Trent walks to the street, which was still quite. He starts walking down the street past the Insurance offices which were all closed since it was past 6pm already. He looks behind him, and sees no signs of any cars parked in the area. He then reaches the cafe which is open 24 hours a day, the shop owner greets Trent as he walks inside. Trent walks down to the wine racks and pick out a fine red wine, he then walks up to the counter and the short stocky man rings up the price and Trent pays for the red, telling him to keep the $2 change. Trent then picked up the plastic bag and walked out, a 4x4 pickup then drove by and turned off on one of the many alley streets. Trent then starts his fast paste up the street again, he folds up his jacket from the cold air in the night. The street lights were starting to turn on, a little late since it’s been dark for about 45 minutes. The dim light didn’t help that much for seeing where you were walking, but Trent knew the street well enough. After looking down at the pavement for a while to see where he was walking, he looks up to the street up ahead and sees a dark shaped car parked infront of him. It was only when Trent walked closer under one of the dim lights that he could see the model of the car, a Ford. Trent freezes in his tracks, when out of one of the alleys a dark figure comes walking out, into the thin light. The figure clears out to reveal Walters standing infront of Trent with a pistol aimed at him. Trent stands stiff in the cold air, he could still remember Walters even though his dark hair was a little longer and curly.

"Hello Trent. Did you miss me?" Walters says looking at Trent as though they were old friends.

"Miss you?? I haven’t given you a second thought." Trent says trying to keep calm, he felt like bursting out and grabbing Walters by his throat.

"I’m real sorry to hear that Trent, I’ve been thinking about you for a long time. You ruined my life! And now it’s payback time." Walters says smiling the whole time.

"Me? Your the one who was dealing drugs that night. YOUR the one who shot Monica that night! It’s not my fault you f**ked up you own life. And now your just making it worse by doing this." Trent says holding tightly to the bottle wine.

"No, your wrong Trent. This is payback. GRAB HIM!!" Walters says and Kyle and Mitch come out from behind Trent. But Trent sees them coming and swings around and smashes the bottle of reds on Mitch’s head, Mitch falls to the ground covering his head with his red hands. Kyle comes from the other side and sinks his fist into Trent’s cheek, and his head is swung to the other side. But Trent turns back and returns the right punch into Kyle’s face. Kyle stumble’s to the floor and grabs hold of his jaw, afraid that it might be broken and fall out of him mouth. Trent turns only to see Walters lundge at him, slamming the back of his pistol on Trent’s back head. He falls to the hard granite pavement, and pieces of the broken wine bottle cut into his hands, but darkness quickly over-powers him as the smell of blood disappears.

"Put him in the trunk." Walters says to his two goons, looking down at the unconscious Trent lying infront of him.

"I think my head is bleeding sir." Mitch says as he looks at his red hands, not sure if it could be the wine or blood.

"I said put him in the damn trunk, of I’m blow your f**king head off myself!" Walters yells at Mitch with his gun drawn at Mitch’s head.

"Alright! Alright! Just calm down ok!" Mitch says raising his hands infront of his face. He quickly gets up and helps Kyle to pick up Trent and put him into the back of the car.

‘He should have been back by now’ Monica thinks to herself and looks at her watch.’ It’s been over 15 minutes, where could he be?? Don’t be paranoid Mon, he’s probably just picking up something special for you. Yeah that’s it, he’s just running late, just relax. Relax for another 10 minutes then go see Walker.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

The first thing Trent was aware of was the pounding in his head. He forced himself to open his sore eyes, the room was dark. He had to blink a few times to get his eyes adjusted to the surroundings, he tried to bring his hand up to his head but realized that he could not move his arms. He forced himself to ignore his headache and focus on exactly what was going on. He arms were tied with wires to the arms of a metal chair, and the more he moved his arm’s the more the wires cut into his skin. He soon found that his feet were also tied with wires to the front legs of the cold steel chair. The room became more clearer to him, it looked like an abandoned building room. The granite walls were grey with pieces of paint chipping away, and from what he could make out there was a wooden door a few metre’s from him. He breathed hard though his nose, since his mouth seemed to be covered with duct tape. Then a dim light peered infront of him and three figures walked inside, Trent recordnized them as Walters and his two helpers. They walked inside the room and one of them closed the door, Walters then walked up to Trent with his gun drawn. Trent looked away, but Walters quickly jerked his head back infront with his gun.

"Good your awake. Now the fun can begin. I won’t be needing you assistance anymore Kyle. You and Mitch can go." Walters says to the men standing behind him, not taking his pistol’s point off Trent’s face.

"Sure thing boss, but what about the payment." Kyle says looking at Mitch worried.

"O yes, heres your payment." Walters says and with that he swings around with his gun and squeezes off a shot firstly to Mitch, the bullet drilling into his chest and throwing him backward. Kyle still in shock watching his brother fall to the ground and not moving, then looks back to see Walters bring his pistol up to him. "NO PLEASE!!" cries Kyle but the bullets burst out of Walters chamber and slash into Kyle’s chest. He glares into Walters eyes for a second before dropping to the floor, he too not moving. Trent watches in horror at the carnage before him, Walters then turns around and smiles at Trent with a grin, "Your turn" he says and squeezes the pistol’s trigger and the single bullet hits Trent’s left shoulder, the moaning roars through the duct tape as Trent absorbs the pain in his shoulder.

"Then again, maybe later." Walters says smiling at Trent who just glares up at Walters with a grin to kill, breathing hard through the duct tape, and his eyes filling up with tears of pain.

RANGER HEADQUARTERS

"The cell-phone call Walters made to Monica last night came from the stolen Ford mobile phone. So, that means we still have to find the Ford before we can get to Walters." Carlos tells Walker and Trivette who were sitting at Walker’s desk.

"Alright, keep the search going for the Ford, Trivette. This information means that Walters still has the car." Walker says to him.

The office doors swing open as Monica charges inside, looking as though she had just seen a ghost.

"What happened?" Walker says jumping up from his chair and walking around the desk to Monica.

"Trent’s gone. He...he went down the street to fetch us some wine. When he didn’t get back after 10 minutes I went out to look for him in my car. A few blocks from the cafe where he was supposed to go, I saw some....broken bottle glass and red wine lying everywhere. He’s got him,.....I know he’s got him." Says Monica sniffing while still in shock. Carlos comes closer to hold her tight with comfort.

"It’s ok Monica, just calm down. Did you see anyone in the area?" Walker says, swallowing the news and trying to get some info.

"No, no one. I shouldn’t have let him go...It’s all my fault!" She says sinking into the arms of Carlos who tries to lend her support.

"No it’s not Monica. Don’t worry, we’ll find him."

Carlos says who tries hard to swallow the news. Monica and he had become real good friends, she was the only female friend Carlos could really talk to, Walters had once tried to take away Monica from them, and know it seemed that he wanted to take Trent away.

Then a hard terrifying noise comes from the Ranger’s desk, Trivette steps closer and pick’s up the phone and silence befalls the room.

"Ranger Trivette." He says answering the call. Then his eyes widen and he looks to Monica. He brings down the head piece and takes a deep breath.

"It’s for you." Trivette says as he looks deep into Monica’s eyes.

She glares back at him for a while then steps out of the comforting arms of her friend Carlos and walks to Trivette. She takes the phone from Trivette who steps back and she brings it up to her ear.

"Hello Monica, guess who decided to pay me a visit." Walters cold voice says. He grabs hold of Trent’s bullet shoulder and sinks his fingers into his flesh. Trent moans in horror at the pain, which Monica recordnizes immediately and feels her legs go numb once again.

"Trent!" She yells over the phone trying to reach the man she loves who was now in pain. Walters let’s go of his shoulder and swings his right fist around into Trent’s face.

"Shut up! I’m talking on the phone." Walters says and then turns away. Trent still not moving with his head hung down.

"Now, heres the deal. I will call you in the morning at this number, be there. And I’ll give you your instructions on how to see you boyfriend again, alive. Sleep tight!" And with that the phone line goes dead. Only after a few seconds does Monica pull away the head piece from her hear and set it down, her eyes connect first with Walkers who already knows whats going on. And once again the room is filled with silence.

THE NEXT MORNING

Monica sits at Walker’s desk with a small blanket on her lap, not taking her eyes off the phone. Carlos in the mean time sleeping on the couch next to the desk. And Walker and Trivette busy going though files to try and get a lead on Walters. Then the silence is shattered by the loud ring of the phone, Carlos almost falls off the couch as he awakens. Monica not waiting another second to answer it, picks it up and brings the head piece to her ear.

"Detective Banon." She answers, waiting for a reply.

"Good morning. Hope you got a good night’s sleep, your going to need it." Walters says sounding very polite.

"Let me speak to Trent." Monica demands.

"Well, see I would, if he were awake." Walters answers her looking down at the unconscious Trent with his head hung down and not moving, blood still flowing from his shoulder.

"But for now on to business. In 3 hours it will be 12 noon, you and you alone will come to the old newspaper building in Fort Worth down town. I see anyone else with you, I kill Trent. You get here late, I kill Trent. You got me?" Walters says to her sounding now more serious.

"Yes." Monica says still in the same tone voice.

"Good, and don’t be late. Someone’s DYING to see you..." The line once more goes dead. Monica put’s down the phone and so does Walker, Trivette and Carlos who were listening on separate phone’s.

"Alright, Trivette call Dallas PD. Tell them to get their men ready and going to that address, we’ll meet them there." Walker says to Trivette and pick’s up his jacket.

"No." Monica says standing up and walking to them.

"What?" Carlos asks her.

"Walters said I had to go alone. He sees anyone else, he’ll kill Trent." She tells them as she takes out her pistol and loads it.

"Monica, you can’t go in alone. He’ll kill you. How can you trust him?" Carlos tells her concerned.

"I don’t Carlos, but the only way I’m going to get Trent back alive, is if I play by his rules. He wants me, not Trent. But I’d be happy if you guys were there to back me up." She asks them.

"Sure thing, Let’s go." Carlos says.

"Thanks guys." They all start walking out when Monica freezes as if remembering something.

"I’ll meet you guys downstairs at the cars, there’s something I have to get first." She says and turns to go to the room next door. And the rest walk out.

HALF AN HOUR LATER

Walters takes a drink from the bottle, the cool beer sure was good, and it helped him stay calm. The room didn’t reek that much of blood anymore, it would take a while before someone found the bodies of Kyle and Mitch in the waste dump hole on the lower level of the building. But there was Trent who was still unconscious and his grey sweater red of blood, but Walters tried to ignore the smell. He put his beer down on the wooden desk and stood up from his chair and walked over to Trent, taking out his pistol and turn’s Trent’s head over seeing the huge gash above his left eye.

"Time to wake up pretty boy!" Walters says, but no response comes from Trent.

"I said wake up!" And with that Walters slams Trent in the face with his pistol, Trent’s head jerks to the one side, and he slowly opens his eyes. He sees Walters standing before him, and tries to get his head straight.

"Do you know why I went back to the hospital that night? Huh? Do you?" Walters yells at Trent who just looks him in the eyes. Walters watches him for a second waiting for a answer.

"Oh wait let me take this off first." Walters says and rips the duct tape off viciously, and Trent’s head is once again jerked to the other side, Trent then spits out some blood out of his mouth and then glares up at Walters.

"Well, do you know?" Walters asks Trent again, who then lifts his head and grins.

"...because your a pathetic little loser desperate for attention?" Trent says with a grin smile. Walters just looks down at him showing no emotion, he then swings his fist around and into Trent face again. Trent takes the swipe and slowly glares back at him, with the gash above his left eye starting to bleed again.

"I take it that wasn’t the right answer." Trent says and lowers his head again, his whole body was starting to get very stiff and it was starting to get hard just to keep his head up.

"I’ll tell you why. In all my life of shooting and killing people, some deserved it, some didn’t, I have never left one alive. Some how Monica survived and I wasn’t going to spoil my record by letting her live. That’s why I went back that night." Walters says explaining to Trent.

"That’s it? You came back to finish her off because you had a record to uphold? I was right, you are a pathetic little loser....." Trent tries to says to him, but Walters once again sinks his fist into Trent’s face.

"You just better pray that girl of yours get’s here in time!" Walters says and brings his pistol under Trent’s chin and lifts his head with it. Then a shadow bounces of the dim light behind Walters, he swings around and keeps his pistol tight against Trent’s head.

"Guess his prayer was answered." Monica says as she slowly comes walking into the room, with her pistol aimed at Walters head and with a look on her face ready to kill.

"Your a little early Monica." Walters says as he loads a bullet into his pistol’s nosel and Trent freezes at the sound and keeps his eyes on Monica.

"Yeah well, you know what they say. Early bird catches her worm. Now... step away from Trent, this is between you and me. He’s got nothing to do with this." Monica says and stands still infront of the doorway, pistol still aimed at Walters.

"O that’s where your wrong bitch, he has everything to do with this. You all thought that I would be stupid enough to come after you, instead I go after Trent. And now the whole plan has fallen into place, because now I get to kill you both." Walters says rubbing the pistol’s point up and down Trent’s face. Trent’s eyes keep focused on Monica’s eyes, they could see the fear in each other’s eyes.

"But you are right about one thing, in a personal kind of way, this is between you and me." Walters says looking at her with a grin.

"Then let’s end it." Monica says lowering her pistol, not wanting to take the chance of shooting Trent.

"If you say so, and this time Monica;.... IT’S PERSONAL." And with that Walters swings his pistol around 90 degrees and squeezes of a bullet which pierces into Monica chest and flip’s her backward’s, landing on her back, not moving.

"NOOOOOO!!" Trent yells from the other side of the room, Walters then turns around and once again Trent feels the hard fist of Walters on his jaw. Blood flowing from his cut lip, Trent looks up at Walters.

"You bastard, you killed her!" He yells at Walters who just looks at him with a smile.

"Talk about Deja-Vu, huh? And now it’s your turn." Walters says and brings his gun up to point at Trent’s head. But Trent didn’t care, to live without his love, he would rather be dead.

"Not this time Walters." The soft voice from behind him says, Walters turns around to see the shock standing infront of him. Monica with her pistol once again aimed at his head, Walters gasps in amazement and confusion. Trent also having the same look on in his eyes, how could she still be alive, the bullet hit her straight in her chest.

"How?" Walters says with his mouth hung open. Monica then brings up her free hand and opens her buttoned shirt revealing a bullet-proof-vest strapped to her chest with Walters bullet buried safely in it.

"Now it’s my turn." Monica then pulls the trigger and the bullet slams into the man’s top right shoulder. Walters is pulled backwards to the ground and as he lay’s there still, his eyes closing slowly, and his gun a few feet from him. Monica then takes a deep breath after having to hold it for a while, she then walks closer with her gun still aimed at Walters, she then realizes he isn’t breathing and then turns around to Trent, who’s eyes are still red from the tears of fear and relief.

"You ok?" Monica asks him as kneels down infront of him holding his hands.

"I thought you were.." Trent says while still breathing hard.

"Nah, I came prepared." She says smiling up at him. She knew she couldn’t trust Walters, so she brought something with her just to even the odds. Something out of the past.

"What took you so long?" He asks her smiling though all the brushes and cut’s on his face.

"Traffic." She answers him and leans forward to kiss him, her soft lips on his feel as though Trent regains new strength. Monica then put’s her gun down at Trent’s feet and starts to untie the wires on Trent’s one arm.

"Let’s get these off you shall we?" She says smiling at him. Trent’s eyes then catches a movement on his left eyes and sees Walters lundging towards Monica.

"Monica look out!" Trent yells at her, but it is too late as Walters tackles her to the ground. Walters hold his body firmly above hers and wraps his hands around her neck. Monica gasps at the last bit of air she can get though and tries to get loose of Walters grip. Trent sit’s helpless tied up on the chair, and can only watch as Monica is being straggled before him.

"Your not the only one who can act dead." He says to her gripping tighter, she then brings her one arm up and sinks her finger into Walters one eye, Walters moans in pain as he let’s go of her and stumble’s back off her keeping his hand over his eye. Monica then gasps for air and then quickly brings her one leg up and kicks Walkers in his face, sending him falling backwards, she then rolls to her side still breathing hard for air, but Monica then watches as Walters quickly recovers and jumps to his feet and charges her with a cry of anger, Monica she glances at Trent who signals to her with his right eye as if to get ready. Monica understands and with that second Trent kicks the pistol lying at his feet, and it slides on the ground into Monica’s hand who swings it around and squeezes off two bullets which slams into Walters chest and brings him to a stop. He falls, arms and legs spraddled out, and he manages to heave one gasping breath before he dies, never to hurt another soul again. Monica watches his every movement and breaths hard trying to restore the few second of stolen air back into her lungs, she then slowly stands up still watching Walters closely.

"Your right, but your much better at it." She says and put’s the pistol away in her side. She then turns and walks to Trent, she quickly unties him and the second he is loose Trent stands up and wrap his arm around her, holding her tightly, not ever wanting to let go. Monica supports him, feeling how weak he is, she then looks into his eyes and smiles in relief that the love of her life was finally safe and the nightmare was over. Walker, Trivette and Carlos then come running inside with pistol’s drawn and ready, they then see Walters lying dead on the cold ground and Trent and Monica safe in each other’s arms.

"You guys ok?" Carlos asks walking closer to his friends.

"We’re fine Carlos, what took you?" Monica says and supports Trent under his right shoulder. Carlos comes around and carefully takes hold of Trent’s bullet shoulder trying to help support him.

"I guess the back way wasn’t such a short cut after all." Carlos says smiling at Walker and Trivette.

"And we found two of Walters goons down stairs."

Walker add’s as he looks down at Walters’s body. Everyone then turns their attention to the sound of sirens in distance and knew that the Dallas police would soon be here.

"We called for back-up when we heard gun shots."

Trivette explains to them.

"I hope they brought a pizza with them, I’m starving!"

Trent says smiling even though he was in much pain. Everyone just smiles at him, Monica giving him a kiss on his sore cheek.

THE NEXT DAY

DALLAS GENERAL HOSPITAL

"Come on Trent, it’s pink jelly. You love jelly." Monica tells Trent as she sits next to his bed holding a spoon of jelly close to his mouth.

"No I don’t." He tells her turning away his mouth from the pink goo in the spoon. The cut above his eye had been stichted up and his left arm in a sling, but his face was still blue with bruses.

"But you had some just this morning." She tells him placing the spoon infront of this mouth again, and Trent just turns away again and again.

"That was green jelly, I like green jelly." He says closing is mouth quickly before the pink stuff enters his mouth.

"Oh ok, then would you like a piece of steak. Since your jaw is badly bruised, the hard piece of steak would make it all better, huh?" She tells him taking the spoon away, and looks at him with a grin.

"Come on Trent, until it’s better the only thing you can eat is soft jelly and yoghurt." She tells him.

"Ok then get me some yoghurt." He tells her, but Monica just grins at him and he smiles.

"You had yoghurt for lunch, now open up." She tells him and brings up the spoon to his mouth again, and with that Trent takes a careful bite from the spoon, and closes his eyes with a grin of his face, Monica just smiles at him and takes another scoop from the bowl of jelly. Walker, Trivette and Carlos then come walking inside the hospital room and Trent’s grin disappears as he looks up to them.

"How’s our patient doing Nurse Banon?" Walker says smiling as he walks to the otherside of Trent’s bed, Trivette and Carlos also stand closer. Carlos then takes the spoon and bowl of jelly away from Monica. "Oh jelly, don’t mind if I do." Carlos says and stuff’s his mouth with the pink goo.

"Thanks Carlos." Trent says smiling at him.

"He couldn’t be better Walker." She tells him and holds Trent’s right hand.

"Good, maybe when she’s done with you, she can come and help me with all the cases coming in at Thunder Investigations." Carlos says putting down the empty bowl.

"No way Carlos, she’s mine for now. Besides she owes me." Trent says and looks at Monica smiling.

"I owe you? For what?" Monica says leaning closer to him.

"Well, if my memory doesn’t fail me, I had to nurse you back to health last time." Trent says to her with a grin.

"O yes, well then I had better start." And with that she leans forward and softly kisses his bruised lips, wanting the moment to last forever. Together Forever.

THE END!!