Look who hit a bit of extra inspiration?! I wanted to try something a little different for this chapter. No crazy long Author's note this time, guys lol Just enjoy this slightly longer than usual chapter! -Mercy Vale

Chapter Twenty-One

Ultimatum

(Jade)

It's been almost three days since Tori disappeared and I've gone damn near insane trying to find her. We had to break it to her father what was going on when she still hadn't turned up and he didn't take the news any better than the rest of us did. It took three doctors just to keep him from ripping out his IV's and getting out of the bed, and it wasn't easy to watch… I just couldn't stay after that. I can't look her in the eyes, knowing that she's out there somewhere and he can't do anything to find her. I've been searching almost non-stop, skipping school just to have more time to look for her. School's been the last thing on my mind and I just stopped answering the calls from Helen and Lane. They were practically begging to come back, saying they would help me, but I know it's just a trap to give me detention or suspension for skipping. No, the only person from HA that's been supportive of my search for Tori, is Sikowitz. He promised to vouch for me when we came back, to make sure I didn't get in trouble. It's a nice gesture, but I don't care about going back there.

My dad has been more helpful than I thought he would be. He would call me whenever one of his contacts spots a girl that looks like Tori, but so far, they've all been wrong. I want to be mad, but at least he's trying… I'm not giving up hope. I know she's out there somewhere and I'm not going to find her.

*Ring*

I take out my phone and answer it after seeing Rachel's name. She and Mom have been helping too, taking time off of work to put up missing posters and search every inch of the city for her.

"Hey Ma, any news?" I get out of the car and open the back door to let Jack out. I've been keeping him with me, just in case he might be able to track Tori.

"Nothing yet, honey… I'm sorry. Your mom and Mitch just got home, and I finished making more posters so we're going out again soon. We're broadening the search. We're going to the next towns over to put up posters there too and I was calling to ask if you wanted to come. I hate thinking of you out there by yourself."

"I'm fine… I have Jack with me... That's a good idea, but I know she's here, Ma…" I yawn, clipping his leash on and walking with him so he can use the bathroom.

"JJ...You need to get some rest… Why don't you come home and sleep and get a good hot meal? You'll feel better…"

"I told you, I'm fine. I'm not even that tired."

"Bullshit. When's the last time you slept in a bed and not your car? Or ate something that wasn't junk? Come home. You're no good out there like this. Tori wouldn't want you making yourself sick, you know that." She's right… Tori would tear into me if she saw me eating nothing but crap food for 2 days…and it didn't feel right going back to the house without her.

"Alright… I'll come home…" I let Jack do his business before leading him back to the car. "Just give me another hour to drive around and I'll be right there."

"Jade. Get your ass home right now." I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. She's not going to let it go until I do what she says.

"Okay, I'll come home now…"

"Good. I'll have dinner on the table for you when you get here." I put my phone away and let Jack in before getting in too and starting the car.

"Alright, we'll get some food, rest a little bit, and come back out to search for Tori.." He sits on the back seat and I roll the window down for him so he can enjoy the breeze while I drive.

It doesn't take me long to get to the house, even with the few detours I took when I saw someone looking at the missing posters of Tori. No connections, just curious people… I don't know how much more of this I can take… My phone starts ringing, but I know it's Rachel, so I just ignore it as I'm pulling into the driveway. I get out with Jack close by and unlock the door. It's quiet when we walk in, but I can smell food cooking from the kitchen. It smells really good in here… Jack is way ahead of me, going right to the kitchen to get something to eat too. Rachel is standing by the stove, stirring something, and Missy is helping her cook.

"Hey guys…" They both turn around and Rachel rushes me, nearly knocking me over with a hug. I just stand there, waiting for her to let go, but I realize she isn't going to until she gets what she wants. I hug her back and it hits me how much I was the one who needed it most. I tighten my hold and bury my face into her shoulder, breaking down. Had Rachel not been holding me, my legs would have given out on me.

"Shh…. It's going to be okay…" She helps me stay on my feet and rubs my back like she used to when I was a kid. With how focused and determined I've been, looking for Tori these past few days, I still kept a lot of what I was feeling, hidden away. Now, I can't contain it anymore. I let out everything I'd been holding in and just cry while Rachel holds me. "You can't keep going like this, Jade… Let the rest of us handle the search. You need to rest…"

"I just want to find her. I can't give up on her, Momma…" She pulls away and holds my face in her hands, making me look at her.

"It's not giving up. You just need to take care of yourself, so you have the strength to keep looking. Come on..." She pulls me to the table and makes me sit before going over to the stove. Missy comes over and hands me some tissues, which I take and dry my eyes.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this, Jade… I wish I could help more." She puts more tissues by me and goes to the fridge bringing me a bottle of water. "Here." I take it and drink almost half of it. I've been drinking nothing but coffee for days, only getting water and proper food for Jack, and I hadn't realized how dehydrated I was getting.

"Thank you…" She brings me another water and Rachel set a plate of food in front of me which I pick at. And while I normally love her grilled chicken, I'm just too distracted to eat much of it.

"Jade, you're not leaving this table until you finish your food. Eat." I sigh and start eating when Rachel sits herself across from me, watching. After the first few bites, my appetite comes back, and I quickly finish the whole plateful. Before I have the chance to stand, Rachel takes my plate and comes back with it refilled. "You don't have to finish this one but try and eat a little more." Despite what she said, I finished the second plate of food too. I'd been eating nothing, but granola bars and trail mix this whole time. It felt really good to have real food… I just hope Tori's eating well too…

Thinking about her only starts to upset me again and Rachel helps by leading me to my room and making me sit on the bed while she grabs stuff. I just sit there and stare at my shoes while she moves around the room, opening boxes.

"I'm sorry for worrying you guys so much… I know I should just let the cops look for her, and I know just driving around town isn't really going anywhere, but I can't just sit and do nothing… What kind of girlfriend would that make me, if I didn't try my hardest to find her?" She stops what she's doing and comes over to sit next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"I know you've been working hard to find her, no one can say otherwise, but there's nothing wrong with taking a step back and making sure you've got the strength and energy to keep looking." She pulls me closer and sighs, running a hand through her hair. "When you walked in and I got a good look at you, you looked empty. Still do, but the food helped a lot. The way you looked though, it kept reminding me of when you were a kid, when your father broke your arm and damn near broke everything up here." She taps my forehead and I look at her. "I can't see you like that again, Jade, I can't."

"I know… At least Dad seems to have come around… He's been trying hard to find her too, and I didn't think he'd even agree to help…" Rachel grumbles and rolls her eyes.

"I'm glad you were able to go to him and convince him to help, but I still don't trust that man. I'm sorry, Jade. Not after everything he put you through."

"I know, trust me…"

"Look, I will do everything I can to help you find Tori, even put up with that man if you really think he'll help, but in return, I need you to take care of yourself. No more sleeping in your car, no more eating junk, and no more going hours without letting us know you're alright."

"Okay…" She sighs and hugs me, but this one feels different. It's like she's trying to comfort herself more than just me...

"Good. Now, go take a shower and get some rest." She hands me some fresh clothes, ushers me towards my bathroom and shuts the door. I set everything down and start the water, letting it get hot before getting in.

I'm not in there for long, just enough to wash up and get out. I dry my body and hair before getting into my pajamas and leaving. Jack's laying on my bed, and it looks like he was watching the door and waiting for me. I don't like letting the dogs on my bed, but I just scoot him over and lay down. He's been sleeping in the car with me too and he deserves to be comfortable. Me sleeping is a whole other story though. I'm really trying but I keep instinctively reaching for Tori and it hurts every time I feel an empty space where she'd normally be laying. I just lay there and hold her pillow, trying hard not to start crying again, when I feel a weight on my side. I reach down and feel Jack's head as he rests in on me, trying to move closer.

"Hey mutt…" I start petting him and he moves closer, laying along my side and leaning against me. "It's been tough for you too, I know… I think I'd have gone crazy out there if I hadn't had you with me…" I scratch his ears and he leans into my hand, wanting more. I smile a little bit and keep petting him. Tori really did find a good one… I think of her, laughing and smiling and having so much fun playing with him all the time and I get upset all over again. What am I going to do if we don't find her? I'm lost without her… Waves of panic fill me and start to get out of bed, wanting to go looking for her again, but Jack moves to lay on top of me and I hold onto him, crying uncontrollably into his fur. Once I've gotten it all out of my system, I calm down enough to lay back in the bed, though I don't let go of him. "We're going to find her, Jack. I'm not giving up…" I close my eyes and focus on how warm he is before falling into an uneasy sleep.

(Tori)

"You need to eat…" I glance at the woman, Mr. West's girlfriend (wife?), before turning away from her and the plate of food she's holding out to me. She's nicer to me than he is, by far. She's been tending to my hand, changing the bandages and giving me pain meds for it, so I'm guessing she's a doctor, or nurse. As nice as she's been, she's still helping him. I doubt I can trust her. "Please… I scowl and take the sandwich, biting into it before putting it back on the plate.

"There." She sighs and sets the plate on the floor near me. I chew and swallow the bite, wincing from how sweet the filling is. Everything she's brought me to eat or drink always tastes like it has a pound of sugar in it. It keeps leaving me with a headache from how sweet it is...

"You need to eat more, or he'll be upset with you."

"Do you really think I care if he's upset? He's keeping me here until I promise to break up with Jade. He wants me to tell her that I never loved her, and she meant nothing to me. I stop, shaking my head and turning back to the wall. "He wants me to break the heart of the woman I love more than anything, so I'm sorry if me not eating or talking to him makes him mad." I lean against the wall and hold my head as the pounding gets worse.

"I'm not going to get mad, Miss Vega. If you don't want to eat, that can be arranged." I look over at the door and see it open, with Mr. Vega standing in the opening. "Caroline, take it away."

"But Richard-"

"Now!" She and I both flinch at his sudden rise in volume and she quickly grabs the plate and hurries out. He walks over to me and pulls out his chair, keeping it just far enough away that I can't do anything. He learned that the first day. I nearly grabbed the keys after knocking him down, but he'd stopped me by stepping on my broken hand. There was nothing else I could do but drop the keys and cry, holding it. He took them back and moved his chair further away.

It was the same thing as always. Demands to leave Jade, to make her believe that our relationship was a lie.. Does he really think I'd be swayed that easily? I'm not leaving her. I know she's out there somewhere, looking for me. He keeps mentioning how she keeps talking to him, thinking he's helping her find me, and he really seems to be getting a kick out of it. Jade is going to kill him when she figures out what's happened… I think he expected me to give in by now, because he's been getting more and more frustrated.

"Don't even waste your breath. I'm not doing it." His face turns red and he crossed his arms.

"You didn't even give me a chance to ask. That's my favorite part." He smirks, but I can tell this is all just getting old to him. It really doesn't take much to anger him now. Hate to say it, but he's definitely where Jade got her temper from.

"Mr. West… It's been days now. Just let me go home…" He comes closer to me and grabs me by the front of my shirt, holding me up.

"You're not going anywhere until you do as I say. You're nothing but an inconvenience and there are ways to deal with inconveniences. You will cooperate, or else." I grab at his hands with my good one to get him to let go and glare at him.

"I won't, so just stop…" He stares at me and I keep his gaze, refusing to look away until he drops me back onto the floor and growls.

"Then I guess you're not going anywhere." He stomps away, kicking the chair out of the way before leaving. Because it's so quiet in the room, it's easy for me to notice that the door wasn't locked. A lot of help that is though... I can't get out if I can't get this damn chain off my ankle… I sit up and brush the dirt off my hands, looking around. He left the light on so I can see in the room better, but there's not much that I can see. I keep an eye on the door and stand up. I can get a good couple of feet before the chain holds me back, a little further if I pull hard. The chain is attached to a thick beam, so there's no way of getting it loose, but maybe I can try something else…

There's a small cupboard to the right, and after stretching over and balancing on one foot, I'm able to pull it open. Unfortunately, there's not much in here, mostly fishing stuff like lure, hooks, and lines. I'm about to shut it when I stop to take out one of the hooks. Maybe I can pick the lock? Jade knows how to do that… I've watched her pick the lock on her car plenty of times when she's left the keys inside. I put it in my pocket, careful not to jab myself, and grab a few more just to be safe. I open the drawer below it and dig around, finding a small pocketknife. I quickly hide that in my pocket and shut the drawer. It's not much, but it's better than nothing… I go back to my corner and take out the hooks, bending them until they're mostly straight. I keep one and hide the rest before trying to open the lock.

Jade definitely made this look a lot easier than it is… I don't know what I'm doing… I sit like this for what feels like hours, making no progress. One of the hooks breaks and I throw it out of frustration, holding my head in my hands. I can't concentrate with this headache… I feel awful. I take a deep breath and reach for another hook. I can't waste any time.

"Who are you?" I whip my head up and see a kid looking at me. Is this Jade's little brother? Can he help me? Probably not…

"My name's Tori…" I look back at the door and see it open, confirming that it wasn't locked.

"Why are you down here? Are you hiding?" How do I answer that? Just because his dad is a literal kidnapper, it doesn't mean I should tell that to a kid.

"I…"

"Jacob! Get away from there!" Mrs. West comes running in and grabs him. "Your father would be furious if he saw you down here! Go to your room, now!" He runs out of the room and she turns back to me. "Don't tell my husband he was in here. Please..." She's scared of him… That's why she's doing everything he tells her. Would he really hurt a little kid? He did hurt Jade, and kidnapped me, so I guess there's really no telling what he'd do.

"I won't…" I look away and rub my arms, pulling my legs up. Mrs. West goes to turn off the light but there's more footsteps.

"He's back…" She comes over to me and grabs me, pulling me up. "Forgive me…" Before I can ask what she's doing, she brings her hand up and starts slapping me over and over again. I try to move my face away, but she keeps bringing me closer. "I told you to knock it off! Don't make me come back down here again!" She pulled off of me and Mr. West shoves me to the floor.

"What happened?"

"She was making noise. I told her to stop and she wouldn't listen." She huffs and brushes herself off. Mr. West just laughs and turns to his wife.

"And here I thought you were a quiet little mouse. Good job. I'll take it from here. Go make my drink." He goes to grab the chair and she looks at me, mouthing sorry before leaving. I can't blame her… She didn't want him angry with her… Mr. West sits the chair down in its usual spot and I lean back, rubbing my face to get rid of the stings. "You know, I've come to realize that I can't break you like I've broken the others. You're stubborn, just like my daughter."

"You're just now realizing that?" I snort and rest my hand in my lap. He lights a cigar and just watches me.

"I'll give you one more chance to change your mind about my little proposal."

"You already know my answer."

"Ahh ahh. I wouldn't choose just yet. Think it over for a bit, because you might not like the consequences this time."

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" I roll my eyes and brush my hand down my leg, pretending to brush off dust, but actually feeling for the pocketknife, making sure it's still there. Mr. West doesn't say anything, and I start to get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. "You're not seriously considering-"

"Like I told you before, Miss Vega, you're not the first." Is he talking about the other girls Jade's dated? She told me her father hired them to twist her heart. She never mentioned any of them dying… "I'd really rather not get my hands dirty this time, however." He's really serious… He'd really kill me if I didn't turn my back on Jade? He gets up and turns off the light. "I expect an answer soon." He starts to leave, but he stops, looking over his shoulder at me. I feel my good hand starting to reach out to him.

"W-" I stop myself, shaking my head. Am I really willing to throw away everything, just to save myself? I could never do that to her, not after everything we've been through together… I can't. He shuts the door and I hear it lock, his footsteps fading away.

I run my hand through my hair to get it out of my face and squint in the dark, but all I can see is the chair. If I can't get out of here, he's going to kill me. There's no way for this to end good for Jade… Either I destroy what we had, or I die, and her father uses me to get closer to her, only to hurt her again. The only way to fix this is to get out, but how? Come on, Vega, think… I could try the hooks again, but it's dark now. That's only going to make it harder… I feel around for the chain. It's kind of thick, but it's more like the kind that I used to use on my old bike. There's no way to get the shackle off without unlocking it and the other end of the chain is attached to the beam, hooked to a metal mount.

I stare at the chain and an idea comes to mind. When I was a kid, I used to have this really cool building set that my dad got me. I was trying to make a rocket and had to twist little pipes using a stick. I wasn't paying attention and twisted it for too long, the resulting pressure snapping the metal. My dad explained that it was called fatigue. Just like what happens to people when they're worked too hard, metal can also be worked too hard and weaken. It could be possible to do the same to the chains, but I'd need a pretty big stick… My head snaps to the chair. That's it… I crawl along the floor, towards the chair, and stretch my arm out. It's just out of reach… I just need another inch or so and I can grab it… I dig through my pocket and pull out the pocketknife, opening it. I'm able to get it wedged on the back of one of the front legs and I slowly pull it close enough to grab with my hand. Got it… I bring it close and inspect it. If I can get one of the legs off, I can use that. I lay the chair down and try to break the leg by pushing down, but I need more force. I place one of my knees on it, take a deep breath, and drop hard on it.

*Crack*

I wince and rub my leg furiously. Damn it….. That really hurt, but at least it came loose… I pry the chair leg off the rest of the way off and kneel close to the chain base. I have no idea if this is even going to work, but if I have any chance of getting out of here, I have to try.

(Jade)

I sit up and rub my eyes, looking over at the clock. I only slept for a few hours, but I feel so much better… I stretch and get up, patting Jack's side when he gets up too.

"Alright mutt, we've rested up long enough. Let's get back out there... "It's nearly 9 pm, so Rachel has to already be in bed, which means she won't see me leave. Good. She might make me sleep more… I open up the boxes of clothes and grab jeans and a t-shirt, changing out of the pajamas. I grab my keys and phone and head upstairs with Jack following me. I sneak into the kitchen and spot a bag on the table with a note next to it.

Jade, I know you're going to leave while we're sleeping so I'm not going to stop you. Just make sure to eat and come home when you're tired. Stay safe. - Rachel

I can't help but smile as I open the bag and see that she packed me two sandwiches and some fruit. She's awesome. I take the bag and grab some water from the fridge before leaving with Jack. We get settled in my car and I set out for the night. I've made it a habit of going to all of Tori's favorite spots, just in case she turns up there. Nothing, just the same as it's been the past few days, but it doesn't hurt to keep checking. Maybe I should stop by my dad's house. I haven't heard from him all day. I drive, eating one of the sandwiches, and share it with Jack while he sits in the passenger seat. We get to my dad's house and I make sure Jack's got his leash on before we head to the door. My dad hates dogs and Jack doesn't seem to like him either, but I can't just leave him in the car by himself. I knock on the door and after a few minutes, my dad answers, holding his usual glass of scotch.

"Jadelyn, what are you doing here? It's late." He turns his gaze to Jack and starts glaring. "Why is it here?"

"Sorry, I didn't want to just leave him in the car by himself. I was hoping you'd have some news on the search for Tori." He sighs and shakes his head, backing up when Jack gets close to him to sniff his legs..

"No, I've heard nothing all day." He takes a drink and looks back at me. "Are you sure she didn't just run away? Maybe she doesn't want to be found."

"I know her, Dad. She wouldn't just run off like this." Then again, she was upset about something before she vanished. Could she have… No, her phone was damaged, and the cops found unknown fingerprints on them. There was definitely some kind of struggle. "I trust her." He just shrugs.

"I'm just saying. It's pretty strange that she hasn't turned up yet."

"I know, believe me, I know…"

"Jadey!" Jake runs up to me and ducks past Dad to hug me. "I missed you!" I hug him back and nudge him back inside since he has nothing on his feet.

"I missed you too, kiddo. Stay in there, It's cold tonight. Did you do your homework?" He nods and Dad puts a hand on his head.

"It's time for bed, Jacob. Your mother will be up in a few moments. Say goodnight to your sister."

"Night night, Jadey!"

"Night, punk." I smile, waving as he leaves, and watch him head up the steps.

"You should head home. It's getting late." I sigh. He's right. I haven't been out for long, but there's really not much to do if there's nobody out to ask about Tori. I can't keep driving in circles, waiting for something to happen. Jack keeps pulling at the leash and I have to keep pulling him back to make him sit next to me.

"Come on, Jack… Stop." I shake my head when I sit him down again. "I'll just take the dog home and get some more sle-" I stop when there's a loud bang from inside the house. "What was that?" I look at my dad and he seem tense, looking to the side.

"Don't worry about that. I've just been having trouble with some raccoons sneaking in. Wait here." Before I can say anything else, he shuts the door. I kneel down and pet Jack while I wait for him to return. About 10 minutes go by and I'm texting Beck when there's more banging and yelling. Jesus Christ… How crazy is that Raccoon? I tie Jack's leash to the railing leading up to the house and go up to the door, opening it. I drop my keys and feel my heart trying to jump out of my chest. It can't be...

Standing 5 feet in front of me, holding a bloody knife in one hand and a mass of bandages on the other, is Tori…

"Tori…" She turns around and looks at me with wide eyes and I start to reach for her, but the knife is knocked from her hand and she's pulled away from me.

"You couldn't help yourself, could you?!" My dad holds her and backs away as blood drips down his arm. "You just had to ruin everything!"

"Dad, what the hell is going on?! What is she doing here?! I thought-"

"You thought wrong, that's what you thought. You really believed I was helping you out of the kindness of my heart?" Jack starts barking and growling behind me, but I ignore him and take a step towards them.

"I trusted you! I came to you and begged for your help because I thought you might be my one good chance of finding her!" He had her this whole time… He was lying to me… Rachel was right… She was right… "Let her go!"

"Back up, Jade or I swear to god I'll-" There's a snap and like a flash, Jack is in the house and on top of my dad, biting onto his arm. He yells and struggles to get him off and I take the chance to grab Tori and pull her away.

"Are you okay?!" She's unsteady as she grabs my arm and I start to look her over but stop when my dad grabs my leg.

"Get back here!" Jack is still trying to pull him back, but my dad is a lot stronger and kicks him to get him off. He pulls himself to his feet and wraps his hands around my neck, squeezing. "I did this for you! I just wanted you to see how disgusting and untrustworthy girls like her are, but you just wouldn't listen! Looks where it's gotten you!" I grab at his hands and gasp for air as he tightens his grip. "We could have been happy! If you had just been normal, we could have been a perfect family! But you turned out just. like. your. mother." There's another hand that comes up and I watch helplessly as Tori tries to pull him off me.

"Stop! You're going to kill her! Let go!" My vision starts getting spotty and my hands slide from his as I start getting weak.

"This is what she deserves…" Just before everything goes black, there's a crashing sound and I fall to the floor. I clutch at my throat and cough, taking deep, gasping breaths of air as everything fades back in. My dad lays on the floor and his fiancé, Caroline, kneels beside him, crying and holding what remains of a lamp.

"I'm sorry… I didn't want to do any of this… Please forgive me…" I crawl over to my dad and grab the front of his shirt. I start punching him, over and over and over again until someone pulls me off.

"I hate you! I hate you!" I struggle against the arms that are holding me and try to get loose. "You're dead to me! You hear!? Dead! If you ever come near me or my family again, I'll kill you!"

"Miss West. Calm down. We'll take it from here…" I look up and see that a cop is the one holding me. I pull away and stand there, still breathing hard and pure rage and adrenaline coursing through me.

"How did you even know to come here?!" I demand, marching closer and wanting another chance to kick my father's ass, unconscious or not.

"I called them…" Caroline stands up and lets the officer put handcuffs on her while another comes in and puts cuffs on my father. "I'm sorry, Jade… I never wanted any of this…" I watch as my father is dragged out, feeling nothing but hatred for that man.

"Jade… Help me..." I turn to Tori and see her stumbling towards me, holding one of her hands out. She tilts forwards and I'm not fast enough to catch her as she collapses to the floor.

(Tori)

Earlier

This is a lot harder than I expected and it took longer than I thought, but It seems to be working… I'm using the chair leg and twisting the chain over and over. I just need a little more and…

*Crack*

There! The mount rips partially out of the wall and comes loose enough for me to pull it loose. I drop the chair leg and stand up, flexing my sore hand. One problem down, one more to go. I can move freely now, but I can't go anywhere until I figure out how to get through that locked door… I turn on the light and look around the room, moving everything I can to find something to open the door, but there's nothing. It has a keyhole on this side and there's no way I'm breaking through this door. The noise would just bring him back down here. Unless… I go back over to where I was kept and grab the chair leg. If I make enough noise, he'll have to come down, and I can take him down with this and get away…

I start grabbing things off of shelves and throwing them around, using the piece of wood to bang on the door and walls. It doesn't take long to hear heavy footsteps running down the stairs. I turn off the light and hide behind the door. It flies open and Mr. West steps in, not noticing me. I step behind him and swing, hitting him across the back on his head. He drops like a sack of potatoes and I snatch the keys from the floor, fumbling with them until I find one that gets the chair and shackle off of me. I drop them on the floor and scramble up the stairs, getting to the top quickly. Right when I turn to look for the door, arms wrap around me and a hand goes over my mouth.

"I've had quite enough of you…" I feel a sharp jab in my leg and look down, seeing him holding some kind of blue pen against my leg. He pushes down a button on the tip and it clicks over and over again while I get a cold feeling spreading throughout my leg. I struggle to get out of his hold and remember the knife in my pocket. I shove my hand into my pocket, pull out the knife, press the button to open it, and without hesitation, I sink it deep into his arm. He immediately lets go of me and I land on my feet, albeit a little shakily. I stumble back, away from him and hold the knife defensively as I watch him.

"You're not going to get away with this…" He lets go of his arm and starts to come towards me but stops suddenly.

"Tori…" I freeze and turn around, locking eyes with Jade. She's here… She reaches out to me, but my hand is hit, and I drop the knife, getting pulled away from her. Mr. West's grip is tighter than it was before, and without the knife, I can't get away. He pulls me back and growls.

"You couldn't help yourself, could you?! You just had to ruin everything!" Jade doesn't even look angry, it's more like she's too shocked to show any other emotion.

"Dad, what the hell is going on?! What is she doing here?! I thought-"

"You thought wrong, that's what you thought. You really believed I was helping you out of the kindness of my heart?" There's barking. Jack? He's growling, worse than I've ever heard him growl before. I try to wriggle free, but I just can't get my body to stop trembling… What did he give me…?

"I trusted you! I came to you and begged for your help because I thought you might be my one good chance of finding her! Let her go!"

"Back up, Jade, or I swear to god I'll-" I heard something snap and I feel myself falling back before my hand is pulled and I'm leaning against someone.

"Aarree yyoouu ookkaayy?" I look up at Jade and try to concentrate on what she's saying, but it's hard to make out. Something's wrong with me... I shake my head to clear it and hear a yelp. Mr. West kicked Jack and grabbed Jade.

"Get back here!" I'm leaning against a wall and look up to see Mr. West with his hands around Jade's throat. "I did this for you! I just wanted you to see how disgusting and untrustworthy girls like her are, but you just wouldn't listen! Look where it's gotten you." Jade starts gasping and I watch her face slowly turn purple as I struggle to get my legs to move. Stop...please… I bring my hand up and bang it on the wall to get myself out of the haze. "We could have been happy! If you had been normal, we could have been a perfect family! But you turned out just. like. your. Mother." I throw myself at them and try my best to pull his hands off, but I don't have the strength.

"Stop! You're going to kill her! Let go!" I grasp at his hands, but he just pushes me out of the way with his shoulder. I fall backwards as my legs give out and watch, horrified as he strangles Jade.

"This is what she deserves…" I pull myself back to my feet in time to see Caroline coming up behind him. She makes eye contact with me and makes a shushing motion. I nod and she lifts her arms up, holding a thick heavy lamp, and brings it down on his head. He drops Jade and she starts coughing and breathing. Jack sniffs her over and licks her face before coming over to me. Caroline is on the floor beside him, covering her face and sobbing.

"I'm sorry… I didn't want to do any of this… Please forgive me…" I keep my hand on the wall to keep myself on my feet and watch as Jade drags herself over to her father. I watch in shock as she starts hitting him repeatedly. He's out cold already and she doesn't even care… people start rushing, cops, and one of them pulls Jade off of him, dragging her back as she tries to pull away.

"I hate you! I hate you! You're dead to me! You hear!? Dead! If you come near me or my family again, I'll kill you!"

"Miss West calm down. We'll take it from here." Jade gets him to let go and I move away from the wall. Jade… I put my hand on Jack's head and use him to keep myself steady as I try to walk over to her. My eyes are all messed up… everything's going fuzzy and it feels like my heart's won't stop beating so fast.

"How did you even know to come here?!" She moves further away, going back to her father. Jade...come back…

"I called them…" Caroline? I hear the sound of metal clinking.. "I'm sorry, Jade… I never wanted any of this…" Jade.. I need Jade... I open my mouth, but it feels impossible to form words. I swallow hard and take a deep breath, gaining a moment of clarity.

"Jade…" I let go of Jack and stretch my hand out towards her. "Help me…" I feel myself leaning forward and see Jade's hands fly out before I hit the floor.

(Jade)

I drop when Tori falls into the floor and I grab her hand and shake her, freaking out.

"Tori! What's wrong?!" Her hand starts squeezing mine and it gives me hope that she's waking up, but that all falls apart when she starts convulsing. I try to hold her still and talk to her, not sure what to do to help her.

"Dispatch, missing person has been located but we have a 10-53. Requesting an urgent bus to our location." The cop escorting Carol, rushes over to us, pulling me off of her. "She's having a seizure. Don't restrain her or she can hurt herself…" He moves her onto her side and looks at his watch while I just stand there, lost. What is going on? … I turn to Carol and push her back against a wall.

"What did you guys do to her!?" She just weeps and tries to cover her face.

"I didn't want to…"

"Tell me!" She looks at Tori as she continues to convulse, and she starts crying again.

"He gave her a high dose of insulin… Her body can't handle it… It's Insulin Shock… You have to get her to a hospital or she's..." She doesn't finish talking and I don't wait for more. I kneel by Tori and hold her hand. There's nothing I can do. I don't want to cause her to hurt herself and I don't want to make anything worse…

"You're going to be okay, Tori… We'll get you to a hospital and get you all fixed up; I swear it…" I stay with her like this until the ambulance shows up. Once they hear what's wrong with her, they get her hooked up to an IV and start giving her some sort of sugar solution while they get her on the stretcher. I stay by her side and start to get in the ambulance with them, but they stop me, saying that dogs aren't allowed on. I look down at Jack and struggle internally. She wouldn't want me to just leave him here… I squeeze her hand and kiss her forehead. "I'll see you soon. Hang in there, Tori…" I back up and they speed off, rushing her to the hospital. Dad and Caroline are taken away and a few cops stay behind to ask me questions, but I push past them, ducking behind a bush and throwing up. I still can't fully wrap my head around everything that just happened...

"You okay, kid?" There's a hand on my shoulder and I nod, still bent over.

"Hey, Smith! We found a kid inside!" I stand up and turn to see a cop carrying my brother out of his house.

"Jake!" I run over and take him from her, holding him close to me. "Are you alright?! Did Dad do anything to you?!" He's shaking, but seems fine, just upset.

"Mommy and Daddy are gone… Why did they do bad things to that lady?..."

"Dad was the bad one… He… He made your mom do bad things because she was scared of him…" He holds onto me, even when the officer tries to pull him away. I back up and keep my arms around him, giving her a death glare. "No! You're not taking him! I'm his sister, he's coming with me!"

"We just want to make sure he's okay…" The officer holds her hands up and motions to the second ambulance. She offers to take him, but I refuse and carry him over myself, keeping him in my lap while he's examined. They find some evidence that he may have been hit and I feel my anger building up again, but I keep myself calm so I don't upset him. I answer whatever questions they ask me while they check him and when they're done, I bring him back inside the house and find a bag and a suitcase. Packing his clothes into the suitcase and letting him fill the backpack with everything he wants to bring for now while I pack all the important stuff. I get Jake out of his pajamas and into regular clothes before leading him to my car. with all of his stuff. We put the bags in the trunk, and I open the back door for him, getting him buckled up with Jack sitting next to him. Before I shut the door, I lean in and give him one more hug, squeezing tight.

"You're going to stay with me, okay? … I'll make sure Dad never does anything bad to us ever again…"