a\n:Hey, everyone! I apologize for the super slow update! With school almost ending, and drivers ed and work has been super stressful! I apologize for the short chapter and that the next chapter will be the last one of the story :/ I hope it's alright! Thank you all for your patience! :)

disclaimer: all I own is Nora.

shout outs:

chocolatelilac101: Read and you'll know ;)

g the nephilm: oh hahaha, no problem :)

I am eating hari: does 'hari' mean happiness in Japanese or something? lol ikr? love I love the bf I have now so I'll let Namine keep Roxas ;)

twenty-twenty-one: haha, I know I'm evil XD

followers/favoriters/viewers: thank you very much! Your support is well appreciated and helpful! :)

Twenty Two: Dead End

I couldn't move.

I couldn't even think.

All I can do is stare at Roxas, tied up with his hands behind his back and his ankles tied together, his mouth taped shut. He spoke out to me, tried too. All I could make out were muffles.

He was alive, he was safe, but how long? Siefur and Xion are after him. They might be after me too...and Nora...

That git me moving and out of my statue trance.

"Roxas, what happened? Who did this to you?" I asked not even trying to stat calm, my fingers fumbled as I untied the ropes from his ankles.

He waited patiently for me as I reached over to untie his hands and quickly ripped the tape from his mouth, he was breathing heavy. He was hurt.

"Roxas?" I bleaked, looking at him hopelessly.

"Not...much time.." He wheezed.

I watched his hands move up and over his right side.

"Roxas..." I repeated, moving his hands slowly and lifting his shirt to see a bloody wound about the size of a quarter, I didn't even want to THINK of how deep it was.

Roxas pushed my hands away and threw his shirt back over it.

"Namine, I'm fine. you have to get out of here. It's not safe.'

I shook my head. "YOU need to get out of here! You need to tell me what happened! Who did this to you! Why you came here in the first place!"

"NO." Roxas said firmly. "Get Nora, and get out of here."

My heart stopped.

Where IS Nora?

"Where was she the last time you saw her? Before you saw me?" Roxas asked me softly.

I swallowed hard. I couldn't think, I couldn't stop starring at Roxas's hands as they supported his bloody wound.

"Xion did this..." I whispered. I could just picture her, with that long sharp knife...

"Namine...listen to me..." Roxas spoke, his voice sounded like he'd been running miles. "I want you...to call the police..while I find Nora, when you get the phone-"

"Roxas, No!" I shrieked, grasping his forearm in fear.

"When you get the phone..." He continued, ignoring my complaining.

"Find a hiding spot, and stay there. Don't move, don't speak. Just STAY where you are..."

I wanted to argue, but I knew that Roxas would not let me find Nora myself, so I proposed to do what he said.

I nodded, tears pouring from my eyes and little whimpers left my mouth, reminding myself as a little homeless puppy, lost and alone in the world.

"Okay..." I slowly release my hand from his forearm. "Be careful..."

Roxas leaned in to peck my lips. "Don't worry about me, babe. It's my job to protect you."

With that, we parted ways.

I made my way to the kitchen, my legs were so stiff I had to grab onto everything around me to keep from falling. The kitchen was dark, and silent. I quickly hurried over to the phone on the kitchen counter and to the broom closet, my feet thumping loudly against the wooden floors.

So much for being quiet.

I just hope Nora and Roxas are okay.

I clumsily fell into the closet, landing painfully on my side, bumping into someone...

"Namie?"

Nora. Thank God.

I felt an entire wave of relief wash over me, I just hope she wasn't hurt. Oh God, PLEASE, please tell me Xion hasn't got to her, please.

"Namie!?" I hear her whisper again, this time fear in her voice. "I-is that you?" She speaks in a frightened voice.

"Yes, Kitty-cat." I whisper reaching around with my free hand to grab her, Buttercup was in here too, I could tell from when I brushed against a blob of fur, of course Nora would want to protect her kitten.

"I'm here...are you safe? You're not hurt...are you?" I ask as softly as I can.

"No..."

Thank you God. Thank you.

"Where's Roxas?"

Oh crap! Out there looking for Nora when she's in here with me! I was about to shun his orders of staying where I am and go help him, but the police would help Roxas a lot more than me, and I wouldn't dare to leave Nora by herself.

"He's going to be alright...we're just going to stay in here while I call the police."

"The police!?" Nora cried out.

I hushed her softly. "We'll be alright, if we just stay where we are. Okay?"

"But...what about Roxas? What are we hiding from?"

I sighed. I could only tell her so much without scaring her, but she's already afraid...so why hold it back and lie?

"He's okay...we're just hiding from bad people is all..." I replied quietly as I dialed 911. Nora and I were silent as we listened to the rings from the other end, they stopped at the middle of the third ring.

"Hello, 911 what's your emergency?" A ladies voice came from the other line.

"This is Namine Rufus, they're are intruders in our home." I replied trying to stay calm in front of Nora. A Faint pair of footsteps were starting towards the kitchen.

Startled, I hung up the phone before I could tell the lady our address, I'm just going to hope that they can track my call. Police can do that, right?

The footsteps were getting closer.

"Namie?" Nora whispered.

They Didn't sound like Roxas's.

"Namie...someone's coming..."

Closer...

I held my breath. My heart pounding.

Closer.

With a shaking hand, I reached around in the dark to take Nora's.

"There you are." Came a voice from behind the closet door.

Xion.

"Did you find Roxas?" Another voice replied, and this voice I haven't heard in a long time.

"What are you talking about, Seifer? He's right where we left him about ten minutes ago, after I stabbed him and tied him up."

Nora squeezed my hand tight out of fear. This poor girl's life is going to be nothing but a scar.

"Not anymore, I just came out from the living room to check on the weasel, he's not there, babe."

"WHAT!?" Xion screeched.

"After we heard that scream….maybe that was Namine, and maybe she got him out of here and to the hospital, or to the Police station."

"NO! Don't say that!" Xion cried, almost sounding scared. "My father is with SOLDIER! Do you have any idea how much trouble I'd be in if he found out about any of this!? Not to mention how my sweet flower-obsessive mother will be so disappointed in me! And do you want to know why!?"

"Because…You stabbed your X?" Siefer suggested, I almost rolled my eyes at his obvious guess. He really was never the brightest person.

"SHUT UP!" Xion shouted. "I need to think of what to do….damn it! Why should I do!?"

"Psh, I don't know. Maybe next time don't stab your X boyfriend?"

Oh my word…

"You're making that very difficult for me to refuse that request!"

"Babe, you're not my X."

"That can be arranged."

"Whoa…whoa…easy honey, I'm here to help you."

"Ugh! I should have just cut his throat and dumped his body in the lake afterwards, covering up all the damn evidence!"

"It's not too late to do so."

My heart sank. No, I can't let Roxas die!

"True, but first. I want to find where his whore's at!"

Nora's grip on my hand got tighter.

"They're probably gone, love."

"We'll see about that." Xion replied, followed by a nasty laugh. "You search down the hall, and I search the garage. If you find either, Roxas or Namine, bring them to me unharmed, I want to take care of them myself."

"What about her bratty sister?" Siefer asked.

"Her too, stupid! Now MOVE!"

I heard their footsteps rustle around and waited until they were no longer audible.

"Namine…what are we going to do?" Nora whispered, her voice was beyond terrified now.

"We're going to defend ourselves. Find Roxas, and get out of here…now on the count of three, we're going to leave this closet and head up to dad's room. Okay?"

"Why dad's room?" Nora whispered.

"That's where his weapons are, we need to defend ourselves right?"

"Right."

"Okay…one…" I started my hand slowly reaching for the handle to the closet door.

"Two…" Nora counted as we slowly got up to our feet.

"Three!" We said together in a soft whisper.

I pushed the door open and bolted towards the staircase, Nora was at my heels with Buttercup in her arms.

Running up the stairs, taking two at a time, I sprint down the hallway to dad's room. My heart pounding in my head, ready to explode.

"Namine, wait!" Nora cried out behind me.

I whirled around, nearly crashing into the wall as I look back at Nora.

Shit, I forgot all about the stairs! But to my relief, she was fine…completely fine.

"Come on Nora, we don't have much time!" I replied, looking around us frantically

Nora hurried past me into dad's room. I closed it swiftly behind us, my noise twitching at the foul smell of liquor and sweat.

I had to move fast, I locked the door than moved over to dad's dresser, pushing it with all my might until it was blocking the door. I ushered Nora into dad's closet as I grabbed the home phone on dad's nightstand. I decided to call the police again.

"Namine, Roxas! He's in here!" Nora whispered to me.

I hurried into the closet to find Roxas curled up in a ball, his breathing heavy and rapid. His stab wound was worse, and he was loosing more blood, besides him was a puddle of it. The sight of it made me sick to my stomach.

"Roxas, don't worry. The police will be here soon." I whispered, stroking his hair away from his clammy forehead, while my other hand dialed 911, but when I suddenly heard the faint wails of sirens from outside, I didn't have too. It appeared they had traced location.

I smiled and looked down at Roxas.

"We're safe, we're okay now.."

"NAMINE! LOOK OUT!" Nora screamed from behind before I felt something hard smash against my skull, and everything went black.

The last thing I heard was Roxas, he was screaming at someone…to not touch Nora…