(A/N): Hey everyone! Sorry I've been missing in action for a while, but I'm back! It's been kind of crazy with me taking finals, thinking I was graduating, finding out I wasn't graduating, getting depressed, finding my diploma on my doorstep to find out that I actually DID graduate, have a few bumps on the road to get my book published AND a family vacation pulling me away from my laptop. Yeah, no time to work on this. But I'm back! And, as an 'I'm so sorry' gift, I'll tell you a little story. While I had some writer's block, I created the guys, Katrina, Evan and Natalie on the Sims to help get me going on writing this. I had to step away from them and forgot to pause my game. When I got back, Logan was reading, Carlos was making cookies, Kendall and Evan were tossing a football around and Natalie was playing around with chemicals at a lab table. What were James and Katrina doing? Well… Apparently, James had decided to flirt with Katrina. And, before I could stop him, he grabbed her and kissed her. She then yelled at him and slapped him. I couldn't stop laughing.
Anyway, thank you to these people for your reviews: Dreamer1992 (Something adventurous? Possibly. Or possibly something else.), Leah Garcia (Oh, Kendall is DEFINITELY going to be seeing Emily again. And Evan. At the same time. Cue an awkward silence.), blueragingfire (Well, Natalie sort of has a childish side. I mean, she can get kind of crazy when she's doing some type of experiment if that's what you meant. And she's always up for testing something, no matter the cost. So, yeah, she's serious about her work, but what she does to get results would make other scientists hesitate. I hope that helps.), Witch Demigoddess (So so so so sorry I left you hanging like that! I feel terrible now! I'll try and be better about updates now that I'm back. And yes, the Zizi are kind of acting weird, but they have reasons for their weirdness. It's up to the guys, Katrina and the rest of them to figure out exactly what those reasons are.), niki1kendra (Yeah, James and Katrina do kind of have that love/hate relationship going for them. But, Katrina's dating Logan and, after all they went through to get together, they probably won't break up. Unless, of course, the readers decide to put Logan with Natalie…), Derba (Don't worry. It's STILL not over! I'm even getting some plans for season 4! Let's just say that EVERYONE is going to be dealing with some crazy times.) and Reinoiswriting (James and Natalie? Hmm. Interesting. And yes, Cedric will appear very soon. Not this chapter, but soon. Look for him to make his first appearance right after Christmas.)
Once again, I'm so sorry it took so long to update! I'll try to be better! Well, I don't anticipate it to be THAT much longer for the next update. I mean, I was gone for a while…
So, the disclaimers. I do not own Big Time Rush. And… Yeah, that's it… Onward to the chapter!
Chapter 81: Waves in the Holiday Joy
Kendall, James, Carlos, Logan and Evan sat on the orange couch in 2J, playing a video game together on the television. Katrina came over with her arms crossed, "It's Thanksgiving. Why isn't anyone at home?"
"Uh, we are home," Evan reminded her, not looking away from the TV.
"I meant with their families," Katrina explained.
"You are my family," Kendall replied. He smirked as he pressed a button triumphantly. Logan groaned. "HAH! You're dead!"
Katrina shook her head, "I don't mean you and Evan. Logan, Carlos, James, why aren't you guys in Minnesota for Thanksgiving? Don't you wanna be with your families?"
Because his character was dead, Logan tossed his controller onto the coffee table, "We would, but Gustavo wants us to come in tomorrow. He told us that the only time off we get is Thanksgiving and that's because he said this day was his vacation away from us. It seemed pointless to take a plane to Minnesota just for dinner."
Blinking, Katrina stared at him for a second before saying, "Okay. Sorry you're dead." She leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. After smiling to the others, she walked over to the kitchen to join Mrs. Knight getting Thanksgiving dinner ready.
"Pausing the game!" Evan announced. He pressed a button on the controller and the boys stopped staring at the television. "Gotta pee." Evan placed the controller on the coffee table and ran for the bathroom. When he heard a sniff, he stopped and turned in Katrina's direction. "Are you crying?"
Katrina held up a knife, "Chopping onions." Evan nodded and continued his exposition to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. A second later, the guys had surrounded Katrina, watching her work on the onions. She ignored them at first, but they kept getting closer. Finally, Katrina spoke, "Do you mind? I'm trying to help with dinner here."
"Well, you don't have to cry about while doing it," James mumbled. "I'd prefer for my food to not be drenched." Katrina's eyes widened as she turned to glare at James. The other boys quickly ran back to their spots on the couch.
Lucky for James, Evan came out of the bathroom, "Okay, we can get back to the game." The two boys raced back to the couch and unpaused the game.
Katrina sighed at the sound of explosions and gunfire, "Boys." Rolling her eyes, Katrina went back to work on the onions.
The group gathered around the dining table, watching as Mrs. Knight placed the turkey on the table. Sitting among them, she spoke, "Okay, dig in!"
As plates were filled with food, conversations echoed in the apartment. Laughter came from mouths both when they were empty and not.
"So, how is Wolff Pack doing with picking their demos?" Kendall brought up. Katrina and Evan groaned. "I'm guessing, not well?"
"Not at all," Katrina confirmed.
"Gustavo knocks down EVERY combination of songs," Evan added. "He says it's because he's still looking for that 'hit song', but I think it's because he hates us."
"We're not even going to be considered in this round of demos because we're too late," Katrina continued. "We have to be perfect before we give them our demos. Gustavo doesn't want to go through with us what he went through with you guys."
"What happened to that interview that you and Kendall had to do?" Logan asked.
"Gustavo's waiting for the demos to get picked first," Katrina revealed.
"There's a lot riding on those demos," Katie realized. "Have you ever thought about just giving them to Mercedes yourself?"
"Skip over Gustavo's approval?" Katrina responded. "Ooh, he'd get upset over that." Slowly, a smile appeared on her face. "I like it."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Kendall got up from his seat to go see who it was.
"This food is amazing," Carlos complimented between bites.
"Thank you," Katrina and Mrs. Knight spoke together.
Kendall opened the door to find Natalie on the other side. She wiggled her fingers in greeting.
"I thought you were with your parents for Thanksgiving," Kendall told her.
"We had Thanksgiving lunch," Natalie replied. "Normally, I spend Thanksgiving dinner with my American friends in England. But since they're on a separate continent this year, I thought I'd come see what you were all up to."
"So, you got on a plane just to come see us?" Kendall raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"More Kat and Evan," Natalie corrected. "When you're separated from your friends for two and a half years, you tend to want to spend as much time with them as possible. Plus, it's a lot of fun being around you guys. Around my house in the holidays, it's all bragging about the latest breakthrough. And my parents aren't too thrilled about me 'wasting my time and intelligence on some idiotic television show'." Natalie rolled her eyes. "Try being the middle child in a family of geniuses that could rival Einstein."
"Well, you're always welcome here," Kendall opened the door wider so Natalie could come in. "Look who came for a visit!" The group at the table waved to the smart girl. Carlos quickly got up and left the room.
As Kendall started closing the door, Natalie turned to him, "Oh, by the way, you should probably know that some dude is out there in a suit and sunglasses, whispering into his earpiece that he's got surveillance on this apartment."
"What?!" Kendall exclaimed. He poked his head into the hallway to find the man standing a couple doors away. The man noticed Kendall staring and ran off. "Why do I have the feeling that this has to do with Kat and Evan?"
"And probably you too," Natalie added. Kendall winced, realizing that she was right.
Carlos came back in the room with a chair. Placing it at the table next to his, Carlos gestured for Natalie to join them, "Come on, Natalie. We have enough food for you to join us!"
Natalie hesitated, watching Kendall rejoin the group, "Uh, how healthy is the food?"
"It's a classic Thanksgiving dinner," Mrs. Knight explained. "Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy-"
"That sounds very filling," Natalie commented.
"I'm eating it, Nats," Katrina pointed out. "And I have to keep my weight down for modeling."
"Yeah, but you also have one of the highest metabolisms I've ever seen," Natalie retorted.
"It's a holiday," Logan reminded her. "People tend to eat more than they should on holidays anyway." Natalie, unable to argue with that, slowly sat in the empty seat that Carlos had brought, joining the group in their meal.
The sound of a knock on the door startled the sleeping Big Time Rush. Groaning, they sat up in their beds, wondering what was going on.
Kendall checked the clock, "Who could be visiting us at three AM?"
"Who would be AWAKE at three AM?" James complained. Carlos mumbled something incomprehensible, cuddling up to his pillow.
"Should we go check it out?" Logan asked. Whispers on the other side of the door caught their attention, making all four of them stare at the door expectantly.
"Yeah, let's check it out," Kendall decided, pushing the bedding aside so he could get up. His friends followed him out of the room and toward the main area of the apartment, Carlos practically sleepwalking with his pillow locked in his arms.
Opening the door, a bright light hit their eyes and they had to blink repeatedly to adjust to the light. Once they could see, they noticed that Katrina, Natalie, Katie and Mrs. Knight were staring back at them. The four females were fully dressed, an odd spectacle at such an early time.
"Sorry we woke you boys," Mrs. Knight apologized.
"What's going on?" Carlos asked groggily.
"Aw, they're so adorable when they're confused," Natalie observed.
Katrina ignored her friend's comment, "It's Black Friday. We're going out to get some monster savings on Christmas gifts!"
"At three in the morning?!" all four guys exclaimed.
"The stores open at five," Katie revealed. "We have to get there early enough to beat the crazies." The boys stared in disbelief. "Hey, I'm still a girl. I can like shopping."
"We should go," Natalie insisted. "If we don't go soon, we won't be able to pick up coffee on the way."
"Be good," Mrs. Knight told the boys. She led the girls out of the apartment. The boys continued to stare at the door, unable to speak a word.
Finally, Kendall broke the silence, "Back to bed." The guys turned on their heels and left the room.
At the store, the group split into two. While Mrs. Knight and Katie went off in one direction, Katrina and Natalie headed in a different one.
"I don't know what to get Logan," Katrina admitted to Natalie as she looked through a rack of clothes. "It's our first Christmas as a couple. Actually, it's our first Christmas together at all."
"It's your first Christmas with a family since that tragedy," Natalie reminded her.
"Right," Katrina agreed. "And I want it to be special. Memorable. I just don't know how. What did you get Cedric on your first Christmas together?"
"A book on the applied dynamics of the solar system," Natalie revealed.
"Cause that's what every boyfriend wants from his girlfriend," Katrina mumbled.
"Cedric was the one that picked it out," Natalie added. "Why don't you just ASK Logan what he wants?"
"Where's the romance in that?" Katrina asked. "I was able to get him a birthday gift, why is figuring out a Christmas gift so much harder?" Natalie shrugged. "What are you doing for Christmas anyway?"
"Spending time with my family," Natalie replied. "In England." Katrina raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah, I know. They wanted to meet Cedric, so we're having a special Christmas vacation. I'm really excited about it. Cedric told me that he has a surprise for me."
"Ooh," Katrina responded. "A surprise! Just pray that he's not asking you to marry him in front of your family. I mean, you both have graduated from college already. Of course, he took the normal route while you sped your way through."
Natalie shook her head, "He wouldn't do that. We talked about it. No marriage until I'm twenty."
"Things change when you're apart," Katrina advised. "Believe me. I think that Big Time Rush's tour allowed me and Logan to get closer together. It forced us to talk because that was the only way of staying in touch. So, what would you suggest that I get Logan?"
"Um, he's been eyeing a chemical kit that I have," Natalie mentioned. "You could get him that. It's only by special order though. And you have to have clearance for it."
"Which you have!" Katrina realized. "You wouldn't mind ordering it, would you? I'll pay you back."
"Sure," Natalie agreed. "I'll call them when we get back to the Palm Woods." She pulled a dress off the clothes rack and handed it to Katrina. "Here, try this on." Katrina raised an eyebrow. "You want your Christmas to be special? You need a special outfit. I still need to get a Christmas gift for you so whatever outfit you choose, it's on me." Katrina seemed okay with this deal, taking the dress to the dressing room.
"Okay, Nats," Katrina came out of the dressing room, red dress draped on her arm. "I think this dress is the one. Let's go find-" She cut herself off upon seeing Natalie. The smart girl was stuck in a headlock under Chase's arm. The stalker had a gun pointed at her head. "Chase. How did you find us?"
"Please, I know you better than you know yourself," Chase insisted. "I know you could never miss a Black Friday."
"Come on, Chase," Katrina tried to reason with him. "You're not a killer."
Suddenly, something hard hit the back of Katrina's head and she fell unconscious to the ground. Emily carefully stepped over the model, "No, he's not. But I am." She came over to Natalie and Chase, giving the smart girl a smirk. Natalie closed her eyes, waiting for whatever was coming. "However, this time, we can't kill. The Zizi want you two to suffer." Using the butt of the gun in her hand, she hit Natalie on the back of the head, knocking her out too. "Let's move them." She picked up Katrina while Chase dragged Natalie out.
Right when Big Time Rush finished recording a song, a cell phone rang. Gustavo got to his feet, yelling, "WHOSE IS THAT?!"
"Uh, sorry," Logan winced, pulling out his phone. "I thought I put it on silent." He looked at the screen. "Huh, why is Katie calling me?"
"I'm sure it's nothing important," Kelly insisted. "Just ignore it and we'll go on to the next song." Logan shrugged, ignoring the call and putting his phone away. Kelly came into the booth, giving each of the guys another sheet of music. "Here's the latest song. The tempo is a little faster than that last one, so keep that in mind."
Suddenly, another cell phone rang. Gustavo crumpled up the paper in his hands, "Does ANYONE know how to turn their phone on silent?!"
Kendall slowly pulled his phone out to check it, avoiding Gustavo's glare, "This is weird. Now, my mom is calling me."
"Didn't your mom and Katie go shopping with Katrina and Natalie?" Carlos remembered.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Kendall mumbled before answering his phone. "Hey, Mom. What's wrong?"
"I'm calling Katrina to be sure she's okay," Logan decided, pulling out his phone again. He quickly dialed Katrina's number and brought the phone to his ear. "Come on, pick up."
"Mom, relax," Kendall spoke into the phone. "They probably just went in another store at the mall. Try asking around to see if they left. Then, ask the security guards. We shouldn't jump to any conclusions." After saying his goodbyes, he hung up his phone.
"She's not answering," Logan started freaking out. "The Zizi got her, didn't they?"
"Relax, Logan," James assured him. "Try Natalie. Maybe Katrina's phone died or something." Logan took a deep breath, dialing Natalie's phone number.
"I'm getting really tired of that cat getting in trouble and interrupting everything," Gustavo mumbled. Kelly stared at him in disbelief.
A door opening to the control room grabbed everyone's attention. Evan and Brandon rushed into the room, breathing heavily. The others froze as they waited for them to gather their breath.
"The Zizi took Kat and Nats," Evan revealed. The others' faces fell. Holding up his phone, Evan continued, "They called about a ransom."
"What do they want?" Kendall asked.
"Kendall, they want us," Evan replied. "They'll trade Kat and Nats for us."
Katrina groaned as she slowly gained consciousness. She tried opening her eyes, but there was too much light for her to keep them open. Her ears picked up the sound of someone vomiting in the distance. Trying again, she blinked to get used to the light, enough to open her eyes fully. Looking around, she found herself in a dirty bedroom, lying on a ratty, uncovered mattress. She searched for any sign of someone else in the room. Finding herself alone, she quickly got up and headed for the round window. Katrina gasped at the sight outside the window. The blue ocean stretched out in the distance. There was no sign of land.
"Crap," Katrina muttered. "No way out."
Suddenly, the door burst open and Katrina turned, expecting the worst. Natalie stumbled inside, holding her head, "I hate boats." Her sweat-covered charcoal hair sprayed out on the pillow as Natalie collapsed on the bed. The boat got hit by a wave and Natalie gagged.
"Is anyone else on here?" Katrina asked. Natalie shook her head, not trusting herself to open her mouth without puking. "I'm just gonna explore the boat. See if I can find a way to communicate with someone." Natalie gestured for Katrina to leave while holding onto her mouth, feeling another vomit session coming up. Katrina ran out of the room before she could be the target for Natalie's sickness.
Kendall sat on the couch at Rocque Records with his head in his hands while Evan paced in front of him, mumbling incomprehensible words to himself. The others watched the two cousins, unable to come up with a solution to their situation.
"So, let me get this straight," Kendall held up his head. "If we don't give ourselves up to the Zizi, then they'll kill Kat and Natalie. If we do give ourselves up, then we'll be held by the Zizi with no way out. Plus, we don't know if they'll keep their word so Kat and Natalie might end up dead anyway."
"They won't keep their word," Evan insisted. "They just want us to join them to kill us all at once."
"What do we do then?" Kendall asked. "Should we go to the police?"
"No," Evan waved the idea away. "If we bring in the authorities, the Zizi will change their tactics. We don't want that."
"Okay, what about a tracking system?" Kendall suggested. Evan stopped his pacing to stare at Kendall. "If the Zizi want to kill us all at once, wouldn't it make sense that they'd take us to wherever they have Kat and Natalie? And if we're being tracked, then the others would be able to come in and save us."
"That would work," Evan agreed. "Logan, can you get a tracking system on us?"
"Yeah, no problem," Logan confirmed.
"Then, let's go save Kat and Nats," Evan led everyone except Gustavo and Kelly out of Rocque Records.
Gustavo turned to Kelly, "Why do I even bother trying to get something done around here when that cat just messes everything up?!" Kelly rolled her eyes.
Katrina left the boat's kitchen, grumbling about being unable to find anything useful there. She found some stairs and raced down them, hoping to find a lead there. A door was slightly ajar so Katrina went through it. She froze at the sight of the contents of the room.
"Cody?!" Katrina exclaimed in surprise. The blonde boy was strapped to a chair, surrounded by explosives. He looked fearful, breathing heavily as he looked around the death trap he was in.
"Help," Cody whispered, not daring to move too much. "They figured out I was spying. As soon as they have Kendall and Evan in their grasps, the Zizi are going to blow us all up."
"Why?" Katrina asked. "Why kill us this way?"
"They needed to be sure we wouldn't get away," Cody revealed. "They can't let me live." Katrina stared at him in confusion. "I found something that could reopen your parents' murder case."
Katrina's eyes widened, "Really?" Cody nodded slowly. "We have to get you out of there. I'll go get Nats." Katrina ran from the room, heading back the way she came.
"This should keep track of you," Logan typed on his laptop. "Just swallow the trackers and we'll be able to know your exact position." Kendall and Evan looked at the small metal pieces in their hands.
"Uh, are you sure this is safe?" Kendall asked.
"More or less," Logan didn't seem concerned. "You might feel a slight electric shock every now and then until it passes out of your system." Kendall and Evan exchanged quick worried looks. "Nothing fatal though."
"Well, I've swallowed worse," Evan admitted, tossing the tracker in his mouth. He didn't notice the others give him weird looks as he took a drink of water to help him swallow it. Swallowing the water and tracker, he frowned. "I just realized that could be taken the wrong way." He flinched at a sudden electric shock.
"I guess this is the only choice we have," Kendall decided, putting his own tracker in his mouth and taking a drink of water to wash it down.
"So, Evan," James began casually. "What's going on with you and Camille?"
That little comment caused a chaotic reaction. Kendall coughed, choking slightly on the water he had just drunk. Logan twitched spastically, knocking the laptop to the floor. Evan slowly turned to glare at the smirking James. Carlos scratched his head, looking at everyone and wondering what was going on. Brandon laughed nervously, inching toward the door to get out of the tense moment.
"What is he talking about, Evan?" Logan had a strained, slightly crazy smile on his face, eye twitching.
"Nothing," Evan growled, glaring at James. "He's just trying to get you to doubt your relationship with Kat."
"Evan's telling the truth," Brandon insisted. "If anyone would know, it would be me."
"Jeez, James," Kendall shook his head. "Why would you say something like that?"
James sighed, "I guess I'm just not as good of a friend as everyone thinks."
"Did I miss something?" Carlos asked, raising his eyebrows as he looked over the angry faces on the other boys in the room.
"No, Carlos," everyone else answered.
Carlos frowned and crossed his arms, "No one tells me anything anymore."
"So, where are we supposed to give ourselves up?" Kendall asked.
"At the park," Evan answered. "Logan, does the tracker work?" Logan picked the laptop up off the ground and typed on it. He nodded. "Good, let's get going." He and Kendall headed for the door, leaving the others to track their movements.
"I shouldn't be moving," Natalie moaned. She gagged and had to stop walking to regain her composure. Placing a hand on the walls, she closed her eyes, hoping her dizziness would go away.
"You're not gonna puke again, are you?" Katrina stepped away from her best friend, avoiding any possibility of getting hit by projectile vomit.
It took a moment, but Natalie finally shook her head, "No, I think I've emptied my stomach already." Katrina grimaced in disgust. "Let's keep moving." Natalie continued down the hallway. Katrina kept her distance, but walked along with her.
"Okay, here we are," Katrina opened the door to reveal Cody in his bomb trap.
"I thought you were getting Natalie!" Cody exclaimed. "Not that I'm complaining. This girl's a much better view."
"I am Natalie," Natalie told him.
"No, you're not," Cody shook his head. "Natalie's fat, ugly and such a nerd. I mean, no one could pay me enough to date that freak." Katrina facepalmed while Natalie glared at him.
"I say we leave him," Natalie suggested.
"Yeah," Katrina agreed. "I'm sure Evan will figure out whatever Cody's found." The two girls turned to leave the room.
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS!" Cody screamed. "PLEASE! I'M SORRY!"
"Well, since you said sorry," Natalie turned back. "I guess I can get you out. Kat, go search for a getaway boat or something." Katrina nodded and left the room. "Now, let's get you free, Cody." She kneeled down beside one of the bombs. Gagging, she had to cover her mouth.
"Are you okay?" Cody raised an eyebrow.
"I think," Natalie didn't seem sure. "Either way, I still have to free you." She started analyzing the closest bomb.
Kendall and Evan stood in the park, waiting impatiently for some sign of the Zizi. Their minds went over all of the bad things that could be happening to Katrina and Natalie, just making them even more nervous with the situation.
Finally, Emily stepped between them and linked her arms with theirs, "Walk with me and don't say a word. I've got snipers all around with their guns pointed at you." Kendall and Evan gulped. Emily led the cousins toward the park exit where the guys saw a black van. The girl made the boys get in the back before climbing in after them.
"Where's Kat?!" Evan demanded once the doors were shut.
"Relax," Emily sat down on one of the couches and gestured for the boys to sit on the opposite one. "We're taking you to her and Natalie. Now, what you say will determine whether you get to head back to the Palm Woods safe and sound with the girls or if you'll be planning a couple funerals." She pulled down a miniature television from the roof of the van. The image on the screen showed a boat sailing on the ocean. "The girls are on that. It's laced with explosives. One wrong move and I'll push a button causing the bombs to go off. If it were me, I wouldn't risk it."
"What do you want to know?" Kendall asked.
Emily smirked, "Be patient, cutie. I'll tell you when I'm good and ready." The engine on the van started up and the trio in the back braced themselves as the van headed for its destination.
Katrina wandered the ship until she found herself in the back. There, sitting on the edge, was a raft. The model rushed up to it in desperation, ecstatic that she found some way off the boat. Inside the raft was a box. Confused, Katrina picked it up and opened it. Hers and Natalie's cell phones were inside.
"Yes!" Katrina exclaimed. "I'll call Logan. He must be worried sick." She quickly went through her missed calls. "Wow. He's called me a lot. Aunt Jenn too. And Kendall. And Evan. I better call – Wait a second!" Katrina furrowed her eyebrows. "Cody's on the boat with us. Why isn't his cell phone here too?" Her mouth dropped as she realized. "Cody wasn't supposed to survive this boat ride, but Nats and I were. What if those bombs were meant to go off if anyone messed with it? I need to warn Nats!" Katrina raced off.
The van stopped and Emily turned to Evan, "Okay, we're at our first stop. You go inside and ask for your birth certificate. Any deviancy will cause you to have to say buh-bye to your little sister. Don't worry about Kendall. I'm not allowed to kill him. Yet. Besides, I don't really want to." She gave Kendall a wink. He gagged slightly.
"Emily, why did you bring Kendall along? I'd prefer he'd stay out of this," Evan mentioned.
"I ask the questions," Emily insisted. "Now, go." Grumbling, Evan got out of the van. "So, Kendall, what's it like living with a cousin that you didn't know you had, what, less than a year ago?" Kendall stayed quiet. "Have you ever felt anything for Katrina? It would make sense with her being a model and all that." No words escaped the singer's lips. "The silent treatment, huh? That doesn't bode well for Katrina. She might not live to see her first Christmas with a family in two years! I would hate to have to explain to Evan why he's suddenly an only child. Or your best friend why he's got no girlfriend. Not to mention your other best friend who really has a thing for her. They would all be upset with you, wouldn't they?"
"I have never had a thing for her," Kendall broke his silence. "Not even before I knew she was my cousin."
"Good," Emily smirked. "Because otherwise, some of your other relatives might be disappointed in you. Like your dad, for instance." Kendall glared at her. "You should know that there are some things about him that your mom didn't tell you. Maybe you should ask her."
"What could you possibly know about my dad that I don't?" Kendall didn't seem in the mood for Emily's games.
"Testy," Emily noted. "I like it. How serious are you and Jo? Because I could really teach you some things to spice up your relationship with her. Unless you wanted to move on to me. I would not mind that at all. Of course, your cousins might." Kendall stared at her in disbelief.
Kendall didn't have to answer since Evan came back in the van at that moment. He handed his birth certificate to Emily, "Why did you want this anyway?"
"I told you," Emily snatched the paper from his hand. "I ask the questions. Sit down. We have a couple more stops before we take you to your sister and her friend." Evan sat down and the van headed out.
"Wait!" Logan called out. Carlos, James and Brandon stopped at the door. "They're moving again."
"Are we sure that the Zizi haven't killed them?" Brandon brought up.
"The tracker measures heart rate too," Logan responded. "Their heart rates are a little high, but I imagine that's the stress of the situation."
"You think they'll lead us to Katrina and Natalie?" Carlos checked.
"What other choice do we have?" James slumped down at the dining table in their apartment. "It's not like one of them is gonna call us."
Suddenly, Logan's cell phone rang and the smart boy hurriedly checked who was calling, "It's Katrina!" He answered it, putting it on speaker right away. "Where are you?! We'll come and get you right away!"
"I don't know!" Katrina's voice came from the phone. "We're on a boat and there's water in every direction with no land in sight and Cody's here and Natalie's trying to free him from a bomb trap, but she keeps throwing up from being sea sick and she can't concentrate and there's a raft here, but I'm afraid of taking it because we might end up even more lost and I'M FREAKING OUT!"
"A boat?" Brandon seemed confused.
"A bomb?!" James got to his feet.
"Cody," Carlos growled.
"Okay, Katrina, take a deep breath," Logan advised. "And go through one of your stress dealing routines while I think of what to do."
"I'VE ALREADY DONE IT THREE TIMES!" Katrina yelled.
"Then, it's obviously not working," James mumbled so quietly that Katrina couldn't hear it over the phone.
The door from the bedrooms burst open and Katie ran in, "I thought I heard Katrina! Is she back yet?! Did Kendall's and Evan's idea work?!" The boys immediately made gestures to get her to stop talking, but the damage was done.
"What idea from Kendall and Evan?" Katrina demanded. "What's going on over there?! Did they do something stupid like make a deal with the Zizi?!" Nervous laughter echoed in the room. "Oh no. They did something stupid."
"Nevermind them," Logan responded. "We're tracking them. They'll be fine. You're the one I'm worried about. How are we going to get you off that boat?"
"Like I said before," Katrina sighed. "There's a raft here. But I have NO idea where we are! How are we supposed to know which way to go?!"
"Natalie can't help?" Katie asked.
"She's sea sick," Katrina repeated. "It's really bad. She even threw up on my shoes." The people in the room crinkled their noses. "Which means she can't disarm these bombs! I thought we covered this!"
"Bombs?!" Katie exclaimed. Katrina grumbled something on the other end of the phone. "If Natalie can't, then maybe Logan can?"
"That would work if I was there!" Logan reminded her.
"You both have picture phones right?" Katie mentioned. "Have Katrina take a picture and send it to you." Everyone stared at her.
"I can't believe we didn't think of that," Brandon mumbled.
"Right, Katrina, send me a picture and I'll look it over," Logan spoke over the phone. His phone beeped and he looked down at the picture. "Wow, that's a lot of bombs. This might take me a while."
The van stopped and Kendall and Evan looked to Emily for instruction. She sighed, picking up Evan's birth certificate and handing it to Kendall, "Take this and go in the building. Give it to whoever's at the desk and ask to see your box. You'll need this to get it open." She gave him a key. "If they ask if you're Evan, lie."
"You have Evan right here," Kendall pointed out. "Why not send him?"
"Because Evan will find meaning for whatever is in that box, but you won't," Emily explained. "When you come back out, give the items from the box to Chase before you get back in this van. If you mention whatever is in that box to Evan while we're in this van, I'll push the button to explode the ship that Katrina and Natalie are on. Go before I push it anyway." Grumbling, Kendall got out of the van.
Kendall found himself facing a bank. Confused, he went inside and approached the desk, "Hi, I'd like to see my box."
"Name and identification," the woman demanded without looking up from her computer.
"Uh, Evan Wolff," Kendall went along with his directions. The woman finally looked up from her computer as Kendall gave her Evan's birth certificate.
"I'm guessing you meant your dad's safety deposit box," the woman mentioned. "Because we don't have one for you, Mr. Wolff."
"Yeah, that's it," Kendall agreed.
"It's about time one of you came out for it," the woman mumbled. "It's been sitting here for years, collecting dust." She grabbed a set of keys. "Got your key?" Kendall nodded. "Then, I'll take you to it." Kendall followed the woman deeper into the bank.
Reaching a room filled with them, the woman pulled out a safety deposit box and placed it on the table in the middle of the room, "I'll be right outside when you're done." She left, leaving Kendall with the Wolffs' security deposit box. Kendall unlocked the box and opened it. Papers filled the box and Kendall sighed as he began collecting them.
Suddenly, Kendall heard a clunk as something heavy fell out of the pile of papers he had grabbed. Curiosity getting the better of him, Kendall picked up the object. It was a rock. Kendall stared down at it, wondering why it could be so valuable that it would be kept in a safety deposit box. Deciding he would ask Evan about it later, Kendall finished collecting the rest of the items, closed the box and left.
"So, Evan," Emily started. "How many girlfriends have you had since I disappeared on you?"
"None," Evan spoke harshly.
Emily seemed taken aback by this answer, "Really?"
"Sure, I dated," Evan admitted. "But I never got serious with another girl. I loved you and it would have ruined my memory of you. Now that I know you're actually alive, I kind of wish that I had given one of them a chance."
"What about that Camille chick?" Emily brought up.
"Emily, you were gone for eight years!" Evan exclaimed. "Camille was the first person that I felt something for since you rather than just making-out with someone out of boredom. And then you came back and ruined everything. So, excuse me for hating you."
"You know, it wasn't my fault," Emily insisted. "They took me."
"You didn't have to join them," Evan retorted. Emily stared at him, feeling guilty for once. Evan stared right back, determined to not back down.
Emily decided to change the subject, "I know something about Kendall's dad that even he doesn't know. Should I share it with you? Might make your relationship awkward with him."
"Why don't you just keep your secrets?" Evan suggested. "You've already pulled us into this mess. We don't need another one to deal with. And Kendall did nothing wrong. Don't punish him for whatever my family did."
"He is your family," Emily reminded him. "Deal with it."
The doors to the van opened and Kendall climbed back in. He sat down next to Evan, asking, "How many more stops are there?"
"Just one," Emily assured him as the van headed out again.
"Logan, are you any closer to figuring this out?" Katrina's voice came from Logan's phone.
"Don't rush me!" Logan exclaimed. "I'm working on it!"
"This isn't getting us anywhere!" James declared. "Why don't we split up? Katie and Brandon will check out some nearby harbors, see if they can find anyone missing a boat or something. Carlos and I can follow Kendall and Evan. You can stay here and keep us informed."
"Go," Logan gestured for them to leave. "I need silence to work on this anyway." The four left the apartment for their destinations.
"Here we are," Emily told them as the van stopped for the third time. "This time, I have to escort you." She got out of the van and waited for the boys to climb out. The smell of the ocean entered their nostrils as soon as they exited the van. "Remember what will happen to Katrina and Natalie if you don't do what I say." The boys looked around, noting that they were on the beach. Seagulls could be seen everywhere. "See that shack there?" Emily pointed at a rundown shack on the beach. "Go in there, grab a box and bring it to me."
"Why would that take both of us?" Kendall seemed confused. "Sounds like something simple."
"Are you disobeying my instructions?" Emily smirked. "Because that would cause the end to your lovely model cousin."
"Of course, he's not," Evan insisted. "Come on, Kendall. Let's get this box." Evan pushed his cousin into the shack. The two boys found a box sitting on the table. Kendall tried to pick it up on his own, but found it too heavy to move.
"Guess that's why we needed two people," Kendall realized. "Help me with this." Evan came over and the two boys picked up the box, carrying it out of the shack.
"Excellent," Emily commended them. "Now, put it in the van." They grunted as they placed it inside the van, pushing it further in. Emily got up in the van beside the box and began closing the doors.
"Wait!" Evan called out, making the girl stop before she could close the last door. "What about my sister?"
Emily smirked once again, pointing out to the ocean, "This spot will give you a perfect sight of the explosion that will claim her life."
"You promised that you'd let her go!" Kendall exclaimed.
"I lied," Emily laughed manically, closing the last door. The van sped off, leaving Kendall and Evan alone on the deserted beach. The boys immediately looked to the ocean, hoping they wouldn't see an explosion.
"Uh oh," Katrina mumbled, kneeling beside the explosives.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Logan, Natalie and Cody screamed at her.
"NOTHING!" Katrina yelled. "For some reason, I'm hearing a ticking sound. In the movies, that's usually a bad thing."
"You're going to have to use the raft!" Logan insisted. "Get out of there, NOW!"
"What about me?!" Cody exclaimed.
"Oh, for the love of-" Natalie cut herself off as she ripped the wires off of Cody, freeing him. "I've been analyzing the wires. They're not connected to any of the explosives. They were probably there to make sure that Cody didn't leave this spot out of fear. Let's get out of here before I'm too sick to move."
Katrina didn't need to be told again. She stuffed her phone in her back pocket and ran out of the room, Natalie and Cody at her heels. They got to the deck and headed for the raft, hopping on and lowering it to the water.
"Oh, I can already feel sicker," Natalie placed a hand on her stomach.
"Please aim for the ocean," Katrina mentioned. She grabbed the paddles and handed one to Cody. "We have to get away from this boat as quick as possible." While Natalie tried her best to not throw up on them, Katrina and Cody concentrated on moving the raft away from the boat about to explode.
"Guys!" Carlos called out as he and James ran toward Kendall and Evan on the beach. "Why are you just standing here? What happened to trading yourselves for Natalie and Katrina?"
Kendall and Evan looked at each other before they answered, "They lied."
Suddenly, a loud boom made the four boys look to the ocean. An explosion could be seen in the distance. They stared, unable to tear their eyes away from the spectacle on the waves.
Evan fell to his knees, "I can't believe it. After everything I've done, I couldn't protect her. My sister's gone." He bowed his head as the tears began to form. Kendall kneeled down, trying to comfort his cousin when he himself felt like he was going to cry.
"Well, there goes sneakily kissing Katrina under the mistletoe at Christmas," James mumbled. He was lucky that none of the others had heard him.
"Dude," Carlos turned to James with an idea. "What about Logan? What if he figured out a way to get them off the boat?"
"Oh yeah!" James pulled out his phone. "I'll call him and see."
"He's on the phone with Katrina," Carlos reminded him. "Try texting." James nodded, sending a text instead.
"Wait, what's going on?" Kendall looked to his best friends. His eyes were threatening to release tears. "How can Logan be on the phone with Kat?" James and Carlos immediately began telling the others about what was going on out on the sea.
"No no no no no," Logan repeated, pushing buttons on his phone. "Don't you DARE disconnect me from her!" Beeping came from the phone, indicating that the call was over. Logan groaned as he hung up and tried to call her back. He just ended up with her voicemail. Slamming his phone on the counter, he wondered what to do next. Getting the text from James, he read it over and decided to meet up with them. The door slammed behind him as he left the apartment.
Logan ran toward the group on the beach, Katie and Brandon following after meeting up with him in the lobby of the Palm Woods. The boys on the beach turned around to watch them.
"IS MY SISTER OKAY?!" Evan lifted Logan off the ground, yelling in his face.
"I don't know!" Logan exclaimed. "She won't answer my calls!" Evan dropped Logan to the ground. The smart boy groaned in pain.
"What now?!" Evan raised his hands in the air. "What if they really did die?!"
"Um, guys," Katie tried to get their attention.
"Evan, you two aren't invincible," Brandon told Evan, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And, out of the two of you, I thought that Kat would go first. I mean, she does get hurt a lot."
"That's not helping, Brandon," Evan replied.
"Guys," Katie tried again.
"I can't believe we lost her," Kendall mumbled. "It's hard to think of a life without her around now."
"She was my girlfriend!" Logan reminded him. "How do you think I feel?! And all of that wasted time that I could have been with her instead of figuring out if I liked her or Camille."
"Two and a half years," Evan mentioned. "I was away from her for two and a half years and I'll never get that back."
"HEY!" Katie screamed, finally getting the attention of the mourning boys. "There they are!" The boys looked over to where Katie was pointing. At the water's edge, Cody was pulling the raft onto the beach. Katrina and Natalie climbed out. While Katrina stumbled a bit to get her footing, Natalie fell into the sand, seeming to embrace it.
"Oh, sweet land," Natalie spoke into the sand. "Sweet, stable land. No more sea sickness."
"KAT!" The boys screamed. Before she could even register that they were there, Katrina was enveloped in the middle of a hug-fest from the others. She was held so tightly that she couldn't move. Smiling, she just let herself be hugged, wishing she could move her arms to hug them back. Cody finished pulling the raft to shore and watched the reunion, waiting for it to be done.
"Yeah, it's okay," Natalie got to her feet. "It's not like I was in the same position as her or anything. I'm good without a hug." She sighed as she watched Katrina in the middle of the hugs. "And I should be used to this. Second to my best friend, the model."
Carlos picked this up and pulled away from the hug to look over at her, "Hey, Natalie. Come join us." Slowly, a smile appeared on Natalie's face as Carlos pulled her into the giant hug.
"You are getting your shopping done online from now on," Evan told Katrina. She just laughed in response.
"You're okay!" Mrs. Knight pulled Katrina in for a hug the second the group entered apartment 2J.
"Yeah, and I've had enough hugs to last me the rest of the year," Katrina mumbled.
Mrs. Knight stopped hugging her and looked her in the eyes, "Whatever you want for dinner, it's yours."
"Anything but seafood," Katrina insisted. Mrs. Knight laughed, nodded and walked out of the room.
"Over here!" Evan called the group over to the orange couches. Everyone settled in around him, wanting to hear what he said. "We should probably wait for Camille and Jo before I start talking."
"Is this some sort of meeting?" James asked.
"Once they get here, we can start," Evan insisted.
"Why are we having a meeting?" Katrina brought up.
"Maybe it's got something to do with that rock I found in your dad's safety deposit box," Kendall mentioned.
"Or it could have to do with the situation with the Zizi overall," Logan suggested.
"I'll tell you when they get here," Evan continued to be mysterious about the issue.
"So, that isn't a no on the meeting?" Carlos checked.
Suddenly, the door to the apartment opened and Jo and Camille walked in. After closing the door, they joined the group, complaining about their jobs. Chatter built up in the group as everyone began talking about the work they were doing.
"Enough!" Evan exclaimed. "Let's get this meeting started!"
"Totally called it," James mumbled.
"I'm tired of being on the bad end of our battles with the Zizi," Evan continued. "We need to find a way to get ahead of them. Then, maybe, they'll leave us alone for a while."
"So, what do you suggest we do?" Katie asked.
"Katie, leave," Evan insisted. "This doesn't have to do with you."
Katie stared at him in disbelief, "If this involves our family, then it involves me. There is no way I'm just going to sit back and let you do something stupid without me there to correct it."
"Katie, we're protecting you," Kendall tried.
"You guys are the ones that need protecting," Katie got to her feet. "The Zizi haven't gone after me yet."
"And I'd like to keep it that way," Evan told her. "Now, leave."
"No!" Katie crossed her arms in defiance. "I'm tired of being protected. I'm the only one of you that's done any damage to the Zizi. Face it, you need me."
"Fine!" Evan gave in. "Just as long as you're ALWAYS around either me or Kendall, okay?"
"Okay," Katie agreed to the terms, sitting back down. "Continue."
"I have a feeling I'm going to regret that," Evan shook his head. "Anyway, we need to hit them where it hurts by infiltrating one of their bases. Cody, where's one of their hang-outs?"
"Um, the place I worked out of was your house," Cody revealed. "They actually use that place a lot."
"I'm not shocked," Evan responded. "After the holidays, we're going to check the place out. Because the house is so big, we're going to split up in teams. Kat, Brandon, Natalie and I will lead each of the teams because we know the house better than anyone else. To make sure that no one gets distracted, no one is going to be on the same team as someone they've dated." Grumbles came from the members that were part of a couple. "Logan, you're on my team." Logan seemed surprised by the choice, used to being picked last on teams. "Kat, pick someone."
"Let's see," Katrina looked over the group gathered. "Kendall, wanna be on my team?"
Kendall shrugged, "Sure."
"Awesome," Katrina gave him a high-five. "Brandon, your turn."
Brandon frowned as he thought about who he wanted to take, "How about Camille?"
"Okay," Camille seemed upset for some reason.
"My pick," Natalie realized. "And I'm picking Carlos. He's good at finding stuff." Carlos was particularly happy about this choice.
"And back to me," Evan looked over who was left. "Cody, I have to keep an eye on you."
"Yeah, I'd pick me too," Cody mumbled.
"I guess that means Katie's with me," Katrina mentioned. "Since she has to stay with Kendall or Evan."
"It's probably a bad idea to put James and Carlos together," Brandon realized. The best friends looked at each other. "So, I'm picking James."
"Which leaves me with Jo," Natalie finished naming the teams. "I'm happy with my team."
"Good chance for us to get to know each other," Jo mentioned.
"Are you sure that it's okay for James and Camille to be on the same team together?" Logan brought up. "After all, they did kiss." He turned a glare upon the two, clearly still upset about it.
"Would you rather put James and Carlos together?" Evan asked. "They'll get nothing done then."
Logan looked over at his best friends. James and Carlos tried to look innocent, but failed as Carlos accidently made a fart noise and the boys burst into laughter. "Good point."
"Remember your teams," Evan instructed them. "And after the holidays, we're going in."
(A/N): And there's a good spot to end it. So, maybe our group can FINALLY get some answers to the mysterious Zizi. Like why they targeted the Wolffs in the first place or what's up with the rock Kendall found. Speaking of Kendall, it looks like SOMEONE has a little crush on him. That can't be good considering the fact that Emily is a part of the group trying to destroy him. Thanksgiving went well, except for the guy monitoring the apartment. Who could that be and what does he want? Guess you'll just have to wait to find out. Know what the next chapter is? That's right. IT'S THE CHRISTMAS EPISODE! I guess I could call it a 'Christmas in July' special (if I can get it done this month).
Remember, you have until the end of the Christmas episode to vote for who you want Natalie to end up with. Will it be Carlos, James, Logan or Kendall? Keep voting for your favorite! And keep in mind: the second place boy will be featured as part of a love triangle with them. So, until next time, happy reading!