Last chapter of The Call ;( and crying my eyes out.

Read on lovelies, and thank you for sticking with me for this amazing journey.

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It's over.

It's over.

It is over.

"We would like to use you cell phone as evidence," the officer started, but I stopped him right there.

"There's no need," I told him, my voice void of any emotion. "The guys that did this to me are dead inside that building, my cellphone along with it."

It's over.

My mind kept telling me that, but I was having a hard time believing. The recovery would not be easy, physically or mentally.

I could feel the officer's stare before he cleared his throat, and I heard the scratch of pen against paper.

"Thank you Ms. Phelo. We will contact you if-" I didn't hear anything he said after that. My hearing was fluctuating without my consent.

I clenched my eyes shut, taking a few deep breaths with my head in my hands.

Where did he have to go so soon? Why come and tell who he was only to leave not soon after? There were so many unanswered questions running through my head; questions I had the sinking feeling would be left unanswered for a while.

The entire way to the hospital

"Zaph honey?" I soothing voice said above me, and my head snapped up as my eyes met my mother's.

Her whole body was trembling as she spoke in her trademark gentle voice. "I've missed my baby." I opened my mouth to speak words that I had only dreamed of saying to her for many many weeks, but was unable to form a sound for a moment.

My eyes became my mouth as they spoke for every emotion I had within me in the form of tears. Finally, as the tears continued to rush, my aching arms wrapped around her tiny body in a hug that had so much meaning, only a mother and daughter would understand. "'I missed you too. Everyday, I missed you so much. I never stopped looking Ma."

"I know," she whispered, stroking my matted hair in gentle gestures. "I know because my girl is a trooper." She lifted my tear stained face in her hands.

"You've always been so strong baby, and I'm so proud of you; For everything." My lip trembled as she spoke to me. This woman in front of me may not have given birth to me, but she was my mom, and i would sincerely love her forever.

As a foster kid, to hear words like that come out of someone's mouth was like a dream. It was every adopted kids ultimate goal to be accepted, because some many of us feel that since our birth parents didn't want us, that no one would. That there was no hope.

My hope had almost been taken away from me, but agonizing weeks of suffering, heartbreak, and just finding myself turned the pall hovering over me, into a ray of light now standing before me. My hope did not return with my mom.

It did not return with her, because it could no longer be defined as hope since my dreams had become reality.

"Thanks mom," I whispered back, hoping that she could grasp what my words could not express.

A throat was cleared, and I wiped my eyes before I turned to look at the source of the noise. Axle and Jacen were standing in the doorway, awkwardly looking on at the scene before them. My mom wiped her eyes and stood up.

Jacen took a step forward. "We didn't mean to intrude Ms. Phelo. We'll just come back later." Both he and Axle turned, but Axle gave me an extra undecipherable glance. My mom waved her hands.

"Nonsense," she sniffled. "I was just on my way out. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like. I'll go check on the twins." She left on that note, giving both boys a pat on the shoulder before closing the door behind her.

There were two boys standing in front of me, but I only wanted one of them within a thirty mile radius of me. I glared at Axle. "The only place I would feel comfortable seeing you is behind metal bars."

He sighed and started closer, but at my expression he paused, weary. Jacen on the other hand took this as an invitation to sit on my hospital bed, his hand resting on my thigh. He had blue and black lining his eye, and a purple colored bruise right under his bloodied lip. I continued to scan his bruised face, the white bandage wrapped around his head making me wince.

"Zaph," he started, his voice heavy with suppressed emotion. "I'm sorry about your father."

I nodded. What do you say to that? Thank you perhaps?

"And I'm sorry that I let those sons of bitches get to you." He ground out, he eyes quickly shifting to Axle and then back to me so quickly, I was sure I'd imagined it.

I tried a smile. "As grateful as I am that you're alive, and wow I am so grateful for that, I am really not comfortable with this traitor in the room." I glared up at an annoyingly calm Axle.

Jacen sighed at that, his hand on my leg tensing for a moment before relaxing again. "A lot of complicated stuff happened with him, and although it will be difficult for you--"

"I've got nothing but time," I replied hotly. My tone wasn't intended towards Jacen, and everyone in the room knew it.

"It's not what you think--"

"Do not take another step towards me," I said, moving the blanket off of me, and preparing myself to run if need be.

He held his hands up while taking a step back. He rubbed his eyes. "Look Zaph, I don't expect you to forgive me anytime soon, but I need to tell you what it is that went on back there."

"What else is there to say other than the fact that you betrayed all of us back there yet you are still standing here?" I spat sharply in his direction.

"I know the last thing I deserve is your forgiveness, but I need to explain. From there, as much as I don't want it, feel free to hate me as much as you'd like." Axle told me softly.

I hesitated, truly not wanting to be in the same room as him, but needing to know why he wasn't being best up by Jacen and thrown in jail.

"I came here with the mission, I guess you could call it, to find you, and get close to you. I found you easy, but getting close to you was another story.

"Yet after really getting to know you, it wasn't difficult to get close, to get attached, and that was a really big problem with Mark."

I laughed bitterly. "So you were working for Mark this whole time?"

Had I been so desperate for comfort that I had been unable to see what was in front of me the whole time?

"Well at first, yes, and that is not something I am now proud to admit. I was never told why I had to bring you in, so when I got to know you better I started questioning everything." He paused, taking a deep breath.

"I didn't understand why a girl who literally had no mean bone in her body could be targeted so ferociously by a gang."

"My loyalties switched when I fell for you Zaph, even when I knew that you had already taken the fall for Jacen," the defeated look in his eyes made me want to comfort him, but I wouldn't.

I couldn't.

Jacen reached up and squeezed my hand as Axle continued. "I couldn't let the gang know though. It would've been even more dangerous if they had gotten involved directly. So I played the part as X, texting you what they told me to say, and continuously reported back to them about you. Not all of it was truthful though." It was then that I noticed that Axle was like Jacen in many ways.

Just as Jace was forced to carry the weight of the world, Axle was forced to carry the weight of two; the one the gang members believed he lived in, and the one he secretly began to live in.

"I couldn't tell any of you, knowing that your already shaky trust in me would fall completely, so I waited, and was forced to play the part when we were in the video store."

I thought back to the emotions and confusion I felt in the moment that he hurt me in the store, and cringed. With his eyes on me, he cringed as well, knowing that I was thinking about that moment.

"But I had also been planning for it; waiting for the day when I could stop pretending to be a horrible person, even though I'm sure you would argue that there wasn't much pretending done." He laughed humorlessly.

"I couldn't look when he was hurting you, and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you for not being there for you when you needed protection. But when your Dad came, which finally answered my questions about why the gang was after you, he killed Mark, and I killed Kurt, because at that moment, I wasn't about to lose you to my terrible decisions. I will die never thinking twice about killing him, because I know that it saved you." He paused again, taking a few deep breaths and rubbed his eyes, reminding me of a child.

"So with all of that said, I'm sorry Zaph. I'm sorry for all of the pain that I put you through, and I'm sorry that I couldn't be the person you want. I'll give you time, all the time and space you need. I know you don't need me now, and don't want to see me know, so I'll be around if you ever decide to talk to me again." He turned towards the door his hunched back facing me and Jacen.

"I'm sorry again," and with those words Axle disappeared out of the door, and I felt like that was the last time I would be seeing him for a while.

I could help but feel sad, despite everything. He had become one of my closest friends and my brother. And it hurt to lose a brother regardless of the decisions he made, because those decisions didn't change the fact that he was my family.

I stood up, needing to tell him a few things before he left, knowing that if I was going to catch him in time, I needed to act quickly.

"Jacen I'll be right back-" I started but he stopped me.

"I understand," he said rubbing his thumb along the back of my hand. "Go talk to him. He's like me: a jacked up kid in a screwed up world."

I nodded, biting my lip, and ran out the door, ignoring the protests from the doctors and nurses in the hall.

I saw his retreating for walk out of the entrance doors to the hospital. "Axle!" I shouted, internally popping middle fingers at everyone who had the nerve to shush me.

"Zaph," he breathed, his eyes wide in surprise.

"I know how it feels to make terrible decisions. We are all human. And yes, it will take some time for me to completely forgive and forget, but I also can't forget that you are a part of my family. And from the wise words of Lilo and Stitch: ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind." I smiled softly at his shocked expression.

"So if Jacen found it in himself to forgive you, eventually I will too." I paused biting my life.

"I just need a little more time." He nodded and swallowed looking away, but not before I saw a tear escape. He wiped it as quickly as it came.

"Thank you," he said gruffly, before continuing to walk out the door and into the night.

I sighed. I hoped this wouldn't be the last time I saw him. He needed someone, and I hope he knew that all of us are human too, and that we will be there for him if he needs us.

I turned back to the direction I had come in, my throat clogged with emotion.

"Did you see him?" Jacen asked when I returned. I looked back into the night just outside the white doors.

"Yeah I saw him, and I hope I'll see him again."

"You will," Jacen promised. "But just like you, he needs some time."

I nodded, understanding that.

"Finn cut it out! We are in public!" I perked up a bit at the sound of my best friend outside of my room.

The door was shoved open with a bang, and a loud shush came from the hallway directed at the boys and Joney.

"Oh shut up," Finn snapped at the doctors. "I could get you fired from here before you counted to three."

Well damn Finn, tell them how you really feel.

"My little baby!" Joney shouted running across the room to hug me in a gentle but firm hug, her head on my shoulder.

"I thought I was your baby," Finn grumbled, but Joney's glare shut him right up.

Spencer coughed but I swear I heard the word 'whipped' come out of him mouth, and I knew I was right when I saw him tiny smirk. For someone who doesn't talk much, he sure does have the sass.

"Geez you have been through so much." She looked at me with concern only a true best friend would have. "So I snuck some hot fries and takis in here for you." She pulled out small pieces of heaven from her bag and placed them in front of me.

I smiled, thanking her, but it was lost in the argument that immediately erupted between her and Finn. Luke said something to Spencer that made it die laughing, and he exchanged nods with Jacen, a twinkle in his eyes.

All of the boys stayed and made me feel like I was at home in my little hospital room, joking and laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Jacen rubbed my hand with his thumb once again, giving me a look. He leaned over and kissed my forehead tenderly, the expression in his eyes conveying more than a thousand words ever could.

My mom walked in holding two wide eyed twins who started squealing at the sight of me. I held the two bouncing balls of joy in my lap, thanking God that they were okay. Meanwhile, smile after smile illuminated the room as my mom was introduced properly to all of my friends and their silly antics.

Correction: to all of my family.

Every single person in this room, and one person who wasn't currently in it, was my family.

And although it was one jacked up family at times, it is my family, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

It was odd, as I sat there, watching everyone share laughs and smiles and bicker lightly, the circumstances under which we came together.

I was oddly thankful for the calls and text I got from X because I wouldn't have had the opportunity to become so close to the most genuine and amazing people I had ever met.

So even though the tortuous part of my story has been completed, there is so much more that I will continue to share with my jacked up but perfect family, because I have learned that there is nothing that we wouldn't do for each other.

And it will take a while to get back to normal. The stress from this has damaged me regardless of whether I admit it or not.

But I'm not afraid.

And I'm not worried.

Because as I looked at them all, I knew my family would be there with me every step of the way.

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Wow.

Wow.

I'm crying right now because I just finished writing my first story ever.

It was a bumpy journey, but it was one I wouldn't trade for the world.

I learned so much about myself and about writing, and I use met so many amazing people because of this story.

So I want to thank you, the reader. Thank you for reading to the end and enduring my cruel April Fools joke. Thank you for commenting, and voting, and adding my story to your reading list, for being lovely, and for simply reading my story.

I'm so sad to have finished The Call, but I'm happy about all of the friends I have made because of it.

Please continue to stay lovely, and don't doubt that you are anything other that that.

I hope you enjoyed my story, and that's all for today folks!

Xoxo for the last time on The Call,

Jean Margaret :')