Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in awhile. With school winding down (somewhat) it will be a lot easier for me to write and update so hopefully I will be able to do so more. Thanks for your support. :)

Two days later, days that passed quickly, days that somehow passed without Jason and I arguing about our feelings or our situation, it was The Day. The Day that I was to go back home. Jason's mood was unreadable as we all loaded into the van, Jason and I sitting in our usual spot, this time sans handcuffs.

"So what's going to happen when we get there?" I asked.

"We trade you off I guess. Hopefully they didn't bring the cops into this. I really don't like the cops," Jason said.

"Yes, that's been established."

Jason rolled his eyes. "I still can't believe Sanders messed up our job."

"Let it go, dude," Sanders complained.

"Oh just like you let go of your hatred of Leah? I'll be sure to do that," Jason replied.

Johnson looked frustrated. "Guys, can we not fight today? We're always at each other's throats and we can't do that today. We just have to do this, and then after that you can kill each other."

"Gladly," Sanders said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fine," Jason said, running a hand through his hair.

The tension in the van grew a little. I thought of who would win in a fight, to distract me from thoughts of leaving Jason and going home. Sanders was more muscular and taller but Jason was deceptively strong, at least compared to me. I can barely do a pull-up. I can run decently but my arm strength is very close to zero. But still. Going home. People were inevitably going to treat me differently, my parents, my friends. Maybe I'd even have to go to therapy. My mom was very big into therapy, having dedicated several chapters of her best-selling book A Helping Hand to the merit of it. I should know. I've had to read her book several times, being a good daughter and all. I miss her.

"Shit," Johnson said suddenly, stopping the van.

"What?" Jason said, pushing me off of him to look out the windshield. "Shit," he concluded.

"Fucking shit," Sanders added helpfully.

"What is it?" I got up to look but Jason pushed me back down. "Hey!"

"It's the cops, man. Fucking four cop cars. Your parents..." Jason trailed off and swallowed.

"Yikes," was all I could think to say.

"Yeah, yikes!" Sanders said.

"Okay so what's the plan?" Johnson asked Jason.

"I guess, hold Leah in front of me. Should I take the gun?"

"It can't hurt."

"Uh, yes it can!" I protested. "Just take me out there, it's fine, I'm sure they'll be reasonable."

"You are the most naive girl I've ever met," Sanders said. "We don't have good run-ins with the cops, and I'm pretty sure they won't be reasonable with kidnappers."

Jason hugged me against him and kissed me. I focused as much of my energy as I could on the kiss, because I knew it would be the last one. I grabbed his phone from his pocket and added my number. "Don't forget about me?" I asked him.

"Not a chance," he said. Then he helped me up and looked out the windshield one more time. "Let's go," he said, his face resigned. He opened the door to the van and stepped out, me grasped in front of him.

"PUT YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD!" a cop was shouting out of a megaphone.

"GIVE ME THE MONEY AND YOU GET THE GIRL!" Jason shouted back, grasping me tighter to him. I tried to look panicked rather than turned on.

I examined the scene. My parents were standing there between a bunch of cops, around eight. Oh, they carpooled. How nice. And of course there would be so many cops. Of course.

Jason hesitantly took a few steps forward. A suitcase in my dad's hand caught my eye. The money. I wondered how much Jason thought this whole experience was worth.

"Fifty thousand," he whispered in my ear, seemingly reading my thoughts again. "Just remain calm, okay Leah? I didn't do anything to you. Anything you didn't like, anyway." I nodded slightly, still trying to keep up my frightened demeanor.

"THROW THE SUITCASE TO ME!" Jason shouted at my parents.

"GIVE US LEAH FIRST," the megaphoned policeman boomed.

"NO!" Jason shot back. He nudged us a few more steps. He looked at the crowd in front of him expectantly. I saw one of the cops speak to another. I'm no good at reading lips but I know what two of those words were.

Jason McCann.

They recognized him. Fear glazed over me. As soon as I was safely to them they were going to shoot him. He's committed murder, after all, him and his brother. They were going to kill him.

"They know who you are," I said through my teeth.

"What? Shit," Jason said quietly. He took one of his arms off of me and put it behind his back.

"KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM," the cop demanded.

"JUST A SECOND." Jason returned his arm around me and I heard the van door slam shut.

I looked behind me to see who it was. Sanders. His hands were above his head and he looked determined. But he was also wearing a big jacket that he wasn't wearing before. I could only guess what was hidden inside it.

I didn't think it was possible but Jason tightened his grip around me. I felt his entire body against mine, warm and steady. His heartbeat was quick but still deep. Into your heart I'll beat again. Dave Matthews Band, I realized. Somehow it clicked now. I tried to keep my face frightened still, but I didn't feel scared. I felt a sort of numbness, an ambiguousness. Everything around me was super clear, time was a little slower.

"I'll miss you babe," Jason whispered in his hot breath.

"Mmm," was all I could say back without it looking like I was talking to him.

With that, Jason began to walk towards the cops, Sanders as well, though several feet behind. That was when I started to feel uneasy. We were fifteen feet away. Ten. Five. Then Jason loosened his grip and the suitcase was handed over to him. I was passed over to the arms of my parents, hugging my dad and then my mom, who were crying with relief. In the corner of my eye I saw the policeman to the left of me release the safety on his gun.

"No," I whispered.

"What was that sweetie?" my mother asked as Jason turned to leave.

"DON'T SHOOT HIM!" I screamed as he lifted his gun, aiming directly at Jason.

"FUCK NO!" I heard Sanders yell. I turned around to see Sanders take the gun out of his jacket. He fired a shot and the policemen ducked and covered, leaving Jason enough time to sprint to the van. Sanders and Jason both jumped in, and I knew that Johnson was turning the steering wheel furiously as they U-turned, leaving a cloud of exhaust behind them as they disappeared down the road and around a corner.