"I LOVE YOU CALLUM. I LOVE YOU."

I kept screaming it. Those words I'd hardly been able to say before. I kept screaming them frantically, all the while praying. Pushing my way through the crowds, I was going to get to Callum one way or another. I refused to watch him die. Screw my father. People were getting irritated with me, I could tell. I didn't care.

"CALLUM I LOVE YOU."

In case I didn't make it to him in time, Callum would at least know I loved him.

I could hear something.

"I LOVE YOU TOO."

Suddenly, I wasn't pushing through the crowds anymore. I was free from the cluster of people gathered to watch my love die. Sick jerks.
I was standing in front of him. The guard was just putting the hood over him.

"No!" I screamed.

I climbed onto the podium where the noose was already being fastened.

"No!!!"

This wont happen. It cant.

I pushed the guard out of the way and he barely moved. Darn. I used all of my strength too. Tears poured down my face.

"Please. No," I whispered. And that was when I saw him in the crowd. My father. Kamal Hadley. The filthy rotten bastard responsible for all of the pain that was about to occur and all that already had. All of the people looked horrified. The famed politicians daughter professing love for the nought man being hung? It was unheard of! I didn't care; never had.

"Callum…I'm here."

"Sephy? What the hell are you doing? Get out of here before they hurt you," came his muffled reply.

"No."

I looked at the guard, who strangely enough looked sad. I could see people rushing to the scene, probably sent to drag me, the crazed woman, away.

"Jack. Please, just let me see her."

Without waiting for the ok from someone higher than him, Jack tore off Callum's hood. I was looking into his tear stained face. I was looking at Callum. My Callum. I just wanted to hold him. He looked horrified. Why? I followed his gaze. How could I be surprised? There was my father, pointing a gun to Callum. No. NO. This ends now.

I ran in front of Callum.

"Its one or the other. All or nothing. Remember Daddy you'll be killing three now."

I watched him stop. Had we won? No. He was simply readjusting his aim to that of my stomach.

What have I done?

The deafening sound of a shot followed. I didn't see it; I had my eyes squeezed shut. I could hear Callum screaming at me to run away. But his screams were drowned out by the sound of the gun. I finally opened my eyes. My father had completely missed. The crowd below were in a frenzy. People were running away, trampling over each other. Much like the day of Ryan's hanging. However, a throng of people surrounded my father, and they were all police officers. At first, I thought they were his protection. And then I saw my father on the ground, on his knees. His hands were being pulled behind his back. Oh my God.

Not skipping a beat, I flung myself around and started to untie Callum. I kissed him, right in front of everyone. I kissed him everywhere. When I finally had the ropes off, I threw myself at him. He wrapped his arms around me as well.

"Sephy how could you be so stupid? You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"I couldn't let you die. Callum. I love you."

He smiled as he brushed my hair away from my face.

"I know. I heard. I love you too."

Before I could do anything else, Callum was being yanked away from me.

"Callum!"

Not again! Is there any justice left? Is there really? Does nothing good ever happen to those who deserve it?

"Ms. Hadley, Callum McGregor is still under arrest. The charges are being pressed by your own father."

"You mean the man who just tried to kill me, or are we forgetting that little episode," I asked the man standing in front of me.

"Your father has been arrested for attempted murder," the officer said, nodding his head. "But I'm afraid the hanging of Mr. McGregor will continue on another day, unless the charges are dropped."

I laughed.

"I'm no fool. He's already been convicted. If the charges are dropped, you'll just have killed an innocent man. Don't patronize me."

"Ms. Hadley, I swear to you, if the charges again Mr. McGregor are dropped, he will walk away."

I looked into the mans eyes. I couldn't remember his name, though he just told me a few minutes ago. There were too many things on my mind.

"Let me see my father."

He nodded and led the way to the cell where my father was being held.

"Leave us alone."

He nodded again and walked away, standing guard outside the door.

"What happened to you Dad?"

He didn't say anything. He didn't even look at me in the eyes. I sighed.

"Let him go."

My dad looked at me.

"Why the hell would I do that?"

I laughed for the second time on this miserable day.

"Because you're in here for life. Even if by some miracewl you get out of here, you really think anyone is going to vote you as prime minister? Kamal Hadley, arrested for the attempted murder of Persephone Hadley, his daughter?!? You really think you have a life left for you outside this jail cell?"

Dad's face turned into a complete mask of horror as the truth of his situation dawned on him. He jumped to his feet and raced towards me. I was petrified. Instead of hurting me, he gathered me into his arms in a hug. He was sobbing.

"Forgive me Sephy. Please."

"You're too late Daddy."

I wormed my way out of his arms.

"Let. Him. Go."

I watched my father look at me with so many emotions in his eyes. Hate. Love. Anger. Happiness. So many conflicting emotions.

"Please," I whispered.

"Charges against Callum McGregor, laid out by Kamal Hadley, Prime Minister-to-be, have been officially dropped. Kamal Hadley has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the attempted murder of his daughter, Persephone Hadley, now Persephone McGregor. Callum and Persephone Hadley have refused to speak to the press about their marriage or the rumored pregnancy. The marriage has caused uproar throughout the world, it being one of first on record nought and Cross marriages."

Author's Note: Ok, this fic seems really rushed, even to me. I'm not so sure how you all will like it, but I just really really really needed to let Callum live. He deserved to. And let it be officially known, I am in love with a fictional character named Callum. ANYWAY please please please let me know what you thought of this. I tried my best. Oh, and the last paragraph was supposed to be a newspaper clip just like at the end of Noughts and Crosses. :]