"Hey Mrs Adams."

Emma heard a voice call her, and her blood turned cold. Mrs Adams... just didn't sound right. Emma turned and saw that boy Dakota was seeing and her mouth dropped.

"Oh, you must be.." Emma remembered his name, she was just in shock he was here, as there house, on their porch.

Emma was in thought, sitting on the bench swing when he came up.

He tilted his head since she was in the shadows a bit and saw something around her eye, "You okay Mrs Adams?"

"Emma, please call me Emma." she practically begged and tried to hold her cry, "Dakota's in the basement with Jack."

Ian reconsidered going inside and just telling Dakota that today seemed like a day she should be with her mom, but decided to go walk over to Emma.

Emma was shocked and tried to turn her head, and Ian just knew what was going on instantly.

"My mom use to cover with make up until she found out the best way to hide it.." Ian pierced his lips together tightly, knowing this was pretty brave of him to do.

Emma looked away before slowly looking over and up at him, there it was, a big bruise under her eye, worse than the other ones.

"What was that?" she whispered. Ian saddened, she was so torn up looking, at the resturant with that other guy though, Jay, she seemed so much happier, even if they were fighting.

"She stopped getting slapped around and left." Ian spoke loud and clear.

Emma's mouth dropped a bit until the front door opened and Emma turned her head again.

"Bye mom!" Dakota said, tugging on Ian's hand.

"Bye..Emma." Ian waved and slowly left with Dakota who was laughing and telling him what she was up to, then when they were a block away, he couldn't keep it in anymore..

Dakota kept rambling, "oh and by the way, our plan starts this weekend, I'm going to get Jay to come-"

"No plotting or playing cupid anymore, Dakota." Ian said.

Dakota stopped and gave him an outraged look, "Ian! This is the only way things can go back to normal, be happy again! Then we can go to the dance and-"

"This isn't about us, or you right now."

"Ian." Dakota got teary eyed, what'd she do?

Ian scoffed, guess seeing a mother being slapped around brought old feelings back, and Dakota was just so damn blinde to it!

"Have you stopped to look at your mom today? Ever? I mean how long has she been getting abused?" he suddenly cupped Dakotas face, "Does he hurt you? Swear to god if he-"

Dakota shoved him off her angirly, "What are you saying!?"

Ian's shoulders dropped and he saddened, "You really don't know." he said and she shook her head in disbelief. He took a deep breath, "Dakota, your moms being abused by her fiance."

Silence.

Ian watched her try to take all of this in and went to step forward, "Dakota." he reached forward but she backed away from him like fire and started to spill tears before turning, and running back home.

No, not home...she couldn't go home.

How could of Ian known and not her?!

Jay's ..she'll go to Jays.

"Hey Kiddo." Jay said, opening the door.

She sniffed, eyes puffy then noticed a figure behind Jay, a woman. A young woman who looked like a super model...a woman who wasn't her mother.

"Dakota?" Jay suddenly became aware of her being upset and she crossed her arms, hugging herself.

"You're busy." Dakota sneered through clenched teeth and stormed away, but Jay ran after her and grabbed her back to him.

"Dakota what's wrong!?"

Dakota was full out crying, tears and sniffles, she pointed towards his apartment, "That your new girl friend now?"

Jay looked away looking guilty, "Everyone has to move on some time, Dakota." he mumbled, avoiding her eyes.

"Everyones a liar!" Dakota shouted, her throat feeling like it was being torn apart and she tried to struggler but he held her in his arms and tried to hug her.

"Dakota!" he yelled, trying to understand and now seriously worrying.

"Let me go, let me go!" she practically begged with all she had, and finally tore from him, she tilted her head, tears down her cheeks, "R-remember that time last year? You told me you wouldn't give up on us. You gave up."

"Dakota that's not fair" Jay snapped and pointed at himself, "I tried all I could, people aren't meant to be."

"You use to say you were." she cried, "You told me stories, you don't think I remember them? When I was 4... 7 even."

Jay looked down and opened his mouth but shut it, feeling cornered. She was right.

"You don't think I remember you bringing me to the mall when I was 6, the last thing we did before mom took us away.."

Jay took a deep shakey breath and exhaled, "Dakota lets take her home." he put his hand on her arm and she yanked his arm away.

"You got mom a ring! I helped you picked it out!" she remembered like it was yesterday...

"What about this one Dakota?" Jay asked, going through a jewlery store counter looking at rings. Dakota sat on the counter and clapped excitingly as Jay chuckled to the clerk, "Guess that's the one."

Jay finally snapped, "Well she didn't want it did she Dakota?! She wanted Vancover!" he noticed Dakota jump and shut his eyes, "Dammit Dakota!" he hated thinking about this, she thought she was the only one who hurt through it? "What else do you want me to do!?" he begged, his arms shooting out.

He had nothing.

Emma was marrying someone else.

"Fight for us." Dakota's voice cracked, and she turned, numbly..and left.

Jay stood there and swallowed the lump in his throat, a numb look in his eyes too.

Dakota hugged herself as she walked home in the dark by herself, the sky black

And she says oh
I can't take no more
Her tears like diamonds on the floor
And her diamonds bring me down
Cause I can't help her now
She's down in it
She tried her best but now she can't win it
Hard to see them on the ground
Her diamonds falling down