Stockholm Syndrome ➸ one direction

Epilogue

{UNEDITED}

SIX YEARS LATER

RILEY'S POV

These past few years have gone by in a blur. Louis and I ended up getting married when I was about 21. It is a little insane to think that it all started with a weird case of Stockholm Syndrome. As long as I was with him, I would've stayed at Nina's. Insane right? I know I am.

Anyway, a few weeks after Perrie's funeral, Zayn convinced himself that Perrie wouldn't have liked him becoming depressed over her and would've wanted him to move on. So that's what he did. He ended up meeting one of my old friends when all of us went to San Diego after Nina was locked up. This lovely lady was my friend Lizzie. They hit it off well and they are engaged now. It is really cute actually.

Next is Harry. Now he is married to an old childhood friend from Holmes Chapel. Her name is Alyssa and they are expecting twin girls any day. Turns out they had dated back in elementary school (as an American would say, Harry likes to fight me on it).

Liam and Sophia broke it off after Liam discovered an affair between Sophia and a co-worker. He is still single and has had a girlfriend or two but he has an eye on a girl he met at a bar, Kaitlyn. She was working as the bartender when they met. She is a really wonderful girl.

Jaymie and Niall are going as strong as ever. They got married about 5 years ago and right after had a baby boy. Just a few months ago, Jaymie had another baby. This time it was a little girl. For most of the year they live in the same complex as every boy/couple does in our little group but they have a vacation home in Ireland near Niall's parents.

While I was thinking of this, I didn't notice the little pitter patter of feet run up behind me and wrap their arms around my knees.

"Mummy! Mummy! Look at what daddy bought me!"

Mine and Louis's two year old daughter Natalie held up a little soccer ball. Always has been just like her dad.

"Sweetheart, go change into some comfy clothes and maybe mummy and I will take you to the park to play okay?"

Louis sent our girl upstairs and walked over, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my cheek. He noticed the picture of him and the boys on stage that I held in my hand and gave me a questioning look.

"What are you doing with this?"

I looked up at him and gave him a honest answer. "I'm just thinking about how everyone's families ended up. At first y'all wanted to kill me and then we became one big family. As time progressed, we split into our own little families inside our big one. It's astonishing really."

He pulled me closer - if that was possible - and whispered in my ear, "I'm glad it ended up this way. I really am."

Natalie came and wiggled herself in between our hug and put her arms up, indicating she wanted in the hug. We picked her up and had one big hug before pulling apart, dropping Natalie on the couch and making the tickle monster attack. She loved it and this is a moment I don't want to forget. My little happy family laughing all together.

"Mummy! Daddy! Stop! Can we please go to the park and play soccer?" Yep, she has the British accent but has a bit of American dialogue after hearing me talk.

"Of course, I could use a little football myself."

"Daddy, it is called soccer."

Their play bickering went on for a bit while I got Natalie's stroller and snacks, diapers, etc. When my phone went off, I didn't check it because I thought it was an email and I wanted to get going. It was only 3 blocks away but it was getting late in the afternoon.

"C'mon you two lets go!"

Two children raced each other towards me. One of those children being my daughter and one of them being my husband. I rolled my eyes, scooped up the real child and put her in the stroller. I double checked everything and we were off. It was light conversation between Lou and I but we stopped so our daughter could sing us Do You Want to Build a Snowman from Frozen, her favorite movie.

As I was unbuckling Natalie she was jumping up and down with excitement but something behind me caught her eye and she stopped. "M-mummy, there's a lady wi-with a black thing pointed at y-you." I froze and tore my eyes away from my terrified, crying daughter. Nina.

"Louis, take Nat away from here. Now. She can't see this." Louis turned away and moved, walking towards and elderly couple talling them to call 999. They agreed and kept Natty busy with the birds. We both pulled out the emergency guns we kept for situations just like this. When Nina wasn't looking, I checked my phone. The notification wasn't a text, it was a news alert. The headline read: Kidnapper and Killer, Nina Williams, Escaped from London Jail Late Last Night.

She also had a gun. "Riley, didn't I tell you that durning or after the court verdict you'll regret not killing me?" She laughed and I was scared beyond belief.

Click. Bang.

I don't know who pulled the trigger.

***

She got a body like an hourgl-

I shut off my alarm and opened my eyes. At the end of my bed stood Lillian, Mom and Dad.

"Happy 18th Birthday Riley!"

I was in shock. "Wow. Thanks guys. I'm gonna go get ready now." They left the room and left me alone with my thoughts.

It was just a dream. It was all just a dream. A dream I sort of want to come true.

I really am insane, aren't I?

___________________________

OH MY GOD IT'S OVER! I STARTED CRYING WHILE WRITING THIS OH MY GOD.

WORDS CAN'T BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW THANKFUL I AM TO HAVE THIS BOOK HAVE BECOME AS POPULAR AS IT IS BUT SADLY, I RAN OUT OF IDEAS TO WRITE.

I HOPE PEOPLE KEEP READING THIS BUT THIS STORY IS OVER. I WILL KEEP WRITING apartment 121 THOUGH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ANYONE WHO READ THE WHOLE STORY AND VOTED, COMMENTED AND SHARED MY STORY WITH OTHER PEOPLE. IT MEANS A LOT TO ME REALLY.

I LOVE YOU ALL XOXO AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THIS IS THE END OF STOCKHOLM SYNDROME!