What's this? Two chapters in two days? This hasn't happened in a while. Well, guess what. My schedule just opened up. I am almost officially on holidays for seven weeks. I just have to pass this final exam (piss easy) and finish an assignment (how hard can a fill in the blanks be?) and then I'm free to do as I like until late July. Isn't that exciting. The answer, if you like my story, is an obvious yes, because it means that I now actually have the time to write. YAY!! Of course, if you don't like my story, phooey on you, because I'm gonna be updating it anyway.

And now for your enjoyment... or not, I don't mind which category you're in... the next chapter!! TA DA!!

Chapter 11

Time is irrelevant when you're unconscious, which, I suppose, is why it felt like it had been days since the incident at the back of the Police station... you know. The one involving my head and something hard?... In actual fact it had only been a matter of a couple of hours. Nice to know in the long run I guess, but not overly useful when you're still locked up in an unfamiliar room with a goose egg on your forehead being refused any kind of painkillers. My head was back to killing me, just so's you know, and if it weren't for the outrageous amount of agony radiating from that bump I would probably have been a tad more alarmed by my current situation. The fact that the room wasn't totally unfamiliar seemed to have a calming effect on me.

I willed the pain to go away mentally, and was surprised to find that, while I had never been able to master the skill during those weird-ass workshops we had all been required to attend last year, it worked perfectly now. I guess I just needed the right incentive.

With my mind cleared and the pain staved off, if only temporarily, I began to reflect on the events I could remember since being hit on the head. They were all a little hazy. Like the camera had been out of focus or something... except I didn't have a camera to watch the events on. If I did it probably would have made a lot more sense right now, because all I could remember was a huge pain, which I attributed to the bump on my head, a few sarcastic comments from yours truly and a sense of shock and betrayal. The words "It's complicated," kept ringing through my head, but I couldn't pin point the voice which accompanied them. It was familiar but I just couldn't make the connection. Oh, don't get me wrong, I wasn't completely oblivious to the happenings. I know that I had woken up twice already and collapsed both times; the first on my way to the window where I had been instructed to stand and the second after sitting up to get away from my captor, whom was probably the reason for the agonising pain and the sense of shock and betrayal and the recipient of my sarcastic comments.

I wish I could remember who it was.

Fortunately for me, I suppose, I had not yet fallen over, collapsed, blacked out or passed out this time around, but I still had to make sure I didn't try to stand up too fast. I now lay flat on my back under the window with my arms out to either side of my and legs spread wide; my thinking position. The guys all laughed at me for it, but it really helped... usually. I let out a long heavy breath as the lock on the door clicked, the only warning I got before it opened and someone entered. I didn't bother looking up. It probably would have just caused more pain than was necessary. Instead I continued to stare at the single 'x' on the ceiling above me. It made me wonder why it was there and distracted me from the more important issues I should have been trying to work out at the time. I get distracted easily when there is nothing to keep me on task, and since I currently had no task it was even easier to distract me.

I heard the silent footsteps approach from the door as the lock clicked again. Slowly, I used the bar attached to the wall above me to pull myself into a sitting position and glared at the intruder. It was at that moment that I decided I was dreaming this entire situation up. This was all a pigment of my imagination. It had to be, I mean, why else would my captor be-

"Emmet?" I asked uncertainly. I hadn't seen his face, but I would know that stance anywhere, it had been intruding my vision since I was eight. It was kind of slouchy with his arms crossed over his chest. I looked him up and down, willing him to raise his head so I could either confirm or deny (preferably deny) it was him. One look at his tattered red converse sneakers, however and I sure positive beyond a shadow of doubt that the, dare I say, man standing before me was my younger brother, Emmet. "Fuck," I uttered under my breath before adding louder, "They got you too?"

At this point he finally raised his eyes to meet mine. His expression was sheepish as he shook his head. "No, Pei-Pei, they didn't get me, I got them."

"What? I don't understand. You were in Australia. What are you doing here? How did you get them? What-?"

"Peigi, it's in your best interest to shut up and listen right now. There's a lot that you don't understand, I know, but I can't fill you in if you keep shooting questions at me."

I stared at him blankly for a moment before opening my mouth to ask yet another question. It died in my throat as I saw him look me over, shudder and turn away. Confused, I too took a look at myself. What the Random? I was in only my bra and panties. What worried me most was the fact I knew for a fact that these were not the ones I had donned this morning before leaving for work. I shuddered to think who had changed me and got a cold sinking feeling in my stomach as I considered what else could have happened while they were changing me. "Uh, Em?" I asked tentatively.

"Yeah, Pei-Pei?" he replied quietly.

"Why am I only in my underwear? And why is it not the underwear I was wearing when I was hit on the head outside the police station?"

"There's a perfectly logical explanation," he stated, shoulders heaving in a sigh.

"Well?"

"Well. We figured if you were only in your underwear then you'd be more reluctant to make a break for it."

"Um... okay. But... uh... Why not the underwear I was already wearing?"

"You were wearing a crop top and boy shorts, Pei. That's not that different to what you run in. We needed to make you indisposed so that you wouldn't run away. So I had Ella get you're skimpiest set of underwear and change you into it."

Well that was a relief, at least it wasn't some pervert guy that had gotten me naked and dressed me up in my sexies. Hang on... did he just say he got- "Ella?"

"Yes, Ella. You know, the lovely lady who takes care of Dad's building and bakes the to die for cookies?"

"I know who Ella is, you idiot. But why did Ella agree to it? Surely you would have had to have told her that I was kidnapped."

"She already knew. We've been planning this for months."

"You and Ella?"

"Me and the guys. And Ella."

"What have you been planning for months, exactly?"

"This entire operation." He was deliberately avoiding giving me full answers, just like every other time I, or mum or dad interrogated him. This boy would never change, at least, not in my eyes anyway.

"What operation would that be?"

"The one that we're currently acting on."

I gave a frustrated little sigh and balled my fists at my sides, trying desperately not to lash out at him. "Mind explaining exactly what it entails?"

"Do I look like a clichéd super villain to you?" he asked.

Through gritted teeth I uttered, "Humour me."

"You'd better tell her, Emmet, she's looking ready to bite your head off," came a voice from the speakers on the wall. "And I don't doubt for a second that she'd be able to manage it in one bite."

Emmet chuckled and turned around moving to sit next to me. We both sat silently, leaning against the wall for a good long moment before he began his tale. It wasn't the best of tales, that is to say, there were no car chases or blown up buildings, but it was a damn nasty plan they had put together against me... Well... in aid of me, if their intentions were to be believed.

One of the guys had caught Sean ring shopping a few months back and naturally assumed that he was getting ready to pop the question. Of course, the guys being the guys they are, and know that I was the way I was... am? They knew that I would be and I quote "idiotic and tell the poor guy that I had to consider my answer thoroughly." So the guys got together and devised this devil of a plan. All the variables of the situation were predicted. Most of them anyway. They figured that Sean would do the right thing and ask Dad's permission first, which he had, three days in advance. Of course, Mum would weasel this information out of Dad the next day and immediately tell Ella in a fit of excitement. Ella, who was never one to keep secrets from her husband, divulged the information to him, who in turn mentioned it casually to one of the guys while fixing something or other in the building.

That was the way it had actually played out, but made sure that if anyone were to find out they were to report it to the group immediately. The cold hard facts of the case were that Mum would definitely get Dad to tell her, and would then be so excited about it that she would have to tell someone. This gave the guys a little less than forty-eight hours to pull everything together, including flying my brother in and making sure that the proposed keeping chamber, which I was currently sitting half naked in, was available.

When Emmet was finished telling me all this, he stood abruptly and excused himself say that he had check on... "stuff".

"I'm kinda hungry," I told whoever was monitoring my chamber. "Thanks to you guys I missed my lunch date."

"Would that be why Inez Musso keeps calling your cell?" came the reply.

"Yes, that would be why. I was supposed to meet her at eleven for lunch. What time is it now?"

"Two. Would you like me to get you something to eat?"

"Much appreciated," I said in my best, 'na duh' voice.

"I'll see what Ella left in the fridge for you."

A few moments later a bottom section in the door was moved out of the way and a hand slid a plate into the room. I sat back against the wall after retrieving it and began to dig into Ella's wonderful salad roll. Just as I swallowed my last bite a whirring began somewhere in above. I glanced about in concern for a moment, before locating the television that was descending from the ceiling. "What's going on?" I asked, knowing that it was frowned upon to allow the hostage to watch cartoons and therefore knowing that this was not the reason for the television.

"We thought you might like to catch up on a few things that you've missed," announced a voice.

The screen came to life and I sucked in a breath at the image it revealed. Someone was gonna lose their testies if I ever got out of here. How dare they?!

I watched in horrified silence as Sean struggled against the shackles that bound him to the wall. There was an egg on his forehead that looked to be turning a nasty shade of ouch and he too was in only a pair of briefs. A pair of low riding briefs. I felt my cheeks grow hot and imagined they were growing red as I realised I was staring at his neat little package. Get a grip on yourself Peigi, I told myself, There are more important matters that you have to deal with right now.

"Why did you kidnap Sean as well?" I asked aloud.

There was no answer for a long moment, making me think that whoever was monitoring me had left the screen unattended. Finally, Emmet voice came over the sound system. "We had to have some kind of way to make you co-operate."

"By kidnapping my boyfriend and chaining him half naked to the wall?" I was infuriated. The fact that I was talking to my brother again allowed me to let my anger show.

"If you weren't being such a girl about things he'd be your fiancé, Pei. You might wanna do some of that thinking you told him you needed to do, because we're gonna need a definite decision real soon."

"What happens if I don't make a decision 'real soon'?" I asked wearily.

There was no answer. My gaze drifted back to the TV where Sean was still struggling. He let out an roar of frustration that made me wince, then the screen went blank again. As it slowly returned to its hiding place I let out a deep, gut wrenching groan and dropped my head to rest in my hands. What on earth had I gotten myself into? I surged to my feet and began to pace the width of the room agitatedly. I had to figure out all this stuff in my head that was preventing me from doing what it seemed everyone wanted to happen.

Why were they so concerned with my personal life? Didn't I have the right to say no if I didn't want to marry him?

Is that what you want? The little voice in my head asked. Do you want to say no to Sean? Do you want to break up with him and live your life with someone else?

My on subconscious shocked me with its... thoughts... Of course I didn't want to break up with Sean! I loved him more than words could explain. I just didn't know how to say yes to him. I knew I wanted to say yes to him... didn't I?

I don't know, said my conscience. You seem awful uncertain about the whole thing, maybe you're better off just saying no and leaving the entire situation behind you.

"Emmet?" I called hesitantly as I realised that it was going to take a fair while to resolve this inner battle of mine. WHY IS MY SUBCONSCIOUS SO RELUCTANT?

"Yeah Pei? Come to a decision?"

"Um, not exactly. What happens if I don't make my decision in a timely manner?"

"It's a simple explanation as to your options here, Sis. You either choose to keep him and we let you both go to make sweet Pagan love for the rest of you both shall live. Or we do something that you will regret for the rest of your life... however long that shall be." His last little add on was loaded, I could tell.

"And um... what would that be?"

"Peigi, Sonar was made for you. And you were made for Sonar. Neither of you are going to be anywhere near this happy with anyone else. So, either you to get together, or we make sure that neither of you will ever be with anyone else. It's you're decision."

"What do you mean, you'll make sure?"

A different voice jumped in before Emmet had a chance to reply. "If there's one thing we've learnt from your father, Peigi, it's how to make things look like accidents when they weren't."

That didn't sound promising. No siree. That didn't sound promising at all. "You wouldn't do that," I stammered, my voice shaking almost as much as my hands. "Think of Mum and Dad's reactions."

"It would be an accident, Peigi. He would have no reason to blame us."

I gulped and returned to the problem of conscious versus subconscious to try and come to some kind of an agreement. Preferably one that did end in either me or Sean dying. That would be bad. I suppose the logical thing would have been to say yes then and there, knowing that if I didn't say yes I'd be faced with death. But you try talking logic to my brain and see where it gets you. Not very far, I can tell you that much. Logic is not a strong argument as far as my noggin is concerned. It always had to work things out the hard way.