Pentatonix: Was I Mistaken?

Chapter Seven

After Michael left with Kirstie, I turned to the others. We were all breathing fast. Avi was the first to speak.
"We should go after them-"
"No." I cut him off. "If Michael sees us following him, he'll kill her."
"But we have to get her back!" Avi seemed to be on the verge of tears. I hugged him.
"I know, and we will."
"How? The only way to do that is for you to give yourself up."
I swallowed hard.
"I know..."
Avi pulled away.
"No, you can't! He'll hurt you or... or..."
I shushed him.
"Shh. I know that. But it's not fair for you guys to have to suffer when it's me he wants."
"It's not fair for you to suffer either." Mitch said softly. It was the first time he'd spoken since Michael had questioned him. I looked at him. He seemed different, sadder somehow. And not just because his psycho twin had his best friend at gun point.
"Mitch? What is it?"
"It's just... He's changed so much since the last time I saw him. He wasn't always like that."
I sighed quietly.
"I know."
Avi looked at us, seeming to understand our shared thoughts. He brought us back to the present with a pat on the shoulder.
"Come on, we have to tell the others."

"WHAT?!"
We were back at Esther's house, sitting at the table. Scott was currently standing, wide-eyed and looking furious at the fact that we didn't go after Michael. I sighed.
"We couldn't have, there was a high chance that he would have seen us and killed her."
I had just spent the past few minutes explaining the story to the three who hadn't been there at the time. I had left out the part where Avi admitted his feelings for Kirstie, deciding that was up to him to tell them.
Scott groaned and sat back down in his seat.
Esther fiddled with the hem of her dress.
"So are you going to? Meet him, I mean."
"Yes." I answered simply.
"No." said Mitch at the same time.
Everyone looked at him. We locked eyes across the table.
"Mitch, if I don't go, he'll kill her."
"We could send the police instead."
I sighed, knowing that he was just running towards dead ends.
"I know Michael. If he catches sight of the police, he'll shoot her. Remember, from his point of view, he still has plenty of people to threaten if this doesn't work." I gestured around the table.
Mitch frowned at me,
"That's a sick way of thinking."
I clenched my teeth.
"I know. But it's his way of thinking."
"Why the hell do you want to think like him?" Mitch sounded almost angry.
"I don't want to. I'm just pointing out that he doesn't give a shit about any of us. And unless we consider all the possibilities, we're going to forget that and he'll kill of each and every one of you until he gets to me."
"Why the fuck does he want you so badly? You ran away from him!"
"Because he wants to feel like he actually has a family! You of all people should know that, Mitch Grassi!"
There was a long icy silence. Mitch and I glared at each other. I noticed that the room was lighting up. Turning around, I could see the sun rising through the window.
Esther pushed her chair back and stood up.
"Well, I think we should all get some sleep. It will be easier to think of a solution once we've all had a rest."
Everyone agreed and we all went to our assigned sleeping places. Esther offered to let me share the bed with her but I declined, saying that I needed space.
I lay down on my camp bed, hoping that wherever Kirstie was, that she wasn't hurting or worse, dead.

Avi's P.O.V

My eyes snapped open. I had been having a dream that Michael had been caught by the police and Kirstie told me she loved me back. What had woken me up?
Then I heard it again.
Creak... Creak...
Footsteps in the hallway.
Moving quietly so that I didn't wake up Kevin, I got out of bed and tiptoed out the door just in time to see Grace disappearing into the kitchen. Curious as to what she was doing, I followed her.
Peeking into the kitchen, I could see her standing fully dressed writing something on a small piece of paper.
"Grace?" I whispered.
She jumped and turned to face me, a guilty look on her face.
"What are you doing?" I asked, walking over to her.
She sighed, put the pen she was holding on the bench and held up her phone.
"Michael texted me the location and time. He wants to meet there at seven thirty. It's six am now."
I looked at her with one eyebrow raised.
"And you're going alone? Without telling anyone?"
She nodded.
"You saw how Mitch reacted to the idea of me going. He's never gonna let me go."
"So you're sneaking out?"
"Yeah."
I sighed.
"Let me take you."
"What?"
"I said, let me take you. That way you won't be alone and I'll be able to bring Kirstie back."
Grace looked at me curiously.
"You're not going to stop me?"
I shook my head.
"I can't see any other way to get Kirstie back, and if what you said last night is true, about him just wanting a family, then I don't think he'll kill you."
I held up my hands before she could hug me.
"Believe me, if there was a way to get Kirstie back without giving you up, I'd take in an instant. But I can't see another way and seeing as you're willing to do it..."
She smiled at me.
"Thank you Avi."
I smiled sadly back at her.
"You better get on with that note."
She nodded and picked up the pen again.

Forty minutes later, Grace and I were standing in an abandoned tennis court, waiting for Michael and Kirstie. Suddenly Grace's phone beeped.
"He's here."
Turning around, I saw two figures coming towards us through the early morning fog. As they came closer, I could see that it was Michael and Kirstie. But, dammit, I had never wanted to punch someone more than I wanted to punch Michael at that moment.
Kirstie had a large bruise on her cheek and a cut on her forehead. Several more cuts and bruises covered her arms and legs and she appeared to be limping.
Michael smirked when they got to us.
"Glad to see you made the right choice."
Grace stepped forwards.
"OK, we kept our side of the deal, now let Kirstie go."
Michael nodded.
"Fair enough." And he shoved Kirstie forwards. I caught her before she could hit the ground and pulled her close. It felt so much better to know that she was safe and nothing could hurt her.
I looked up.
"Grace."
She paused and looked back. Michael had his hand around her wrist but luckily he seemed interested in what I had to say aswell.
"Thank you," I said. "For everything. And..." I stopped and cleared my throat. "I'm sorry."
She smlied and pulled out a small piece of paper. I held my hand out and took it from her.
"Give this to Mitch. Tell him it's my answer to his question, he'll understand."
Then Michael pulled on her wrist and the two of them walked off without a backwards glance.

Mitch's P.O.V

We were all waiting in the lounge when Avi and Kirstie arrived. Esther immediatly took Kirstie into the kitchen to treat her wounds. After making sure Esther didn't need help, Avi came over and handed me a piece of paper.
"Grace says it's the answer to you're question." He went to walk off, but paused. He looked back at me, his green eyes filled with sadness.
"I hope you know what she means, because I'm pretty sure I do."
Then Avi left, closely followed by Kevin, who wanted to make sure that his friend was alright.
I didn't open the piece of paper. I was terrified of what was inside it. Scott seemed to realize that I wanted to be alone.
"I'm gonna go check on Kirst."
Then he was gone too.
After sitting there for what seemed like ages, I finaly got the courage to unfold the small piece of paper.
I read it.
And then I read it again.
And again.
And again.
By then tears were flowing freely down my face.
I kept reading the two lines over and over again, even though I knew that it wouldn't make that message any clearer than it already was.
The message was clear, and I suddenly wished that Grace would come back.
Even though I knew she was probably never coming back.
I wanted her to say it.
I wanted to hear the word that were written on that scrap of paper.
The two lines that seemed to mean the whole world to me.

I don't like you,
I love you.
Grace xx