Alright Guys, I hope you enjoy this one! Ashleigh is written in many ways based on my experiences in Grade Nine. So the situations she's going through, I have a first hand experience with. Hopefully that will give it a more realistic feel to it. Please leave me feedback, I don't care if its good or bad, it will help me in the long run. Once again, I hope you enjoy this!

Part One
the Aftermath

Chapter One
The Journey to Self Discovery Begins

Dear Diary,

It's done… over with. I have finally been able to escape Bryan's abusive grasp, and it did not come easily. Eight months have come and gone and for the first time since October, I don't have to answer to everything someone says. I'm a free woman now. It's an odd feeling, I'm actually expecting to wake up and realize that Bryan breaking up with me was nothing but a dream and that I'm still stuck in that nightmare of a relationship. This is real I know it is. It has to be. Sigh You know, I sit here and as I write this I cannot help but wonder what do I do now that Bryan's gone? For so long I wasn't me, I don't even know who I am anymore. My closet it full of clothes from the gap… I would never shop at the Gap. I hate preppy clothes and yet, they fill my closet and drawers. My band shirts, bondage pants, spikes, chains and everything I once knew is packed away in a box somewhere. I have no idea where I even put them. I remember when I was known simply as the 'Riot Girl' who would not take shit from anyone and yet that's what I did. I became a slave to a man! I used to be the girl fronting debates on Woman's Rights and yet, I was the one who gave up my identity to a man. I looked in the mirror today for the first time and took a deep, long, hard look at what I have become. How can I go from only knowing one thing, one way of living, turn around, and find my independence again? How do I know that I wont become victim to another mans daunting ways? How do I find the girl I am meant to be? How do I know that the girl I was before I met Bryan is who I am supposed to be now? How do I find myself again after being so lost and alone for such a long time? Maybe I need to take a vacation, or even just spend some time this summer with friends, if I even have any left. I am eighteen years old now, the world is mine for the taking, and I just have no idea where to start.

Ashleigh looked up from her black journal, her crystal blue eyes shining brightly, and sighed. Her blonde hair was pulled back into an unusual ponytail. The bruises on her right eye and over the corner of her lip were still vivid, however, it was the last of the torture Bryan had forced upon her. For the past eight months, two weeks and three days to be exact, Ashleigh was not Bryan's girlfriend she was his possession, that, and his toy, free to do what he wanted when he wanted to do it. He had changed who she was. He controlled what she wore, what she said, who she talked to, what classes she could attend, what music she could listen too, everything. When he was mad, he would beat her, when he was horny, he would fuck her, even though she never wanted it. Ashleigh had always believed in not having sex before marriage, and Bryan could not accept that. Instead, he tore away the only innocence she had. Now, she was free from him.

She closed the diary in front of her and stood up. It was time she adjusted her life again and took it back completely. Ashleigh walked over to her closet and pulled it open. She looked at the clothes that were hanging up and shook her head in disgust. It looked like a rack at the GAP. She grabbed the preppy style clothes and threw them into the large garbage bin beside her closet. She walked over to her desk and looked around until she found exactly what she was looking for, her matches. She was about to light the match when she froze. For some reason, she could not pull herself to burn her clothes and burn the months of hell she endured. Ashleigh fell to her knees and did the same thing she did every single night since she began dating Bryan. Cry.

Ashleigh's eyes opened and she looked at her surroundings. She was in her room, lying on the floor. She had cried herself to sleep again. She sat up and rubbed her sleepy eyes. The sound of the phone ringing could be heard in the distance. Ashleigh's head shot up as her entire curvy frame tensed up, hoping it was Bryan. She slowly reached for the cordless white phone that sat on her desk and turned it around to look at the caller display. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She quickly pressed the talk button and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Ashleigh?" the voice asked from the other line, the voice belonged to a young man in his early to mid twenties.

"Randy? Is that you?" Ashleigh asked, her voice shaking.

"Yea, it's me." Randy replied. "I heard what happened. Your mother called me."

"Randy, I am so sorry."

"Don't be. It was never your choice," said Randy, trying to comfort his good friend. "It was that bastard Bryan's fault. He could not stand the fact that you had friends."

"I know that, Randy, but I could have said something about it."

"And probably get killed for it," Randy said with a bitter tone to his voice. "Don't worry about it anymore Ash. He's gone he can't touch you anymore. I'm the one that should be apologizing Ashleigh. I knew what was going on and I never even once came down there and kick his ass."

"And loose your contract?"

"You're my cousin god dammit Ashleigh!" shouted Randy, startling Ashleigh. "I should have been there better then I was."

"I would not have listened Randy. I was so blind and just stupid." Ashleigh replied softly. "Enough about it though, how's work going?"

"Good. They're writing me out for a few weeks so I can take a vacation." Randy laughed. "Lord knows I need one. I'm actually going to come down to Toronto for a few days and see how you're doing. Who knows, I may just kidnap you for the summer."

Ashleigh laughed. It had been a long time since she traveled with Randy while he was on the road with the WWE. "I think that would actually be a very good idea. I need to get away for a while."

"That you do." Randy said softly. He always worried about his younger cousin; ever since they were kids, he believed it was his duty to protect her. "So then it's settled. I'll talk to Aunt Mary and I'll let her know I'm stealing her daughter. Oh, I've been meaning to ask you, Christy wanted to know if you needed any help getting rid of the past as she put it."

"Christy? I do not believe it! You actually asked her out?" Ashleigh exclaimed

"Yea, is that a bad thing?"

"NO! It's about time Randall." Ashleigh laughed. "You've been eying her ever since the beginning of that Diva searches thing. I'm just glad you asked her and not that sluttish playboy bunny Carmella."

"No way man, she's been chasing poor John around ever since he switched to Raw!"

Ashleigh shook her head and for the first time in a long time smiled. "How is John anyways?"

"He's good. Hold on." Randy said suddenly.

There was a lot of rustling coming from Randy's side of the line before finally someone came back on. However, it wasn't Randy. "Hey Ashy!"

"John! How are you?" Ashleigh exclaimed jumping up onto her bed.

"I'm not too bad. How are you? You hold in, alright?"

"I will John." Ashleigh replied. She was not expecting John to be so calm about everything going on. Then again, John was always unpredictable. "Are you coming with Randy to Toronto?"

"Do you really think I'd pass up the chance to see my favorite little hockey star?"

"I'm not a hockey star anymore," said Ashleigh. Her voice was much softer then it was moments ago. "I quit remember? Bryan forced me too."

"That's why in September I'm making sure you register again!" exclaimed John. "I will not let you waste that talent! Before that jag off came around you were tearing up that ice, kicking ass and taking names! This summer, I will make sure you get on some ice even if I have to pay an arm and a leg to rent an arena and you will get to freshen up on your skills a bit. Understood?"

Ashleigh laughed and nodded. It was good to know that someone cared. "Understood."

Two Days Later

Ashleigh was up in her room, listening to some music when she heard a knock at the door. She glanced outside her bedroom window and checked to see if there were any vehicles. Standing outside her house was a black Escalade. Ashleigh eyes widened happily and she leaped off her bed and ran down the stairs as fast as her strong legs could carry her. She pulled the large French style front door opened and sure enough, Randy stood on the other side with a duffle bag over her shoulder. Ashleigh screeched and jumped into her cousins arms for a hug. Randy wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up.

"Hey kiddo," Randy said happily, as he placed Ashleigh back on the floor. "I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't answer the door."

"Sorry, I was upstairs listening to some old CD's," Ashleigh replied noticing as the red headed female entered the house behind Randy. Ashleigh gave her a friendly smile and waved. "You must be Christy. It's great to finally meet you."

"Hey! You must be Ashleigh. Randy just will not shut up about you! But don't worry, its mostly good stuff," Christy said sweetly giving Ashleigh a hug. She turned to Randy and put her arm on his shoulder. "Hun, why don't you go see what's taking John so long and I'll help Ashleigh real quick?"

"Alright," Randy replied, kissing Christy's cheek. He put his bag on the sofa and headed towards the door but came to a stop before leaving. "You two have fun."

Ashleigh nodded and then turned her attention to Christy. "Help me with what?"

"Come with me."

Christy grabbed a hold of Ashleigh's hand and led her up the stairs towards Ashleigh's bedroom. Once inside the room, Christy took a quick look around before she finally nodded. She walked over to the garbage can of clothes and quickly rummaged through them. After a few moments, she finally turned towards Ashleigh with a smile on her face.

"Alright, before you can even think about moving on, you must first destroy the painful memories. See these clothes? Gone. Anything else that somehow has to do with that prick Bryan?" Christy asked. Ashleigh nodded and pointed to a box beside her desk. Christy quickly ran over to the box and threw it into the garbage can. "There. Done. Gone. Finished. I will have the boy's dispose of this as soon as they get back. School is finished now and you are finally away from Bryan, this summer I want you to forget about the past few months and begin rebuilding your life. Now, it is not going to be easy but it has to be done. The war may have been won Ashleigh, but the battle is far from being over."

Ashleigh nodded. "Randy was telling me you've been in an abusive relationship before. So I guess you would know."

"ASHY!" John shouted from the living room. "Where are you? I want my hug!"

"We're upstairs guys!" Christy called back.

John and Randy both hurried up the stairs and headed towards Ashleigh's room. It had been almost a year since she had last seen John and she had missed him dearly. Throughout her relationship with Bryan, Ashleigh had prayed that John would come and save her, and even though he never did, but it did not matter anymore. He was there for her now, and that was all she needed. When John came to doorway into Ashleigh's room, his eyes became fixated on her. Ashleigh was dressed in a pair of black, form fighting jeans and the black Nightmare before Christmas tank top he had bought her a few years ago. She was thin, very thin. He remembered her as a curvy, healthy, well-built hockey player, but now, the curves were gone and her skin was unusually pale. It looked as if she had not eaten in weeks. Her arms were covered in bruises, so was her neck and parts of her face. His heart sank. Here in front of him was his best friend, or someone who used to be his best friend, and she had been beaten down to almost nothing. He walked over to her and ran his arms down hers, carefully caressing her bruises. John looked down at the eighteen-year-old girl before him and nearly broke down in tears. He grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. The two stood there, embraced in a hug for what seemed like an eternity. Christy signaled to Randy to grab the garbage can and together, the couple left, leaving the two friends alone. John finally pulled himself away from the hug and laid a gentle kiss on Ashleigh's cheek. Ashleigh looked up into John's blue eyes and gave him a very weak smile. She rested her head into his chest and closed her eyes.

"John?" Ashleigh asked, her voice barley a whisper.

"Yes Ashleigh?"

Ashleigh looked up and smiled at John, "Thank you."

John looked at her confused. "Thanks? What for?"

"Always being there for me, I pushed you and Randy away because I thought that the two of you were jealous that I was happy. I was such a rude bitch to you and here you are now, still my friend. At least I hope you still are."

John smiled and kissed the top of Ashleigh's head, "Of coarse I am Ashleigh. I always will be."

Ashleigh smiled and rested her head back on John's chest. She held onto him tighter and let her emotions escape. Her small frame began to shake as tears poured from her eyes. She couldn't support her own weight anymore and nearly collapsed to her knees. John hooked his arm under Ashleigh's knees and back, lifting her gently off the ground. John walked over to Ashleigh's bed and sat down on it, allowing Ashleigh to curl up in a semi-ball on his lap. Ashleigh held onto John for dear life. She spent too much time alone and lost in the world; she did not want to do it anymore. Deep down, Ashleigh knew the next few months was going to be anything but easy, but little did she know, they were going to be a lot more difficult then she could ever imagine.