Title: Her Place to Know
Rating: NC-17 (for attempted rape)
A/N:I've never boxed before, so I don't know how this stuff works. Please forgive me if I got some of it wrong. Enjoy.

Jimmy hadn't necessarily needed to beat Max, he had only needed to survive. Keep living so Mae and the kids wouldn't end up being shipped off to different families. The last punch he had thrown in the final second of the game had been his shining glory. He was telling Max many things in that punch : "Keep your hands of me, my wife wouldn't say your name in her sleep if you were the last man on earth, my kids aren't living the rest of their lives without a dad." Jimmy was amazed when the bell rang and he looked at his feet - he could still see them. He was proud of the finish. He had won because of his incredible show of sportsman ship. Even when Max had thrown some low blows, all Jimmy did was protect himself (and possible future Braddicks).

He walked into the locker room, throwing his head around, trying to shake some sweat off. Joe was waiting for him. "Hey buddy, you were...OH! FANTASTIC!" He yelled as he was overcome with a burst of pride, then balled his hands into fists and shook them. "I'll let the press in, hey? Then we'll get you bandaged up." He ruffled Jimmy's hair, then patted the man's shoulder. While the folks of the multiple papers badgered Jimmy, a sulking figure waited just outside the door of the locker room, wringing his hands, waiting for the junkets to leave. Finally they did, and the figure squeezed in before they had all left. He saw Joe off to the side, talking to some woman. He knew his time was limited, but she could make a good distraction.

Jimmy was shimmying out of sweaty, blue shorts and grabbing a pair of underwear when Max walked in. He wasn't paying attention to anything, so was deaf to his opponent sitting on he table and staring at he pulled on the tighty whities. Max watched with an uncharacteristic fervor, but again, no one saw. It wasn't until Jimmy turned around to call Joe, see if the guy could get a medic in here, did he see Max. "Max?" He raised one eyebrow, but the fear Max was used to invoking was not there. "Can I help you?" He did, though, keep about 3 yards between himself and Max at all times.

Max shook his head and looked at his hands, before balling one of them into a fist and punching the palm of the other. "I don't like to lose," he stage whispered. Jimmy supposed this, too, was supposed to be intimidating, but it was no where near completing its task. He hopped off the table and walked closer to Jimmy, who was mildly clausterphobic and backed him into a corner.

"Do you know why there are always so many women around certain men, Jimmy?"

"No," he spoke gruffly, discomfort evident in his voice.

"Because those men are gay. Gay men know how to make a woman emotionally happy, and well as physically." Jimmy cocked an eyebrow and looked away.

"I always have women around me."

"I know," Jimmy wasn't sure he liked how this was going.

Max smirked. "I don't like to lose my fights. You made me lose. I am not a loser."

Jimmy looked away again. "I'm sorry." He tried to push Max away from him.

"I'd like more than a verbal appology." He smirked.

Jimmy tried to back away, and bumped into the wall, he had forgotten he was cornered. Max suddenly grabbed him and threw him down. Jimmy writhed underneath the bear, but couldn't seem to wriggle free. His movements, instead of hindering Max's progress, only seemed to help. He grabbed onto the concrete floor, when he had been thrown belly down onto it. He scrambled and grasped at it, fruitlessly. Max pulled down the underwear and Jimy could feel him getting undressed on top. "Get off." He didn't yell, he wasn't giving Max that power.

Max was sniggering and breathing heavily. The warm breath mingled with Jimmy's sweat on his neck. He felt like he was going to be sick. He tried to throw a punch, but the way he had been pinned prevented him from doing so. He prepared himself to vomit on the floor, when, "What is going on!" He felt Max jump off of him, and heard him scrambling to pull up his pants. Jimmy rocked back on his knees and arched his back as the hash came up. He watched the food come up, and instantly missed it. It wasn't really fair for Max to make him lose what little dinner he'd eaten. He turned over and saw Joe holding out a hand to help him up. Jimmy looked away, his eyes starting to water. he got up without Joe's help and hastily pulled on his underwear.

He reached over to a chair, which must've been knocked oer in the struggle, and grabbed his slacks off the floor. He pulled them on as quickly as possible, but couldn't button them through the tears and shaking hands. He eventually gave up and sat on the table, where Joe had been waiting for him. Joe took his hand. "Let me undo that for you." He started to unravel the brownish tape and glanced up at Jimmy. He could tell that Jimmy really didn't want to talk about what had happened. "What happened, Jim?" he asked anyways. Jimmy looked at him, then looked away.

"You know what happened."

Joe shook his head, "I saw a part of it, but...you didn't ask for that, did you?"

"What are you accusing me of, Joe!" Jimmy ripped his hand away, and stared at Joe. He was obviously already ashamed, and Joe had just made things a little harder.

"I'm saying that I know he did that without your permission." He grabbed Jimmy's hand again and finished taking of the tape. "I've got to get a medic in here. You ok, Jim?" He patted the man on the shoulder then walked out. Jimmy's hands hung limply at his sides, but, sure, he was ok. Nothing had really happened. Had it? He stared at his finger nails until he heard someone coming in. He looked up, and saw the usual man, carrying a bag of medical supplies.

"Good fight, Jimmy."

"I know." Again, he spoke gruffly. He waited impatiently for the medic to finish wrapping his ear, then to wipe the blood off of him. "Good fight, good fight." The old medic patted Jimmy on the shoulder then tapped his ear. "This should be better soon." With that he left. Joe had been sitting in a chair the whole time - the chair that had been turned over. He must have set it back up.

"Jim, how are you going to tell Mae?"

"I don't know if I am." He frowned and looked inquireringly at his manager.

"She needs to know. If you don't tell her, someone will."

"And by someone, you mean?"

"Me." Joe nodded, they had both known that was what he meant.

"I don't think that's really your place Joe."

"But it's her place to know."

Suddenly Mae came running into his locker room.

"What are you doing here? You're never here after a fight." Joe stared at her.

"I had to come!" Her smiling eyes flashed from Joe to Jimmy as she glanced at them each, "I was just so happy! So proud!" She took a step toward Jimmy but Joe stepped in front of her.

"We need to talk, Mae."

"No." Jimmy was behind him, whispering a quiet request.

"Yes, Jim. You tell her, or I will."

"Tell me what?"

Joe took a confused Mae gently by her shoulder and led her out of the locker room. After a couple minutes, she raced back in, her hand bag flapping wildy, her heels clicking on the hard floor. She threw her arms around Jimmy and kissed him.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes." He lied simply.

"No, of course you're not." She pet his bare chest. "It wasn't enough for him to beat you up, was it?"

"Really Mae, I'm ok."

She shook her head. "What can I do?"

"Nothing."

"I'm serious Jim." She pet his head and hugged him tightly.

"My hands are shaking." He looked at her sadly, then pointed to the brass buttons on his trousers. His wife smiled sadly and started doing them up for him. he would have said thank you, if it weren't for the lump in his throat.