A/N: I know this has taken a while to come, but you didn't reach the early update goal and I've been really busy these past few weeks. Thanks for being patient, though! Oh, and please read the bottom author's note because I will be asking you guys an important question.

**Picture: Front of Stephanie's house**

***For an early update: 35 votes and 45 comments***

Stephanie's POV

There's a ringing in my ears that seems to go on continuously with no sign of ending. It's like everything has stopped existing and it's just me, the loud rhythm of my heart resonating in my ears, and the panic embedded deep in the violet eyes I stare into.

"What?" I ask weakly. Collin hugs me from behind in a silent show of support.

"This afternoon your dad took Carrie and Stacy out to eat with the intention of coming to the fair afterwards in time to hear you sing. When Carrie and Stacy went to the bathroom and didn't come out for a while, though, your dad began to get worried and he went to check on them. He found their purses outside the door and a note tucked into one of them that said: they're mine now, and no court can take them away again." James tells us, running his hand through his hair tiredly. My eyes widen.

"Randy," I whisper, wishing I was wrong but knowing with a chilling certainty that I'm right. James nods sadly.

"Yes, unfortunately Carrie's ex has them. Your dad is currently at your house with as many police officers as he could get and on the phone with the FBI to get some agents down here." For the first time since he got here, he smiles. "Guess it pays off to be such a high-class prosecutor. He has connections everywhere. "

My lips twitch to smile, but almost immediately turn back down. I can't smile in a world where Carrie and Stacy are in the hands of such a monster. And just when things seem to get brighter and better, too.

James tells us to follow his car to my house, and we pile into our respective rides. During the ride home, there's an eerie type of silence. The one that gives you goosebumps and makes you believe everything you watch on Criminal Minds is true. Collin reaches out and grasps my hand with one of his, squeezing it gently to bring some comfort as he drives. But all I can do is watch the scenery on the way to the mini mansion I used to call home, and pray that things will turn out okay.

The driveway appears in front of us after a while, and the long line of police cars waiting at the end of it casts an ominous glow over us. When we step out of the car and begin walking towards the front door, I notice that every single light in the house is on for the first time in years. I step into the house and I'm almost trampled by a passing police officer with a full drink carrier in his hands. He smiles at Collin, James, and I, and leads us to the living room where there's a flurry of activity.

Papers are flying everywhere, police are arguing on words written on a white board, and in the center of it all is my dad yelling into a phone with men in suits around him. I gape at the scene in front of me, completely gobsmacked and a little in shock, until I hear my name being called from behind me. Upon turning, I see a concerned Matt walking over and he envelopes me into a hug once he's reached me.

"Hey girl," he says once he's released me. "How are you holding up?" I sigh and sink into the couch with him on one side and Collin on the other.

"I don't know. There's a myriad of emotions in me, and I'm not really sure which is dominant."

"That's alright; you don't need to have all the answers right now. You do, however, need to relax and eat something before you pass out. Let the professionals take care of this on their end. They'll tell you if anything important comes up."

I nod and agree to Matt's advice, following behind him to the dining room, where a wide variety of snacks and drinks are laid out, with Collin by my side. We sit and nibble on a few things, pretending that the elephant in the room isn't there for a few blessed moments. But it is there, and we're reminded of this by a rude awakening to our sacred bubble of peace when the phone in the living room starts ringing. Dad picks it up with a confused expression on his tired face that quickly turns murderous.

"Listen here you piece of shit, I will get them back, and when I do you just know that I will dismember you limb from limb, tendon to tendon, and there won't be a corner or nook and cranny in this godforsaken world that you'll be able to hide in."

The words themselves aren't what scare me about that monologue. It's the way they're delivered. It isn't yelling or even shouting of a crazy man in the heat of the moment; it's a quiet affirmation of a man who can and will do just that.

"You won't get a dime!" Dad yells into the phone, his face turning bright red with anger as police around him try to calm him down. But he can't be calmed, and he certainly can't be kept quiet. Loud yells come from the other side of the phone, but everyone keeps quiet knowing that the longer the idiot stays on the phone, the better chance we have of the policemen on computers tracking his location.

"Jake, tell me you have something!" A man in a tux yells this as silently as he can so as not to let Randy hear him through the phone. One of the computer men, Jake I presume, holds a hand slowly counting down from five and making everyone hild their breath in anticipation.

"YES!" He yells out. Dad is startled into dropping the phone on the wood floors, and everyone looks at Jake angrily.

"Sorry guys," he whispers sheepishly as my dad hangs up the phone reluctantly due to Randy hanging up. "But I have good news! I know exactly where they are, so get moving and I'll send the address to the GPS in each of your cars."

A flurry of activity ensues, and soon the dozens of police officers in our house run out the door with my father at the helm, leaving to save Carrie and Stacy. I look into the living room with a little trepidation for what will happen next, but I console myself with the fact that if Randy's stupidity keeps going Carrie and Stacy will be saved in no time.

Bringing a bowl of fruit with me, I go to the back door of the big kitchen and walk over to one of the few things I actually like about this house. The koi pond.

It's a beautiful glistening pond with a few lillypads on the surface and brightly colored fish swimming day and night, surrounded by marble bricks, a mini waterfall, and a few rustic, wooden arcs. It's just so serene, and I've always loved coming out here when I need to think, cry, or just have a little solitude in a peaceful environment. Plus, with twilight quickly approaching and the glow of the moon surrounding the pond, I get a first-class seat to witness something almost ethereal-like.

Heaving a sigh, I munch on the juicy fruit and try to distract myself for the worry that wants to consume me. Carrie and I have only just started to mend a long overdue relationship; this can't be the end.

A rustling from behind me startles me out of my thoughts, and I turn nervously knowing it's not Collin because he left much earlier after Jenna told him he had to go home for a family dinner. But as it turns out, it's just James looking at me sheepishly with his hands buried deep in his pockets.

"Sorry if I scared you," he says, sitting next to me on the marble bricks. "I just needed to talk to someone."

"I know exactly how you feel," I tell him, putting down the bowl of fruit with a sigh. We sit together in peaceful silence, each of us lost to the beauty surrounding us, until James suddenly turns to me with a nostalgic smile.

"You know," he says. "I used to have a huge crush on you."

"What?" I ask incredulously, my mouth gaping open. "Are you kidding me? I used to have a huge crush on you!" James laughs, shaking his head.

"I can't believe it, Stacy was right." I look at him weirdly at that cryptic statement.

"What do you mean?" I ask him.

"After you left with Collin to New York, I realized that my chance was probably over with you. I realized that I was a coward for too long, and that you'd moved even the slightest feelings of friendship for me towards Collin. So, I was kicking myself for the lost opportunity one day during a bonfire the school held over the break when Stacy approached me. Now, I never really looked at Stacy before, mostly because I'd heard and seen the amount of guys she went through and I wasn't interested in anything but a long, committed relationship. That day, however, she came towards my blanket and sat on it. I remember that I looked at her weirdly, trying to pinpoint what I felt was different on her. Then, I realized it was that her entire appearance had changed. Her face only had lightly applied makeup, her hair was twisted into a simple bun, and she wore an oversized sweater and leggings. She looked at me and said: I still can't believe that after so many years you still haven't told Steph, the girl who would have done anything to know you as more than a friend, that you want her to be your girlfriend. I remember looking at her like she was crazy, until she told me everything you'd say to Amy at your house about me and how she'd see you get a look on your face whenever you were around me that showed you wanted to be more than just friends. I didn't believe her at first, but as I went back on all my memories that day I realized she was right. But I also realized that, based on your reactions around Collin, you had left that crush and I had no one to blame but myself."

He sighs deeply, but looks at me with a smile that shows me he has no bitter feelings in reserve.

"After winter break, you came back as the official girlfriend of Collin Jacobs and I let myself settle to become just a friend who watched what he could never have. A few days later, though, I had just finished showering after practice and I went outside to see Stacy crying on the bleachers. I ran up the side and sat down next to her, noting the many dirty tissues around her and the wrinkled clothes on her thin frame. She looked over at me, and at first, she just stared. Then, she hugged me, sobbing into my shirt, and told me the entire story on Randy. Afterwards, she got out of our hug and told me that Mr. Coleman was doing everything he could to put Randy behind bars again and not let him anywhere near her or Carrie. I had no idea what to say to all that. I just remember bringing her back into my arms and hugging her, wishing I wasn't so bad at dealing with crying women."

He laughs, but it's the sad laugh of someone resigned to their faults.

"When she finally finished crying, she stepped out of my embrace and wiped her face clean then straightened out her clothes. I remember it was the first time I'd ever seen Stacy without any makeup and with her hair in a honey brown colored ponytail. And when the sun was setting, it hit her face just right and I thought to myself: why would anyone hide such a beautiful face under thick layers of makeup everyday? So when she looked at me with those big, teary, blue eyes, I did the only thing I could think of. I kissed her."

He buries his face in his hands and laughs with embarrassment as I look on in wonder. James... and Stacy?

"At first she didn't react and just stayed still. But just when I was about to pull away thinking I'd done something really bad, she put her arms around my neck tentatively and kissed me back. I can't really explain to you the feelings that went through me. All I can say is it was magical. And from that point on, Stacy and I became what she likes to call: feeling the air to become a couple. Personally, I don't need to feel anything out, but I didn't want to rush her and have her run away scared. So, I stayed as her uncertain-future-boyfriend. Today, I was coming over to tell her that I wanted her to be my official girlfriend once and for all after her lunch with Mr. Coleman. When I got the call that Stacy had been kidnapped, I didn't know what to do. I was terrified and freaking out about everything, and when I went to see your dad he told me to snap out of it and go get you from the fair."

He sighs once he's done and stares at the coy pond as I ponder over what I've just learned. In all honesty, Stacy is a great candidate to be with James as long as she loses the selfish attitude and just lets her true self out with him. And, if Carrie's new behavior is anything to go by, Stacy is very different from the façade she's put on all these years.

"I think you guys are going to make a really great couple," I tell him sincerely. He looks at with a hint of a smile and hugs me to his side gently. It's a bittersweet moment where we both know that we're letting go completely of all romantic feelings we had for each other before, and simply basking in the glow of true friendship.

We sit in peaceful silence until police cars can be heard in the distance coming closer and closer. James pulls up immediately and offers me a hand to do the same. We walk back into the house just as a group of police officers get out of their cars in the front of the house and allow my dad to come out with what looks like an unconscious Stacy im his arms, and Carrie comes out feom another police car leaning heavily on a man I recognize as one of my dad's lawyer friends.

They make their way into the house, and Stacy is immediately put on one of the plush couches where a few paramedics tend to a few scratches on her arms and a deep purple bruise on her left cheek under the watchful eye of my dad. Carrie sits on the adjacent couch and is tended by another paramedic, whom focuses mainly on some splits on Carrie's knuckles and two cuts on her arms.

What in the world happened back there?

When the police, paramedics, and friends of my dad finally leave after making sure Carrie and Stacy are sleeping and healing nicely in their rooms, I corner my dad in the living room as he watches the news. He looks at me with a tired smile and gestures for me to sit next to him.

"Hey dad, what happened back there?" I ask. He sighs and lowers the news before looking at me directly.

"I found them chained to chairs in an old abandoned warehouse. Stacy was knocked out cold, and Carrie was trying to stay strong as Randy watched her bleed from cuts he made on her arms. The police took care of Randy in a matter of seconds, and I freed Stacy and Carrie. Carrie refused to leave until I let her go for a minute, and when I did she went straight towards where Randy was being held and punched him in the face."

He laughs and for a second his face brightens.

"I was so proud of her, but I wanted to get her to a hospital as soon as possible. She refused and told me she and Stacy only had a few scratches between them, and that if I was so adamant about getting care then I would have to get the paramedics to come to the house because she wanted Stacy to recover in the safety of her room. Now here we are."

I hug him tightly, thankful that he didn't have to go through the hardshipsy mind conjured up.

"Wait, does this mean Randy's claim to Carrie and Stacy is finally null and void in court?" I ask him.

"Yes, thankfully. It's pretty much an open and shut case now." He answers, looking at me with glistening tears then hugging me tight again like he used to when I was little. "I love you forever, little red."

My eyes water and some tears leak out when I hear the nickname he gives me. It used to be his nickname before mom died and he started ignoring me. It almost feels like the past has come back and showered me with the warmth and comfort of my childhood.

We stay snuggled together watching the news, remembering old times when I would sneak out of bed when I heard mom go to sleep and crawl onto dad's lap to watch the news with him.

"And in other news today, Senators Richard and Amelia Trenton seem to get more and more popular everyday. Reports say that this power couple seem to have the Midas touch, and they make prosperity happen everywhere they go. However, their son has been keeping to himself for quite some time now, and people in California have been wondering what this mystery is all about. Is he dead and there's a conspiracy to cover it up? Or is he alive and doing dangerous things that could damage his parents' career? If you or someone you know have information, please call the number on your screen."

I roll my eyes at the dramatic newswoman and look to dad to see him sleeping with his mouth wide open, his nose twitching and getting ready to unleash a deep snore. Chuckling to myself, I get off of him and head to the kitchen for some croissants and nutella before going to bed. Just when I'm about to leave though, I catch a look at three unopened envelopes, wrapped together, on the kitchen table with my name on them. I pick them up slowly and swallow hard when I see who they're from. Brown University, UCLA, and Duke University.

It's been so many months since I applied for college that it seems like a lifetime ago when I sealed my applications away with my heart in my throat and sent them off. I rip into the cards quickly, wanting to get it over with, and find that I've amazingly gotten into all three schools.

Now I have the unfortunate task of deciding where I want to go and decide what my future will hold.

Sighing to myself, I walk up to my room and smile when I walk past Stacy's room to see James keeping watch over a sleeping Stacy with a tender expression on his face. I crawl into my bed and wipe my face with my hands, fatigue settling over me like a thick blanket.

I stare holes into my ceiling, trying to sleep, until my phone suddenly buzzes on my nightstand. Picking it up, I see a text from Collin and smile.

Stud muffin♥: Is everything okay back there, bambi?

Steph: Yes, everything's fine now. Thanks for worrying stud muffin ;-)

Stud muffin♥: I'll always worry about u baby.

My heart melts and lay back on my pillow with a lovestruck expression as he messages me again.

Stud muffin♥: Hey, I'll ttyt bambi, cuz my eyes refuse to stay open. Love u to the moon and back! :-)

Steph: okay, goodnight muffin! I love u more XD

I place my phone back on the nightstand and cuddle into my pillow to dream about the wonderful man I love and what the future holds.

***
A/N: I hope you guys liked the chapter! So, I hate to be the bearer of sort of bad news, but there's not really going to be that many more chapters in this book. :-(

However, for right now I want to ask what you guys wanted for the next chapter.

1) Collin's bday

2) A girl's night

3) A boy's night

4) A chat with Stacy and Carrie and maybe have them get dinner with Steph and Amy's family

So, comment on whichever one of those you'd like next and please vote and comment to tell me what you thought of the chapter. Thanks so much!

Do widzenia! (Bye in Polish)