If he had even the slightest care for her, it would be now. And it would be because they were once friends. He didn’t know why she put him in her number one person to call if anything happened but he was glad that she did. Valary doesn’t need to know about this, and so did the guys. Because if they do, he’s dead. His head will be up for bounty reward.

He rubbed his face in frustration and confusion after listening to the doctor’s explanation. Glancing at the ward door, he hesitated. He wasn’t ready to see her in that state yet. He’ll feel guilty as fuck. And guilty is a feeling that he couldn’t afford to have right now.

“How do you do Mr Haner, I’m Dr Hank.”

“I’m good, doc. Call me Brian.”

“Okay, have a seat Brian.”

“Um, is this gonna be long?”

“I suggest you take a seat, Brian.”

He sighed softly and landed his rear on the leather chair in the doctor’s office. He scanned around once, and saw a few posters of bad habits of smokings, pregnancy charts and so on. So… what’s wrong with Michelle? Is she pregnant and smoking?

“We’ve cleaned her stomach, but we’re worried that traces of Oxycodone and Valium still attached to the wall. She needs to be watched 24 hours. I recommend a therapy session, preferably for you both since I’m guessing this is a couple’s dilemma. But she needs a psychiatrist-”

“Woah, wait a second doc. What do you mean you cleaned her stomach? And what is this talk about therapy and shit?”

“Um, she was overdosed with unprescribed drugs when she was admitted here. Someone found her in a car, with foam in her mouth. She was driving at the time. Her car hit a tree and she suffered a minor injury on her head. But the wound can heal physically, Brian. Not mentally.”

Brian flapped open his eyes wide, trying to confide that information into his head. Untying the knots of confusion, but he failed at it. He still didn’t understand, was she sick or something? Why did she take those unprescribed drugs, which he felt achingly familiar by the sound of them escaped from the doctor’s mouth?

“She tried to commit suicide.”
Brian stood up from the waiting bench and let out a loud growl. Now he remembered. Those drugs belonged to Jimmy. The only realistic thing that Jimmy left in this world that reminded Brian of his pain and suffering in heart disease. He’d always seen Jimmy took those meds but never in a million years had he thought that Michelle would keep it all this while.

Committing suicide. So this is what she meant by ‘see you on the other side’? She tried to take her own life away?

“Damn, damn, damn.”

He pulled his hair tight and just then his phone rang in his jeans. He took a look at it. It was his dad. He frowned for a few moments before he picked it up.

“Yep?”

“Son, where are you?”

“I’m at…why?”

“Everybody’s looking for you. Where the fuck are you?”

Brian let out a deep sigh. His mind crawled on, whether he should tell his dad about Michelle or not. The pros and cons of it. But his dad didn’t have anything to do with his relationship with Michelle so far. Guess he could tell him about this.

“Dad, I’m at a hospital. Chelle’s been admitted to ICU.”

“Say that again?”

“I’m here because she listed me as the number one contact.”

“Jesus, what happened?”

“She…took Jimmy’s pills.”

“WHAT? Where did she get it?”

“I have no fucking idea dad. Can you come and pick me up?”

“Hmm. Okay. Which hospital is this?”

“Santa Ana.”

“Alright. I’ll be there. Just, stay still.”

After his dad hung up, Brian fidgeting with the screen of his phone. He felt really guilty for lying to Addie earlier. He didn’t mean to actually, he just didn’t want Addie to get involved with his past anymore, especially if it revolves around Michelle. He didn’t want Addie to be worried and drew back like she always did when it comes to Michelle. He had grasped her tight now, he refused to let her go again.

---

She stared long at the bottle in her hands. Then at the pictures on the frames. Then at her reflection in the mirror. She needed to run. After she got rid of her only witness in that prison with some help from the insides, Michelle just couldn’t live anymore. The news of her assassin being murdered in prison spread out wide in mass media that she needed to run.

If Jimmy was alive she would turn to him for help. But it was her fault. In fact everything was. If she didn’t let her greedy way masked her all this time, Jimmy would still be alive. Brian would still be happy and she could just be Michelle.

She swore that she wouldn’t take life anymore after Jimmy. His passing had turned her upside down but holding on to her greediness, she made it through. Then the need to kill came back when Brian broke ties with her. She wanted to get rid of him too but being seen as a pitiful widow at the same time.

Damn that security guard. Her appearance made this all became one awful mess.

“Jimmy, if you love me that much, wait for me.”

She downed the whole bottle of Jimmy’s drugs that she kept it all this while. Without even bothered to drink, she grabbed her car keys and got out from her apartment.

She snapped open her eyes. The first thing she saw was the white ceiling above her head. Fluorescent lights flickered once in a while, and the beeping sound of heart monitor beside her ear. She looked around. There was a man in there, sitting on the couch with his head dropped down. She recognized that figure at once, and she couldn’t help but wish that she wasn’t alive right now.

“Michelle?”

Brian saw her shuffling on the bed, trying to get up and Michelle broke into tears when he approached her.

“Hey, hey. Why are you crying? You’re safe now.”

“Just let me die! Just, fucking let me go!”

Brian wrapped his arms around her head and brought her closer to his chest. She squirmed and struggled to get away but he tightened the embrace.

“Why did you do this, Chelle? Is it because of me? I’m sorry. But why do you have to commit suicide? God, don’t let the history repeats itself.”

Michelle weakened under his touch as he ran his hand through her hair and rested his chin on top of her head. She cried on his shirt until it soaked up most part of it.

“Brian, I…I don’t want to move on..”

He stood still silently, letting her speak and listening to her intently.

“I don’t want to live anymore. Jimmy’s waiting for me. Let me go, Brian. Let me go to him.”

His heart dropped and shattered right there. He couldn’t let anyone go, not again. Not even Michelle.

“No. I won’t let you. It’s enough that I lost a friend and I don’t wanna lost another one too.”

“I don’t have anyone else in this world. Val hated me, you don’t love me and Jimmy isn’t here anymore. I want to go.”

Brian cupped her face and stared into her teary eyes deeply. “What do I have to do to change your fucking mind, Chelle?”

She stared back, this time her greediness gone. It was only a longing for love. She just wanted to be loved.

“Marry me, Brian.”

---

Something just doesn’t feel right. I don’t know why I felt that way after Brian left my apartment. He left in a hurry and I doubt that he wanted to go back to his security that badly. I paced back and forth in my living room, feeling so left out. That’s it. I needed to know if he’s okay. I dialed his number but it went through his voicemail.

“Brian, please tell me you’re okay. You’re with the guys right? Please call me back.”

Shit. I don’t like this feeling. I’m not by his side and his safety is at risk right now. I can’t call Big T or his bandmates because he came here secretly. I certainly can’t call Joe because one, I didn’t have his contact number and two, Brian was running away from him.

Later a message came through and it was from Brian.

I’m okay. Don’t worry. I love you. –Brian

Thank God. But why didn’t he call me? I still feel that something wasn’t quite right.

~*.*~

Headquarters looked the same as I left them 2 months ago. Nothing really changed, just a few more stuck up agents walked past me without saying anything. I headed over to Chief Jonah’s office, ignoring the fact that the wound under my uniforms still hurts like hell.

“Come in.” I heard his voice from inside after I knocked on the door. I came in and saw Andy was there too.

“Addie? God, are you okay? I thought Joe already told you not to come-”

“I need to get back on the case.”

Both Chief and Andy looked at each other.

“But why? You’re in danger Addie. You shouldn’t go out in the open like this.”

“Fuck that, Andy. My shooter’s already dead didn’t he? Please let me get back on the case. It’s killing me not to know who is the real culprit behind all of this.”

Chief raised his eyebrows hearing my cursing.

“What do you have in mind?”

“I’d say start with the prison.”

“But they didn’t let us have access to anything there. Not even the cameras.”

I grinned darkly at them.

Remember how I got this job? I hacked a traffic lights control over LA city once and Chief said he was impressed by it. So here I am, in front of my laptop, in the back of a van – typing my hacking codes away to the security cameras in prison. Somehow they didn’t let us have the access to it because we’re not ‘the authority’. This is where my ability comes in handy.

I narrowed down a few of possible passwords for their security firewall and came up with;

DECEASEDMAGNET

Hah! I can’t believe that was their firewall password. It’s either that or BARKINGTROOP for prison security. I got used to hacking passwords that this has become my bread and butter.

“Okay guys, I’m in. But I only have 10 minutes to copy all the views into the hard drive. Just, stall them.” I spoke into the earpiece towards Andy and another senior agent. They pretended to go into the prison and inquire about the murder and I was out, getting as much signal as I can to connect with their security access.

I missed working on field like this. Especially with Andy. I copied the previous views into the hard drive of my laptop, while watching the playbacks being rewind to the day my shooter died. Which was two days ago.

“What the..”

I paused at one of the view. There was a woman, dressed in hooded jacket, with achingly familiar blonde hair, approaching the front gate of the prison. Who was that?

“Addie, we’re out. Are you done?”

“Oh shit!”

I quickly unplugged the hard drive and disconnect from the signal. I don’t want them to realize that I was intruding their firewall.

“I’m done. Mostly.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think I’ve got us a clue.”

Notes

A/N: hah! so much is happening here! feedback guys!! <3