(I own only plot)

Episode Five

Jasper groaned. "For the hundredth time, Nina, Jerome, no! You cannot come with me. If you care about them, you stay here. Got it?"

Nina stepped closer. "Jasper, we know Rufus. We go way back. And trust me, he can't be trusted. He's really evil. And it's no secret about how much you care for both of them. We can help you."

"Look, Nina, if you love them, you'll let me do what I have to. He said that they'll both be killed if I take anyone. And trust me, I don't want them dead."

He would have given anything to have some support, but he needed both his godson and Trudy alive. "Jasper, call us if anything goes wrong. Promise?" Jerome said.

Jasper sighed. "Okay. But you have to keep this quiet."

"We will." Nina promised, sending Jerome a death glare. "And good luck. Rufus is like wet soap."

Jasper nodded. He knew that much. And his godson and best friend were at stake. He sighed at the prospect. Survival for them.

(Meanwhile...)

"Now, which of you two will be allowed home when all checks out?" Rufus asked, glaring at his hostages.

Without hesitation, Trudy spoke up. "Fabian. He has a whole life ahead of him and he most deserves to live it."

Fabian gasped. "No way. Set Trudy free. She's the sweetest person in the world. She deserves to be free."

Trudy glared daggers. "Shush! I'm trying to make sure you get out of here!" She hissed. She then faced the cloaked man in front of her. "Look, with all due respect, you have to set this boy free. He's not even old enough to vote. He's a child. You can't take that from him. Set him free. He's a sweetheart and he means the world to his family and friends."

Rufus cut a very worried Fabian off as he opened his mouth. "So, you think that if you stay here, he can live?"

"He'd better!" She responded, fury slowly taking her over.

A dark chuckle. "Well, then. Tonight. If either of you must be set free."

Episode Six

Vera sat next to Rufus with Fabian and Trudy in the back seat. They were on the softest seats, sinking low. Jasper didn't see them. He panicked, the dollhouse by his feet. Rufus got out and picked it up. Then he turned to face Jasper. "So, which do you want? The woman or the boy?"

"What? The deal was that you gave me both of them in exchange for the dollhouse!" Jasper exclaimed, horrified.

"I'm the one in charge here, Jasper. Which of them do you want?"

Inside the car, Trudy was staring straight ahead, her eyes glazed. Fabian poked her leg. "Trudy?" He whispered.

Trudy glanced at him. "What is it, love?" She asked, her voice low and soft.

Fabian whispered "You go. I hate seeing you scared."

Her heart warmed, but she shook her head slightly, then placed her hand on his. "Look, you have a full life ahead of you. You need to be safe. And think of Jasper. He only wants you safe. Please, love, think of him."

"He loves you, though. He wants to keep you." Fabian told her. "And I don't want you to die."

"Aw, darling, you can't worry about me, you poor kid. I've had a lot of life. You're just getting started. And what about Nina? How will that poor girl live without her boyfriend helping her out?" Trudy asked, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Where will Jasper be? He wants you. Trudy, I know him. He loves you so much."

"Look, you get out of this car and you go to him. That is an order. Okay? Do as I say, alright? And if you dare to worry about anything other than keeping yourself, your friends and your family safe, I swear I will find a way to remind you that this was your only option. Got that?" She hissed, sounding dangerously threatening.

Fabian sighed. "I won't if you're going to be unsafe."

Trudy let go of him and hissed to Vera "If Rufus asks you to grab one of us, take Fabian. I will kill you personally if you don't."

Vera nodded. "That is the plan. I wanted him safe anyway. You, not so much. Even if you are a lot friendlier than you seem."

"Thanks, love. You're incredible." She whispered.

Meanwhile, Jasper was terrified. "Look, I'm not choosing. I want them both, like we agreed. I did everything you asked. The least you can do is return them."

Rufus groaned. "You can have your godson or you can have your woman. The other will be returned when I'm through with them. Choose."

Jasper said "You need to give them both back."

Rufus walked over and grabbed Fabian, then said "Take the boy. The woman seems to have no concern for her own life."

Jasper whispered "Get in the car."

Fabian hissed "But he has Trudy."

"I know that. I'll sort it out." Jasper hissed. "Get in the car."

Fabian said "She's scared, Jasper. Get her safe."

"I will." Jasper whispered. Then he faced Rufus. "Let her go."

Rufus smiled. "Not yet. Give it some time."

Trudy was crying in the back of Rufus's car. Vera looked at her. "Want a tissue?" She asked.

"If you don't mind, thank you." Trudy breathed, tears streaming freely.

Vera handed her a tissue. "Just for what it's worth, I think you were really brave to trade your safety for Fabian's. You're so selfless and kind."

Trudy sobbed, then said "Thank you. Look, just in case we don't get to chat again, I want you to know that you're fantastic with those kids and you really do deserve to get out of this alive."

"No, I don't. You do."

Trudy gave a light chuckle. "That's so sweet of you, love. But please do your best to escape this alive and keep Jasper safe for me." She said.

"I will. And I hope that you get to live with him. You make a cute couple."

Trudy sighed. She started to cry harder. She wished she could. But Rufus had every intent to kill her.

Episode Seven

"Do you recognise this?" Rufus asked Trudy, threateningly.

"Yeah." She nodded softly. She was scared. But then she remembered that she would never have forgiven herself if it had been Fabian in this situation. "It was junk and I threw it out."

"That's why you're there and I'm here. Very well done on protecting the boy, by the way. You have no idea of its value. It's worth more than you are, in fact."

Her voice sounded quite level, for her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It simply means that, very soon, you will no longer be needed."

Trudy trembled as he left her alone. She was going to die. She shook and began to cry. How was he planning to kill her? She sobbed violently. Meanwhile, in Anubis house, Fabian looked at his best friend, Nina Martin. "I can't believe she let me go. It should have been her. She should have been set free."

"Fabian, she told you to go. She wouldn't do that if she didn't want you alive. You need to have faith in her. She'll protect herself." Nina tried to comfort him.

"No, she won't. Trudy said it herself, the first night. If he tried to hurt me, she'd shield me with her life. She suggested that even if she died, I should use her body as a shield!" Fabian told her, worried almost to the point of sickness.

"Look, if she said that, you mean more to her than life. She's already made it obvious that she doesn't want any of us hurt." Nina whispered kindly, stroking his hair.

Fabian said "And how did I repay her? I let them take her! She's probably being murdered as we speak! If anything happens to her and she's found dead, I will never forgive myself!"

Nina shook him. "Fabian, I love her just as much as you do! But if she does die, she'll be happy in the knowledge that she's dying in your place!"

"That's not helping! Think of how much she's done for us! How much we all love her! Do you know that Jasper is still trying to save her? He loves her." Fabian's voice had dropped to a whisper and it shocked Nina.

"What? He loves her?" Nina whispered.

"Yeah." Fabian whispered.

The next thing either teen knew it was daylight. Fabian and Nina shared a horrified look. "Trudy." The memory of the previous night terrified them and they had horrible scenarios in their mind.

Meanwhile, Rufus was planning the murder of his hostage. He smiled as he imagined her death, seeing her bleeding to death in his mind. He imagined returning what was left of her to Jasper with a note, saying that he would be next. He dialled Jasper's mobile number. "Jasper?"

"Yeah? Look, whatever you do, don't hurt Trudy." He begged, worried for her.

"She's alive and well. For now. But you must meet me on the heath. I'll bring the woman. In one hour."

Jasper rushed to the heath and waited. Rufus took Trudy to the heath. She asked "Where are we going?"

Rufus said "Shut up." At the heath, he walked to Jasper. "I have what you want. But you have to do me a favour, first."

"What is it? If you hand me Trudy, you can test me."

"Alright. You can take the woman." Rufus told him.

To be continued...

God, I really am rusty... Okay, so. Please let me know what you think. For now, bye bye! BlackCat46. :)