CHAPTER 12

AN: A note at the beginning for a change. This is the last chapter.

Thanks to anyone that has stuck with this story! =)

Please review and let me know whether you enjoyed it!

I've noticed how I've gone from apartment to a 2 story house so I'm gonna say that she lives in an apartment complex which has about 5 small 'houses' on it. You know what? I've confused myself lmao

May be an epilogue or I may just leave you with this open-ended chapter.

Tell me what you think, please? Alerts are nice but reviews are better =D

/

"Alright, you're home." Dad pulled up outside of my apartment and smiled at me. I let out a happy sigh before opening the car door. Lisa was straight by my side once I was out of the car.

"I'm not about to fall apart, you know? I'm delicate right now, but I'm not that bad."

"I know but I just want to make sure you're okay and I'm doing the protective big sister thing so shut up and get inside!" She ordered with a laugh. I saluted her but flinched as pain shot up my side. My ribs were nearly healed now but there was still a lot of bruises that caused me pain when I moved too fast. I only felt the pull of the stitches in my cheek when I spoke but I had had a few painkillers before leaving the hospital and I didn't feel them at the moment. Lisa looked back at Dad to see if he needed help with getting my bags out of the car but he just motioned for us to go on. She hooked her arm around mine and walked to my door. I could hear a small scratching on the other side of the door and smiled.

"Amanda?" I turned my head and saw my friend Callie stood behind us. "I'm so happy that you're back." Tears filled her eyes and she pulled me in for a hug. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"I know. I don't wanna seem off or anything but I really just want to be with my family for a little while." I sighed and pulled back.

"Okay. Call me." She walked away without looking back but I could tell that she was still rubbing her tears away. I didn't want to cry. I'd done too much of that. Lisa touched my shoulder and unlocked the door. She opened it slowly but the little white kitten flew out through the small gap and immediately tried to climb my leg.

"Skye." I sighed and carefully picked her up. A small shock of pain shot up my side but I ignored it as the little cat nuzzled into my collarbone. We made our way into my apartment and sat down on the small 3-piece suite that was in my living room. Skylar immediately went onto the back of the sofa and rested her head behind my neck. "So, what happened to me?" I asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time. Dad and Lisa sat down in the chairs across from the sofa. They never have given me a straight answer.

"Okay, don't interrupt." Dad said with an unhappy tone. "We got a phone call from Rippner and were told to meet him at some abandoned warehouse. He said that you were drugged but would be sleeping indefinitely if we didn't make it with the money by the following evening. The police surrounded his car but he got out with you in his arms and a gun to your head. He ordered us to throw the money at his feet and once we did then he would return you to us. That's when it got harder. The police told us to comply with his orders so we threw the money to him and some other guy picked it up and put it in the back of their car. We stood still for a moment and I didn't even realise that I'd stopped breathing until Lisa screamed at him to give you back to us. Rippner smiled and shook his head. I was nearly sick as I thought we'd lost you just then but Rippner started speaking again.

3rd Person P.O.V

Jackson kept his arm across the sleeping girl's throat and grinned. He cocked the gun and stroked the side of her face with it. He was quite proud of his work. Amanda no longer had clear skin as a J was now carved into her right cheek. Her ribs were quite obviously broken and other bruises littered her body now.

"Not so fast. You see, I wanted that money for a reason and once I give Mandy back to you, I will either be arrested or shot dead." He nodded his head towards the guns that the police had pointed at him and his gang.

"No, I promise that that won't happen. Just give Amanda back to us. Please Jack!" Lisa shouted and collapsed onto the floor.

"Oh, Leese. All this begging is really quite silly as you know that I don't respond to silly little tears."

"What do you want from us?" Joe breathed with a look of shock on his face. His beautiful, little girl was unconscious in this monster's arms with cuts and bruises covering her body. This was the second time that this man had attempted to ruin his family.

"I will give Mandy back to you in a moment." Jackson threw Amanda to the floor and smiled as she fell with a loud thud on to the concrete. He took his phone out from his pocket and dialled a number.

"You ready? Yeah. Great." He shut the phone and put it back into his jacket.

"Well?" One of the policemen asked angrily while moving his gun to cover Jackson's moving figure.

"My friend is… around, and he has a nice sniper rifle trained on Amanda's cute face. So, here's how it's going to work. You all put your guns down or her brains his the floor." He waited a moment and smirked as the police did as they were told. "We will get out of here and once we are gone, the sniper will leave too."

"How can we trust you?" Joe shouted angrily.

"You can't but, what choice do you have?" Jackson asked smugly. Once Joe looked at his shoes, Jackson got into the car and sent one last smirk at the Reiserts before the car pulled away. There was a few seconds of nothing but silence before Lisa rushed forward and cradled her sister's head in her lap.

"Oh, Amanda." She sobbed and rocked back and forth while holding her sister. Joe soon mad ehis way over and joined his two daughters on the floor. The police stood down and looked away in shame.

/

Tears filled my eyes as Dad finished recalling what had occurred. "I can't believe he did that."

"He's crazy." Lisa moved and sat next to me.

"Is he still out there?"

"Yes, there was no trace of him." Dad frowned.

"Great. I need a coffee." I left Dad and Lisa in the living room and made my way to the kitchen. I filled the kettle up with water and set out 3 cups. How am I supposed to live properly with him out in the open? I flicked on the switch and glared at the red light that showed the kettle was turned on.

"Amanda, it will be okay." Dad wrapped his arms around my shoulders and rested his chin on top of my head.

"How will it?"

"Because our family has been through so much that nothing will tear us apart. We are stronger than ever."