A/N Hello, everyone! I apologize for the lateness of this update; I am busy getting ready for college at the moment.

Thanks to all Reviewers!

Dedication: To usaprincess242 for her very lovely review, thanks so much. :)

Disclaimer: I only own the plot, nothing else.

In cards and flowers on your window
Your friends all plead for you to stay

-Shadow of the Day, Linkin Park

In the course of our lives we are all faced with a turning point, a single moment in which we have to make a snap decision.

These are the moments that change our entire lives, the moments that determine our futures.

That day I faced one of those moments, and I was forced to make a choice that would change my life forever.

Flashback

"This is your one and only chance to put a stop to this, Miss Corinthos, kill me and you all go free, fail and not one of your friends will live to exit this gym." Garrison informed me. "Can you do it? Can you kill me?"

I hated him, I wanted him dead, wanted to hurt him. Except that I didn't.

I had never been comfortable with the violence that surrounded my brother, I had never wanted to be a part of that, then or now, I did not wish to kill anyone.

"Make your choice, Miss Corinthos, I haven't got all day," Garrison said taping his wrist in the place where a watch would have been had he been wearing one.

I held the gun on him, with shaking hands; I could see the barrel quiver up and down. Garrison walked forward so that the gun was literally jammed into his chest. "We have reached the end, Miss Corinthos, what will you do?"

"I-I don't know." I said in a small voice feeling like a little girl again.

"You need to know." He replied. "Make your choice, Courtney."

I jumped slightly at his use of my first name.

"I do believe that we know each other well enough for a first name, we are after all about to be bound together inextricably in a way far more intimate than any other, our destinies are intertwined, Courtney, and no matter what choice you make tonight you will never escape me."

"Why do you want to die?" I demanded.

"Death is but a stepping stone to something greater, something far, far greater."

"Hell?" I guessed, recklessly.

He laughed. "Oh, very nice, Miss Corinthos, very nice indeed."

"I thought I was Courtney now," I wondered aloud almost forgetting the fact that he and I were only separated by the barrel of a gun.

"You always were." He replied cryptically. "Enough stalling, Courtney, it's time for you to make your choice, you can kill me now and be branded as a murderer for the rest of your life, or else you can watch as all your friends die before your eyes one by one." Garrison continued. "When you make your decision, and you kill me, because I know you will, you will attempt to justify it, and you will tell yourself that it was your only choice, but in the back of your mind it will haunt you, you will hear it over and over again 'murderer, murderer, murderer,' like a song on repeat playing over and over again. You will never forget, Miss Corinthos, you will never escape. I will always be a part of you, forever and ever, not even death will part us."

"Bastard," I whispered into the otherwise silent gymnasium.

"Perhaps," He agreed with a shrug. "But I can live with that, can you live with killing me?" He asked. "Can you continue to surround yourself with your friends knowing that there is blood on your hands? Can you stand it?"

"I won't," I insisted.

"Won't what?" He asked sounding amused. "Kill me?" Garrison continued. "We both know that you will, sooner or later you will decide that the costs of letting me live are far more than the costs of killing me at least in the short run. Of course, I know enough of you to know that you will be haunted by this act for the rest of your life, until the day that you join me in hell, so make your choice, Courtney."

"How do I even know that if I did agree to your little scheme that your gunmen would actually let my friends go?" I asked.

"You don't," I agreed. "You have no proof beyond my word, but I can assure you that they have no interest in these games beyond their paychecks, and are as eager to leave as anyone else here."

"I highly doubt they will get past the cops out there to escape." I pointed out.

"That's a risk you take with the job." Garrison said with a shrug. "Now enough avoidance, make your choice, Courtney, the final judgment is upon us.

My eyes locked with his as my hand tightened around the gun.

"Goodbye." I whispered.

A gunshot echoed through the gym.

End Flashback

I close both locks below the window
I close both blinds and turn away Sometimes solutions aren't so simple
Sometimes goodbye's the only way -Shadow of the Day, Linkin Park

A/N Update will be on Saturday, in the meantime drop me a review, let me know what you think. :)