Life After High School - Ten Years Later

By Risty and Silver

Disclaimer: Uh...err...heh...Oh damn, we don't own them.

Summary: ::yawn:: read and find out.

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(Kane's POV)

A few days after we had arrived at Jaime's, a group of us decided to go down to the lake. Jaime was worried because she said that she hadn't been able to get hold of Adele, but you could see that she was just trying not to worry us. Anyway, we decided to play a ball game and I was one of the catchers. Ria threw the ball high, way over my head, and it landed somewhere in the wood. I laughed and ran off to find it, telling them that I wouldn't be a minute. The ball was sitting beside a tree and as I bent over to pick it up, someone grabbed the back of my neck. Before I could cry out, a rag was pressed roughly against my face and felt my eyes closing…

When I opened them again, I couldn't hide my shock and horror. I was lying in the middle of our living room. My mum was sitting in the corner crying and I could hear Crystal screaming from one of the other rooms. Sitting opposite me were Adele and her three children, all tied up and looking as terrified as I felt. And finally my eyes fell on my real father. He had a mad look in his eyes and a can in his hands. He was throwing the stuff from the can all over the room and I realised with a start what it was. Petrol. We were in big trouble…

(Emma's POV)

Several days after Damon and I had been discussing our future, we heard that Boromir had been released from hospital and was in the care of his parents. Strangely enough, despite remembering all the times that he had hurt me in the past, I wasn't worried. I couldn't believe that he would be foolish to challenge us again, after Damon and Benny and the others had beaten him so many times.

Two nights later, Blaze and Forrest were scouting around Silverwood, hunting for information on some thief or other who had been on their territory and Lucas and Damon were visiting contracts at the inn when Benny got called out on an urgent call. He was wary about leaving me alone, Crystal and Lance were asleep and neither of us knew where Randy and Gimli were, they were just somewhere around Silverwood. I could understand his concern, but I reassured him that I would be fine and he promised that he would be back as soon as possible. I went down with him and bolted the door after him, he promised me that when he returned, he would knock three times to let me know that it was him. As I bolted the door and started back up the stairs, I thought that I heard a noise coming from the back of the bar, where the back door was. But I shrugged off my feeling, certain that it was just my imagination. The back door was usually locked and I couldn't see why anyone would want to break in anyway.

As I turned away to go up the stairs, someone grabbed me roughly from behind. I struggled, but whoever it was, was far too strong. Then a damp rag was pressed against my face and I fell into darkness…

When I came around, I was horrified at the sight before me. Kane, my oldest son, was lying on the sofa unconscious. Adele and her three children were tied up on the floor. I knew then that it was Boromir, even before he entered the room with a smirk on his face. How he had got them all here, Kane included, without being noticed was beyond me, but right then it didn't matter. Crystal and Lance were asleep in Damon's bedroom and mine and we were all in mortal danger. I couldn't hear sight or sound of the dogs and I just prayed that he hadn't hurt them in any way.

"I see that you are back with us, Emma." Boromir grinned at me and reached over to touch my cheek. I turned my head away and noticed that he was holding the key to the back door. Because the windows were too high to jump out of and the front door had been bolted, I knew that we were trapped. All I could do was pray that Benny came back soon.

"Boromir!" Adele sounded deeply distressed. "What are you doing with that petrol can?"

"Well you see," he explained casually, as Kane began to stir. "All of you in this room have made a fool out of me and now you are going to be punished for it." He dropped the petrol can in the corner and laughed. "I am going to light this place up and then we are all going to die. All of you, all of the people I have ever loved, are going to die with me. Right here in this very room."

"Boromir" I pleaded. "Don't do this. You don't have to do this. We can talk, we can all talk and work something out."

"No" he shook his head and grabbed Kane, pulling him upright. I got to my feet and flung myself at him, but he hit me across the face and I fell backwards, landing heavily on the floor. "I don't want to talk to you. You left me, Emma, you started all this. We could have been happy, we all could have been happy! But no, I wasn't enough for you!"

Kane pulled himself free and briefly glanced at me. I knew what he wanted; he wanted me to keep Boromir busy. So I did, I knelt there and called him every name under the sun. He hit me again and again, but it didn't matter. In the corner, Kane had pulled out his penknife and was busy cutting the bounds of Adele and her children. When Boromir finally realised that it had been a set-up, he was furious. Giving me one last kick in the ribs, he lit a match, pulled open the door and threw it out onto the landing. The flames caught the petrol and went up instantly. It was blocking the stairs, our only escape route. Within just a few seconds, it was burning away nicely and Boromir knew it because he slumped down in the corner and smiled to himself.

"This is the end," he muttered. "We are going."

He was right of course. Perhaps we could have gotten down the stairs, but it would have been stupid to risk it.

"Get in one of the bedrooms!" I yelled to the kids. "And shut the door. Try not to breath too much."

They did as they were told, the four of them and Adele hurried into Benny's bedroom, which was next door to the kitchen and shut the door behind them. I shut the living room door, leaving Boromir slumped on the floor and hurried into my bedroom where both of my babies were screaming blue murder. I shut that door too and placed the two of them on the bed, wrapping them up in blankets before banging on the window.

"Help!" I screamed. "Fire! Please, help us!"

(Damon's POV)

The meeting between us and the men we were supposed to meet went on for a long time. We couldn't seem to agree on anything, they were offering us a ridiculously low price for the tavern and Lucas and I spent a long time pointing out all the things that they would actually be getting for their money. Finally they got up and went away, saying that they would think it over and let me know. The two of us had a soft drink before deciding that it was time to get home. Opening the door, I collided with Jaime, who seemed to be hysterical, and Frodo, who seemed almost as bad. Through their tears, I managed to gather that not only had Adele and her children disappeared, but Kane had also vanished. I admit that when she told me that, I really wanted to kill her. We had put our children in their care and this had happened. But I knew that the blame did not lie completely in their hands, it was Emma and I who were really to blame for not being better parents.

"We have to get home," I said urgently, turning to Lucas. Benny had dropped by earlier to tell me that he had been called out and that Emma was home alone, and I had a horrible feeling that she was in danger. However, as we were heading out of the door, Blaze and Forrest came running up to us, followed closely by Randy and Gimli.

"The tavern!" Blaze yelled. "It's on fire!"

"Shit!" I pushed Jaime aside and ran after them, not caring if the hobbits followed or not. Benny met us when we were almost there, his face pale, and several of the villagers had gathered around to see what was going on. As Benny, Lucas and I ran to the front of our home, I saw Emma banging on the window. Even as I watched, she doubled over and began to cough.

"Damon" she cried as she managed to force the window open a few inches. "Thank heavens you're here. Boromir…Boromir is in the living room and I'm trapped in here with Crystal and Lance. Adele, Kane and her children are in Benny's bedroom."

"Where is the fire, Em?" Benny was trying to keep calm but his voice was shaking. I was terrified too, no doubt he had used petrol or something to start the fire and that was bad, but if the fire also reached the bar…

"On the landing and the stairs" my wife answered quickly and then began coughing again. "The doors are too hot to open now, we are all trapped."

"I'm coming in" Benny told her. "Just hang on a moment."

I paused for a second, unsure of what to do. Ever since I was a boy, I have always been scared of fire. But in this case, love for my family overcame my fear and I put my hand on his arm.

"I'm coming in with you," I told him. "The rest of you stay out here. We'll bring them out. Don't worry."

Together, Benny and I threw all our weight at the door and it cracked and splintered, allowing us to force it open completely. As soon as it was open, Sol-leks, Laddie and Prince crawled out, too weak to stand. I think they had been drugged, but I couldn't worry about them right now. I ordered Lucas to take care of them, while Benny and I battled through the flames. The heat was terrible, even though the fire had not yet reached the bottom of the stairs, I could feel the heat from the doorway. The right side of the staircase was not as bad as the left side and I figured that if we hurried, we might just be able to get them out.

"Get Emma and the babies!" Benny ordered as we reached the top of the staircase and were forced to put our arms up to protect our faces from the heat. "I'll get Adele and the kids."

It was rather a blur after that. I got my two babies and hurried outside with them, where I saw Benny lay an unconscious Adele on the ground along with one of her children, a little girl. However, I couldn't wait to see if she was okay for I had to get to Emma. Again, I hurried up the stairs with Benny just behind me. Emma was dizzy and unable to stand up properly. I hoisted her over my shoulder, thankful that she didn't weigh much and together we made it outside. Laying Emma on the ground, Benny dropped Adele's two children and took over. After a moment, she sputtered and got unsteadily to her feet.

"Where's Kane?" she asked, looking around her. "Damon, where is Kane?"

"He was right behind me" Benny started, looking around. Then his eyes met mine and we realised what had happened. "Do you want me to go in?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I'll go" I told him and was running to the door before he could answer. The fire was spreading now, down the stairs and across the wooden bar. I knew that we didn't have much time.

I found Kane crouched by the living room door, only half conscious. I scooped him up with one arm and kicked open the door. Boromir was in an even worse state than Kane, when he looked at me, his eyes were unfocused.

"Can you stand?" I asked him, gently placing Kane on the floor and hurrying over to him.

"My head's spinning" he told me as I gripped his arm and tried to pull him to his feet. "I can't see straight."

"You're lucky to be alive," I told him. "Now come on, let's get out of here."

Putting one arm around him in order to steady him, I scoped Kane up in my other arm and we made our way towards the doorway.

"We live to fight another day yet." Boromir said quietly. Suddenly, the flames spread to the petrol can…

(Emma's POV)

Everyone waited anxiously for Damon to come out. Frodo and Jaime were desperately trying to comfort Adele and the children and Lucas had the two little ones. Blaze and Benny stood either side of me, their arms around me. I wasn't bothered about Boromir, but I wanted my husband and my oldest son. I just wanted them out here with me, to know that my family was safe. We had suffered too much heartache already, surely fate would not be so cruel as to inflict more upon us.

The explosion was sudden and unexpected and the force of it shattered all the glass in the windows. This was followed quickly by a loud crash, as if something heavy was falling and another loud explosion from down the stairs.

"Damon," I whispered, looking at the door, willing him to appear there, to be alive. "Kane." Suddenly realisation hit me. "No!" I screamed, trying desperately to get to the door. Benny and Blaze held me back until I finally gave up and collapsed sobbing in Benny's arms as the flames steadily consumed our home and the sirens in the distance told us that help had finally arrived…

*****

Aren't I evil, leaving you with a cliffhanger like this? Are Damon, Boromir and Kane dead, or did they somehow manage to survive. All yours, Risty!