(Nathaniel's point of view)

"Your a fucking bastard you know that!" I yelled into the abyss of black, "We had a fucking deal!" I had been yelling for what seemed to be hours, and I was beyond pissed. I had no doubt in my mind that this was the work of the man on the phone, he double crossed me.

I clenched my hand which was handcuffed and chained to a wall, tugging on the chains trying to break free. The room was musty and dark, with no way of seeing what was lurking in the shadows. Just imaging what Emily was feeling after I had been so cruel to her all day. I had been played like a fiddle, this was their plan all along.

To keep chipping away at that beautiful woman's confidence and light, to make her bend to the person on the phone's will. A growl ripped from my throat as I continuously yanked on the chains that bond me. She didn't deserve any of this after all the pain in her life, I needed to get back to her and tell her everything.

I needed to tell her who I was and why I had left her both times, they were never by my own choice. I looked at the chains more closely trying to figure out the best way to get them off of me, their silver flickering in the low light.

"There's no escaping, not until they get what they want." My head jerked towards the voice that danced in the shadows, it was warm and gentle... much like Emily's. I heard some shuffling until a woman came through the light, sitting down in front of my holding a piece of bread.

Her hair was a bright red that was wild and untamed, her eyes were a stormy gray filled with defiance. She held herself with dignity even though she had uttered such words of hopelessness, her eyes focused on me watching closely with a critical eye.

"You were with my daughter." She said with assurance not asking but just stating it, she raised her eyebrows slightly. "The moment you came to France they moved me here."

"How did you know-" I went to ask her about how she knew about my traveling with Emily, but she interrupted me before I could get out the words.

"They brought you here." She didn't have any chains on her like I had, her hand traveled up and pet my head fondly, "I heard the deal you tried to make."

I grimaced realizing how much of a failure I must have looked to her, I had failed to protect her daughter and I had been cussing to the wind. I closed my eyes not wanting to see her, hoping that maybe she could understand one day.

"You have no idea how much that means to me, but these men would never let us stay in my baby girl's life." She put her hand on my cheek and my eyes snapped open just in time to see a single shining tear run down her face.

"You love her." Another statement came from her lips with such confidence in her thoughts, I simply nodded my head looking down at the ground where my hands were.

"Did you really think you could stay next to her without truly being with her?" I let out a sigh shaking my head sadly, eventually I would break and need to be with her once more. I had gone for so long without her yet the moment she entered my life she became my world.

"I love her with every fiber of my being Ms. Winston," I began with watching her smile at me like a mother would to her son, "If I knew you two were together and happy I would have given everything I have in this life up."

"To find a man in this life who would give everything up is rare." She pulled her hand away from my cheek, more tears threatening her stormy eyes.

"That doesn't make it any less true, even if she doesn't feel the same." I felt something wet run down my cheek, and I closed my eyes trying to keep my emotions in cheek.

"Men are idiots sometimes," She muttered to herself shaking her head, "She cares for you deeply."

"Ms. Winston, that just isn't true."

"Call me Mother dear, and don't worry I'm sure you'll see how right I am someday." She winked at me but our conversation was halted by the sound of boots clicking.

"Not that you'll actually ever find out Nathaniel." An older man came into view standing proud, his eyes bore into mine watching the interaction between the two of us. His hair was a deep black slicked back with wisps of grey, and his eyebrows were raised slightly. He reminded me much of Emily's father, the way they carried themselves was strikingly similar.

"The Great Nathaniel Richmond brought to his knees all because of a woman." He spit right in front of me as Alana moved to be next to me instead of near where he spat.

"I wouldn't think about her too much, the longing could become unbearable." He crouched down in front of my placing his finger underneath my chin forcing our eyes to clash. I looked at him blankly staring back at him with just as much confidence as he held.

"Worse than even the sweet release of death." His footsteps echoed away leaving me with his last words, that were filled with malice but also a sense of remembrance.

Time went by slowly as Alana and I talked more about her time in France, how they had treated her all this time. It had to have been hours later when more footsteps began to make their way towards us, two men stood with bandanas around their faces.

"I'm so sorry." Alana whispered before going back into the darkness where I couldn't see her any longer, but I suppose that was the point of it.

"Boss told me I get to have a bit of fun breaking you in, however it'd be a shame to ruin such a beautiful face." His voice was gravelly and deep, he almost strut his way to me watching with a sadist smile.

"Sorry man I don't swing that way..." I couldn't stop the sarcastic comment from slipping past my lips, the man's face filling with anger. He swung a heavy punch right into my stomach making me bend over coughing onto the ground. Regardless of his anger he still seemed to not hit my face with any of the blows he sent my way.

As each punch came to a part of my body I thought of her. He believed that the memories were shared would be my ruin, and was a fate worse than death.

But my heart know that she would always bring me home, her smile would always keep my heart safe. Her laugh would strengthen my resolve, and her memories would save me.

***

My ears ring violently against the concrete ground, my body bleeding and my head spun around the room. My eyes closed hoping for any sort of relief from the far too bright lights hanging above me.

My sleep was interrupted by a hand made its way onto my cheek and my whole body tensed immediately at the touch. Tracing what could only be another scratch that ran down my face. I breathed against the cold ground trying to force the air into my lungs.

My eyes cracked open in the slightest amount possible making only a blurry picture before me. Red hair cascading down, the sound of crying making its way through the ringing in my ears My hand reached up reaching towards the person who seemed so familiar.

"Emily?" I questioned hopefully desperately seeking her light that only she could bring. However slowly the blurry figure shook their head and my vision began to focus more. only to be crushed as a slow shake to the head indicated it wasn't her.

"Alana?" She nodded, opening her mouth only for a small sob to come out tears falling out of her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I neve-" A gasp came as her hand ran along my head, "I never imagined those men could be so cruel my son." She acted as if she had been the one to beat me herself, her face showing all the emotions she felt.

"S-son?" I croaked out the pain in my chest making it harder, but I wanted to brighten the mood just a little bit if I could.

"Of course silly boy," she paused running her fingers through my hair like I was a small child, "You will marry my daughter one day after all." She let out a small tearful laugh as she watch me.

We both smiled at each other listening carefully to the silence surrounding us. I had told her to check some things for me, since I was still chained to the ground.

"I did as you asked, I couldn't find any cameras in the room." She talked with a serious look on her face, determination filling every crevice.

I nodded slightly not being able to do much with my lack of energy and my empty stomach. My throat burned with every word I had to say still, and my body couldn't handle the amount of violence inflicted in such a short time.

"The door?" I coughed out the stinging sensation slowly getting better the more I used my voice and moved my muscles.

"Five pings, one as the enter button." She responded as I nodded along to her words thinking through the process.

"We need that code."

"Your the one with the plan." I already knew that I was the leading man in this mission, I had already predicted a large majority of what had happened.

It was all like a game of chess, my mind flickered back to Emily's and mine's game, and the opponent had an unfair advantage. They had known everything about me going in, leaving me to watch their behavior as they made their moves. They may have the Queen surround now, but I wasn't going to lose her from my side. I had a gambit in mind to save her from their trap.

"We wait until next time, and you watch the first number." I told her and she looked at me with her eyebrows raised and her eyes narrowed.

"Why only the first?"

"There will be a limit to the amount of guesses, we need to be as accurate as possible." I explained hoping she understood the rest, although I knew she would. She was Emily's mother and Emily was absolutely brilliant, and so slowly I watched her head nod in confirmation.

"Three strikes your out?" She laughed slightly and I attempted to join her, trying to ease myself back into the line of reality.

"We need to get in one."

"Don't be so dramatic." She let my head slightly smiling to herself and I couldn't help the words that came out next.

"You remind me so much of her." She got a far off look in her eyes filled with a wistful gaze, she missed her desperately just like me.

Any conversation that could follow was put on hold as we heard the door open. Alana slipped into the shadows ready to get the first number for when the man left. He carried two trays of food as he walked keeping his head down.

"Your food for tonight, I hope you enjoy. I made it myself... from your parents recipe Ms. Winston." My head perked up at how he addressed her, as Alana quickly clambered from the shadows into the light in front of the man.

"My parents?" She questioned taking a step closer to the man only for his gaze to hold her in place as he said his final words.

"Entrances never really mattered in this life we've been living in, we accept things when they enter. But we push things away when they leave." He sat the trays down before heading back towards the door to punch in the code, but he stopped one more time to look at Alana.

"Your Father and Mother were wonderful people, that shouldn't have left when they were so young. But at the very least she did get to meet them." He spoke his finale piece of confusing information before going through the door the lock going back into place.

I looked towards Alana about to ask her what he had meant, stopping when I saw the far off look in her eyes.

She seemed almost to be looking through me when she uttered some shocking words, "I know the code."

*****************

"You'll always have bad times, but it'll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren't paying attention to."

                             -Sean Maguire

Probably not what you guys were expecting but none the less I hope you enjoyed this chapter my lovely readers...