Here's chapter 3!

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Allison ran after Jack. "Jack! Wait up!" Allison said and felt a sharp pain in her ribs from breathing so hard and yelling after Jack. He was trying to get home fast so he could get his guitar and tell Evelyn that he and Ally were meeting the guys.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks. He could hear her wincing as she breathed and as she spoke. He knew what it was like.

He turned around to see Allison putting an arm over her ribs and he silently eyed her.

Allison saw Jack and immediately stood up straight and tried to slow down her breathing. She knew she wasn't in the right state to be running like that.

At this point, Jack knew there was something wrong. He knew from personal experience.

Then, Allison blacked out on the pavement.

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Evelyn picked up the phone. Please let it be Jack.

"Hello?"

"Ma, its Jack. Ally just blacked out. I think there's something wrong that we don't know about. Can you come get us?"

"Oh God. I'm at work right now, but I'll send Bobby there to take you to the hospital. Where are you?"

"About a block away from the courts."

"Jack, be careful. Stay there until Bobby comes, ok?"

"Yeah, Ma."

"Love you."

"Love you too Ma."

"Ok, bye then."

"Bye."

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Bobby hit the mute button on the television remote. His mobile phone was ringing.

"Hey."

"Bobby, Jack's with Ally. He just called me and told me that she blacked out. I'm at work right now and I can't get off early today. Can you go pick them up and take them to the hospital?"

"Yeah, Ma. Where are they?"

"About a block away from the courts."

"Ok, Ma. I'm leavin' now."

"Thank you, Bobby."

"Love ya, Ma."

"Love you too, Bobby. Bye."

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Jack dialed Mark's number on his phone.

"Hey Mercer where are you?"

"Hey man, I can't come today. Ally just blacked out and we gotta take her to the hospital."

"Oh, that sucks. I'll tell the guys. I hope she's ok. Later."

"Later."

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Allison woke up in a hospital bed.

Evelyn stood up from a chair that she had been sitting in.

"How do you feel?" Evelyn asked as she petted Allison's hair.

"I'm fine."

"Um-hm. Allison, did you know that you have three broken ribs?"

Allison stared at her blankly. She had been sure that something was broken.

"Allison, why didn't you tell us? This is serious damage. You have too many bruises to count and cuts that are very deep."

Allison just stared at Evelyn. Evelyn shook her head.

"Well, then, since you won't talk to me, maybe you'll talk to Jack." Then, Evelyn opened the door and called Jack into the room.

Jack entered the room slowly.

"Hey, Ally."

Allison nodded her head in response.

"Ally, you need to tell someone what happened to you. You look really bad. I know what it's like to be in your position, ok."

"Yeah right." Allison mumbled under her breath. Jack heard her, and then his face twisted into a deep frown.

"You don't believe me? Well, maybe this'll clear things up for you." Jack pulled up his shirt and turned around to reveal the many scars he had. The on that caught Allison's attention the most was a long scar that stretched from his shoulder to his mid-back.

She looked shocked.

"See? I've been through this. I know what it's like. You're scarred and in pain. I've gone through it all.

"When I was a kid, my dad beat the heck out of me. I didn't know who my mom was and I still don't. Evelyn is more than enough. Anyway, my dad was killed in a car accident. It was one of the happiest days of my life when I found out. I remember how the physiatrist though I was in denial and couldn't explain to anyone why I hadn't cried once about it." Jack got a dazed look on his face and didn't look at Ally, but he still spoke.

"After he died, I went from foster home to foster home, where I got beat for just about everything I did. Then, Evelyn adopted me. I thought it was just going to be another abusive foster home and I my cuts and bruises. Finally, Bobby figured it out because when he touched me, I would wince because it hurt so badly. He walked in on me while I was getting out of the shower and saw the damage that had been done. He told Ma, of course and she took me to a doctor to get checked out. I had to get at least fifty stitches. It hurt like heck. That's why I still don't like hospital's and doctor's offices."

Jack had just told Allison more than he had ever told anybody about his past. It was the most he would ever tell anybody.

After that, Allison realized that Bobby was protective and that she would get beaten anymore. She grew very close to Bobby and even closer to Jack. It all became clear to Ally that this was her real family.

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Ok, this is like a 'skipping through the years' kind of thing. So there'll be some important things that happen. Next, Ally will be about sixteen. Please Review!

-No Mercy Mercer.