A/N: Hey, guys. So, I am so sorry for keeping you guys hanging for so long. For the last month, it felt like I've been battling a form of writer's block. I just seemed to have a little motivation problem. I wanted to write, I wanted to get this chapter to you guys, but I just couldn't make myself do it. On top of all that, two times my computer gave me an attitude or something and I lost the whole file. The first time it happened I was almost done, so I nearly cried. Then, when it happened the second time, I wanted to punch a wall. I'm ready to wash my hands of this chapter and move on, so I apologize if this chapter isn't as good as the others. I am still very much interested in this story and I hope I can get back on track. Hopefully, there are still some people reading that haven't given up on this story. Enjoy, :)

~ Chapter Twelve ~

~~ Hold My Hand ~~

The precinct was abuzz with activity, due to the recent tragedy that had taken place in Hudson just a couple hours ago. Every officer had either been at the scene or heard about it. So when the top suspect was marched into the building, of course, they all had to turn and stare. Ty held himself with dignity, despite the humilating situation. He kept his eyes trained in front of him and his mouth shut, even as he felt the weight of the officers' suspicious and disdainful gazes. The woman officer from earlier was the one who was leading him forward, her hand on his handcuffed wrists gently. Her hand was there for show; she was the one cop who had the trust in him that he wouldn't try to run. He appreciated that.

The woman led him into a square, gray interrogation room. It was bare, except for a metal table and chairs in the very center and a water cooler against the side wall. The water looked refreshing to his dry mouth, but he averted his gaze as the officer walked him around the table. She pulled the chair out and gestured for him to sit. She unlocked one of his hands from the handcuffs, and instead, handcuffed him to the table. The woman left the room after that, the door clicking shut and leaving Ty alone.

Ty sighed, letting out a long breath and started to rake his hand through his hair. His hand was jerked back down to the table abruptly, the handcuff once again reminding him of his predicament. He laid both of his hands on the table, his fingertips touching the other. How did his life go from being happily married to the woman he loved most in the world to being arrested for murder in the span of a few hours? From the time that Georgie fell unconscious to when the police officers detained him, all felt like a wild blur.

The two men hit the ground, the sharp impact on the ground sending a jarring jolt through Ty's body. He landed on top of Hank and began laying all that he had onto the other man. His arm was pulling back then striking forward, connecting with Hank's jaw, all in the span of a second. Ty repeated the action two more times, before Hank grabbed his wrist and, using all of his weight, he pushed Ty off of him. Ty lost control, falling to the ground, and the brutal man took advantage of that. Hank yanked Ty's arm behind him and pushed him into the dirt, placing his knee in the middle of Ty's back to hold him there further. Pain went through Ty's wrist and he thought for sure it was going to snap at any minute.

Hank leaned down toward Ty's ear. He spoke with malice, like a bull bearing down on a matador, his hot breath burning Ty's skin. "You messed with the wrong person, boy!" Hank warned. "As soon as I'm finished with you, I think I'll show your girl a little something about respect."

Ty froze, and then he felt his blood boil and a rage raced through him that he never felt before. He picked his head up out of the dirt, gritting his teeth. He spat dirt out of his mouth. "You aren't going to to touch her!"

The sound of the door opening again broke Ty out of his memory. Ty's gaze shot up to the man coming in, dressed in black slacks and a green shirt with a dark tie. He carried a case folder in his hand, holding it against his torso, and he looked at Ty out of the corner of his eye as he shut the door behind him. One of his eyebrows raised mockingly at Ty's startled reaction.

"Thinking of your homicidal behavior this evening?" the man retorted. Ty turned his head away, choosing instead to ignore the officer's jab. The man dropped the file down on the tabletop with a thwack. Ty eyed it like it was a horrible disease, then he dragged his eyes upward again. "I am Detective Elijah Thompson, and I will be leading this case," he introduced himself. He pulled the other chair out and sat himself down opposite Ty.

Ty kept his gaze level with the detective's, without saying a word. Detective Thompson pursed his lips at his suspect's silence, opening up the case file. "Now, you and your wife, along with the minor Georgina Fleming-Morris, were at Mr. Caldwell's ranch around 6:00 pm this evening,...trespassing?" He looked up at Ty when he finished his question, waiting for confirmation.

Ty remained quiet. He licked his lips and refolded his hands on the table, glancing down. "I'm not answering any questions until I have a lawyer present," he replied, looking back up.

Elijah sighed and closed the case file. He leaned back in his chair with his hand laying flat on the folder, staring straight at Ty. "Is that your final decision, Mr. Borden?" he asked, firmly.

Ty gave one short nod, the handcuff clanking on the table.

Detective Thompson tisked and stood back up abruptly, the chair's legs scraping along the floor loudly. "Alright, I'll bring you a phone, or else we will provide a public defender for you," he sighed, swiping the folder off of the table and moved toward the door. He pulled the door open, then he turned back to Ty with a knowing smirk. "But you should know that the ones who refuse to cooperate, are the ones with the most to hide."

The detective left with a click of the door, and Ty was alone again in the small room. He sniffed, turning his head toward the ceiling. There was a camera in the corner of the ceiling with a red blinking light and Ty knew that he was being watched. What would that camera show, a man guilty of murder or a man who had overcome a lot in his life and now was deep over his head from the chain of events that had quickly taken control over his life.

Fists flew hard, fast, one right after the other. Blood started spreading, but whose it was wasn't clear. A fist landed in someone's stomach and that victim toppled over on the ground. The other body went after him, pinning him to the ground by his wrists. He had been reaching something just out of his reach, and the man on top glanced up from his fury, seeing what it was. The rifle. Both men stared at it and then back at each other.

Ty blinked, a cold sweat dripping down his spine. What did he do?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I wish they would just tell us something," Peter sighed, as he paced around the small waiting area inside of Crossbow Hospital. He, Lou, and Jack had been sitting there, in near silence, for about a half hour. No one had come to tell them anything about Georgie, except for Sophie the nurse. Ten minutes ago, she had told them that the doctor would be out to see them, but she had said it amid doing her other work, so they weren't sure how true that was.

"If they're not telling us anything, than they're working on Georgie and that is enough for me," Jack murmured, switching from leaning his chin from one hand to the other on the armrests of his chair.

Peter looked at him, seeing the logic in his words. He released a light breath and moved to sit down next to his wife. Lou was sitting forward in her seat, her hands clasped together over a small object. Amy had passed to her before she left for the police station. The paramedics had taken it off of Georgie when they were helping her and Amy managed to save the small but special object. It was a simple string bracelet in various colors of the rainbow. Katie had made it for her big sister and she had been so happy and proud of it that Georgie had promised to never take it off. Lou blinked back tears for the umpteenth time, but the tears never fully went away.

Lou lifted her head, nodding in agreement. "You're right, they're taking care of her," she said. "The doctors are going to bring her back to us. We have to believe that." She held the bracelet against her chest, next to her heart. Peter flashed a small reassuring smile and nodded, putting his hand on her back and moving it around in a circle. Lou leaned into him.

They were quiet again, until the double doors opened and a middle-aged man emerged. He was dressed in a lab coat and scrubs, his black hair combed back neatly. He spoke with Sophie for a minute, and then she made a motion toward the waiting area, where they were all sitting. They sat up straighter as the doctor turned to look at them. He seemed to draw in a deep breath, then he began walking over to them. Lou slipped her hand into Peter's, allowing him to help her stand up. Jack stood up as well.

"Are you the family of Georgina Fleming-Morris?" the doctor questioned, stopping and folding his hands together in front of his body. "I am Dr. Eugene Seymour." He held out his hand, and they all shook his hand in turn.

"Yes, how is she?" Lou answered, worriedly, after shaking his hand. She took an extra step forward, her hand on her belly.

Dr. Seymour didn't hesitate, knowing that the family had already been waiting for a long time and needed some answers. "First off, let me say that I am so sorry this has happened to your family," They all nodded their appreciation for the doctor's sympathy, and Lou liked the doctor a lot more because of that. They didn't speak, though, letting the doctor continue. "Georgina has sustained severe head trauma to the back of her head. I call it an amazing strength of will that she is even still hanging on." Lou covered her mouth with her hand, as the terror at how serious this was stabbed her in the heart. "She was hemorrhaging, but we got her stabilized for now. The back of her skull is fractured from the two hits she received. She is stable, like I said, but she still very critical. Georgina will need surgery, and the sooner, the better."

A quiet gasp slipped out of Lou's mouth, past her fingers, and she leaned into Peter. His arm went around her, his strength and comfort holding her up. He kissed her temple distractedly but no less reassuringly. Jack rubbed his hand down his face, pursing his lips, and then placing his hands on his hips.

"And she'll recover after this surgery?" Jack asked, trying to get all the information he can. It was better than imagining his fearless Georgie fighting for her life.

The doctor gave them nothing but the truth. He replied, shrugging his shoulders, "It is too soon to tell right now, but the surgery will significantly improve her chances. All surgeries are risky, but in this case, it will be even riskier to wait. This is Georgina's best chance at survival, and we'll have a somewhat better prognosis afterward."

There was small, tense silence as the family digested this somewhat good news. Lou looked back at the doctor. "Can we see her?" she asked, almost in a whisper, hugging herself.

"Of course," Dr. Seymour nodded, "Follow me."

The doctor turned and started going back the way he came before. Lou, Peter, and Jack followed him. He stopped at the intimidating double doors, and held the door open for them when they were ready. They entered a semi-large circular area, ringed with curtained cubicles and another nurses' desk in the center. There more nurses in here, shuffling around, working quietly. There was a long hallway leading away from this area at the far right of the room.

"Right this way."

Dr. Seymour began walking again, skirting around the desk, and heading toward the group of cubicles at the back. The smell of disinfectant and sickness was stronger here than it was back out in the waiting room. There was a loud cry as they passed by some of the cubicles. Lou felt her heart constrict in her chest, for the sudden fear that her daughter was crying out for her and there was nothing she could do. She didn't want to be in this part of the hospital, especially for the reason why she was there. But the cry wasn't Georgie's; of course, it wasn't. They passed an open cubicle, and Lou could see the upset twelve year old girl sitting up on the bed. A doctor was checking out what was most likely a broken arm. The girl's father knelt in front of her, trying to console her with comforting words and funny stories. Her tenderhearted mother stood at the back, wringing her hands nervously and chattering away about she didn't know how this could have happened, Caroline was always so careful on her bike.

Lou had to look away. She was envious of the little family, who were concerned over such a normal minor injury. Of course, no child should have to suffer through physical or emotional pain, but in that moment, she was jealous. She would have done anything to not be walking down this hall right now, toward her unconscious daughter, and this hollowed out pit of fear and turmoil in her stomach. After what felt like an eternity when in actuality it took barely a minute, they were all stopped outside a curtained cubicle.

Dr. Seymour clapped his hands together softly. "Here we are," he announced. "I have a nurse prepping Georgie for surgery, but I will advise her of your visit. Furthermore, I can only allow one person in at a time." He smiled gently and apologetically at them.

The three of them looked at each other, and almost immediately Peter and Jack both nodded toward Lou. She looked back and forth between them. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, you should be the first one to go in," Jack said, touching Lou's shoulder. "I think it's what Georgie would want."

"I agree. Go ahead, honey," Peter replied, kissing her temple and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Lou looked at each of them, and then moved closer to the cubicle, next to the doctor. Dr. Seymour didn't open the curtain right away. He looked at her with compassion on his face. "What you see may seem overwhelming and daunting, but remember, underneath all of that stuff, is your daughter," he told her. "Just prepare yourself."

Lou just nodded quietly, a small thankful smile on her lips. Dr. Seymour pulled back the blue curtain. The dark-skinned nurse, who was tending to Georgie, turned at the sound of their entrance, but she didn't halt in her work. "Nurse Kiara, I have the family here for a visit," Dr. Seymour explained. "Finish up prepping her and give them a moment alone." The nurse nodded, cheerfully, fiddling with Georgie's IV bag.

All of that happening was just background noise to Lou's ears. She couldn't really hear any of the words, her vision had narrowed down to one single focal point and everything else was just a blur and white noise. Her daughter. Her wild, heart-of-gold, thirteen year old daughter laying completely motionless on the hospital bed straight ahead.

"Georgie?..." Lou said, her voice coming out in a whisper, cracking a little. She stepped forward slowly. When she got close to the bed, her hand trailed over the bed rail. Georgie's arms and legs looked pale, sticking out from the hospital gown Kiara had dressed her in. The IV drip tube ran down the inside of her left arm, ending inside of her at her wrist. She was hooked up to a bunch of other machines, the heart monitor beeping out its' usual steady rhythm. Or, was it beeping too slow...too fast? Suddenly, Georgie's lifeline seemed even more fragile. Lou stopped at the head of the bed. An oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth temporarily, and her dark hair was fanned out around her head on the crisp white pillow. She had a couple of scrapes and abrasions on her face and arms, but none of that put as much fear into Lou's heart as seeing the white bandage wrapped around Georgie's head. A small spot of blood had seeped through bandage. Lou leaned heavily on the bed, nearly losing her ability to stand.

She watched the nurse cover Georgie up with a blanket. Kiara gave Lou a reassuring smile, one that Lou could barely return, and the nurse left with a swoosh of the curtain. Lou turned back to her daughter.

"How did this happen, Georgie?" Lou questioned. Silence fell again as she reached out and touched her daughter's soft hair. She pushed her hand all the way through, and then did it again, this time holding a lock of it with her fingertips. "How could I let this happen?"

Lou sighed, and dropped the hair. She leaned her elbow down on the bed, leaning close to Georgie's ear. "I don't blame you, Georgie," she replied, softly. "None of us do. We all just want you to be okay, Georgie." She couldn't stop saying her name, she didn't know why. "We want you to jump up excitedly and start telling us about this latest adventure. Tell us how you know what you did was wrong, but so was the other guy and how good the whole thing made you feel."

She slid her hand down the length of the bed, until she found Georgie's hand. It was cold, which startled her a bit and she just wanted to rub it to warm her up, but she clasped her daughter's hand in her hand instead. "So,...," Lou took a deep breath before continuing, and willed herself not to start crying. "I want you to squeeze my hand as hard as you can, and let me know that you are still with us, fighting with all your might."

It was a tense, quiet couple of seconds. Lou stared at Georgie's still face, all of her senses keyed into the young girl in front of her, just waiting for any sign of life. It was getting harder and harder to keep her tears at bay. "Georgie, c'mon, squeeze my hand," she urged, gently. "Please. Tell me that you're still here."

Beep...Beep...Beep...

Lou drew a breath and let it out with a whoosh, unintentionally allowing a tear to slip down her cheek. She reached out with a shaking hand and stroked Georgie's hair again. "Please,...Georgie,...baby," she started to cry. She couldn't hold back anymore and collapsed down on the bed, her face in Georgie's shoulder and her arm across her chest.

"Please..."

Lou didn't know how much time had passed before she felt herself being swept up off the bed and into someone's arms. She didn't fight him, she just wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. She heard herself murmuring something over and over again, and it kind of sounded like 'It's not fair'. He just held her and let her cry. Lou glanced over his shoulder, seeing the nurses begin to wheel Georgie out of the cubicle to go to surgery. She turned her head, burying her face more into his shoulder; she didn't want to watch that.

Peter held onto her, moving his hand in circles over her back and making shushing sounds in her ear. Lou clung to him as she let everything go, her cries and sobs starting to wrack her body. She fell down into a torrent of sorrow, disbelief, and fear. Wave after wave of emotion hit her, until she wasn't sure if she'd ever find her way back to the surface.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The hall outside the interrogation room was quiet and empty, from what Ty could hear. There had been a total of four set of footsteps on different occasions down that hall since he had been stuck in this room. The first one was right after he had been placed in here, which felt like hours ago. The second was when Detective Thompson came in to question him, and then the third when he left, his footsteps receding down the hallway. That was probably about ten minutes ago. The last pair of footsteps was just a passerby. Everybody out in that squad room had watched as he had been traipsed through an hour ago, and now when they glance at this door, all they care to know is that a 'murderer' sat inside. That was the worst part, seeing in all of the officer's eyes that they all thought he was guilty, without any proof or evidence. Ty dropped his head with a long, drawn out sigh, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck. He hated how he got here, sitting in this room not knowing anything as everybody else dug around and decided things about his life.

Then, the door opened and the next few moments was a blur and drawn out at the same time. Ty picked his head up, and saw the familiar blonde woman standing slightly behind the police officer, who had opened the door. Her eyes were wide and fearful, her mouth opened slightly, her jeans were dirty from the ground, and she seemed to have a red tinges of blood everywhere on her in small places, but mostly on her hands. Ty felt himself standing up slowly, his chair squeaking backward a little. He had felt nothing but turmoil, regret, and frustration literally a second ago, but now, upon seeing her, all of those emotions were brushed away like feathers in the wind and he could breathe again.

"Amy..."

With that one barely whispered word, a gate was broken. Amy spoke his name, though he couldn't hear her, and her face contorted into tears. She rushed forward, pushing past the officer, and into the interrogation room. Ty tried to hold out both arms, but his left arm was yanked down, of course, so he just held out one arm. Amy fell into his arms across the table, her own arms wrapping him tightly. They stood like that leaning over the table, holding each other.

Our story binds us

Like right and wrong

Your hand in mine

Marching to the beat of the storm

"Five minutes," the police officer said, and then closed the door. They were alone, but Ty knew that the officer was standing just outside the door. They pulled apart, their hands lingering on each other, not wanting to separate. Ty's hand cupped her cheek, and Amy held his wrist to keep the contact.

"I can't believe I'm actually in here with you," Amy confided, looking into his eyes. "I was actually afraid I wouldn't see you again."

Ty ran his thumb along her cheek. "It's okay," he told her, and he felt himself calming down, too. They finally separated and lowered themselves in the chairs across from each other. "How's Georgie?"

Amy reached across the table and took his hand, avoiding the one that was handcuffed. "I left almost as soon as I got to the hospital. Lou, Peter, Dad, and Grandpa were all there; Lou understood that I needed to be here with you," Amy admitted, talking to the table. "The paramedics didn't tell me much, but I could tell..." She glanced back up to look at Ty. "Ty, it's really bad."

Ty stifled a groan, slipping his hand out of Amy's and rubbed it down his face. "This is my fault," he said, through his hand, "If I taken care of Hank sooner, subdued him quicker, Georgie wouldn't be fighting for her life right now."

"Ty," Amy replied, firmly, taking his hand back. "None of us could have predicted this outcome. We didn't know that Hank could be that volatile." She stopped and didn't continue until Ty dropped his hand and slowly brought his gaze up to her face. "You did your best of what you could do, and I am proud of you for standing up and trying to protect Georgie and me."

And we walk together into the light

And my love will be your armor tonight

We are lionhearts

They were quiet for a minute, just sitting there with Amy holding Ty's hand. "If anything, I shouldn't have convinced you to go get that horse," Amy murmured, looking off at the far wall. "It was stupid and dangerous, and not worth it." She bit her lip, feeling ashamed.

"No." It was quick and sharp, and made Amy whip her head back around to her husband. He was looking at her firmly and urgently. He switched their hands, this time he was holding hers. "Out of the things that happened tonight, trying to rescue that horse will be not be one your regrets. Understood?" he insisted. Amy watched him. "You are Amy Fleming-Borden, my wife, the woman I married and whom I love, and she fights for abused and mistreated horses. I will support and fight for her until my dying breath. Do you hear me?" He squeezed her hand.

Amy couldn't help the two tears that dripped fast down her cheeks. She nodded, foggy-eyed. "Promise?" she whispered.

"I promise," Ty stated, kissing her hand. Amy held his kiss and his promise close to heart. She wasn't sure how much he knew that she was counting on that promise, that he was going to get out of this and stay with her forever. That promise, whether held or broken, was going to carry Amy through many sleepless nights.

And we stand together facing a war

And our love is gonna conquer it all

We are lionhearts

A/N: Well, how did you all like it? Those song lyrics are Demi Lovato's 'Lionheart'. I'm sorry again for the long wait, but I hope this chapter made up for it. If I have any readers left, please review and let me know your thoughts. :)