Four Years Later...[James/Ash/Luke]

This is a bad dream, right?

Luke's jaw dropped as he stared at Jake, not daring to move in case the maniac fired.

He slowly made his way down the porch steps. "Jake, let her go," he said slowly. "You don't drag girls into fights between guys. How lame are you?"

Wait, okay, maybe that was a bad move. Too late.

Evelyn approached with Natasha, eyes wide. She made her way to James' side where he stood on the porch, slipping her hand into his. Natasha was wide eyed.

"Isn't that her ex?" she muttered. Evelyn nodded.

"What does the creep want?" she breathed in James' ear.

James shook his head as he felt Evelyn's hand slip into his, he whispered, "I don't know."

Jake tightened his grip on Ashlee and she yelped, "Move any closer Luke and you can say goodbye to her."

Ashlee felt tears stream down her cheek, "Luke don't! Go back I'll be okay."

Jake tugged on Ashlee's hair a bit harder, "Isn't that sweet, you two don't want to lose each other then again Luke you didn't care so much the first time you lost her why would you care now?"

Ashlee began to pray silently that he wouldn't shoot Luke.

"Besides she's not even as pretty as that girl you brought over, oh look she's right there." Jake pointed to Tasha.

"Would you even miss her Luke?" Jake gripped her tighter lowering the gun from Ashlee's head down her back, sending shivers down her spine, "Would you miss her if she died?"

Ashlee broke free of Jake's grip and turned to face him.

"There's only one way to find out..." Jake pulled the trigger and the gun shot reverberated throughout the sleepy neighborhood.

Ashlee tried to scream but no sound escaped, she looked down and saw the blood oozing out of her stomach and wrapped her hand over the wound to stop it from bleeding. Jake released her from her grip and she stood for a second in disbelief, she felt the pain course through her veins, soon replaced by numbness. Her mind swirled and blackness was creeping in from all around her.

She saw Jake run from her house as she saw herself falling to the ground in slow motion, her eyes glazed over as she landed on the ground falling on her back.

Luke felt sure he was dreaming. He stood there dazed for a moment, before Evelyn's soft whisper broke through the spell.

"Oh God..." she breathed.

Luke raced across the garden, dropping to his knees beside Ashlee.

"Shit, no, no, no..." He checked her pulse and gave a sigh of relief.

"Dial an ambulance," he yelled to James, who was nearest. Luke turned back to Ashlee, lifting her so her head rested in hsi lap. He didn't want to move her any more for fear he'd do something wrong. He felt so dazed, he couldn't comprehend. A gentle hand was squeezing his shoulder, and Evelyn wrapped her arm around him as she sank to her knees beside them, tears running down her cheeks. Luke oddly couldn't feel anything. Not even her arm, nor hear James' voice on the phone.

In a few, ambulance lights flashed in the distance. Evelyn stepped away from Luke as two paramedics darted toward them, gently placing Ashlee on a stretcher. Natasha bit her lip and grabbed Luke's hand, moving him to a standing position as he still hadn't moved.

Evelyn walked dazedly back to James, trying to sort this out in her head. This isn't real. Please don't let her die. Please don't let her...

Natasha was the only one who seemed calm. She was holding firmly onto Luke's arm with one hand, as if he'd fall if she let go, and talking to the police officer who had turned up. Evelyn watched, slowly dropping to the porch steps with her head in her hands as the tears came again.

Luke still wasn't saying anything, she realized. His face was completely expressionless, as he stood beside Natasha. Natasha glanced over at James and Evelyn, as if puzzled over something she had been asked.

"Um, Ev--" she caught sight of Evelyn slumped on the stairs and changed tracks, "James, can you fill these guys in about Jake? I don't know the details."

Evelyn watched through blurry eyes as Natasha led Luke back to her, and he followed silently. She sat him down next to Evelyn and then sat down next to him, placing an arm around his shoulders.

"They're gonna search the area for him," she told Evelyn.

James filled in the police about Jake as he watched them drive on the sirens blaring as they faded into the background James went and sat next to Evelyn and Luke.

He wrapped an arm around Luke's shoulder, "Everything's going to be okay Luke, she's going to be fine." He tried to comfort his friend, letting out a sigh and looking to Evelyn.

"She was so silent...it wasn't like her," Luke muttered and got to his feet, heading toward the ambulance. He talked to them in a quiet voice.

"I'm allowed to ride with them, I'll let you know how it goes." he called to James and Evelyn. He got inside the ambulance wwith the paramedics and the ambulance left.

Evelyn looked at James. "What did he mean...silent...?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

James shrugged, "I don't know Ev I wish I could tell you but I can't even think of anything."

He sighed, "Come on we should get down there."

Evelyn nodded. She headed into the house and grabbed Ashlee's car keys since Luke had taken his. She walked back out to see Natasha had vanished, and tossed the keys dully at James.

James got into the car and drove him Evelyn to the hospital.

***

Ashlee's parents and her older brother Jesse ran into the waiting room.

Ashlee's mother Renae went up the recpitionists desk, "Where is she? My daughter Ashlee is she okay?" She asked franitcally.

"Ma'am please remain calm and give us your information so we can find out more about your daughter." The nurse replied calmly.

Ashlee's father Joesph spoke, "Her name is Ashlee Marie Brooks, we were informed that she was shot and rushed over here is she going to be okay?"

"As of right now sir I can't tell you anything she's in ER but I will send the doctor to you as soon as she finished in surgery. I'm sorry but the only thing you could do is wait." The nurse replied sadly.

Joesph nodded leading Renae to a chair where the three of them sat. Jesse rested his elbows on his knees he couldn't believe his little sister had gotten shot, he knew that Jake guy was no good from the start. He looked around the waiting room and saw Luke sitting in a chair.

Jesse sighed and got up from his spot walking over to him, "Hey man, how are you holding up?"

Jesse

"Good," Luke muttered, absently. He glanced up at Jesse. "They didn't find him, by the way."

Jesse scowled, "That creep, I swear if I find him I'll take care of him! I can't believe that my sister ever went out with him. I knew there was something off about him!"

Jesse sighed he knew he was getting himself too worked up, "Listen I'm glad you're back in her life Luke honestly between Damian and Jake you're so good to her dude and I'm thankful you're back in her life she needed someone like you."

Luke gave a simple nod, not quite having the effort to say anything.

***

Evelyn waited for James to slip the car into parking gear, and dove out, dashing up to the lobby as he locked up behind her.

"Where...?" she muttered, scanning the area as he caught up. "Look, they're over there!"

She darted off again, heading for Luke and Jesse.

"Hey,, how are you guys holding up?" she asked, tentatively, sinking into a seat on Luke's other side.

Luke shrugged. Evelyn winced and squeezed his shoulder, asking Jesse, "What did they say?"

Jesse shrugged, "Were still waiting for a doctor so we don't know."

James came in after parking the car and found all of them sitting together. James went and took a seat next to Evelyn and asked quietly, "Did they say anything?"

"Not yet." Jesse repeated himself.

The doctor came out of the swinging doors of the ER and walked over to Ashlee's parents, "Are you the Brooks family?"

Renae and Joesph stood up and both of them nodded.

The doctor looked over his clipboard, "Well I'm Dr. Sheppered I opereated on Ashlee today, um the bullet had entered in through the lower half of her stomach and damaged some of her large intestine so we had to removed the damaged pieces, other than that the bullet was removed and she was in no real harm. Although after being released her diet will have to change she won't be able to eat as much as she would have before, and any foods high in calories, starch, or any of that her intake has to decrease majorly. She's out of surgery now and we've put her in a room. She's going to be fine and you can take her home in a couple of days."

"Thank you doctor." Joseph muttered as the doctor turned and walked away.

"Oh, thank, God," Evelyn murmured, closing her eyes. Luke gave a ghost of a smile.

He watched as Ashlee's parents went off to see her first. He ran a hand through his hair. "That creep needs to die," he said, quietly.

James sighed and went and sat next to Luke, "Don't worry dude they'll find him and lock him up for good."

The three of them sat together while they waited for Ashlee's family to return.

***

After about ten minutes or so Ashlee's family emereged from her room. Her parents headed for the door and Jesse walked over to them, "She's sleeping you guys can see her if you want I'm gonna go with my parents um call me if she wakes up?"

James nodded.

"Okay thanks guys, bye." Jesse waved to all of them leaving them in the waiting room and following his parents out.

James looked to Luke and sighed, "You ready to see her?"

Luke nodded, sighing as he got to his feet. They made their slow way to the room she was in, and Luke opened the door..

"She really is asleep," he murmured, and sank onto a chair by the bedside, sighing.

Evelyn hesitated, and then walked over, squeezing Ashlee's hand. She suddenly felt her eyes sting, and hastily dabbed at them with a finger.

"God, what is wrong with Jake?"

James hugged Evelyn, "Obviously there is something wrong with him, but thank god she's alright."

James looked down at Ashlee who was resting, he looked to Luke and saw his pained expression and it reminded him of how he was when Evelyn had been in her coma.

"I think we should leave them alone." James whispered to Evelyn.

Evelyn nodded, and then frowned as she saw Luke pull out his cell phone.

Before James and Evelyn could leave, he'd glanced over at Ashlee, critted hsi jaw, and stalked out, phone in hand.

Evelyn turned to look at James. "Um..."

James shrugged and eyed Luke as he watched him walk out of the room, "Um stay here with her I'll follow him."

James walked past Evelyn and out into the hallway following behind Luke so not to bother him from whoever he was calling he figured it had to be someone important.

but it couldn't be anyone more important than Ashlee


He thought.

He waited before intervening allowing Luke to finish his phone conversation and listening from a distance.

"Yes, I know, this is it." Luke gritted his teeth, slightly pissed off now. "Can you please freaking look again? This is the most likely place..."

He paced agitatedly. "They checked...? No, I guessed they wouldn't. They're incompetent, the asses. yeah...yeah, that is it. Since when? And it ended when?" He paused, muttering a number to himself and keeping i to memory. "Okay, thanks a lot, Terri, I owe you huge."

he turned around, freezing in his tracks as his eyes landed on James. "Hey...where's Ev?"

James eyed Luke suspciously, "She's with Ashlee, I came out here to check on you. You know? I assumed since your girlfriend almost died that you wanted to be with her."

James stood there a few awkward moments passing between him and Luke he finally took a deep breath and asked, "Luke who is Terri?"

"Oh, manager of this hotel," Luke replied, shrugging. He paused. "What, eavesdropping?"

James let out a sigh of relief, "No...well I kind of did by accident but I don't know you seemed all weird and I didn't want to bother you so I over heard. Sorry. Anyway you should come back I mean I'm pretty sure Ash would be happy if she saw you when she woke up."

James said turning to walk back to her room.

James shook his head as he walked back, "Funny Luke I thought Terri was some girl you were seeing behind Ashlee's back but I know you're not like that."

James stated turning into Ashlee's room.

Luke gave James a funny look. "Um...hey, do you still have that pocketknife thing you got back in highschool from Haley as a birthday present? The one with the large but not necessary dangerous blade? It was kinda blunt, if I recall..."

James stopped in his tracks and turned back to Luke, "Yeah I still have it... "

James arched an eyebrow, "Luke you aren't going to..are you?"

Six months later...

It had ended out fine. Terri had done a good job tracking Jake when he checked out. Wherever he used his credit card, she knew where he was going.

Luke sighed and slammed his laptop shut. He'd been trying out this recording for a while now.

He glanced down at his watch. Time for home.

***

"Only this year left," Cathy Hawthorne muttered behind Evelyn. Evelyn grinned to herself as the two girls walked down the halls of the courthouse.

"Our first real trial...wow, and I still recall Forensics in highschool," Cathy murmured.

Evelyn grinned as she slid open the door to the office they had been given.

"We're out in five, guys," Drake, Cathy's fiancée told them from his seat on the table. Evelyn swallowed.