ka-BOOM.

The blast had obliterated the entire door and all 4 of the, now unfortunate, criminals who were just about to enter…

The shockwave had fatally killed 2 and incapacitated 2, all of whom were hugged too close to the door, expecting more bullets and not a grenade.

4 down.

As the smoke cleared Theo quickly sneaked up to the door and at just the right time…

Swiftly kicked both it open (Curiously, this door opens outwards) while staying to the side.

He hugged the walls, behind and hidden to the side. He waits.

As planned, a gangster with a blue bandana charged in, but didn't see the fibre wire that Theo had set up to trip him…

and it did

the exact moment he was going down he looked to Theo to see…

him pointing the muzzle right against his head

"click (switching from grenade launcher mode to assault rifle)…

bangbang (a burst of bullets)"

Theo turned his head into goo, his cranium resembling a smashed and mutilated Jack-O-Lantern.

(one down)

But Theo then closed his eyes and breathed an apology to God (he was a changed man who had already seen too much of this in his lifetime)

But this was a bad move as it allowed another gangster to get the grips on him.

He saw the fibre wire, but was so incensed and in the moment, doesn't use this time to get his Mac 10 Uzi (for the moment saving Theo from certain death right then and there)…

But instead charges with a machete drawn and raised in his right hand…

He charges Theo…

Theo snaps out his daze to meet him…

The gangster knocks the M16 out of his hand and swings his hand down to Theo's exposed head…

to be met by Theo's thick steel pipe, drawn from his right hip pants by his left hand.

CLANK

The two steel objects clash and stick in the struggle of wills that will determine who lives and who dies.

Both are obviously struggling for their lives.

Theo looks into the eyes of the gangster and sees the irrational hate in him.

Theo is losing as the gangster dominates Theo and Theo is now almost on his knees, but never giving up.

Until the gangster looked into Theo's eyes to see the flames of courage and love burn and fills Theo's left arm with almost inhuman strength. Surely, Theo begins to stop his descent…

They say evil and hate can never stand up to good and love. Never. In any case. This seemed to be real proof.

Because Theo had stopped his descent, and with his left arm now able to stop the gangsters whole body, and without breaking eye contact or mind war…

Theo reaches for the 9mm Beretta Handgun from the back of his pants with his right hand and after a momentarily holding a breath inwards…

Draws it with a single stroke, shoves the muzzle between the gangster's eyes and

BangBang. (2 rounds)

(another one down)

then exhales.

But the gangster does not die without revenge…

The cold steel blade comes down and slices down the whole length of Theo's left arm…

giving him an excruciatingly deep and painful wound to remember.

Now he is to bleed heavily.

Theo lets the gangster drop just to have him reveal…

yet another one who had just reached Theo.

Theo points his gun at the gangster, while he points his own AK-47 at Theo.

Bang/BoBoom

At that instant, Miley trips on herself too. Theo is instantly thrown into shock.

He knew most body armour doesn't do well with AK-47s.

And his so-called body armour did nothing to stop the 2 bullets.

It was supposed to be a barrage, but Theo had stopped it in its tracks by placing a round cleanly into the AK wielding gangster's front temple.

Yet that wasn't enough.

The bullets had hit him straight in the chest.

Guaranteed severe damage to his heart and lungs.

Almost guaranteed fatal wounds for any man.

It was no accident that Miley tripped on the ground outside when she did.

She felt the exact same two bullets go through her heart, with the same shock and strength as it did for Theo.

Because what she felt was indeed Theo's pain. Just as real as Theo only without the actual physical wound.

Some say that when one shares their soul with someone, the other feels the exact same pain. This is true only and especially in true soul mates

Theo knew this.

So did Miley.

And that's what made Miley's world collapse. She knew that something had happened to Theo.

Yet Theo would not accept that he would die.

He had to get out of the house.

Hearing the gang come up the stairs, Theo tried to get to the man he just killed.

He needed the man's AK-47.

He was so severely wounded, not only did he neglect his, but he had to make his way, stumbling with a fatal wound, desperately quickly to the man.

By the time he got there, parts of his lungs were allowing blood and foreign fluids in from the rest of the body, putting Theo horrible agony.

Thankfully, Miley hadn't felt anything past the bullet.

An act of mercy by God, yet doing nothing to give doubt to Miley's realization of Theo's condition.

Theo could feel…

He's truly near his end.

And so could a part of Miley.

The sheer size and weight of this tragically devastating bullet meant that its lethality is questioned by no one.

Not even a man driven by love.

These bullets as well as every other bullet from now on, that went through Theo, made the Troy Bolton's gang bullets seem spitballs

There was no escaping. Fate was coming for Theo.

But Theo's body couldn't give up until his will did…and his will had no intention of doing so just yet.

Theo swiftly grabbed the man and shoved his hands into his AK-47.

At that point 2 more gangsters came up.

BangBangBangBang

Theo tried to give himself covering fire while he made his way across.

Thinking quickly, Theo moved himself to use the dead gangster he was holding as a human shield. He made it in the nick of time, but felt the damage to his own body.

The first gangster started firing his Tec 9 at Theo, but Theo had shifted his human shield just in the nick of time. He aligned his body, from head to toe, exactly on par with his shield.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

The first gangster opened fire, but only hit Theo's 'shield'.

BANG BANG (seize)

These two bullets perforated the man's head, thus almost putting a hole into Theo's. But a bullet did graze Theo's temple. The force however was enough to knock Theo into a mild concussion. In the worst possible time, when he needed the most of all his faculties.

Theo took the moment that the first gangster's Tec 9 seized up, to swing and after pocketing his Beretta 9mm, with his hands on both sides of his shield's waist, Theo just then got hold of the AK-47 and…

"Popopopopopopopop"

Theo unleashed a solid burst of bullets, killing the first gangster.

By now, Theo's trauma was catching up to him. A bullet doesn't have to pierce armour to cause serious damage and death.

The first gangster's bullets were so powerful that they were right through his 'shield' and hit him anyways.

This time his armour could stop all of it from penetrating…but none of the trauma they inflicted.

Theo's severe internal injuries gave him no choice but to drop his 'shield'.

For a second he felt his chest cavity in turmoil, internally bleeding devastating the integrity of his insides, destroying the hope that he could be with Miley, and finally resolving him to meet Miley one last time before intestinal blood coming out of his mouth marked his doom.

FLASH. He then saw a surreal flash and saw an image…

His mother…

He was convinced he was on his way to meet her…

Without a gun drawn…he saw the last gang member.

The gang member was carrying a single Beretta 9mm pistol.

When both men came to their senses, they found each other.

He drew his gun, while Theo drove himself to pull out the both of his remaining guns from his front and back pocket.

BANG BANG BANG BANG

The gangster put 4 quick rounds into Theo's chest.

Normally, small pistol rounds wouldn't go through Theo's armour and would absorb the impacts properly, but it was already compromised from all the assault rifle bullets, so even when none did go through, none of the trauma was prevented. Theo body received more and more and more devastating blows, pushing him closer and closer to his doom.

BaBang BaBang BaBang BaBang

Theo return fire with both pistols firing in both hands mercilessly, sending back bullets that killed the last gangster.

FLASH FLASH: More flashes, like clips of film, of his mother looking at him, lovingly…

The only thing Theo did was ask his mother…

"Wait…please….let…tell…Miley..."

And with that, with all he had, made his way down the bloodied stairs and through the bloody house, with his body slowly dying from trauma on the inside

Outside:

Miley had fallen to her knees in tears. All this time, she hadn't fled to the car yet, but instead looked into the house, and hearing only gunfire, saw nothing. The only difference was that Theo hadn't come out all this time. And while a part of her knew that her Teddy had something that he finally couldn't take. Yet, she refused to believe it. And she had no more to say to her captors.

She was about to hang her head down again, but she then spotted something in the distance.

Miley recognizes the features of the man, yet has to go closer to believe it.

The culmination of this entire ordeal had given both of them something to live for. Someone who made them whole, someone who loved them for them.

All Theo saw was a very familiar figure slowly walking and then jogging to see him…

"Teddy?"

She realizes it really is him.

"TEDDY!"

She runs as quickly as she humanly could.

"Teddy..."

Theo is too damaged to do anything more, but wait…

Miley's thoughts race through her mind. The man she loved, everything he had done for her. Cross country in three whole states.

Her future, so bright because of this man.

And with this man, her life could only get better.

Miley reaches Theo and throws herself to him with so much force, it resembled the Red sea clashing for the first time after the Biblical Moses had allowed it to reform after separation.

"Oh," Theo grunted, happier than ever that he could finally get to feel her warmth for one last time.

And like that they stood a testament to love. How it was blind to all facts of life. Race, ethnicity, and past lives, they were finally together.

But alas the reality came to Theo.

While Miley buried her head into Theo's shoulder, he suppressed the pain…

as he inspected yet another group of Skinheads coming behind her. Only they weren't wearing bandannas like the others.

His soul dropped.

He knew it was over.

His soul shattered. All this time, all the gangsters he had killed.

Had gotten them no further than back where they had started.

At that moment, the approaching gang had pointed their rifles. The rifles had laser aiming pointers, which they shone at Theo.

Miley briefly looked up to see the laser dots pointed at Theo's head and neck.

Her eyes widened when she realized what it meant…

But this time, she wouldn't let them...she couldn't let them…

So she flipped around, cocked her AK and ready to raise it

"WAIT, STOP!"

Theo used his last ounce of speed to stop Miley from raising her AK at the gang, just as they pointed their guns and laser aimers at Miley's head.

If she had, they would have opened fire.

Miley knew this and so angry so started crying and cursing.

How could life be so cruel as to do this to both of them.

After all this, this was their fate?

It was fate all along?

All this time, they had just been delaying the inevitable?

But however much both now loved life, it seemed like it would be nothing without the other.

So Theo and Miley just held each other.

To Miley, if they both had to die, they would die together.

But Theo didn't feel the same way...

Yet, mercifully, as if God had performed a miracle for Theo

"We only want one of you. We really want you Chinaman,"

This seemed to actually make sense. Luanne had paid half the money, but after her suicide, she didn't pay the other half.

So half of the bounty for two people was one person.

It seemed that this inherent racism had saved Miley's life.

Unfortunately Miley heard it too.

She gave Theo the worst possible fearful look she could.

She knew she was free now.

But what's freedom to her without Teddy?

"Miley…"

Theo uses all his strength to show Miley something…

"Everything's okay…you can go home now…"

Miley looks at him.

Theo turns around and points to another figure that is awaiting her, further in the distance further in an opposite direction. He had followed Theo in.

"Your dad's waiting for you," Theo finished.

Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

She looked closer and saw the familiar big, gruff man.

It's been years.

"You go home, now…ya here?" Theo said.

Miley nodded.

"But what about you? Where you going?"

Theo paused for a moment and replied…

"I'm going home too…"

"I'm going to San Francisco", he finished with a reassuring smile.

Where his heart was, where his mother was. He'll be home again.

San Francisco.

The gravity is not lost on Miley as she smiles back and gives him a deeper hug. But doesn't realize what he means...yet.

"Hey," Theo interrupted.

Miley looked up…

"I got something for youuuu…" he said playfully.

Theo pulled the last thing that Miley expected, but it was the last thing needed to completely turn Miley into the woman she should have always been.

He gave her the toy dog that was viciously taken from her in the worst way by her former French teacher.

"He'll never hurt anyone again" he finished.

Miley just smiled. Now she knew she was complete again. But she had no more energy to prove it anymore. She didn't have to.

But something had just hit her. Theo said he was going back, not so much to San Francisco, but to his mother...

She pulled away from Theo and looked at his chest.

She was right all along. Theo had since stripped off his armour, and she looked down on her own shirt to see so much of his blood stained on her.

He had suffered wounds that in all likelihood he wasn't going to ever recover from.

Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what he was saying.

Theo nodded.

Just then, as dawn breaks, we are interrupted by something that would destroy the both of us.

Police Sirens in the very, very distant background.

But coming for them nonetheless.

"It's time… you have to go...we both do…" he insists, while so weak he can't finish.

His mind was losing hope, as his body was losing the will to live.

"Teddy," Miley began, more tearfully than ever.

Theo just gave her a look of confidence.

This was the way it had to be.

He signals this by pointing and pressing Miley heart with his tags that are already swinging out his chest.

Miley didn't know what to say.

Her heart refused to believe in this. But the rest of her had resigned herself to what had to be.

"You've given me peace in a lifetime of pain. No matter what, I will never forget you…"

Yet Theo is losing life. That explains why he can't say anything new and may not make much sense.

Severe internal bleeding and trauma were well on their way, shutting down his organs.

"Miley, I can't go on like this…"

Miley is about to cry. Theo spits up blood. Death is coming for him.

"I...Teddy, will never forget you, till the day I die"

But Miley silently asks him about his tags.

"Keep it," is Theo's only reply as he lets her keep it.

Miley agonizes the most because she simply doesn't know. Can he die? Will he die? Will something let him die, make him die, or refuse to let him die. Will he return?

Her head says he won't, but her heart insists he will survive and return to her.

Theo had already explained to Miley that they couldn't escape together. It is hard enough to evade authorities when you're one person. Him being with Miley only means that it'll be almost certain that they'll be caught and they'd lose each other anyways.

The police are getting closer. She has to leave now.

Their final goodbye

"I'll miss you, Miley…", Theo says with a certain finality.

"Me too…", cried Miley.

They embraced one more time…

Before Miley turns, sprints off, and runs…

As he father grows

"Daddddddddy" Miley screamed at the top of her lungs, as she ran for him.

For no matter what, Miley loved her father and he loved her. And he was her protector right now. And her father rushed to greet her for the first time in years.

Miley ran quickly to his arms...and her father did the same to her.

Jumping into his arms for the first time in a long time, Miley just held her father, as he literally carried her to the car.

For that was part of the deal that Robbie Ray was more than willing to accept- he had to escape the police with Miley too.

But all this time Theo was watching Miley become free. And smiled, while his consciousness slowly slips away…

While Miley watched Theo from her father's arms.

VITAL Author's Note: For the love of God: If you haven't listened to any of the perfectly fitting outside sources songs in the story yet, listen to these ones.

This is absolutely VITAL for the PERFECT feeling at the end. It's the mood that perfects the last scene.

Outside Source: Ricky Nelson - Sweeter Than You. Link available in my profile page or online.

(As the guitar music and background singer intro starts)

As Theo walks along the grassland, he notices the solitary wild horse stop eating and start to trot in the same direction he is going. The beautiful stallion accelerating in more and more of a wild abandon provides the perfect accompanying symbol to his newly free soul. It's God's way of telling Theo that his soul is finally free from this life of crime.

The gangsters rush up to Theo…and shove him harshly to his knees…

While Miley cringes as she begins to see the reality even more clearly.

The gangsters frisk Theo for weapons. He has none on him.

Miley is carried back to the car. As her father opens the door, her eyes widen in sadness.

Theo is shoved towards the car, as the gangsters push him on. Miley mouths Teddy's name, calling him, trying to somehow reverse what has to be, until they meet again.

A gangster points the muzzle of his shotgun at Theo's head to guard him as Theo slows down to give a final look at the woman he loves and watched her disappear behind the truck door.

But before she does, Theo turns raises his right. But instead of waving, he puts three fingers up, the thumb, index and pinky. Sign language for...

(I love you)

He tells her one last time that he loves her.

Somehow and amazingly, Miley clearly understands exactly what Theo meant in sign language. Miley mouths back as she is being led away by her father, "I love you too…"

And with the agonizing coldness and darkness enveloping around him, he is shoved into the back seat of the gang's car…

then the doors slam shut

(melody slows down)

Theo tries to draw breaths while sitting, as he feels his life inevitably slip away from his body, while he looks out the window to Miley…

All Miley can do is look at Theo one last time front inside her father's car and agonize, crying beyond belief.

Her last words to Theo from inside the car.

"Bye, Teddy"

(Inside Theo's car…)

VITAL Outside source: Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap…Play until the very end of this chapter.

Theo knew that it would be a very long time before it was Miley's time to go.

But the same couldn't be said for him.

Unlike Miley, Theo truly appreciated how beautiful life really was.

While praying his last rosary, he begged God to spare Miley. And He did.

But Theo would have to pay for that with his own.

And he more than willingly did.

He knew...

Miley would learn to love again. She would learn to live again without Theo. Her mourning will have to eventually come to an end.

This was for the best. He knew this was what was best for Miley. She would see that he was right.

No matter how lonely and heartbroken his soul would be without her.

Life was beautiful. She should be part of that.

Even if it meant he had to lose his.

As both cars drive away, Theo begins to slip in and out of consciousness…with slipping out dominating…

He held on to Miley's butterfly clip for the last moral support he'll need and breathed…

"We're free…Thank You..."

Before his body and his head fell limp…

(Song continues until the end of this chapter)

Theodore James Tan: January 25, 1984 - November 25, 2011

FBI National Academy

Behavioural Science Graduate Course Lecture continued

Part 7

"Stockholm Syndrome. Once described by a graduate student of mine as a form of love that few understand, and yet, are strangely drawn to despite any shame that goes along with it." began the lecturing expert.

"So therefore it can be seen that Stockholm syndrome, while very rare, is a very real possibility. It can prove harmful to any efforts to rescue the victim, and can do tremendous psychological damage to all parties involved. But I say can do damage and indeed it does, but not always in the way we expect…"

"Now I assume you all read what I have just summarized in great detail, thus I have finished in summarizing what I would like you to know. Now we will look at the most interesting case study possible…

…Now those of you from Californian, Texan, and Tennessee law enforcement know all about what I am about to lecture on. As you know, very recently the infamous Chinese Triad crime family, the Tan family was dismantled, with the recent and tragic murder and death of its patriarch William Wei-Lin Tan.

…So how does an Asian pacific Triad family wind up in Tennessee, you ask? Well, it turns out that it was indeed a case study related to Stockholm Syndrome.

In a very real way, it marked the beginning of the end for their criminal enterprise. Today, all of its members are either dead or behind bars.

And it was all owed in part to the rather adventurous and even Hollywood or soap operatic like journey, taken by captor and hostage. In this case, Theodore James Tan, the captor, and his hostage turned lover and junior Patty Hearst, Miley Ray Stewart.

The story begins in Los Angeles, where Miley Stewart, a battered girlfriend had just finished a meal in the famous, Grauman's Chinese Theatre…"

And the lecture goes on to describe everything that went from there…

(Thomas Tan narrates the Ending…)

So the days of both Miley and Theo's suffering had ended. It is sometimes said that men and women have their own destiny that they must fulfill.

But no one knows what really happened to Teddy. His body was never found.

Most say that he died of his wounds.

Others, that he somehow escaped his fate and returned to San Francisco or even fled in exile to the glittering lights of Hong Kong.

Yet, regardless of whether he left Miley's ranch alive or not, one thing was certain. He left the ranch, a forever changed man.

I like to think he may have at last found some small measure of peace, that we all seek, and few of us ever find.

He had finally found love- the only thing that truly gives us meaning.

With Miley Stewart, Theo was given back his humanity.

And with Theodore Tan, Miley was given back the life that was wrongly taken from her so many years ago.


Author's note:

What do you think happened to Miley?

Back to Malibu?

Do you agree with the soul mate pain. Should this be the end of Theo?

And about Teddy's selflessness, what do you think?

There will be the last chapter after this…but what?

Yet I absolutely have to ask this question.

Whatever you do, you must review in answer to this question.

What do you think? Do you think that Miley and Teddy had:

True Love?

Or True Severe acute, chronic, and terminal Stockholm Syndrome?

That's something for you to take home…

But then review me in response for it.

If nothing else, PLEASE ANSWER THIS FOR ME.

I'll give you my answer to this, next chapter.


KEY VITAL AUTHOR'S NOTE: If, AND ONLY IF, you were satisfied with the realistic ending of this chapter, then this one will be the final chapter for you. Please make your absolute final review there. This will be the only time that I ask to PLEASE make a comprehensive and cumulative review for my story there. I'm sure you'll want to say as much as you can before you finish with this.

IF NOT, than the next chapters, the optional epilogue, belongs to you as the LAST chapter.

But whatever you think…

This isn't the last chapter for those who may want a further ending. Your chapter is coming soon.

GFMarshall