A/N: I know I was going to try to have this up sooner, but there's a mini author's note in the reviews section, so check that out for my explanation. Thanks for all your patience, everyone, and enjoy this insanely long and drama-filled chapter, okay?
Disclaimer: I don't own NUMB3RS, all the nice people over at CBS do, and I hope they don't mind me borrowing the characters for a little while. I am making no money whatsoever on this—in fact, I'm losing money because I have to pay for my internet, so…yeah.
Dedication: Special dedication this time to Cora Clavia, who has way, way more patience with me than I deserve and who, without knowing it, has been my biggest cheerleader for this chapter. Yay! Thanks for all your encouragement, Cora, and please hurry up and post more on Eye of the Needle and Perchance to Dream, because I LOVE them both! If any of you haven't read them yet, go do it now, because they ROCK.
Chapter 13:
Seen it All
At five-thirty the next morning, a timid knock woke Don from his sleep. Terry groaned and reluctantly extracted herself from his embrace, then wrapped a terrycloth robe around herself and pulled the door open as far as the chain would allow. "Yes?"
"Agent Lake, I'm so sorry for waking you up at this hour, but I've got news I want to deliver in person…can I come in?"
"Kylie, of course." Terry stepped back, pulled the chain from the door, and opened it. The young woman stepped into the room, a huge smile lighting up her face, practically bouncing on her feet.
"So what's the news?" Don asked from his position on the bed.
"Exactly," Kylie checked her watch, "five hours and twenty-seven minutes ago, a black and white making a routine patrol found Johnnie Baxter walking along the side of the Ohio Turnpike. He was barefoot but unharmed, and he's down at the station waiting to talk to you."
"Really?" Don's face relaxed into a broad grin. "That's wonderful! Thanks, Kylie."
"No problem. I thought that would be news to deliver in person. Turns out I was right. I have to head back to the station, though. Hurry down there, Jess won't start without you guys—seeing as it's your case and all—but we want to get Johnnie home as quickly as possible. She's on pins and needles."
Don nodded his understanding. "Sure, that's no problem. Could you do me a favor and wake the others on your way out? That'll save us some time."
"Sure thing. See you soon." With that, Kylie disappeared through the door in the wall that separated the two rooms.
Twenty-seven minutes later, Don, Terry, Agent Jessica Smith, and Johnnie were seated around a metal table in the interrogation room. Johnnie was carefully turning a Styrofoam cup of hot coffee between his palms, morosely studying the tabletop.
"Johnnie?" Don began softly. "Can you tell us what happened?"
The young man sighed. "I was at home alone. Ty was out partying, I think. Somebody rang the doorbell, and I went to answer it. There was a huge man on the front step. Big black guy, about six and a half feet, maybe a good four hundred pounds…he shoved his way into the door." He paused for a moment. "We fought for a few minutes, then he shoved me against the wall and pricked me with some needle. Next thing I knew, I was waking up in the backseat of my car."
"You knew it was your car?" Terry asked softly.
"Yes, I could see the little stuffed dog with the suction-cup paws on the back windshield." Johnnie told her quietly. "I was lying down on the seat, my hands were tied behind my back with one of those electrical ties—you know what I mean, those black cords that you loop around and pull through."
"Yeah, I'm familiar with it." Don told him with a slight scowl, remembering his own experience with the evil little plastics. "Then what?"
"We drove. I didn't move or talk…I didn't know what he was planning, and I didn't care to find out. He drove for what seemed like ever. He called someone on his cell phone several times…called him Mikey. I heard him say that we had crossed into Ohio. He said we were heading for Cleveland—the airport. And then…just after we'd crossed about half the distance, he got a phone call. Started…screaming into the phone. Said that Mikey was a moron and that he should have thought of" His fingers made little quote marks in the air, "'this before now' and then he hung up, pulled over, hauled me out of the back end, and told me to start walking before he changed his mind and decided to kill me after all."
Don gave him an understanding smile and asked to be excused for a moment. He managed to wheel himself to a more private corner of the interrogation room, where he pulled out his cell phone, presumably, Terry thought, to put out a newer, updated APB on Johnnie's car and its driver.
"That's it? No questions asked, no retribution, no nothing?" Terry was skeptical.
Johnnie held out his wrists, bearing the marks of the electrical tie, as verification. "I know, I know, it was hard to believe myself, but I didn't ask questions, I just took off as fast as I could."
"I bet." Don said sympathetically. "Why don't you just—"
"'Scuse me, could you come out here, please?" The voice made them all jump. Don wheeled around in his chair as well as he could, meeting the intruder. It was tall, balding Agent Monroe, and he looked murderous. Don nodded and Terry rose to push him into the hall, Jessie following at their heels.
"Excuse us, Johnnie. We'll be back in just a moment." She told him with a fleeting smile.
Out in the hall, Monroe wasted no time in explaining, "Toledo PD just pulled a car out of the river. Registered to Johnnie…and look they found stuffed inside the doors." He offered them three photographs. One was a shot of a trash bag stuffed with cash, one was a waterlogged-but-readable plane ticket—one way to Mexico City, and the last was a picture of a driver's license with Johnnie's picture, but the name Andrew Martin and a whole new set of information on it.
"He wasn't kidnapped." Terry said, voice choked, eyes hard. "He was running. He was in on it the whole time." Dropping the photographs into Don's lap, she dragged unbandaged right hand angrily through her hair and let out a livid sigh, then slumped against the wall, defeated. "Just when you thought you'd seen it all…"
"Let's get back in there and get what we can from him, though I'm pretty sure he's going to clam up on us." Don said gently, interrupting her brooding, handing the photographs over his shoulder to Jessie. Terry nodded her agreement and wheeled him toward the door, thanking Monroe as they went, who merely waved off their gratitude, "Just doing my job…"
Just as Don's hand settled on the knob, he glanced at them over his shoulder. "Do you mind if I handle this?"
Understanding and compassion lit Terry's eyes as she nodded. "He's all yours." Jessie quickly nodded her agreement as well.
Taking control of his temper before pushing open the door, Don met Johnnie's eyes squarely. "Johnnie, we need to talk."
"We've been talking." His voice was calm, just a shade of confusion tinting the words, but to the well-trained eye, signs of nervousness were beginning to show.
Jessie threw the photographs onto the table as Don explained, "We know you weren't kidnapped. We know you were running. You found out—somehow, probably through a contact—that we were watching the Cleveland airport. So you decided to change the rules. Play the victim until the time was right for you to take off again without leaving a trace. That much we know. What we don't know is why. What in God's name came over you? You were in on a conspiracy to kidnap your own sister, kidnap a federal agent, and you had the gall to think you were going to get away with it?"
Johnnie had dropped the façade. His dark eyes were now cold and callous, his jaw set. "I want a lawyer."
"A lawyer?" Don tried to laugh, but it came past his anger-choked throat as a growl. "That's the least of your worries right now! You're looking at life, Baxter, if not death row."
"You can't pull that."
"You'd better believe I'm going to try." Don's breathing was ragged and furious. "You killed Chrissie."
"That wasn't supposed to happen!" Johnnie screamed, slamming his hands down on the table, palms down. The cup of hot chocolate jumped and toppled, and a puddle spread across the table and dripped wetly onto the floor. Nobody paid it any heed. For several long minutes, the two stared at each other, locked in a silent battle of wills. Finally, Johnnie dropped his gaze.
"But. It. Did." Don, now victorious, hissed, leaning forward. "It did, and it's your fault." He leaned back and took a long moment to compose himself. Terry's hand settled on his shoulder, feather-light, and he was grateful for her presence. "I might be able to spare you the needle if you help me, Johnnie. I'll see what I can do, but you'll have to help." He glanced at Jessie, checking to make sure that what he was doing was okay. She nodded and held up her hands in an obvious this-is-your-case-remember? gesture.
The boy settled sullenly back into his chair. "What do you want?"
"Do you have names?"
"Got a pen?" Johnnie smirked. His carelessness was really beginning to grate on the agents' nerves. However, Don nodded calmly and handed the pad of paper to his partner, nodding for her to take notes. The boy began. The first few were names Don didn't know, and for a moment, he began to wonder if Johnnie was lying again. And then came two words that stopped his heart, "Alexei Trent—"
"Alexei was in on this!" Terry yelped, the pen jumping across the page to cleave a few of the names in half.
"Of course…" Johnnie said, a sneer lacing the words. "How else do you think the kidnapper knew to get ahold of Charlie at her house? How else did we know exactly when Chrissie left the house? How else did we know…"
"Alright, we got the point. We need to get out of here." Don turned to the window, "Would one of you officers please escort this man into custody? We'll finish later."
Terry wheeled him out of the room, Jessie following, and surprise laced her words as she demanded, "What are you doing? We had him, Don!"
Don's uncasted hand was clutched around the handrail of his chair, "Terry, remember that phone call I made earlier? I sent David, Charlie, and Kylie to Alexei's house…I thought we might have needed her help. They're there, with her."
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David knocked absently on the door, frustrated with his "assignment". He was stuck getting routine questions-and-answers while Don and Terry got to sit in on Johnnie's questioning? This morning was not going as he'd hoped.
A sleepy-eyed Alexei opened the door, "Chris, this had better be the most important thing you've ever had to say to me…Oh! Agents, I'm sorry, I thought you were my ex-boyfriend. Come on in, please." She opened the door and yawned widely. "Can I get anything for you; coffee, tea?"
"No, thanks, we're fine." David replied. "Ohio PD found Johnnie this morning. Agent Eppes asked us to come and speak with you. We just have a couple of questions for you."
"Oh, they found him? That's fantastic!" Alexei was instantly awake, the sparkle back in her blue eyes. "Let me go and get changed and I'll be right back to talk to you, 'kay?" She bounced off down the hall, leaving the two agents and their consultant alone in her sparse living room.
After a moment, Charlie wandered off, his dark eyes studying the few wall decorations in the room and the adjoining hall—where nothing had been a few days ago, there was now several pieces of framed mathematical diagrams and calculations, and a few bright pieces of artwork. He passed Alexei's room, the door safely closed, and continued his short journey. The hall wasn't very long, but in the days since Chrissie's death, Alexei had been busy hanging her friend's handiwork. He recognized several that were theorems he himself had worked at Chrissie's age.
Somewhere at the other end of the house, a cell phone rang. David's surprised voice, though still soft, echoed around the still-mostly-bare walls, which allowed Charlie to hear the words, "What are you talking about, Don? Johnnie gave you--" His voice faded to too soft to hear, "…Yes, I believe you, but it's a little hard to swallow. Okay, we'll be right there."Concerned, the young mathematician turned to make his way back to the front room. Partway, there, however, he stopped to investigate one of the mathematical pieces on the plastered wall, curious as to why a certain string of numbers had been circled with a red pen. They looked correct to him, at least when they were counted with the sequences around them. His mind whirled, working back through the problem before him, looking for the answer.
When David's demanding, "Charlie!" broke his concentration, he growled. He hated being interrupted in his work. "Charlie, get out here! Now!" Now that he was listening, was there an undercurrent of panic in David's voice? He began to turn toward the sounds, but a tiny, all-too-familiar-these-days click of a gun hammer stopped him in his tracks.
He spun, eyes widening. Alexei stood between him and the doorway, blocking his escape. He would've been okay with that, if it weren't for the gun she now held trained on him. "Don't move." She growled, sounding like a perp on one of those cheap 3 a.m. TV crime shows. However, he didn't think it wise to point this out to her and chose to, instead, follow her orders. She circled around him like a vulture for a moment before moving to stand behind him. "Stay right there."
There was a sound of rustling nylon—a duffel bag, perhaps. As she worked, she talked to him. "You know, you really should learn to be more observant. Chrissie was that way too…whenever she was working on something, a rocket could have gone through her bedroom window and she'd never have even looked up. It used to drive me crazy." She rose. "Okay, all set. Head to the living room." When he didn't move, she pressed the barrel of the gun between his shoulder blades. "Now."
Hesitantly, he began walking just as David appeared in the doorway at the end of the hall, "Charlie, what are you doing back—"
He froze when Alexei's head poked out around Charlie's shoulder. The gun left its position long enough to be shown to David, then it returned to its place between Charlie's shoulders. "Back up, Agent. I'm in a bit of a hurry, and I don't really want to have to kill anyone."
David's hand went to his hip automatically, and Alexei raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't do that…not if you want to get him," She jabbed the pistol into Charlie's shoulder, "And yourselves out of here alive. Now back up and get your hand away from that gun."
Holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender, David did as she told him. He locked gazes with Charlie, who looked less like the super-genius he'd come to know and more like a scared child. The dark-skinned agent nodded at him, letting a small, reassuring smile play on his face. He was relieved to see Charlie relax just a little.
They backed out into the bright living room, where Kylie stood before the picture window, one hand around her gun, which was aimed at the floor for the moment, the other holding a cell phone. Alexei just shook her head at her. "Put it down, Sunshine. Now." Kylie scowled as she did as the girl ordered. "Good girl. Okay, Agents, here's how this is going to work. In," She glanced down just long enough to check her luminous watch, the gun at Charlie's back never wavering, "twelve minutes, a friend of mine is going to show up at the curb out there. If you do what I want, Charlie here gets to leave with all his blood intact. Sound good?"
"What do you want, Alexei?" David snapped.
"I want Nancy Drew over there to put her gun down. You too, Agent Sinclair. On the coffee table, then you get back against the wall. Do it now." For someone so young, she was managing to be pretty intimidating, David decided as he followed her command. Beside him, Kylie did the same.
"That's good. Charlie, be a dear and pick those up for me, Sugar?" Her voice was sickeningly sweet. Charlie moved forward and shakily handed the pair of guns back over his shoulder to Alexei, who tucked them carefully into her bag before zipping it closed. "Thank you very much, these will be immensely useful, I'm sure. Now, everybody just sit tight until my pal gets here, and this will be all over."
At that moment, David's cell phone chose to chirrup loudly.
"Don't answer it, Darling…" Alexei said warningly.
"If I don't, Don will know something's wrong." David countered, only half-praying that she would allow him to answer. If Don found out what was going on here, there was going to be hell to pay.
She thought about it for a moment, "Oh, why not? By the time he gets here, I'll be long gone. Go ahead." She shrugged, obviously enjoying the little game she'd created for herself.
"Sinclair." David answered, sounding as sure of himself as ever.
"David, what's going on over there! I told you to get out and call me."
"Yes, well, we've run into—a bit of a situation." David said, choosing his words carefully.
"What kind of a situation?"
"Uh…"
Don had a bad feeling about this. "Let me talk to Charlie."
"What? No, Don, you can't. He's pretty busy right now." David's eyes widened as he shook his head slowly.
"David Sinclair, I want to talk to my brother. I don't care if he's broken through his P vs. NP thing, I want to talk to him."
"Give the phone to Charlie." Alexei smirked. Clearly, this was amusing her.
"I'm not really sure that's such a good idea…" Thoughts of what Don would do if he found out that Alexei was holding his little brother hostage flashed across his mind. "In fact, I'm sure it's not."
"Just do it" She snapped, bored with his protests. Charlie held out an unsteady hand for the phone, and David hesitantly placed it in his palm.
"Don?" Charlie tried to control the shaking in his voice as he answered.
His brother, however, saw right through it. "Hey, buddy. How are things going?" He said soothingly.
"Pretty good."
"Don't lie to me, Charlie." The warning tone had returned to Don's voice, though he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the truth. Beside him, Terry took his right hand gently in hers, lacing her fingers through his, despite the cast, and providing a pillar of solid strength. He squeezed her hand as best he could and gave her a quick smile of gratitude.
The consultant's dark eyes scanned the room, sizing up the situation. David and Kylie seemed to be holding a silent conversation and (he glanced over his shoulder) Alexei was watching him with undisguised interest. "Things…have been better."
"What's happening?"
"I'm not sure I should tell you…"
"I have to know, Charlie. My team's in trouble. You know what, forget it, I'm on my way over. Stay put, don't do anything dumb."
"Don, no!" It was the only thing he could think to say. Bringing Don into this would only make Alexei feel more trapped, and even he, with his little knowledge of the criminal mind, knew that it was never a good idea to allow that to occur…not to mention that the idea of putting Don in the situation they were in now made his heart clench. No way could he let that happen. Out of the corner of his eye, Charlie saw movement. Kylie was taking tiny, almost imperceptible steps, circling around to try to get a shot at distracting Alexei, he assumed. His stomach tightened.
Don was speaking again, "Then tell me what's going on, Charlie. I'm getting really worried."
"Hey, I said not to move!" Alexei had just noticed Kylie's steps. Her gun fired—not at Charlie, but at Kylie, who fell to the floor immediately.
This left an opening, the one David had been hoping for. Without hesitation, he grabbed Charlie by the wrist and yanked him from Alexei's grasp, Charlie dropping the phone as he went, then David was pulling the stunned and terrified mathematician behind him. At the same time, he pulled a backup gun from the inside pocket of his coat and leveled it at Alexei. "Kylie, are you okay?"
The girl sat up, one hand pressed to the flowing wound in her right side. "It hurts, but it's…" She paused to breathe, wincing, "It won't kill me."
"I could." Alexei reminded them.
"You could," David told her, meeting her eyes unfalteringly. "But it won't get you very far. Just put the gun down. Please, Alexei, there's nothing you can do now. It's over. I really, really don't want to have to hurt you." Sincerity laced his words—she was a killer, guilty of helping to murder her best friend, but he didn't want to hurt her.
"I won't go to jail." She hissed, her grip on the pistol never wavering. "I won't."
"You have to."
"I don't think so." Her finger tightened around the trigger.
So did David's, and their guns went off at the same moment. Alexei's shot went wide, shattering a pink glass unicorn that sat on a shelf above David's head.
David's shot, however, hit its mark—he felt his heart break even as it connected—and she fell to the floor, lifeless before she hit.
Regardless, the agent hurried to her side, kicking the pistol out of her grip before taking her pulse. His face was tight as he rose, "Dead." He didn't have time now to worry about Alexei, however, as Charlie collapsed onto a couch, still shaky, and Kylie was still seated on the floor. He snatched up the phone, hurrying to check Charlie over as he went, and dialed, holding it to his ear.
Don's worried voice met him, "Charlie? David?"
"Oh, God, Don, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot you were still on the line. We're okay, it's over."
"What happened?"
"I'll tell you later; we need an ambulance. We'll call you back in a minute, I promise." With that, he hung up and put through a 911 call. Then he tossed the phone back to Charlie, "Call Don back while I help Kylie." He ordered, kneeling beside the quiet agent. "Hey, there. How're you doing?"
She forced a smile, "I'm alright. Hanging…" She trailed off.
"Lay back." He commanded, piling couch and chair pillows beneath her head. She smiled her thanks and held out a hand. Hesitantly, he took it.
"I know I've been nothing but a pain in your neck this past week. I'm sorry about that, I really am. As much as you've driven me crazy, I've really enjoyed working with you."
"Yeah, me, too." He was surprised to find that it was true. "I guess your…strange tastes in the field are something I'll just have to get used to."
She tried to force a smile. "I appreciate that, David."
The sounds of sirens interrupted their conversation. As ambulances pulled into the driveway, he couldn't help but offer one more jab at her. "I could've put up with your weird questioning policy and I could have dealt with your lack-of-gun-control issues, but you really have to get some taste when it comes to sports. The Steelers, Kylie?"
He moved to get out of the way as paramedics began to load her onto a stretcher, but she gripped his hand with surprising strength and pulled him back. "Just you wait, Sinclair. Someday, you'll see the light." Now that she'd had the final say, she felt that she could release him and, with a final smirk, was wheeled efficiently out the door.
"Yeah, right, Jackson!" He called after her.
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Wow, DRAMA! Sorry, I couldn't help it. We'd been lacking in Charlie drama lately, I thought, so I was compelled to write lots and lots of it this chapter. I got a bit carried away, I think, but I just loved the whole hostage scene and couldn't bear to get rid of any of it. So blame my plot bunny, who, for today, looks strangely like Will from Pirates of the Caribbean. I really should stop watching that movie at two in the morning.
Thank you all SO much for all your patience with me while I went through multiple issues these past couple of weeks—from graduation to ridiculous phone companies and everything in between. You so totally rock! (And now I'm quoting Nemo…hmmm..)
Next chapter: It all comes together. Only one chapter left, guys—plus a very fluffily epilogue. ;)
Review RepliesDenaliyasha: I know exactly what you mean about both the cliffhangers and the forgetfulness issue. I do that all the time too (forgetting who characters are) By the way, you should be very proud of me…I was going to have this chapter be a cliffhanger, too, but I decided that you all had been so nice to me that I would be nice back and not leave off with Alexei's gun in Charlie's back. /Shrugs/ Ain't I great? Heehee… I know what you mean about the reassignment thing, and I almost took it out for that reason, but I decided that it's Terry—she'd understand. Besides, I don't think she would have really minded working with David that much. :D And I know that this chapter was sadly lacking in fluff (I'M SORRY!) but there will be so much of it in the epilogue that you'll have a whole bed full of pillows. I promise. Thanks for your patience and for your review!
Nix707: Would it not have been GREAT if they had done that in the show? Oh, I would have positively died of happiness on the spot, I swear it. The finale…well, I just hope the season premier is better than that. It wasn't a bad episode, per say, it just needed a little peppering of Don/Terry in there, which is hard to do when there isn't any Terry/cries/. Anyway, thanks for your awesome review.
Dana: I chalked that up to the fact that Don knows when he's reached his physical limits. He can read his body and tell when he has to shut down for a while. We've already seen from Charlie's actions on the show that he doesn't. His mind gets so wrapped up in things that it shuts everything—including his body—out in order to finish what he's working on. Alan knows this, and he knows that since Don's busy trying to recuperate, someone needs to keep an eye on Charlie. Plus, I think he's kind of worried about the emotional and mental impact all of this will have on Charlie. But thanks for the CC, I totally got your point. Thanks for the review and the interest, too.
Citygirl928: Hey, no problem, it's always nice to know that my input is valued. Thanks for the compliments on the chapter, too, and keep writing. You're doing fine, hon. I'm very much looking forward to learning what your very creative little mind can come up with in your future stories.
MissCongeniality: Thanks! I loved the beginning scene myself, I think it was my favorite part of this entire story so far. :D And thanks for the compliments on the rest of the chapter, too. And Her Secret Part II is finished (I have review replies and Author's notes left to do yet…/angelic face/) and Part III is in the works…I have no idea how long it's going to end up being—probably until I get sick of it, which could take a while. I'm enjoying it to the max right now. Thanks for all your encouragement and everything…you're quite the goddess yourself. :)
marymelon3: I'm glad you liked it…the bath bubbles joke was actually my friend's idea, but I just loved it to no end, so I threw it in there. Thanks for all the compliments, and I hope you like the rest of the story as well as this part. :D
EclecticTrekker: Awe, thanks/blushes/ You're too nice. Thank you, thank you, thank you, your words just make my day. David rocks my socks all the time—he's just too cool. I can't wait to see what they do with him next season. I'm glad you liked Kylie, I'm trying REALLY hard not to let her turn into a Mary-Sue (A problem I tend to have with original characters…/sheepish grin/) Awe, I'm in your Hero club! I feel so honored—and trust me, you've been in mine since Chapter 1 of Geometric Improbability—and my brother is officially in love with you for writing Unladen Swallow, as he is a Monty Python uber geek. :D
And YODA/Squeals/ I love him! He shall forever reside in my room to watch over it. That's the absolute best present you could have given me/hugs Yoda cutout/ And in reply to Yoda's comment. "Thank you, Master, and yes, I am a Don/Terry fan. Someday, they and their shippers will rule the world. I can see it in the future." :D
Thanks again!
Piccolo Chic: Awe, thanks. You make my day with your great reviews, let me tell you. You know, I did have her tip her chair over in that one scene, but I took it out because I thought no one would like it. Now I wish I had left it in. /Sigh/ Such is life, I suppose. And I think she and David will get along just fine now. And Charlie came out alright, though I think the whole team's going to need some therapy after this. :D I was originally going to have this be a cliffhanger—ending with Alexei telling Charlie to walk into the living room—but I took it out and finished it so that no one would have to suffer. :D So thanks for your great compliments and you rock my world.
mizukimarr910: Oh, trust me, the Don/Terry ship is a very permanent thing. Yeah, you shouldn't really kill people, you know. It's frowned upon by polite society. I think there might even be a law against it somewhere. :D LOL, just teasing. Thanks for the great review and see you next chapter.
pkw: I know, I was wrong about the whole 'pop' thing, and as soon as I finish this story, I intend to go back and take it out, but for right now, I am just trying to finish it, so you'll have to bear with the mistakes for the moment. :D Thanks for the CC, though.
JadedMoment: hey again, hon! I'm glad you're feeling better, too. Being sick this time of year when school is just getting out sucks royally, doesn't it? Nope, I haven't forgotten about our story (LOL) and sorry things have been so crazy lately—I'm not ignoring you, honey, I promise. It's just been so hard to get anything done these last two weeks. /Shakes head/ I'm just glad to be done with it all. Thanks for all the sweet compliments. You make my day. :D
Stephanie519: I'm glad you liked the first part of that chapter so well. It was my very favorite piece to write, and I can't help but think there's going to be a lot more waking-up-in-each-others'-arms from me. I can't help it, fluff is just so fun to write! Good, glad you like the title. As soon as chapter 13 and the epilogue go up, chapter 1 of Second Shot will be the next thing to upload. I'm trying to restrict my number of stories to two at a time, because it gets too hard to keep up if I put too many up at once. But SS is next in line, I promise. Well, I guess the David/Kylie mini-mystery has been pretty much solved. ;) Sorry this chapter was lacking so badly in fluff—things got in the way. But much fluffiness is on the way. I promise. Thanks for the compliments and the great review!
merryw: Thank you very much…I always love to hear how my story is appreciated. And I think I feel even worse for the Baxter family now—their son's alive, but he's a total crook. :( Thank you so much for your compliments and I am so glad to hear you're enjoying it.
Jill: Your brother sounds like a fun guy. You're lucky, mine's a pain in the rear. Sometimes. :D I know, I thought about having something happen at the funeral, but I decided that there would be quite enough drama at the memorial without adding more. The bubble bath thing was kind of fun to add in…I couldn't resist. Can you imagine Don smelling like roses? Mmmm…yummy! ;)
KarateMom: Yay, another review from you! Your reviews are some of my very favorites. Thanks so much for the wonderful compliments. I'm so glad that the opening scene went over well, because I just adored writing it…in fact, I had to shorten it because I let myself get really carried away with it and it ended up being almost four pages long…eek! Awe, I'm so glad you liked the funeral scene, too, that was really difficult to write because I didn't want it to sound overly dramatic. Thanks for the compliments, too, on that scene, they really helped to boost my confidence. And Kylie's phone going off—trust me, I HATE it when that happens. My friend's went off during the SATs this year and she had to turn it over to the teacher. Not a cool situation. And Kylie's chair…DRAT, now I really wish I had left that in there! Ah, don't worry, Don and Terry are safe for now, they're so totally in love they can't see anything else (though they don't know that yet…:D) Nope, Kylie is definitely not evil. I like her too much. LOL! As for David's issues with her…trust me on this, you don't have to know someone really well to not get along with them. I learned this in cheerleading this year. :D I threw the bubble bath thing in at the last moment…it was my friend's idea and I hope she won't mind me stealing it…/innocent whistle/ I wanted it to help lighten the mood. Hope it did its job. You read it five times? It was insanely long, I am so flattered. Thank you SO much for everything, you're wonderful.
Lime: Here's more, and it's a LONG one. :D Thanks so much for the compliements, and I'm afraid there won't be much Don/Terry fluffy in the next chapter either, but TONS in the epilogue, so don't worry so much about it. Heehee…I'm an angel. See the halo? So the fluff IS coming. My promises. Thanks for the review, you rock!
a writer of fics: That's okay, I know ALL about the difficulties of finding time to write/review/whatever. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, too. Thanks for the review!
ollie-xox: Hi, Ollie! And how is everybody's favorite demon rodent today? Don't cry, mongoose, it's okay. It's just because we love you so much! Ah, Kylie ain't so bad, is she? I've grown rather attached to her. Heehee…:D Thanks for the awesome review, and take care of the mongoose!
SD: Thanks for the clarification…heehee. Thank you so much for your compliments and for your reviews. I'm glad that you like the long chapters, because this one takes the cake and all. It's a monster! I just couldn't stop writing once I started. Thanks so much for the reviews and for the compliments.
MissCongeniality: Hello again:D Always glad to see your reviews. As for Ollie's mongoose….nobody quite has any idea why he's become our adopted little mascot, but he sure has. /Shrugs/ Things happen without explanation whenever I'm involved. It's a gift, I guess. Hee hee…thanks again!
Cora Clavia: Awe, thanks. /blushes/ I could just see David saying that and then Terry going all shy. She's still a girl, after all. ;) Either that or throwing something at him, but I voted for option one. I could totally see her doing that. Anyway, now it's my turn to beg you—PLEASE update Eye of the Needle…and I LOVED Perchance to Dream. I had to go back and fix the review replies on this chapter before I posted just so I could say that. You have got to continue it, it's incredible. I'm heading there to review just as soon as I get these two up. Dang, girl, you get more and more awesome with every thing you write! More, please!
MissCongeniality: I'm sorry I didn't get this up in time for you to enjoy as a post-finals treat :(, but it's here now, so enjoy anyway. Thanks for all your encouragement and your sweet words. And two things to say to you: SUMMER! And Don/Terry fluff RULES!
e1981: I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for stopping by to read and I hope this chapter is as good as the rest. Thanks for the review!
Well, I'm off to post this now that my internet is running again/Cheers/ Thanks again for your patience, and if you have a little bit more, all your questions will be answered in the next and final chapter. Love to all, Sila.