eternalgorithm- I just had to comment that I love your pen name. It made me stop and think for a moment.

Mac3- Cliffhangers are fun to write, terrible to read. I guess that's why people write them so much!

KittyDoggyLover- I changed overnight. Well, almost. It was that one ep that changed me, though it took a little thinking (and a debate with my dad) before I decided that I didn't like Woody anymore. I manage to update fast, even with school, because I write at school. Lol. It's so much easier to do under the teacher's noses than reading, because you don't have a book proped open, advertising that you're not listening. I write almost my whole chapter at school usually, and sometimes a little bit the night before.

rae1112- (dodges tomatoes) yes, I dare. cliffies are so much fun! Hehe. (yes, your nigey's being hung.)

Well, here you go. The answer to the wonderful cliffhanger that took place at the end of last chapter. Have fun.

The Basement

Chapter 8: A Few Seconds

- Nigel -

I shuffled back slightly, allowing room on the stool for Jordan to stand. She put her foot there and lifted herself to me. We took a moment to stare sadly into each other's eyes. God, her eyes were beautiful, even when they were wet and shining with tears. Then we brought our faces together and kissed, kissed like it was the last kiss of our lives, which it was. How I would have loved for that moment to last forever, for time to suddenly stop so that we could kiss into eternity and never have to face what was coming. I was seconds away from death, yes, but what about Jordan? By the sounds of it, her death would not be as easy as mine. She was going to suffer, and I winced as I thought of the different methods of torture that I had seen in all the bodies that had ever arrived at the morgue. Both of us would probably be in the crypt soon, Jordan in one drawer, marked with hideous signs of torture. And then me in another drawer, my body marked with nothing but a large rope burn around my neck. Life really sucked sometimes.

We were forced out of our kiss as Mitchell pulled Jordan away. She still gripped my hand however as she turned to him and requested that she could continue holding it. He agreed, and my heart lifted very slightly.

"However," he said, grinning his evil grin, "you will kick the stool." I saw Jordan's eyes widen with shock and horror. Mine did as well. Jordan, kick the stool? He was forcing her to be directly responsible for my death, and she could do nothing about it. Tears slid down my cheeks as I though of the guilt that she would experience. I knew she wouldn't be able to handle it, knew that she would now die miserable, thinking that it had been her fault that I had been killed, her fault in more ways than one. She looked at me desperately, tears on her face as well, and I squeezed her hand. She needed help with this.

"It's alright love," I said shakily.

God, I'm so sorry Jordan…

She looked back at Mitchell, and I knew that she was looking for him to show some sign of humanity, for some shred of hope, but she found none. She turned back to me and I gave her hand another warm squeeze as well as a nod. She paused for one last moment, and then placed a foot on the edge of the stool. I braced myself.

"I'm sorry," she said. The stool fell away.

I felt instant pain on my neck and throat. I gasped as my air supply was suddenly cut off and kicked my feet hopelessly, searching for the stool that was sitting uselessly three feet to my right. I stopped flailing my legs, and yet continued to gasp as I hung there, dying. Jordan was holding my hand very tightly, still crying. I engulfed myself in the warmth of her grip as my world began to grow blurry. I was suddenly struck with the odd idea that I should close my eyes. It was strange, but I realized that I didn't want Jordan to see me dead, my body hanging limply, with my eyes open. I knew how creepy it was when one of the corpses at the morgue stared at you, and seeing me like that would surely push her over the edge. So I took one last look at Jordan's tear stained face, and then closed my eyes, squeezing her hand again to let her know that I was still alive. I felt her squeeze back. I was still gasping, still making terrible rasping noises that surely must have been scaring Jordan to death, but hell, I was hurting. And I was scared. I felt my consciousness begin to leave me, and I prepared myself for death. I could hear Jordan sobbing. We exchanged one last squeeze each.

I love you Jordan…

Then I passed out.

- Jordan -

The moment the stool left his feet, Nigel began to gasp and choke. We clutched at each other's hands again as his feet kicked wildly, searching for something to support him. My tears turned to sobs as Nigel stopped kicking and looked at me. We made eye contact for a moment, and then he closed his eyes, still gasping, giving my hand a squeeze. I knew that he didn't have much time left. It would be over in a few seconds. I could see how much he was suffering, and I would have given anything to have taken his place at that moment. He gave my hand one last squeeze, and I returned it. Then his body went slack, hanging limply. It was over.

I sunk, shaking, to the floor, my arm raised above my head, still clutching Nigel's limp fingers. He was gone, I knew it. Nigel was lost, and it was all my fault. If he hadn't come looking for me, trying to rescue me, he would still be alive right now. I was numb again, my brain trying to accept what was going on. Those few seconds were the worst. I just couldn't believe that he was dead, just couldn't accept it. Nothing seemed to go through me except disbelief, and it seemed to last forever.

He can't be gone…

Then a sudden crash and shouting interrupted m thoughts. I spun around to see five or so men swarming through the doorway, shooting at Mitchell, who was shooting back. Instantly, I dove at the stool lying a few feet away. I got on it and frantically undid the knot in the rope holding Nigel. It came loose, and I just managed to prevent his limp form from slumping to the floor. I lowered him gently and lay him on the ground. He wasn't breathing.

"Nigel, please," I said frantically. I brought my mouth to his and blew air into his lungs. His chest rose. "Come on Nigel, don't do this to me." I thrust the heel of my hand into his chest several times. Still he did not start breathing. I repeated the process, forcing air into Nigel's lungs and then doing chest thrusts with my hand, silently praying all the while that it would work, that he would breathe. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I continued to sob. Shooting was still echoing behind me, but I ignored it. All that mattered was Nigel.

Please Nigel. I need you. Don't leave me now. I love you…

Then, as I began to administer chest thrusts for what felt like the twentieth time, it happened. Nigel moved and coughed. His eyes remained closed as he gasped for air. He was alive.

"Nigel," I said breathlessly. "Oh God…"

"Jordan," he whispered weakly, and a wave of relief swept over me, so overpowering, that for a moment I couldn't respond. And then, tears still falling furiously, I smiled, taking his hand in mine. He clutched it tightly.

"Hey," I said softly. Nigel looked around weakly.

"I'm alive?" he asked finally. My smile widened.

"Yes," I said. "You're alive Nigel. You gave me quite a scare though." I stroked his hair gently. The shooting had stopped; Mitchell lay dead on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood.

"How?" he asked, bringing a hand up and rubbing his neck, still breathing deeply.

"We were rescued," I said simply. An officer came over to see if we were alright. I told him we were, but we would need a hospital. He nodded and made a call on his radio. I helped Nigel slowly sit up, then stand. Then he put his arms around me and I did the same. I cried into his shoulder for a minute, savoring his embrace and his warmth, before we made our slow way out of the basement.

"Jordan!" As we stepped out of the house and into a burst of sunlight, I saw Lily, Bug, and Garret running towards us. "Jordan!" Lily yelled again. My smile widened. She ran strait to me and gave me a hug, holding tightly. "Jordan," she said shakily. She was crying. "We thought for sure that you were dead. And then when we heard an officer call for an ambulance, oh God…" She broke away and I found tears in my eyes as well. Now Garret rapped his arms around me while Lily moved on to Nigel. He held me just as tightly, and I was surprised to feel my shoulder become slightly wet. Garret just wasn't the sort to cry. He pulled away, wiping his eyes furiously.

"No more of this alright?" he said. "If something had happened to you…" He didn't finish the sentence, and I smiled at him. I suddenly realized how weak and tired I was. Lily gasped as I almost collapsed and grabbed Garret's shoulders for support. He caught me and lowered me gently to the ground.

"We need help over here!" he yelled as I lay in his arms. Nigel bent down and gripped my hand.

"I'm alright," I said softly. "Just weak." I realized that I would probably pass out soon, I hadn't eaten since the bread and water more than eight hours ago. I could see people running towards us with stretchers.

"Nigel, what happened to your neck?" asked Bug suddenly.

Nigel looked at me and said, "I believe that's a tale for another time." We smiled at each other. Then I closed my eyes and let unconsciousness take over.

Tada! He didn't die. I wouldn't do that to Nigel. (At least, not in this fic...) Still a few chapters to come I think. And I truly appreciate the reviews.