Hey guys, so here's the deal. This is the LAST chapter BEFORE the epilogue! Yes, I'm very sad about it, but it will be okay! Something else to enjoy-a really long chapter. It's is a bit longer than usual and that is because I felt really bad for not updating for a long time! I won't bore you with excuses but basically it sounds a lot like school...finals...grades...packing...vacation...holidays...etc.

***The bold italics are a memory within a flashback.***

Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think because I've been having mixed feelings about these last few chapters. Thanks guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own Graceland or any familiar characters and places.

:)

Briggs sighed as he paced the deck, BD close to his side as he stared at the ground. He wasn't sure he could take much more of this madness that everyone called waiting. He preferred to call it hell. It was the closest description he could find for the way he felt inside from the moment he saw the blood on the stairs.

He barely looked up when the sliding glass door opened and Jakes stepped out, closely followed by Paige as they watched his monotonous movements across the deck. "She going to be fine, buddy."

Paige nodded. "Hannah is strong…she's also smart. She can handle herself until they get there."

Briggs sighed. "I can't lose her too."

Jakes nodded in sympathy and prayed that he didn't lose Hannah like he did Lisa. He barely seemed to be handling the first one from years ago. This would just push him over the proverbial edge.

They were about to speak again when the loud shrill of Paige's cell phone rang out. Silence fell over them and Paige wasn't sure why her hands shook picked it up. "It's Mike." Then she took a deep breath. "Mike?"

She was silent for a minute before breathing heavily and sighing. "I will. See you…soon."

She hung up and looked at Briggs. "Paul…"

"Tell me they found her." He said quickly and she nodded slowly.

"They did…but they need us to go down to the hospital." She said and they saw the color drain out of his face.

"What happened?" He demanded and she sighed once more, holding a hand to her tearful eyes. "There was an accident…and they need you to go identify her."

…

Briggs shot up in bed as the nightmare replayed in his brain. Breathing heavily, he forced himself to replay the events that had happened just a few hours before.

Jakes sighed as he watched his closest friend pace around the deck behind the closed glass sliding doors. Next to him, BD followed the movement and every now and then would lift his head as if he heard something and then continue his walking. Jakes felt helpless in every way, and actually wished that he were back at the bureau with Mike, Charlie, and Johnny rather than having to watch this sad scene in front of him. He never thought he'd see the day when the great Paul Briggs broke, but it seemed as though that day had come…or it would if their friends didn't come back with some good news on their newest family member.

It was no secret that Jakes didn't show a lot of affection towards people and preferred to keep to himself, but it seemed as though this teenager had found a way to sneak into his heart and over time he found that he did care about her…a lot…just like he cared about his family. He still couldn't believe that they were in this situation, but after the shock and worry about someone being in their house (and being given the all clear that the house was still safe) he thought about the fact that Hannah was probably scared, hurt, and alone with her abusive ex-boyfriend who probably wouldn't have any problem messing her up both physically and emotionally to a point that they may not get her back. It made him sick to think about how quiet the house would be without her, so he kept his focus on the man wearing a hole in the deck outside.

"This is unbelievable." Paige said next to him as she leaned against the counter. "I can't even imagine what she's going through right now."

He nodded and turned to look at her. "Mike, Johnny, and Charlie will find her and we'll get a call that she's fine and then we can deal with whatever comes next."

She was silent for a minute as she watched Briggs pause and kneel down by the dog. "I hope so…or we may lose more than just Hannah…"

Outside, Briggs was barely conscious of the path he was pacing on the deck. Though the beach was filled with children laughing and parents scolding, he heard nothing but his own thoughts thundering in his ears.

Paul knocked on his brother's front door and waited as footsteps were heard approaching. He smiled when the door opened and he was met by the tired face of his sister-in-law.

"Paul!" She exclaimed and smiled as he hugged her. "We weren't expecting you until tomorrow."

"Sorry…I got time off earlier so I figured I would come. I should have called." Then he sighed. "You look great, Joanne."

She chuckled and brushed him off. "I do not, but it's nice of you to say so. Bobby's as work still, but…" She smirked. "Do you want to see your niece?"

He grinned and nodded. She led him up the stairs, allowing him to put his stuff down before going into the nursery that now held their family's new addition. "Paul…this is Hannah."

He looked down and stared in awe at the small three-month-old in front of him. He watched as she blinked and then started to cry. Joanne immediately reached for her and thought the girl quieted down, she didn't stop whimpering.

Smiling at him, Joanne nodded. "Do you want to hold her?"

He hesitated but when she placed the small child in his arms, she immediately quieted down and looked up at him curiously. As he looked down at the fragile package in his arms and felt his heart completely melt. Then, remembering the thing he held in his hand, lifted it and held it in front of her.

"This is for you, Hannah." He said and gave it to her.

"Paul, I know I should wait for Bobby to get home but..." She sighed. "We want you to be her godfather."

He looked up at her in shock. "Are you sure?" She nodded and he smiled. "Thank you. I promise…I'll keep her safe."

He shook his head and couldn't believe he broke his promise. Even though his brother and sister-in-law had changed, he still had a promise to keep with Hannah and now he wasn't sure he'd get to keep it. Though he ignored everything else, he was conscious, however, of the dog that stayed close to his side as he walked. Letting out a big sigh, he knelt by the animal that had been an important companion in Hannah's life.

"You're a good boy." He said as he ran his hand up and down the dog's head. "You're a real hero…putting yourself in danger for her. I know you did."

BD looked at him as thought he was sad. "I know buddy. We'll get her back. I know we will." Then Briggs paused and his voice grew quiet. "We have to."

Sensing his distress, BD licked his face and whined. Briggs gave him a small smirk and sighed again, standing back up to continue his pacing. Immediately, BD started back up as well, and it made Briggs feel slightly better to have his support.

A few minutes later, he heard the door slide open and felt the presence of Paige and Jakes behind him though he didn't look up at time.

"They're going to find her, Paul." She told him, putting a stop to his pacing by putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Any minute now, Mike is going to call you and tell you that they have her and that the stupid kid 'accidentally' bruised his face by 'falling'." Jakes said, hoping to cheer his friend up a little bit.

"I can't lose her too, DJ." He said in response and Jakes felt his heart constrict even more at the thought of Briggs losing his first love.

"You won't." Paige said quickly and with a sure voice. "We have the best people looking for her. We'll get her back."

"I just…I don't know what they expect me to do just sitting here! I should be out there looking for her, damn it! What is she going to think when she doesn't see me there?" He yelled and his friends didn't try to calm him down. "Then I have to deal with my thoughts on what could happen...and what happens if Rina comes looking for her? Or Tanner?" Then he stopped. "Shit. What are we going to tell them?"

Paige and Jakes shared a look and Briggs narrowed his eyes. "Tell me."

Paige sighed. "They sort of already came here." She held up a hand to stop him from interrupting her story. "I stopped them at the door, told them that she went out with Johnny and Charlie, and sent them away as quickly as I could."

"What made them come looking this early?" Jakes asked, as he realized they wouldn't think to look for her this early. "She would still be doing chores."

"They tried calling her and Rina said that she answered but then it cut off right away." They shared a knowing look and something dawned on Briggs.

"That's why she has her phone…she smuggled it out." Briggs murmured. "Definitely smart."

"Exactly." Jakes added with a hand now firmly on his friend's shoulder. "She is smart. She can handle keeping herself safe until Charlie, Mike, and Johnny get there."

"You have to force yourself to stay positive. These bad thoughts are not doing anything to help so you shouldn't focus on them." Paige said, keeping her eyes from glancing to her phone for any possible news.

"Yeah do your meditation or whatever it is you do." Jakes added, trying to pull a smile onto his face. "That always seems to put you in a better mood."

Before anyone could say another word, BD started barking loudly and shot off the deck and back into the house. Briggs growled under his breath in frustration. "What the hell is his problem?"

"Me."

There she was, standing in the doorway, with a small smirk on her pale face and Mike's FBI jacket around her shoulders. Her hair was frizzy and stuck up in random places, and her clothes were ripped and wrinkled. There was a bandage on her forehead and a wrap on her hand and wrist. She also had a bandage taped to her chest underneath her tank top strap. She had her sweatshirt draped over her arm and an array of bruises and cuts but was otherwise unharmed.

Briggs' head shot up so fast his neck hurt but he couldn't focus on anything but her as his breath caught in his throat. "Hops…"

She smiled at him and he took that moment to hurry forward and engulf her in the tightest hug either of them had ever experienced. "Oh Baby, I thought I lost you."

She didn't respond, but blinked back the tears that had formed in her eyes as she squeezed her arms tighter around him stomach.

Lifting his gaze to above her head, he looked at his friends. "Thank you."

Charlie shook her head. "It wasn't us." She smiled and relief was clear in her eyes. "It was all Hannah."

Chuckling, the teenager lifted her head and look at him. "I kicked his ass."

This time he left a loud laugh slip out and hugged her tighter to his chest, vowing to never let her go again.

Glancing at the clock, he realized that he still had many hours to sleep before the rest of the house would be moving and sighed as he climbed out of bed and walked through the dark. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep after seeing those images in his head, so he walked through the dark hallway to stand in the doorway of Hannah's room as she soundly slept. He stood there for what seemed like hours before he felt his eyes dropping closed and knew he needed sleep. Unfortunately, he couldn't stand to be away from her as the images his nightmare induced plagued his mind.

Deciding it was the best course of action, he quietly walked in and lifted her from the bed and carried her to his room. As he gently set her on his bed she stirred, and blinked up at him, her gaze unfocused as she scrunched her face in confusion.

"Uncle Paul?" Her voice came out as a whisper and she blinked, still asleep as she spoke.

"It's okay. Go back to sleep." He whispered back and she nodded, instantly unconscious again.

Once she was settled and he got back on his side of the bed, he watched her sleep and before he knew it, he joined her in sleep.

…

When Briggs woke up the next morning, his eyes adjusted to the light and he realized that he was alone in his room. Panic rose up in his chest for a moment before he heard light laughter coming up from the first floor. He forced himself to breathe as he repeated the same thing in his head.

She's okay. She's okay. She's okay.

Then he forced himself to go through his usual morning routine and when he finally made it downstairs he was comforted by the familiar sight of his friends along with Hannah and her friends, sitting in the living room, talking and joking as they normally would. The ever loyal BD sat on the floor by her feet.

"Hey look who's finally up!" Johnny teased as he flipped pancakes on the stove.

"You making breakfast again, JT?" He asked as he walked in, forcing himself not to run over and bother Hannah. "Didn't you cook yesterday?"

The younger man smiled and nodded. "Your girl wanted chocolate chip pancakes."

"Johnny's are the best." Hannah smiled as she walked into the room.

Briggs noticed how she had covered every inch of her body with a long sleeved white sweater, gray leggings and long white leg warmers that had buttons up the side, effectively hiding the bruises and cuts from everyone else. He wasn't sure if that was for her friends' sake or her own.

Johnny laughed and handed her a plate. "Here you go! Music note pancakes for our brave warrior."

"Thanks Johnny." She smiled and went over to the table as Rina and Tanner stood up.

Tanner shook Briggs' hand. "Keep her safe today."

"She's not going anywhere. You can better believe she's going to be safe." He agreed and smiled. "You guys leaving so soon?"

Rina nodded. "Yeah we have chores and homework and stuff. But I did have something for you guys!"

She opened her bag and pulled out a big manila envelope and handed it to Hannah. "What is this?"

The blond smiled. "They're the pictures we took! They came out so well."

She quickly opened the seal and pulled out the large prints of herself. The first one showed her laying on an abandoned railroad track. In the background an old nonworking train looked as if it were going to come up quickly and run her over. Everything was in black and white. As she lay there, she wore a a gray skirt with a black long sleeved shirt.

The second picture was in color and showed her sitting on the floor in front of a pink floral chair. Lace curtains hung loosely as the wind blew them around an empty birdcage. She had her elbow propped up against the top of it and she had her legs crossed over each other. In this picture she wore a white lace t-shirt that buttons up to the top and a floral skirt with a thin layer of tulle that came just above her knees. A long necklace hung to her stomach and she wore a pearl bracelet on her left wrist (that belonged to Rina's mom).

There were more pictures, but the one that became everyone's favorite was another black and white photo. She was seated on a railing with an old fashioned design that overlooked a castle. There was smoke in the air and she was acing away from the camera. This outfit was her favorite. She wore a long black dress; the skirt was a silk fabric and was bunched in certain areas, and the bodice was corset-like and buttoned up the front. Her hair was straight and she had a thin headband in it.

She was in awe as she looked at them and when she finished she passed them around for everyone to see.

"Damn, Rina. You took these?" Jakes asked as he passed them to Briggs. "These are great."

She blushed and nodded. "Yeah…I wasn't sure they were going to be any good until I brought them here."

Briggs stared at the pictures in awe at how much Hannah had grown up recently. Then he took out everyone's favorite and looked up at them. "I think I'm going to have to frame this and hang it somewhere."

"Really?" Hannah asked in shock. "I thought there was a rule about pictures."

"We can't post pictures that other people will see. If we hang it in here, it won't matter because if anyone were to come into this house enough to see it, they would know we all live here anyway." Paige explained. "We should have some pictures, especially of you, hanging up around here. I mean most families, even when they aren't blood related, have pictures."

Everyone agreed and by that afternoon there was a big frame hanging on the wall between the kitchen and living room. Briggs was just finished hanging it when the door opened and Silvo walked in, a small package in his hand.

"Nice to see you back in the house again, Hannah." He said to her and then held up the package. "This is the tape of the security camera placed on the roof of the apartment building yesterday. I knew Briggs would be hounding me to see it so before it goes into the file, I brought it here so you can view it once." The he paused. "When did you get a dog?"

Briggs shrugged. "He wandered in and never left."

Not waiting for an answer, Mike took the tape and popped it into the television and the video came up. Briggs walked over and sat next to Hannah, who laid her head on his shoulder. He threw an arm over her shoulder as Charlie sat on her other side.

Hannah and Jason stood facing each other as her hair blew around in the wind. He had blood dripping down his face from a gash on his temple and she was breathing hard, ready to jump to the side if needed.

"This isn't smart Hannah." He told her and she shook her head.

"I forgot for a while that I am an amazing person with a lot to offer and if you don't realize that then you don't deserve to be in my life." She yelled at him, anger and confidence clear in her voice.

Out of nowhere, she swung around and the pipe in her hand connected with the side of his head and she ran to hide behind some machines around the corner. She could hear him running after her a minute later and as she held her breath she heard cars pulling quickly into the parking lot and shouting that she couldn't make it. However, it was the sirens that told her she was about to be saved.

Suddenly she was pulled from her spot but a rough hand and she kicked out on instinct, her heel connecting with his knee, making him swear and as his grip loosened on her shoulder and she broke away.

"You aren't going to enjoy your punishment, Hannah."

Then she laughed. "No, you're the one who's going to be punished. Do you hear those sirens? That is undoubtedly my family and they aren't going to be happy when they get ahold of you. You just better hope my uncle stays away…otherwise you'll really be in trouble."

"Why you little bitch!" He said and she risked a glance over the side to see them finishing up inflating a huge pillow looking device. "How dare you!"

He charged at her and she took her chance to run. Leaping over the side, she silently prayed that she landed safely as she fell towards the ground.

Hannah didn't think her uncle even knew that his grip had tightened but it didn't bother her at all so she didn't mention it. Jakes on the other hand, had a different reaction.

"Man you really did kick his ass!" he laughed and she nodded with a smile.

"You know, I just realized that I had to do something. Just because you're hurt doesn't mean you're broken."

"That is a very smart thought to have." Charlie told her. "Good for you."

"On that note, I have to get that back before someone realizes that it is missing." SIlvo said and he grabbed it, leaving right after that.

Hannah sighed as he left and when she looked up from her phone she saw that Johnny and Briggs were sharing a look. "What?"

"What?" They asked back and she glared at them.

"I saw that look. What's going on?" She asked and Johnny stood.

"We have something for you." He said and took off before she could question him.

Charlie laughed as Mike dimmed the lights. "I bet you thought that with all the excitement yesterday, we forgot about today."

Hannah groaned with a chuckle. "I didn't even know you knew!"

"Of course we know…we're a family. It's our job to know." Paige smiled as Johnny walked back in with a huge cake. There were seventeen candles lit on top of it.

Briggs smiled and kissed her head. "Happy birthday, Hops."

Closing her eyes, she made a wish and as she blew out the candles, she knew that it was already coming true.