I was getting more hysterical by the minute. Ned was not looking good. There were cuts and scrapes all over him. Bruises, many of them, would show up soon too. It was possible bones were broken, but I couldn't be sure. His t-shirt was tattered and stained with dirt and blood. I got myself up and gently helped him to the couch.

"Oh my god Ned, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I'm so so sorry." I sobbed, taking his hand in mine.

"No need to be sorry." he said weakly. "I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I meant that." He closed his eyes and sighed as he leaned back into the couch.

"I know you did, I know. I'm just sorry you got hurt in the process…because I was too stupid to listen to you."

"Claire, I'm fine, but you need to call the cops. Like right now! That monster is still out there and he isn't just going to go away."

He was right of course, I was wasting time blabbing when I should have been calling 911. I kissed Ned quickly on his battered cheek and then dug my cell phone out of my pocket.

I paced the house while on the phone with the 911 operator. Knowing Hale was out there, somewhere, was terrifying. I'd never been more scared in my life. Then there was Ned laying in the living room. He looked peaceful now…so peaceful it made me nervous. I just wanted this all to be over. I wish this was a dream.

Finally I heard a car in the driveway, but only one, if it were the cops there would be more. Delia. She was home. I had to warn her that he was out there. Before thinking I ran out the door, screaming "Watch out, Delia!" Her face frozen in horror. Just before I reached her I was grabbed again. Damn, you would think I'd learn.

At least I wasn't thrown to the ground this time. Hale had his arm tightly wrapped around me crushing me into him. I tried to squirm away, but that just made him tighten his grip.

He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life in jail because of you. It's only right that I thank you properly."

I cringed as his hot, sour smelling breath tickled my neck. "Do whatever you want to me, just don't hurt anyone else." My eyes shot to Delia. She hadn't moved, she was staring Hale down, Not even a hint of fear in her eyes.

I started to struggle again to distract Hale so Delia could escape, so she could get inside to Ned. I didn't care what happened to me as long as they were safe. I used what little range of motion my arms had to elbow Hale in the sides. My feet and legs were totally unrestrained so I kicked backwards at him. I knew I wasn't hurting him, but I was making him focus on me and me alone. He used his free hand to punch me in the ribs, but I kept struggling. Hale was tensing up, getting angrier.

He tossed me to the ground. His heavy boot repeatedly kicked at my sides which were completely exposed because my arms were shielding my head. At least his attention was still on me, Delia could get away now.

I stopped moving, stopped fighting. He kneeled beside me and rolled me over so I was facing him. Then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out the knife I'd seen in my dreams

That was it. I was going to die here. I wasn't thrilled about it, I was too young to die, so much left undone, but at least it wasn't in vain. I'd given Delia plenty of time to get inside to safety, an ambulance would be here any minute to help Ned and then the cops could take care of Hale. My life seemed like a fair price to pay for keeping the people I cared about safe. Hale rotting in jail was a nice parting gift too.

I closed my eyes as Hale lifted the knife over me and I waited for the piercing pain…It didn't come. Instead I heard a deafening gun shot. Did he have a gun too? Had I been shot? I hadn't felt anything. Had it happened that fast? What the hell…I opened my eyes slowly, not sure if I was alive or dead, not sure what was waiting for me.

Hale was laying on the ground next to me, the left side of his white t-shirt now crimson red. Delia stood over me holding a gun in her shaky hands. I couldn't do anything but stare. She hadn't gone inside, she never left me. She used my distraction to save me instead of herself. She was the real hero here. Tears began burning my eyes. Delia held out a hand to help me up and then engulfed me in a tight hug.

I knelt down and took Hale's knife. He wasn't dead and the gunshot wound probably wouldn't kill him. Every fiber of my being wanted to use his own knife and do to him what I'd seen him do to other and what he had almost done to me, but then I'd be no better than him. I was better.

Delia and I stood there over him until the police and paramedics showed up. I handed Hale's knife over to the police, the weapon of several murders no longer missing. Hale was placed on a stretcher, handcuffed to it and taken to the hospital.

Two paramedics rushed over to me and began working me over. I'd forgotten I was even hurt.

"No, I'm fine!" I screamed pushing them away. "Get inside, get Ned!" I ordered. They sat me in the back of the ambulance and then did as I said.

My tears started pouring again as they brought Ned out of house on a stretcher. I felt an aching in my heart that I'd never felt before. I'd caused him this pain, someone I cared about so much and I'd brought him extreme pain. It was the worst feeling I'd ever felt.

His eyes were closed as they loaded him in next to me. I tried to stifle my sobs, but he opened those baby blue and looked up at me, making me feel even worse.

"Why are you crying? I'm okay, really. And you…you're amazing. You caught a killer, Claire. You brought justice to so many people. But you've always been amazing so I'm not surprised." He smiled up at me like we shouldn't have a care in the world and at that moment I didn't.

I took his hand in mine and held it tightly, no mixed signals in sight.

A/N: Wow, another chapter that sounds like it could be the end…but it's not, there's at least one more. I'm very nervous about this chapter. It was difficult to write and I don't think it came out quite as dramatic as I would've liked, but I hope you guys like it anyways.