Brad opened the door to Magenta's room and found her asleep in the bed next to her window. A blood transfusion going into her wrist. He poked her,

"Brad? How the hell did you know I was here?"

"You're all over the news." Magenta looked up, her face was covered in cuts and bruises, Brad felt like someone had shoved a grenade up his ass, like it had blown up and his body was self-destructing. "How do you feel?" he asked stupidly, Magenta's eyes filled with tears,

"It just hurts so much..."

"I know." Brad whispered, sitting down next to her, she rested her head on his shoulder,

"Why does he always want to hurt me?"

"I don't know." Brad lied, he wanted so badly to tell her what Frank had told him, but he didn't want her to hurt more than she already was.

"I'm going to sleep." she said. Magenta closed her eyes and pulled her blanket tighter around herself. Brad leaned over her and began to sob.


Magenta was sent home later that week, the castle was still under investigation so Brad brought her to where he and Janet were living. Well, where Janet lived, and Brad was staying to avoid having to stay with his parents in New York. The second he pulled into the driveway, Janet stormed outside looking livid. Brad helped Magenta out of the car, Janet turned red and slapped Magenta violently upside the head, Brad tightened his grip around her waist.

"WHAT THE HELL?" he screamed back at Janet. She flipped him off as she ran back into the house. Brad followed her, gripping Magenta against himself,

"YOU ARE A BITCH!" Brad screamed,

"BECAUSE I WANTED TO KEEP YOU? THAT MAKES ME A BITCH?" Janet sat down on the couch and turned the TV on. Brad took Magenta to the spare room where he was sleeping, she sat down at Brad started to lose it,

"Okay, she's going to be watching TV for a while, she does it whenever she's pissed. We are going to screw for a few hours while we can."

"I'm listening..."

"If the TV goes off for a prolonged period of time, I'm going to cover you with my sweater and you're going to hold your breath until the TV goes on again."

"You're sweating."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"Shit." Brad held his sweater to his forehead in an attempt to absorb the beads of moisture forming there.

At about 4 in the morning, the TV went off and Janet came in to inspect, Brad heard her only when she said,

"How adorable are the two of you. I warned you, the owner of that phone might be a beautiful woman, you never came back again. I loved you."

"Get out of here."

"What?"

"Just get out." Janet sat down on the bed, Brad pulled sleeping Magenta closer to him, Janet pulled the covers off and stormed away to watch more TV. Magenta squeezed Brad's hand subconsciously and opened her eyes,

"Is the TV back on yet?"

"You heard that whole thing?" Magenta nodded, "I'm not going to let Janet ruin this."

"I know."

...

About 30 minutes later Brad was woken up violently by Magenta sitting up in bed and letting out a high pitched strangled scream, shaking Brad awake,

"Brad! Wake up-"

"What is it?" There was a pause in the darkness and Magenta lay back down on the mattress and pressed herself against Brad's chest. She was sweating and shivering at the same time.


In the morning, Janet was still asleep. Brad had somehow managed to inch out of bed and Magenta was gone. Brad found her sitting at the dining room table, her eyes were glazed.

"Brad, I don't feel good." She stood up and immediately collapsed into Brad's arms, he carried her to the couch,

"Don't get up." Magenta began to hyperventilate, taking ragged shallow breaths,

"Brad, my head hurts-" Janet emerged from the doorway of her room,

"What's wrong with her?"

"Stay out of this."

"I asked a question, you bastard, what is wrong with her!"

"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW, OKAY! I'm taking her to a hospital."

"I'm coming with you."

...

She was hurt that badly and he didn't even know. Brad had no idea how he didn't notice it before. Janet was with her. Apologizing to her. He was outside the room. Like he didn't care. But he did, he did care, he just couldn't see her. Janet came out of the room.

"She's going to be fine, that's the good news, she can come home tonight, I-" Janet stopped talking long enough to cover her eyes with her hands and start to cry into them, "I'm such a bitch. I didn't know that much was wrong with her."

"Did you apologize?" Janet nodded, a nurse wheeled Magenta out of the room,

"She's all yours."


Magenta and Brad sat in the bathtub together. Stark naked. Something Brad had wanted so badly since he first met her in high school. This time it was serious. Brad finally broke the silence,

"How do you feel?"

"Better."

"I just want you to know I love you."

"Okay, I love you, too."

"And I want to be with you forever."

"Mmmm, me too, my love."

"No, I'm serious." Brad took a ring from the pocket of his pants, "Marry me. I'll make you happy. How many kids do you want?"

"Maybe two or three, but that's not the point- Oh God, how the fuck do I put this nicely? Okay, how do I know you're not going to find somebody else?"

"Is this because I left Janet for you?"

"Uh, yes..."

"Well, I know I'm not going to leave you."

"Then yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, I'll marry you."