Hi readers! Here's the next chapter of Taken Away! :) Sorry it took so long! You don't know how many times I had to re-write this, that's why it's such a bad chap :(

I'm on holidays and I have no internet where I'm staying (I'm using someone elses). I won't be able to update until about Sunday, but then I'll be able to update ALL of my stories! Yay :D

Enjoy the chapter and when I get 58 reviews, I'll put it up on Sunday!

Please check out my new story 'Our Times' & review that too.

Also, I have a poll on my profile about what story I should upload next, after Sunday, I'll be using that as a guide to what I upload, so let me know!

Enjoy!

Chapter Eighteen: Meeting Up Part 2

Bella's POV

I had to entertain the boys for half an hour before Cleo came out from the shower dressed & dried.

It was now about 8:30 in the morning, so we decided to leave the hotel and go to the airport, that way we could have breakfast there and wait for Emma's plane to arrive at 9:15.

The walk to the airport took us around 15 minutes, a bit longer than yesterday because we were carrying our large (in Zane & Will's case, huge) bags.

When we arrived at the airport, we chose to eat at the first café we saw. There weren't many food options, but they had descent coffee, so we weren't complaining!

We ate our food fairly quickly because we had an early dinner… yesterday, apart from Cleo & I's cracker and a half from this morning.

Lewis was the only one still eating when we heard the announcement that Flight 2794 from Paris had landed.

All 4 of us were hurrying the poor guy to finish & eventually he did.

We were walking around the airport, trying to find the closest baggage belt to the terminal where Emma's plane was.

I didn't exactly know what I was looking for, but I was looking. I'd seen one photo of Emma before, but I could tell by the looks of the other girls, that it was taken a while ago. In the photo she had long, blonde hair, but she very possibly could have dyed or cut it, so basically I was looking for a girl that looked about my age & was possibly blonde haired. Great help!

After 10 minutes of just walking around the airport, Lewis said "Is that her?" pointing to a girl in the distance that was holding a suitcase & just standing there. She looked in our direction, before looking down to the ground.

"It might be. I'll call her" Cleo said getting out her phone & pressed a few buttons & holding it up to her ear.

I watched the 'suspect' get her phone out and put it to her ear, while I heard Cleo say "Hey Em, where are you? We think we can see you."

A few seconds later 'The Girl' waved and Cleo said "Yep, that's you." I watched as Emma put her phone away, and I heard Cleo doing the same to her own.

We all walked towards Emma & she was walking towards us. When we got closer to her, Emma and Cleo fastened their pace & when they reached, they threw their arms around each other.

They let go of each other and Emma hugged Lewis & Zane too. "Hi Emma" they both said & Cleo added "I've missed you! We all have!" and Emma smiled, before looking at Will & I strangely. We were standing awkwardly, a few steps behind the others.

I gave Emma a small smile, but I was interrupted by Lewis coughing really hard, that it actually sounded like he was choking, but the entire time he was looking at Cleo & then at us, giving her weird looks, until she finally looked less puzzled. The second she did, he stopped & said "I'm fine!" leaving the rest of us, just really puzzled over his little act.

"Oh right! Emma, these are our friends, Bella Hartley & Will Benjamin" Cleo said pointing Will & I, before she added "Bella & Will this is our friend Emma."

Will said "Nice to meet you Emma" and they shook hands.

I smiled at her and added "Hi Emma. I've heard heaps about you, so it's great to finally meet you!"

She smiled and said "You too Bella. It's a shame that you arrived after I left!"

I smiled again thinking that I could see us being friends...

, we checked at the front desk to see whether Rikki's condition had changed or if she'd moved. She hadn't. She was still in Emergency & Intensive Care.

We walked to the lifts, and I noticed that we'd all gone stiffly silent. The lift dinged, indicating we'd reached the 4th floor and the 6 of us moped out of the lift, any laughing or happiness had disintegrated.

We walked past the rooms & surgeries, till we reached the corridor we'd spent basically all of the last 2 days in. We turned and walked to the door of her room and I noticed that Emma's breathing was getting heavier.

I turned around and gave her a small smile and she returned it, even though she was probably feeling how I was yesterday when I was standing outside of the room, wanting & not wanting to see Rikki all at the same time.

Lewis opened the door handle and himself, Cleo & Zane walked in, followed by Will & I, with Emma walking in last.

When we walked closer to her bed and saw Rikki, I heard Emma sniffling from behind me. I stopped and waited until she reached where I was. I patted Emma's back and gave her a tissue from the table. She gave me a small smile and walked next to Rikki, just standing there and sniffling, likely crying.

After a while, Emma took a seat. Will & I were sitting on chairs next to each other near the window, Zane was sitting on the chair closest to her bed, Cleo & Lewis were sitting on the chair closest to the door and Emma took the last free seat.

The sad atmosphere was back, with the only noise in the room being Rikki's machine beeping occasionally.

Two hours went by of us just sitting there, with the occasional movement. No-one talked and the machine continued beeping.

Will and I were sitting at the back of the room, so we were able to survey all the others. I was watching Rikki, when her eyes started flickering, until after a few seconds they were open. She was awake!

Zane jumped out of his seat and grabbed her hand, while the rest of us stood up quickly and rushed to her bed saying "Rikki!"

As her eyes stopped flickering and she got a better look of the room, she said "Hello. Everyone…."

Zane wrapped her in a gentle hug and the rest of us were beaming. The room was a rush of excitement, talking and questions. Poor Rikki would've been so overwhelmed, but we couldn't keep our happiness and excitement to ourselves!

Doctors came in and did a few checks and made sure that she was up for visitors, which she was.

I could tell that Rikki wasn't feeling the best, so we asked her how she was, and she said she was feeling a bit drowsy & that she was in a bit of pain with a bad headache, but she was okay for visitors.

At about four o'clock in the afternoon she was looking really tired and she kept yawning, so we decided to leave her to rest. Cleo, Lewis, Emma, Will & I were going to stay at Will's boat house, so that we were all together if anything happened and it was also the closest to the airport. Then first thing tomorrow morning.

Zane was going to stay at the hospital with Rikki so that he could call us if anything happened. Well that's what he said, but I think he really didn't want to leave Rikki alone. We all didn't, but we all couldn't stay in the small hospital room.

We said goodbye to Rikki & Zane, mainly Rikki, and made sure with Zane that if anything happened, to call us.

We left the hospital and on the walk back to Will's, I talked to Emma and slowly I was getting to know her better.

She seemed quite intense & definitely organized, but we got along well and had a good chat about travel, because she was travelling the world and I've travelled with my family earlier in my life, so we understood that a bit more than the others would.

At the boat house, Will & Lewis got pizza for tea for us girls. The night went on well & I felt so much happier now when I thought about Rikki.

Things are looking up.

Yay! Rikki's awake! :) What else is going to happen in my story? What other twists and turns are coming up for the group...

58 reviews and I'll update on Sunday! :)