Chapter 8 Fix You

Everyone was rushing through sound-check due to the fact that no one knew when Nick would return from his unexpected detour to Pennsylvania during the weekend. It was their last show in Madison Square Garden. The boys were getting hooked up to their mikes backstage. The tension caused by the sour mood of the youngest band-member for the past couple of days was uplifted ever since his return and everyone speculated it was due to the arrival of the newest addition of the JONAS tour family- a pretty brunette girl. No one, except the Lucas family, knew who she was but what they did know was that she had to be someone really special to Nick because the two of them were inseparable.

"Macy, you can watch the concert from backstage with my parents and Frankie," Nick informed her. "Is that alright with you?"

She nodded her head. And Nick gave her a big hug to show her that he loved her. He hated PDA but a hug can be seen as a neutral form of affection. It was enough to show others that they were close because Nick Lucas doesn't just hug anyone. And such a hug was also enough to speculate that the pretty brunette girl was something more to him. Even though he didn't like PDA, he wanted to make sure that everyone knew that Macy wasn't just anyone to him. She was solely his and judging by how long he hugged her, it was clear to all the guys on tour that they better not make a move on her.

"Nick! Get your butt up there on stage! You're holding us up!" yelled Big Man.

"JUST GIVE ME A SEC!" Nick yelled back and then he turned to look at Macy with a concerned look on his face.

"Macy, are you okay? You're really quiet," Nick pointed out worriedly.

"What? No…I'm fine…It's nothing," Macy assured him but to be honest, she was still shaken up by the incident. "Just do your thing. I'll be here watching."

"Okay," Nick said apprehensively because he could tell that something was bothering her. "If you need anything, just tell me. You know that I'll do anything for you."

"Thanks. But I'm really fine, just go Nick! You're holding rehearsals up!" Macy answered and to show him that he shouldn't worry, she gave him her best smile. "I'm fine. Really. Don't worry about me. You don't want to disappoint your fans."

"Are you sure?"

"YES! Now, go! Don't make me drag you out there," Macy said jokingly.

"Then I'll see you in a bit," Nick said as he embraced her one more time. "I love you, Mace."

"I love you, too," she answered. The moment he parted from her, she could hear the screams of fan-girls once he joined his brothers on stage.

She stood next to his family as they watched from backstage.

"How's everyone doing today?" Nick asked the crowd.

There were more screams from the fans. And from where she was standing, Macy could see many signs and cameras flashing as the boys ran through their set-list. Time and time again, Nick would glance over at her to give her a comforting smile, which Macy gladly returned.

"Macy! Oh Macy!" Frankie called. But the brunette girl didn't hear him because the music was too loud to hear anything clearly. Because of this, he gently grabbed her wrist to get her attention.

Macy, who was watching the boys play their music, flinched the moment she felt someone grab her wrist. Immediately images of Julian appeared in her head. She could remember his steel grip on her when he restrained her from fighting back.

"Get off of me!" Macy yelled without realizing who it actually was. The memory of Julian holding her against her will was haunting her, the moment she felt someone grab her wrist. The touch alone was enough to bring back disturbing memories from the traumatizing event that happened earlier that day.

Frankie, who never heard Macy raise her voice, was caught off guard and he immediately apologized, "Sorry to scare you, Macy! I was just wondering if you wanted to get some refreshments."

"Oh, sorry, about that, Frankie. You just startled me…I-um-…sorry about that," Macy said sheepishly. Get a grip, Macy. He's not here.

"Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost," Frankie pointed out.

"Oh…uh…it's just that it's been a long trip from Pennsylvania…I'm just tired that's all," Macy lied.

"Well, do you want something to eat?" the young boy repeated.

"N-no thanks. I'm fine. But do you know where the bathroom is?" Macy asked him politely.

"Just go around the back and it's the second door to your left," Frankie told her.

"Okay. Thanks."

Her heart was still racing. I need to be strong, she said to herself. I can't let him get to me.

But the moment she locked herself in the bathroom, the memory of the assault was as clear as day.

You used me…

You're so fickle, Macy…

Let's see how easy you really are…

Macy wanted to scream from all the pain she felt. Her wrists were still red with the imprint of Julian holding her against the sycamore tree.

How could you, Julian? I though you were my friend, Macy thought as she began to sob. I thought you were my friend…

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and Frankie was right. She was as pale as a ghost. And then she noticed a different scar from the attack. The hickey on her neck was another horrible reminder that Julian violated her body. She felt so ashamed. Why didn't she try harder to run away? Why did she freeze up? Why did her body respond to his touch? Was she really that easy?

Macy was crying even louder now because Nick didn't know that hickey on her neck wasn't the only one Julian gave her. She was afraid to unbutton her shirt because she didn't want to see the rest of them. She felt so unclean. Rushing to the sink she turned it on and grabbed a bunch of napkins to wet them. And she began to aggressively clean the hickey off her neck.

"Why won't you come off!" she yelled as she rubbed it even harder. It didn't help that the surrounding skin was now becoming a pinkish hue. "Dammit! Please, go away!"

But it was useless because the stubborn mark became even redder because of the pressure she was applying to it. And because she knew that it was impossible to be free from the memory of the assault, Macy slumped to the floor and began to cry to herself. She felt so broken and used.

Meanwhile, the boys wrapped up their sound-check session. The concert was now minutes away and Nick was being attended to because his microphone malfunctioned during the rehearsals. Tech-guys were fixing the problem as quick as they can but the youngest member of the band was impatiently tapping his foot.

"Here! Can I just take it off?" Nick asked them politely as he handed them the mike. "I think it's better if you fix it without me."

The moment he was free from the tech guys, Nick searched frantically for the one face that he wanted to see before he went on stage. Where is she? He went to his dressing room but she wasn't there. He went to the refreshment stand but she wasn't there either. He checked the lounge area but she was nowhere to be found.

"Mom! Did you see Macy?" he asked her worriedly. "I can't find her."

"Macy? She isn't in the lounge area?"

"No!"

"Hm…She was standing by us when you guys were on stage but when you guys finished I didn't see her after," his mother confessed. "I saw her talking to Frankie though. You should ask him where she is. Maybe he knows."

"Okay, thanks, mom," Nick said as he quickly kissed her on the cheek. He ran the other way to the room where he knew Frankie often played video games during their concerts.

"FRANKIE!" he yelled as he ran down the hallway.

"Oh hey Nick. Guess what? I reached level forty in this new game Kevin got me. It was so cool I destroyed one hundred zombies with the laser—

"Yeah, that's great, Frankie, but do you know where Macy is?" Nick asked him anxiously.

"Macy? Last time I talked to her she said that she had to use the bathroom. She might still be there but that was a while back," he replied.

"Okay, thanks, bro."

And so Nick ran even further down the hallway.

"Macy, are you in there?" Nick called from the outside as he gently knocked on the bathroom door, which was locked.

Crap. The brunette girl was sitting on the floor completely a mess. The moment she heard Nick she needed to wipe the tears off her face and gather herself together. The last thing she wanted to do was to worry Nick. She didn't need to be more of a burden to him than she already was. Come on, Macy, get your act together.

"Oh hey, Nick, I was just freshening up!" Macy called back to him as she washed her face with cold water to bring herself back to reality. She didn't want to worry Nick anymore. She needed to be the supportive girlfriend. No more problems, Mace. Pull yourself together.

"Well...um... are you almost done?" Nick asked her politely. "Because I really want to see you before I go on stage."

"Y-yeah, just give me a few seconds," she replied. She combed her hair so that it now draped down enough to cover that pesky hickey on her neck. Even though Nick saw it from before, it still bothered her that she was marred by Julian. It was like a constant reminder of the evil thing that he did to her. When she deemed her appearance was worthy enough to face Nick, Macy opened the door and immediately Nick gave her a hug but he pulled her back inside the bathroom and shut the door. He needed privacy for what he wanted to do next. And before Macy could say anything else, Nick took her face in his hands and placed a passionate kiss on her lips. It was their first kiss that they shared after Julian took advantage of her and so Macy embraced him tightly so that their kiss could deepen. But midway through their kiss, images of Julian forcefully kissing her passed through her thoughts and it disturbed her so much that she abruptly broke away from Nick before he ended it.

This startled the boy greatly and so in a very alarmed voice he asked, "Macy, are you okay? Did I do something wrong?"

"N-no, you d-didn't do anything wrong," Macy assured him. "It's just that…um…I d-don't want to distract you from your concert. You should r-really head out now. I c-can hear your fans cheering…"

But Nick wasn't paying attention to her because he knew something wasn't right.

"Macy, you're shaking," Nick noticed as he grabbed her hand in which once again Macy quickly yanked away from his. "Macy! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!"

"You haven't been acting like yourself since you got here," Nick said worriedly and then he added uneasily because he didn't like bringing him up. "Is it about what happened earlier with Jul—

"Please, don't bring that up," Macy said loudly. "It's just that I need to get used to being here. Yeah! That's it. I mean I haven't seen you perform in awhile so I'm just nervous. But I know you and your brothers will be great! I just wish I had my camera with me so I can videotape you—

"Macy, whatever is really bothering you, you can tell me," Nick comforted her because he could tell that she wasn't being very honest with him. "What is it, Macy? I want to help you."

She looked into his eyes and saw complete sincerity and love in them. They were entirely different from the look Julian had when he almost raped her. Macy wanted to yell out in pain because she still couldn't believe that he was capable of doing that to her. Macy, stop thinking about it. You're here with Nick now. You're safe, she thought to herself. But it didn't change the fact that she was violated.

"Mace, what is it?" Nick repeated with an even more concerned look on his face.

When Macy looked at him one more time, she couldn't bring herself to tell him that she was being tormented with the memory of Julian's attack every time someone touched her. And what she hated most of all was the fact that even though she tried to fight it, her body responded to his touch. Was she really that easy? However, she couldn't bring herself to say this all to Nick, especially since he was set to perform soon. She couldn't be that selfish. He shouldn't worry about her. She was fine. She was absolutely fine.

"It's just that I hope my mom doesn't drag me back home once she finds out that I left Martinsburg to be with you," Macy lied. It was a believable white lie.

"Oh, I see," Nick said because he actually believed this reason. "Don't worry, Mace. I'm not going to hand you over that easily even if it is your mom."

Macy smiled brightly up at him.

"Thanks, Nick. I'm really happy that I'm here with you," she answered as she hugged him tightly.

"Me too," he answered as he rested his head on top of hers.

"FIVE MINUTES GUYS! FIVE MINUTES!" yelled Mr. Lucas. "NICK, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Crap. I have to go," Nick said as he reluctantly let go off his girlfriend.

"You'll be great," Macy said while giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Don't forget to play 'Your Biggest Fan'. That's my favorite."

"Of course! I'll play it just for you," Nick replied as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"NICK YOU BETTER GET OUT HERE THIS INSTANT!" his dad yelled even louder.

And with that, Nick quickly opened the door and joined his brothers. Macy followed him and with the rest of the JONAS tour family she joined them in prayer before they went on stage. It was a custom for the Lucas family to do that before each concert. Everyone was holding hands as Mr. Lucas led them into prayer. When he finished, Macy felt Nick give her hand a tight squeeze before heading out.

The moment JONAS took to the stage there was a deafening roar from the masses of fans who were screaming out their adoration for the three Lucas boys. Flashes of cameras and bright signs could be seen throughout the arena. And once the music started to play, Macy's troubled thoughts began to disappear as she concentrated on their performance.

"Hey, Macy!" Frankie yelled extra loudly as he stood next to her. "How are you enjoying it so far?"

"Hi, Frankie!" Macy said extra politely because she still felt bad for giving him a scare from before. "Yeah, I'm having so much fun. I love watching the boys perform. It's actually my first time watching from backstage. So it's different."

"That's nice," Frankie said. He felt a blush coming across his cheeks because he could feel his crush on her return. "Anyway…I…uh…made you a sandwich since you d-didn't get to eat before."

"Awww. How sweet of you! Thanks, Frankie!" Macy said as she took the sandwich from him. She ruffled his hair a bit to show her appreciation.

"No, p-problem," Frankie said shyly and because he was becoming as red as a tomato, he quickly ran away.

Such a sweet kid, Macy thought to himself. She took a bite out of the turkey sandwich that he gave her and continued watching Kevin, Joe, and Nick do their thing. From where she was standing, she could see that the boys were glistening with sweat. In between songs, the boys would take breaks to drink a glass of water. But that wasn't enough to cool themselves down. Soon, all three of them chucked off their upper, outer layers so that they were now performing in their undershirts. Macy couldn't help but laugh at the reaction of the crowd because the cat-calls from the over-zealous fan girls grew louder when the boys decided to strip their jackets and plaid shirts off. There was ten minutes left in the concert and that was when Nick decided to dedicate a song to Macy. Of course, he didn't mention her name to the crowd.

"The next song is special to me. I wrote it during my summer in L.A. for a very special person in my life," Nick started off to say. "This person has been with me through thick and thin. It's a very personal song. It's called 'Your Biggest Fan'. I hope you guys like it."

Just before he picked up his guitar, Nick pretended to take a sip of water but he really looked over at Macy, who was watching from her spot backstage and gave her a heart-warming smile. Macy mouthed 'I love you,' to him and because he couldn't mouth the same words back just in case someone saw him, he simply nodded his head.

I never thought I would
But I did it
I never thought I could
I did it like that
I did it like this
I did like everybody knows
That we
Got something real, shawty
I know what I feel
So shout it like that
Shout it like this
Listen up everybody knows
But you
Here it goes

'cause I never really noticed,
took awhile for me to see.
playing back the moments,
now I'm starting to believe
that you could be at the show & know everyone
but it's you that makes me sing.
and I may not know where we are but I know who I am,
baby, I'm your biggest fan.
(ooooh)

every time you smile for me,
it takes me awhile to pull myself back
'cause you're all that
And I just had to let you know,
that I'm... screaming out in the crowd for you.
I can't be too loud,cause I don't care, I let 'em all stare.
I just want everyone to know the truth,
it's only you.

I never really noticed,
took awhile for me to see. (awhile for me to see)
I'm playing back the moments,
now I'm starting to believe (starting to believe)
that you could be at the show & know everyone
but it's you that makes me sing.
and I may not know where we are but I know who I am,
baby, I'm your biggest fan.

showed up & you looked so classy.
it made me think twice 'bout the way I was acting.
you were there from the start of it all.
like a dream came to life, now I'm left in awe.
stars shine but your light is the brightest,
love flies but your love is the highest.
you're so sweet that it drives me crazy,
a summer like no other, you my L.A. baby.

no, I never really noticed,
took awhile for me to see. (awhile for me to see)
I'm playing back the moments,
And I'm starting to believe (starting to believe)
that you could be at the show & know everyone
but it's you that makes me sing.
and I may not know where we are but I know who I am,
baby, I'm your biggest fan.
(ooooh)
baby, I'm your biggest fan.
(ooooh)
'cause you can be at the show & know everyone
but it's you that makes me sing.
and I may not know where we are but I know who I am,
baby, I'm your biggest fan.

And the crowd cheered even louder as he continued to sing the rest of the song. Nick Lucas sang his heart out because he felt so at ease to know that Macy was with him by his side. When he finished the song, he looked over to where she was standing and saw that she had tears in her eyes. He had an urge to run to her and comfort her but she gave him a signal to show that she was fine. She was just so touched.

"YOU GUYS WERE AWESOME!" Kevin yelled to the audience as the concert came to an end. "WE LOVE YOU NEW YORK!"

"THANKS FOR HAVING US!" Joe yelled.

The three of them took center stage to wave good-bye to the crowd. And while they were bowing, one really excited and devout fan-girl yelled, "I LOVE YOU JOE! PLEASE MARRY ME! I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES!"

And when Joe looked over to see who it was, he was hit with a small object that bounced off his shoulder. When the three of them looked over at what the object was, both Nick and Kevin burst out laughing because the flying projectile that hit the middle Lucas brother was none other than a wrapped condom. Joe just shook his head with a smirk on his face. Some of their fans can be quite obnoxious.

When the curtains fell, Joe picked it up and tossed it to Nick.

"After your performance of 'Your Biggest Fan', I think you're going to need that tonight now that Macy's here," Joe said while snickering. And with that, Kevin was busy laughing his head off.

"Shut up, Joe," Nick said curtly as he felt a blush come across his cheeks but when they weren't looking, he put the condom in his pocket just in case.

"GREAT JOB GUYS!" their mother yelled happily as she hugged each and every one of her boys.

"I think that was your best performance yet!" their dad congratulated them as Joe, Kevin, and Nick headed backstage.

"You guys were awesome," Macy said as she quickly hugged Kevin, Joe, and Nick. But the last Lucas boy didn't let go off her that easily. And jokingly, she said, "Nick, as much as I love you, I don't want your stinky sweat getting on my clothes."

"Haha. Very funny, Macy," Nick said sarcastically as he finally let go off her. "But did you enjoy the concert, especially the end?"

"I loved it," she replied and as much as she wanted to kiss him, she had to refrain because she didn't want to attract any attention.

"I'm glad. Well, just wait here for a bit," Nick told her. "I need to shower and change and then we can get dinner. Sounds good?"

"Yup, sounds good," Macy said. "I'll wait here."

And so Nick hurried to his dressing room. He was about to close the door when he saw a familiar face in the hallway.

"GABBY!" he called out to her. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Uh…okay sure," the back-up dancer said apprehensively because the last time she had a conversation with Nick, it left her in tears.

She was standing in his dressing room not knowing what to expect.

"I'm sorry for blowing up on you before," he apologized. "I know you didn't mean to say those things in your interview."

"No, Nick, it's okay. I was dumb to even talk to the Celebrity Brat. I just hope you and your girlfriend are okay," Gabriella replied. "Although, judging by your new 'friend' you brought back from your little trip, I think it's safe to say that you guys are back on?"

Nick smiled and said, "Yeah. And about my trip to Pennsylvania, thanks for buying me the train ticket to go there."

"How did you know it was me?"

"Oh, come on, Gab, who else writes with a neon pink pen and dots their 'i's' with obnoxious looking hearts," Nick pointed out.

"They're not obnoxious looking! They're cute!" she argued.

"Well, thanks anyway. But how did you know Macy was in Pennsylvania?"

"Who do you think told me?" Gabriella asked him.

"Kevin?"

"Yup. That boy can never keep a secret," she said while laughing.

"That's true. Friends again?" Nick asked her as a peace offering.

"Of course! Let's hug it out and pretend this fight never happened," she said and with that she and Nick shared one of their rare hugs but just at that moment, the door to his room flew open.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt," said Macy who not only looked shocked but hurt at the same time when she discovered Nick and Gabriella were sharing a moment...hugging. A wave of insecurity washed over her as she immediately turned around to leave.

Nick could already sense what she was thinking and quickly opened the door.

"MACY!" he said as he pulled her back. "I know what it looked like but it's not like that I swear. I was just thanking Gabby because she was the one who bought me the train ticket so that I can go see you."

"She did?"

"Yeah," Nick answered. "I was just hugging her to show her my thanks. Believe me, Macy. There's nothing going on."

She looked into his eyes and because they've been together for awhile, she knew when he was lying but that wasn't the case now. He was genuinely telling the truth.

"Okay. I believe you," she said.

At that moment, Gabby approached them and said earnestly, "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you guys."

"N-no. Don't apologize. I was just over-reacting," Macy answered sheepishly.

"Well, don't worry. I know my place," she assured her. "Anyway, you must be Macy. I'm Gabby."

"Hi. It's nice to meet you," Macy said as she gave her a small smile. She was still embarrassed about over-reacting from a minute ago.

"Nice to finally meet you," Gabriella greeted her and then she turned towards Nick and nudged his shoulder and added, "But wow, Nick, your girlfriend is really pretty."

"I know," Nick said as he put an arm around the blushing brunette girl.

"Thanks," Macy replied while Nick pulled her closer to him. "And thank you for bringing him to me. I really appreciate that."

"Of course, but I have a feeling that Nick would've gone to see you even without my help," Gabriella replied. "And again I'm really sorry for all the drama I caused you guys."

"Don't mention it," Macy assured her because she was getting a good vibe about her. She seemed really friendly and genuine.

"If there's anything I can do to make it up to you guys, just let me know."

"Gabby—

"No, really, Nick, I don't want to be the bad guy here. And, Macy, trust me; I'm not trying to be competition or anything like that. I don't even like Nick anymore. Besides, there's another guy I have my sights on."

"Really? Who?" Nick asked her curiously.

"Nope, I can't tell you. This is going to be just between us girls, right Macy?"

Macy smiled at her and said, "Right."

"Anyway, since you just arrived, you can sleep in my room tonight. We can be roomies!"

"Thanks, Gabriella!"

"No problemo. And please call me Gabby. Gabriella sounds too formal."

"Oh okay. Thanks, Gabby."

"Well, then I'll leave you two lovebirds alone for now. See you guys at the after-party!" she said as she waved good-bye to them.

When she was gone, she turned towards Nick, and said, "Sorry for over-reacting. Gabby seems like a really nice girl."

"Yeah, she is. I told you she's cool," Nick said as he gave Macy another tight squeeze.

"Oh and here's your shirt. You forgot it on stage."

"Thanks," he said as he took it from her. But he paused for a second because when he saw that the coast was clear, he gave her a quick peck on the lips. And the two of them stood in each other's embrace for a bit longer before Nick got ready. Then, they joined the rest of the gang for a late dinner.

The after party was loud as everyone was enjoying each other's company. Macy sat with the Lucas' family.

"Glad to have you on tour with us, Mace!" Kevin said. "You should have seen Nick before you came. He was so lost without you!"

"Kevin, shut up."

"Aww. Don't be embarrassed, lil bro," Joe now piped in. "Yeah, Mace, he was like this lost little puppy who would always wait by his phone for your call."

"Be quiet, Joseph," Nick said tersely because he didn't want Macy to think that he was weak without her.

"Boys, stop teasing your brother," their mother interjected.

"But, mom , this is a once in a lifetime event!" Kevin protested.

By now, Macy was giggling because it was really sweet that Nick missed her that much. She grabbed his hand from under the table and gave it a tight squeeze to show that there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Now with you on tour, we know Nick is going to be on his good behavior," Joe revealed as he ignored Nick's piercing glare.

"Good behavior?" Macy repeated perplexed.

"Yeah. I don't know if you have seen it yet but Nick throws a hissy-fit every time we steal his socks—

"OKAY! Changing subjects!" Nick interrupted him loudly because Joe was about to tell an embarrassing story about him in front of his girlfriend. "Anyway, dad, when do we leave for New Jersey?"

"Tomorrow morning. So you all better be up by 8am! Because we need to stay on schedule," their father announced.

"Macy, you can stay with Gabby tonight in her hotel room. She's one of the back-up dancers," their mother added.

"Oh okay. I actually met her. She seems really nice," Macy replied. "And thank you once again for letting me stay with you guys."

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Lucas replied. "Your mother is okay with it, right?"

"Er…yeah, she is," Macy lied.

"Great! And I have to agree with my sons. When you weren't here, Nick wasn't the nicest person to be with. He was really cranky with everyone but now that you're with us he's like a completely different person and—

"MOM!" Nick interrupted loudly as he felt himself blushing from ear to ear. He couldn't believe his own mother was also set to embarrass him in front of Macy.

And so she and the Lucas' had a pleasant dinner talking about tour and other stuff. It was a nice change of pace. At one point, Mr. Lucas brought up his cousin, who recently graduated from law school. And just the mention of that triggered images of Julian, who was also aspiring to become a lawyer. She must have tensed up because at that moment, Nick looked at her curiously.

"Macy, are you okay? Your hand just turned really cold," Nick pointed out because he was still holding her hand from underneath the table.

"I'm f-fine," Macy assured him but the truth was that Julian's words were once again ringing through her ears.

You really are that easy…

Your luck ran out, Macy…

It's my turn to use you…

She wanted to scream but she caught herself just before she caused a ruckus.

"Macy, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I think I just need to lay down. I'm pretty tired," Macy said as she faked a yawn.

"You can stay in my room for a bit if you want," Nick offered. "I'll go with you."

"No!" she answered abruptly and she noticed that Nick looked hurt by this sudden outburst. "I mean…I just…want to take a shower and call it a night."

"I'll keep you company—

"No, Nick, just stay here with everyone. I need some time by myself," Macy said.

He lowered his voice so that no one could hear them and said, "Macy, is this about what happened today with Jul—

"Nick, please don't say his name," she said a bit harshly. "I don't want to think about that right now. I told you I'm fine, Nick. Okay? Please, just let me be."

"But just know that I'm here, Macy, if you need anything. I'm in room 2012."

"Okay thanks. And please don't worry about me," she said and then she excused herself from the table and headed to the hotel.

This was not good. Everything was reminding her of the attack. She wanted to get it out of her head but no matter how many times she tried, the memory in itself kept haunting her. She turned on the shower and listened to the water streaming down. Usually that noise calmed her down but its therapeutic effect wasn't helping her at all. She began to undress and as much as she didn't want to look in the mirror, something compelled her to do so. And there they were. She felt so ashamed. Not only did Julian leave a mark on her neck, but there were three additional hickies all over her body: one on her collar bone, another one near her left breast and another one lower down her chest.

How could he have done this to her? She told him to stop but he just kept going. He wouldn't stop... Macy went in the shower determined to clean herself. She took the sponge and began scrubbing all the marks away

"Why won't you come off!" Macy yelled frustratingly. "Come off. DAMMIT!"

She scrubbed harder and harder but of course, the hickies remained in place. It was like they were taunting her by keeping their permanent place in her body. Her skin became very red especially around Julian's marks. If anything her efforts to remove them had the opposite effect by making them more conspicuous. And because she felt so violated, Macy broke down and cried as the water from the shower-head beat down on her. This was an all time low for Macy Misa. She felt so helpless. An hour must have passed when she finally had the courage to get up and dried herself.

"Hey, Macy, are you okay?" asked Gabby who by now was already changed into her pajamas and ready for bed. "You were in there for awhile."

"Oh, I-uh- like taking long showers," Macy lied. "I'm sorry that I took so long."

"No, not at all," Gabby said. She noticed that the girl looked a bit distraught. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Y-yeah…I'm fine," Macy said quickly as she gave her a bright smile to disguise her true emotion. "But thanks again for letting me stay with you."

"Don't mention it," Gabby informed her. "I normally don't like having roommates because I'm afraid that they'll have some weird quirks that I need getting used to, but for some reason, I can trust you. I mean you're Nick's girlfriend so I assume you're like the most perfect girl out there, if he fell in love with you."

"I wouldn't say that," Macy said quietly. She was far from perfect.

"Oh stop being modest! Anyway, I really hope that there are no hard feelings between us," Gabby said.

"No, not at all," Macy assured her.

"Okay cool!" Gabby said happily. "Well, I guess we should go to sleep if we have to wake up by 7:30 tomorrow."

"Yeah, good-night," Macy said as she turned off the lights. She went to her bed to get a good night's rest. But it was hopeless because she kept tossing and turning. And when she did go to sleep, she was once again haunted by a nightmare:

"Julian…please…stop this," she pleaded with him. "Please…don't do this…"

"You know you want this," he answered back as he began kissing down her chest. "You think Nick is the only guy that can satisfy you?"

"Please let me go…I'm begging you to stop…"

"You're begging me to stop?" Julian said incredulously. "Stop lying to yourself, Macy. Look you're already this wet."

She wanted to scream.

Macy immediately woke up and sat up in a cold sweat. The nightmare left her gasping for air because it took her back to reality. And the dream itself was terrifying but what was more disturbing was that it actually happened. She couldn't escape the attack. Macy knew she was stronger than this. She needed to get better. But how?

It was 11pm and Nick Lucas was still neatly packing his clothes into his suitcase before he went to bed. It was just like Nick to make sure everything was folded neatly into his bag. He was a stickler for organization. He put his last pair of socks in his suitcase when he heard a faint knock on his door.

Thinking it was his older brother, Nick yelled angrily, "Kevin, how many times do I have to tell you, I don't have your teddy bear!"

But when he opened the door, his expression softened as he took in his unexpected guest and said, "Macy! Why are you still up?"

"I-uh- couldn't sleep," Macy said honestly as she entered his room.

Nick smiled at her thoughtfully while he quietly closed the door behind her. He could tell that Macy was nervous about something because she kept pacing back and forth while looking at the floor.

To lighten the mood, he teased her, "What is it, Mace? Did you come over for a good-night kiss?"

"Not exactly," Macy confessed solemnly and at that moment she went over to him and broke down. "N-nick... thank you for saving me…"

"Macy…" he said comfortingly as he embraced her. She was crying now against his chest. "Shh…Macy, stop crying. I'm here. I'll take care of you. Don't worry."

But the tears came streaming down her cheeks because she still felt so violated and broken.

"I know... It's just that if you d-didn't take me away I d-don't know what else he would have d-done to me...Nick... I can't stop thinking about it," she confessed in between sobs. "Even when I try to escape from the pain, it just comes back to haunt me. And they won't come off, Nick. They won't come off…"

"Shh, Macy, it's going to be okay. I'll help you through this," Nick comforted her as he let her sit on his bed. "What won't come off, Mace?"

"This...and..." she replied scornfully as she lifted her hair to show the hickey on her neck. She paused before showing the rest to Nick because she knew that he would get angry.

He clenched his fist because he didn't want to be reminded of what Julian did to her. But he needed to put his anger aside because he noticed Macy's hesitation.

"Macy, you said 'they'. That means there are more than one…? Where else did he-um- kiss you?" he asked her nervously. He had to hold his breath because exactly how much of Macy did Julian violate?

The tears were silently flowing down her cheeks as she slowly began to unbutton her pajama top, Nick helped her out of it and then he saw the three additional marks—the one on her collar bone and the two near her chest. He now regretted not leaving Julian dead on the ground.

"He…d-did this all to…you?" Nick asked her quietly as his mouth now became dry.

And Macy nodded her head in embarrassment and added quickly, "But, Nick, believe me. I tried to get away but he wouldn't let go…Nick… I begged him to stop…But he wouldn't stop…"

She was crying even louder and immediately, the Nick cradled her in his arms. He can't imagine what Macy was going through. And it pained him so much to see Macy so hurt and fragile.

There was a moment of silence, except for the sound of Macy sobbing. He whispered comforting words into her ear and gently stroked her hair.

"And…every time…I look in the mirror…all I can see are those m-marks…and I can't stop thinking about it…Nick…I feel so b-broken…"

"Macy…you'll be okay now. I'm here to protect you," Nick assured her as he embraced her even tighter. "Just know that I'll do anything for you, Macy, because you mean the whole world to me."

"Then please help me escape from this nightmare," Macy requested. "I want to erase this feeling from my body…please, Nick, I need you…Help me..."

And for a moment, Nick panicked because he was never put in this situation before and he didn't know what to do but when he looked into her eyes, he could see through her soul. The pain and hopelessness was apparent in her face. Nick could feel his heart breaking into two. He wanted to go back to Martinsburg and finish Julian off but he knew it would be stupid to kill him because his life was not enough to fix the pain his girlfriend was in.

And then an idea popped into his head.

Macy was surprised when Nick abruptly kissed her on the lips. Even though she was shocked at first, she needed him and so she pulled him down towards her until she was laying on her back. When they broke apart she looked up at him and noticed that he had a determined look on his face.

"What is it, Nick?"

Nick gently stroked her cheek and tenderly replied, "I'm going to erase those marks from your body so that you won't have to remember the ugliness that happened."

"How are you going to do that?" she asked him curiously.

"Well…" Nick started off saying as he slowly placed kisses down her jaw. "I'm going to replace all his marks with mine. So that the next time you look at them, it will be me you'll be thinking of instead of that asshole."

Macy smiled at him while nodding her head for him to continue. Thus, after that moment, she felt him sucking hard on her neck on the exact spot where Julian attacked her. When he covered the old mark with a fresh new hickey, he kissed down her body and gently unhooked her bra so that he can cover the rest of his marks with his own. It was like he was symbolically claiming Macy as his again. And slowly Julian's touch was beginning to vanish.

In the middle of covering the last hickey with his lips, images of Julian kissing Macy's body flooded his thoughts and the Lucas boy began to suck even harder causing the brunette girl to yell in surprise. He pulled her closer to him to the point that she was now sitting up while his lips were still connected to her skin. He needed to turn that mark into his. And then he felt it—her tears. He let go off her immediately and looked into her eyes and saw that she was still weeping.

"Macy, oh my god! Did I hurt you?" Nick asked her scared that he caused her any harm. He knew he got a bit aggressive but he could never dream of hurting Macy in any way.

But Macy shook her head quickly and said, "N-no… you didn't hurt me...and I love you so much for doing this…but I just can't help but feel so broken because he touched me…and I don't want any guy touching me like that but you. I'm yours and only yours. Please, remember that…and I hate the fact that my body responded to him but I promise you, Nick, I didn't want any of it…but he said that I was lying because why would I become like that…Nick, I swear I didn't want it…I only want you…Oh god…I feel like such a slut..."

"No, Macy, you're nothing like that," Nick said as he embraced her one more time. "You didn't do anything to deserve this. I'm going to help you get through this. Trust me. And don't believe anything that scumbag said. He's just trying to mess with you. I'm here now, Macy. I'll do anything for you. I love you."

"Thank you, Nick. I really needed to hear that," Macy said as her tears began to subside. She loved being with him. Nick was her everything. Being in his arms made her feel so safe inside. He was truly her guardian angel.

And for a few minutes the two of them laid in each other's embrace. Because she was still in a vulnerable state, Nick wasn't planning on doing anything further with her.

"Mace, you can sleep in my room tonight," Nick told her as he got up to turn off the lights.

And he was about to join her under the covers but Macy faced him and said sheepishly, "Nick…we can continue if you want…"

"No, it's alright. I think we should just call it a night," Nick replied lovingly because he didn't want to take advantage of her especially since she was still emotionally distressed.

However, she cleared her throat and insisted, "No, I want to…"

"But Macy—

"Please, Nick, help me forget…" she pleaded with him because she wanted to feel the warmth of his body to erase the coldness she still felt.

Pulling him down towards her, Macy helped him out of his clothes and the contact of naked flesh was more than enough to fuel the desire and passion that they both had for one another.

Before things started to really heat up, Nick paused and asked her one more time, "Are you sure you want to do this, Macy?"

She nodded her head firmly and so Nick kissed her tenderly on her lips as he touched every part of her body.

And that night, Nick Lucas helped Macy Misa forget…


Closing Remarks:

So this was a pretty serious chapter. I don't think the future chapters would be as serious as this one but I felt like this was necessary because I don't think Macy would be 'all better and good to go' after the whole Julian incident. And yes, after all their intimate moments together, Nick and Macy were actually safe during their night together (remember that thing Joe gave Nick after the concert?). Anyway, the title of this chapter is called Fix You, named after the Coldplay song of the same name. (FYI I'm a big Coldplay fan). And I thought the song was fitting for this chapter. I actually listened to it while writing the last scene with Nick and Macy. Yes, music helps me think of plot ideas. Furthermore, I hope you guys realize that Gabriella is not going to cause any big drama between Nick and Macy. As much as I love drama, I can't stand to have two villains in one story. So Gabby will actually be a friend to Macy, which is good because she needs a female companion since Stella is in summer school in FIT. And because I read a lot of your comments from before, it's safe to say that Macy will NOT become pregnant (I can't put her through another huge ordeal). I know I promised to finish this story by the end of winter break but I have a feeling that this might take longer to write. Not only because I'm still trying to map out the story line but I have to admit I am getting a bit distracted because I'm tempted to start writing my new story. But I know I have to refrain because I want to get this done first. I know if I start a new story now I'll be more involved in writing that one. (For those curious, check out my profile to read a brief synopsis about the new story.)

AND FOR ANYONE WHO DIDN'T WATCH JONAS LA, 'YOUR BIGGEST FAN' IS A SONG THAT NICK SANG TO MACY ON THE SHOW. I DO NOT OWN NOR DID I WRITE THAT SONG.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! THANKS! :-)

Penelope36