Melissa found Brian’s house easy. She remembered quite well where it was and again was very happy with herself. She shut off the engine and took a deep breath.
“Please be home.” She thought to herself. She opened the door and got out and slowly made her way to the front door. She must have rang the doorbell a million times. She was also beating on it too. She heard a dog barking at the door.
“Brian!” she yelled. “Please open up!”
She rang the bell a few more times. She began to slow down and her knee gave out and she collapsed onto the ground a passed out. A light went on inside the house and finally the door opened.
“Hello?” Brian said as he opened it. He looked around and didn’t see anyone. Tyke kept on barking. “What are you barking at?” he asked the little Chihuahua. He looked down and saw Melissa passed out on the ground. “Oh man.” He said. He opened the screen door and walked outside. He picked her up and brought her into the living room.
----------
AJ took the apartment keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He slowly opened it and walked inside and slowly closed it, trying not to make a sound. He turned on a light so he wouldn’t trip over anything and if she really were there she wouldn’t see some strange man walking around her apartment. But if she didn’t remember anything she still would think there was a strange man walking around. He walked through every single room about three times, thinking that maybe he missed her or maybe he didn’t check the whole room. He didn’t find her. He locked the door and headed back toward his car disappointed.
“Where the hell is she?” he asked himself. As he got closer to his car he heard his cell phone ringing. He started to run and soon got to his car. He fumbled with his keys to unlock it. When he finally did he opened the door and jumped in and picked up the phone.
“Hello? Hello? Are you still there?” he said into the phone.
“AJ?”
“Brian? What are you doing calling so late?” he asked. His hand was trembling. He had a gut feeling that this was about Melissa.
“Um I have someone here. I think I might need to take her to the hospital.”
“Melissa?”
“Yeah. I found her passed out on my front step. She’s out cold.”
“I’ll be right there.” Said AJ. He hung up the phone and drove toward Brian’s house.
He drove there as quickly as possible. He just had to see her for himself to make himself believe that she was alive and ok. Within twenty minutes he was at Brian’s house. He quickly got out of his car and ran to the door. He didn’t even knock and just walked in the house. Brian usually keeps his house locked because of fans but at this time of night he didn’t worry about it and he knew AJ was coming.
“Brian?” AJ called out as he got in the door.
“In the living room.” Brian said.
AJ ran through the hallway and into the living room. There she was. Sitting up on the couch. He just stood there for a minute just looking at her.
Tears streamed down Melissa’s face at the sight of AJ. Finally she would be able to be in his arms again.
“She just woke up a few minutes ago.” Said Brian.
Melissa tried to get up to go to AJ but winced in great pain and sat right back down.
“No. Don’t get up.” Said AJ. “I’ll come to you.”
He slowly made his way to her. He wasn’t exactly sure why he took his time but he did. Maybe it was because he thought this was all a dream and as soon as he was about to touch her, she would disappear. It maybe because his legs just didn’t want to move. He finally came to the conclusion that it was a little bit of both. When he finally got to the couch, he knelt down in front of her and brought his hand to her face. When he touched her he broke down.
“I thought you were dead.” He sobbed. “I was so scared. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” She answered. “Now that I’m here I’ll be just fine.”
AJ moved a little closer and wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck.
“I’ve been through so much.” She said. “But now that I’m here none of that matters. Just as long as we put them away.”
“We found them. When the police got to the house they found the two guys tied up and you were gone.”
“How did you manage to find them?” she asked.
“Someone called me at home and told me you died. They weren’t very smart and they used a phone from one of their houses. We figured it out easy after that. When they told us you were gone, we figured you had to be on your way down here, so we came back.”
“Whoa whoa whoa. What happened here? I don’t know anything.” Said Brian.
AJ moved and sat next to Melissa still with his arms around her while she told the two guys everything that happened.
“The only thing I don’t remember is when and where it first happened. I remember everything else.” She said after she explained everything.
“How could you have managed all of that? You are one strong girl.” Said Brian.
“You gotta do what you gotta do.” She said. “I would have done almost anything to get away from that.”
She rubbed her knee again. “You guys this really hurts.”
“Maybe we should take you to the hospital. I mean you passed out before. Maybe we should get you checked out and let them take a look at your knee.”
Melissa nodded her head and the guys helped her up. She used their shoulders as her crutches and they made their way towards AJ’s car. Within ten minutes they got to the emergency room. It was another hour before anyone would take a look at her. While they were waiting AJ called Alex and Kevin to let them know about Melissa. They called the police to let them know too. It was then planned that Melissa would go back to Michigan to identify the two guys. She agreed to go back, but not until AJ agreed to go with her. She got painkillers for her knee and would have to go back in a week to get more surgery done.
“Are you as good as new?” Brian asked as he saw Melissa walk into the waiting room.
“Just about.” She answered. “Come on let’s go. I’m so tired.”
“Do you want to stay at my place?” AJ asked.
“You read my mind.” Said Melissa giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“Well actually I wouldn’t have let you stay at your place after all of this. I’m not going to lose you again.”
“And you’re not going to.”
Nothing else was said. AJ took Brian home and then he and Melissa went to AJ’s house.
As soon as Melissa sat down on the couch she fell asleep. AJ found her there and sat down next to her and she leaned up against him. A tear rolled down his cheek as he watched her sleep in his arms. He was so happy she was finally there, with him, where she was supposed to be. He finally drifted off to sleep, happier than he had ever been.
~Chapter 18~
“I wish they would get in here. I don’t want to be here longer than I have to.” Melissa said. She and AJ were back in Michigan, waiting for Officer Sander to arrive so she could identify the two guys and leave. The whole thought of her being so close to them sent shivers down her spine. AJ tighten his grasp around her waist.
“It’ll all be over soon.”
Finally Officer Sander walked into the room.
“Hi Ms. Lewis. Sorry I’m late. This will only take a minute. All I want you to do is identify the two people that kidnapped you and we’ll put them away for a long time.”
Melissa nodded her head and he called for the guys to walk in.
“They can’t see us right?” asked Melissa, just to make sure.
“Nope. All they’re looking at is a mirror.” Answered Officer Sander.
She looked at five guys holding numbers.
“Number two and number four.” She said.
“Number’s two and four step forward.” Officer Sander said through a microphone. They did as they were told and stepped forward.
“Yeah that’s them.”
“Ok. Thank you very much.”
After about a half-hour Melissa and AJ were finally free to leave. She had to explain how she got out of the house and how she got down to Florida. She handed over the two wallets just as she had planned to do. The truck had already been towed away so they didn’t have to worry about that either. The plane was on schedule and they were in the air at about 7:00.
“All I want to do is just go home and sleep. I feel like I haven’t slept in months.” Melissa said.
“I feel so guilty.” Was all AJ said.
Melissa frowned. “Why?”
“If I would have paid more attention to you when I was on tour. If I would have done something when I hadn’t heard from you. You wouldn’t have been in the god awful place.” He leaned his head back on the back of his chair and closed his eyes while taking her hand in his. “I just can’t help but feel partially responsible.”
“AJ you aren’t responsible for anything. You had to be focused on the tour. Even if you were home this still would have happened.”
“Yeah but you probably wouldn’t have been in there as long.”
“It’s not your fault. Believe me. Don’t beat yourself up over this. I’m here, and you’re here, and that’s all that matters.”
“I love you.” He said while looking into her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re back. You totally amazed me by getting here so fast. And with no memory.”
“I love you too. All I could think about was getting to you. You’re the reason I made it in once piece.” They both leaned over so that their faces were within inches. “I’d walk a thousand miles to be by your side.”
“You won’t have to because I’m never leaving your side again.”
Melissa smiled and closed her eyes. AJ then closed the gap between them and kissed her. When they broke apart nothing else was said they fell asleep on each other’s arms for the remainder of their flight.
~Chapter 19~
“Hey look over there.” AJ said as they walked through the gate. Alex and Kevin were sitting in on the floor by a window. AJ and Melissa walked to the two who were sleeping and nudged them with their feet. Alex was the first one awake. When she saw Melissa she shot up and hugged her, almost knocking her crutches over. Kevin woke up after his head hit the floor because his prop was gone.
“Oh my god I’ve missed you so much.” Alex said while still hugging her. “If you ever do that again I’m going to kill you.”
“Well you don’t have to worry about that.” Said Melissa. “I don’t plan on ever going through that again.”
“Hey you, don’t I get a hello?” Kevin asked while getting up. She gave him a big hug and then she noticed the look on Alex’s face. She pulled away from Kevin to look at her better.
“Are you crying?” She asked.
“No.” She said wiping her eyes.
“Alex you’re crying. You know what happens when you cry.”
Alex laughed. “You cry.”
“Exactly. There’s no crying. Why are you crying?”
“Because we almost lost you and I’m just so happy to see you again.”
A tear rolled down Melissa’s face. “You see what you made me do?”
Alex laughed again.
“Oh group hug.” AJ said.
Alex, AJ, and Kevin circled around Melissa and had a group hug. When they all pulled apart they went to baggage claim and then started for Kevin’s car.
“So you don’t remember how this all started?” Alex asked on the ride home.
“No and actually I don’t want to either.” Answered Melissa. “And I really don’t want to live in that place anymore because I don’t know what happened. I don’t think I’m going to feel safe there.”
“So where are you going to go?” asked Kevin.
“She’s going to move in with me.” AJ answered happily. “With my security system no one can get to her.”
“Well actually it’s just the fact that I won’t be living alone anymore is the reason why I’m going to move in with him.”
“Oh so you’re just using me for my house, is that it?” AJ joked.
“Yes baby. Exactly.”
Kevin pulled into AJ’s driveway and all four of them got out of the car.
“Do you guys want to come in?” Melissa asked.
“Nah it’s really late. I’ll come over tomorrow and we’ll go to your place and start packing ok?” said Alex.
“Yeah that sounds good. Then I can get my car. That will be really nice.”
Alex gave Melissa another hug and then Kevin gave her one.
“It’s really nice having you back again.” Said Kevin.
“You don’t know how good it feels to feel safe. I haven’t felt like this in months.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Alex said.
“Ok.”
Kevin and Alex got in the car and drove away. Melissa watched until they were out of site.
“So.” Said AJ. “Do you want to go in?”
Melissa didn’t reply. All she did was drop her crutches on the ground and wrap her arms around AJ’s neck.
“Ok I guess that would be a no.” he wrapped his arms around her tight and they stood there for what seemed like hours.
“As long as it’s with you I’ll go anywhere.” She said while still in his arms.
“Sounds good to me. I could stand here all night as long as we stay just like this.”
Nothing else was said after that. They stayed out there for about ten more minutes and then went inside and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
~Chapter 20~
Dave and Matt Stewert had their sentencing two months after they were identified. They were sentenced to thirty years with no chance of parole and a possibility of not being able to get out at all. Melissa cried when she heard the good news. She was so happy that they would never get near her again. After she came home she moved into AJ’s house as planned and she was a lot closer to him, and all of her friends. AJ proposed to her six months later and she happily accepted. They were married one year after that on a beach in Hawaii. Melissa rarely thought about those months of torture. She was more set on the present and future than on the past. She never did remember how she had been kidnapped. It was the only part of her life that wasn’t restored to her memory and she was thankful for it. She went on living her life the way it was intended to be, and she didn’t want it to be any way else.
*The End*
Chapters 13-16
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