Within the Script (A Stanathan Fanfiction)

Chapter One: Season's End

"Stana!" Seamus screamed from across the stage. "You left your wallet!" She turned around and started back toward him, rushing in every way possible in order to get home and sleep the season 6 tole off. As much as she loved working on this show and with this cast, she couldn't deny that she felt a desperate need to sleep. It was late. She was done.

Once she pulled the wallet from her friend's hand, she pulled him into a hug goodbye, leaving a small smudge of lipstick on his cheek before flying backwards. Just as she began to right the wrong direction, her body smashed into a firm build and was caught before she could stumble into a heap on the ground. Simply by the feeling of his arm around her waist, she could tell Nathan was the wall she had crashed into. She didn't even need to hear his gentle voice. "You alright there, Stana?"

He lifted her to her feet completely as she answered, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just exhausted and I'm trying to get out of here before the sun rises and I'm stuck being awake for another sixteen hours."

Nathan smiled a bit. "You do realize hiatus has just begun. You could go home and sleep until noon without any complications."

"Yes, well, unlike you, Mr. Fillion, I enjoy being alive in this world, not in the virtual world," she teased.

"You voiced Taliah Al'Ghul in Arkham City, didn't you?"

She further grinned. "One character, I voice one character in one video game and suddenly you're ranking me up there with you in the Geekdom. It's so not fair."

"All's fair in love and war games, Stana. It's just a fact of life," he smiled. "Plus, you could never be ranked to my geeky extreme. You're too sexy."

"Thank you, Nathan, but- you really don't have to do that, you know?"

He looked at her strangely. "Do what?"

She breathed, knowing his insecurities well enough to know that every self-deprecating compliment he gave her was not nearly as bad as what he was thinking on the inside. "I mean, you don't have to..." She drifted. She could see his weary content feelings toward life behind his confusion. So as to not tell him anything that might upset him, she simply answered, "You don't have to compliment me all the time."

"Well, why wouldn't I? You're a beautiful woman inside and out in every way possible."

She further smiled. "Well, thank you, Nathan. I really have to go, but- I'll talk to you soon?"

"Always," he teased with a wink the way they so often did. She then pulled him into a hug and left a similar stain on his cheek. As soon as she did, she turned and continued to walk, leaving the others behind in the dust. Just as quickly as Stana left, Molly bolted past, making the same mistake Stana had not two minutes ago. Nathan caught her in nearly the same way and pulled her to her feet. "You good there, Speed Racer?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just trying to find..." she spun in a quick circle and spotted her person. "Seamus!"

Nathan then called to the set, "See you all on Twitter!"

"Bye Nathan," many of the remaining called in different forms. He then started out the door. For no particular reason, Nathan had hopped aboard the bus today instead of taking his car. Stana had said something to him about public transportation while they were at a location shoot that must have stuck with him for the particular day. No taxies were really flying by or anything, so, for the time being, he decided he'd walk a few blocks and call someone if his back got to bothering him again. The further he walked, the better he felt, so, he walked. And walked. And walked.

Finally a half an hour went by and he found himself on the corner of a particularly odd street corner. He dialed a number then and called for a cab. It was about five minutes out, so he stood silently, playing angry birds on his phone and sucking horribly. He was so focused, however, that he didn't even notice the guy behind him who pulled a gun and put it straight to his back. The stranger's voice gruffly demanded, "Turn off your phone." Nathan did as he was told. "Now, follow me."

The metal, solid bulge pressed firmly against Nathan's back as he walked the way he was told, straight into an alley. "Look, man, I'll give you anything you want, just- just ask," Nathan stated as he stood.

"Give me your wallet, keys and phone. Now." Nathan complied as there was no way he'd be able to take this guy down. Nathan had height and build, but not this kind. "Now, give me your watch." Again, done. "Turn around," the man said. That was never a good statement.

"Why?"

"Just do as I say, alright. It will be a hell of a lot easier, and far less painful for you." The guy had seemed unsure until this moment. He was sure about this. He was stern. "Turn around!"

"No!" Nathan refused, and that was enough. The man lunged, pressing Nathan against the wall and telling him, "You think you can disobey me?! I tell you to turn around, you turn around."

"Why, cause you're too chicken to shoot me in the face?" Nathan, are you bullying the mugger, he thought to himself. Do you have a death wish?

"I ain't scared of you, bitch!" Bam! The barrel of the gun hit him straight in the face. Nathan stumbled and barely caught his balance in enough time to be smashed a second time with a flying blow to the back of his head. He was on the floor. One swift kick to the stomach then graduated to the ribs for a few bone crushing sessions and then, finally, as his body screeches in pain, one last over the top, crush the guitar swing with the gun straight to the side of his head. Instantly, he was out cold, unable to move, barely able to breathe.