I'm back from vacation! And I'm not alone! I know you missed Dorothy, Blade, and Spencer (and maybe a little me too 😉) I sure did miss you 💕

'It was the great escape, the prison break

The light of freedom on my face

But you weren't thinking

And I was just drinking

Well, he was running after us, I was screaming, "Go, go, go!"

But with three of us, honey, it's a sideshow'

*BLADE'S POV*

The white fence was standing perfectly aligned and ordinary like in my daydream as I stopped my motorcycle on the other side of the road, though the car parked in the driveway was reminding me that I wasn't welcome here. We were in reality, and all my senses were on alert for the moment it would turn into a nightmare as I jumped above the fence and sneaked into the backyard.

Luckily, that tall oak tree and the 'trendy' lattice were practical, and even with my muscles stiff as rock, I climbed up in less than three seconds, sliding through the open window as swiftly as all those times before.

I was still chasing my Shooting star. But this time, my mind didn't even get to take off that I fell back down into reality, and it resembled a lot to my horror vision.

Two hands were already holding her, the white fabric around her shoulders only bringing back too-fresh memories.

"Am I interrupting... again?" My sharp tone made Dorothy jump more than my grand entrance in her bedroom, but I couldn't help it.

Even after more than two weeks, it still hurt as much. There wasn't the knocking effect of surprise from the first stab, but the second time turned out to be a jagged knife gashing through the wounds that I'd tried to stitch back messily with hope and the sparks she'd lit up. After Saturday's glimpse, I'd stupidly believed she'd felt them too, and that a happily ever after could be possible.

But she already had her prince charming on a white horse, and I was the bad guy.

"No, it doesn't matter." I shook my head. It wasn't the moment for self-pity and heartache shits. "I'm here 'cause the pigs are gonna come for you."

Even if someone else's hands were taking her away from me, the important was that it wasn't Rye or Kenneth and that her eyes kept shining.

"I know. That's what Spencer was telling me." With the cracks of her voice, I took in the details I hadn't noticed at first sight: the shakes of her hands that Spencer could barely hold, the loose and white fabric around her shoulders that was my shirt, and the green of her eyes darker than I'd ever seen.

"My dad got a call from the station, and he warned me they'll come to arrest Dorothy."

Finally, I preferred the first scenario that had appeared to me because here, there was no happy ending for anyone, and their dark tones were annihilating any glimmer of hope. If the sheriff had gone against the law to warn him, it meant it was more serious than I'd imagined.

"Someone has given a new statement about a small red-haired girl."

"Rye," I seethed, the one syllable burning my tongue like acid. "I should've killed that bastard long ago!"

I should have done it the moment he'd laid his sneaky eyes on Dorothy.

"When I get my hands on him, I'm gonna make him wish he was already dead..." I clenched my hands as if I could have his bull neck in them and snap it, tear off his taunting smirk and eyes, but first, I would take care of his tongue to teach him how to hold it.

My fingers were already tingling in my tight fists, the sensation contrasting with how frozen my blood felt in the rest of my body.

"Getting more dead bodies won't help," Spencer argued, though he was doing nothing more as his hand ran through his hair. "The cops are about to be here in a few minutes and tak–"

"They won't," I cut off. I didn't need that dumbass to echo the bad feeling already growing deafening with every beat of my heart. "Rye has no proof. He wasn't even there."

I focused on Dorothy, hoping to reassure her and myself, but she was avoiding my eyes, looking down at her wringing hands, and my insides were following each twist of her fingers.

"About that... I think I saw Rye that night." She peered up from under her creased eyebrows, and what she glimpsed must have been scary because she quickly averted her eyes again. "When we were by the jukebox, right before Spencer arrived... then, with everything, I forgot it, but he was near the back. So he probably heard everything from another room of the labyrinth, maybe the restroom?"

That fucker had known it all this time, and like the sneaky coward he was, he'd waited for us to let our guards down to strike. From the pain knocking my breath out, he'd hit dead on target. He should have been careful though because wounded beasts were the most dangerous.

"And Kenneth may have a proof that I was there..." she added another blow.

"May?" I barked, making her shrivel as if she had a knife pointed at her.

It wasn't towards her, but the tensions in every inch of my body were sharpening the question.

"He's found my ring."

"Fuck!" I tried to keep it low, even though I wasn't as smooth as Mr. Prince charming there.

"Why didn't you tell us, DD?"

"I didn't want to bother you more... after everything..." 

Fuck, always her kind heart and her need to protect everyone. She didn't realize that right now she risked more than just 'bothering' us.

But in front of her guilty wince, I tried to keep the million fucking curse words that came to me and approach her gently, searching for her eyes. Their intensity always managed to cool me down. Green was a calming color.

"We're a team. We gotta be honest so we can be prepared and–" A blood-curling sound interrupted whatever 'moving' speech I could come up with, and as her gaze glanced everywhere around and I lost my favorite shade of green, all my composure splintered. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! How are those pigs so fast?!"

It hadn't been more than five minutes since I'd left the station, and I didn't need to look at my watch to know. The seconds had been ticking non-stop in my head since then, like some maddening countdown.

"Thornton had to make it big..." Spencer muttered, and I could barely hear him over the racket outside and inside. "They never use the sirens and revolving lights for arrests."

It was making it resemble even more to my horror vision... The flashing lights, the deafening sirens, and the air thickening as I looked at Dorothy's wide eyes, the color already draining from her face. It just lacked the hands taking her away, but I wouldn't wait for them to come.

My own hands dropped from the roots of my hair I was tugging on, and I reached out.

"I'll surrender to the pigs."

Who would have thought I would ever pronounce those words? Not me, but for Dorothy, I was going through a lot of firsts, even if this one resembled more a 'last'.

"It's after me that Rye is, and Thornton will get his perfect murderer. Everyone's gonna be happy."

"No! I won't." Dorothy stopped my hand on the handle with so much determination in spite of her own shakiness. It was almost surreal, like her glistening eyes meeting mine fiercely and her cracking voice standing out strong. "I'm the killer, and I won't let you sacrifice for me. They... they'll be merciless."

"And what do you think they'll be with you? You've got no idea what's waiting for you... jail, in the best cases."

She flinched at my words, yet her grip didn't loosen. She looked ready to fight me, along with an army, and I didn't doubt she would have done it when she was already making something waver inside my chest. Though that, I would never let it show.

"It's not a place for the little princesses." I lowered my head to her level, holding her gaze one more second and savoring one last time the fierce colors I lit up in it.

"As much as I would prefer this idea, it's not possible."

Before the thought of feeling those cherry lips one last time could even cross my mind, Spencer interrupted our staring contest, making us both snap our heads towards him.

"They know the bullet came from an angle down and a person no taller than 5'2."

"What?!" I thundered.

Just when I'd managed to calm the chaos inside and get used to the one outside, that bastard had to drop another bomb!

"Is there something else you didn't tell me?!" It looked like I'd been the only one telling the truth here, how ironic. "Which part of 'being honest' you didn't get?!" I threw a hand up, glancing between them, but Dorothy's wide eyes appeared as clueless, and so innocent.

"I'll say I was on my knees."

Okay, it wasn't my best idea, but I was under pressure. Besides, the sirens louder and closer were making it impossible to hear anything else but the hammering of my heart.

"What they want is a culprit to blame. I'm perfect for the role."

"No, Kenneth wants revenge, and he won't settle for anyone else."

For the first time, Spencer was scary. Of course, I could fight him anytime, and he looked even easy to tackle down, seeing how pale he was. But it was actually what was freezing my blood.

"They can calculate precise angles and determine the height too. I'm sure Kenneth has already checked Dorothy's. He had his eyes on her. He won't be fooled." His low and breathless tone was wrapping around my own ribcage, and the look in his eyes was shadowed with too familiar clouds like he'd already considered those scenarios before and ended with the same images haunting me.

We were complete opposites. He wasn't supposed to think the same as I was. But when the doorbell rang, our gazes were turned in the same direction with the same one thing in mind: Dorothy, keeping her away from Kenneth's hands.

"So this is it..." Her question dropped with fatality, even though the rest of her body was protesting, her arms crossing over her stomach in instinct and her big eyes blurring with fear.

"No, it isn't." I threw a glance at Spencer in search of an idea, but my gaze was always coming back to Dorothy, making sure she wasn't disappearing at any second.

She was about to, as the bell echoed again, and this time, I noticed the footsteps and a voice that must have been her mom's somewhere in the house.

From then on, everything accelerated and slowed down at the same time.

She was going to answer, and the fuzz would be here in no time, taking Dorothy away, and staring at each other wide-eyed would help no more than Spencer and me standing in front of the door in some pathetical protective instinct. Against ten or more pigs, armed to the teeth, we would only put her more in danger. 

But there had to be another solution, and my brain was reeling with scenarios and possibilities to twist the irreversible outcome, almost as fast as her big eyes were darting everywhere around.

To the door... We could let her go and think of a way out later, but that resembled too much my nightmarish vision with Kenneth's hands on her and no power to reach her.

To the pale walls that were closing off... I could take the blame and pretend I'd forced her to kill Douglas, but they'd still blame her for something anyway.

To the starry ceiling, which didn't appear as infinite as one month before... We could tell the whole truth– Okay, my brain was lacking oxygen here, and I tried to take deep breaths to get rid of the familiar moldy smell my lungs were choking on, a scent that wasn't going well with the cherry hints tickling my nose.

Dorothy wasn't made for any type of closed space. A shooting star needed infinite to shine, and any possibility where she was stuck between four walls forever or for a day was off the table.

It only remained...

Her eyes landed on the ajar window just at the moment the thought sparked in my blurry mind, and I realized my horror vision was completely off-beam because she wasn't a damsel in distress waiting to be taken away or saved. She was a shooting star, and as the click of the front door opening echoed, she was already taking off to her closet, making clothes fly and messing everything on her way.

"What are you doing?" Captain Obvious was back to asking stupid questions as she was already exiting the closet with a full bag, and I pushed her desk in front of the door to save us more time.

"You remember the wish you asked me to make when you blew my birthday candles?" She offered him a small smile, so sweet that no one seeing it would have guessed her hands were rushing to grab an envelope in her nightstand, and echoes of gasps and footsteps from downstairs were accelerating everything inside and outside. "I wished for the freedom of adulthood, and if that's the last choice I have, I won't let the Thorntons have that power over me."

That was my Shooting star! She stood up upon those words, still taking the time to grab a picture of her grandpa before walking to the window in all her 5'2 powerfulness, and the vibrant green in her eyes, which not even the tears could dim, annihilated any haunting cloud from my mind. Though I still choked on something thick inside my chest when she focused those intense shades on Spencer and me, taking a deep breath.

"I love–"

"Fuck, there's no way you're leaving without me!"

"I'm coming with you."

Spencer and I both announced at the same time, and it became almost scary when his 'what?' came out in sync with mine, his wide eyes mirroring mine. But once more, it was all because of the girl in front of us, and his heart rate was probably as erratic as mine when she shook her head.

"No, I'm the one they want to arrest. It's my battle, not yours, and I'm not dragging you down with me."

She was definitely nothing like a damsel in distress waiting for her fate, and I knew no one would catch up with her. But fuck, she was dreaming if she thought I would let her slip through my fingers. She could give me her little frown and determined glare all she wanted; it hadn't worked on our first encounter, and it wouldn't work today.

I would keep chasing her.

"Dorothy and Spencer forever, even in trouble."

Okay, Mr. Prince charming was better at smooth-talking, but too bad for him, I had assets too – as Pete preached again and again.

"Yeah, and forever will be over in less than one hour if you go together." I pretended to look at my watch before deadpanning at his puffed chest. "I'm the only one here who knows a fuck about getting away from the pigs." Which, by the way, were climbing up the stairs. "So you can stay here. I'll take good care of Dorothy."

I was too busy stepping next to Dorothy to realize my words, at least until they reached her eyes and smoothed her frown for a second, but I meant them with all my edgy instincts.

"And how you'll do it? With your motorcycle parked in front of the house where all the cops are?"

Was this fucker using sarcasm on me? He even did my signature cocked eyebrow as he waved his car keys, and fuck, he was right. I'd known this caring shit would get me distracted.

But luckily, he wasn't as reactive as I was, and I snatched his key as easily as a lollipop from a toddler, throwing him a real lifted eyebrow – to teach him that it always went with a smirk. "Thanks."

When I turned back to the window, Dorothy was already gripping a branch on the other side, and I was quick to chase her, not glancing behind as the first bangs echoed on the door.

We could hear it give way, followed by the cliché 'police, you're under arrest. Show up without a fight!' as we were already landing on the grass and sneaking behind a bush to the next-door garden.

"Where's the car?" I whispered, knowing damn well the lapdog had followed close.

"This way." He pointed to a backdoor, and I was actually impressed when he led us into his garage, not even fighting to get his keys back, but it surely had to do with the shouts that echoed around.

"Check the whole area!"

Even if the sirens had been setting the stakes for already long minutes, that rough order made them sink in deeper, even more, once we'd jumped into the car, Dorothy riding shotgun and her ex behind, and we could only wait for the garage door to open. 

It was a few seconds of nerve-wracking anticipation, where we took in the first surge of adrenaline that had led us there, and with our hair on end, we prepared for the second rush shooting in our veins because it was just starting as I turned the ignition and stepped on the accelerator.

As soon as the sunlight reached our eyes, everything burst: the familiar pins and needles in every inch of my body, the shouts around, and all the blue.

With no surprise, there were a lot of pigs and also rubberneckers who had dropped their Monday newspapers to watch the show. They didn't see this every day behind their white fences, so better make it unforgettable.

I used all the adrenaline brewing in my veins to push harder on the pedal, the tires peeling off on the tarmac in a scene worth of Hollywood movies, with, of course, a few cops jumping out of the way.

It wasn't my problem if I knocked down a pig or two, as long as I kept their dirty hands away from Dorothy, and I made sure she was quickly out of reach as we raced down the street.

"Get down! They're shoot–"

A loud bang echoed, followed by the crack of broken glass before Spencer could even finish, and the movie became a little too real when shards fell on my lap from the rearview mirror.

I should've known the fucking pigs wouldn't care, even with all the people around, and it wasn't fun anymore as I leaned down, spinning the wheel. Though my heart really stopped with the next bullet, this one flying through the side of Dorothy's headrest.

They could have aimed for the tires, but no, they were out for blood, and mine was running cold, icy cold.

My movements became automatic, my knuckles white around the steering wheel, and my gaze unblinking from the end of the street while the only bangs I could hear were the bullets guiding the zigzags of the car. I was in machine mode, the one I used in important jobs and fights, the best one to survive.

But when usually, I was completely numb, here, all my nerve-endings were stirring with the lightest gasps by my side, Dorothy's warmth drawing me in every time I turned the wheel to the left.

"You okay?" My eyes flickered for a second between two bangs to her huddled form, scanning for any hint of red, even if I couldn't see much, only trusting her shaky voice.

"Yes, yes, we're okay, but you, keep your head down."

"Don't worry, it's almost over." 

Actually, it was as we finally reached the end of the street, and I realized the only bangs that remained were the ones in my chest. They'd stopped shooting.

Of course, one glance at the rearview mirror was enough to see the cars following us, but through the several shards of reflections, I mostly caught the large man who was holding Kenneth's gun away. I didn't need to be a genius to guess who it was, and the sheriff had maybe saved our asses – this day was becoming more and more surreal, but...

"We're fine," I breathed out.

Even if my foot was still locked on the accelerator, and my hands tight around the steering wheel, my blood was finally warming up.

We were fine, and with every turn, the blue cars appeared farther in the rearview mirror. Dorothy's eyes were even peeking out in all their green intensity.

"Ahead!"

Okay, I'd talked too soon. Her eyes were bright indeed, but also widening at the police cars parked in a roadblock at the next junction, and I was freezing whole at the sight closer and closer.

If I kept going as fast, we would head straight into their trap. If I slowed down, they would catch up with us. We were stuck. There was no other road, and a quick glance around was enough to realize it was either the fuzz cars and their flashing lights or the white fence, a lot like my nightmarish vision. But here, Dorothy was by my side, and we had a car. So I didn't even have to think.

"Hold on!" I shouted as I turned the steering wheel, my foot still pressing on the accelerator, and we almost ended on two wheels before crashing straight into the fence.

To think I'd been paralyzed by those twigs... We left them behind with barely a few jolts, the fence and the pigs, as the sirens echoed farther, and we were all fine, except maybe for the brand new car body.

"I hope you're not sentimental about your car!" I told Spencer as another white fence stood on our way to the road.

"It's okay," he replied, for once with no question or protest. It was almost too good to be true, as the sirens wailing was growing quieter too. "Just-just put your belts on."

"Seriously? We've just got away from a gunfire, it's not–"

"We will," Dorothy cut off, quickly securing her seat belt before reaching out for mine, and my wide eyes abandoned the road to double-check.

I wouldn't complain about her soft hands wandering near my hips, but still, was it the same girl who loved to ride with her hair in the wind?

Yes, it was when she silenced me with a pointed look, and I understood it had to do with the bastard as white as a sheet behind.

All her attention was on him once she'd clicked my seat belt, as if she wasn't the one whom the pigs were after. "See, everyone is fastened. We're alright."

At least, as long as we didn't cross roads with more cops.

"Well, except for Mrs. Cravitz's fence! You remember when we accidentally chipped off her paint with our bikes? I can't imagine her face now!" She extended her hand to him, looking so assured that I could have almost believed everything was alright and stopped my careful glances at every corner. I could have almost not noticed her other hand fisting shakily the white fabric on her lap.

Pete was right. She was kind, too kind, always protecting everyone around, even when she herself was struggling.

She'd been about to get arrested for murder with all the consequences that came with it, and we'd got away from about 15 police cars. No matter how strong she was, it was a lot, and if I couldn't promise her that everything would be alright, I did everything to get out of this fuzz maze, and once we reached the main road, I put my large hand on her trembling one, meeting her scared eyes for a second.

We were in this together, and there was no turning back as we drove past the Subrose sign, that same sign we'd passed not long ago in search of a little escape.

'Subrose, thank you for visiting. We hope to see you soon.'

Will they see Subrose again soon? 🤔

And did you expect this? Well, the song may have given you a hint 😅 Now, the question is how long will they be able to get away, and do you think this trio of outlaws has a chance? 

Tell me all your thoughts in the comments! And don't forget to vote ⭐ if you liked this chapter!

Finally, I wanted to thank you for all your support. I know I'm repeating myself but you're my little Shooting stars, illuminating my days 🌠😘🤩❤️