A/N: Hey, readers! What's up? Not much? Thought so. This is definitely not the last chapter, but it is totally the bomb. Just saying.
Your reviews! So sorry I was unable to reply to your last ones.
darling: I know, I almost thought I wasn't going to update either. But I couldn't just stop, you know? And thanks for liking the descriptions! I try really hard to give you a good idea of what everyone is feeling. And don't say that yours aren't as good. You should see my early stories, from a different penname in a different fandom...
smilez6647: Oh, gosh, thanks for thinking its amazing! I love when I get reviewers who think that. Please, review again! I will be replying to all of them from now on!
teamnickandmiley: Oh, thanks! I love to hear that this has affected you emotionally - I was totally aiming for that! And hearing that you think that I'm an amazing writer makes me sooo happy. I totally appreciate your update!
flustrated: Oh, wow, I loved your review! Very flattering, and I totally agree with you - it's good that Massie is okay. I'm really glad that I've gained a new reviewer and I guarantee that I'll reply to them!
littlemisstroublee: Oh, thanks! I didn't originally plan on Massie awaking right then, but it felt like the most appropriate. And yeah, I was aiming for Kendra to be a little funny - sometimes the story is a little too heavy, and I need to break it up. Thanks for reviewing and I'll look forward to your next one(:
finding-forever: Oh, believe me, there is more than one chapter left! I couldn't end it too quickly. And I love that you feel connections to Massie - I really wanted to make her a character that you could relate to, but I still wanted her to be in-character. Oh, and you won't be disappointed in the Massington stuff! I filled this chapter with it(:
likewow5556: Oh, thanks! I was really anxious about how I portrayed the emotion, and I wanted the reunion between Massie and her parents to be deep, and realistic. I'm glad that you liked it.
dusty714: Oh, thanks! I'm glad you love it, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing(:
dreamer: Oh, I'm SO glad you mentioned me keeping to the true Massie. I didn't want to make her nicer than she really was, or sporty or anything. The true Massie can be a little nasty, and she cares a lot about how she looks, and I didn't want to change that. I'm glad that you enjoyed it, and I hope you like this next chapter.
lovergirlns: Oh, thanks! I had a hard time writing that chapter and I'm glad that you liked it. I tried really hard and I'm glad it showed. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
cblover1812: Yeah, I finally updated! I'm glad you loved that chapter, and I really hope you like this one! Oh, and I really did want to show how strong Massie is. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Kendra held the mirror up to Massie's face and smiled. "Honey, you look great. Really, you shouldn't get so worked up about this."
Massie sat back and gasped. "I should get worked up? I look horrible. The bruise over my left eye won't go away and I'm pale as heck! I couldn't look worse." She fell back on the pillow and her eyes teared up. Kendra ran a hand through her hair.
"I know, sweetie. But remember, they won't be judging. Their just happy you're alive and well. Don't worry." She heard a few footsteps in the hall and smiled. "That's them."
Massie could feel the excitement bubbling up in her stomach. She couldn't hold back the grin that was stretching itself across her face. It had been forever, and she was finally seeing her friends. They all stepped in the doorway to her room and paused for a second.
"Ohmigod!" Alicia's yell was unmistakable. Massie felt herself being hugged and smothered under a thick layer of hairspray and perfume. The squeal had a few doctors and nurses checking in the room to make sure everything was okay. She shushed them as best as she could, but when they pulled back, it was her that was squealing.
"I missed you guys so much," she murmured, finally taking a breath. They all stood by her bed, silently, taking it all in.
"You don't have to talk about it," Kristen suddenly piped up. "That's not why we came." It was silent again as they all thought.
Massie was the first to break the silence. "I know. And... I don't really want to talk about it. Not yet. But someday... yeah. The rest of their faces broke out in grins.
"Okay," Dylan said as she hoisted a giant bag onto Massie's bed. "We brought some things for you."
Massie nodded her head and accepted each gift while Claire held her hand the whole time.
000
Derrick Harrington was nervous. Not in that "I'm going to fail this test" kind of way, but a "I'm going to see the girl of my dreams who was kidnapped" kind of way. Which was weird.
He thought about getting her flowers, then decided not to, since she already had about a billion sitting at home from all her family and people from school. But then he decided that he should. Just to... be nice.
Of course, the flowers he was holding were pretty much dead, as he'd been holding them so tight in his clenched fists. Damn, he was nervous. He sat on a bench in the main lobby, waiting until that one chick, Patricia, told him he could go in. Until then, he waited.
Waiting sucked.
God, he couldn't believe everything that had happened. She had killed a man, that's what the news had said. And they had the three other guys in custody, awaiting trial. And she got shot?
This sounded like some weird action movie, or something. Not real life. He looked down at the purple irises again. God, what a stupid idea. He felt like an idiot. She just went to hell and back, what would she do with flowers?
He thought about all the things he would and wouldn't tell her. He couldn't go too fast, that was for sure. He couldn't tell her that he missed her so much. Or maybe he could? That didn't exactly say "I want to be your boyfriend", which was what he really wanted to tell her. But he wouldn't tell her that. Because she was still in the hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg in a daring hostage escape. Jesus, Christ. He used his sleeve to wipe his forehead, which was sweaty. He was a mess. Why did he think this was a good idea? Did she even want to see him? Geez, what if she was still, like, in pain or something? He couldn't handle that. He didn't like needles, or doctor-y stuff, or even hospitals in general. But why was he thinking about that? He was so selfish. God.
His name being called pulled him out of his crazy internal monologue.
"Derrick? She's ready to see you." Derrick walked slowly down the hallway, passing her four friends as he did so. They all gave him warm smiles, but weren't as giddy as usual. What did that mean?
"Hey." Derrick stopped suddenly at her voice. Was that her? He turned and saw Massie Block, sitting in her hospital bed, smiling at him. He smiled back and walked to her bed slowly, taking a seat next to it.
"Flowers?" Massie blushed. She had a faintly yellow bruise above her eye and her skin was pale white. He put the flowers on her windowsill. "Thanks," she whispered.
He swallowed, not knowing what to say. She took care of that.
"I missed you so much," she whispered. She sounded weak. And then, he felt normal again.
"Yeah? Ha, not as much as I missed you." He took ahold of her hand and smiled again. She was cold. Her fingers were bony. He tried not to gasp when he looked down and saw how skinny she was.
Massie pursed her lips and looked down. "Really?"
He laughed. "Of course. You're my favorite girl." He realized how true this was, how true it all was. He'd missed her.
Massie looked up in surprise when he said that. "I thought about you a lot, you know. I was so worried about you, because you got shot." She was going to say more, but he was shushing her.
"No, no, no, don't worry about that. Mass, I was worried about you. Of course, I was just being silly. You obviously were able to take on all those guys." He laughed again, and this time she found the strength to laugh with him.
"Oh, yeah, I am such a badass," she said softly. He squeezed her cold, white hand.
"Well, you may think that was a joke, but I'm not kidding. That was pretty kickass."
They both smiled at each other then, not saying anything. The quiet suited them. Derrick looked around at the hospital room she'd been in for so long. It was white - too white, but then again not much different from her bedroom.
"Did you lose hope?" She suddenly asked. "Ever? Did you ever think for a second that I wasn't coming home?" Her question caught him off guard, but he decided to be honest.
"It depends on how you phrase it. I never lost hope, Massie. I never once lost that hope that you would come back. But did I doubt that sometimes? Yeah, I did." He paused and instantly regretted saying that when she started crying.
"I'm sorry, I have been crying so much lately..." she said as he handed her a tissue.
Derrick felt guilty. "It's just... on the news, and everything, they kept interviewing all these investigators and detectives and they were saying that the chance of finding you after so much time was one in, like, a million. And then all these experts started saying that the later videos that came out could have been pre-taped, and you could already be dead."
Massie looked up in shock. "They said that?"
Derrick nodded. "It was hard, Mass, to believe everything was going to be okay. We were all messes, you know." He looked down again and saw that her hand was shaking in his. He squeezed it again, and sighed. "But I never lost hope. I was always wanting you back. I always hoped you were alive."
She looked out the window. She couldn't look at him. Everything scared her. Everything hurt. She felt like she couldn't breathe and her eyes stung. She was free; why was she hurting?
The elements were pushing too hard. Everything, everything was pressing against her and she couldn't look at Derrick and the pressure wasn't easing and her head hurt. Everything hurts.
Derricks's grip loosened on her hand. She turned quickly and looked at him; startled. He was leaving?
"I have to go, Mass. I can tell that you need some time." He leaned in and gently kissed her on her forehead.
And then, the pressure eased.
She felt like she could breathe again.
Just as he was reaching her door, she called out.
"Derrick," she said softly.
"Yeah?" He looked like he was anticipating what she was going to say.
"When... before I went to pack my bag, after you had been shot by Henry..."
"Yeah?"
"I said I loved you." She hadn't remembered that until now, but the memory was there, clear as day in her head.
Derrick looked at the floor for a second, blushing. "I know."
Massie paused for a bit, unsure of what to say next. The truth?
"I meant it. I meant all of it." She shook her head. "I just can't do this right now, though. Okay? I need a while before I can... commit to you." She looked at him with a face that was so achingly desperate and sad and soft and bruised. Derrick wanted to cry.
"Of course." He smiled. "And Mass?"
"Hm?"
"I love you too."
Aww. Reviews are appreciated(: