Sarah ran onto the bus and saw the final man, pointing his gun at Nick and Patrick.

"Get away from them!" cried Sarah as she ran for him.

The man was surprised as she ran right for him, knocking him from his position. The gun flew out of his hands as he hit the floor, unable to move quickly because of the weight on top of him. Jackie ran over to the two and looked at Nick.

"Oh my God. Nick!" she cried as she knelt by him.

She turned his face towards her.

"Nick, open your eyes and look at me now please," she pleaded.

Nick just opened his eyes. They aimlessly looked around before they rested on Jackie. They stared at her.

"Nick, it's me. Jackie. Don't turn your head away from me," she told him as she turned towards Patrick. "What have we got?"

"Gun shot to the shoulder and he was continually beaten in the stomach area until he vomited. He also hit his head against the window," he replied.

Once Patrick mentioned the beating, she noticed the vomit all over Nick's shirt.

'Nick, what have you done?' she thought to herself as a few police officers hurried onto the bus.

"Ma'am, I think you should leave him to the paramedics," one officer told her as she put away her gun.

"No, I think I'd be able to help him as well. I forgot to tell you I'm a doctor," Jackie replied as a couple paramedics hurried inside.

The officer nodded as they started to prepare him the trip to the hospital. Sarah and Patrick stepped out of their way as they watched them. Jackie hurried over to them.

"Come on, I'll drive you over to the hospital. These people have everything under control," she sadly told them.

They reluctantly moved their feet and followed Jackie to her car.

***

The three arrived at the hospital just as the ambulance did. They ran inside to find Matt and Rae waiting for them.

"Jackie, how is he?" asked Rae.

"Not good. There's bad bruising on his stomach, gun shot to the shoulder and possibly a mild concussion. We'll have to wait and see how he is later," she replied as the two teens continued on their way.

The three doctors immediately followed them.

"There's nothing you can do for him now. All we can do now is wait!" Rae called up to them.

Patrick stopped and faced them.

"There is something we can for him. We can hope. Hope that nothing serious has happened to him and that whatever has happened isn't permanant," he told them before he and Sarah continued on.

The three glanced at each other, wondering what to think about everything.

***

"So what's going to happen to them?" Matt asked Rae as he sipped on his coffee.

"Well, what I heard from the police was that they're going to be charged with at least assault from the attack on Nick. They're also going to face a charge with being armed and hijacking a bus full of people and endangering their lives," Rae replied. "That's about all I know."

"Thanks. I sincerely hope we don't have to deal with anyone else showing up and want to kill those two teens," Matt told her.

"You got that right. I never seen anyone get into more trouble," Rae agreed. "And I don't mean that in a bad way."

***

Later, after Nick was in a hospital bed and sleeping soundly, Letty, Jules, and Harriet walked into the room and up to the bed. Letty sighed as she looked as her friend lying motionless in the bed before her.

"The things he does for those two teenagers," she said.

"Yes, he'd risk his life for them. I really believe he treats them as if they were with him his entire life and wouldn't give a second thought if they were in danger. It's as if they were truly his own children," Jules agreed.

"Love is an amazing thing," Harriet mused.

"It most certainly is but I really think we should continue to let him rest for now. He's had a long day," Letty told them as she started out of the room.

The other two followed her.

Soon, Jackie walked into the room and up to the Nick.

"Nick, I'm sorry for everything. You can probably hear me, I just know you won't respond. I wonder what the princess is doing right now?" Jackie said with a small smile.

"Jackie, you call me that name again, or reference anything to it, I will never forgive you," came a quiet voice.

Jackie looked to see Nick's eyes were slightly open and staring at her.

"Nick. How're you feeling?" she asked him.

"Fine even though my stomach really hurts, my head's pounding and my shoulder aches again. So what other stupid questions do you have for me?" he replied.

"After saving their lives again, I'm sure it does Shining Knight," Jackie said.

Nick looked up at her and gave a sigh before closing his eyes again.

"Jackie, please don't call me that name ever again," he asked of her.

"Alright, I won't call you that anymore," replied Jackie, her fingers crossed behind her back.

"But that doesn't change facts. I will still get you back for starting it in the first place," he quietly told her.

Jackie's mouth was now wide open and her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

"You wouldn't!" she told her, not believing what she was hearing.

Nick slowly nodded his head as he glanced up at her.

"I would," he said.

"Alright, Shining Knight. Bring it on," Jackie told him with a smile.

She immediately and quickly left the room, laughing along the way, leaving an unsurprised but frazzled Nick. He closed his eyes with a deep sigh.

"There is no stopping you and that nickname, is there?" he said to himself.

The End.

Author's Note-Thanks to everyone who reviewed. They mean a lot. And I know. What a way to end a story. Hope you liked it.