Welcome to tonight's shot! It was completely unintentional to have a Paige/Jay one shot the night after the Clare/Jay short story premiered but that's how it worked out.

Legal: I own nothing but the idea

So I guess this is sort of a fix-it shot. Everything is cannon up until Shout except that Lexi and Jay are not dating, Lexi already knows she's a lesbian and is dating a girl in college but she and Jay are close friends.

Rescue Me Tonight

(JAY)

"This party is lame," I complain to Lexi.

"We're not the only DeGrassi people at this Bardell soiree," Lexi comments pointing to three grade tens but they aren't here together. Two of them are on the soccer team the other is a girl, her I do know she's Dylan's kid sister I think her name is Paige. Lexi and I watch as Paige goes upstairs with a Bardell guy.

"I can't take this party anymore, I'm going to use the washroom and then let's go," I say to Lexi.

"I have to use the washroom too I'm coming with you," Lexi replies.

Someone is puking in the downstairs washroom so we go upstairs and into the master bedroom. I let Lexi use the washroom first and when she's done I use it. When I come out she's leaning against another door like she's listening in on what's happening on the other side of the door.

"What's up?" I question.

"Paige is in there, I think she might be in trouble," Lexi informs me.

I open my mouth to ask what kind of trouble but before I can we hear Paige shriek and begin sobbing. I move Lexi away from the door and find it unlocked so we open it to really see what's going on. Dean Walton, Bardell's resident super boy and jerk off, is on top of Paige on the bed, he's hiked up her skirt and gotten rid of her panties, he's got her pinned as he's getting his jeans open. She's crying and telling him no and stop but he's not listening, so I'll make him listen.

"HEY ASSHOLE SHE SAID NO," Lexi yells which get Dean's attention and when he looks over at us I punch him as hard as I can in the face. It actually knocks him toward Paige so I grab him and yank him off of her throwing him to the floor.

"No," I say and kick Dean in the ribs, "means no," I say and kick him again. When he tries to grab my foot and trip me I lean down and punch him in the face again which knocks him out. I look over at the girls, Paige is on the bed crying on Lexi who has an arm around her trying to soothe the traumatized girl. "Let's get out of here we'll take her to my place," I assert.

"Come on Paige you'll be safe with us," Lexi assures her and Paige stands.

She wipes her eyes and I put my jacket around her before we leave through the front door. Getting in my car to drive to my apartment. I moved out at sixteen and got my own place, with government help and funded by odd jobs, and occasionally things that I steal. So long as I don't get arrested or have wild parties at my place or anything the government will help pay for it. The place is kind of a pit but there's no alcoholic abusive father so it's good. Lexi is here a lot because her mom and her boyfriend can get drunk and violent. Paige doesn't even look around the apartment she just walks in and sits on the sofa, she's not crying anymore but she's sort of shaking and staring blankly into space.

"Should you call someone?" I question but she simply sits there staring into space.

"Forget it she's traumatized, I don't suppose you have Dylan's number," Lexi comments.

"Oh yeah 'cause we're best buds," I shoot back in a sarcastic tone and Lexi gives me a look.

"I've still got her purse maybe there's a…aha cell phone, no security password…here we go Dylan," Lexi says pressing the button and handing me the phone when it begins ringing.

"Let me guess you need a lift home?" Dylan says when he answers.

"It's Jay but yeah you should probably come get your sister," I tell him.

"Jay? What in the hell are you doing with my sister's phone? If you laid one hand on Paige I swear I will rip your…"

"Chill alright I didn't touch her I saved her from getting raped," I enlighten Dylan.

"What? By who?"

"Look why don't you just come to my place and we'll tell you. She's kind of traumatized right now it would probably help if you were here," I tell him.

"Yeah where are you?" Dylan asks.

I give him my address and he says he'll be here in ten minutes. I put Paige's phone back in her purse and get a glass of water setting it on the coffee table in front of her.

"Dylan is on his way," I tell Paige but she still doesn't react.

"Let her be, she nearly got raped tonight she's probably got a million thoughts running through her mind," Lexi tells me.

I nod and we go into the kitchen, I get us both a beer and we stand in the kitchen just watching Paige. I'm half expecting her to suddenly snap out of it and wonder where the party went, and half expecting her to just start screaming her head off. Even when there's a knock on the door Paige doesn't move but I walk over letting Dylan in. I step aside so he can come in and motion toward Paige who's sitting motionless on the sofa still. Dylan walks over and looks at Paige but she doesn't even see him, he says her name and she doesn't respond so he looks back at me.

"What the hell happened tonight?" Dylan demands.

"We crashed a party some kid from Bardell was throwing and Paige was there. We went upstairs to use the washroom and Lexi heard Paige in a bedroom. The door was unlocked, we went in and Dean was getting ready to rape her. I already beat the crap out of him but she's been like that ever since," I explain.

Dylan just nods I guess absorbing it all or maybe thinking about what might have happened. He kneels down in front of Paige and puts his hand on her arm.

"Paige, look at me it's Dylan," he says in a calm voice and puts a hand on her arm. She still doesn't react but when Dylan sits next to her putting an arm around her she turns to him and begins crying again. "What do I do?" Dylan asks.

"I have no clue but if you guys don't want to go home tonight with her all catatonic you can crash here," I offer.

"Yeah thanks, if my parents see her like this they'll freak out."

"Paige can sleep on the sofa, Lexi can sleep with me and I have a camping mat and sleeping bag you can use."

Dylan nods and since Paige is crying on him Lexi helps me move the coffee table and get the stuff for Dylan. Then we get some blankets for Paige but she'll have to use the cushion on the sofa as a pillow because I only own three pillows. Before Lexi and I go back to my bedroom I point out where the washroom is and glasses if they want water.

Lexi and I are up for a while talking and then she calls her girlfriend so I get on my laptop. We hear Paige cry for a couple of hours and then it stops. I hear Dylan up and using the washroom so I assume Paige cried herself to sleep. Lexi and I fall asleep around two and wake up after one in the afternoon. I pull on some jeans and go out to the living room to see how Paige and Dylan are only to find them gone but Dylan left a note.

Paige woke up and told me everything. She doesn't want Mom and Dad to know and she wanted to go home to shower. Thanks for what you did and for letting us crash here.

(PAIGE)

"You sure you don't want to ditch today?" Dylan asks me as we pull up to DeGrassi Monday morning.

"I'm sure, I need to get on with my life and nothing happened, it almost did but Jay and Lexi stopped it and I'm fine," I assure my brother and he gives me a sympathetic smile.

When I woke up Saturday morning I had recovered from my shock, I told Dylan everything from Dean inviting me to the party to Jay and Lexi coming into the room. After talking about it I was feeling a little better and I knew I was safe with Dylan there. After telling him I just wanted to go home and shower and I made Dylan swear not to tell Mom and Dad. I spent most of the weekend in my room or watching movies with Dylan and doing everything not to think about Dean. By this morning I was ready to move on, to learn and to forget. Dean doesn't even go to this school so I'll only be forced to see him at certain sporting events where DeGrassi is playing Bardell.

"Hey Paige how was the party?" Hazel asks finding me at my locker. She was going to come to the party with me but she was grounded.

"Terrible Dean is a jerk," I reply.

"Speaking of jerks," Hazel huffs and I look down the hall where Jay, Lexi and their friends are teasing Liberty.

"Jay's not a jerk," I shake my head.

"He looks like one to me, him and his whole nasty group of friends. I wish they would just get thrown out of the school," Hazel says and I close my locker.

I'm not sure what to say, I know Jay, Lexi and their friends are kind of the bottom feeders of the school. They steal things, they pick on kids, Jay's teased my brother about being gay a million times, not that it ever bothers Dylan. Despite all this when I was in trouble at the party Jay and Lexi came to my rescue, they could have just walked away and left me and let Dean rape me. Jay didn't need to beat up Dean, Lexi didn't need to comfort me and they didn't need to take me back to Jay's place and call Dylan. I know that they have a good side, courageous and protective side and haven't been able to stop thinking about Jay all weekend.

However Hazel has never seen this side of them, nor have any of my other friends they only know the school bullies. I don't want to tell them what happened, I don't want them to know and I don't want to answer questions about it, and I'm not sure they'd believe Jay and Lexi did all that for me. So I say nothing and simply walk down the hall in the opposite direction of Jay and the others.

After school we're supposed to have Spirit Squad practice but I'm not up for it and I ask Hazel to cancel. I use the excuse that lunch made me ill but I'm really just not up for being cheery. Dylan has hockey so I start to walk home and see Jay and Lexi at The Dot with some of their other friends. Before I even realize what I'm doing I find myself walking over to their group.

"What do you want Princess Prissy?" A girl asks in a snide tone.

"Back off Amy," Jay barks at her and that he stood up for me again, even to his own friend, makes me smile.

"I just wanted to thank you and Lexi for what you did at the party," I tell Jay.

"No sweat," he shrugs and turns talking to his friend. His basic brush off hurts and I walk away quickly.

"Why do I even like him? Hazel is right he's a bully and he's rude and he doesn't even know I'm alive. Maybe I don't like him; maybe it's just some sick form of hero worship because he saved me from Dean. Yeah that must be it I just won't think about him and it will stop. Okay don't think about him, don't think about his sexy dark eyes and dark hair that…no bad Paige don't think about Jay, don't think about Jay at all think about anything but Jay. Think about Spirit Squad, yeah there we go Spirit Squad we need a new cheer. Uh ummm mmm I wonder what Jay thinks of me in my Spirit Squad outfit? Oh boy this is going to be harder than I thought."

It goes like that all the next day, I try not to think about Jay or watch him and yet I do both. He on the other hand has no trouble ignoring me. Even if he didn't our friends would likely stop us from being together, our friends don't get along and they'd never understand why we were together. By Wednesday I've managed to convince myself that Jay and I would never work but it doesn't keep me from thinking about him or watching him. Like I'm doing now, watching him from the corner of a bank of lockers and not paying attention to anything else.

"So," Lexi's voice startles me and I turn around quickly hitting the lockers, "you got the hots for Jay huh?"

"No," I reply defensively as I walk away, "not at all Jay is disgusting and rude even if you guys did save me."

"I know he can be a jerk if you aren't part of his circle but he is a good guy. I know you like him I can see it, just admit," Lexi urges grabbing my arm to stop me.

"Okay fine I like him but what difference does it make he doesn't even know I'm alive. Even if he did he doesn't get along my friends and I don't get along with his. We don't belong together."

"Says who? Look if you like Jay then it doesn't matter what your friends think. Towerz is having a party tonight, not like party we were at last weekend. I promise no one would even dare do anything like that. It will just be a few of us hanging out at Towerz place, you should come. You can come with me after school," Lexi says and then saunters off before I can even respond.

When school lets out Lexi is waiting for me on the steps and I go with her. Towerz lives several blocks from me and we're almost there when Hazel sends me a text asking where I am. I tell her I'm still not feeling well and ask her to take over the practice. There's only about ten people gathered here when we walk into the house.

"Hey Sexy Lexi," a girl with short unnaturally red hair says to Lexi before kissing her.

"Paige this is my girlfriend Sierra, she goes to York," Lexi introduces me.

"Nice to meet you," I smile.

"Paigey here likes Jay want to help me get the two together?" Lexi asks her girlfriend.

"Absolutely," Sierra smiles.

They take a couple of steps into the living room and when I don't move from the doorway they both take my hands and pull me into the room. Someone hands me a beer and I sit down. Jay is playing poker with a couple of guys and I'm beginning to wonder what I'm doing here. When Jay gets up Lexi gets up and trips knocking into Jay causing him to spill his beer on me.

"Oops my bad. Go help her clean up," Lexi commands Jay and smacks his arm lightly in a sort of scolding way.

Jay holds his hand out to me and I take it, he helps me up and we walk back to the washroom. For a few minutes we're just in an awkward silence as he puts soap on wash cloth. He almost starts scrubbing the beer from my jeans and then hands the washcloth to me.

"So you're okay after what happened?" Jay asks.

"Yeah sort of, I've been trying to just not think about it, or think about Dean and just get on with my life. Sorry for freaking out," I apologize.

"It's okay it was understandable. So how's not thinking about Dean working?"

"Pretty well since I've mostly just been thinking about you since then," I blurt out and then feel like an idiot.

"You've been thinking about me?" Jay questions in a dubious voice.

"Yeah a lot and I know we'll probably never work, we don't have the same friends and you don't know I'm even alive but if I don't so this I'll regret it the rest of my life."

With that declaration I drop the washcloth grip Jay by the shirt and abduct his lips. His arms come around me and his lips open, out tongues peek between our lips and embrace each other. Jay picks me up lifting me up on the sink, his tongue licking across my bottom lip and deepening the kiss. For what seems like seconds and an eternity all at once we make out like crazy, the more we kiss the more passion we build.

"You know this will never work, we're too different, our friends hate each other and we have nothing in common," I tell him pulling away from the kiss.

"I know but it will be really hot and fun while it lasts," Jay grins before snatching my lips back into a kiss.