(unedited)

How unfair, it's just our luck,
Found something real that's out of touch.
But if you'd searched the whole wide world,
Would you dare to let it go?
'Cause what about,
What about angels?

"Not About Angels" -Birdy

The first thing I realized was that I was still alive.

The second thing I realized was that nothing hurt.

I wasn't the one who was shot. And since Vanessa had been holding the gun, then... "Ashton?"

No reply.

My heart stopped.

BANG!

A second shot rang out, making me squeeze my eyes shut automatically. My head felt fuzzy, and distantly, I heard a gasp.

A clatter.

Then a thud.

I'm still alive.

My eyes snapped open, and I looked around. My vision was still hazy from the loss of blood, so it was difficult to make out what was happening. Two figures leaned over someone slumped on the ground.

Wait, two?

One of them stood and made their way towards me. As they got closer, I realized it was Ashton. He crouched down in front of me, pulling me into a sitting position. You're okay.

I didn't realize I had said the words out loud until he nodded. "Who...?" I trailed off, unable to finish the question, but I didn't need to. He seemed to understand anyway.

Ashton glanced down at the ground, then at the two figures in the middle of the room. "Nate. He broke free and shot Vanessa." For a second I was confused as to where Nathan could've gotten the gun from, but then I remembered Detective Fallon kicking my -Shawn's- gun across the room.

"Is she...?" Dead?

He shook his head. "Nate shot her in the hand and leg."

I heard Vanessa and Nathan then, talking quietly.

"You promised," Vanessa gasped out. "You promised you'd never-"

"I know," Nathan interrupted. I glanced past Ashton, vision clearing a bit, to see Vanessa lying on Nathan's lap, right hand clutched to her chest. "I'm sorry, Ness."

I looked at Ashton. "We should call for help."

"Already done. Nate did it before..." he trailed off.

"Is Nathan okay?" I asked.

Ashton sighed. "He blames himself for how Vanessa is, of course. Seeing her like this hurt him." Like Ashton had thought it would. He had said Nathan knowing would hurt him, but I had always believed he meant in a more physical aspect, not emotional.

"You betrayed me," Vanessa cried out. Ashton stiffened, muscles tensing like he was getting ready to attack someone or defend himself. But before he could do anything, Vanessa continued. "I should hate you. Why don't I hate you?"

"You know why, Vanessa," Ashton replied quietly when Nathan didn't.

"I'm so tired," she said, her words slurring together a bit. "Nate?"

"Yeah, Ness?"

"Why is the room spinning?" Her voice was quiet enough that I could barely hear her anymore.

"Close your eyes," Nathan replied in an equally hushed tone. "Help will come soon."

"Shouldn't she stay conscious?" I asked Ashton.

"It's the hand and leg," he told me. "She'll be okay."

"Do you love me?" I heard Vanessa ask quietly. It seemed weird to think that this Vanessa, an insecure girl simply asking the guy she loved if he loved her back, had just a couple minutes ago, held a gun and been ready to pull the trigger.

Nathan hesitated. "Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah, Ness, I do."

My vision cleared some more, and I saw Vanessa relax in Nathan's arms, a small, soft smile on her face.

"Now we wait," Ashton muttered. I glanced up at him. He looked surprised, as if he still wasn't sure if any of this was really happening. I guess, since he had been fighting it for so long, it seemed unreal that Vanessa wasn't firing bullets anymore. "It's over."

Then, as if he had somehow jinxed everything with those two words, Vanessa gasped. "You have to stop him," she said.

"Stop who?" Nathan asked.

She jerked is his arms. "You have to stop him," she repeated, as if she hadn't heard Nathan despite him being so close to her.

"Okay, okay," he said soothingly, trying to calm her down. "We'll stop him. Don't worry. Just sleep, okay?"

His words seemed to satisfy Vanessa, since she slumped back into his arms.

"Who was she talking about?" Ashton asked.

Nathan shook his head. "Jacen? Her dad? Who knows?"

Stop him?

Stop who?

Then I remembered- Vanessa had said something to Detective Fallon about doing his job. But what was his job? What could he possibly be doing that we had to stop?

Jacen was at the police station, Nathan and Ashton were here, Keira was okay...

I gasped, jolting to a sitting position. "Skylar!"

Ashton swore, jumping to his feet. "Where is she? Vanessa? Where's Skylar?"

"She's out," Nathan told him, shaking his head.

"Fuck," Ashton muttered. "We have to check the rooms."

I grabbed his arm before he could head down the hall. "Keira checked all of those. She's not there."

"I'll check again, and stay here in case Ness wakes up again," Nathan said. "You go check the main house."

I pulled myself to my feet. "I'm coming."

"Elena, your arm," Ashton protested.

"I'll be fine," I gritted out. I pushed the door open with my good hand. "The house is huge. You'll need help."

It was brighter outside. Not by much, since the sky was filled with dark clouds and it was getting late, but enough that I didn't stumble on the way to the main house.

"We need to split up," I said.

"We can't. You're in no shape to fight," Ashton argued.

"We don't know how much time we have." I dropped my arm a little since it was getting tired, but kept it above my heart so blood wouldn't start flowing again. "If I find her, I'll yell for you."

Ashton sighed, but I knew he had realized that I was right. "You take the left half, I'll look around the right," he instructed, yanking open the back door. "Be careful, okay?"

I nodded.

Then we parted ways.

Okay, think, Lena. There was no way I would be able to cover my half quickly. Where could they be? If there was a slight sort of symmetry to the past, like everything else then...

The pool room.

Where I had first hung out with the Elite.

There was the chance that I was completely wrong, but I had to start somewhere. I made my way through the hallways, quickly checking rooms as I passed them.

Nothing.

Finally I came to the end of the hall, and a familiar door. It was open just a crack, and the light was on, spilling into the hallway.

They have to be in there.

I gulped and pushed the door open slowly. The Olympic-sized pool stretched out in front of me, and in the farthest corner there was a tied figure. I recognized her instantly.

"Skylar!"

But she wasn't looking at me.

I should've known I was too late.

A noise I was becoming all too familiar with echoed through the room- the sound of a gun going off. I watched, helplessly from across the room as the bullet pierced her midsection. Skylar jerked back with a gasp, hitting the wall behind her as blood began streaming from the wound.

I spun around to see Detective Fallon in the corner directly opposite of Skylar, by the windows. He held the gun in front of him with a casual expression, as if he hadn't just played target practice on a human being.

He flashed me a mocking grin. "I've always been known for good timing."

I watched him warily. Earlier tonight, he had pressed a gun to my head and threatened to pull the trigger. He had shot me, though it hadn't been fatal.

Would he finish what Vanessa didn't?

I still had no idea how he truly fit into any of this.

My breath caught as I watched him wipe a hand across his gun.

But then to my surprise, instead of pulling the trigger, he smashed the window beside him. Then, he jumped. I stared at his running form for a second, then rushed around the pool to Skylar. I wouldn't be able to chase after Detective Fallon, but I could help Skylar.

Her eyes were closed when I got there, but she was still breathing, which was a good thing. The wound was leaking a conspicuous amount of blood, though, which was a bad thing.

"Skylar?"

She didn't reply.

Shit.

My first instinct was to call 911. But the police and the medics were already on their way, and I didn't have a phone.

I did call for help, though. "Ashton! Ashton!" Hopefully he wasn't far enough into the other side of the house that he wouldn't be able to hear me.

Okay, stay calm, Lena. What are you going to do next?

I pressed two fingers to Skylar's neck, trying to find her pulse. It was weak, and fast, but there. The weak part definitely wasn't good, though, and I had a feeling the fast part wasn't either.

The wound was still bleeding.

Should I move her?

She was still tied up. I concentrated on trying to unwind the ropes wound around her wrists and ankles. The fingers of my left hand were numb and clumsy from the bullet wound and loss of blood in my arm, making it the process take longer than it should've. I was so focused on undoing the knots that I didn't notice Ashton come in until he was crouching down beside me.

"No," he said in a hushed whisper, his voice cracking. "No."

"She's still alive," I told him. "Help me undo her ankles."

He pushed my hands away and within seconds the rope binding her legs together. He eased her out of her slumped position against the wall, gently pulling her down until she lay across the tile flooring.

"Help me pull her shirt up," he ordered, his voice shaking. With my good hand, I helped him ease up her tank top. I bit back a gasp at the scars around her stomach. Some were old and faint, nearly invisible, while others looked newer, almost like they had just scabbed over.

But the bullet wound was worse.

Ashton gripped the bottom of his shirt and tugged, ripping part of it off. He folded it twice, then placed it over the wound. "Check her pulse," he told me, pressing down on the cloth. Blood soaked through quickly, but he kept his hands in place.

I gripped her wrist, moving my index and middle finger around until I found her pulse. It was the same as before, weak and fast, though it seemed a little quicker than before. I jumped when I felt Skylar grip one of my hands. I looked up to see her watching us, eyes clouded and pupils dilated in pain.

"It's okay," she whispered. "It doesn't hurt."

Ashton scowled. "Don't lie, Skylar."

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" she asked, glancing at me, then back at Ashton. She seemed strangely calm, asking a question like that.

He shook his head quickly. "No, you're not. You'll be fine."

I think she tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "Now who's lying?"

"You're not going to die," Ashton said. Judging by his words and determined expression, it came out shakier than he intended.

"I've thought about it, you know?" Skylar said softly.

"Sky, please," he begged.

Her grip tightened on my hand, but I didn't protest. "Nobody really needs me."

My breath caught at her quiet admission. Skylar had never seemed like the person to be insecure about something like this, had never shown any sign of it. She had always been confident, humorous, brushing things off as if they didn't matter. Maybe that was the sign. Trying so hard to make it seem like nothing really mattered.

"People need you. I need you," Ashton said, his words coming out choked. I glanced up at him to see two wet trails down his cheeks.

"You have Elena," Skylar replied. "You'll be okay."

I bit my lip, feeling tears build up. Something seemed to clog my throat, making it hard to speak. "You can't go, Skylar."

"I don't know if I want to stay." She glanced at Ashton. "I haven't seen you cry in years, you know?"

"Skylar, please," he said. "Don't make this sound like goodbye."

She ignored him, gripping my hand tighter. Her next words rasped out quietly, low enough that I had to lean down to hear what she was saying. "Take care of him, Elena."

I shook my head. "Don't go, Skylar."

She ignored me. "P-Promise me."

"I... I will," I choked out.

She smiled slightly, closing her eyes.

"Don't close your eyes, Sky," Ashton said frantically. "You have to stay awake. Help will be here soon, they'll fix you, just stay awake."

"I'm not a doll, Ash," she replied, cracking an eye open to look at him. "It's okay. You'll be fine."

Then, like before, she closed her eyes.

But this time, she didn't open them again.

"Skylar!" Ashton yelled. "Sky, open your eyes. Please. Please."

Someone must've heard Ashton, because the sound of hurried footsteps came from down the hall. The next moment, the police and paramedics burst into the room. The medics pushed us aside as they yelled rapid instructions to each other and began working on Skylar.

A pair of hands pulled me back, and I thrashed against them until I realized it was Kaden dragging me back. He turned me to face him. "Are you okay?" he asked.

I sniffled and nodded.

"You need medical attention," he said, spotting the makeshift bandage Ashton had tied around my arm.

I shook my head. "Skylar needs it more."

"They can't all work on Skylar." He called over one of the doctors who weren't crowded around Skylar. They brought me to a slightly cushioned table and instructed me to sit as they performed a variety of quick tests.

"She seems to be alright, but her arm will need medical attention," the doctor told Kaden a couple moments later.

"Excuse me, Doctor?" I said before she could walk away. "What'll happen to Skylar?"

She glanced at the paramedics who were still moving quickly around Skylar still form. "We're trying to secure her so she can be transported to the hospital."

"Thank you, Doctor," Kaden cut in before I could ask any more questions. He pulled me into a tight hug as soon as she left. "Please, Lena, don't ever do that again."

I gulped. "I'm sorry."

"I nearly had a heart attack when Shawn found out you were gone. Then again when you weren't with Vanessa Merrick and Nathan Sinclair," he said.

"Where is Vanessa? And Nathan? And Keira? And Detective Fallon?" Was Keira still waiting in my car at the front? They had to have seen her right? Had the police caught up to Detective Fallon? Where was Jacen? Was he still at the police station? My head spun, trying to keep track of everyone who was part of this mess.

"Both the Winston's are down at the station. Nathan Sinclair is fine. Vanessa Merrick is receiving medical attention. As for David Fallon... They can't find him," Kaden told me.

"They can't find him?" I repeated.

His expression hardened. "David Fallon was a hired hit man, he doesn't have t-" Before Kaden could finish, he was cut off by the most heart wrenching noise I had ever heard.

"No!" Ashton cried, his voice cracking. Everyone turned to stare at him as he dropped to his knees beside the medics.

Skylar.

Kaden grabbed my arm before I could step towards them. "Elena," he said quietly.

I knew he was right- it wouldn't help, I couldn't help, comfort Ashton now. I turned into Kaden's chest, attempting to stifle the sobs as tears streamed down.

Then, in the complete silence of the room, a paramedic's voice rang out.

"Skylar Blaire. Time of death, 6:53pm."

-- ♡ --

QotC: Were you surprised that Skylar died?

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