Sorry that it's taken so long to write another chapter, but we think that my computer has a virus, so the internet hasn't been working right. I'll try to make this chapter longer...but no promises! Please review, because it is a lot of trouble to write a story with a virus infected computer, and not get any reviews...so try your hardest! here it is, chapter- the next. I decided to kind of give the background of the gunman in this chapter...

The gunman had taken his place at the window. He was watching for any sign of the police. He knew they were positioned outside, but he had no idea exactly where. His plans were ruined. Someone had told the police that the bank was being robbed, and with good reason, but hadn't he told them not to?

His name was Patrick Bennet. He was 34 years old. He lived in Arizona, only visiting Retroville for a short while, and he decided that robbing a bank was an exiting activity. Patrick had never been a criminal before, in fact, he was a model citizen, which was exactly why he had become a gunman. When he was a child and then a teenager, his mother had forced him to compete in activities such as tennis and band.

Patrick wasn't a normal person, though. He was a genius. When he had realized that fact at the age of 14, Patrick was isolated from his friends. They wouldn't understand.

Of course, none of the hostages had learned any of those simple facts about their captor. Many sat around the bank, no longer face down, because Patrick was preoccupied with the cops. Cindy and Jimmy had found a corner to sit in. Jimmy knew that Cindy probably wouln't want to talk about what had just happened, but he couldn't avert his gaze from the shocked expression in her eyes.

"Cindy, are you alright? Wait, that was a stupid question...! What I mean is, are you better than before?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine" lied Cindy.

"No you're not...you don't have to lie, Cindy. That was horrible what just happened."replied Jimmy.

"You don't have to tell me that! I just had a gun to my head!" said Cindy, fresh tears forming in her eyes.

"I know..." said Jimmy. He wasn't about to tell her what he felt while she was being held hostage.

"I mean, we've been through a lot of horrible stuff, but that was...terrible. I had so many bad thoughts running through my head. I thought about the things that I had never done, and probably wouldn't ever get to do." said Cindy.

"Like what?" asked Jimmy. He was glad that cindy was finally talking.

"I don't know, dumb stuff really. Like, I would never graduate Jr. High. And, I would never drive a car...or become a millionaire...or..." Cindy stopped herself before revealing what had been most dominant on her mind.

"Or what?"

" I don't know..."

Jimmy looked at Cindy questioningly, but didn't ask another question, instead he told her that everything would be okay.

Patrick had spotted the police. They were positioned across the street, trying to look inconspicuous as possible, but they weren't fooling him. He was a genius after all.

"Okay, listen up. Everyone, put you're jewelry, watches, and the like in this bag...if you don't put everything in there, I'll find out." he said.

Jimmy and Cindy stood up and walked slowly towards the large brown sack that Patrick had thrown on the floor.

Jimmy unstrapped his watch from his wrist. He hated giving it up, but if in ensured the safety of everyone, he would do it.

Cindy made no move to throw anything in the bag. She had only one prized possesion on her, and she wasn't about to let it go. She had carried it everywhere with her for the past three years.

Other people around the room tore of jewelry studded with diamonds, strings of pearls, and anything else they could find.

"You there, blondie!" said Patrick. He knew that Cindy hadn't thrown anything in.

"I know you're hiding something, and I said everything goes!"

"I don't have anything..." stuttered Cindy.

"You're lying! What's that?" asked Patrick, as he pointed to a neclace around Cindy's neck. It wasn't made of diamonds or gold, and the chain was just a cheap one that she had gotten for a buck at the mall.

"It's not even real! I've had it for a long time, it has sentimental value. Please let me keep it!" begged Cindy.

"No! Throw it in with everything else."

Cindy slowly undid the clasp at the base of her neck. She tightly held the neclace in her hand, and attempted to slide off the the thing that she held dearly from the necklace, but Patrick saw, and gave her an evil stare, forcing her to leave in attached. There it goes...Cindy thought. The pearl that Jimmy had given her three years ago when they were stranded...

well there it was...in case you don't know what pearl I'm talking about, Jimmy gave Cindy a pearl on the episode "Stranded". a very sweet gesture, and I thought it would be good to see what happened to it. anyway, please reveiw!