AN: so I know I've been gone for a long time, but I've had all these emotions and so much stress floating around I had to express it. Other than the crying and working out and music and writing, part of that was writing this. And yeah, I know I'm starting these stories and am taking forever to update regularly like I promised a long time ago. But I'm human, and sometimes we make promises we can't keep, so for that I'm sorry. College is tough. Period. Cut me some slack for one more month? I love you all.

Anyways, I have no clue if this will be a continuation, or a one time thing that I'll end up deleting. It'll depend on you guys.

I still have ISIKYW and #OITNE to update and I will, it's just those take me more time. Oh, and since you all love my smut, I'll finish the massage prompt. You just love that stuff don't you? Ah, I don't blame It was never planned to add another chapter to the dance lesson story, it was meant to end that way, sorry for the disappointment to some of you waiting for that.

So without blabbing any further, here goes nothing.

You Saved Me:

(If I Could Do It All Again)

Two shots fired. Two bodies slumped on the ground. One blood curdling scream and no way to undo what was done. Alison stood motionless.

Her legs like lead. Her heart like a stone. Her breathing getting harder.

One voice, her voice, strained through the deafening silence that followed, "go. Go."

Ali had no time to reach over and touch her, she had no time to hold her in her lap and cradle her head, she only had time to hide her body someplace safe and to do as she was told and go.

x x x

Ali ran through the bushes and thickets of trees for what seemed like eternity for as fast as she could. Each step she took seemed like it took longer, like she was getting slower, but she needed to get to the road…and fast. She ignored the pain shooting through her arm and the cramp she was developing from half jumping and running over the low shrubs. Her ankles, arms and face were all being whipped by the branches and thorns. Any area of her skin left uncovered was now being covered with red slashes and welts. The cold air began to subside and now turned to ignite like flames across her skin.

She ignored the pain and focused on running. Just running. Her heart beat heavily in her chest, making her lungs burn and her blood thump loudly in her ears.

Run, Alison, run and get help. She needs you.

Alison looked back and forth, making sure no one was following her and keep running. Her hair matted to the sweat on her face, her dress covered in blood, but only some of it was hers. She fell on her hands and knees, stabbing them with thistles, breaking small branches and twigs along the way. And for a second she wished that she could give up and lay there. Let herself fall into eternal sleep and return to the Earth like these leaves would. Like the dirt. Like every living thing that has ever walked the earth. But that second is over and Alison forces herself to get up. She ignores every muscle fiber in her body that is screaming for her to stop and she keeps going. The sun in going down and she's running out of time.

This isn't about her anymore, this is about who she has to save. Who she wants to save. Who she IS going to save.

x x x

The sun is starting to set and Ali is exhausted, battered, and a few more steps from collapsing. But the voice is Ali's head again. It's her voice. "Go, go."

Alison grunts and by the sheer force of her memories, her body urges forward. Save her Alison. You can't let her down again.

Ali hears the faint sound of tries on pavement and by miracle, a new surge of energy washes over her until she makes the final steps forward and lurches onto Highway 5. She stumbles as her feet find solid ground and in a matter of seconds a truck comes to a screeching halt a mere inches from her weakened body.

A burly man and short robust woman emerge from either side of the truck and approach Ali, who was her back to the couple, her hands on her knees, gasping for any air that will come to her.

"What in the name of God, were you doing out here in the middle of the goddamn-"

"Robert! Shut up! Oh my god, look."

The shorter no-named woman walked slowly beside her husband and pointed to Alison's legs, covered in dirt and mud and blood. No shoes, no trace of looking like she meant to run out to the middle of that road.

"Jesus, what the hell? Listen, are you all right?" The man had a country twang in his voice and Ali momentarily forget where she was, the exhaustion and stress overwhelmed her and she barely had enough energy to turn around before her body starting to slump towards the ground.

Surprisingly, the man made it to Alison's side before she fell to the ground. "Woah there, I gotcha. Angie, call 9-1-1 right now."

Ali groaned and her head slumped into the man's belly who had sat on the floor in the midst of catching Alison and cradling her head. The woman, Angie, has on the phone and Ali was struggling to listen, and to get a word out.

"What is that darlin'? Don't you worry, help is on the way."

'Yes, hello, I'm just north of the Oregon-Washington state border and my husband and I found a girl here in the middle of the road. Yes, she's conscious, but I don't know for how long. She looks pretty bad. No, she hasn't said anything we can understand yet. Okay, please hurry.'

Ali was only partially relieved once she heard help was coming. But she couldn't let the ambulance take her, not without getting to her first. Alison fought the blackness clouding her vision, and tried her best to feign off the warm consuming her body and calming her hear. Ali used what was left of her energy to raise her hand and point in the direction she had come.

"Ang, what do you think she's trying to say?"

"Sweetheart, what is it? The ambulance is coming okay?"

Ali groaned and opened her mouth to speak.

The woman's face was in front of hers then, trying to listen harder, "what is it? Can you tell me your name?"

"Al-i-son." Each syllable was spoken between painful breaths.

"Alison? Alright Alison, where did you come from? Is something out there?"

Ali dropped her hand and nodded.

"Someone trying to hurt you?"

Ali was losing her grip on reality, but she knew enough to only say someone who needed help was out there. So she shook her head.

Ali raised her arm to reach for the locket around her neck and pulled at it from under her blouse. The woman carefully leaned forward and opened it.

"Oh my. Is this, is she back there?"

Ali nodded.

"Oh my god, Robert, I think these are the girls from the news. Look."

"No, all the way out here? Well where's the other one?"

"I think that what she's trying to tell us. She was pointing that way." The lady stood and walked near the edge of the road and called out, "hello! Hello, if you can hear me, we won't hurt you, help is on the way!"

"Dammit Angela, you think if they both escaped, only one would make it to the road. That poor girl is probably hurt out there. This one has probably been running for hours tryin to find help. Her, gimme ma jacket. Them damn police won't know the woods like I do."

"No, what are you gonna do, the killer could be out there. Stay here and let the authorities handle it, they're on their way."

"Would you look around? The sun is setting and the nearest town isn't for miles away. This poor girl came from god knows where and the her friend could be out there unconscious or worse, and I'm gonna find her before nightfall. If I ain't back by the time them damn ambulance come, send a search party."

The woman knew there was no arguing and handled her husband the shotgun that was in the toolbox on the truck.

"Be careful."

"I will be. You know if it was Dani, I would do the same."

Angie merely nodded and watched as her husband disappeared into the trees.

Alison was still fighting to stay awake, staying breathing. The world became quiet and her cold body shook until her body became numb from it. Then the pain in her arm radiated through her until that's all she had become, pain.

She slipped in and out of consciousness. Angie trying desperately to keep Ali talking or nodding, but when the words did manage to come out, audible and recognizable, the woman could make out a mixture of three words: "Emily. Save. Her."

Then the world blacked out and Alison's mind slipped away from it.

x x x

The loud whipping of wind overhead jostled Alison from her slumber. She sat up too fast and no memory of what just happened or where she was.

"It's okay. They're here. The ambulance is here. You're going to be okay."

Then, a heavy spotlight was shone right on Alison. It was so bright it was blinding. As the pain returned to her body, so did the memories of the last 24 hours.

"Emily." Alison croaked, her throat was dry, each syllable like scraping sandpaper together.

Angie pointed off into the distance were the big burly man, what was his name, was helping the EMT's lower someone onto a stretcher. More EMT's from more ambulances hoped out the back of swung open doors and rushed to Alison. The world was a blare of sirens, or blinding lights, flashing red, blue and white. The world around her was filled with new reporters trying to pass the police's outstretched arms used as a barrier, it was the loud helicopter overheard, the pulls against her body to lay in the stretcher. The world around her was in total chaos.

She fought of the attempts of EMTs and police and used every fiber of her being to cross the road to where Emily was: unconscious and bleeding and peaceful. The world around Alison was a chaotic fucking mess, but her everything, her world, lie peaceful.

She choked back tears and for a moment everything fell silent. The people trying to rush them to the hospital stopped and backed away for a moment.

Alison climbed in the back of the ambulance and reached the side of the gurney and with a shaky hand brushed the hair from Emily's face. Her chest sobbed she sucked in a tight breath at the side of the red gash on the side of her face. She looked down at Emily's hand. What was once clasped tightly now fell slack above her gunshot wound. Ali leaned down and placed her hand feather-lightly over Emily's. She leaned in towards her face until her lips ghosted over Emily's skin and she moved to her ear.

Tears ran like hot rivers down either side of her face and she struggled to keep her voice even, "Emily. Em, I should be lying here, not you. You-you weren't supposed to save me."

Alison dropped her head lightly against Emily's forehead and let her tears wash over their faces.

It seemed like another eternity passed until Alison felt skin, another hand cover hers and a voice in her ear was heard, Emily's voice, "Ali, if I could do it all again…I would. I lo-"

But the EKG reading on the machine near the front of the ambulance let out one long beep and then flatlined. Ali's eyes stayed glued to the line until the little waves disappeared. There was shouting and the back of the truck was filled with more people. Alison's body was being physically pulled away from Emily's. She reached for Em's other hand but all she did was knock her clenched fist open until a bracelet fell. Ali barely had time to snatch it away before the doors closed and her sight of Em was cut off.

Suddenly her world came crashing into the world around her and before she could comprehend what was happening, arms were thrown around her waist, lifting her from the truck into one of her own. Alison snapped into reality and with all her strength started flailing and kicking and screaming, "NO! NO! EMILY! EMILY! I LOVE YOU! EMILY!"

Voices were talking at her but all she could here was "hospital, they're rushing her to the ER. They're going to everything they can to save her."

Alison was just tears now and she yelled to drive faster until she couldn't hear her voice anymore, she was just breathing the words.

"Give her a dose of ketamine and hook her up to the-"

"a dose of what?"

"Alison, look we need to examine you as best we can before we get to the hospital, your shoulder is bleeding out and we need to pack it before you pass out."

Alison was starting to protest until the drug was administered and she immediately felt the effects.

This is what dying must feel like. Her vision was blurring and the outside world was fading. All she could focus on was the memories she had with Emily and memories she still was going to have, because Emily was going to live. She wasn't supposed to save Alison. But she did, and now Ali had to make sure Emily was going to be saved.

Ali lay back with the bracelet adorned with the Eiffel Tower, matching her necklace, clutched in her hand. The same three words flooded her mouth: "Emily. Save. Her."

Then the world slipped away slowly, like sleep. Like falling downwards through honey. Like the soft strokes of brushing one's own hair. All slow and peaceful. Ali succumbed to each feel and closed her eyes, the strength to fight leaving her own body.

"Ali, if I could do it all again…I would." It was the last real thing Ali could remember.

And the last thing she could think was "Em, if I could do it all again, I would, but things would be so different."

The End?

I have no words to say for this except the question eating at me: To continue or not to continue?
Tell me what you think? Comments, reviews…anything
and thanks for reading, I look forward to your responses.

Lina