Disclaimer: As always, I don't own TDI, TDA, or TDM, any of the characters, or any part of the franchise.
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story thus far. My apologies for not updating sooner—life's been hectic. Anyways, the chapter may seem a bit rushed, but I felt it worked. Read and review!
Clenching his fist, he bit his lip to keep it from trembling. He angrily stalked to the door, unsure of what to do. For a long moment he stood there, seething in fury. Then he banged on the door furiously.
Noah opened it up, assuming it was Heather again. He was wrong. Before he realized what was happening, he was wildly shoved halfway across the room and punched in the jaw. Unsteadily, he got off the floor, blinking when he realized what had happened. "Trent?"
"The one and only. Now, would you care to explain to me this little scheme of yours?" he yelled, frustrated.
He raised an eyebrow, his weak attempt at acting. "What scheme?"
"The one where you and Heather were manipulating Kelsey to ruin our lives! The one that Heather was ranting about just a few minutes ago! Care to explain that to me?"
Noah steadied himself against the desk, resting his hand on it. "All right, I'll tell you. Heather wanted to get revenge against the two of you for something. I'm not sure what. So she concocted a wild scheme that involved both Kelsey and myself." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
An irritated Trent pounded his fist against the wall, scowling. "And you went along with this?"
Shaking his head wearily, Noah exhaled forlornly. "I did, and I'm sorry. It was a mistake, and I regret it. I never realized that Heather would go that far, or that Kelsey was that deranged, or anything for that matter. I wasn't thinking, and I apologize."
"How did the plan work?" Trent asked abruptly.
"After Heather got back, she watched some of the episodes of TDA. The Aftermath ones in particular. She saw Kelsey and she saw opportunity. So Heather arranged for the girl to apply for an internship, which Chris willingly agreed to because he's a sadistic bastard who loves drama. Everything fell into place from there. It wasn't hard for you and Kelsey to meet—you went on a walk every day and she just arranged for a photographer to capture Kelsey kissing you."
"Anything else?"
"She realized that Cody knew I had done PI work before, that part's true, so she set it up so that Cody would find the package, show it to you, come to me, and manipulate things from there. I know it's convoluted, but she knew that the pieces would fall into place. She just didn't realize that I had a conscience."
Irate, Trent banged the palm of his hand against the wall. "You think that excuses you? That that clears you of any complicity?"
Noah's head fell and he stared at the ground. "No," he sighed, "it doesn't."
"You're damn right it doesn't! And you're going to help me clean up this mess!"
Trent stalked out of the room, slamming the door as he left.
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"Do you have it?" he asked, far more energized and far less tired than before.
Noah nodded, smirking. "Proof of Heather's role in the Kelsey matter. It's proof, and it's enough to put her in a cozy little jail cell for a few years." He smiled and continued, "She'll get the punishment she deserves, and you and Gwen will go back to living normal lives."
Trent agreed, taking the disc from Noah. The bookworm was a damn good help and had been the one to procure proof out of the tips of Heather's hands. "Good. All's well that ends well, and I'll be damned if this doesn't end well."
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"Heather Elizabeth Lee, you are under arrest!" the officer boomed, ignoring her shrieks and screams. "You are under arrest for kidnapping, criminal threatening, fraud, and serving as an accomplice to attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent!"
Watching from the back of the hallway, Trent smirked as she began threatening retribution and ranting about Noah's involvement in the matter. It didn't matter now and he'd destroyed the proof. Gwen was out of the hospital and everything was looking up. Everything was getting better.
She loved him, he loved her. They were happy, they would be happy for years to come. He whistled softly as he walked off, fumbling with the small blue box in his pocket as he began imagining ways to propose.