Author Note: Thank you so much guys for breaking my record of reviews in one story. 90 is awesome, I love you readers so much! Thanks goes to calwitch, LadyNightwing03, TimsGurl34, magan. , and PricelessBAbyGirl for becoming followers to this story. Thanks goes to Leasha Orton, Brittney-xx, Calwitch, THE Kid Hardy, LindaPipeBomb, and DeeMarie426 for the great reviews.

"In this cascade of memories I wonder what

could have changed, had I changed

Questioning what and why can't undo the day

Yes, I realize...

What's done is done, but the night time raised

the mist to another day in shame"

'Epilogue (What's done is done)' by: Autumn

Chapter 23: Turmoil

Rydia continued to walk on towards the last place she saw Bray Wyatt; but he was nowhere to be found. She was beginning to think he left the building until she saw a dark corner closed off by a sheet of fabric. The was a small light flickering from the conjunction of the floor and the hem of the fabric.

"Hello?" She asked softly hoping to hear some kind of sound.

There was no answer and it was starting to creep her out. She reached for the fabric and slid it over quickly to see only a lantern hanging on a pole. The breath that she had been holding was finally released in a sigh of relief. That was the last place to search for the man that held answers to her questions and it disappointed her to learn that he was evading her persistent search for him.

Rydia turned around to walk away only to bump into Bray Wyatt himself. His trademark smile was plastered on his mouth. She jumped a little not expecting him to be behind her. Her eyes shifted, looking for Erick and Luke; but he was alone, which surprised her greatly.

"I heard you wanted to speak with me." He stated with a laugh.

"Yeah, I came to see what you knew about my father's death and about what Nick has planned."

He chucked and took a step closer to the already fearful woman in front of him. Her long dark brown hair was straight and curled at the ends it curved perfectly around her face. She was a sight to be seen, angelic. He wanted her to be his angel for all eternity. "I'm sure Roman told you of my price."

"I'm well aware of your price for the information I want."

"Are you prepared to make that kind of act?"

Rydia knew he was stalling, trying to make her think before she acted. She didn't understand his logic at all. It also made her think about whether or not he actually had the information she wanted. "I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to get the answers I want." She whispered.

Bray studied her eyes. They burned with such passion that he fed off the emotion swirling within her depths. His hand lifted from his side and extended out to touch her cheek. She didn't flinch at his touch. The only thing he saw was determination and a desire to protect the people she loved so much. It was something he could admire about her besides the beauty she possessed.

"So what do you know? Tell me now."

"Patience sweet one."

"I have zero patience. Nick saw to that when he took my father away from me and my sister. It was one thing when he was targeting just me; but now he's expanded and he will pay for it."

He chuckled once again, despite actually admiring her determination. Rydia cocked her head to the side, not understanding why he was even laughing in the first place. "I don't have time for games, Bray!" She snapped attempting to walk around him, realizing that it was clearly a mistake to think he'd help her.

"Wait!"

His hand grasped her arm firmly and within seconds she yanked her arm away from him, glaring. He noted that if looks could kill he'd be a dead man; but that was what he liked most about her. The fact that she didn't let anyone push her around and stood tall when the worst was upon her. Even if he told her everything he knew, Nick would change it all around and none of them would be prepared for what was to come.

"It's Skye. She's the target for his upcoming plan."

"I don't suppose you know what that plan is?"

"No, the only thing I know is that it will be happening tonight."

Her radiant blue eyes widened in horror when the words came out of her enemy's mouth. Skye was the one person that had been there for her through every hardship starting out as a singer; but she was more than that now. She was her best friend and just like a sister. Her heart started to race with the urgency to find Skye and attempt to protect her from the past that continued to torment the people she cared about.

"What about my father?"

"Nick was behind that. He wanted to break you down far enough so he could just sweep you up; but as it turned out you are alot stronger than he expected and his plans changed. His feelings changed..."

Rydia turned her head swiftly, her hair flowing around caressing her face. She wondered exactly what he meant by when he said Nick's feelings changed; but the bottom line was that Bray had held up his end and now it was time to pay up for the information. Her hand gently touched his arm all the while cringing on the inside. She leaned in closer towards his bearded face. He sucked in a breath of air anticipating the payment he wanted from her.

She stopped a two inches away from his lips and he was becoming impatient; but he knew if he grabbed her and kissed her things wouldn't go the way he planned. Roman would no doubt hunt him and down and make him pay for it. It had to coming willingly from her. "I'd rather die than kiss the enemy." She whispered against his lips and took several steps backward.

"That was my payment for my information." He replied in a harsh voice.

"How do I know what you told me is the truth?"

Bray finally understood why she didn't go through with the payment. He couldn't really blame her for not trusting him. Rydia took one more look at the defeated man before her and then shifted so she could run down the hall. He watched her, frozen in his spot until he could no longer see her. There was determination to prove to her that he could be trusted.

On the other side of the arena, Mia franticly searched for her sister with Dean trailing behind. She was annoyed that Seth didn't try and stop her more forcefully; but he couldn't blame everything on him. She was well aware of the fact Rydia did things without thinking first. "Slow down, Mia. We will find her." Dean called from further behind her.

"She may have already found Bray. I'm not going to loose her to. I will not survive it."

Dean ran to close the gap between them and spun her around to face him. The desperation in her eyes made him realize that it really was a reality that Rydia could be killed. He understood his girlfriend's concern, because if the roles were reversed he would have felt the same way. His arms wrapped themselves around her trembling body. Her head nuzzled against his chest out of comfort.

"Any luck?" Seth asked coming around the corner from the parking lot area.

"No, where is Roman?" Dean asked.

"Right here."

The three of them watched him come out of the locker-room that had been assigned to The Shield for the show. His expression was hollow and emotionless at best; but the fear in his eyes was the real way he was feeling. Mia pushed herself out of Dean's embrace the second she heard heels clicking against the tiled floor of the arena.

"Rydia!" Mia shouted and flung herself at her sister.

"Mia, what the hell?" Rydia asked surprised to see her sister react that way.

"Don't you scare us like that again!"

Rydia smiled and returned the hug her sister presented. Her eyes connected with Roman's from across the hall. A sense of relief had washed over him to see her completely unharmed; but the panic was on her face behind the smile the was already on her lips. "Where is Skye?" She asked looking directly at Seth.

"She said wanted to finish up the song she was practicing and that she'd be here later."

"We need to find her now!"

The evident panic and fear alarmed the others to the urgency of the matter. Rydia ran through them to get to the parking area only to stop mid-step and scream a blood curtailing scream. Roman heard it from into the arena and instantly followed after her.

Rydia held her hand over her mouth trying not to vomit from the sight of the pool of blood Skye was laying in. Her eyes shifted in every which way trying to find the source of where the blood was coming from; but there were too many to count. She knelt down next to her unconscious friend and pulled out her phone, dialing 911.

"SKYE!" Seth bellowed in horror.

He scrambled to her side. His fingertips searched for a pulse at the top corner of her neck. Her heart was still beating at a slow and steady pace. Rydia hung up after calling for an ambulance. Tears were rolling down her cheeks like a river of sorrow. Roman, Dean and Mia surrounded the scene to make it easier for the paramedics to find them.

It wasn't long before they heard the sirens echoing in the parking garage. "What the hell happened?" Stephanie's voice asked from behind them. The sight before her was full of horror. Rydia's guilt stricken face could only confirm the words she had told Stephanie about her life and now her own family had been drug into the mayhem.

"I'm so sorry, Stephanie..." Rydia apologized.

"What happened?"

"My ex targeted her trying to get to me. This is my fault and I take full responsibility."

Stephanie shook her head and reached out to the grieving woman. Rydia collapsed to her knees in anguish filled sobs. Roman knelt down next to her and wrapped a comforting arm around her. The paramedics lifted Skye onto a stretcher and wheeled her into the back of the ambulance. Seth jumped into the back ready to ride with her to the hospital.

In a quick shut of the doors, the ambulance took off for the nearest hospital leaving the rest of the group alone with their thoughts. "She's strong and will survive this." Stephanie stated hoping that it would encourage Rydia to stand tall and fight back. She didn't want to see her give up now that she had fought back for months.

"I was too late to protect her. What the hell kind of friend does that make me?" Rydia cried getting up from the ground.

"You couldn't have known..." Stephanie tried to explain but was cut off by Rydia's harsh expression.

Without anymore words, she took off towards the arena. She intended on tracking down Bray and make him pay for giving him too late information. Her emotions were cut off and full of anger. She swore that they would pay dearly if Skye didn't make it. It would be a second person Nick had taken away from her and there was no way in hell that there would be a third.

"Rydia, wait!" Roman called.

"Don't try and stop me. He's going to pay dearly for this." She shouted back.

"Tracking down Bray and hurting him isn't going to make this right. We are better people than that. Come on, let's go to the hospital. Steph gave us all the night off to go."

"This is my fault, Roman. How can I live with that on my conscious? I let my best friend get nearly killed by my ex."

Roman closed the gap and traced his fingertip along her cheek. Her blue eyes were red and puffy from crying; but behind all of the that, there was still hope. A hope he intended to keep alive for her. His lips captured hers softly and all the pain she had been feeling was almost instantly washed away. She couldn't understand how he managed to make her feel that way with just a simple kiss upon her lips.

Seth watched as the medics continued to work on Skye. He could see a large cut along stomach and two smaller ones along her wrists. Her eyes twitched from under her closed lids. "Skye..." He whispered. He was silently pleading for her to not to leave him. Despite the year they weren't together, he never lost his love for her. If she died now, he'd never be able to tell her that he still loved her.

"What's her blood type?" One of the medics asked.

"O positive just like me." Seth answered.

"Good, lay down on that bench. She needs blood now."

Seth did as he was told and the others began to transfer blood into Skye. His eyes never left her prone body. He wasn't going to give up on her no matter what. The blood started to flow out his veins into a tube directly linked to Skye. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do to bring her back to him and to Rydia.