A/N: This chapter actually really suits my mood today

Chapter Four

Date rape. The words spun around Syed's head until they stopped making sense. He couldn't believe that it had actually happened to him. He sat there in a dumbstruck silence while he was examined, Tanya standing by looking very worried. He didn't even remember answering the questions the policeman asked. He just felt numb.

"How did you know this man?" The policeman asked.

"He was a bartender. I'd never seen him before the other night," Syed replied mechanically. The answers were just coming out automatically.

"Do you know where he lives?"

"I can't remember. I didn't recognise the area and I just wanted to get out of there."

"What do you remember about that night? Do you remember going with him?"

"No, I just remember feeling sick and wanting to go home, everything else goes blank after that."

After the police had left, Tanya sat down next to him and held his hand. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I really don't know," Syed admitted as he ran his hand through his hair. "It's doesn't seem real. I keep thinking that it's a bad dream and that I'm going to wake up at any moment to find that none of this happened."

"You need to tell Christian about this."

"I can't."

"He'll understand."

"He was just so angry, you didn't see how mad he was. I don't know if I'm ready to face him yet."

"But this changes everything. He was only angry because he thought you'd slept with someone else."

"I did sleep with someone else."

"But not intentionally, this bloke forced it on you. Christian will understand that."

"Maybe, I don't know."

"Come on, let's get you back to mine and you can decide later."

"Most of my things are still at Christian's."

"Then I'll go and pick them up for you if you don't want to see him."

"I'd appreciate that, thanks."

XXX

Christian saw Syed and Tanya arrive back at Tanya's house from across the Square. He'd decided to go for a long run to try and work of some of his anger and frustrations but it hadn't worked. His heart almost leapt out of his chest when he saw Syed. He looked terrible. His hair was unbrushed and it looked like he hadn't slept a wink. It almost made him want to run across the Square up to the younger man and hold him until everything was all right again.

He didn't though. Instead he headed back to the cold emptiness of his flat. He flopped down on the sofa and sighed. The silence didn't last long as he was disturbed by the buzzer. He wanted to ignore it but it didn't stop. He didn't even bother to check who it was, he just buzzed them in. He had a feeling of who it would be anyway after his little phone call earlier. He really wasn't in the mood for this confrontation today.

"You need to talk to Syed," he heard Tanya's voice come from behind him.

"I don't need to do anything."

"Don't be so stubborn. Listen, Syed loves you, right and you love him so please, for both your sakes, just talk to him. Will you at least think about it?" Tanya asked. Christian didn't answer but simply shrugged, refusing to make such a commitment. "Then I'll just take his things and leave."

"They're over there," he pointed towards the bin liners resting on the floor.

Tanya went over and picked them up. On her way out she turned to Christian one more time and said, "It's not as simple as you think it is."

"It never is."

"When you understand come over and talk to Syed. He's going to need you," and then she left.

Christian was left confused by Tanya's departing comment. Syed was going to need him, what did she mean by that? His head hurt too much and he didn't want to think anymore. Feeling fed up, he grabbed his phone and dialled Roxy's number.

"Hey Rox, d'ya fancy going out tonight?"

XXX

In hindsight going to R&R was not the best idea. It was, after all, the scene of Syed's betrayal but Roxy had to work for a couple of hours and Christian just wanted to get drunk as quickly as possible. He didn't actually expect the bloke Syed had slept with to be working that night.

He didn't know who it was immediately but he felt Roxy tense up when she saw him.

"That's him isn't it?"

"I forgot he was shifted in tonight. Don't do anything stupid."

"What like jump across the bar and shove his head through the bottles? Would I do a thing like that?"

"You've put a lot of thought into that, haven't you?"

"I've had all day to think up stuff I'd like to do to him, now it's just good to put a face to the bloke I want to kill. Don't worry I wouldn't really," he reassured Roxy when he saw a worried look pass over her face.

"I'll get you a drink, just stay away from him." She warned.

"Yes mother," Christian said as he went to sit down. He continued to stare at the bartender though and he didn't even try to conceal how much he hated him.

"Have you got a problem?" He eventually came over to Christian to confront him. "You keep staring at me."

"Yes I've got a problem," Christian retorted. "I've got a problem with blokes who like to get off with other people's fiancé's."

"So you're Christian, then?" He smirked. "I have to say, you're exactly how I pictured you."

"And you look exactly like the home wrecker I pictured you to be."

"Don't be like that. Syed and me was just a bit of fun. I'm sure you can understand that, couldn't you"?

"Funnily enough, I can't"

"I can see why you're with him though, he is so good," Christian knew he was trying to get a reaction out of him. He tried to push his anger aside. "He's the best I've had in a long time."

"Yeah, well, you can't have been that good. He couldn't even tell me your name," Christian lied. He hadn't even asked Syed who the bloke was.

"Did he go back to you and beg for your forgiveness? Did he cry and say it would never happen again? Did you throw him out?"

"That's none of your business," Christian was seriously on the verge of punching this man.

"Did he tell you what happened, or couldn't he remember?"

"What?"

"It wouldn't surprise me if he couldn't remember."

"And why is that?"

"He wasn't even conscious," this shocked Christian to his very core. "Drugs tend to stop a person from saying no."

With that Christian lunged at him with all his force and pushed him to the ground. He managed to land a few good punches to him before he was pulled off by security.

"What are you doing?" Roxy cried.

"I'm going to kill him," Christian shouted.

"Get out of here," Roxy said to Matt, gesturing him to leave. Once he had gone, Roxy took Christian to one side to calm him down. "What was that all about?"

"He drugged Syed."

"What?"

"He drugged Syed and then took him home."

"So when Syed said he was feeling ill…"

"It was because he slipped him something. I need to see him. I need to tell him."

Christian left Roxy and rushed across the Square to Tanya's house. He had to compose himself before he knocked on the door.

"Christian," Tanya greeted. She knew why he was there.

"I need to Syed."

"You know what happened don't you?"

"I saw him… at the club… the scumbag told me everything."

"Be gentle with him, Christian. He's very fragile right now."

"I will be."

XXX

Syed was sitting on Tanya's sofa with tears in his eyes. It had just started to hit him and he was feeling very alone. Not even Tanya's attempts to comfort him had made him feel in the slightest bit better.

He heard Christian's voice at the door and his heart seized up. He couldn't make out the words but he sounded angry. He really wasn't in the mood for any further confrontations.

He heard the living room door open but he didn't look up. He couldn't face looking at Christian.

"Sy," Christian said, his voice conflicted and tortured.

"What do you want?" Syed asked tearfully. "I don't want to argue anymore."

"I'm not here to argue with you. I'm here to listen."

"What made you change your mind? You were hell bent on hating me before when you didn't know everything."

"And I was wrong. I'm ready to hear what you have to say."

"You know where I spent my day?" Syed said, his voice raised with anger. "I spent my day at the hospital being examined and prodded and told that someone had drugged me. I needed you there Christian. I needed you by my side to comfort me when the doctor told me I'd been sexually assaulted. I needed you to hold my hand when the police asked me endless questions. I needed you and you weren't there because you wouldn't listen."

"I'm sorry."

"Not only that but you hit me Christian. You actually hit me in the face. Do you know how that makes me feel?"

"I'm sorry."

"I don't want your apologies, I don't want your sympathies they're worthless anyway. I just want you out of this house and I want you to leave me alone," he shouted.

"I think it might be best if you left," Tanya interjected. She led Christian to the door. "Give him some time. It's a lot for him to deal with at the moment. Just let him know that you're there for him."

"I don't think he wants me to be there for him."

"He does, I know he does. I wouldn't have told him to come round if I thought he didn't. He'll come around eventually and when he does he'll need you more than ever."