A/N: Hello mein leiblings. I told you that I'd update soon and I am keeping that promise even if it kills me. Now just you sit back and enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: *Bows to HimaPapa shrine while chanting* I am not worthy, I am not worthy.

Enjoy!

Chapter XXV

Matthew's POV

"I told you not to tell anyone, little slut, or I'd hurt your precious Gilbert. You went against my wishes, so now you need to be punished," Carlos says, his voice ringing through the silence of the clearing as he raises his hand towards us. In it is a pistol, which, until this moment, had gone unnoticed.

Before I have time to react, I'm pushed to the ground, the sound of two gunshots ringing loudly through the air, making my head spin. When my head clears enough, I look up to see Carlos kneeling down, one of his knees bleeding profusely.

Turning my gaze to Gilbert, I see him pointing a handgun of his own towards Carlos. He's wounded as well; his shoulder is bleeding where Carlos' bullet must have clipped it. He doesn't seem to notice, though, as he keeps his icy gaze locked on my cousin.

"How dare you?" Gilbert says, his voice a deep and threatening growl as he glares at the Cuban teen. "What did Matthew ever do to you to deserve such horrid treatment?"

"He was so happy with his perfect little family, while I was cruelly robbed of my own family when I was just a kid. I wanted for him to be miserable. It sickened me to see him so giggly and happy. He's much more attractive when he's shaking and whimpering in fear," Carlos explains, spitting in my direction as if to emphasize his disgust before he continues.

"It's so vile to see him being so lovey dovey with you. It makes me wanna puke. So, to fix this problem, I'll take away what's responsible for his joy. And that just so happens to be you, my friend."

"You are no friend of mine," Gilbert spits back at him.

Carlos raises his gun again and fires another shot. This one embeds itself into Gilbert's stomach. Gilbert coughs and clutches the wound as blood starts to blossom on his shirt. He doubles over and fires off two shorts at Carlos, both hitting home. One hits his hand, forcing him to drop the gun in pain, and the other hits his uninjured knee, forcing him to fall fully to the ground.

Gilbert falls to his knees before collapsing fully to lie on his side. Throughout the ordeal, I'm frozen in place from fear. Seeing Gilbert collapse snaps me out of it.

"NO!" I scream, scrambling to Gilbert's side.

"Bear, please say something!" I beg as tears begin to stream down my face. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember reading once that being shot in the stomach is one of the most painful ways to die. Sobbing, I roll Gilbert onto his back and press on the wound, trying to slow the bleeding.

Gilbert groans and coughs up some blood. He looks at me with his crimson eyes and speaks weakly. "Hey, don't cry, Birdie. I…I'll be fine. You gotta call the police so they can take Carlos to jail."

"Gil, I need to call an ambulance so that they can take you to the hospital!" I choke out between my sobs.

"My cell is in my pocket. Don't cry. Please, Birdie," he says, cracking a smile, though the comfort is lost with the small bit of blood that emerges from the corner of his mouth.

Sobbing, I get out his phone, and, with fumbling fingers, dial 911. I hold the phone to my ear with one hand, the other returning to press against the wound on Gil's stomach.

It feels like an eternity before a calm female voice answers, "Hello, what is your emergency?"

"Please help me, my boyfriend was shot. He shot our attacker out of self-defense. We need an ambulance, please! He's bleeding out!" I cry into the phone.

"I need you to stay calm, sir, and tell me what your location is."

I describe where we are, and she says that a helicopter is on its way to find us. Remembering the flares that Gil keeps in his trunk, I run quickly to get them, as the car is only a few feet past the tree line. I swiftly return to Gil's side and remove my jacket, placing it under Gil's head as a pillow, as well as my shirt, pressing it into Gilbert's stomach.

He groans and I talk to him. "Please stay awake, Gil. Help is coming. You can't leave me."

Tears fill my eyes, only to drip down onto Bear's face. He reaches up and brushes a few of them away, cupping my cheek weakly.

"Hey, it's going to be okay, Birdie. I don't feel any pain," He tries to assure me. "Don't talk, Bear. You're gonna live. I promise."

He just smiles weakly, and his eyes fall closed just as I start to hear the sound of a helicopter in the distance. Grabbing the flare, I break it and hold it up so that it burns brightly, alerting the helicopter of our location.

After a few minutes, the helicopter flies over the clearing. A few moments later, it returns and hovers before slowly descending. I cover my face with my arm as it lands and paramedics rush out. Some come to Gilbert and I, while another rushes over to Carlos, who is trying to drag himself away with his uninjured arm.

I watch as they load Gilbert into the helicopter and Carlos as well. I tell the paramedics that Carlos is dangerous, which is only proven when he starts to scream at me.

"You slut! He's going to die! I'm going to win, just wait and see, you little whore!"

They use a sedative to knock him out, and one of the paramedics asks if I want to ride with them in the helicopter to the hospital. I nod and climb in, sitting next to Gilbert and gripping his hand tightly. As the helicopter lifts off the ground, I can only pray that we make it to the hospital in time.

End of Chapter XXV

A/N: Am I evil or what? I'm sorry for the short chapter and another cliffhanger. I hope that you aren't too mad at me. I promise I'll get the next chapter out ASAP. Oh and I'm staying with Denmark again in case any of you are wanting to hurt me. Oh and I have Karkat with me f that one reviewer is going to try and send Gamzee after me again. I've actually read Homestuck now and am recent and I don't appreciate having a sober Gamzee after me. It makes focusing on typing this very difficult with all the honks in the distance.

So yeah, oh in case any of you want to hear something interesting, My beta actually is not a PruCan fan. I was shocked to learn this a few weeks ago but I still love her. She's awesome and helps me keep what little sanity I still have.

I will now let this wonderful individual say a few words as always. You're one Sakura414:

Wow, you really want these people to murder me, Wolf-chan... Yes, I'll admit that I don't like PruCan, but I promise I have legitimate personal reasons for feeling the way I do. Please don't hate me!

Don't worry I won't let them kill you.

Hey I didn't realize it until after I finished writing the whole chapter and sent it off to my Beta for editing but tomorrow, February 22, 2013, is the one year anniversary of when I uploaded the very first chapter of this story. It's crazy to think that it's been a whole year. I mean so much has happened since then, both in the story and out of it.

Either way. This story has become something dear to me. It helps to keep me grounded, because when my life is going crazy and I need to escape, I can always come to this and type or write it. Knowing that I have people who enjoy it and who have found comfort and help from it makes me so happy. I'm glad I started this and I want you all to know that you are so important to me. You have no idea.

You guys are amazing and wonderful and without you, there would be no story. It would have never made it as far as it has. So to all my readers, I say thank you. You are truly wonderful and amazing, and I owe you all so much. You really have no idea what you mean to me.

On a less serious note. There is a reference to a musical in this chapter and the first reviewer who guesses it get's a one shot of their choice. All other reviewers get a virtual hug from and nation they want that is in this story or even me if they want one and every one of you guys gets a virtual piece of cakes to celebrate the one year anniversary of this fan fiction.

Thank you all of you. The ones who have been with me sine I started, you mean so much to me and even those who only started to read it now, you have no idea how much your support means to me.

Until next time mein lieblings.

Wolf-chan out.