So, this will **Probably** be the last time I update until next Sunday at the earliest. I'm leaving tomorrow for a week. But, anyways, I thought I'd leave you guys with some DxC that I think you've probably been craving.

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"Have you heard from her father yet?" Duncan asked nervously. He was facing Aiden again, in his little office, and was only growing more worried as the day went on.

"Not a word," Aiden said flatly, as if he didn't really care what happened either way. "Now, bring her some food, will you? It won't help our case if she starves. Half of your lunch, or something." Aiden waved his hand carelessly in the air, as if dismissing Duncan from his presence.

It made Duncan a little upset that Aiden had absolutely no shame, but he wasn't about to start a fight. Even if Aiden was tall and bony without a spot of muscle, Duncan knew all it would take was a shout for a swarm of other, more dangerous members to take care of Aiden was untouchable.

Duncan slipped out of the office, and stared at the wooden door that led down to the basement. Through that door, down the stairs, down the hall, to the right, and through the metal door, Courtney was alone, in the complete dark. He imagined that her bitterness towards him was only growing, minute by minute. Duncan walked towards the kitchen of the building, to retrieve his lunch. If nothing else, the base was pretty luxurious, although inconspicuously so. They had to be careful with how much they bought with stolen money, after all. And this was still an abandoned warehouse (typical, right?), so if anyone ever came to investigate, they couldn't find any fluffy carpets or comfortable couches or brand new refrigerators and microwaves. Or a 52'' television either, which Jake had been trying to get the group to buy. Even if they had a television, Duncan had reminded him, how would they get the cable? The only reason they had running water and electricity was because when Gary was alive, he had found a way to tap into one of the household next door's water supply. And power supply. Gary had wound up getting shot after a pretty amazing police chase. He'd "tried" to shoot an officer after there was no chance of escape, but Duncan knew that he'd missed on purpose. Gary hadn't been loyal- and he didn't want to be in the gang anymore. He wanted out. For him, it was the only way out without worrying about his family.

Duncan opened the cabinets, and managed to find some almost-expired bread, crumbly cheese crackers, peanut butter, and two Oreo cookies. He ate one of the cookies himself, to find it stale. Obviously, someone had left the package exposed to the air for too long. He found a paper plate next to the sink, put two pieces of bread on it, as well as the package of crushed cheese crackers. To make up for some calories, he slathered the bread in the peanut butter. He knew that the food would hardly be enough, but it was all he had the resources for.

"Yo, Jake. Are you in the mood for picking up some food later?" Duncan asked, picking up the plate.

Jake groaned, and drummed his fingers on the rickety wooden kitchen table. "Not really. Why do I always have to do the bad jobs?"

Duncan narrowed his eyes. "Get the damn food or I'll report you to Aiden for not listening to me."

"You don't even have a commanding position," Jake sighed, taking a sip of his iced coffee that he'd bought earlier.

"Does it matter?" Duncan asked, raising an eyebrow and glaring at the kid who was brand new to the gang. Jake was the youngest member, at fourteen, but he knew how to fight. And shoot a gun.

Jake looked up at Duncan through his bangs, which were in his eyes and making it impossible to read his expression. "Yeah. I don't like being told what to do. So it does matter."

Duncan put down the plate he'd had, walked over to Jake, grabbed the plastic iced coffee cup, and through it across the room. He grabbed Jake by the collar of his shirt, which caused Jake to squirm around and knock his chair backwards. The chair fell to the dirty linoleum floor with a crack. "Until Ghost comes back, I'm second in command, alright? So that means you listen to me. I know you're still new here, so I'm not going to hurt you. But consider this a warning." Duncan tried to keep his voice straight and even, even though it was difficult not to scream at the ignorant little kid. Ghost had the most respect under Aiden. However, no one had seen or heard from him in weeks. This was normal for the members of their gang, to disappear for weeks, but they almost always came back, refusing to explain where they'd been. He released Jake's dirt-covered red shirt, letting Jake's feet touch the floor again. Then Duncan picked up the plate, and walked out of the kitchen.

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Jackie flipped open one of her magazines, and relaxed on her bed with her iPod playing too loud. It was an old issue, but she desperately needed something to do, as her homework was already finished. It wasn't like she could just call up her friends and talk, either. Her father wouldn't like that very much. So she opened up the magazine, and pretended like she hadn't read it a thousand times since November 2006. She frowned though, when she discovered that it was full of holes. Letters were missing from the magazine. Well, at least it was something she'd never seen before. At least it was that something new that she'd been craving. A mystery.

The magazine fell to the floor with one last ruffle of the pages. Jackie had dropped it, no, thrown it onto the floor. She shut off her iPod and threw it onto her pillow, as she stared with eyes the size of dinner plates at the magazine. There was no mystery behind the missing letters. Her brother had used them to write a ransom note.

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Courtney's eyes flickered around the dark room. She couldn't see an inch in front of her nose. Her stomach growled, a low noise that spoke for her about how hungry she was. Even though she had no way of knowing what time it was, something in her was telling her that it was at least three in the afternoon. Suddenly, a large rectangle of light invaded the room where the doorway was, and Courtney had to shut her eyes to prevent the painful sting it caused them. A light flicked on in the room, and when her eyes adjusted, she saw the very monster that had brought her here. The very monster that had caused her pain. The very monster that she was pretty sure that she once loved.

She attempted to glare at him, and he got the message, but didn't back off or leave. "Duncan...go away," she said, unable to look him in the eyes. She could look anywhere in the room but at him.

"No way," he said, feeling guilty but not showing it. He knelt down in front of her, holding the plate in his lap. "It isn't much, but hey, it's what we have," he shrugged, holding a piece of bread to her lips since she couldn't do it herself.

She stared at it. Courtney was hungry, but at the same time she wasn't ready to let her pride go. She was unable to stoop to the level of eating from his filthy little street rat hands. "I'm not hungry."

Her stomach chose that moment to betray her secrets, and made a rumble loud enough to be heard across the room. She blushed, and looked down. She was tired and weak, and the last thing she wanted was criticism. "Ignore that," she whispered.

"If you don't eat, you'll die."

Courtney looked up, anger haunting her eyes. "Like you care!" Courtney snorted, "You kidnapped me, brought me here, and left me in a dark, cold, damp room!"

Duncan put the plate on the floor, and looked her in the eyes, "You don't understand-"

"No, Duncan, you don't understand! You used me and tried to take advantage of the feelings that you assumed I had for you," Courtney interrupted him. She wasn't going to put up with his nonsense, not today. "And now you brought me here. Why? What are you going to do to me now? Kill me? Ha-"

"Shut up," Duncan snapped, putting a hand over her mouth, "This wasn't my idea, okay? Aiden did it. He wanted your dad's cash. Got it? If I don't do what he says, I get killed."

"So, then what happens when my dad doesn't pay to get me back?" Courtney asked, her voice suddenly quiet and small, like a frightened child. "He's not going to pay, you know. What happens then Duncan? What happens to me then?"

Duncan opened his mouth, but no words of reassurance came. If...if her father didn't pay the ransom...then...then he would have sacrificed her life for his. For once in her life, she sounded so fragile, as if even the smallest breeze would push her off the edge. It was as if in only one night, she'd been stripped of that radiant self-confidence that he'd always loved about her. He could see her eyes glittering now, as if she were on the verge of breaking into tears. "No...Court...Princess...if...if that happens, I swear I'll figure something out. I promise."

"I don't believe you," Courtney replied bitterly, shutting her eyes.

Duncan scratched the back of his head, and tried to figure out something to do to make her feel better. She had been surprisingly easy to talk to, unlike what he'd expected. Was she really that shaken up after this experience? Would she ever be back to normal? He stretched out his arms in an uncomfortable fashion, and pulled the tied up girl into an awkward hug. "You don't have to believe me. But I'll get you to trust me again if it's the last thing I do."

And considering the situation, it probably would be the last thing he did.