Hi ya'll! Back with more :-) I've had ideas running through my head all day so I figured I'd start typing, lol. I hope you enjoy and thanks to for all the reviews!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 13- Hang In There

Candice's POV

I slowly began to open my eyes. I looked around to try and figure out where I was. It looked like some kind of basement. I tried to move but when I did a sharp, piercing, pain shot through my body. I clenched my teeth in pain and then let out a whimper. I guess he must've heard me because I heard a door open. With each footstep he took, my heart began to pound even harder.

"I see your awake." the guy said to me.

I closed my eyes, hoping when I opened them he wouldn't be standing there. As I slowly re-opened them, he was still there. Except now he was closer to me than before.

"What's wrong Cici? Are you ok?" he asked me.

"What do you want from me?" I managed to ask him.

After I said that, I began to cough. I couldn't stop. When I began to taste something in my mouth, that tasted like copper, I knew I was coughing up blood. Everything began to go blurry, and then before I knew it, I was out cold again.

End of Candice's POV

"Candice?" the stalker asked, as he watched her eyes roll to the back of her head.

He stared at her for a few seconds and then picked her up. He carried her to his car and quickly drove to the hospital.

"I need a doctor!" he screamed as he ran into the ER carrying Candice.

"I'm Dr. Carrie Stevens." a woman said as she pulled a gurney over to the man.

He layed Candice down and the doctor rolled her into a room filled with nurses and other doctors.

"Sir you need to tell me what happened." Dr. Stevens told him.

"I came home from work and found her like this. Please you have to help my wife." he pleaded.

"Sir we're going to do everything we can. What is your wife's name?"

"Candice Carpenter."

"Your's?" she asked him.

"Joey Carpenter."

"Alright thank you sir. Now I need you to wait out in the waiting room."

He did as the doctor asked and went to the waiting room. About 10 minutes had passed and he watched as a uniformed police officer went inside Candice's room.

"Thank you officer for coming by. This woman's husband came in saying he got home from work and found her like this. At first I thought maybe someone broke in and did this to her, then I thought possibly her husband lied and he is harming her. But the more I looked at the injuries it looks consistant with a car accident." Dr. Stevens told the officer while they wheeled Candice up to surgery.

"What's the girl's name?"

"He told me Candice Carpenter." she said. "His is Joey Carpenter."

"The last report of a car accident was about 6 hours ago. The car belonged to a Candice Walker, except the girl wasn't found. One of her friends told the police that she had a stalker and so that led us to believe she was kidnapped. Did this Candice Carpenter say anything or do anything?" he asked.

"When we first got her in, she woke up briefly. She kept mumbling the name Matt."

"The man who called 911 and told us about the accident, his name was Matt. He's also the one who informed us of her stalker. I'm going to call him and have him come down to see if that is Candice Walker, or if it is who the man who brought her in says she is." the officer told her and then left to go ask Joey a few questions. The doctor went with him so she could point him out. When they got to the waiting area, he wasn't there.

Back at Jeff's house

Matt, Jeff, and Paige went back to Jeff's place. They didn't want to make Kevin even more mad by staying so they left. Shannon had to get back home, but asked if they'd keep him in the loop on what was going on. Paige was sitting on the couch with her face buried in her hands. Jeff walked over and sat down beside her. When he did, she raised her head slightly and looked up at him. She saw worry and anger in his eyes.

"You want to talk?" she asked him.

"We promised. We promised her that'd we'd protect her and that he'd have to go through us before he could get to her." he said.

"Jeff I'm going to tell you the same thing you told me. There was nothing you could've done. Candice made a choice. We may not know why she made that choice, but she did."

"I know, but...." he was cut off by Matt's cell phone.

Matt ran over to his phone and answered it.

"Is this Matt Hardy?" the officer from the hospital asked.

"Yes." Matt replied.

"Matt, this is Bradley Ross, Cameron Police Department."

"Police Department? Did you find Candice?"

Jeff and Paige stood up and walked over to Matt.

"We're not sure, we need you to come down to the hospital and see if it is her or not after she gets out of surgery."

"Yeah. Um, I'll be there as quickly as possible."

Matt hung up the phone and looked at Jeff and Paige.

"They need me to come to the hospital to see if a woman that came in is Candice."

The three of them ran to the car, and quickly drove to the hospital. When they got there they were greeted by the Officer Bradley Ross.

"Thank you guys for coming down. The doctor who did the surgery just told me that they finished up." he told them. "Now only one of you can come."

"Matt you go." Paige said.

Matt nodded and then followed the police officer. Jeff and Paige sat down and waited for Matt to get back. Several minutes had passed and they finally saw Matt coming off the elevators. He walked over to Paige and Jeff. They both stood up and waited for Matt to tell them the news.

"It's her." Matt said.

Paige smiled and then flung her arms around Jeff. They were all smiling, relieved that she was no longer with the stalker. When Paige finally stopped hugging Jeff, they stood there only inches from each others face. Jeff leaned in and kissed Paige. When they broke apart, Paige looked just about as shocked as Jeff. Matt smiled and patted the two on the shoulders. They all then went upstairs to Candice's room. When they walked in, Matt felt sick again. He didn't like seeing her like this. They all gathered around her bed.

"Man by the looks on ya'lls faces, you'd think someone died." Candice moaned.

"Your awake?!" Matt asked.

"Nah, your just hearing voices. Maybe you should have Randy's theme." Candice joked. She then coughed a few times.

"Haha the Candice we know and love is back." Paige said smiling.

"What is up with you two?" Candice asked noticing someting between Jeff and Paige.

"They liplocked down in the waiting room." Matt said.

"You say that like we're in high school." Jeff said reaching over and punching Matt in the arm.

"Ya'll did?! Awww ya'll make such a cute couple." Candice said.

Just about that time Dr. Stevens walked into the room. "Candice you should really be getting rest. If you do we should expect to see a full recovery." she said.

"I know I know." she said. "Hey Dr. Stevens, thank you for noticing something wasn't right. I tried saying something when I woke up, but I couldn't."

"I just followed my gut. And you did say something that helped us out."

"I did? What did I say?" Candice asked confused.

"You kept mumbling the name Matt." Dr. Stevens said.

Candice looked over at Matt, and he was already looking at her.

"Well I've got some other patients to go see. I already called your family, they're on the way. I'll come by and check on you later." she said just before leaving the room.

"Well we're going to let you get some sleep. We'll be just outside your room." Paige said, and then the three left.

"Hey Matt." she said before Matt could leave.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Susan. I need you to call her and let her know." Candice said.

"Ok. Get some rest now." he said and then closed the door behind him.