Two souls One Heart

Chapter 21

"Then we shall send him something that will remind him who is the mastermind.'' he said, looking her over. "How about a finger? No to dramatic? An ear perhaps? No won't do." he said as his eyes finally caught the heart necklace. "Ah but a token from you will do." he said, grabbing ahold of the necklace.

"Please don't." Athena whispered, her energy not what it used to be with little food giving and water she was skinnier than normal and it took everything in her not to close her eyes and just sleep. "It's the only thing I have left of my family."

"I had something like that." he said before a wicked grin came on his face. "It will do perfectly." he ripped it off, looking over it a few feet away. The ticking noise now is not so loud anymore, only faint.

"It stopped." she mumbled as Victor frowned now also hearing the noise before he placed the necklace to his ear. He frowned, opening the pendant only to find a red dot, as small as a rice blinking in the middle of the pendant.

"Damn it!" He cursed , throwing the necklace on the ground before stalking towards the door, throwing it open and sprinting out of the room, leaving the one door half open and the other closed. Athena let out a sign as she heard the faint sounds of sirens in the distance. She got a small smile on her face.

Mac.

Screaming came from outside before a heavy thud followed and soon footsteps descending down the stairs. Athena let out a sign as the doors burst open and two officers came into view. Flack was the first she recognized.

"Flack." she mumbled as he let out a sign giving her a small smile before calling into his radio.

"Mac, I got her. We're in the basement." he said before cutting the ropes around her ankles and wrist. He placed his hands under her back and under her knees before lifting her up, she rested her head on his shoulder too weak to move.

"Don't worry we got you." he said making his way to the door.

"My-necklace." she trailed off pointing to the coroner of the room as Flack nodded his head at the officer who picked it up. Flack walked Athena up the stairs and into the blinding light outside, she flinched at the sun adjusting her eyes to the bright light. Flack walked her to the ambulance placing her in the back of the van on the edge. The paramedics rushed to her checking her vitals and everything while Flack stood next to her. Finally as Athena looked up she saw Mac placing Victor in the car before turning around looking for her. He finally caught her gaze before rushing towards her. She tried to stand up but the paramedics pushed her down.

"Don't move, miss, your blood sugar is very low. We need to get you to the hospital." they said as she turned towards Flack.

"I'll be with you all the way." he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Mac-" she said before darkness took over. She fell but Flack caught her swiftly, just as Mac arrived at his side.

"Is she?"

"She just passed out. Her blood sugar is low. They are taking her to the hospital." he said as the paramedics placed her inside the van turning towards Mac.

"Detective?" He turned towards Flack who nodded his head.

"Go. We got it from here." he said as Mac nodded before getting into the ambulance, clutching Athena's hand the entire ride.

This time when AThena woke up there was no ticking noise, just a beeping one but this time she knew she was safe. She slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the brightness of the room as she blinked a few times, getting everything back into focus as her attention moved to the person sitting next to her. Mac. He was asleep in the chair, a hand resting on hers as she smiled slightly, noticing all the flowers in her private room. She swallowed hard feeting the dryness in her mouth as she looked around for water, finding it resting on the bedside table beside her. She made a move for it but when she moved her hand twitched beneath Mac's which woke him immediately. He looked confused for a moment before his gaze rested on hers.

"You're awake." he said with a smile, noticing her hand reaching for the water. He quickly helped her to a glass and after a long sip from the glass she finally looked towards him giving him a small smile.

"Hey." she said as he chuckled before returning her smile.

"Hi." he said before sitting down on the bed beside her, clutching her hand in his. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit sore and tired but better." she said, closing her eyes for a moment. "How did you find me?"

"Gil, he had a tracker placed in your necklace when he gave it to you." he said as AThena smiled.

"Of course he did." she said before moving so she could sit up straighter. Mac helped her until she was mostly upright. "Did you find Victor? I remember bits and pieces."

"Yeah we got him. He's not going to hurt you anymore." Mac said, moving a piece of hair from her forehead. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked, leaning into his touch.

"For letting this happen to you. He was after me for putting him in jail all those years ago and for taking his family away from him."

"Did you kill them?" she asked as Mac shook his head.

"No, I put them into protective service. They are living a new life somewhere he won't find them with different names. After what he did to those people his wife didn't want him near her and she was afraid to leave him so we faked her death and gave her a new identity." he said as Athena nodded. "That's why he went after you. He thought if he killed someone I loved he had his revenge." Mac spoke more but Athena didn't listen and those words kept repeating in her mind. Someone I love.

"Athena?" Mac asked as she shook her head looking towards him. "Are you okay? Should I call the doctor?"

"No-uhm-repeat what you just said."

"What part?" he asked, confused as she gave him a small smile.

"Did you just say you love me?" she asked as he didn't even look shocked or regretful at her. He only smiled leaning in closer.

"Well you didn't give me much of a change the other day on the phone now did you?" he asked as she chuckled, winching slightly.

"Don't make me laugh." she said as she opened her eyes looking towards him with love. "You really mean it?"

"Mean what?" he asked as she gave him a pointed look. "Oh that? Well lets see, you are the most stubborn, creative, loving person I have ever met and after my wife's death I thought I would never find another woman who I would give my heart to but then you walked into my life. That first day I saw you, all stubbornness and all, that was my doom. You stole my heart and soul that day. I admit I was scared to admit my feelings for you, it felt like I was betraying Claire but then I thought of how she would scold me for letting someone like you go in my life." he said as Athena smiled slightly. 'So yes I mean it. I love you."

"I love you too, always and forever." she said before he placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

The end