The evil monsters had misjudged her.

She'd done a stupid thing, but she'll do whatever it takes to save those she cares about, even if it's risking her own life. Now that she's alone, she starts getting clever.

While holding on tight to the metal bars of the dangling cage that she's locked in, Lorna rocks it as much as she can to get it swinging from side to side. She's sitting on her bottom with her knees curled up to her chest and pressed against the metal bars as her fingers and thumb are curled around them in a vise grip, turning her knuckles white. She loosens her muscles as she sinks into her knees and wraps her arms over her head to prevent serious head or back injury as she aims for one of the wooden chairs below. A while later, the rope finally snaps and the cage falls on one corner, crashing to the floor with a deafening clang. It's like being on a bad ride. Lorna's forearms and knees slam against the back of the cage as she rolls onto her left side and the door swings open upon impact. She gasps, realizing she can save the others now that she's free from her confinement. She's rattled and weak, but she's still alert, highly so. Her entire body aches from the fall and she's sure that she's cut and bruised in several places that she won't look at right now. Her left wrist hurts so badly that she can barely move it. Thankfully, she's right-handed.

Maria comes in suddenly and Lorna jumps. They stare at each other for a moment and she can see anguish written all over the Hispanic girl's features. "You're fuckin' lucky this room is soundproofed and it's only me instead of those assholes."

"It...it broke...on accident...I'm sorry," Lorna stammers through shaky breaths. "Can you please help us get out...I know you can't stand us, but they treat you bad, too...they did in the past, but are you buddies with 'em now?"

"No...just pretending to be, so I can rescue y'all dumbasses in order to be forgiven. I really wanna show that I'm sorry for what I done. I've known about their plan since I wound up in the mental hospital."

Lorna folds her arms across her chest and raises her eyebrow skeptically. "How do I know you ain't lyin'?" she asks.

"You don't. You couldn't trust Piper...well, I'm the same way." Maria lowers her voice. "You wanna escape or waste precious time?"

"Most of 'em are doin' a fake wedding for the assholes' sick enjoyment, but Blanca and Maritza are shovelin' dirt...Humps, Stratman, Litvack, and Juarez are probably gonna push 'em in the holes they're makin'." Lorna swallows hard. "They're truly outnumbered."

"So let's help Maritza and Blanca escape...we'll take their captors by surprise first. The girls have shovels...and the fuckheads think I'm loyal to 'em. I had to do some nasty shit before to prove it." Maria itches the area underneath her blonde wig. "We gotta hurry. Need assistance?" Maria holds her hand out and Lorna takes it.

"Yeah...I can't push myself up with just one hand." Groaning in pain, Lorna stands to her feet and stumbles in her step, but Maria keeps her steady. "Thanks."

"No problem...and I do greatly apologize for what I did to you and the others."

"So you've said...but you gotta show it. Isn't there an electric fence surrounding the whole property?"

"Nah, just the backyard. Silent footsteps only. Like tiptoeing, got it?"

Lorna nods quietly and Maria puts her index finger to her lips as they sneak out of the dungeon. The stairs are creaky, but Lorna disguises the noise as coughing. She hangs onto the railing with her only good hand and focuses on keeping her breathing even as she limps along. She squeaks and covers her mouth with her hand when she almost trips up the stairs and falls, but she grips the railing tighter.

"Be careful!" Maria hisses.

"I'm trying!" Lorna whispers back fiercely through gritted teeth.

They purposefully pass the living room so at least one of Lorna's fellow abductees would notice them. Luckily, Arturo is only focused on Gloria and the other animals are drinking bourbon from the bottle. Flaca and Alison stare at them, open-mouthed, and Aleida taps Diane, who also glances over. Gloria squints her eyes questioningly and Lourdes also appears confused. Just before the two depart, Lorna gives them a thumbs-up and a grin to signify that she's okay.


Putting on a good show is one of the things Gloria has always excelled at. Lourdes didn't know Arturo hit her until the evidence was on her face. Her sons had always thought she was fine and her ex-boyfriend was like a dad to them until he attacked Benny and revealed himself as the terrifying demon who haunts their dreams and turns them into nightmares.

In this moment, it's eerily calm. She forces a smile, hoping he won't see through her. "You turn me on when you act scary like that," Gloria murmurs, setting her hands on either side of his hips. She's more than ready to kill him, now that she knows Lorna won't be trapped in the basement. They would never be able to save her. Even if Maria is untrustworthy, she had always been the nicest to Lorna, more than she was to the other girls that she'd tortured.

"Oh, yeah..." He hisses when she squeezes his crotch. "Pain is sexy."

"Mmm, then you'll really love this." Gloria clears her throat as a cue for Lourdes, her friends, and the girls to feign that they're admiring the burning candle shrine Arturo had made to honor the memory of the love he and Gloria shared. They can't knock the actual unit over since it's bolted to the wall, but they have another plan in mind in case this were to happen. "Um...first, though...want a hand job?"

"Oh, definitely. Gracias." Arturo licks his lips and she suppresses a shiver.

"Your friends can join us if they want...I know Piscatella is gay, but he can record it so you'll have the memory forever." She forces all of the fear out of her voice and keeps it sultry.

He snickers and beckons Dixon, Hellman, and Piscatella over. "I always knew you were a fuckin' whore."

"Finally, a moment with Hot Pants!" Dixon spanks her butt and she cringes inside but stays strong.

Piscatella whips his video camera out of his jacket pocket and points it at them while smirking cruelly. Hellman is already jacking off when Gloria and Arturo start kissing. She makes sure she can see her fellow hostages behind them as she breaks away from him.


"So, here it is...their weapon room," Maria informs Lorna in a hushed voice. She unlocks the double-bolted door with a set of large keys and reveals a huge space with guns, military flails, and hammers. Lorna's eyes widen as she takes it in. "I know, cool, right?"

"I...I can't use a gun. What if I throw the hammer at 'em and I miss? All this shit looks heavy...I'm not even five feet tall!"

"Bitch, if you could attempt to blow up a god damn car with a homemade bomb, you can at least hold a handgun that's thirty pounds. Don't you use weights when you work out?"

"Well, yes, but what-"

"It's basically the same thing, but you need to know how to point at your target and pull the trigger." Maria picks up one, unlocks and loads it, and does the same thing with the other. "You seriously didn't practice shooting when you wanted to kill Angela, or after you got gang-raped?"

"A little...but I'm nervous. You be Nikita. She don't need a partner in crime. Besides...I got a busted wrist."

Maria sighs, appearing exasperated. "Fine. Get a hammer and a flail, we gonna break these motherfuckers' teeth in and hopefully their bones, too."

"Alright." Lorna grabs a hammer, sticks it under her arm, and holds the flail with her unscathed hand. She heads out the exit door with Maria. The sound of Maritza and Blanca's combined heartbreaking pleas gets louder as they approach the outside of the house.

"Stay back," Maria orders her. "They can't see you first." Her back is pressed to the wall as she inches toward the open doorway, ready to shoot. Lorna closes her eyes, bracing herself for the boom.

Bang! She flinches slightly. A body thuds to the ground and something clatters into the blood-soaked porch.

"C'mon," Maria urges her. "I've got two guns and the shovel is closest to us. You got your shit, too."

Lorna nods.

"Whoa, what the fuck?" one of the animals yells. Lorna sneaks a peek at them getting off her friends, who are on the ground and have dirt streaks on their battered faces. Maritza's pants are halfway down and Blanca is completely naked. The guard sitting on the back porch is dead. One down, eight to go.

Everything is done quickly, but it all seems to move in slow motion.

As Stratman goes to retrieve the shovel that had fallen from the deceased asshole's hand, Lorna stomps on it hard and it hits him in the face, giving him a bloody nose. "Oh, crazy bitch!" He holds his nose and groans in pain while squeezing his eyes shut.

"You shouldn't have left me alone, cooze," Lorna mutters, smirking. She tries not to look at the blood that's spattered on her shoe. It would just make her sick.

Maria shoots him, Litvack, and Juarez in one go and the three of them drop dead. Blood spurts out the backs of their skulls. Blanca and Maritza watch in stunned silence as they get to their feet and zip up their pants. There's not much they can do about their shirts that are torn in the middle. Humps takes out his gun, but they push him forward together, causing him to drop the gun. Maritza picks it up and aims it at him, ready to fire a bullet into hopefully his brain as Maria had done to the rest of their abductors. Lorna throws Blanca a hammer and weilds her flail. They both beat Juarez, Litvack, and Stratman to death, just in case they're still slightly breathing, and then smile craftily at each other in the dim glow of the flashlights surrounding them.

"I'll do it," Maria offers.

"Nah, lemme have my moment!" Maritza's trembling, but she holds the gun tighter.

Blanca glares at Maria. "You...¿qué estás haciendo aquí?"

What are you doing here?

"¡Salvando vuestra maldita vida!"

Saving your fucking lives!

"All your friends son muertos, pinche cabrón. Now there's a gun to your head. Whatcha gonna do now, huh?" Maritza taunts him.

"Don't drag this out, chica, we got cuatro mas en la casa!" Maria twirls the guns around her fingers and steps closer to Humps. "Ready to die, gringo?"

four more in the house

"No tienes que hacer esto. Las dejaré ir, chicas."

You don't have to do this. I'll let you go, girls.

Blanca rolls her eyes. "Basta. Stop trying to connect with us by speaking Spanish!" She grabs him by his hair, forces his head back, and Maritza shoves the gun into his mouth. He waves his arms and legs about under their combined weight and chokes on it, but he's cut off by Maritza's finger pressing the trigger. Blanca smirks and takes the gun from Maritza's shaking hands. "For good measure...lo prometo."

I promise.

She shoots his dick off and causes blood to spread in his crotch. It's spilling out of his head, too.

"Ay dios mío..." Maritza whispers.

"We did it!" Lorna exclaims. "Well...almost. We're halfway there."

Blanca's still trembling. "Right, let's join la boda."


There's been at least six gunshots outside and Gloria is becoming more and more terrified. She can't remember if the horrible beasts had weapons on them or if it's just thunder. She can see that her tía, her friends, and Flaca and Alison are extremely worried, too. "What was that?" she asks. "I thought you wouldn't kill 'em, I'm behaving!"

"I know you are, mi mascota. Now give me what you said you were going to!" Arturo commands her. "I hate demanding things from you."

Gloria unzips his pants, pulls them down, and grabs his penis. At first, she rubs it gradually with quivering fingers and goes faster as he urges her to in an aggressive tone. Once his erection appears, she twists it as hard as she can until he squawks in obvious misery. "You like that, huh?"

"No!" he shouts, hopping up and down, holding his now limp dick.

Gloria smirks. "I really didn't appreciate you hitting me, either!" She punches him as he's bent over and he trips over his own feet, but catches himself.

"You stupid bitch!" He spits at her and wraps his hands around her neck. She gags and blindly strikes him again with her fists, creating more lacerations across his face.

"Two spics beating each other up, quality entertainment," Piscatella comments and he, Dixon, and Hellman are cheering. Little do they know, Flaca, Aleida, Diane, Alison, and Lourdes all have their hands near the thirty wax and oil candles in cylinder jars, ready to knock them to the ground in the hopes of catching the tablecloth and curtain on fire.

Arturo releases her at once and raises his hand to slap her, but she digs her fingers into his eyes and delivers a powerful kick to his member so he loses his footing and crashes to the ground, taking Hellman down with him. She whacks the video camera out of Piscatella's hand.

"Damelo," Gloria tells Lourdes, wiggling her fingers toward the long candlestick that Lourdes is holding. Her aunt gives it to her and she holds it close to the sadists' faces. "I dare you to come near me one more time!"

Give it to me

Almost immediately, the rest of the captives sweep their hands across the shelves, sending each candle onto the flammable materials and the two pigs on the floor.

"Aaaahhhh! It burns!" Arturo yells, covering his face while rolling over a few times as the flames come close to licking his jacket. Piscatella and Dixon are trying to stamp out the growing flames, but there are so many. Lourdes yanks the framed photo of Gloria and Arturo off the wall and breaks it over Arturo's head while panting heavily.

"You tryin' to cause trouble, cunts?" Hellman roars as Dixon and Piscatella crowd around them. He makes a sound of agony as he attempts to get up. Aleida just knees him in the balls, knocking him back down. He resembles Hades with his bald head on fire. They cackle victoriously as they wrench themselves from Piscatella's and Dixon's evil clutches and the searing heat, ready to make their escape.

Diane rips a baton from Dixon's belt and whacks him with it. He growls and swipes at her, but misses. Piscatella grabs her at once, making her drop the baton, and she shoves her foot into Dixon's groin. He collapses to his knees and into the rising inferno. "Aaaah, no!" He pulls Hellman and Arturo up with him and they start sexually assaulting Gloria, but she keeps fighting them off and everyone is coughing in the smoke. The alarm blares loudly over and over.

Flaca quickly grabs the baton from between Piscatella's spread out legs and Alison takes his from him. They both take a turn smashing their weapons into his crotch, but this doesn't seem to faze him. He shoves Diane to the side and turns on them. He easily snatches the batons from their hands and uses them to push the girls to the ground. He bends over them and grabs them by the fronts of their shirts. "You can't defeat me, ugly cunts."

"Parece que necesitas ayuda, Glo." Blanca appears first, and Maritza, Lorna, and Maria follow her. Maritza is holding two flashlights. "We got the other fuckheads."

Looks like you need some help

Their tormentors snap their heads up and face the four girls. "Morello, you're supposed to be locked up like the crazy inmate you are!" Piscatella growls. "Piper, you're turning against us? Guess we'll have to kill you! That'll be easy..."

"We fuckin' tried to be nice, you feo gorilla!" Blanca holds up a gun and it goes off three times, sending bullets through him. He crashes to the floor with an echoing boom and then into the fire, roaring with pain and anger. Alison and Flaca squeeze each other's hands and jump up. Gloria's assailants, including her ex, let her go long enough to get free and start running at top speed along with the others. The fire builds and there's now a barrier between the abductees and their captors. Maria pulls off her blonde wig and tosses it behind her.

"¡Vamanos! Go, go!" Aleida hollers.

"They're getting away!" Arturo bellows. "Did you know Daya's probably dead by now? I'd told Cesar where she and her friends were tonight!" He starts following them, but he and his comrades are trapped. Gloria hurriedly opens the wooden door and the women and girls race out just before they get forever trapped in hell with their kidnappers. She slams it shut as the surging flames engulf the demons inside.


They've been whimpering with fear, but now they're laughing in relief. "Oh, gracias a Dios..." Lourdes murmurs, hugging Gloria close. Flaca and Maritza hold each other while crying between kisses. Aleida links arms with Diane while smiling proudly at her. Alison has her arm around Blanca's shoulders. Lorna and Maria walk together and high-five each other. Everyone is wet and cold from the rain and coughing and panting. Blanca and Maria throw their guns to the side.

"Lo sé, I'm glad we're safe, pero Daya...I'm worried about her now," Gloria mumbles as they amble further into the forest that leads to the road. Everyone voices their agreements on that.

"I was so scared for what could've happened to you out there, Mari..."

"Flaca, you gotta go to the hospital for your broken nose..."

"Oh, I'm gonna..." Gloria hiccups loudly, keels over, and throws up as Lourdes holds her in place and strokes her locks. She's spitting out the rest of the disgusting bile as Flaca and Maritza squat and puke at the same time while holding their hair back. Everyone gags and Blanca turns green, but she doesn't vomit.

"I'm real queasy myself..." Blanca groans, rubbing her belly.

Then, there are loud voices nearby and lights shine through the trees.

"Are you sure this is where they are?"

"I'm almost positive!"

"We've looked everywhere else."

They all share hopeful glances. "My energy's back! That sounds like mi novio!" Blanca says eagerly.

"¡Sí, y el mío también!" Aleida chimes in.

Yes and mine, too.

"My man found us, at last, they all did!" Diane squeals. "I knew he could do it!" She's completely elated now and she can hardly believe they've survived their traumatic ordeal.

"Oh, my Vinnie, I can smell the cologne he's wearing!" Lorna bounces in place.

They hear Charles and another woman yelling orders as if they're speaking to criminals they're about to encounter. "Hold 'em high in the air! Right now! Drop your weapon immediately!"

"Oh god, please don't shoot!" Gloria begs them as they come closer. She raises her hands, even though she's innocent.

"Gloria?"

"Fahri! Yes, it's me...we're here!" Her voice is pleading, desperate.

"We got out, we lit that fuckin' place up, literally! All those motherfuckers are dead!"

"Aleida?"

"Sí, mi amor..."

"Call nine-one-one," Charles tells Donna. Diane sighs elatedly when he speaks. "Diane, you there?"

"I am!" Diane calls out, waving him over.

Their reunions happen simultaneously as the rain starts pelting down on them.

"Oh, mi Blanca!" Diablo gets to her first, followed by Karla. He sweeps her off her feet and spins her around while they make out passionately. "Te amo mucho, te amo, mi superestrella..."

I love you so much, I love you, my superstar...

"Yo también te amo, lo siento mucho I missed your show, baby..." Blanca begins weeping. She cups his chin and her knuckles stroke his bearded cheeks lightly.

He sets her down, brushes his thumbs underneath her eyes and down her cheeks, and wraps her in his burly arms. "I didn't play, querida, I couldn't, not without you there," he murmurs into her soaked hair. "Estás viva, eso es todo lo que importa..."

You're alive, that's all that matters...

"Sigue abrazándome, por favor!" she cries into his chest.

Keep holding me, please!

"Por supuesto, my love..." He rocks her from side to side, with one hand cradling her head and the other on her lower back. "Ay dios mío, te tengo de nuevo!"

Of course...I got you back!

"¡Lamento que mi cara sea tan fea!"

I'm sorry my face is so ugly!

"Oh, mi hermosa paloma...no part of you could ever be ugly," Diablo assures her.

Oh, my beautiful dove.

"You found us, Charles, at last!" Diane rushes into his arms and he catches her easily. The breath is knocked out of both of them with the force that they collide with. Hands grip the back of t-shirts and palms are pressed up and under shirts, holding them close, feeling the warmth of their skin. Palms are pressed to cheeks, thumbs swiping away tears until their mouths crash together messily, the world seeming to disappear around them. Diane's heart pounds rapidly in her chest.

He lifts her slightly and caresses her wet hair. "I thought I lost you...are you hurt?"

Diane sniffles. "Not as bad as Gloria, Flaca, Maritza, or Blanca. Thank goodness we're all still here..."

"Yes, of course..."

Realizing the butterflies are going to be burned alive along with the bastards, she bawls even louder. "I couldn't save them..."

"What do you mean?"

"Those shitheads gave me butterflies, and-and they were trapped in a jar...I tried opening it...b-but the cover wouldn't budge!" she informs him between sobs. "They're gonna die...again! Oh, God!"

"I'm so sorry, Diane...I know you did what you could, but those savages wouldn't let insects live, of course not."

"They were gifted to me because they knew it could trigger something inside me...they were only allowed to be released at the wedding, but I wasn't sure where in the house they could've gone...Dixon knocked their glass jar over and it smashed to smithereens..."

Charles squeezes her tight as she breaks down. "Oh, darling...you're with me now. You're okay...and I'm sure they'll flutter away to safety. They're not being crushed this time and they're much faster than us humans."

Diane attempts to calm down. "I appreciate you telling me this, dear!"

He grins at her and pecks her temple. "No problem, babe."

She watches Gloria collapse against Fahri, who catches her. "Oh, lo siento..." Gloria apologizes. "I'm in so much pain...I don't think I can stand..."

"It's all right, I got you." He steadies her and she winds her arms around his neck while leaning her head on his chest. "Let's go see your sons."

Gloria looks around wildly. "They're here? Where?"

Fahri nods. "In my limo, I took Benny, Julio, Michaela, Margarita, RJ, Theresa, Marco, Pedro, Trina, Ms. Basara, Farah, and Celeste and we led Charles, Donna, Leon, Diablo, Karla, and Vinny to this location."

Karla is sobbing in relief as she takes her turn to embrace Blanca moments later. "Ay, Karla, ¿cómo nos encontraste?" Blanca asks.

How did you find us?

"Trina got a call from her." Karla juts her chin toward Maria, who's standing beside them. "She double-crossed 'em and stole one of their phones when they thought she was busy pretending to be Piper. She only had time to speak to Trina, though."

"I can put on a wonderful act," Maria chimes in.

Aleida's eyes narrow. "Why would you do that for us?" she questions Maria.

"I guess I finally realized how much I hurt your daughter and her friends."

"Yeah! When I got that cage that I was locked in, to fall, and I was able to leave it since the door popped right open, she could've told the pig fuckers what happened, but she didn't," Lorna points out.

Lourdes gives Maria a quick side hug and a genuine smile. "Gracias for helping us and letting Trina know where we were!"

"De nada."

Flaca and Maritza stay near them and they both embrace Karla into a group hug. After they disperse, Karla goes up to Lourdes with a guilty expression on her face.

"Lo siento, Lourdes, I...I patched myself up with Band-Aids from your bodega. I know that's basically stealing, but I'll pay you back, ¡lo juro!" she confesses. "It's just that I was so badly hurt after the gigante pushed me...and..." She whimpers softly and sniffles. "I didn't have nothin' on me...like, not in my purse..."

Lourdes smiles understandingly at her and chucks her chin gently. "Está bien, nena. No necesitas devolverme el dinero. Tuviste una emergencia."

It's okay, baby. You don't need to pay me back. You had an emergency.

"Gracias..."

"Vinnie, you came!" Lorna exclaims.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he tells her, enveloping her into a long hug. He molds his lips onto hers and tenderly brushes her damp hair back. She closes her eyes, letting tears fall off her eyelashes and down her pale cheeks.

"Don't go," Aleida begs Leon.

"Don't worry, sweetie, I'm right here," he promises her. He takes her face in his large hands and kisses her so gently that Diane swoons at their private moment.

"I think I'm in love with you," she mumbles.

He appears to be shocked. "You are?"

"Oh, fuck yeah! Why would I not be?"

"I love you, too, Lei!"

Aleida giggles against his lips.

"Leon...is Daya okay? I heard Cesar found her...I just hope she's not..."

"I checked up on her before coming here. She isn't dead...she's been badly injured, but she's gonna survive. Cesar kicked the bucket...not by Daya's hand, though."

Aleida blows out a sigh of relief. "¡Oh, gracias a Dios!"

Gloria looks more relaxed now. "That's great news!"

"Here, honey." Hassan helps Alison put her hijab back on and then keeps his arms around her as they share a long liplock. "Better now?"

"Oh, yes, thank you so much!" Alison beams up at him.

"You're welcome, Ali."


"Can you carry me?" Gloria wonders aloud as her legs shake under her. A few sirens go off in the distance. "I...I think I'm just too weak right now, and I don't want those paramedics touchin' me."

"Sure, I'd be more than happy to!" Fahri states. He deftly lifts her five feet into the air and holds her bridal style as her legs hang limply over his left arm and her head lolls on his shoulder. She feels like fainting again. Gloria clings onto his shirt for dear life. She knows she's getting it bloody and tearstained, but he doesn't seem to care. Her bum body is nearly dead weight against his chest, but it doesn't seem like he's struggling. It's then that she notices his arms are quite powerful, probably from doing so many weights and push-ups at the gym.

"I started the fire that killed the rest of the monsters and the girls and Lourdes helped me!"

"Oh, wow, that's wonderful! I'm extremely overjoyed that all of you survived that terrible situation. I'm so grateful you're in my life, Gloria Mendoza."

She beams and blushes. "Gracias...I'm thankful for you too, Fahri Basara." She says his full name teasingly.

Gloria sees that Maritza and Blanca are also having trouble walking. They're limping alongside their significant others until Diablo decides to scoop Blanca off the ground and into his strong arms. Her whole face lights up again and she presses her hand to her heart. "¡Ay, mi Diablo...muchas gracias!"

"Anything for you, preciosa. I never want you to be in pain." He gazes into her eyes lovingly and she beams.

"Oh mi amor, soy para siempre tuya."

Oh, my love, I'm yours forever.

"¡Yo también estoy enamorado de ti!"

I'm in love with you forever, too!

"Here, chiquita, get on my back," Flaca says and kneels down so Maritza can do just that.

"Are you sure about this, baby? You're hurt, too..."

Flaca nods, pursing her lips. "Sí, pero puedo caminar y you look like you gonna pass out."

Yes, but I can walk.

Maritza grins up at her girlfriend and shakes her head. "You're the best, idiota."

"I love you too, tonta."

Gloria can feel Fahri's perceptible muscles pulsing under her as he walks towards the limo to get her settled so she can be with her kids again before being taken to the hospital. She hears the others' footsteps following them.

"Mommy, you're back!" Benny shouts happily as Fahri opens a door for her to get inside. The others in the limo appear to be just as pleasantly surprised. Gloria sits next to her oldest son, who crawls into her lap. Julio is beside where Benny had been sitting and he's sucking his thumb and staring at Gloria with round eyes. She beckons him forward while cuddling Benny, but the toddler doesn't move for a second.

"Where you been, Mama?" Julio asks quietly as he scoots closer to her.

"We missed you!" Benny declares.

"Why did you run away to get married?" Michaela asks loudly.

Farah leans over from her grandmother's arms. "Bad people all gone?"

"Yes, they are, mariposita! Oh, babies, I'm so relieved to see your sweet little faces again!" Gloria murmurs, hugging her children as soon as Julio climbs on her, joining his big brother. Her heart is just a bit more full again and it expands with warmth as she kisses them on their cheeks. "Niños...the evil man who took me away forced me to be his wife, but I'm here now! The monster is all gone!"

"Yaaaaay!" they cheer in unison.

"There be a rainbow tomorrow!" Farah states randomly and starts clapping her little hands. "That's what Grandma said!"

"Oh, I bet, especially after this mean old storm!" Gloria says. She hugs her boys and Michaela before leaving. "Hey...I gotta go to the hospital so the doctors can fix my owies...but you can join me in the ambulance and visit me when I'm all done, okay?"

"Okay!" they chirp together.

Everyone exits the limo immediately when the downpour stops. Gloria has Benny and Julio on either side of her as she strolls to where Fahri is standing. Michaela races toward him and he picks her up and sets her on his hip. Trina embraces Blanca and Diablo while sobbing in relief. Theresa engulfs her daughter and Maritza in her arms and kisses Flaca's temple and cheeks several times. Marco and Pedro then squeeze their sister tight around her middle. Ms. Basara, Farah, Alison, and Hassan share a group hug, with Farah's tiny arms around both of her parents. Lourdes and Celeste join hands and throw their arms around each other. Margarita and RJ are saying something incoherent to Aleida and Leon, the worried looks on their faces sincere.

The ambulance, firetrucks, and police cars get closer with their flickering red and blue lights. Emergency medical technicians start shouting orders and pulling out stretchers after opening their doors. Firefighters come out of their trucks, dragging hoses and ladders with them as they surround the house full of beasts who are literally burning in Hell. Donna, Hopper, and other random officers swarm the area and place caution tape around it.

"I'm sorry that this is happening when you're off duty," Donna is telling Charles.

"Thanks, it felt like I was the only cop working tonight, besides you!"

"No, you got us, too." Hopper gestures between himself and his employees.

Several of the rescued hostages get trauma blankets put around them, but Gloria, Blanca, and Maritza are helped onto stretchers and loaded into the ambulance. Fahri, Diablo, Charles, and their fellow former captives follow them inside the large, white vehicle and sit with them. The paramedics get Flaca some ice for her face and Lorna ices her wrist, too. The couples hold hands and Gloria closes her eyes for some much-needed rest.


After a horrifying sexual assault examination that must have been between two and three hours, Blanca changes into another outfit and goes home with Diablo, her mom, Theresa, Flaca, Maritza, and Karla. She wants to be away from the dreary hospital as quickly as possible. Lorna is still recovering from her multiple bruises and lacerations from falling fifteen feet and banging her knees and forearms against the back bars of the cage. The last time she saw Aleida, the woman was hugging Daya hello and mother and daughter Diaz were crying in each other's arms. Blanca, Flaca, Maritza, Karla, and Diablo listened to Daya's terrifying story and then Nicky and Alex's as soon as they hugged all three of their friends. Thankfully, Nicky's and Daya's gunshot wounds aren't fatal.

"Mom!" Alex rushes to where her mother is resting in the cot next to Blanca's. The panic slowly leaves Alex's face. Diane flings her arms around her daughter. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

"Oh, my baby...I'm lucky I didn't have another aneurysm through all that stress..."

"Yeah, you are..."

Alex curls up next to Diane and nestles into her side. Diane runs her fingers through Alex's hair and kisses her temple. Alex pecks her cheek and then sobs into her mother's shoulder.

It seems like nobody had the best evening, but the worst part is finally over. Now, everyone needs more therapy than they did before.

The next day, she doesn't go to school since she's not quite ready yet. She and Karla have Diablo, Flaca, and Maritza over for lunch. Trina is downstairs making Sancocho.

"I hope you don't mind, pero soy una asesina. I shot Humps where the sun don't shine and Piscatella en la parte de atrás de su fea cabeza," Blanca confesses as she rolls over as best she can to face Diablo. He accompanies her on her bed and she snuggles into him.

I'm a murderer...in the back of his ugly head

"You're amazing," Diablo states as the corners of his mouth turn upwards. He strokes her cheek and then he draws her into him ever so carefully. "Is this okay?"

Blanca nods and rolls her eyes, not wanting him to see her as a weakling, ever. "¡Sí, no soy una muñeca frágil!"

Yes, I'm not a fragile doll!

"Lo sé, pero I just wanna make sure. Is it cool if I rub your back?"

"Sí, claro, soothing circles, por favor," she requests softly, pressing herself into him, needing his protection. He does as she requests and she absolutely loves it. Being away from him because of violence inflicted on her person had been torture, and now, she just wants to be alone with her boyfriend so he can kiss every part of her that had been abused by Juarez and Stratman.

"Le disparé a Humps en su pinche boca," Maritza adds as Flaca alternates between massaging her girlfriend's shoulders affectionately and icing her own two black eyes. Maritza holds a bag of ice to her own mouth, where she has a split lip.

I shot Humps in his fucking mouth.

"Wow, Mari y Blanca, you guys are like, superstars!" Flaca comments. She has a bandage on her nose.

"¡Gracias!" they chorus while beaming pridefully.

"So, why didn't they take Daya, do you think?" Maritza wants to know.

"They probably wanted her to feel the heartache of losing her mom, Gloria, and her friends," Blanca answers.

"Yeah...and Arturo said I wasn't supposed to be kidnapped in the first place. I just happened to be with Mari, but that's confusing since he made Lorna invite us both to the mall...so of course I'd be there!" Flaca states. "It makes sense that he wanted me 'cause I called the cops on him..."

"He most likely hoped to make you sad and heartbroken that he took Maritza, the rest of your friends, and your tía figure," Karla points out. "At least with being with them, you'd know, being without them is worse, you're in the dark..."

"Yeah, you're totally right...but they separated us anyway." Flaca sighs sadly.

"I was so scared for you chicas," Diablo tells them.

"Me, too...anything could've happened. Es solo un milagro that you all made it," Karla chimes in.

it's just a miracle

"I can't imagine you gone, Blanca..." Diablo whispers into her ear. His large, calloused hands work their way around Blanca's back and she sighs contentedly. He soon wraps his arms around her from behind and kisses tender spots on the side of her neck and shoulders.

"Me neither...I love you too much. We're soulmates..."

"So are Flaca y yo!" Maritza throws a pillow at them and they break apart, groaning. "Get a room, you two!"

That's what lifts the depressing mood and sets them all into fits of laughter. Even though they've dealt with something incredibly awful, nothing has changed the strong relationship between Blanca and Diablo or the one they have with their closest friends.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, Juliette45 and VeraRose19!