Ally decided to go alone. Technically, anyway. The detective knew the man, and she knew that he could track her activity. Any calls, texts, emails sent to the police would be seen by him. So she took other precautions because she's not stupid enough to just jump into the dangerous situation. It's just not her style. Besides, there's other ways of being safe.

After preparing her back up plan, she left to go to the destination he had told her in the video. The house was not far from where her apartment, and it was nerving to know that he was so close to her. The door swung wide open just as she was about to knock on the door. Ellen, one of the twin girls, had opened the door for her. The girl's face was streaming with tears, and she spoke in a frail whimper.

"Welcome home, mom."

Ally moved to put Ellen behind her and out of the house when the kidnapper popped out from around a wall. Her heart stopped for a split second at the sight of this man.

"Alexander." She addressed him evenly. "What are you doing?"

Alexander just smiled. "You've always called me Alex. You're back! I made dinner and Alice set the tables herself-come join us."

"Eva is in there," whispered Ellen to Ally.

Ally nodded and followed Alexander. She couldn't leave without the other twin. He, Alexander, had Eva on his left, still smiling without a care at Ally. The man sat down at the head of the table, and gestured for Ally to sit at the other end. Ellen and Eva took the seats on the sides. The table was laden with Ally's favourite food. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

Ally tried to get some answers. "Why did you capture them?"

"Capture them?" Alexander looked almost offended by her wording. "You make it sound it bad. I just needed to borrow them, that's all. Can't you see how well they fit into our family?"

That's when Ally realized that to any onlooker, the scene would have looked like a family having a normal dinner. The twins had brown hair like hers and blue eyes like Alexander. They were physically the product of Ally and Alexander.

The detective leaned over to Ellen to murmur to her. "Get yourself and your sister out of the house, now. There's a blue car waiting outside with the doors open. Get in, lock the doors, and wait."

"But will you be okay?" Ellen protested. Ally smiled at her innocent concern.

"I'll be fine," she told the girl, "I came prepared. Help will come soon, alright? Hang on."

Ellen quickly hugged Ally and ran with Eva out of the house, leaving the door wide open. Ally let out a relieved breath as she saw them safe in the car. Now she just had to deal with Alexander.

Alexander rambled on, ignoring the absence of the twins. "Alice and Alana, daughters of Alex and Ally. I thought we would name them that, and continue the whole Al-first name thing. Remember Alex and Ally? We used to be the ultimate detective duo."

"There is and was no Alex and Ally." The detective did not blink at the anger now on his face, still observing him with a steely gaze. "You do know you're spending the rest of your life in jail for this, right?"

"That's funny. You said the exact same thing last time, and look at me now. Out like the free man I should have been."

"You killed someone."

"It was for justice."

"No, no it wasn't. You ended someone's life and enjoyed it. I saw it, and you know it."

Her former friend wore a crazed grin. "I'm still the same Alex. You cannot deny the fact that I was your backup then. I was even there for your first case. The new guy you have now is nothing compared to me." And then Alex pulled out a gun from under the table and pointed it at Ally. "Maybe you'll understand when you're dead."

Ally breathed heavily in fear as she was faced with a lunatic with a gun. Of all the possible outcomes, she did not anticipate this. The detective was supposed to deduce and solve the mysteries, in safety. She was not supposed to be the target. Ally came prepared with a plan, but she did not consider this variable in the equation. This man was truly insane if he was speaking calmly one second and pulling out guns the next.

"Let's be reasonable here." Ally's voice wavered a bit. "I'm sure we can work this out."

Alexander looked at her with a strange look of crazed adoration. "But I love you so much, Ally. We were supposed to be Ally and Alex! The perfect couple. I love you, I love you, I love you..."

The detective felt déjà vu as she watched him break down again just like he did years ago. She felt helpless while Alex, who had been her friend since childhood, went crazy. They were the best back then. Alex was just as smart as Ally was, and they were invincible as a pair. Unfortunately, Alex was one of those people who eventually can't handle it and lose it. The fact that he harbored feelings for Ally did not clear her conscience either. It could have happened, but by the time he was locked in a cell, he had already changed too much.

Ally tried to not look rejecting as the man chanted the words to himself over and over again. She needed to get that gun away from him, before he really loses control on the trigger. Come on Ally, think...

"Why don't you love me?"

'Because you're a maniac.'

Ally gulped. This was the worst. "I do love you, Alex."

She internally winced at the nickname she used to fondly call him. Hopefully she sounded sincere. Whatever he saw, it tricked him. His expression was one of joy as he stood up, and stepped closer. Ally resisted the urge to panic. The man was tracing the tip of his gun along her neck, collarbone, and her heart. The detective struggled to breathe evenly as he leisurely drew invisible patterns where her heart was.

"Do you mean it?" He whispered in her ear. She shuddered in terror, but replied breathlessly.

"I do."

"I love that. I can't wait to hear you say it at our wedding!"

As if. Ally knew she had to keep manipulating him until the time was right. So she endured.

"Well we don't have to wait that long, you know? We could have it right now. Husband and wife..." Alexander sighed happily. There he went, off to Lala-land.

A small movement was seen from the corner of her eye, and Ally almost cried tears of joy. Her plan was finally getting back on track. Austin was there, in the doorway. Her friend pressed a finger to his lips and motioned that he was going to go behind Alexander and disarm him. Ally gave a very small nod and held her breath in anticipation.

Austin made his way to the unstable man. Everything was going smoothly, but then the floor creaked. Alexander was strangely calm (again, that psycho) as he turned to Austin.

"Shit."

Alexander's face twisted in displeasure. "You're my replacement? How disappointing."

"Hey!" Austin objected defiantly.

"Timing, Austin." Ally hissed. "Now's not the time to let your ego get bruised."

Then Alexander pointed the gun at Ally. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal. Oh well." He shrugged. "We will both die and have a beautiful wedding in death."

Alexander flicked the safety off and time slowed down for Ally. He was going to shoot her for real now. Her mind raced. Will he blow her brains out, or will it be through her heart? Ally did not want to find out.

She ran. There's a smaller chance of getting shot when you're running, and even though she was a bit too close to him, Ally was going to take the chance. But Alexander didn't have any chance of shooting her, nope.

Austin had gotten right in front of her, and taken the bullet.

Thank you for all the favs, follows, and reviews! I hope this story lives up to your expectations :)

I was aiming for showing how Austin helps out Ally+a bit of Ally's past, but it kind of got off track. It would have been so much easier to have Ally punch Alexander and run, but I wanted to have her be awesome in a different way?...Idk. I'm pretty sure a lot of things in this chap don't make sense. This chapter's been rewritten more times than I can count and school's driving me crazy right now soooo yeah. Here you go, hope it wasn't too terrible!