Songs I listened to while writing this chapter:

Twinkie, Ding Dong, and Snowball by Brian Tyler (Jane and Andy scenes)

Awakened by Brian Tyler

Interlude by John Ottman

I Got Next by Brian Tyler

Jane was keeping a close eye on a boy in a suit with a Twinkie clenched in his fist. She wasn't sure who thought it would be a good idea to give the ring bearer something messy to entertain himself with right before the ceremony, but she wasn't his mother. He appeared to be about five, so she hoped he was able to recognize that after eating something that got his hands and mouth dirty, he had to wash them. He finished it greedily, sucking the cream off his fingers and adding to the residue already on his face. Then, the maid of honor came out, and he ran towards her, dirty hands outstretched and no doubt with the intention of burying his face into her legs.

"Mama, Mama, Mama!" he called.

"Whoaaaa!" Jane exclaimed, drawing it out as she grabbed him under the arms and derailed him from landing hands first on his mother's very nice, very clean dress. The boy squawked in protest and kicked his feet.

"MAMA!" he roared.

"Oh, goodness, Nicky," his mother, Sheila, said. "You've got yourself all dirty!"

"Wet wipes!" Jane called, searching for Andy. "ANDY!"

"I'm coming!" Andy called back, rushing over. She handed Jane a wipe, and she quickly rubbed down the boy's face while he twisted and growled at her. Then she did his hands and fingers. He was fighting her the whole way.

"There we go," Jane said when she finished. "All better!" She swiftly dodged Nicky's foot stomp before he hurried to his mother, who soothed him and picked him up to take him to where he was supposed to be getting ready. Jane sighed and tossed the wipe into the trash.

"Wow," Andy said, having witnessed it all. "Bratty much?"

"He's gonna be a problem," Jane said, nodding.

"Ten bucks says he'll be climbing into his mother's arms ten minutes into the ceremony."

"Twenty says he'll start screaming to the point she'll have to take him out," Jane added.

"Thirty that she'll start fighting with her husband to take him out instead," Andy said next.

"You're on," Jane said, reaching to high five her. She was grinning as she hurried to find the bride. Oh, the joys of being a wedding planner.

...

Emily jerked awake, heart pounding. She breathed heavily as she sat up and took in her surroundings. The room was starting to get dark, she could hear the shower running down the hall, and Soapy was mrrowing and racing back and forth for no apparent reason. She rested back on the pillow against the arm of the couch, registering that she was still in Lee's apartment and it was Saturday night. Her phone dinged, and she reached to see that Andy and Jane were texting her about the wedding they were working that night and how many bets they had going on. Apparently, Jane was winning the most.

She set her phone down and rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of the images there. She wondered how long David/Josh was going to haunt her dreams with that evil smile and gun pressed against her head.

Emily got up and padded down the hall, needing to not be alone right now. She nudged open the bathroom door to find Lee shaving in navy cargo pants and a grey t-shirt.

"Hey," he said. "I didn't want to wake you. You seemed really peaceful."

"I wasn't," she replied. He turned off his razor and set it down, looking at her.

"Yea, those will probably last for a while," he commented, knowing exactly what she was talking about. She went over to him and banged her head against his chest, letting him put his arms around her and hold her close.

"I really hate how stupid I was," she said, muffled by his shirt.

"Hey," he said, pushing her back a little to look at her fully. "Don't do that."

"But I was!" she cried. "I got bowled over by this fake presentation of a person who didn't actually exist!"

"Okay," Lee said, taking her hand and walking her to sit down in the living room again. "Em, first of all, you didn't know because you believed what he was telling you like anyone would do. Secondly, this is on him, not you, for painting that fake version of himself, and lastly, you can't blame yourself for not seeing it."

"But..."

"He was really good at being undercover," Lee interrupted. "Okay? That's what he did for a living."

"So how are you supposed to know if anyone is really real?" Emily asked, feeling a bit of despair. "You might be pretending for all I know!"

"You're giving me too much credit," he joked. She smacked him, and he laughed and pulled her close again. "Em, you've met Barney. Do you think I can fake who I am with a guy like that as my best friend?"

"I guess not," she conceded, burrowing into him further.

"I am keeping nothing from you," Lee promised as she moved her face to look at him. "Hell, you even met my brother. Did you ever meet David's family?"

"I thought I met his sister, but I guess she was in on it too. Now that I think about it, they didn't even look alike."

"That's one person. I have five other guys from my team you haven't met yet that can't wait to tell you every single embarrassing detail about my life."

"That'll be fun," she teased. He pinched her side lightly, making her start to wrestle with him a little. It ended with him giving her a melting kiss. She looked into his eyes when he pulled back slightly after.

"What you see with me is what you get," he said quietly. "I have no interest in pretending to be someone else. Trust me."

"I do," she whispered. "I do trust you."

He nodded slowly, and she kissed him again. And again and again and again.

...

Barney was finally feeling a little less stressed out. Knowing that Lee had finally sorted out his shit made him relax and put more focus on his own life.

He was realizing it wasn't all that exciting.

"Barns?" Tool asked, coming into the office. He looked a little bit harried, which instantly put Barney on alert.

"What's up?"

"Gunner's on a bender."

Barney gave a groan and pressed a hand into his face. One guy's problems solved and another one's beginning again. And Gunner had been doing so well. This whole business with Lee almost dying had started it up again apparently.

"Where is he?" Barney asked.

"At his apartment. Toll called and said he was locked out and ready to use excessive force."

"How did Toll find out?"

"Some nonsensical texts Gunner had sent him."

"Isn't he always nonsensical?" Barney asked, lifting a brow.

"He mentioned self-harm, Barns," Tool said quietly. Barney pressed his lips together tightly before nodding.

"Alright," he said. "Tell Toll to get in there. I'm coming." Tool dialed the phone and rested it against his ear as he walked away. Barney could hear him relaying the message to Toll. He grabbed his coat and hurried to his truck.

...

Nigel glanced at the clock and saw that it was getting late. He yawned and started to tidy up his files. He missed Soapy since she always used to sit and watch him work, but he was glad she was back with her owner, her person. He smiled. She had a very strong bond with Lee it seemed.

"Oh, hey Alison," Nigel said, noticing her. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"I messed up some forms yesterday," Alison admitted, looking sheepish. "I was hoping to fix them before Monday and save myself the embarrassment of everyone finding out."

"It's all good, Alison. We all make mistakes," Nigel said, giving her a smile.

"I was hoping you'd be here, actually," she added. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What's that?"

"I think I want to be a wedding planner," she blurted out. "I know you guys think I'm a bit dense at times..."

"Never said that," Nigel commented, interrupting. He happened to know that Emily said it, but he'd never verbally agreed with her.

"...but I think I can do it. I mean, I know I can do it. I've been watching you guys, and it doesn't seem too difficult. I'm great with people, and I love organization. I..."

"Hold on," Nigel stopped her, holding up his hand and laughing a little. "Alison, you don't have to sell yourself."

"I...I don't?"

"No. I know your work ethic, and it's strong. It's perfect timing anyway because Jane will be going on maternity leave soon, so you can fill in for her."

"Oh my God that's so great!" Alison exclaimed, clapping her hands together and jumping a little. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Alright," Nigel said, grunting as she launched onto him to give him a hug. He patted her back awkwardly in return.

"I can't wait to tell my mom!" she cried, rushing to grab her coat and purse. She ran to the door, and Nigel counted to five before she came rushing back. "Forgot to turn off my laptop. Sorry!" She gave him another sheepish look before doing so and turning off the lamp and heading out again. Nigel knew Emily was going to have a field day with this information. He could count on at least an hour's worth of conversation around how he shouldn't let Alison handle weddings. When she came back again because she forgot her purse, he was starting to wonder if the in-his-head version of Emily was right.

"Hey, while I have you," Nigel said, digging through his bag now. "You can drop these off to Emily."

"Sure!"

He handed her the files. Alison was vibrating with excitement now. He resisted laughing. If she channeled this energy into her work, they'd do very well. They just had to work on the forgetfulness.

"Thank you!" she said again, giving a light squeal. Then she scurried out once more. Nigel chuckled as he turned off all the lights and locked the door behind him. He made a note to tell Jane to let Alison shadow her for a while to give her some practice. Then he sighed. He'd have to look for a new receptionist. That wouldn't be too hard. He made his way home and briefly wondered if Emily would even be home since it was Saturday night and all.

...

"Pay up," Andy said, holding out her hand. Jane slapped the money down into her hand with a grunt. The maid of honor had put on a spectacular show of yelling at her husband to deal with their son, just like she'd predicted. It had taken both her and Jane to diffuse the situation and smooth over the bride's anger. Andy didn't blame her. She'd be angry at her friend too for letting her son be such a brat during wedding vows.

"Fifty says they end their friendship before the night's over," Jane said now, watching the bride and maid of honor fighting in the corner now.

"Hmm, I dunno," Andy mused, rubbing her chin with her fingers. "Fighting doesn't always mean breaking up. Sometimes a relationship ends without a single fight to be had." She would know. Kyle ending the relationship out of the blue had taken her aback and crushed her. She was slowly recovering, though. She wasn't going to let it stop her from dating in the future.

"There's some pretty wicked name calling going on over there," Jane pointed out.

"You just want your money back," Andy accused.

"And then some," Jane winked.

"Fine," Andy said, "but I'm feeling confident they'll still be besties before the night is over."

"We'll see," Jane said, grinning wickedly.

...

Lee watched Emily sleep on his chest while he ran his fingers over her shoulder lightly. He was doing his best to get Josh's voice out of his head talking about Emily. He swallowed and clenched his jaw. He wished he'd done better to find out sooner for her sake. She blamed herself, but it was nothing compared to how much he blamed himself.

He forced his mind to think about something else. He started to smile as she shifted and made sounds in her throat in her sleep. Someone was finally having some good dreams. He couldn't sleep. He'd tried to close his eyes, but whenever he tried, all he could see was Josh holding a gun to her head. He was thinking he might have to ask Toll how to go about finding a therapist, not that he'd ever admit he was considering talking to one. He'd just endured so much shit in his life that he figured maybe it was time to work through it all.

Soapy jumped on the bed now, and Lee gave her a warning look as she strutted over to curl next to his head on his pillow. He sighed. He knew she was punishing him for his antics earlier. He expected to find something dead next to or on his face in the morning.

His phone vibrated, and he looked to see Jane texting him. He frowned, flipping it open to read it.

What is the worst thing you could tell a woman? she asked.

Why? he wrote back.

Just looking for a man's opinion.

Is this a trick?

No. No trick. What would you say to her?

I don't believe this isn't a trick.

OMG Lee, it's not a trick. Just tell me, Jane ordered.

Call her fat, he answered. And that's off the record.

I knew it! she replied instantly. Then, Andy was writing him.

Thanks a lot, Lee! Now she's gonna win the bet!

What bet?

The bestie bet!

I'm so confused, he wrote.

She's just mad that I thought of a good way to bust them up, Jane was writing now.

I'm not mad. I think breaking up a ten year friendship is a terrible reason to win 50 bucks, Andy wrote him. She's gonna tell the bride that the maid of honor is calling her a fat albino cow in her wedding dress! Lee resisted laughing out loud.

I think you two need to leave me out of this, he wrote her back. Then to Jane: I think you should leave it alone before Nigel fires you for being unprofessional.

Uggghhh fine, Jane wrote back. But they're tearing each other apart anyway. I thought I'd just end the suffering a bit sooner. Deliver the Death Blow.

You'll regret it after.

You sound just like Kevin.

Good night, Jane, he finished off with before shutting his phone down and putting it back on the night stand. Emily stirred at the movement and opened her eyes to look at him.

"What's going on?" she asked sleepily.

"Jane and Andy are trying to win a bet," he answered.

"That doesn't surprise me. What was the bet?"

"What to tell a woman to end a ten year friendship."

"Ouch," Emily said laughing. "Call her fat, obviously. Among other things."

"That's what I said," he replied, smirking. She shook her head at him, smiling.

"I knew you were the man for me," she said. "You think just like me."

"Not quite like you, but close enough," he offered. She rested her head back down into his neck, smoothing her hand over his chest as his arm stayed around her. Soapy tried to knead his other arm, and he shook her off.

"You can't sleep?" Emily asked, lifting her head again as he managed to get Soapy off and away from him.

"Not really."

"Need help?"

"Just what are you proposing?" he countered, lifting a brow. He was still thinking about their afternoon together. His back was still hurting slightly from falling off the couch. Emily didn't answer him. Instead, she just moved to kiss him. After about ten minutes, Soapy fled the room.

He was admittedly a lot more tired when it was over.

...

Jane went inside carefully, but Kevin was still awake when she padded over to their bed.

"Did you do it?" he asked. She looked at him, confused, until she realized.

"Andy told you," she accused.

"She thought you were going a bit crazy and wanted my opinion on how to stop you," he said, holding up his hands. "Sorry."

"I left them alone. I didn't have to say anything in the end. The maid of honor called her a cow all on her own and got kicked out," Jane retorted.

"Ouch." Kevin laughed. Jane crawled into bed and got comfortable as best as she could. He rested against her, reaching to hold her hand. She felt him kiss her head gently.

"I'm grateful for you," she told him.

"I'm grateful for you too," he replied. She squeezed his hand and closed her eyes. It had been a long night. Nigel had texted her about Alison, and she was looking forward to training her on things. It took the stress of leaving them in a lurch off her chest. She knew Alison would do well with the right instructions to guide her along the way. She just needed a lot of reminders.

...

Barney sighed in relief as he watched Toll talking to Gunner. They'd talked him down together, and now Gunner was crying. Toll was already trying to find him a rehab to attend, and Barney explained he had to give Gunner some time off until he was back on track. Gunner understood. It had all just been too much for him, and it made Barney realize that underneath that giant man's exterior rested a caring, empathetic man who could get hurt.

Barney had given Tool the update and was now waiting for a good time to head out. Toll had agreed to stay the night, which Barney was grateful for.

"Thank you," Gunner said, looking at him now. "It means a lot that you guys care."

"You're in our family, Gunner," Barney said with a small smile. "We look out for each other. Just don't try to kill one of us again this time."

"You got it."

Toll started talking about some technique he'd learned in therapy, and Barney made his exit. He found his way home and lit a cigar and poured a drink. He wasn't gonna sleep anyway. All was good in his world right now, but something in his gut said otherwise.

He didn't like it.

Sunday Night

Emily hated to leave after spending the weekend with Lee. She'd stayed longer than she had planned to, but he was just too irresistible. She felt warm inside thinking about his last kiss and promise to see her again soon. He'd dropped her off at her apartment, and it had been hard to get out of the truck, but after twenty more minutes of talking and making out, she had to concede and say goodnight. She got inside her apartment a few minutes later and found her kitten trying to climb her leg out of anxiety.

"Oh, Tigger," she said, picking him up carefully. "I'm sorry. I should have brought you with me. You could have had some time with your mama." She walked around to put things away with Tigger in the crook of her left arm. He was squirming and meowing, and she couldn't understand why he was so upset. She set him down after a moment and dodged his attempts to climb her leg again. She read Alison's texts about sliding files from Nigel under her door last night (Emily had almost tripped on them when she came inside...like seriously, what was that girl thinking? She was also missing a file, which no doubt was in Alison's car or something). She read Nigel's texts about Alison going to start doing wedding planning and to not call her dense anymore. She hoped Jane would have more patience with her than she would. Alison was sweet, but she was a bit dense at times. She didn't care if Nigel didn't want her to say it. She'd still think it. She went to her room and sighed happily as she reached to turn the light on. Then it registered in her mind that the sliding door to her balcony had been open.

Hands grabbed her from behind, and before she could even scream, she was gagged by a second person while the first person bound her hands behind her. A bag was put over her head next, and her instinct was to start kicking, but they pushed her down onto the floor and bound her ankles as well. Emily did her best to not panic, but it wasn't working so well. She knew Lee would be furious at her for not being able to protect herself. She wondered what he would have done if it was happening to him.

Then she wondered if it was happening to him or would happen when he got home.

"Let me go!" she tried to yell. Hands picked her up, and she was slung over a shoulder. Men's voices muttered to each other as the one carried her, and she thought she recognized one of them. She did her best to make noise, but they were moving fast, and she was disoriented. She hoped they wouldn't hurt her. When they set her on the ground again, she tried to fight once more, but she got smacked in the head for it. Then something was put into her neck, she was put into a trunk, and the vehicle was starting. She had no idea who was doing this or where she was going. She tried not to cry, wondering why this was happening to her after things seemed to be finally going her way. Maybe this was the universe's way of telling her she was not meant to have a happy ending after all.

Then she wondered how long it would take before someone came looking for her as she slowly lost consciousness.

Did y'all think this story was over? You thought wrong :) It ain't over 'til "The End" is at the bottom, and we're not quite there yet...