A/N: Sorry about the long wait! I didn't expect it to take me this long to update, but I honestly couldn't figure out what to write (or how to start this chapter!). And after all that, I'm actually not really happy with how this chapter turned out (and it wasn't really as I planned, either)!
I hope you all had a good Christmas and everything, too! :)
I also wanted to thank you all for the reviews, and also to aquasm, keelzz64 and rwheelz82 for helping :)
Now on with the story! Also, just so you know, there's only another two chapters left (I was only going to do one, but I figured I could/should add something else (so the last chapter might be a little short (and I want everyone's opinion/help with what they want to see in the last chapter, but you're gonna have to wait till I write the next one so you know what's happened (obviously))))!
(Ah, and I keep forgetting to add this! I was actually re-reading the whole of this fic a while ago, and I noticed that I've made a few spelling mistakes and mistakes in general (I'm not gonna point them out, cos then you'll end up noticing them if you haven't already!), so just letting you all know that I do know about them and I'm not gonna fix them (although I actually might once I've finished the fic) since they're only small and you should know what I mean anyway!)
"Thanks, Leon." Shannon put down the phone. "Leon said he's sending over all available units, and Lawson and Christian are coming over to help assist with the search."
Stella nodded.
"What about Josh? Where did he get to?" Tash asked.
Shannon only just realised then that Josh still hadn't come back yet and it had been close to an hour. "I don't know... He said he was going to go look around outside. But that was just after you arrived."
"Maybe you should call him?" Tash suggested.
"Yeah," Shannon replied quietly. She picked up her phone again and dialled Josh's number.
"It's switched off." She said as she hung up.
Shannon and Tash looked at each other with the same things going through their heads, before Stella interrupted. "What? You think he's gone after him?"
Shannon looked at Stella and nodded. "He's been looking for him since... Since the first incident. He was pretty angry when I was talking to him, and now that Matt's this close it's not like Josh is going to sit around and stop."
Stella closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the couch. Tash noticed this and sat forward, turning to face Stella.
"Are you still in pain? Do you want another pain killer?" She asked.
"No, I'm fine. I was just thinking."
"Stel-"
Stella opened her eyes and looked at Shannon who had stopped pacing. "Really, I'm fine." She knew what Shannon was about to say, and she didn't want to be reminded again that she didn't have to put a brave face on.
"Okay." Shannon said. She continued pacing, thinking of what to do about Josh.
"Will you please stop pa-"
"I'm gonna go look for Josh." Shannon interrupted and turned around to make her way to the door.
"Shannon, wait," Stella said, trying to sit up. "Ugh!"
Shannon turned around and walked back around to the couch. "Yeah, totally 'fine'." She mumbled under her breath.
"Don't."
Shannon gently pushed Stella back down onto the couch. "You're gonna injure yourself even more doing that."
Stella winced. "Shan, look what he did to me. I don't want the same thing to happen to you."
"It won't, stop worrying."
Stella looked down at her lap and then proceeded to rest her head on the back of the couch again. "I just don't want you getting hurt. Or Josh." She said quietly.
"That's why I'm gonna go look for him, okay? I'll be back before you know it."
Stella mumbled something under her breath as Shannon walked back to the door.
"I won't be long, okay?"
(...)
Michael pulled up into the car park at Stella's apartment complex. He noticed a few police cars at front of the building and a couple of officers standing in front of the door. He didn't see any ambulances, so he figured it wasn't extremely bad.
He got out of the car and opened the back door, pulling out the few bags of groceries while frequently looking back at the cops and wondering what was going on.
"May I see some ID please, sir?" One of the cops stopped Michael as he was getting closer to the door.
Michael put one of the bags down and manoeuvred the other bags to the opposite side his pocket was, so he could retrieve his wallet.
"What's going on?" Michael asked as he showed his license.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you," he looked down at Michael's licence again. "Mr Sandrelli." He handed back Michael's wallet. "What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean?"
"What are you doing here...? It's a simple question!"
"Oh! Ah, I'm just here to see my girlfriend." Michael wasn't sure whether to say 'seeing my girlfriend', 'going home', 'bringing the groceries home for my girlfriend', so he just stuck with 'to see my girlfriend'.
"I'm sorry, but we can't le-"
Michael stopped him and pulled out his badge. "I'm with TR, okay? I just need to see my girlfriend."
Michael was getting worried at this stage. Why won't they let me in? This better not be something about Stella. Oh, god, if something's happen to her- Michael was interrupted in his thoughts when the two cops stepped aside and told him he could go in.
Michael picked up the bag he had put on the ground and nodded a 'thank you' to the cops, then walked in. His mind was racing through different scenarios. Shannon said Stella said not to worry, so it can't be anything bad, right? ...Can it? Michael thought.
Even at his pace, Michael felt like it took hours to walk up the stairs and to Stella's apartment.
When he finally got to the door he opened it, almost dropping one of the bags. He barged in and immediately bent down and placed the bags on the ground. He scanned the apartment and saw the back of two heads from behind the couch.
"Stella!" He said, rushing towards the couch. He hadn't payed much attention at first, but he noticed one of the heads was blonde not brown, so unless Shannon had her hair dyed before she came over, it wasn't her.
"Michael?" Stella questioned quietly. She looked up from her lap and towards the side where she heard his voice. She saw Michael just about running at full speed towards her. She smiled and attempted to get up again; trying to ignore all the pain, but Tash gently pushed her back down.
Michael stood in front of Stella wide-eyed and jaw slightly dropped. "What happened? Oh my god. Stella, are you okay? Tash? Why are you here? Stella, what happened?-"
"Michael. Michael!" Michael looked at Tash briefly. "Maybe it's not a good idea flooding her with questions! One at a time."
Michael nodded; realising Stella obviously wouldn't be able to answer all his questions at once.
"I'm fine, just a l-little sore." she winced. "Um... Matt... He came back a little after you left and..." Stella looked over herself, Michael's eyes following.
Michael leant forward and gently put Stella's head in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her cheeks. He leant in further to kiss Stella then pulled away when he noticed her wincing. He looked at Stella with sympathetic eyes again.
"Are you sure you're okay? Tash, is she?" Michael looked at Tash.
"I think she will be. She refuses to go to hospital, though."
Stella sighed, knowing what was coming.
"Stella! Don't be stupid, go to the hospital! You're-"
"Mm," Stella moaned loudly in frustration. "I'm not going."
"Stel, come on," Michael whispered. "Please go."
"Michael, a word please?"
Michael looked at Tash then back to Stella who nodded that it was okay.
Tash walked towards the kitchen and Michael followed.
"Yeah?"
"As much as I agree with you, I don't think it's helping Stella with you insisting she go to hospital. If she doesn't wanna go, we can't make her."
Michael sighed and looked down at the ground then to Stella, who was resting her head on the back of the couch with her right arm over her torso.
"You're right... How did this even happen? Where's Shannon? Wasn't she meant to be here?"
"I don't know. All I knew is that Shannon called me saying Stella was hurt and I came over here as quick as I could. There's a search going on right now, and Shannon only just left to go look for Josh who took off a while ago."
"Josh was with you?"
Tash nodded.
Michael mentally smiled a little, knowing if Josh found Matt he would probably have more than words with him.
"How bad is Stella?" he asked once out of his thoughts.
She sighed and looked at Stella then back to Michael. "Well I can't be sure without x-rays and an MRI, but," Tash listed all the extra injuries Stella had. "I've given her some painkillers and although they aren't as strong as morphine, she shouldn't be in as much pain as before."
Michael just nodded, not sure what to say. "This is all my fault." He shook his head, looking down at the ground again and moving his weight from one foot to the other.
Tash wasn't sure what to say, so she just stuck with what she knew. "It's no one's fault. You weren't to know this was gonna happen."
Michael looked at Tash then straightened up. "But I should've been here." He turned around and walked back to Stella, taking up Tash's spot she had previous sat in.
"Hey," Michael said. He gently took one of Stella's hands in his. "I-I'm sorry for what happened. I should've been here. None of this should've happened."
"I know," was all Stella could say. The drugs Tash had given her were starting to have their effect, and she was starting to feel less in pain and a little drowsy.
Michael paused. "I can't just sit around and hope they find him. I just can't. I know you don't wanna hear this, Stel, but I'm gonna go help with the search." Stella was shaking her head. "I promise I'll be back in an hour; that's all. I can't just leave you here and I want to be with you now, but I hate seeing you like this. It's just not you. I want to stop it."
"Please. No. Stay here." Stella begged, squeezing as tightly as she could on Michael's hand.
"Stella, please."
Stella hesitantly released her grip, although still holding onto his hand. After a few more moments she let go. "Be careful."
"I will," Michael smiled. "You get some rest. And please think about going to the hospital."
Stella nodded. "I love you."
Michael stood up. "I love you, too." He gently touched Stella's cheek and then walked to the door.
He stopped when he got there and turned his head back to look at Stella.
Tash walked up to him from where she had previously still been standing in the kitchen from their previous conversation. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. I'll stay with her." She said softly.
Michael nodded. "I know. And thanks."