fight 'em all;

eric—matthews​:

All Eric remembered was fighting with -A, that was it. The moment that he felt someone’s hand on his chest, his eyes shot open. He gasp lightly, seeing the two faces stare back at him and he winced right away due to the pain on his chest. But his eyes went back to the redhead, blinking his eyes at first to make sure it wasn’t Emma. It wasn’t. “Sophie?” His eyes drifted over to Brad. “Brad?” They were dead. Did that mean he was dead? Fuck. Was he dead? “Am I dead?” He winced out, his ribs hurt. Which meant that they were probably bruised. His hand went to his chest, and he felt the blood and he knew what happened and he winced again. Imogen. Fuck. He didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. Just gave her a quick peck before he left that morning and kissed Brooklyn’s head. “I can’t be dead..” This all felt to real for him to dead. // @thesophiebaker

Sophie reached for the bag when Brad came back over, digging around in it quickly. She spotted his chest when he did and nodded, wincing as she pulled out some of her medical supplies. They were never able to have much down here but this was an emergency - clearly. “Shit–” She jumped a little, having not expected Eric to move at all. “Hey… hey..” She shook her head at him. “You’re not… you’re not dead, Eric, but you have to stay still…. you have to let me help.”

@brad-everett​

Brad woke up out a dead sleep, glancing over seeing Sophie and her daughter asleep. He had no idea how long he had been down there now. Maybe one or two days. Maybe a week. He wasn’t sure. Lifting his shirt, he checked his wound. Moving away from the wall that he slept against, he didn’t mind letting the two of them have the little bed that was there. They had been here first. He grabbed the little notebook that had his name on it and the pen. 

Dear Xanthe ( @harshwinterstorm) ,

I don’t know how long I have been down here for. It’s weird. Sophie Baker, she’s alive. I know, it’s a lot to take in. I couldn’t believe it. But she did save my life. Jamie is -A. I don’t know if this letter will ever reach you but if it does. Jamie is -A and I tried to take him down. I shouldn’t have done it alone. I realize that now. He had been my best friend and he turned on me. Tried to kill me. Maybe he will succeed if we are never found. I’m going to do what I can to get the hell out of this place. Even if you still hate me for sleeping with Kelly we seemed to be working good together. Maybe if I get out here we can become friends or something again. If not I understand completely. I want you to be happy, Xanthe. It’s all I have ever wanted for you. Even if it isn’t with me. Just be happy and enjoy this life. If I don’t make it out this I just need you promise me that you’ll look after Nina. She’s going to need someone to look after her. Especially since our parents probably won’t stick around. She’s just going to need someone and the only person I trust outside of my uncle is you. I love you, Xanthe. Enjoy your life please don’t be bitter about any of this.

Love Always,

Brad Everett

Brad sat there, watching Jocelyn and Sophie. He was still recovering, he lifted his shirt a little bit to check the wound. It seemed to be holding up. Which he was thankful for. At this point he knew that he owed Sophie his life. When he woke up that morning, there had been a notebook with his name on it and a pen. A gift from Jamie for some reason. What the hell did he want him to do with it? Reaching for it carefully, he opened it and flipped opened to the first page and he started to write.

Dear Nina ( @ninaeveretts),

I’m sorry that I went after -A on my own, who turned out to be Jamie. Yeah, that Jamie. But I did it to keep you safe. That is all I wanted for you to keep you safe and make sure you were happy. I’m alive and I will find my way back to you sooner or later. But if I don’t I want you to know that I did everything that I possible could to keep you safe. I want you to know that I would die for you, I would kill you because you are my sister and you are the one good thing I have in my life. I know things are tough and hard but you can get through anything and everything. You will be happy in this life, Nina. With or without me. I’m determined to make sure it happen. Because you are the one person that I care about most in this life. I’m going to do whatever I can to get back to you. Sophie Baker is alive and she saved my life. So if she makes it out of this hell and I don’t please don’t be angry or upset with her. Just know that I died trying to get us all out of this. If you are running the restaurant you don’t have to. In fact I want you to let it go and live your life. Don’t keep it going because of me or some notion to honor me. Sophie has a daughter, she oddly reminds me of you when you were little. Just don’t be angry with them if I don’t make it out of this. I love you, kiddo. I always will.

Love, 

Brad

Sophie frowned, shaking her head. She could never imagine her dad even thinking something like that let alone doing it and it always shocked her when she heard that other people had that experience with their parents… though she supposed after everything, nothing really shocked her too much anymore. “No… no, I would never think that of you.” She told him quickly, shaking her head. “I’m just angry. That you’d have to experience that…” Sophie glanced over to where Jocelyn was sleeping and sighed. “Brad…” She turned back to him. “I don’t know if I can make myself believe that… it’s been so long now.” Joce’s whole life. “Really?” She chuckled - she was learning more about him all the time. “I would never have guessed that about you!” She gave him a look. “The police station?! Brad!” She gave him a gentle playful smack on the arm, a bit amused but her sensible side was telling her not to be. “You really think so?” Sophie had enough smarts herself, maybe she could help or something.

At least Sophie knew her dad was happy but she wished he knew she was still out there somewhere because she knew he’d never have stopped looking… but at least this way he didn’t have to feel guilty about never finding her, right? She shrugged lightly, not sure what any plan could be but -A was sick in the head… all of them were. “He hit you/?” Sh sat up a little and frowned, reaching out to take his hand. “I’m sorry.” Sophie hated people like that and he didn’t deserve that. She admired that he seemed so eager to want to get them out of there but Sophie really wasn’t sure she had much faith in that happening - though she wouldn’t want to bring him down. Hope was a massive thing to lose.

Sophie couldn’t believe that it wasn’t actually Jamie any longer… that he was gone, that they’d caught him. It was probably a miracle whoever this was had taken over for him at all or they could have all starved to death by now. No one to look for them. “You don’t know that…” She sighed. “This could just… be the final torture.” Sophie shrugged. “No… I don’t think you ever did.” She said, curling up a little as she looked back at him.

“Yeah…” Sophie nodded. She understood. It’s not like she wasn’t feeling everything and more too. Truthfully, she’d imagined her dad leaving town too so she got that. “At least… she’s found some happiness. You know?” Sophie moved a little closer and rested her head on his shoulder with a little sigh. “I’m sorry.” It should have only been her down here… Jamie had had no right to take Brad too.

She let him help her up, careful not to wake Jocelyn and she moved with him over to the box. Sophie looked back at him, a little bit stunned. Her gaze moved from his face towards the stuff in front of them. “You… did?” Jamie.. every time she thought about him (which was constant, considering) she just felt sick. He was truly a monster and she was too weak to fight him. Sophie sighed, leaning into him gently for a moment. Christmas. She knew it was nice of him, but she also knew that something like this could have backfired in the most horrible way. “Yeah, we… we should check first.” Sophie nodded, glancing back over her shoulder towards her daughter.

Nodding his head, he knew that backfire in some way or Jamie could make him do something awful. But it would be worth it cause he was able to give Jocelyn something for Christmas. “I did.” He moved his arm around her, holding her closely. Placing a small kiss to the top of her head. Of course he would do whatever he could to keep them safe. Nodding his head, he let go of her and then moved down to open the box. Once he opened it, he noticed that nothing happen. Reaching his hand inside, he brought out some gifts that were labelled for Jocelyn and handed them over to Sophie. Then he reached in and and pulled out some more that weren’t just labelled for Jocelyn but for them as well. Next thing he pulled out was a calendar. Reading the note on it for a moment. “Going into 2021 enjoy. -A.” He placed the calendar down, his attention going to the box and pulled out a scrap book and handed it up to Sophie. “What the hell is that thing?” He stood up next to her now. This way they could look through it together.

Sophie would usually wake easily enough down here, it was just ingrained in her now after all this time held captive. But she’d had a really horrible night’s sleep and she slept right through any of the noise that Brad heard. She stirred a little when he kissed her head, her eyes opening slowly. “Hmm…?” She lifted a hand and rubbed at her tired eyes, looking up at him. “What? What is it?” She didn’t have any idea what he could want to show her - the paper ring proposal had been surprising enough down here. Her mind went right away to something being wrong and she moved to sit up, glancing over towards Jocelyn to make sure she was there and she was unharmed, relieved as she glanced back over to Brad. “What’s wrong?”

Brad would never let anything happen to either of them. He would sacrifice himself before he allowed something to happen to them. They were his whole world now and that was all that mattered. “Come on.” He spoke softly, offering his hand to her and helping her up. Moving over to the box and the breakfast. It was actually food and not stuff that reminded him of lunch from high school. “I may have done something and I don’t want you to be upset but I pleaded with Jamie for this. I don’t know what is actually in the box cause I haven’t opened it.” He stated, looking over at her for a moment. “I’m sorry I know I shouldn’t have--I just wanted to give Jocelyn something. And judging by how cold the walls have gotten I’m guessing it is around Christmas time. Should we open it together and see what is in inside? I don’t want to wake her if it is something bad.”

Brad had pleaded, and begged but he wasn’t one to usually do that. But he wanted to give Jocelyn a Christmas. He had told whoever was holding them that he would do anything. Although he regretted that because if it was Jamie than who knows what that psychopath would make him do. Plus who knows if he would actually do it. Probably not. Cause clearly he didn’t give two shits about them. After they had went to bed though, he had some noises. Almost like something being pushed down the hole. That had startled him awake, and he found himself grabbing a rock or whatever was near by just in case. But nothing happened. He hadn’t moved from that spot next to Sophie and Jocelyn though and still nothing happened. So maybe it was just a food delivery or something.

When the morning came he was still awake, not allowing himself to go back to sleep just in case something happened. That was when he noticed a bag, and some breakfast. Which made sense cause he heard someone messing with the hole around. Looking over at the girls for a moment, he finally moved out of the bed and went over to the bag. Rock still in hand. Just in case. Opening it that was when he noticed some gifts. Had Jamie actually got it in his heart to do this? He wasn’t sure. Moving back over to the bed, he leaned down and kissed Sophie’s head before waking her up gently. “Baby..” He whispered gently, not wanting to wake up Jocelyn just yet. “Come on, love. Time to get up. I have to show you something.”