We did not mean to take so long on this chapter lol!! Well if you're still with us, we're glad, and review to let us know! We hope you enjoy this. With our school schedules it is hard but we'll try to get another chapter up soon.

Chapter Eighteen

Rafe raced over to Jack's side, but was relieved to notice that the blood came from Tom. From the looks of it, Tom had been stabbed but he was still breathing. They were both unconscious. Rafe fell down to his knees and lifted Jacks head up gently, Emily quickly rushed over to help him. The other three watched on with concern.

"Is he ok?" Emily asked, her voice filled with concern.

Rafe nodded, "I think he should be." and as soon as he said that, he heard a low moan coming from Jack.

"Jack! You scared us for a second!" he cried, "Hey buddy, you ok?"

Jack coughed, yet nodded slowly, "My head is spinning a little, but I think I'm all right." he wearily looked around the room, at the rest of the group, and then at Tom, "Wow-"

Jack breathed heavily, "I actually stabbed him?"

"Looks like you did," Rafe smiled, "Good going."

"We'd better tie him up before he wakes up," Lucky quickly spoke up. With Rafe's help, he quickly did so.

Elizabeth stood over Tom. She looked down at him. She was a bit shaken, yet she turned to look at everyone and smiled, "I got away from him again."

"Yes we did," Nikolas smiled at her, his eyes shining, "We're finally free, Elizabeth! I finally get to go home to Gia. I can not wait to see her, hold her again! We are free, we are free, we are free!" he then picked Elizabeth up off the ground, she laughed and he placed her back on the floor. She twirled around and suddenly was facing Lucky.

"And I'm going to go home to Zander." she gazed at Lucky with uncertainty, "I have no idea what will happen between you and me.... now that you're alive... or what to expect with me and Zander..."

His heart broke at the thought of her going back to Zander. He had longed to get back to her for years; he was finally with her, but he knew she had another boyfriend to get home to.

"Hey," he pulled her close to him, and they hugged. It felt so wonderful just to touch her. Yet he looked at her seriously, "We'll work things out when we get home. I'm just so happy to be here with you after all these years and so grateful that you are free from Tom."

She smiled up at him, "And I'm so happy you are really here. God, I still can't believe it!" she laughed as he picked her up and hugged her once again.

Jack interrupted them, however, as he turned his cell phone off, "The police are on the way." He exchanged a look with Rafe before wincing slightly. The blonde frowned as Jack brought his palm up to the back of his head.

"You're gonna have a killer headache for a few days, buddy," Rafe said with a small smile.

Jack looked to the four who had just been rescued. Nikolas and Lucky were talking, both telling each other how relieved they were that the other was alive, and finally ended up in a warm brotherly embrace. Elizabeth and Emily were caught up in their own hug, tears of joy and from the release of the stress they'd been through pouring down their faces. "It was worth it."

*****

Sirens from several police cars and one ambulance surrounding the tiny cabin lit up the dark night. Laura bounced anxiously in her seat as she waited for Luke to pull the car to a stop. Finally able to, she burst from the car and to the small group of friends huddled by the ambulance. At the sight of her sons, the tears finally began to flow.

They both had blankets draped around their shoulders. Nikolas sat on the edge of the ambulance eating a bagel given to him by one of the paramedics, his brother standing beside him. They were alerted to their mother's presence by her small outcry. No sooner had Nikolas stood up that Laura had thrown herself at them both, hugging them both with one arm each as if her life depended on it.

"Oh, thank God. Thank God!" she cried. Lucky buried his face into her shoulder. Luke approached the three and wrapped his arms around all of them, catching his step-son's surprised look when Luke did not exclude him. Luke just gave him a soft smile. When they finally pulled apart, Laura demanded to know if her sons were both all right. She cupped Nikolas' face in her hands and her eyes kept darting back to Lucky.

"The paramedics say Nikolas and Elizabeth are suffering from mild exhaustion, dehydration and malnutrition. They should both be in the hospital tonight but Nikolas refuses to go."

Laura looked sharply at her eldest, but his protests cut her off. "Mom, I'm fine. I just want to sleep in my own bed with Gia in my arms. I'll eat until I explode, I promise."

Meanwhile the Quartermaines had arrived, Audrey with them. Audrey refused to let her granddaughter go, and Elizabeth was happy to stay in her arms where she knew she was safe. Jack and Rafe were still giving their statements to the police but the family members of the four they had saved kept interrupting to hail them with gratitude.

"Isn't this amazing?" Emily smiled, as she wandered over to Lucky and Elizabeth.

"What's that?" Elizabeth grinned, "The fact that Lucky is here?"

"That and that the four of us are together again. The four musketeers back in action. And we have defeated Tom once again!" Emily exclaimed, the rest of the group laughed.

"Come here you," Nikolas told Emily, "I still have yet to welcome you home." He pulled her into a hug, and she giggled, "It's so good to have you back."

"Yeah," She smiled happily.

"Guys, come on!" Luke exclaimed from nearby, "There are people waiting for you all back home!"

"He's right," Lucky nodded, "Let's go home guys!" With that, the four of them wrapped their arms around each other and headed towards the cars of their parents.

They were finally going home.

TBC