A/N: Please VOTE, COMMENT and FOLLOW me to put a smile on my face!

Everything feels different. Like I can feel how the darkness is slowly, but surely creeping up on me.

With Lynch gone, Matt still captured and a dead nurse in the hospital room, I can literally feel how I'm changing. How I won't be the same, nice girl by the end of this.

"What are we going to do?" Owen asks.

"Well, firstly we need to get a doctor over here to get Liam's stitches out. The nurse was supposed to, but... We'll probably need to get the morgue to take the nurse's body," Blake answers.

"And then we figure out a plan for Lynch and Matt," I say.

Everyone nods - Calvin standing to the side with hidden tears in his eyes. Oh God, I really want to see those two reunited...

I leave the study room and head for the kitchen, because I really need something sweet right now. I ignore the chef and go straight for the fridge, finding myself some chocolate mouse, I grab a spoon and head to the living room to sulk.

Blake comes strolling in and sits next to me.

"You going to share?' he asks.

"Nope," I say and bite a spoonful of mouse.

"Not even a little?"

I turn to Blake with a grave face. "One does not share food in times like these," I say completely serious.

Blake smiles before losing it again and says: "I called the hospital..."

"And?"

"And our usual doctor has mysteriously died... I... I called in the next best doctor..." Blake explains.

"Which is?"

"Your uncle..."

"Oh shit," I say and look at Blake with wide eyes. "My uncle is coming to the house? I haven't explained anything to my Uncle and Aunt yet! I'm only eighteen in like little less than two weeks. They still have a say over me," I rant.

"Everyone in the town knows about gangs, Darling. I'm sure your uncle won't actually try to deny us anything," Blake smirks.

I can't help but actually start to like the way he's calling me Darling. 

And that is annoying my voice of reason. Even though I know the bet is off. That there's no more faking it. Except of course at school earlier today.

"You have no idea how oblivious my uncle is. He'll do something I can't predict and it's going to be hilarious, but at the same time probably going to get him killed in a house filled with gang members," I try to explain.

"There's no chance that your uncle can't know about the gangs..." Blake says.

"You underestimate his lack of common sense-"

"THE DOCTOR IS IN THE HOUSEEEE!" I hear an all-too-familiar voice yell from the front door.

"Oh, God," I whisper, "here we go..."

I jump up and rush to the front door just as Owen opens it. "You're the doctor?" a confused Owen asks.

"Yasss," Uncle Anton says and steps in like a diva.

He pauses. Steps back. And looks at Owen for a long minute. Blake walks in and Uncle Anton looks at Blake as well. Then at me. Then back at Owen. 

"This must be the house for special boys?" Uncle Anton asks and starts cooing at the two gang leaders.

I honestly can't keep my laugh in.

"Uhh, what?" Owen asks.

"My Jessica told me that Amber here, is taking care of you lot. You know, tutoring you, teaching you how to count, making sure you eat and all that. I would've loved to see my niece before she decided to be Mother Theresa, but alas, the worlds number of special boys aren't getting any lower," Uncle Anton says.

I step in before Blake can say anything. "They can actually recite the alphabet now!" I announce.

"Oh, really?" Uncle Anton asks.

"Of course! Annnnd, they can do it together!" I announce because I really need to see this.

"Let us see!" Uncle Anton coos.

The two guys don't even try hiding their death glares they send me before looking back at Uncle Anton.

"A..." they say together.

"Wait! I need to take a video of this!" I interrupt and aim to take out my phone.

"Already am," Sean says behind me and I watch him holding out his phone. "This is for making me go buy the unholy supply," he adds before looking at me and then back at the guys.

Both Blake and Owen look like they're going to explode, but the two leaders suck in their pride and starts again: "A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... I... I..."

"Bowmen, what the hell is after I?" Owen asks Blake.

"Idiot," Blake mutters before a blank look appears on his face as well. "Oh shit..."

"You need to go popo?" Uncle Anton asks.

"No, they just struggle a bit with the alphabet when they have pressure," I laugh before letting Blake and Owen off the hook.

"Uncle, I think Liam is in the kitchen. It's the bald-looking guy. Needs to get his stitches removed," I say and direct Uncle Anton away. He nods before leaving me with Blake, Owen and a very amused Sean.

"It's J... It's fucking J that comes after I," Owen mumbles.

"Told you boys you need to get back to school," I laugh.

"Who has to recite the alphabet these days? That was stupid," Blake sulks.

"Awww, big bad boys don't know their alphabet? Looks like I do need to tutor you special boys," I joke back. I'm really milking it. "Sean, you got the video?" I ask.

"I'm making a group chat and uploading it as we speak," he laughs.

I get a buzz from my phone and laugh at the video that's posted on the 'Sane people and Amber' group chat. 

Suddenly worried if Liam will be fine with Uncle Anton as his doctor, I decide to go inspect the situation. The morgue already came to fetch the nurse. No crime scene. No police. No detectives. And one of Blake's many maids that are hiding around here somewhere, already cleaned up the scene.

I walk into the hospital room and it's like nothing happened. The blood, the body, and well, Lynch is gone... It's like nothing happened here. And I quickly realize that if I am to die, it'll probably be like this too.

My funeral would be the morgue, silently taking my body away. A maid cleaning up my blood with her lips tightly pursed together. And silently, I will turn to nothing.

Uncle Anton has Liam propped up on the bed and has Liam's shirt off to inspect the stitches. Liam is clearly someone that loves to gym. Where Owen has the body of someone you know fights everyday, Liam has the body of someone you know gym's everyday.

I'm sure Jessy is all for that.

"Ahh, Amber, I'm glad you're here!" Uncle Anton says. "Hand me that sharp-looking thingy," he adds and gestures to the surgical table while still inspecting Liam.

"Uh, Uncle Anton, here's quite a few sharp-looking thingies," I say and stare down at the surgical table filled with scalpels and my-doctor-vocabulary-stops-at-scalpel kind of things. 

"It has two pointy ends," Uncle Anton says and pokes Liam. The latter tries not to wince.

"A little more specific," I sigh.

"It's like two knives attached to a handle-"

"The scissors? The surgical scissors?"

"That's it!'

I sigh and hand Uncle Anton the sharp silver scissors before stepping back. I wince a little when Uncle Anton prepares to snip the stitches. He, surprisingly, does a really good job and his and is both steady and fast as he works to snip the nasty stitches. 

"It's looking good," Uncle Anton remarks and gestures for me to hand him the tweezer-looking thing. He starts pulling out the stitches and if not for Liam's pained expression, the latter would be looking really badass right about now.

"Liam, if you need to cry, I promise I won't tell Jessy," I joke.

"Shut up, Amber," he winces.

 When Uncle Anton is done, he turns back to me with a goofy grin and tells Liam he can go, but to not do anything too physical for the next week or so. I don't have the heart to tell Uncle Anton we're all risking our lives tomorrow night and we'll probably need him to be very physical.

"I'd have to admit, Aunt Tessa is a lot more crankier than usual with you just leaving," Uncle Anton says.

"I'm sorry Uncle Anton, but... trust me when I say what I'm doing is for a good reason... I love you guys so much and I love Jessy so much, but there are some burdens I just need to carry," I admit.

Uncle Anton nods before saying: "Let me give you some original advice from your wise Uncle. With great power, comes great responsibility..."

"Uhm, that's Spiderman..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, the one with Tobey Maguire..."

"Was that the crappy one?"

"No, I think it was actually good."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I didn't like that one."

I roll my eyes at my uncle before asking him: "Have you even seen it?"

He looks at me with this hurt-face before asking like he's some dramatic diva: "How can you think so low of me? Have I- Have I seen it? What kind of a question is that!?"

"So it's a no?"

"Sadly, yes," Uncle Anton admits.

I laugh at my weird uncle before walking him to the front door again. The guys watch me lead my uncle away, like they're trying to read my mood. One side of me is sad that I've gone from the girl who could hang with her uncle, aunt and cousin and order pizza and paint. But, the other half of me understands why I will probably not get to be that girl anymore. It's not just because I talked back that first day of school. My dad worked for Sterling. A life of danger was bound to happen...

I'm destined to turn into the horrible person I fear to be if I want to keep everyone I care about, safe.

"You take care of Aunt Tessa and Jessy," I tell my uncle.

He turns back to me like a little kid. "Why does that sound like you're saying goodbye?"

"Uncle... You... You must have known mom... your sister didn't choose a normal life," I whisper.

For a moment I actually hope my uncle would give me a dumb look and tell me he doesn't know what I'm talking about, but this sad gleam enters his eye and he nods. 

"I knew she got mixed up in dangerous things..." he admits, "but she was my big sister, there was nothing I could do... Now, I don't know exactly what kind of trouble she got into by marrying that Robert guy, but... but she was happy and stubborn and... and you're a lot like her..."

My heart melts for my uncle.

"Then you understand when I say I don't have a choice but to get mixed up as well?" I ask.

"Amber, are you going to leave us?" Uncle Anton asks with heart breaking quietness.

"I'm going to keep everyone safe," I say instead, because I really don't know how tomorrow night will end. All I know is that something in Tygerwell needs to change. Parents have to stop getting murdered. Brothers and fathers need to stop getting shot. Families need to stop getting burned in their own homes. And boys with galaxy hair deserve a happy ending.

Uncle Anton looks so sad when he nods. "Just, be safe," he whispers before hugging me.

"I love you, Uncle Anton. Tell Aunt Tessa and Jessy I love them as well," I say.

"Love you too, my dear... And your mother would be proud of how strong you've become," he says before talking a few steps back, and then leaving. I watch him drive off - making sure the Northern car that's watching the house doesn't follow him.

They don't.

Blake appears behind me and I have a mini heart attack when I turn towards him.

"That sounded a lot like a goodbye," Blake whispers.

"I don't care what it takes to get those who deserve a happy ending, out of the Northern clutches. We're doing the trade and... and Xavier wants me dead. I'm just doing what feels right," I explain.

"What about your happy ending, Darling? Does gold not deserve a happy ending?" Blake asks.

My heart flutters again and I hopelessly try telling myself to calm down. To not fall for either of these stupid, cocky, egotistical, awful and strangely kind boys.

"I will have an ending," I say, "and if everyone I care about is safe, it might just be happy."

I open my phone when I get a buzz. Blake doesn't know what to say, but Mysterious Fucker is quick to comment.

My knees go a little weak, because this guy, whoever he is, knows my deepest, darkest secrets and still he thinks so high of me. I've told him about how I wanted to kill someone. Of the darkness and that I'm not as good as everyone thinks. And still... still he makes me feel a little better about myself.

"The devil has some demands," Owen suddenly says and shows up to join me and Blake.

"What is it?" Blake asks with the usual bite in his tone.

"He posted on The Web that he wants Goldy to be dressed in something... nice and fancy," Owen grumbles.

Both guys look at me and I shrug. "I don't have anything that fits that description," I say and then add, "but I might know someone who can get me something..."

I quickly text mysterious fucker a message because if Xavier wants me to dress nice, I'm going to dress more than just fucking nice. Only a Marigold can turn a dress into a weapon.

I look up at the guys and I can't help the grin.

"Boys, Tomorrow night we do the swap. I'll keep Xavier distracted while you guys sneak in to attack. If they don't give us Lynch with Matt, we rescue him. I'll make sure to keep the North's eyes away from you guys," I say.

Blake nods, "Not the worst plan, as plans go," he says.

"Not the best either," Owen adds.

"You got something better?" I ask. They stay quiet and I smirk when saying: "that's what I thought."

Realizing I didn't finish my chocolate mouse, I head back to the living room and finish the tub while watching Pretty Little Liars - suddenly missing my family. When I get up, I pass the mirror and check myself out for a second.

You got some ass, my voice of reason comments.

It's because I don't jog or have my Saturday defense classes anymore. I'm going to be rolling around here if I continue to eat like I do and not exercise, I reason with myself.

When I feel like dressing into something a little more comfortable, I head upstairs to my room. I'm really not surprised to see a magnificent red dress on my bed. With a single marigold flower on top of it. No note.

I pick up the dress and smile, because Mysterious Fucker got me just the right thing.

Xavier is finally getting his weapon.

And I will be his end.

Hey goldies!

I just wanted to give y'all some Uncle Anton before the climax of the book starts. He's my favorite character and it's been a while.

Who wants Xavier dead?

Lol, I hope y'all enjoyed this. Next chapter is up in 24 hours as always. Annnnnd we'll probably have some Amwen moments in the next chapter. I know most of y'all like Blamber, but don't worry, that's still coming before the big finale as well!

Challenge of the week: give a compliment to at least 5 people you don't know. 

Love y'all!

~ Holly Shmit