A/N: So, we are coming to the end of this fic - this is the second to last chapter! I hope you all have liked it so far and that you keep letting me know your thoughts.

Enjoy!

Leo reached out a touched the doorknob, feeling tired after a long day at work. Working his cover job was something that he really enjoyed, but sometimes it just wiped him out and made him wish that he could just come home to Skye and forget about the mission for a little while. However, that wasn't really an option.

The doorknob turned easily under his touch and the door swung open, revealing the dark front entryway.

Something was wrong.

Instantly, Leo went into full alert, all his muscles tensing up, preparing for whatever was waiting for him. The house, once warm and cheery, now felt threatening and cold.

"Skye?" he called, aware that his question would alert both her and anybody else around, but unable to stop himself. He doubted that she would answer him, though. The door wouldn't have been unlocked if she was home or if she had left voluntarily, so all the clues led to a kidnapping.

Leo took a cautious step into the front foyer, immediately bending down to check the night-night gun he kept near the door for Skye's protection. It was gone. He wasn't sure if that made him feel better about the situation or worse. On one hand, at least she was armed and able to protect herself against her captors, but on the other hand, it meant that whoever took her scared her enough for her to grab the gun.

That meant that it must be Ryder.

He was the only person that could have made Skye nervous and cautious enough to take the gun, but also someone that she couldn't just ignore.

"Skye?" his voice was still cautious as he inched into the shadowed kitchen, but he was pretty much convinced that Skye wouldn't be there.

Under his tightly controlled exterior, Leo felt rage building up inside him and threatening to consume his rationality. How dare Ryder take Skye? Their relationship was finally progressing, and he couldn't help but seethe at the injustice of it all. And if he had hurt her… His hands balled up into fists so tight that his knuckles started to turn white. No. He couldn't even think of that. Skye was fine. She had to be.

In the dim lighting, a small, red light blinked on and off - the answering machine

Gingerly, Leo pressed the button and Skye's familiar voice met his ears. "Leo, it's Skye. I found what we needed. Meet me at the school as soon as you get this."

A beep sounded and the call disconnected. Ignoring the machine's automated menu, Leo turned the recording off and mulled over the message. It sounded normal. It could be nothing, but with the door unlocked and the gun gone, Leo was too terrified for her sake to believe that possibility.

He grabbed the extra night-night gun from upstairs and headed back to the school.

…

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Smith," a voice gulped from just behind Leo, startling him enough that he nearly cried out.

Calming his racing heart, he slowly turned around, one hand resting on the night-night gun carefully concealed beneath his clothes. Sam stood behind him, a pistol held in his shaking hands, the barrel pointed directly at Leo's heart. "Sam."

"I didn't have a choice," the boy swallowed heavily. "They were going to kill me."

Leo thought quickly. Sam didn't want to hurt him - he was a good kid, but he was caught in a scheme far above his head. "Do you know where Ryder took Skye?"

"I'm supposed to escort you there." The young man gestured with the gun towards the school, his expression troubled. "I don't think they hurt her."

Relief hit Leo and nearly made his knees buckle. She was okay. He didn't realize how much tension he had been carrying while worrying if she was dead or injured, but now that was gone, replaced by determination to take down Ryder.

Sam made a shooing motion with his free hand, keeping the gun carefully pointed at Leo.

They made the trip to the school and through the empty, dark quarters in silence, descending down multiple flights of stairs and into an area of the building that Leo had never known had existed. It made sense to hide the weapons cache down here, though, he decided. Far out of the way, a place where no one would accidently stumble onto the stash.

Sam knocked on a door and the sound echoed through the small hallway. On the other side of the door, Leo heard Ryder's distinctive voice granting permission for them to enter. Anger filled Leo again at the sound, heat flooding his body with adrenaline. Skye was in there at the mercy of the tyrant.

"Open it," Sam ordered.

Obeying, Leo opened the door and immediately caught sight of Skye, looking irritated but otherwise unharmed. She was leaning against the wall on his left, her arms crossed in front of her. Her night-night gun was lying on the only mostly bare table in the room, only a couple steps away from her position. Knowing Skye, she had probably been inching towards it with every chance she could take.

The rest of the room was filled with shelves, tables, and cabinets, all laden with weapons of various sizes and makes. Jackpot.

"Did you search him for weapons?" Ryder's question boomed out and Leo jerked his attention away from Skye and the evidence.

Sam flinched next to him. "No sir," he mumbled, obviously terrified.

"Idiot boy," Ryder hissed, walking up to Leo without taking his eyes off of Skye. There was a small gun in his hands as well. "Do it now."

Turning to him, Sam had a pleading look in his eyes, begging Leo to cooperate.

In his peripheral vision, Leo saw Skye deliberately and slowly angle her head towards her confiscated night-night gun. The weapon was far enough behind Ryder to be out of his direct sight, but Sam had a clear view on both the gun and Skye. And the kid was armed and scared. Not a good combination. But Skye's plan was the only plan they had - Leo just hoped that it involved more than using him to distract Ryder and didn't rely on Sam too heavily. However, he had a feeling that that was exactly her plan.

"It's over Ryder; you lost," Leo taunted the man with all the bravado he could muster as Sam relieved him of his weapon. "You were stupid enough to lead me right to your warehouse, giving me all the evidence I need to put you away for life."

Skye inched closer to the gun. If Sam noticed, he didn't say anything. At least, not yet.

Ryder's mouth curled up into a cruel smile. "What makes you think that you and your little wife are leaving this room?"

"Don't need to," Leo lied, trying not to flinch away from Ryder's stare. "It's called 'backup."

The gun was now only inches from Skye's outstretched hand and Sam still hadn't alerted Ryder. So far so good.

"Whatever agency you're from is pathetic," the man spat derisively. "It can't even teach its operatives to lie properly." Then, without warning, Ryder whirled on his heel and pointed his gun straight at Skye, who was just about to grasp the weapon. "I don't think so," he snarled.

There was a gunshot.

Leo screamed, an agonized sound that was torn out of his mouth as he saw Skye fall heavily to the ground, the night-night gun landing in front of her.

Then, a white-hot heat burrowed into his arm, burning his flesh and adding physical pain to his emotional anguish.

They had failed.

Okay, I promise things aren't as bad as they seem, so review and let me know if you're excited for the conclusion!