A/n: Okay, pay attention, nothing to important in this chapter but if your not carful you could get confused at what I may be trying to get across. If u have any questions just ask~ I am happy to explain!

John had sat up with Claire's help and as soon as he was up he pulled Claire onto the bed with him and wrapped his arm around her, he couldn't do this with out her, he needed her there. Wendy took a seat on the empty bed, crossing her legs like a kid. She motioned for Vernon to sit down beside her but he gently smiled and shook his head. He was going to watch from afar, he didn't want to get in the way. He chose a wall, leaned up against it and crossed his arms.

The doctor took a seat at the end of the bed and the two cops pulled up some chairs. One was older, with graying hair and a mustache, he didn't seem friendly, but he didn't seem mean either. The other cop was younger, had olive skin and a slight accent that John couldn't place. Then again he knew very little about such things.

"Alright John, the good old Doctor Pennington wants us to keep this short. Just answer everything to the best of your abilities. And remember, your mother has told us her side of the story, so if things don't add up…. we'll know." Said the older cop.

John nodded and gently pulled Claire closer; she squeezed his hand, reassurance that she wasn't going anywhere.

"Alright, where were you before you came home the night your father attacked your mother and you?"

"I was with my friends…" he replied.

"Can you name them as your alibis?"

John nodded and looked to Claire, "He was with me, Andy, Allison and Brian." She said with a tone of defiance in her voice. John smiled.

"Okay. At what time did you arrive home from being with your friends?"

"I don't really know, I don't own a watch and we don't really have clocks in our house… but if you will take an estimation I'd say possibly 10:30?" he asked looking to Claire, she nodded.

"Now, in as much detail as you can, please tell us the happenings that took place from your arrival home up until you passed out at the station."

John proceeded. He quoted all the banter between his father and himself, and his father shoving him, to his mother and what she said. Then him going to his room, he even mentioned the pot. Then he went into the kitchen scene and taking the blow for his mother after she explained she was leaving, his father violently dragging her into the back bedroom, and him beating her with his belt. John explained about the axe in the garage and how he broke down the door, and then smashed his father in the head with the blunt end because his father had threatened him and was beating his mother. Then he told about them leaving and arriving at the station and when he reached the part where he blacked out he looked to his mother and spoke softly.

"I guess the blow on my head had been worse then I thought… as soon as I had gotten outta the blazer I got real dizzy, ma came round the car and helped me into the station but by then I guess I musta lost a lot of blood or something… cause that's when I went out. Woke up here… you know the rest."

The room was silent as the cops wrote things down and they seemed to be looking over their papers.

"Alright Mr. Bender…. Your story is almost perfect with your mother's. It was in self-defense and according to the law, since you openly admitted to it and because it was a case of self-defense there will be no charges against you. Once you are released from the hospital you are free to do as you wish."

John sat back relieved, Claire lay back with him and smiled, slowly his hands pounced on her and started to tickle. "NO! JOHN NO!" She cried playfully.

"Alright you two, that's enough. We wouldn't want you breaking the bed." The doctor said kindly. "Come on Claire, it's time we let Mr. Bender actually rest." Claire sighed and kissed John. She left reluctantly giving him a sexy glance as she walked out the door. John sighed too and laid back, he turned to look at his mom, "She is such a tease."

The Doctor and the two cops followed. Wendy smiled and then looked over towards Richard, he was still leaning on the wall; he had been looking at Wendy, slightly gazing off. "Come on Rich, let's let John rest. We can go get some food in the cafeteria!" Wendy said.

"Uh, no. You need to get back to bed little Miss. Walk-around-in-her-hospital-gown-all-day. You weren't supposed to even be awake. Leave it to the Bender family to be able to stay awake through sleeping drugs." Wendy leaned into Richard and nuzzled her head into his chest.

John was about to vomit, "Come on guys. I'm supposed to be resting… go get all gooey some place were I don't haveta watch." John closed his eyes and waited for them to leave. Suddenly he felt lips on his forehead and he opened his eyes. His mother was leaning over him kissing his forehead. His eyes grew wide and he almost jerked away. "Sorry… I'm still not used to…" he trailed off looking really sorry at her.

"It's alright. We'll work on it together." She said walking towards the door. "Coming Richard?"

"In a second Wendy, I want to talk to John real quick." She smiled and left shutting the door behind her.

"What you want V man? If it's about my Saturday's I'll finish them up in the summer if it really means that much to you." John remarked tartly.

"John…" Richard said softly.

"Just cause your fucking my mother doesn't mean I have to listen to anything you…"

"John!" Vernon yelled.

John flinched and raised his hand up over his head. His instant reaction to any loud noises or voices. Usually he could control it around people other, but today the drugs were really working their magic.

John realized he had shown weakness before a man he had never backed down from. And he instantly put his arm down, opened his eyes and stared the man down.

Vernon's look of surprise at the fearful reflex action was still etched across his face. He sat down on the edge of the bed and started to talk, soft, slow and gentle.

"John, please hear me out. I am NOT in a physical relationship with your mother. Not yet at least. The counselor has made it very clear to me she may not be ready for that kind of a relationship for a long time. Possibly even including after are married. And I understand that. I won't be pressuring her at all. At this point in my life I am just looking for companionship anyway. But listen John, I want to… I have something very important to tell you." John had been listing this whole time with his usual look of what-ever. For some reason he couldn't get the words principle and enemy out of his head.

"John…I'm… I'm sorry." John's eyes grew wide and his head turned slightly. He looked the man up and down, what did he just say?

"It was never my…intention to make you feel like you couldn't trust me. I know I've never given you reason to but… I just want you to understand that I'm not the enemy. These last few years, when we didn't agree in school…. You need to be aware that I never hated you. I grew frustrated actually, annoyed and angry that you wouldn't let me help you. I could never hate… or in any way hurt any of the students that go to that high school. And I never wanted to say half the things I said to you. But boy do you have a way of getting under my skin." He said laughing.

"I am not a extremely intelligent man John. But I do know when I have wronged someone. I've become bitter over the years. Watching kids come and go… none of them really respecting me like I have them. Part of me just figured the only way to get respect with kids that didn't give it was to not give it back. But I was a fool… and now looking back at all the signs that you gave… the rebellion on such a high level. You did it to get a rise out of me. And for attention that didn't involve being hit. I wish I had been smart enough to realize what you wanted. I really wish I could have made a difference with you. So I just wanted to apologize… for not being there when you needed me… as a teacher I should always put my students first, and as a principle I should be kinder to the kids who need it most."

John sat there in silence; he tried to digest what Mr. Vernon had just said, "I…" he started. He wanted to say something snotty and mean, he wanted to push this man away and get up and run and just punch something. But he couldn't. This Vernon that sat before him was the same stern, evil, horrible man that had made his high school life almost as miserable as his home life.

But he was also the only man in John's life who ever paid any attention to him. And the more John thought about it the more he realized what he had been doing the past four years. All the times he broken something, or stolen something, or broken the rules, the one who always responded was Vernon. He, however, did not hit John for his actions, he lectured and talked and got up in his face and threatened him with detention, or mop duty.

Richard Vernon was the closest thing to a male role model that John had, besides his old pothead friends. But they all looked up to John, and he could never look up to any of them because of it.

"Ah, go suck an…" he stopped again mid-sentence and turned his head to look out the window, then he looked at his hands and then glanced up at Vernon. The man was just looking at him, what did he want!? "What!" John screamed. He surged up from his bed and threw off the blankets. He tore the UV from his arm and started to pace the room. Every once and awhile he would look at Vernon who had stood up at the sudden movement and had his hands risen. He was showing his innocents, he meant nothing bad by those remarks, as it turned out he wanted to help.

"You're not supposed to want to help me! You're supposed to hate me! That's how things work! Remember in the closet in your office… you told me to swing at you… Just take one punch you said! That's all you need! Yeah, that's all you need all right! You just needed that one punch to claim self-defense… then you could beat the shit out of me. I know how you adults fucking work, your all like goddamn ticking time bombs. I don't do it you smash my nose, I do do it you smash my face!"

"John you need to calm down. I never would have laid a hand on you… I know you don't realize it now, but… I'm a pacifist… and in all truths I am all talk… just like you kiddo."

"A pac-a-what?" John asked angrily, "It means you don't like to fight, in fact you hate it with a passion. If anything you want to prevent it." Vernon said calmly lowering his hands.

"All talk! Who says I'm all talk…" John said instantly changing the subject, in all truths John hated fighting too, but he wouldn't give Vernon the pleasure. "I could come over there right now and rip you apart." John tore the bandages off his head and threw them down. "I could beat the living hell out of you… I was taught by the best!" John said angrily.

He held up his arm and pointed at the cigar mark, "Come on! Wouldn't you want a crazy tattoo like this too?" John took a step towards Vernon, the man didn't move and instantly John stepped back. He jerked to the window and looked out onto the city below. Silence filled the room.

"John… take some deep breaths, clear your head of all this anger you have built up… and try to keep your thoughts clear and calm… when have I ever laid a hand on you that was in any way meant to hurt you?" Vernon asked quietly. He slowly approached John, keeping his steps slow and even. He made sure his voice was soft, level and that John could tell he was approaching him. He didn't want to scare the boy.

John started to shake; he was so confused and frustrated. Dick had to hate him, which was their relationship. They didn't like each other, they didn't want to be around each other, and they didn't ever help each other. John could handle the smaller changes that had happened so far. Dropping his old friends for the Breakfast Club had been the easy. Choosing to leave his old man with his mother had been easy too. Swinging that axe was the easiest thing of all! But this… all this change…this promise from Vernon to help him and his mother… to be there for John.

It was a type of foreign that John was not real comfortable with; he didn't trust it at all. He enjoyed watching Vernon squirm, and he had thought Vernon had enjoyed lecturing him. If Vernon went soft on him then he wouldn't have what they had before. Not that they had anything… it was purely hate.

John felt a hand on his shoulder and he jerked, "Easy kiddo." John felt his eye twitch, he felt his nostrils flare and his nails dug into the windowpane.

"You hate me V man…." John said between clenched teeth, "And I hate you." He wanted Vernon to agree, to smack him upside the head and laugh that evil laugh and walk away. But instead he felt the hand on his shoulder move to his arm and gently squeeze. "No John… I don't hate you. I want to help… and I want to be there for you."

Instantly John spun around and swatted the hand away, "I don't want your pity!" He yelled. "I don't want it and I don't need it."

"I have no pity for you John." Instantly John fell silent. "I have no pity for a boy who doesn't want help, a boy who is to afraid to ask for help." With that he walked passed John and toward the door. "We'll talk more later."

"Like hell we will." John snapped. Vernon left, shutting the door behind him. John deflated on the spot; he fell to the floor and pulled his knees to his chest. He lay there shaking and clenching his teeth and growling with anger.

How dare that man care!

A/n: What you think of the beginning of the Vernon and John Struggle? R&R