A/N: I'm sittin' here with a smoothie… and we write. Okay, so I found out there was a shooting in my hometown last night and a kid my age was shot and I immediately freaked out and started texting them all to make sure they were all alive and stuff. They're all good, but someone really is dead. I might know them… This was kind of inspired out of that.

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.

Shooting

I had just flipped on the news to kill time until the movie I wanted on another channel came on. I had a few minutes to burn. But I wouldn't catch the movie.

An alert came on the tv, red flaring lights like sirens going off in one corner and catching my eye. I munched on my popcorn, eagerly awaiting some sort of drama that was sure to unfold. Breaking news was always the best. Even though it meant that I'd have to leave the room shortly after the news broke, being a hero and all that jazz.

"There has been a shooting on the south side of Bellwood in one of the smaller suburbs." The reporter's voice came through nice and strong as she stared right into the camera with serious eyes. "It seems that the windows were shot in with malicious intent on Evston Road."

The bowl of popcorn fell out of my hands. I may not have been to Kevin's house too many times, but I knew he lived in the southern suburbs of Bellwood and on Evston Road. I was immediately up and pulling on my shoes and groping for a coat in the closet while trying to fish my phone out of my pocket at the same time.

I managed to slip one arm into my jacket before shrugging it on. My shoes were on; the advantages of ballet flats were endless. The line was ringing and I had already called Kevin's number with my speeddial and I pressed the phone to my ear using my shoulder while zipping my jacket.

It kept ringing. Why wouldn't he pick up?

"Hey, it's Kevin," came the answering machine, making me furious with him. "Leave a message and I'll get back to ya."

"Not if you're dead," I breathed, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. I called again while heading outside and walking towards the corner of the street. South. Ben could pick me up and give me a ride.

He still didn't pick up, but his answering machine did. "Hey, it's Kevin. Leave a message and I'll get back to ya." The tone sounded.

Frustration ate at me as I dialed Ben this time. He picked up by the second ring. "Gwen? It's like midni-"

"Pick me up. Fast. I'm at the corner of my house and walking south so just go along that road," I demanded, not letting him finish any sentences. I kept walking, my pale blue jacket curled tightly around me, keeping in my warmth. Another tear slid down my cheek.

"Gwen?" I could hear the sound in the background of him moving to get his jacket and such so he could get me. "Is something wrong?" Then his voice got closer like he was holding the phone close to his mouth. "You sound weird."

"There was a shooting," I breathed into the reciever, begging for him to hurry faster. More tears were falling down my face and I couldn't help it. "It's in Kevin's neighborhood and on his street, Ben." I kept up my pace. I had to get to him. "It was just on the news."

"Aw man." I could hear the fear in his voice as he hustled. His breathing became ragged even when he didn't say anything. "Keep walking and I'll be there as soon as possible. Has he picked up his phone?"

I looked at my screen to see if there was a chance Kevin had noticed my calls and called me back. He hadn't. "No," I told my cousin. "Nothing from him. And I called him twice."

A cuss slipped Ben's lips and I heard a door slam. "I'm getting in the car, Gwen. Just hang tight. Be there in about five minutes."

"Hurry," I pleaded as the line cut out and he hung up on me. I quietly shuffled along a little faster, nearly jogging. I knew tears had to be streaming down my face by now, but my boyfriend could've been dead... Kevin... I kept moving, knowing Ben would be here in about three minutes now with me practically running and him breaking enough speed limits to challenge Kevin in his ticket offenses.

Headlights shone down the street like a beacon of light and the black and green car stopped right next to me. I was already running for the passengerside door, panic readable all over me. I was so scared. I was so scared that he could be dead... I didn't want Kevin to be dead. Not my Kevin.

Ben was already flooring the gas the second I was in the car. I had to slam the door and buckle myself in while we were in motion. "What do we know?" he asked, wanting information immediately. "Has he called back yet?"

Instead of answering, I kept crying. I could already feel pieces of my heart peeling away like old paint. It was like some part of me was lost. Maybe he was dead. Maybe having someone tell me would just reitterated what my heart already knew. Tears kept flooding from my eyes. I couldn't help myself. I had almost lost him once and I wasn't about to lose him again. Not so soon.

Because what if he was dead? How could I live without him? He was my soul. He was what made me want to live. I didn't want to live without him. He was too incredible to be lost so young. It'd be like dying in 2012: our whole lives would've been wasted in school whereas his whole life would've been wasted with evil thoughts and illegal habits. He couldn't be dead. He had to redeem himself fully still. He had so much to live for yet.

And how would I survive without him? He was perfect for me. I needed him like I needed air. I needed him more than the world. He was everything for me and I needed him whether anyone else like it or not.

I liked the way his silky raven-colored hair glistened in the moonlight; I loved how he let me run my fingers through it. I liked the way his obsidian eyes glinted when he was scheming something against Ben. I loved his muscles and the way his tight shirts made them show just that much more. I liked the way he dressed too. Snazzy for being someone like him. I liked how he smiled. His smile always stopped my heart and took my breath away. Kevin was magic. He really was.

"Gwen," sighed Ben as we pulled closer to Kevin's street. The lights were glowing off of windows and glass doors as we rounded the corner while trying to look inconspicuous. He pulled it into the driveway on the corner and I was already out of the car and running down the sidewalk, watching the opposite side of the street for Kevin's small house.

I could hear my cousin close behind and even closer after I stopped and stared at the house all the police cars were sitting outside of. I moved forward and started to go towards Kevin's house. The windows were shattered and the door was wide open. "Oh my god..."

Ben came up to my side and took my hand before quietly pulling me through the throngs of people and cars and wailing sirens and blaring lights. He pulled me towards Kevin's house; it was the one thing I hadn't wanted to see. I didn't want it to be him. I wanted him to be safe and normal and free from the life of crime. He had to be free, not dead.

"Gwen!"

My head whipped to the sound of his voice. I looked over one shoulder to see Kevin sitting shirtless on the back of an ambulance with his mother right beside him. His eyes were focused on me with worry, but I could see the fear in those dark orbs as well. But he was alive. He was alive-

I was running for him before I could do anything else. My feet just carried me in his direction. I had to make sure he was alright. He had to be fine. He had to be perfect.

Kevin took me right into his arms the second I was there. He pulled me right into his chest and let me wrap my arms around his neck and just feel him breathe. I held him so tightly. I could feel his heart pounding in his chest. "Kevin..." I let the tears keep flowing down my face, not bothering to try and hold them back.

"Gwen," he murmured into my hair, pressing his lips into my crown of crimson hair. "God, Gwen, I was so scared they were gonna hurt you too." He tucked me tightly into his broad chest. I could feel his strong six-pack and I liked it just that much more. His arms were around me in a protective way more than comforting, but I couldn't find the heart to care as long as he was still alive and safe.

It took all my strength just to pull myself away from him. "Kevin?" I asked as I dragged my reluctant body away from his; one of his muscular arms still remained around my waist. "What... What happened?"

This was where the fear in his eyes heighted from a dull twinkle to an inferno of panic. He took a moment to find the right words before saying, "I got caught up in a bad deal a few nights ago and I think they came back for a hit job on me." He ran one hand through his thick ebony locks. "But no worries. One grazed me, but that was it. Nothing too bad." He gave a weak smile, obviously knowing we'd be watching him a bit more closely from now on.

My cousin was giving him a glare and I knew I was upset with him, but I wasn't about to bother him about it right now. I was just too happy he was alive. He was alive. Kevin was alive.

"Kevin," said Ben, still glaring with a bit of uncertainty written across his face, "you're really pushing it." His arms were folded across his chest in that leader-like way that he had adopted more recently. "A few more things like this and we'll have some problems on our hands."

"Don't worry about it, Tennyson," said my boyfriend, his grip around my waist tightening in an assuring way that made my heart melt in my chest and made my mind go foggy. "This one was too close for comfort. On my home turf, they're dead." He looked over his shoulder at his mother who seemed to be in severe shock as she sat on the back of the ambulance. "Too close to family and I'm out. That's the way it works." I felt his body move just a little bit closer to mine. "When the people I care about get threatened, they're done for. You got that, Benji?"

My cousin just nodded, his gaze lightening up almost approvingly. "I trust you." A little smile turned up the corners of his lips. "Most of the time."

"And right now," Kevin started, "I'm gonna trust you to get Gwen back home nice and safe since I gotta stay here with my mom." He took me back into his arms again for a long moment and his lips pressed to my forehead.

I was so caught up in him. He was alive. He was alive. He was alive. That was all I needed to know.

A/N: So… review? Please and thank you!

~Sky