This chapter is dedicated to iamarose126 thank you for all the support you've given this story right from the start, your comments have really encouraged me :)

(UNEDITED)

"We are gathered here today to honour a very special member of Freetown who has not only helped lock up a criminal but has also helped save the lives of young women who could have been victims" the Mayor proudly announced into the microphone standing in front of him.

It was a week after the arranged tragic shooting by Brady at the Freetown square which led to Mr. Bridgewoods death. The whole of Freetown was gathered at the Freetown square and Cassie was sat on the stage... The same stage Mr. Bridgewood was murdered on. The Mayor organized a celebratory ceremony in honour of her bravery and her work in helping lock Brady behind bars.

She sat on a beautiful regal looking chair placed on the high stage stage and glared at everyone with distaste. She loathed almost everyone there pretending to be happy for her they were the same people that fought for Caleb to be murdered, the same people who gathered at his execution with smiling faces and cheerful hearts, they disgusted her.

All she saw when she looked down were murderers, pretentious people, people who were careless and callous. If she hadn't arrived at Caleb's execution with her friends when she did, he would have been six feet under and the same people coming to celebrate her victory will be the same people dancing on her brothers grave.

"I'll like to call Miss Cassidy Meyer to the stage before we present her with her well deserved award" he announced gleefully. The whole crowd cheered and clapped their hands joyfully.

She smoothened the black lace dress she was clad in and made her way over to the microphone stand. She saw Danny in front of the crowd giving her an encouraging smile which she returned. She looked at everyone else in distaste she still hadn't fully forgiven them for what they almost did to her brother. She was well aware that they wanted justice to be served but their impatience almost cost her her only sibling who she loved dearly.

She cleared her throat and tapped the microphone before speaking "I could stand here with the same pretentious smile you all have on you faces but I can't bring myself to do that" she said impassively.

She got a lot of gasps and stares form people although most of them had guilt written all over their faces but she ignored them all

"the same people gathered here today in my honour are the same people who rejoiced at the idea of my brother being killed. I appreciate whatever award this town wants to present to me but I don't need it. All I ask is that the real killer: Brady Bauer will be given life in prison rather than execution. That is the only reward I need, the way this town deals with criminals disgusts me" she said through gritted teeth and a clenched fist "I don't need a street named after me or a gold medal or trophy all I want is what I've already asked for. Thank you" she said as she climbed down the steps of the stage.

Everyone in the crowd was awe struck they had expected her to bask in the glory of her achievement. This huge ceremony was organized just for her and almost everyone in Freetown was in attendance. People snickered and made rude remarks while others just looked at her to see if she had gone crazy but the majority of them had great guilt painted on their faces, they knew she was right and what they did was terrible.

She swerved her way through the crowd and made her way over to Danny "well that was an interesting speech" he teased as they moved away from the crowd.

She rolled her eyes playfully " I can't stand anyone here and I couldn't receive an award I didn't truly deserve, I mean you Phoebe, Jesse and Tucker helped too I shouldn't take all the glory"

"Yes but without you we wouldn't have had the opportunity to help and besides solving crimes is your thing. They were planning on naming a street after you you know" he said as he nudged her shoulders and smiled at her.

"I don't need all that, all I need is for things to somewhat go back to normal this case has crumbled up my life and I just want my life to be fixed"

"Don't worry things will go back to normal in no time but why did you do what you did for Brady? He destroyed your life you know"

"Yeah but I can't bring myself to hate him I was fond of him and I know that deep down he's a good person. He should be given time to heal and repent"

"You're amazing" he smiled

" Thanks Danny,are you ready?" She asked.

"Honestly I'm creeped out by funerals but we have to support Tyler it's the least we can do" he said as they both walked over to his car.

"I feel guilty" she told him as soon as they got into the car "if only I charged my phone I would have been able to reach you and then you would have called Tyler to warn him"

"You can't blame yourself for something you didn't know will happen"

Her mind raced back to the moment Tyler's father came crashing to the ground, the shot came out of nowhere and went straight to his heart. She remembered how the influx of people dispersed in great confusion, running for their dear lives and she couldn't help but glare at the officer who didn't let her through, she wanted him to feel guilty and filthy for doubting her and she succeeded. All the guards ran far and near in search for Mr. Bridgewoods shooter while an ambulance was being called.

Some other officers led the people in attendance to safety and everyone was advised to return to their homes, pandemonium broke out everywhere, the masses were confused no one knew where the shot came from and no one was able to find the shooter. The people who hadn't run away stood there panicked they had all just witnessed a murder and questions were being asked.

As people cleared up on that tragic day her eyes wondered to two familiar figures at a distance form her, Tyler and Peter. Peter had his knees in the ground as he violently pulled out grass in anger but Tyler, he just stayed still he stood there disbelievingly he looked like the bullet had been passed through his own heart rather than his fathers. He looked extremely hurt and at the same time indignant. From the look in his face and the way his eyes blinked profusely and scanned his surroundings it was obvious that he was thinking. Wondering where he went wrong, filled up with so much regret, shame, anger, disappointment.

"I feel like I've been blaming myself for everything that happened lately, I can't help it I was caught in the middle of everything and I would never see myself as not guilty of everything that's happened"

He looked at her concernedly "with time you'll get through everything"

"It's not just me, I remember how much I hurt you guys and how much everyone hurt me, I remember what I did to Caleb and I know he's just pretending I don't think he has forgiven me"

"Don't be silly" he scolded "Caleb loves you and I'm pretty sure he forgave you before you even offended him"

"Thanks"

"For what?"

"For always being there for me, for being a great friend despite how difficult I've been. My stubbornness almost caused you your life but you still stuck by me"

",I'll never leave you" he said in a low tone with determination, more to himself than to her and then he started the car and drove off to Mr.Bridgewoods funeral.

They got to the very familiar Cemetery which reminded her of the day of Caleb's execution she was both glad and sad at the same time, glad that her come back to the place that was so close to Caleb's execution site doesn't bring back terrible memories, and sad that she had to watch Tyler go through so much hurt, agony, regret, loathe and so many other emotions.

They quietly walked over to the space where Mr.Bridgewoods body will be buried, he was a well known man so it was no surprise the amount of people gathered there. They walked to the back of the gathering and Danny took a seat at the back beside Phoebe while Cassie sat next to him in the last chair. She stretched her neck to look for Tyler and she later found him in front with his family, his mother and older sister were sobbing violently holding a box of Kleenex to wipe their tears, while he and Peter tried to keep their composure as men.

The way Tyler felt is probably the same way cereal will feel if they were humans with feelings. Trapped in a cardboard box, deprived of air and then the box is opened and it takes in that one breath of fresh air, relief and then seconds later it's poured into a bowl drowned in milk and crushed up. That's how Tyler's experience was, he suffered for a very long time and just when he thought everything was over, as soon as he took that breath of fresh air he was drowned back in misery and crushed up. Just when he thought the worst was over he didn't know what was to come would be the greatest loss of his life.

"I will like to call up Mr. Bridgewoods second son to deliver his eulogy" the priest announced.

Tyler slowly got up from his seat as his shaky legs led him to the front of the ceremony he stood there for a while unable to say anything and then he heaved out a loud sigh before shoving his hands into his pocket and pulling out a neatly folded piece of paper. He unfolded the paper and with his shaky hands led it up to his face.

He cleared his throat before speaking "My father...My My father" he shook his head and refolded the paper and shoved it back into his pocket.

He cleared his throat again before speaking "when I was six I remember going to the park with my father we walked for a while and then he stopped and knelt down in front of me. He said 'Tyler my boy I want you to make a promise to me' what promise? I asked and then he replied 'I want you to promise me that when you grow up you'll never be like me, that you'll never look up to me. You see I've done a lot of terrible things' he told me 'My own father was a bad man he did wicked things and I was influenced wrongly I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of but my father made those things second nature to me' he told me 'I want you to grow up and be a good boy. I love you my son" Tyler said with his chest quivering and lips shaking as if from cold.

Cassie looked at him with so much pity he had never told her that story before she felt tears start to well up in her eyes and she looked over to her friends who also looked sad and Phoebe had already broken down in tears. She tried to control her tears she needed to be strong for Tyler. She cold see a lot of people bring serviettes up to their eyes and noses.

"That was the day I admired my father the most" Tyler continued "I had so much respect for him, my father was a good man and the things he did it was like he had no control over. He had already been brainwashed with that lifestyle and did not want any of his children to be like him. Some people might say that was hypocritical but I say it's love" he said with his voice breaking "so father, he said looking at the coffin and placing his hands on it "I promise to never be like you" he said with a tear slipping out of his left eye "I promise to make you proud and I'm sorry but there's one promise I won't keep because I'll always look up to you because you were the best father I could ever ask for, you loved me and thought me how to be a man. Goodbye father till we meet again if we ever meet again" he said with great sadness " I love you" he ended with more tears breaking through as he went back to his seat.

By this time almost everyone was in tears most of the men tried to keep their composure but it was obvious that most of them were caving in to the tears welling up in them. The whole atmosphere was weak and filled with much sadness. But as there were mourners there were also people there that were relieved. It was no shock that some people will be happy at his passing, his competition and the people he wronged will probably wait till everyone is gone to have drinks over his grave.

His father was lowered into his grave and was finally buried and soon almost everyone had gone. Cassie noticed Tyler quickly walking away.

"You should go after him" Danny convinced her.

"Thanks" she smiled at him and followed Tyler. He and his father were terribly close and she was scared that he'd indulge in something stupid.

On her way to go after Typer she noticed Peter and decided to see how he was holding up first. She walked up to him and beside him was a beautiful young lady and two kids who looked like they were only two. He had a beautiful wife and adorable twins.

"Hey" she greeted awkwardly. His wife smiled at her weakly and took her kids over to Peters mother to give them some privacy.

"Hello Cassidy" he said weakly as he shoved his hands into his pockets, he and Tyler were so alike.

"Did you get a chance to make peace with your father before he well um... Died?"

He shook his head "he died hating me" he said sadly "I was too late, I should have done it sooner but the greedy hands of death took him away before we could make peace" he said bitterly.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss"

He let out a bitter laugh "I lost him a long time ago, it just took me ten years to bury him" he said sadly and walked away. She stood there for a while just watching him she searched for something to say but she couldn't think of anything and so she just left.

She searched for Tyler and then she noticed him at a distance sitting on a log of wood in front of a lake that was on the far end of the cemetery. She walked down to him and when she got close enough she gently placed her right hand on his shoulder.

"you shouldn't have come" he said.

"How did you know it was me?" She asked bewildered.

"You're still using the perfume I got you from Dubai" he said sounding a bit relieved as he casually threw stones into the lake.

"Oh" she realized as she crossed over the log and sat at a reasonable distance from him "and I had to come" she said.

"Seeing you made my day it,took away a fraction of the sadness"

"Then I'm glad I came"

"How did your ceremony go?"

"Let's not talk about me today. How are you?"

"Better now that you're here" he said "I need you back Cassie I don't know if I have the fortitude to go in without you"

"Tyler I don't want seem heartless but I don't to get back with you out of pity if I do I'll only end up resenting you. I'm still not ready" she replied weakly.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said" he polo fixed shaking his head "I guess my mind is not in the right place right now"

"Will you be alright?" She asked concernedly.

"I don't think I can ever forgive myself for killing him"

"What do you mean?"

"The day my father was shot I went back to the station to yell at Brady, I just had to vent, I wanted to rip out his heart and then he told me something that shut me up. All this while I had been paying for his death. He used most of the money I gave him to pay off the marksman. I paid for my own fathers murder and I didn't know it"

"Oh my I'm so sorry" she said sliding closer to him and placing her hands on his shoulder "Tyler it's not your fault you were oblivious to all Brady's schemes. "

"It still doesn't change the fact Cassie, it is what it is and I don't know if I can ever forgive myself" he said as he angrily threw rocks into the lake. "I killed him, I killed him, I killed him" he chanted in agony.

"Tyler stop it" she pleaded "you didn't kill him you were deceived you thought all the money you gave Brady was so he can buy equipments, you didn't know"

He scoffed bitterly "maybe God is punishing me for what I did for Brady"

"Don't say that you were a victim of Brady's lies"

"We were all victims of Brady especially... Matt" he said weakly.

"Especially Matt" she repeated sadly.

"Thanks for coming Cassie but I need to go I don't think I can be here anymore"

"I understand" she smiled at him warmly "take care of yourself and don't do anything stupid"

"I wouldn't do anything stupid because I know that there's a chance you might forgive me. " He teased "Thanks for coming and thanks for helping me stay strong" he said and then he slowly walked away kicking stones in his way.

"Hey Cassie" she heard someone say behind her she turned around to see that it was Phoebe and Danny was right beside her.

"What do you want?" Cassie asked arrogantly as she folded her hands over her chest.

Both Danny and Phoebe were taken aback "what did you think Phoebe that I wouldn't get my full memory back? I remember everything I remember how you all apart form Danny abandoned me" she spat out.

"Cassie I can explain" she pleaded.

"There's nothing to explain" she dismissed as she started walking away.

"Cassie wait" Danny sad pulling her back "remember that time in school when I told you that there was an explanation as to why we were all being cruel to you?"

"Of course I do, you left me there hanging in confusion"

"Tyler asked us to stay away from you" Phoebe confessed "one day he asked us all to come over to his place and then he told us that his life was in danger and yours too"

"What are you talking about?"

"Tyler told us that he had also been receiving threats and we believed him since he was your boyfriend. It made sense that the killer would go after him to get to you" Danny said "he even showed us a lot of threats and pictures on his phone. He said he had been receiving them from the killer and we believed him. He told us to try our best to get you off the case and if we didn't you or one of us could get killed and when Mat died we knew how serious things were"

"So all the resentment towards me was fake?"

"At first we were genuinely mad at you" Phoebe said "Cassie you couldn't even drop the case for us even when our lives were in danger. Later Tyler told us to do everything we can to get you off the case. He knew we were your friends for the longest and thought we'd do a better job at it but even after all we said you didn't listen"

"He made us promise not to tell you anything and that's why I couldn't explain things to you that day"

"He also told Tucker a lot terrible things about you things like you cheated on him and so many other terrible things but we didn't know then. He knows Tucker is the loudest and he knew that he wouldn't keep quiet. He wanted Tucker to turn us against you for good"

"He thought that when we all abandoned you you'll come back to your senses and drop the case" Danny said.

"That's why Tucker was so hard on me?"

"Yes, he took it too far but that's just how Tucker is" Danny said.

"Cassie we're sorry okay" Phoebe pleaded

"You guys missed my birthday, my eighteenth" she said weakly "you know how much I've anticipated that day and because of what Tyler told you you missed it? Your excuse isn't good enough. I even thought what Danny had to tell me was something more serious"

"How isn't it'd serious?" Phoebe asked a bit angry "unlike you Cassie if someone tells me that my actions might cost me my friends life then I'll refrain from doing whatever could be a hazard to that friend" Phoebe snapped "you hurt us too" she said more calmly.

"Well I guess we weren't meant to be friends" Cassie stated bluntly "our friendship was tested this past few months and we failed the test woefully"

"We got a big fat F" Phoebe said as she slowly walked away.

Danny looked at the both of them sympathetically but knew that it wasn't the right time to start trying to be the band-aid to heal their wounds. They both needed time and with that they all went their separate ways he stood there and watched as the gap between the both of them got wider he watched years of friendship die down and he knew that there was really nothing he could do.

It might have been Mr. Bridewoods funeral but some other things died too, hope, joy, happiness, friendship. They all paid for Rose's infidelity and The Bridewood family paid for his crime. Rose wasn't the only victim ten years after other victims emerged including Cassie and her friends. They lost their friend and they lost their friendship. They were being hunted because of the crimes of someone they never even met.

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Sorry if this chapter wasn't good, I had a slight migraine writing this chapter so I'm not even sure if it makes any sense. Hope you enjoyed it though :-)

And yay no cliffhanger. Three more chapters to go!