Shout-out to lorenariv2003 who commented pretty much the whole idea for this part :)

I sat at the makeup table that was in my room, the icy feeling of the metal cuff around my ankle barely noticeable anymore as I did my skincare routine. I looked at the door through the table's mirror as it opened, my heart fluttering in my chest as Tom walked in.

"Hey, sweetheart. How are you doing?" He asked, the boy looking as good as ever in his suit as he came up behind me and gently rested his hands on my shoulders.

"I'm okay, Tommy. I'm okay." I nodded and gave him a small smile, making him return it as he leant down and kissed my cheek. I had now been Tom's prisoner for two months, and things had changed dramatically since our first encounter in this room. On that day, Tom had understandably been angry, full of rage, the only thing in his sights being my death. But it hadn't taken long for that to change. Within days, Tom had started bringing me my meals instead of the staff, the boy beginning to be kind to me again the longer that he kept me. And the further away my previously certain fate of death was. Now it was at the point where whilst I was still a prisoner, the chain and ankle cuff that kept me confined to my room was long enough to allow me to comfortably roam around the space, and Tom would come and see me regularly and would let me out of both the restraint and my room under his supervision. I was falling more in love with him every day, just like I had done when we first met a decade and a half ago, and I could tell by the way that he was treating me with increased kindness by the day that Tom also felt this.

"I have a present for you, darling." He mumbled, his lips still pressed to my cheek as he leant forward, and gently placed the small present box onto my table. My eyebrows furrowed as I looked over my shoulder at him.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Look and see, my love." He chuckled, making me playfully roll my eyes and shake my head as I looked back at the box. I picked it up and pulled the lid off. Immediately, my eyes wavered. I choked, my lips quivering and parting at the sight of the two keys sitting in the container. The two keys to my room door...and to my restraint.

"Tommy, what? I-I don't understand." I choked and shook my head as I returned my gaze back to him. He gave me a small smile.

"You're no longer my prisoner, darling. You're free to stay as my guest, as my...friend...but you won't be confined anymore. I'm letting you go." He nodded as he straightened back up behind me and put his hands into his trouser pockets. I stared at him with wide eyes, my heart racing in my chest at the idea that he was actually letting me go. If I wanted to go, that was.

"What happened to killing me-."

"Both of us know that I was never going to do that." He scoffed and shook his head. I bit my lip and nodded, this gesture only making me fall for the boy more as I stood up. He looked at me, his gaze flicking in between my eyes and my lips as I stepped forward, and wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. Tom returned it, his face nuzzling into my hair and his strong arms wrapping around my waist as we stood there and just held each other.

"Thank you." I whispered into his ear before pulling away. But then he stopped me. I gulped, Tom's Adam's apple bobbing with the same gesture as he had stopped me so that our faces were only an inch or so apart. So that our lips were only an inch or so apart. I watched him carefully, my mind and heart begging him to do anything, to make the move that we could both see that he wanted to make as he looked down at my lips. And yet...he obviously decided not to.

"Like I said, love, you're welcome to stay here freely, but let me know at any point if you do want to leave, and I'll have a car arranged for you. Whether that be to leave to go shopping, or out...or whether that be to leave me." He nodded, his eyes wavering as he pulled away and gently removed his arms from around me. I gulped and nodded, my gaze also wavering at how broken Tom looked at the thought of me walking out of his life again. Little did he know that I had no intention of leaving him again. This time, I was here to stay.

"Thank you, Tommy. I appreciate it." I gave him a small smile. He returned it and nodded, the boy clearing his throat as he left my room again, and gently shut my door behind him. I smiled slightly and bit my lip, my heart fluttering in my chest as I replayed in my head what had just happened. The way that Tom had looked at me. It had all been perfect. I chuckled to myself and turned back to my mirror before my gaze moved up to look out of the vast windows that made up the fourth wall of my room. And that was when the fairy tale ended. My smile immediately dropped, my eyes widening as a fleet of huge black cars raced down the long gravel driveway to Tom's mansion. My heart plummeted to my feet like it had never before, everything suddenly crumbling around me as I instantly recognised the cars. They were the cars...of my employers. They were the cars of the people...who wanted Tom...dead.

"Oh, god." I choked and shook my head as I grabbed the keys from the box. I picked them up with shaking fingers, my hands almost trembling too much for me to undo my ankle restraint as I forced the key into the lock.

"Come on, come on." I groaned in frustration, the cuff eventually opening after a second. As soon as it did, I shot up and threw my door open.

"TOM! THEY'RE HERE FOR YOU, LOCK THE MANSION DOWN! THEY'RE HERE!" I screamed as loudly as I could as I sprinted down the corridor and towards the stairs. But I was too late. I got to the top of the stairs and looked down into the foyer, a choke leaving my lips at the sight of Tom and Harrison with their hands raised as they stared down the barrels of at least six different guns.

"Ah, Y/N, long time, no see. Come down here slowly, and we'll consider not shooting and killing your boyfriend." My former boss spat. I gulped and nodded, my eyes wavering as I slowly started to walk down the stairs. Tom looked up at me as I did, his jaw clenching as I raised my hands too. My feet silently padded against the carpet, my heart racing so harshly that I felt sick as I stood next to Tom.

"I'm sorry, Tommy-."

"This was never your fault, you were just the pawn." He mumbled quietly in reassurance as he kept his eyes glued to the men. I gulped and nodded, my heart getting the smallest bit of relief at the knowledge that Tom didn't blame me for this.

"What the fuck do you want?" Tom spat.

"We sent a child spy to learn about you, and then sent her back here two months ago to kill you. I think that you know what we want." My boss smirked and nodded.

"What a shame that you won't be getting it, then, isn't it?" Tom teased as he tilted his head slightly.

"What makes you so sure, pretty boy? Last time that I checked, it's us who have the guns pointed at you." He chuckled and shook his head.

"You will pay for this. Your body will be dumped at the bottom of the Thanes for even stepping foot in my house today." Tom snapped.

"Yeah, sure, I will. Say goodbye to your girlfriend. Because you won't get the chance once I shoot you." He taunted again before raising his gun. My eyes widened.

"NO!" I screamed as I threw myself in front of Tom's body. The gunshot rang out, making Tom and Harrison's eyes widen, and a cry leave my lips as pain started to flow through me.

"Fuck, no, no-HAZ, TAKE THEM OUT NOW!" Tom yelled as I collapsed to the floor.

"You got it, boss." Harrison nodded as the foyer filled with Tom's men, and they started to open fire on the others.

"Come on, sweetheart, stay with me, come on." Tom choked and shook his head, whimpers leaving my lips as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap.

"Tommy, it hurts." I returned the choke.

"I know that it does, love, but it's okay, because I'm going to get you help, I just need you to hang on for me." He smiled and nodded as he looked down at me, but I could tell by the tears already streaming down his face that this wasn't good. I could feel myself getting weaker by the second, my body barely feeling Tom's hand desperately pressing down on the wound on my waist anymore as I continued to bleed out. I looked up at the boy's beautiful face, him returning the glance as we just stared at each other through the chaos. His face was getting more blurry by the second, each shot fired sounding more distant and echoey than the last as I started to slip into unconsciousness.

"I'm sorry, Tommy. I'm sorry." I whispered before letting my eyes flutter shut, and the darkness take over.

Tom's P.O.V

Tom walked into Y/N's room, the beautiful girl sat at her makeup table like she normally was around this time as he entered.

"Hey, sweetheart. How are you doing?" He asked, the love of his life somehow looking amazing even in just her silk nightgown as she did her skincare routine, and got ready for the day ahead. Though, it was going to be a lot more exciting for her than normal. She just didn't know that yet.

"I'm okay, Tommy. I'm okay." She nodded and gave him a small smile as he came up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders, making him return it as he leant down and kissed her cheek. Y/N had been Tom's prisoner for two months now, but it was fair to say that their relationship had grown so much in that time. On the day that he had captured her, Tom had been beyond angry, the only emotion in his body being rage as he wanted nothing more than to kill her in the most awful way possible. But now, he was so glad that he had kept her alive instead. Within days, Tom had started to forgive her for what she had done, his love for her being so much more powerful than the hate that he held for the act. Not to mention the fact that it had quickly dawned on Tom that Y/N had literally been sold as a child, had been groomed and manipulated into trying to end his life. His issue wasn't with her anymore, it was with whoever had sent her. And so, he had started to be kinder to her the longer that he had kept her, him now admittedly being at the point where the only reason why he hadn't let her go yet was because he didn't want her to go. But today he was finally setting her free, all he could hope was that she'd choose to stay with him willingly from here on out.

"I have a present for you, darling." Tom mumbled, his lips still pressed to her cheek as he leant forward, and gently placed the small present box onto her table. Y/N's eyebrows furrowed as she looked over her shoulder at him in confusion.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Look and see, my love." He chuckled, making her playfully roll her gorgeous eyes and shake her head as she looked back at the box. She picked it up and pulled the lid off, Tom's lip in between his teeth as he eagerly watched to see her reaction. Immediately, her eyes wavered, and she choked softly at the sight of the two keys sitting in the container.

"Tommy, what? I-I don't understand." She choked and shook her head as she returned her gaze back to him. He gave her a small smile, his heart thumping more harshly by the second in fear that she would bolt as soon as she discovered that Tom had literally just given her the keys to her escape.

"You're no longer my prisoner, darling. You're free to stay as my guest, as my...friend...but you won't be confined anymore. I'm letting you go." He nodded as he straightened up behind her and put his hands into his trouser pockets. It had hurt to call her only his friend instead of more, but he didn't want to freak her out or be presumptuous by suggesting that what they had was more when he'd literally just let her go after two months of imprisonment. The beautiful girl stared at him with wide eyes.

"What happened to killing me-."

"Both of us know that I was never going to do that." He scoffed and shook his head as tears pricked his eyes. Tom had to admit that he was slightly disgusted with himself over the fact that he had ever wanted to kill her at all, but at least now she knew that that fate was no longer on the table. Y/N bit her lip and nodded as she stood up. He looked at her, his gaze flicking in between her beautiful eyes and oh-so-kissable lips as she stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Tom returned it, his face nuzzling into her gorgeous hair and his arms wrapping around her waist as they stood there and just held each other. Even after all of the time that they'd spent apart, she still somehow felt perfect in his arms. As if she'd been made specifically to be held by him.

"Thank you." Y/N whispered into his ear before pulling away. But then he stopped her. She gulped, Tom's Adam's apple bobbing with the same gesture as he had stopped her so that their faces were only an inch or so apart. So that their lips were only an inch or so apart. Stopping her so close to him hadn't exactly been intentional, but it wasn't something that Tom regretted either. She watched him carefully, Tom being able to tell that she knew exactly what he was contemplating as he looked down at her lips. But for some reason, one that the boy couldn't quite put his finger on...something was stopping him.

"Like I said, love, you're welcome to stay here freely, but let me know at any point if you do want to leave, and I'll have a car arranged for you. Whether that be to leave to go shopping, or out...or whether that be to leave me." He nodded, his eyes wavering as he pulled away and gently removed his arms from around her. It hurt to not kiss her, it hurt to even give her the option to completely leave and never return if that was what she wanted, but it simply didn't feel right to keep her here anymore. And so, Tom just had to hope that she'd decide to stay willingly. She gulped and nodded, her gaze also wavering as she looked at him.

"Thank you, Tommy. I appreciate it." She gave him a small smile. He returned it and nodded, the boy clearing his throat in an attempt to not let any of the tears in his eyes fall as he left her room again, and gently shut her door behind him. He puffed out, the boy's heart racing violently as he walked away from the door that now held his free love. He just had to hope that she'd stay.

"Haz, do you fancy going out to do some shooting?" He called out, his hands going back into his trouser pockets as he wandered down the stairs and into the foyer.

"Boss, I don't think that now is the right time." He looked up, and his eyes immediately widened. His heart dropped to his feet, his jaw clenching as Harrison stood at the now open doors to the mansion. Tom's best friend had a gun to his head, the hand of an unknown man holding it there as at least six other guards all pointed their guns at Tom.

"Don't do anything stupid, or your best mate here gets a bullet between those pretty little eyes." The man threatening Harrison smirked.

"I won't, let's just not be hasty here, no one needs to die." Tom shook his head as he slowly raised his hands.

"That's where you're wrong, Mr Holland. You need to die." The man spat as he harshly shoved Harrison forward. The boy clenched his jaw, him and Tom exchanging small glances and nods as Harrison went to stand next to Tom with his hands also up.

"TOM! THEY'RE HERE FOR YOU, LOCK THE MANSION DOWN! THEY'RE HERE!" He started to hear Y/N's screams, making him gulp as it became clear that she had seen them coming from her window, but hadn't had enough time to warn him of the impending attack. She appeared at the top of the stairs and looked down into the foyer, a choke leaving her lips as she saw what was happening.

"Ah, Y/N, long time, no see. Come down here slowly, and we'll consider not shooting and killing your boyfriend." The main man spat. The girl gulped and nodded, her eyes wavering as she slowly started to walk down the stairs. Tom looked up at her as she did, his jaw clenching and his mind determined to protect her and Harrison at all costs as she raised her hands too. If any one of them would get hurt here today, he had to make sure that it would be him. Her feet silently padded against the carpet, the girl moving so that she eventually stood next to Tom.

"I'm sorry, Tommy-."

"This was never your fault, you were just the pawn." He mumbled quietly in reassurance as he kept his eyes glued to the men. She gulped and nodded at his words.

"What the fuck do you want?" Tom spat.

"We sent a child spy to learn about you, and then sent her back here two months ago to kill you. I think that you know what we want." The man smirked and nodded

"What a shame that you won't be getting it, then, isn't it?" Tom teased as he tilted his head slightly.

"What makes you so sure, pretty boy? Last time that I checked, it's us who have the guns pointed at you." He chuckled and shook his head.

"You will pay for this. Your body will be dumped at the bottom of the Thanes for even stepping foot in my house today." Tom snapped.

"Yeah, sure, I will. Say goodbye to your girlfriend. Because you won't get the chance once I shoot you." He taunted again before raising his gun.

"NO!" Y/N screamed, time seemingly slowing down and almost stopping completely as Tom watched her throw herself in front of his body. The issue was that he was utterly powerless to stop her. The gunshot rang out, making Tom and Harrison's eyes widen, and a cry leave Y/N's lips as the bullet hit her. And not...him.

"Fuck, no, no-HAZ, TAKE THEM OUT NOW!" Tom yelled as Y/N collapsed to the floor.

"You got it, boss." Harrison nodded as the foyer filled with Tom's men, and they started to open fire on the others.

"Come on, sweetheart, stay with me, come on." Tom choked and shook his head, whimpers leaving Y/N's lips as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap.

"Tommy, it hurts." She returned the choke.

"I know that it does, love, but it's okay, because I'm going to get you help, I just need you to hang on for me." He smiled and nodded as he looked down at her, but the tears already streaming down his face deceived Tom, and told Y/N that she was really in trouble here. He desperately held his hand to the gunshot wound, her blood trickling out from the gaps in between his fingers as he stared at her whitening skin. This couldn't be it, this couldn't be how their story ended. Tom was supposed to propose, they were supposed to have the perfect wedding and the perfect children before growing old together. It was breaking Tom's heart to know that that may have just been snatched harshly away from the two of them. He could tell that he was starting to lose her, the girl's eyelids drooping and covering her gorgeous eyes as Tom held her.

"I'm sorry, Tommy. I'm sorry." She whispered, making Tom's eyes widen as her eyes fluttered shut.

"No, no, sweetheart, don't do this to me, don't leave me, please, I'm begging you." He choked and shook his head, his hand desperately cupping her cheek as he tried to get her to wake up again. But it didn't work.

"You can't leave me, darling, I love you, I love you, you can't leave me. You're the love of my life, I love you, please don't go, please don't fucking go." He sobbed, his eyes squeezing shut and tears running silently down his face as he raised her in his arms, and hugged her as tightly as he could in what he was anticipating would be her final moments. And that was fucking killing him.