(Emily's Point of View)

"Oh what I would've given to see his face!" We all laughed as Mich clapped his hands and did a small dance through the quiet lanes of Central Park. It was well past midnight as we celebrated our victory against our foes.

We told the rest of our group that we would meet them at a restaurant nearby that stayed open into the wee hours of the night: Betsy's Diner. Knowing the owner of such a fine establishment gave you certain perks. Although we weren't making the best time due to Michael and Harris's dances, Mich alone and Harris twirling a dazed Sophie around.

Nate and I simply walked beside of them watching with our hands intertwined, his larger hand covering mine in a tight embrace. The park was quite albeit there was a few listening to the soft strums of a guitar played by a young man.

"He just kept shaking, I've never seen anything like it." I laughed slightly joining in their fun, I pulled Nate along with me breaking down into some funky dance moves.

"We need to get you dance lessons Sis." Sophie stopped for a moment realizing what had slipped from her mouth, she looked towards me an apology on her lips.

I shook my head slightly ceasing the words from her lips, "You think you can do better Sis."

She took the hand I had outstretched towards her happily with tears in her eyes, she was growing away from the way she was always taught. Like a Butterfly she was becoming the woman I had no doubt that she was meant to be.

"Marq keeps texting me to hurry up." Nate's voice piped in no longer walking in silence, the majority of our walk he had stayed quiet only expressing his emotions through facial expressions.

We were almost at Betsy's Diner when I realized that I probably should change and get a warmer jacket, when I felt the cold crisp February air blowing against me. Surely they could wait a few moments for me to be a bit warmer, besides the apartment complex was on our way.

"Give me a couple seconds to go change." I began to head towards the apartment only for footsteps to follow me.

"It's freezing out here for us woman, we will be right back guys." Sophie joined me into the lobby both of us cold to the touch from our beautiful, but freezing, dresses.

"Good Evening Roderick." Sophie greeted the elderly man with a small wave, finally he was accepting the lose of his wife. Even so losing someone was always a difficult time in life, not many come back into your life like my mom did.

The elevator quickly took us up the apartment as we mindlessly chattered the entire way up with smiles on our faces. Watching her talk with such happiness, it was a stark reality seeing now that she was free of Sala how different she acted. Not only towards me but to everyone she encountered.

"I'll meet you back here alright Papillion?" Sophie looked back at me with a smile at the new nickname.

"Right, Chama." I blinked slightly at the nickname remembering that mother had pressured her in Portuguese as her foreign language, just another name for me to look up on google later.

The two of us parted in the dark apartment, I glanced around not hearing the pitter pattering of my dogs. Surely Lizzie hadn't took them out on a walk this late, I continued heading down to my room only to be stopped by the creaking of the floors behind me.

I quickly turned around when I heard a voice filled with malice and hatred, "You just couldn't help yourself, could you bitch?" Perfect English filled the room as Lizzie spoke towards me with wild eyes.

I paused my eyes flitting down to the object in her hands, stainless steel all pointed towards me. Not even my sarcasm could stop an impending bullet. My first thought went towards my little sister not even twenty paces away.

"Lizz-" I tried to raise my hands to calm the raging French girl, she waved the gun around her eyes never waivering from mine.

"Get on the couch." She waved her gun towards the couch behind her I froze for a moment looking into the eyes of a wild beast. She pointed the gun back towards me uttering, "Now!"

I made my way to the couch just hours earlier everyone had sat on in joy, I kept my front towards her keeping my eyes trained on her with every step. The soft material beneath my hands gave me no comfort as I watched the crazed girl pace in front of me.

"You just couldn't marry that man!" She screamed her eyes almost pitch black as fury overtook her I opened my mouth hoping that she wouldn't shoot me point blank.

"Why do you-" She interrupted me by pointing the steel gun at my head, my mouth closed as I felt my hand shake against the couch.

"You think that Dai was the only Spy?" She let out a crazed laugh as she twirled once in place with the gun hanging lopsided from her raised hand. She looked towards me once more giving me a smile with wide eyes.

"Someone had to watch Nathaniel and when you came into the picture," She tapped her foot on the ground fidgeting with the gun in her hands.

"When you came into the picture they began to make me report all of your doings to them." That's how they knew we were in France, she told them every time we did anything of importance. But then how did they miss our game plan today.

"But you went and made a plan without me," She paused giving me enough time to realize that she hadn't been with us when we made our plans, "My mother is sick you see."

She began to walk around the room twirling the gun on her finger, from the corner of my eye I saw Sophie. My two dogs were sitting at her feet quietly sensing the atmosphere change, she had to have left them in a room and Sophie found them.

"I was visiting her because she went into surgery, so I missed the crucial information." She pointed the gun towards me again although she was a bit farther away from her pacing then before.

"They've stopped paying her bills and soon she will die without their help." Her eyes didn't leave mine again I kept mine on hers not daring to glance at my hidden sister.

"Nate would ha-" The click of the gun stopped me mid-sentence, tears began to well up in my eyes but I refused to let them fall. If this was my last moment I refused to waste it with tears no matter how horrible.

"So now the deal has changed, how to break a man's heart I wonder." She put her finger to her chin like she was pondering the thought.

"Oh I know!" She raised her finger up in the air like she had an eureka moment, "You kill the thing he loves most." She muttered as both hands went to the gun, I took in my last breath my gaze never wavering from hers.

The shoot boomed through the apartment echoing throughout the rooms as the couch was decorated with bright scarlet blood. It splattered all over me as the scene in front of me played like a stop motion.

Sophie rushing towards Lizzie in an attempt to save my life, but nothing was quicker than a loyal dog protecting their owner. A dog laid at my feet the blood pooling around as tuffs of fur and flesh scattered around the body. My eyes went up watching Sophie take the gun from Lizzie shoving her to the floor.

"Are you ok?" She asked pointing the gun towards Lizzie her eyes never leaving their mark, wordlessly I bent down watching Auburn look at Ray. Even such a little dog could tell something wasn't right with the motionless body.

The elevator began to chime, it had barely been a couple minutes since the gun fired it's bullet. The doors opened slowly revealing three worried men.

"Emily!" Nate was the first to run towards me not seeing the dog in my arms from the couch blocking his vision.

Harris rushed to Sophie taking the gun from the girl's hands still keeping it aimed at the girl on the floor who continued to watch me with contempt. I could hear Mich on the phone as he began to explain what happened to the police.

Nate bent down seeing the barely breathing dog that laid still in my arms, "Ray saved me." The tears that had been kept at bay began to flow freely as the events that had just played out came knocking like a truck.

"You're such a good boy Ray." He petted the motionless dog before he kissing him on the head, my tears fell onto his body as I began to shake, "Such a good boy." He continued to praise him not knowing if he was still with us or not.

"Nate." My voice croaked out desperately, his arms wrapped around mine as we cradled Ray between us. My eyes travelled down to the dog as memories flashed of the two of ours, our meeting and our walks.

"My good boy Ray." I spoke with a wavering voice not knowing how else to accept all that had happened, instead we ignored the outside world until the cops came. The entire time whispering loving words to our dog.

The police walked us out of the building wrapping shock blankets around us, I locked eyes with Lizzie as the loaded her into the car. Her gaze was harden and filled with remorse, but I knew it wasn't remorse for what she had done but what she failed to do.

Nate's arm stayed at my waist the entire way as we both went through the motions, the police asked everyone for their statements but focused on Sophie and me. The paramedics they had sent immediately went to Ray trying their best to help the brave dog.

For ten minutes they tried to bring back an ounce of life into the pup, until one looked towards me with a sad face. One shake of the head sent me right back into Nate's arms, both of us shaking as sobs wrecked through our bodies. Knowing well that could have been me without Ray, every single choice in this life is important.

I silently prayed to God hoping that animals went to heaven, and even if all didn't that Ray deserved to for the sacrifice he made.

"Oh my babies!" I broke out of the trance I had fallen into as I sat on the back of the ambulance, my parents ran towards us with tears in their eyes.

"I'm so sorry baby." My mum took me from Nate's arms cradling me as more sobs began to wrack through my body, I couldn't stop them from flowing like the Niagara falls.

I watched from her arms as the dream team all stood talking to Michael in hushed tones. Nick caught my eyes sending a small nod and smile my way. I smiled a sad back thanking him silently for the small amount of comfort he gave.

"I love you." I snuggled into her arms closing my eyes listening to the sounds of life around me, knowing how close I was to never hearing those sounds again. Roderick's solemn voice speaking to the police, Sophie's gasping sobs and Harris's whispers, and the sirens that carried Lizzie farther away.

The days following the tragic events were blurred as we all struggled with the final pieces of information we didn't know. We all grieved in our owns ways, all of us had loved the dog dearly. In the small time he had lived with us he had become a part of our mismatched family.

Auburn was always moping around the new environment, not being able to stay in the apartment yet we stayed with Harris's grandparents, she constantly searched for her friend. Whenever she would whine we all would just watch in pity, how do you tell a dog that their best friend is gone?

I wish I could tell you that things went back to normal quickly, that we all bounced back knowing that Ray had done it for me. But for weeks we all grieved together, our mismatched family growing closer as the whole in our hearts slowly began to heal.

I'm sure this isn't the twist you were expecting from me, but there were still a few loose ends that needed to be handled. After all how could they have known that Emily was in France to hid her mother? They never told her family, Lizzie's betrayal was the only thing that made sense.

Ray's loss will always be remembered, and I can honestly say that I hadn't originally planned this. But he will always remain in our hearts as our little Ray of sunshine.

This is not the final chapter of the book, there's but one more left before the Epilogue, just in time for my deadline of June 19th.

I love you all my readers and I hope that you've enjoyed this ride just as much as I have.