Helllooooo! I'm baaaack. (: I love you guys. So sorry it's been too long, and honestly there is no right explanation for me leaving you hanging like that. Thank you so much to my faithful reviewers, watchers and readers. Love you guys, and I thank you all of sticking with me and this story. ^_^ Read on!

.: Chappie 20 :.

Rattle…..rattle…..

All that could be heard was the creaking and low rattling of the old and creaky elevator, as its metallic walls softly screeched against its shaft. All was quiet inside of the elevator. Sam's eyes were closed as she focused her mind on the warm, steady rate of Chris' breathing. In the back of the elevator, they were holding hands, unknowingly trying to compensate for all of the time they had lost. Lost because of him. Jeremy. She breathed in deeply and, keeping her eyes closed, tried to relax herself, an impossible request for her ever so tense body and nerve wrecked mind. Cathy's soft whimpers and watery sniffles could be heard close-by, as Danny tried to no avail to quietly pacify her cries. Finally, Sam opened her eyes. Her tired, weary eyes. These eyes had seen so much already. But there was more. So much more. The elevator was obviously very old and rarely used, as it took a substantially longer time to creak its way up than most.

Sam closed a hand around the green sparkling pendant, only moments before she felt his hand slip gently out of hers and rise to stroke the gem around her neck.

…Clank!

They were here. But no one was moving. Cathy had ceased her soft cries and was now staring at the elevator doors, her head on Danny's chest, his chin resting on the top of her head, a very serious expression on his face. He was vowing to never let Jeremy take her, his light, his Cathy. He wouldn't have it, and Jeremy wouldn't have his friends. Not Sam, not Cathy, not Chris. Danny sternly closed his hand around Cathy's in comfort. This ended now.

His hand. Chris' hand. Sam looked down. Chris touched the jewel around her neck and smiled. She slowly looked up and met his eyes. Those blue skies were her only hope right now. He was…he was leaning in…. closer…and closer… until his breath was on her lips. Suddenly the rest of the world faded. The only thing that mattered in Sam's life right now was living this moment forever, and knowing that he was hers and that he loved her. A small smile crossed his lips as he cocked his head to the side and placed a small peck on her motionless lips.

"I love you" There came the soft whisper from his lips as his face remained still, peering down at her. No words. She had no words. But the burning blush ricocheting across her buttery paled faced said all.

"I…I…" The words were caught in her throat; she needed to set them free.

Footsteps could be heard ever so softly creaking across the floor in front of the doors. A narrow crack at the foot of the doors revealed red satin floors lingering outside of the elevator. They were in the study. There was a …tap tap …on the doors, flowed by screeeeech of nails against the doors' exterior. Everyone inside of the dark elevator winced at the high pitched sound, followed by a muffled chuckle. Sam pulled herself out of her trance and cautiously moved forward.

"Sam" Chris hissed at her.
She gingerly reached out and touched the rusty doors from the inside. Looking down at the crack a dingy shoe could be seen lingering just outside of the elevator. Her breath caught in her throat. All was silent. Nasally breaths could be heard rasping softly, followed by a low, dark chuckle. Jeremy.

A long leg kicked through the decrepit, rusty doors and struck an unexpecting Jeremy from within. Everyone's heads whipped around. Danny had kicked the red head to the ground. The last barrier separating them from Jeremy had been destroyed. Sam took a quick scan around. It was just as she had remembered. Dark red velvet walls, old lamps lighting up a desk littered with beakers and test tubes galore, complete with a wall of security cameras and large dusty bookshelf. Sam and the others quickly exited from the elevator and entered the study. Sam looked around and rapidly made her way over to the stunned Jeremy lying on the ground. His face was in a wince and a bloody right hand clutched a surely broken nose, his likewise broken glasses lying nearby.

"Aghh!" Jeremy lashed out from the ground, waving about blindly with his own tickler, still clutching the bloodied nose with the other. Sam wasted no time in snatching the tickler from him and landing a hefty blow to him already broken nose with her foot. The others immediately sprang into action. Cathy lagged behind, not wanting to venture too close to the mad scientist. Danny laughed, taking the tickler from Sam and clearing the table of its beakers and all of their contents in a single, powerful sweep. But where was Chris all this time? Sam turned her back on Jeremy racing across the room frantically. No! Not again! But there he was, he glanced up at her a small nervous smile, as he crouched in the corner taking an A-scan of the room. She let out an exhale of relief, letting her paranoia slide. Ezra advanced towards Jeremy, while Sam bounded over to Chris.

"Hey Sam, come check this out" A look of confusion and concern crossed his face. Sam leant over his V-com, scanning the screen with her eyes. Nothing.

"Nothing's there" Sam yelled over the clamor of the others fighting.

"Exactly! An A-scan never comes up empty." Chris struggled to yell back. "Something's wrong" Sam frowned. From afar Jeremy had managed to now control the bleeding and rise up from the ground, now without his glasses, yet still positively diabolical in appearance. Danny grit his teeth. This guy was gonna get it. Meanwhile, Ezra swung repeatedly at Jeremy with his tickler, striking him several times, but to no avail. Jeremy caught Sam's stare and smiled, hearing the news of the A-scan. Sam could feel the hair rise on the back of neck in angst. He knew something. Jeremy nodded in mockery. He did. But he wouldn't say what. Something was up.

Sam left Chris' side to join in on the fight.

"Ugh" An exhausted Ezra threw down the tickler in frustration. The other backed away. Nothing was hurting him! She had struck him over and over again but to no avail. Sam growled lowly. How is it that this nerd could continuously fend off these blows?

"Ah!" She lunged at Jeremy with no warning, striking him front and center in the chest.

CLANG!

Sam screamed and drew back a fist with bloodied knuckles. Armor! He was wearing armor. Danny yelled in dismay. This was going to make things a lot harder. But before a new plan could be drawn up, he had seen her. Cathy. She'd been kneeling on the side of the bookcase under a small table, hidden. But with a small Achoo! He'd spotted her. His love. He would have her. Jeremy lashed out at Danny, missing. Ezra ran to the other side of the room where the security footage was located.

Jeremy rose and stood erect. He reached his hand inside of his jacket and slowly closed his fingers around the syringe. Recognizing his opponent to be drawing for a weapon, Danny held off on another swing and slowly backed away to a safe distance. All eyes were on Jeremy. Cathy's eyes widened with the realization that he had seen her and was now advancing towards her with God knows what in his hand.

"Hey! Hey you'd better stay away from her!" Danny was livid with anger. Ignoring him Jeremy pulled from his jacket pocket a small syringe. At first it appeared harmless, but after looking more closely, e little strip of tape could be seen labeling its content.

L….

Sam could just barely make out the letters on it.

L…O…

It appeared to be a V next …..

This little pink syringe, no bigger than Jeremy's thumb, was labeled Love. And it was headed straight towards Cathy Smith.

Jeremy knelt face to face with Cathy. She sat, pale and motionless lost for words. In a barely audible whisper he said "…At last"

More tomorrow! Tell me how you like it! Things are starting to wrap up! Hate to cut this chapter here but I gotta go. ^^