Catrina was familiar with abuse. That much she knew. But this wasn't anything like then.

This was horror.

This was a fight for survival.

This was the one time she could forgive him.

"WHERE ARE YOU YOU FILTHY BITCH?!"

Everything was racing at once. Catrina could just barely comprehend that she had escaped his grasp. Her head whipped around the kitchen, only one thought in mind. Her hesitation lasted less than a second as she lunged for the largest knife she owned. By the time she looked up, he was there, standing menacingly in the doorway. Blood smeared across his white shirt, most of it hers. His neck and arms were raw from her clawing to get away. He panted heavily, almost in sync with her own labored breaths. The chocolate eyes that used to make her melt were now stone cold and glinted as he caught sight of her choice of defense. He chuckled, wiping away the sweat from his upper-lip with the hand that held his dagger- the same dagger Catrina had gifted him with last week for his birthday.

"Heh. You're really trying to piss me off, aren't ya? Think that's really gonna help you now? Tch, you're trembling too much to even hold it up. What a joke." He then spat blood from his injured tongue.

Catrina refused to oblige him with words. Instead, she hardened her resolve. Her grip tightened on the wooden handle, her feet took a broader stance and her trembling ceased. Those amethyst eyes that once conveyed the purest of innocence now conveyed something lethal. The man before her began to sway as he slowly stepped towards her, ensuring the anticipation was agonizing. Suddenly he jumped towards her, forcing Catrina to jerk back towards the door. But it was a bluff and he merely laughed at how quickly her determination dissolved. He kept repeating this, making her flinch with every imitated lunge, thoroughly enjoying every flicker of fear that crossed her face. The once white tile flooring was now stained crimson as his boots smeared her blood everywhere.

Ever so slowly, Catrina attempted to turn the knob on the door that would lead her to some attempt at freedom. But, of course, it was locked. Just like every other potential exit in the house. Now she knew- she knew this wasn't a psychotic break that suddenly plagued him. This was planned. He came home today, knowing this is what he wanted to do.

"D'aw, poor baby... You want out? Awww, that's too bad. You should've thought about that before you WENT OFF WITH THAT SON OF A BITCH LAST WEEK!" He lunged for real this time.

It was all Catrina could do to avoid the dagger aimed for her shoulder. She dropped to the floor and managed to slash his calf before scrambling to her feet and bolting for the front door on the other side of the house. His roar echoed through the house as he clutched his stinging flesh. Through gritted teeth he began to hobble after her, anger now at tenfold. Panic set in as Catrina fumbled to unlock the door. The blood coating her hands made it all the harder to grip the spare key she was thankful she'd hidden under a mint bowl nearby. The door finally cracked open but she didn't get very far. The man had vice-griped her ankle with his meaty hand and yanked her back inside. She busted her chin on the doorway as he dragged her until he loomed over her. He snatched her around so that she faced him and pinned her stomach under his knee.

The whites of his eyes were strained, foam had begun to leak from his mouth and any hint of love he once held for her was wiped clean.

"Trevor... Please..." Her voice was barely an audible whisper as hot tears streamed down her face.

This was nothing like then. She thought he had problems but she soon realized that he didn't hold a candle to the man currently holding her hostage. She wanted to scream- needed to scream. But she couldn't. Her voice was hoarse from all the screaming she'd done at a football game he'd treated her to earlier that evening. Another part of his plan for her demise. The realization made her shudder. All those instances when her lips graced his, he was thinking of nothing more than how to make her bleed the most.

The enraged man loomed over her, patting her neck with the icy steel of the decorative dagger meant to adorn his office desk. His demeanor seemed to have settled a little but Catrina knew it was only the calm before the storm. Her eyes squeezed shut and she gulped hard, ready to accept her fate. The way she figured it, it was compensation for not being able to help him all those years ago.

"It's a shame magic has been banned without a license. Maybe then you'd have had a chance... I really am sorry to do this to you, pretty bird, but I don't like being lied to. In fact, I down right despise it. You knew what you were doing when you met up with him. That damn foreigner from God knows where-"

"It wasn't like that! He was an old friend- we were just catching up because we-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! I'M TIRED OF YOUR EXCUSES! YOU'RE MINE, DAMMIT! YOU HEAR ME?! MINE! AND I'LL BE DAMNED IF I WATCH YOU LEAVE ME LIKE A LITTLE SLUT BECAUSE SOME GREEN CARD BASTARD BATTED HIS EYELASHES AT YOU!"

Over the course of his raging fit, one of his callused hands wrapped around her slender neck while the other stabbed the dagger into the floor beside her head leaving gashes in the wood. Catrina resisted by instinct even if she knew it was futile. Her fingers worked to loosen his grip so she could breathe. So she could sob. I'm sorry- I'm so sorry! If I knew how to help you then I would've! But I was only a naive little girl! I didn't know what to do for you! I'm so sorry! Please, I'm sorry!

"GAH!" In the next instant, Trevor was flown off of Catrina by a powerful gust. Wind... magic? Catrina tentatively looked up to the door. And there he was. The one man in the world she thought would never come back in her life.

An all familiar snarl formed on his features. Except this time... There was no hint of mercy. Trevor finally regained his composure after hitting a wall and having the wind knocked out of him. He glared up at the new face only for the blood to drain in the next instant.

"You- You're-"

"Not as much of a son of a bitch as you." He stood protectively over Catrina who slowly shrunk back closer to the door and made herself as small as possible.

Trevor's evil glint returned as he recognized the long brown hair and azure eyes. "Oh... I was hoping I'd get the chance to gut you." Trevor's low threat was quickly followed up by a sprinted lunge as he dove the dagger downward to the opposing man's chest.

"AZUSA, NO!" Was the most Catrina could do.