I was watching the third season of the O.C. and this plot line for this chapter came to mind…please review

It was getting hard. All of the working. Natalie was getting exhausted. She had requested the night off – and thank GOD. She needed a break. She had tried just sleeping it off, but it didn't work. She needed a REAL release. Natalie thought about it and got dressed in yet another clubbing dress she had, did her hair and makeup and began to make her way around the streets, walking into Club Voodoo. She danced and drank. Her troubles and stresses soon began to melt away. A cute guy offered to buy her a drink – and by that time she was already so wasted that she didn't even know or ask the guy's name. A couple of people were passing around some pills and for a moment she thought about Henry. She'd promised she'd stay out of trouble – but she

wasn't in trouble, she was just relaxing…..

About an hour prior…

Henry was doing homework in his room, not paying too much attention to it – he never did. For some reason he felt uneasy, like something was wrong. Just to calm himself down Henry pulled out his phone and dialed Natalie to get no answer. He began to panic and tried again – nothing.

"Shit." He muttered – he had woken up this morning with a feeling in his gut. Something was wrong- really wrong. Henry jumped up and grabbed his phone, keys, and coat and ran out the door to be stopped by his Mom.

"Where are you going?"

"To get Natalie." Henry answered. His mom grabbed his coat.

"You know where she is?"

"Yes." Henry answered. "I have this whole time. Now I need to go!"

"Henry! I knew you were lying! You're not going anywhere until you call Mr. Goodman and…"

"I'll call him on the way!" Henry yelled, running away from her and into his car, speeding away. He pulled into the Goodman's driveway and ran up to the door. He rang the doorbell furiously.

"Henry, what's wrong?" Dan cried.

"Natalie! I know where she is – I have this whole time, I'm sorry, she made me promise not to tell. I'm really sorry, but look I have this feeling…"

"That something's not right. That she's not okay." Dan interrupted.

"Exactly." Henry replied.

"Father's intuition."

"I'm on my way to get her- she's in New York. Are you coming?" Henry asked. Dan grabbed his keys and coat and followed Henry back out to his car and they got on their way.

Back at the club half an hour later…..

Natalie popped a few pills and continued dancing, and pretty sure a guy started dancing pretty closely with her. He was cute, nothing like Henry but Natalie decided he was harmless and continued dancing with him. Pretty soon his arms were around her and his lips were on her neck.

"Uhm…" She slurred. "I have a boyfriend."

"Oh, sorry." The guy said, smirking a bit. "That's fine, I'm not trying to do anything, just having fun." Natalie drunkenly nodded.

"Okay."

"Where is he?" The guy whispered to her.

"Um…long story."

"Why don't we go somewhere and you tell me about it? Back to your place?" Natalie just nodded, not fully hearing what he had said. She was totally out of it. Completely. She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the club and back to the hotel. And pretty sure "just having fun" took a turn for the worse. Natalie told him a little about what happened – what she could remember in her state – and before , she knew what was going on – not that she at all had any clue what was going on that night – they were kissing on the bed, and he was making quick advances….

"Wait…" She mumbled. "Stop…"

"Shh..just relax." The guy whispered, pulling her shirt off. Natalie felt drunk and weak and didn't know what to do….

Bum, bum, bum…

Henry and Dan ran into the hotel and got in the elevator going up to the room. They ran to the door and banged on it.

"Natalie – it's me!" Henry cried.

"Henry.." Natalie whispered. The guy continued kissing her and began unbuttoning her jeans.

"Natalie are you okay?" Dan asked. No response.

"Mm stop!" Natalie begged. But the guy kept going, and going. "Please…Stop!" She yelled. "Help!" She cried realizing what was happening. "Stop, stop!"

"Natalie it's Henry! What's going on?" Henry yelled, banging on the door.

"Henry help! Henry!" Natalie sobbed as the guy began removing his shirt.

"Shut up." He hissed.

"Nat!" Dan cried.

"Stop, stop it!" Natalie tried fighting off the guy. Henry took a deep breath…karate..3rd grade…Henry stared at the locked doorknob and side kicked it – breaking a hole into its place. He pushed open the door and him and Dan charged in. Henry stared at the situation in front of him – this half naked jackass had his half naked, sobbing girlfriend pinned down to the bed.

"You fucking bastard!" Henry yelled shoving the guy off the bed and punching him.

"Henry!" Dan cried, holding the teenager back. The guy grabbed his shirt and ran out of the room, bleeding.

"Yeah you better fucking run!" Henry screamed, as Dan held him. Natalie just continued crying,

"Henry." She whispered.

"Nat." Henry said, climbing onto the bed and holding her as she sobbed.

"I..I told him to stop!" She cried, holding him.

"I know. Don't worry he's gone, he won't hurt you anymore – I'm here." Henry murmured, holding her tighter and rubbing her back.

"I promised you that…I..I'm sorry…" Natalie cried.

"Don't apologize, it's okay." Henry kissed her head. Natalie continued crying in Henry's arms. Dan just sighed at how much Henry reminded him of himself – the way he took care of Natalie like he once did for Diana.

"Why don't we go?" He whispered as Henry continued holding Natalie. Henry nodded.

"C'mon Nat, let's get your stuff together." He said. She nodded and the 3 of them silently packed up suitcases. Henry tightly had his arm around Natalie as they checked out and walked to the car. She was silent and they sat in the backseat together, her occasionally shedding tears. Henry just wiped them away and held her hand, and kissed her cheek. She was obviously drunk. And that made him angry. But more importantly – she was hurt, and violated, and traumatized and she needed him. Finally they arrived back at the Goodman's. They walked inside.

"Natalie!" Diana cried happily, rushing towards her daughter. Dan stepped in front of her and whispered

"Hold on, I'll be back down to tell you what happened in a minute." Dan led Henry and Natalie silently upstairs, Henry's arm around Natalie. Henry and Dan stood in the hallway while Natalie got changed into her pajamas.

"Mr. Goodman, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone along with any of this from the start, I should have told you where she was, I … I shouldn't have lied….I…I didn't mean for anything like this to happen. This is 100% my fault….and..I feel horrible." Henry admitted. Dan glared at him.

"You didn't mean for this to happen." Dan said in a forgiving way. Henry nodded, and they hard a noise from Natalie's room.

"Nat?" Dan called. They heard her whimper and both walked in.

"Henry?" Natalie asked, looking up with a tear stained face from her pillow. Henry went to her and sat down, brushing her hair out of her face. Natalie tightly hugged him and he kissed her forehead.

"Go to sleep." Henry told her. "Say goodnight to your Dad." He whispered.

"Dad?" Natalie asked.

"Yeah, Nat?" She burst into tears, once again.

"I'm sorry. I'm a horrible daughter." She sobbed.

"You're not, Natalie. Really, I love you." Dan said walking to her and holding her hand. "Now let's let Henry get home, and you get some slee….."

"No!" Natalie cried. "No, no Henry….stay, please." Natalie begged, clinging on to him and beginning to cry again. Henry looked to Dan

"Um..uh…"

"Natalie he has to go home." Dan said.

"I can come over tomorrow, okay?" Henry told her, to receive a hurt look from her. She whispered,

"But..what if…what if it happens again…?"

"Shh I promise, Natalie. It won't." Natalie gazed at him and then nodded.

"Okay, promise you'll come tomorrow?" She asked.

"I promise." Henry replied. "Sleep tight, Nat. You need it. I love you." Henry kissed her gently.

"I love you too." Natalie watched sadly as Henry walked out of the room. Dan sat beside her on the bed.

"Natalie, I'm sorry for everything I said. Before you took off – I would have left too, nobody deserves to be treated like that….especially at home. We love you, and we care about you more than anything. And…and you, your mother, and I are all going to work through all of this - together. And I promise, everything will be okay." He said. Natalie nodded.

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"I love you."

"I love you too Dad."

"Goodnight." Dan kissed her forehead and walked out.