much he missed her and as he saw her laying there so beautifully and so peacefully slightly erased some of the worry he had. Zeynep opened her eyes out of the blue, she stared at Halil for a moment then murmured to herself, " Good morning, my love..." as if it was a morning like any other. She raised her hand and directed it to caress Halil's face then added, "Maybe don't disappear today..." she hesitates then continues, " Won't you let me touch you, today too?"

"You can touch me whenever you want..." Halil replied while he takes her hand and drives it onto his left cheek. Zeynep looks shocked from that, she couldn't believe that it was really Halil Ibrahim. She thought it was a dream like every other morning since his departure. This makes her sit up in an instant, seeing this, Halil also sat up on the bed.

"Is it really you...?" Zeynep asks.

"Yeah, it is..." Halil answers with a smile on his face.

"How could you not contact me for months, do you know how worried I was?" Zeynep complained as she hit Halil slightly on his chest.

"It's not that I didn't want to, I just couldn't..." Halil answered as he pulled Zeynep in for a hug. It was their first hug after several months. Halil had missed Zeynep as much as she had and even though they called each other several times, meeting face to face and feeling each other's warmth could not be achieved by any sort of phone call.

It was a happy day for both of them and after that the wedding preparations proceeded. As famous as their love story is throughout KaraDeniz, their wedding was also the talk of the town. Due to this, they both decided that it was better to do the wedding outdoors. This way, everyone who wished to attend could get a glimpse from the venue. Both Halil and Zeynep's excitement peaked as the days went by and finally that day arrived.

It was on a summer morning and the skies were so clear as if they knew of the legendary wedding that would take place. The morning was so beautiful and as Halil and Zeynep woke up on separate beds, the sun still shone as if they woke up in each other's arms.

There was a very beautiful white gown displayed in Zeynep's room and as soon as she opened her eyes, it glowed in front of her and showered her with happiness and hope. She looked at it as if she hadn't been staring at it since she laid her eyes on it, she stood up and went to touch it once again. Her hand grazed on it while she circled it. The design, the fabric the stones all were chosen according to her taste. The wedding as well was planned according to her, today was definitely her day and everything was about the bride Zeynep. Even though this was their second marriage, Zeynep could not shake her anxiety. She looked at the mirror several times, pestered the make up artist countless times. It was all chaos in her room, no task had been completely and everytime anyone dared to do anything before they confirmed it with her ended up getting an earful from the bride.

This news reached Halil Ibrahim, he was told of the agitated bride and apparently the only one who could calm her down was her bridegroom. Therefore he took off and headed to Zeynep's room, at first she tried to chase him away from fear of the curse but she completely melted after a few sweet words from Halil Ibrahim. He entered the room and pulled her into his arms, this managed to calm the lioness into a little cub. Then Halil left the room after several cuddles and kisses. Zeynep sat down for the make up and finally things went on smoothly. At exactly eight in the evening, the wedding platform had already been set, decorations ran through the whole street and flower petals flew through the air. There were chairs arranged that covered the whole main road in KaraDeniz. Kids, adults, women and men filled the seats and flooded the streets to witness their wedding.

All guest and family had arrived, Halil stood to great several guests and even fans from all over the town. He had worn a suit tonight, not the normal black suits he always wears. This time, the shirt was white, practically the only difference from his usual suits. He had gotten a haircut and looked especially neat with his new cut. Oguz also wore a suit for the very first time. He cleaned his beard making his face look even younger, Mecnun was also attending even though he decided to stay behind the scenes. After all, these three had been almost like a family for Halil Ibrahim. They ought to attend his most important day. At last one of them was finally going to have someone to call family, someone to build a family with and have an almost normal life. Although they couldn't show it, the three of them were especially emotional about this fact. Love wasn't something they could achieve easily in their line of work.

On the other hand, Fikret who played a big role in Halil and Zeynep's lives and love wasn't left behind. He was the brother and father of the bride, Zeynep could only rely on him and he stood as firm as a pillar for his little sister. And despite Fikret being the eldest, he still looked up to his little sister's love as the ideal love to ever exist. He loved how they loved each other and was glad that if not him, at least his little sister could be loved and loved unconditionally. To Halil Ibrahim, it was as if he really found a brother who was there for him and led him out of the dream he lived in everyday. The brother he never had, the friend he never had and the brother in law he always wished for.

The ceremony was almost starting and Halil had to take his position, Fikret stood several steps away from him and in his hands he held that of Zeynep. Zeynep looked so stunning, she was glowing as bright as the sun in that particular night. Halil looks at her and a tear can't help but fall, seeing Zeynep in that pure and white dress messed up with his emotions and he couldn't stop tearing up. Oguz near him gave him a pat on his shoulder, this was the first time he could see him actually cry tears of joy. Halil Ibrahim found himself unable to hold it in, he took a moment and turned away from the crowd to come back to his senses. A bit too dramatic for him crying when he saw Zeynep in a wedding dress. On top of it, this wasn't even their first wedding, so what were the tears for? However, he still couldn't hold his tears back. In a world where revenge and enmity preceded, their love actually won. After getting it together, he turned back around and replaced the tears with a smile.

Zeynep walked step by step down the isle and as she got closer to him, her eyes also slowly started watering too. This isle symbolized the twenty years she spent loving him, it symbolized the heartbreaks and the wounds that formed throughout her love for Halil Ibrahim. And every step she took, was as if she stepped on them and left them behind her. Now she could only see Halil in front of her, a Halil whom she knows all of, a Halil whom she thought was a midnight dream. The moment she reached him, she immediately let go of Fikret's hand and ran in to hug Halil. The crowd started murmuring loudly and some whispering how they envied their love. No one could imagine the excitement they both felt except the two of them. Fikret seeing that quietly returned to his seat and crossed his legs waiting for the show to start.

The official read the formalities and in no time, their marriage became official in front of the whole world. They sealed it completely with a kiss on the cheek that Halil sneakily did completely surprising Zeynep. Everyone clapped, some cried, some laughed and some showered them with blessings. The celebrations continued throughout the night and Zeynep danced to her fill. Even though Halil wasn't much of a dancer, he still managed to slow dance with his wife to one song. It was their night after all and the skies were all painted with their smiles and laughter. There was lots of food and drinks and everyone got to have a taste. This was a once in a lifetime event as KaraDeniz had always know blood and fights in all these years. Seeing everyone gathered with smiles made it look like it was a town where only peace prevailed.

The party ended and while all the guest were leaving, Halil and Zeynep were also leaving for their getaway. Halil promised to bring Zeynep to a peaceful place and that's where they'll spend their honeymoon. They both said goodbyes to everyone and got onto the car. Halil drove for a while and Zeynep who was sitting next to him decided to take some rest. It was an obviously tiring day for her with all the preparations and everything. After a few hours drive they reached at their destination. It was a small house on top of a mountain, Zeynep looked extremely happy about it.

Halil had found a really peaceful place just for them, there was no house nearby and the small house made of wood was surrounded by flowers of all sorts. Just a few steps away was a barn and inside there were a few chickens and rabbits. It was the perfect getaway house, so peaceful and calm, so quiet and romantic. At the mountain top, you could see the river flowing from one direction to the other. They could also see the bridge they used to meet at, the could also see the waterfall and lots of other beautiful features in KaraDeniz. Inside the small house was a mattress enough for two, a fire place and a small kitchen by the side. Such a cozy home for a family of two, this was their honeymoon

2442 will be back next summer...

END.