Hi, here's the final chapter up. Hope it was worth the wait!

"Paul Newman, by the order of this jury, we find you not guilty on the charges of murder and kidnap. You were mentally unfit at the time of these incidents, and had no control over your actions," the court foreman, a pale young man with a black eye and messed up tie, droned. His hazel eyes switched between the judge and Newman, fear evident far above the surface.

Ryan turned just as pale, feeling light-headed all of a sudden. Esposito caught his partner by the elbow just as his knees buckled, and sat him down on one of the wooden benches behind them.

The foreman stumbled by them, a noticeable limp. Despite this, he stopped, and smiled weakly. "I-I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop it. T-they made me say it. T-they would have killed me, and him. If there's anything I could do, I would," he stuttered quietly, avoiding eye contact with either of them.

Esposito patted him reassuringly on his shoulder, "It's ok. But, did he threaten you? Did he hire someone? I'm a cop, I can help you. I promise, I won't mention you. You'll be safe."

"No. I-I mean, he did get someone to threaten me. At least, I think so. That's what they said. They mentioned him. But, I can't tell you. I'm sorry. I want your friend to stay safe, I don't care about me," the young man mumbled, bowed his head low, and limped off, thumping his injured leg off the corner of the bench. There was an audible whine of pain, but Esposito ignored it.

"Ryan, we'll do something about it. We'll get him locked away for good," Javi soothed, rubbing the tense back which belonged to Kevin.

Newman approached them with a cocky swagger in his steps. "Now, would you look at that, darling? It appears that the fun we had is not yet over. How exciting."

"You threatened the jury." It wasn't a question from Ryan, it was a statement. One filled with the true hatred that Ryan possessed for the man. But, there was a sense of fear in the tone of his voice, and that unnerved Esposito.

"So what if I did? The trial's over, I'm a free man. You can't do anything about it, can you detectives?" Paul smirked, obviously hearing the terror in Kevin's words.

Esposito butted in, the protective, mother hen side of him taking over. "As a cop, no I can't. But, as a friend of Kevin's, I can do whatever the hell I like. You get that, scumbag? Or, do you want me to spell it out? You, stay away from him, or I'll destroy you. I promise," he sneered, lunging forward until he was in the criminal's personal bubble.

Newman only laughed. "Oh, but that's where you went wrong last time, and that's where you will fail again. If I touch any member of your 'team', you'll protect them. But, what if I make you choose again? Will you make the right decision this time, or will you misevaluate your priorities? Well, Detective Esposito? Not so smart now, are you?"

Esposito knew Newman was right, but couldn't let it show. Not only would it worry Ryan, but it would also lead Newman to believe that was his weakness: choosing between family.

Newman swaggered off, head held high. But, before he left, he grabbed Ryan by the jaw and gave him a long, forceful kiss. The detective squirmed violently, fighting to free himself from the strong grip. Before Esposito could intervene, Paul pulled away and left, a smug grin plastered on his face.

That was the last straw for Ryan. He began shivering violently, and the tears began to fall, slowly at first, but quickly turned into a miniature waterfall flowing down his cheeks. "D-don't let him hurt me. P-please, Javi. Don't let him hurt anyone."

Esposito's heart ached as his partner broke down, bending forwards to hug his knees. "I won't, I promise. Let's get you home, eh?" he suggested, wrapping his arms around the smaller body, and helped him up.

"Y-you do?" Ryan whimpered, looking up with his big blue puppy eyes.

"I promise, bro," Javier reassured, smiling weakly and hoping he looked convincing. And, as he saw Kevin relax slightly, he only hoped this would be a promise he could keep.

Thanks for reading! Although I haven't actually started the sequel yet, I'm hoping to have it up by about July/August. I'll get it started after I've finally finished my novel. If you're interested in reading my first book, I'm posting a little bit every week on my blog. There's a link on my profile.