It's a pretty hefty chapter today. When I'm depressed, I write. So, you know the dance I was talking about? I only go with my friend because everyone else there doesn't like me and I know it. So, as I was waiting for her to come pick me up...I realized she must have forgotten. I ended up not going and posting depressing statuses on Facebook. When my mom came home that night, we had a little mother/daughter bonding moment when she asked me about what was going on and school and such. My daddy, yes and I take pride in calling him 'daddy', noticed how depressed I was about just the week in general and tried to make me laugh every time I walked by. Yes...I admit...I did cry last night and my pretty make-up was running and my dad came to the door and I had to clean up my face. It made me grateful to have the parents I have. My mom and I don't really see each other anymore, and my dad and I have had some time to bond. So, in conclusion, I am feeling a bit better. :)

REVIEW REPLIES:

-But I Have Promises To Keep
By foreshadowing, I'm curious as to what you mean. :) And as for the whole death concept, I'm kind of afraid to go to Church today, most likely, they'll talk about him and the whole room will be filled with tears and such. I hate it when people cry because honestly, I don't cry for death. I cry when I'm beaten down verbally. But yeah, I am hoping that I can be somewhat of a source of comfort to them. :) I'm not really good at it, but I'll try. Thanks for the awesome reply. :)

-SVUProductions
Yeah, it is pretty sad. It'll take awhile before people are actually giggling in our neighborhood again...And I'm the kind of person who loathes depression for myself and other people. Thanks for the review!

-mozzi-girl
Thank you! Haha! Oh, and I read your story, Capital Holiday! And guess who loves it...MOI! Thanks for the review!

-Champagne Showers
If you want, I can send you a PM about the Summary of Officer Diggs. :) And I am totally excited for the new chapter to come out tomorrow! :) I'm only on chapter two, but I'm still excited! :D Thanks for the review!

Thanks for the reviews and kind words. I love you guys! Oh, and I am not too sure about the ending of this chapter, but I like everything else, especially the intro!

Read and review? Thank you!

You Are Now Dustin Ferry

It all happened too quickly! She came for dinner, just like she had promised, but she was in a cloak and a plain, red mask. You were hoping to see what she had actually looked like; after all, you met on the phone, not to mention, The Suicide Hotline.

Now, you're standing on a chair, hands cuffed behind your back, and a rope tied firmly around your neck. She stands on a ladder, attaching the other end of the rope to the ceiling. She mumbles in quiet chants.

"Please," you call out, "I...I just wanted a pleasant dinner!"

"And I wanted a father figure in my life," she snaps and hops off the ladder, finishing her knot. "But we can never get everything we wanted."

"The police will find you," you growl, "They have the best cops on their team! I...I would know!"

"Oh Dustin," she chuckles darkly. "Maybe you should have considered your actions in the first place. After all, you're the one who called the hotline. It's not my fault your life is a piece of crap!"

"You're supposed to be helping me," you snarl, but your voice quivers slightly. "You're not supposed to help me commit suicide!"

"Honey, this isn't suicide. It's technically labeled as First-Degree Murder. You should read a Law Book sometimes. I find them quite useful when escaping The Force."

You can't tell what her expression is, due to the mask, but you see her eyes gleam with passion as she kicks the chair out from under you.

You feel your airways constricted as you choke and sputter. You kick and squeal, but most of all, you remember your mother, father, and two younger sisters. They always knew about your problems. They would probably just think of this as suicide when truthfully, a new serial killer has been released into the streets of San Francisco.

Everything has gone dark.

You are dead.

-C.O.D-

Mal Fallon opened his eyes and looked at his alarm clock; eight o'clock. Not wanting to face the world at all, he got out of bed groggily. Niko watches his every move, trying to look for some way to help him out. Nothing. Unless Niko found a way to save Natara or wake him up from this horrible 'nightmare', then Mal would be happy again.

After finishing his usual morning routine, Mal walks to his car, patting Sasha's head on the way out. Since Natara's been gone, Mal has decided to leave Sasha at home. She was getting older and Mal knew she wouldn't be able to work any longer. He always thought she was too depressed to work. Dogs were loyal companions, and when Diggs was killed, Sasha was confused, trying to find Diggs.

Mal remembered the day he came home from the hospital and Sasha sat on the porch, obviously waiting for Diggs. He also remembered the look of sadness she gave when Diggs didn't show up after a few minutes. She knows, he thought and slowly made his way towards her. He scratched behind her ears and gave her a smile before limping into the house.

As Mal reminisced about this particular day, he drove to the department. It wasn't until he arrived at the station when Ken approached.

"Hey Mal! Great job on solving that case yesterday! I have to admit, that was pretty impressive," he said, patting Mal on the back. "You feel like you're back on the beat, yet?"

"Yeah," Mal replied with a fake smile, "I think I'm getting there."

"And I bet Daniel is happy that his dad is finally living the life of a cop again. With your bad leg and such, I think he considers you as his hero."

Mal bit his lower lip. He never thought of his son considering him as a hero. He, at a time, thought of his dad as a hero. Then, Jacob went corrupt and he began to loathe his dad. He wasn't there for him...Ever. He realized how much of an act this was. He even thought that if he got to his father's age, he would be looked down upon by his kids. Natara kept him in line, though. He didn't want to admit it, but she was the strong link in the family, which made her disappearance very hard on him.

"Yeah," Mal finally replied. "He might consider me as a hero, but he never shows it. He's just a little kid, though."

Ken looked at Mal for a moment before shaking his head. "You alright, Man? You seem off, today. Did Natara puke on you again?"

Mal almost snapped. He wished people would stop mentioning Natara. It was hard enough to not wake up next to her every morning, and when people used her name as if it were a toy...

"No...Morning sickness stage is over," Mal muttered in response. "Listen, I'll talk to you later. I've got some paper-work to finish about Happy the Meth Clown."

Ken smiled and nodded. "Alright. You take care, Mal."

He didn't bother listening to Ken's final words. He walked straight into his office and sat down, Niko laying by his feet.

"I wonder what the Gamer Master has in store for me today," he growled, sitting back further. He closed his eyes and went over yesterday's -technically today's- letter.

'No matter, I am preparing a move that will have you questioning all of your resources.'

What did that mean? Obviously he was going to question his resources...But how? His train of thought was interrupted by Joe.

"Captain Fallon?" he asked, opening the door slightly.

"Yes, Bartaugh?" Mal replied, his eyes still closed.

"We found a body..."

"Oh great...What's this one covered in; Blood, make-up, powder..."

"Actually, it was suicide. The victim's girlfriend found the body in his apartment. Apparently, she confirmed that he had a suicidal behavior and had been calling the Suicide Hotline."

"Close the case then, if it's suicide. I have no time for nonsense things like this."

"Well, Captain...Officer Willis suspects foul play."

Mal sat up slightly. Foul play. That's just the word he needed to hear.

"How did our vic 'commit' suicide?" he asked, now curious.

"He hung himself. At least, that's what we believe."

"In his apartment?"

"Affirmative."

Mal stood up and motioned for Niko to do the same. "Alright, Bartaugh, give me the address to the scene and I'll be over there..."

"Captain, I really don't think this is a good idea. You haven't been spending time with your family lately and..."

"Detective...Why does it matter if I spend time with my family or not! My son is currently at his grandparent's house, enjoying himself. My wife is perfectly fine. She will call me if she happens to go into labor. Now if you don't mind, I need that address."

Joe backed up slightly. Mal had never shouted at one of his employees before, and this came as a great surprise to both of them.

Wordlessly, Joe scribbled down an address on a piece of paper and handed it to Mal. He walked away after that and Mal looked at the address.

"Come on, Niko. We're one step closer to saving Nat," Mal whispered and the two stepped out of the building.

On their way to the apartment complex, Mal made a few phone calls. One of them being to Maria Yeong.

"Maria?" Mal asked cautiously.

"Mal! It's great to hear from you. How's..."

"She's fine," Mal said quickly. "Listen...There's something...Something I need to tell you."

"Go ahead, Mal, I'm listening."

"Well, it's more of a hypothetical question, really. Let's say, when you were in charge and one of your employees were held hostage, what would you do?"

"Mal, is something wrong at the station?"

"No! Like I said, this is hypothetical. What would you do?"

"Well, I would alert the authorities and have my best detectives on the look-out."

"But what if you were told not to tell anyone and you were the only one who noticed the disappearance?"

"Mal, are you..."

"Please, just answer the question."

Maria sighed heavily on the other line. "Well, if said-person's life was in danger...I would most likely follow the rules and not tell anyone."

"And let's say that this person who is being held hostage is N..." Mal couldn't finish the sentence. A car in front of him stopped abruptly and Mal gasped. He stepped on the brake and dropped his phone. It wasn't enough. His car rammed into the other one, deploying the airbag. Niko yelped in pain and hid his snout while Mal hit the airbag, coughing and wheezing. He wasn't badly injured, but he could feel a black-out coming and for some reason...Welcomed it.