Sorry for the cliffie. Okay, no I'm not. But it comes to its dazzling conclusion now...the shooter storyline, not the fic. It's not over, yet.

WARNING: THIS UPDATE MAY TRIGGER SOME. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

Book Three, Part Twenty Three

APOV

"Oh my god!" I screamed, trying to run towards the OR my parents were in. Strong arms held me back.

"No! I have to get to them. They might need help. What if they need help?" I struggled in Uncle James' arms.

"I am getting help, A.J. Shhhh…It's gonna be alright." He said, rocking me back and forth.

"Promise?" I choked out.

"I promise." He said firmly. "Now I need you to go to Leah."

Leah came up and took James's place.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm going to go help them." He said.

"Are you crazy?" She yelled. "There is a man with a gun in there."

"Yeah, and he is in there with Bella. Your sister." He argued.

"And what happens if you get shot?" She asked.

"I won't."

"And how do you know that?" She asked.

"I am too pretty to die and I still have unfinished business with you. I am not going anywhere." He promised, running his hand over her cheek. She blushed.

"Go." She said.

He nodded and left the room. I vaguely heard sirens in the background. It was almost like white noise in tandem with the thudding of my heart and the screaming in my mind.

"It's going to be okay, Baby Girl." Leah whispered, her arms wrapped around me. I nestled into her familiar vanilla scent.

"Aunt Leah?" I whispered.

"Yeah?"

"When this is all over, we will be needing to have a talk. You and Uncle James? Really?" I asked.

She chuckled lightly.

"Okay, later."

"Later. After I get my parents back." I said.

BPOV

I looked at Rose and with our form of silent communication, asked her when she would be done. She answered with a look that said 'almost'. I then looked at Edward, hoping like hell he still knew my looks and told him it would be okay. He nodded slightly, his eyes avoiding mine. I knew it was because he didn't want to single me out.

I watched Rose quickly finish. I heard the gunman yell and Callie move back quickly. It was a whole lot of outside noise I wasn't focused on.

Then the gun went off and I heard several screams, one coming from me.

I whirled around to Callie and looked at her. Her eyes were wide open in shock and she was looking at the ground.

The ground. I peered over to see Jasper lying on the ground, bleeding. I started to rush towards him.

"Don't you dare move another foot."

I suddenly found myself looking down a barrel of a gun. I felt an arm wrap around my waist. I leaned back into Edward's chest, trying to control my breathing.

"I want her dead." He said, slowly and deliberately.

His gun moved to rest on the back of Rose's scalp.

"Move away from her now."

I walked over to Lucy and calmly slipped my hand under her surgical drape.

"What are you doing?" He asked me.

I backed away again, my hands going in the air.

"Checking her pulse." I lied smoothly.

"I want her pulse gone."

I nodded and then looked at Rose. She nodded and finished what I had started. Then she backed away slightly, her hands mimicking mine.

Suddenly beeping echoed in the room.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Her pulse going away." I answered.

His eyes found the monitor and I was sickened at the glint of satisfaction in his eyes. He waited until the monitor flat lined.

He then nodded, smirked and walked out of the room. As soon as he disappeared from view we all took action. One nurse flew out of the room. Rose scrambled to get Lucy safe. I raced towards Jasper, joining Callie who was already assessing the damage. It looked like the bullet entered his left side, near his lung but didn't exit. That wasn't good.

"I need an open OR. A large Bora IV and a couple of bags of O positive blood." I yelled.

Two nurses ran for the door.

"Be careful!" I yelled at them. "That lunatic is still walking around." I muttered.

"Rose, how is she?" I asked.

"Holding steady. Brilliant idea by the way."

"Thanks. Edward?" I asked.

"Yeah?" His voice was in my ear. I jumped slightly.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Watching you take charge. Trying not to piss myself. Take your pick." He said ruefully.

The nurses came back with a stretcher, the materials I asked for and James, who looked worried.

"Bella! Thank God you are okay." He said, rushing forward to help.

"James, the guy is still around here." I told him.

"I have security on it." He told me.

"James have you seen A.J.?" Edward asked.

A.J.! Oh Fuck! My eyes went to the gallery.

"Yeah she is in OR 2 with Leah. She came and got me."

"Oh thank God!"

We got Jasper to OR 3 and I went to scrub in.

"Swan, I need you."

I looked at Brandon.

"But…"

"I know he is your friend, he is mine too, but I need you. It's important."

I scrubbed out and walked with her, looking over my shoulder every few seconds.

"Don't worry about him." She said.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

She opened the door to a patient room.

There was the guy, slumped over in a chair, blood splatter on the wall behind him. Several security people and police were in the room.

I closed the door, trying to avoid looking at the body.

"What do we know about him?" I asked.

"Adam Todd, 22, Lucy's boyfriend until two weeks ago. She tells him she is pregnant and keeping the baby and that he will support them. He goes out, buys a gun and the rest is massacred history."

"Wish I could say I was sorry, but I am not. Does that make me a horrible person?" I asked her.

"No. He killed a total of eight people today, Lucy not included, thanks to you and Rose."

"Who else?" I asked.

"Six students and two professors."

I nodded.

"I am going to get my daughter." I told her.

I walked towards the ORs.

"James, where is A.J.?" I asked when I spotted him.

"Conference room one."

I turned on my heel and went that direction.

"Have you seen A.J.?" Edward asked, joining me.

"On my way now."

We entered the room at the same time and A.J. leaped at us, her arms catching both of us. She sobbed into our necks. Then I started crying and even Edward teared up.

"I was so scared." She gasped.

"We are okay, A.J." I told her, squeezing her so tightly.

"Okay." She stepped back and used her sleeve to wipe her tears.

"Can we just all go home now? Together? Please. I need both of you tonight." She pleaded.

I met Edward's eyes and then nodded at A.J.

"Sure." I told her.

She nodded and grabbed her things. She then grabbed us both by our arms and walked in tandem with us.

"Let's go home." I said.

It didn't escape my attention that I was looking at Edward as I said that.

See, everyone is all right. (This is in reference to A.J., Edward and Bella and some reviews and comments I have received.)