Disclaimer – I am a mere unpublished writer, toiling away, owning nothing…..

Right, I just wanted to apologise for that last chapter. It sucked. I know it sucked but this one will be better! I'm also sorry for the delay in updating but I've been suffering from the worst writer's block which refused to shift until this morning so hopefully I've come up with something a little better than last time! Plus, apologies for the delay, I've been trying to upload this for four days and it wouldn't let me until now!

Taking a deep breath, Beth mentally tried to prepare herself for walking out of the School building and offering herself up to potential ridicule. She could picture her classmates and peers avoiding her, whilst whispering amongst their little cliques and gossiping about what a slut she was. The mere thought of it made her blanche and she closed her eyes and shook her head in an effort to shake the worries away.

True to his word, Jack was by her side, giving her words of encouragement but they fell on deaf ears. She hadn't meant to block him out but she was so intent on bracing herself for whatever was around the corner that she couldn't concentrate on him as well.

It was Monday afternoon and she'd survived the entire School day without having had any trouble and she was hopeful that she could see through the day and just get home. Even if she did, that didn't mean it was over though, not by any stretch of the imagination. As Jack guided her round the corner and to his car, her worst fears were realised.

Riley, Frankie and a bunch of their gossipy friends were gathered right next to Jack's car. She could only assume that this had been a deliberate ploy on their part. They seemed the type to thrive on troublemaking and she no longer trusted any of them as far as she could throw them. Jack saw them before she did and had already begun to usher Beth to the passenger's seat to try and veer her away from their stares. That wasn't before Beth had spotted Riley's angry looking cheek and eye and smiled at the thought of Jack having caused that on her behalf.

Frankie was the first one to say anything and it was in keeping with her true malicious nature.

"Well, well, well," she announced, snapping her gum as she usually did, "if it isn't the life and soul of the party!"

"We had no idea your girl Harper knew how to party like that, Mercer." Riley chipped in, wearing a smug grin on his face.

"Just ignore them," whispered Jack as he shut the passenger door on Beth and walked around to the drivers' side.

"Yeah, it's probably best that you ignore us Beth, otherwise you might frisk us for alcohol or try having sex with one of us," laughed Frankie.

Beth just looked at Frankie with a steely determination and willed herself not to get upset. It seemed to be working; the old adage appeared to, in this case, be true. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, she thought. Remaining calm didn't look like such an easy task for Jack who was attempting to pry the driver's side door open with more than a little difficulty. She could see the pained look in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow. His eyes were narrow and he looked like he might burst with anger at any given moment. In some strange way, that made her feel better about the situation. Jack wasn't the type to conceal his feelings and he didn't strike her as the type who'd keep up such an elaborate ruse either so she could only conclude that his reaction was one of true emotion and that he really did care about her. The thought brought a smile to her face. Despite everything that had happened so far, there might actually be something good to come out of it all. Meeting Jack had changed her life, that was for sure, it hadn't seemed like it was for the better but maybe all this was a means to an end and that things from here on in would be perfect between them.

Riley, however, had other plans….

"Hey, Mercer," he hollered, "I had no idea you were such a gentlemen, you musta kept that side of you well hidden."

"Fuck you, Riley," Jack snapped.

"Woah, woah, woah, that's not a very nice way to talk to your friend, man"

"You're no friend of mine."

"That's funny because your girlfriend seems to like me, at least she did on Friday night," he said with a wicked glint in his eye, evident regardless of the bruising and puffiness.

Jack was back around the other side of the car like a shot, ready to defend Beth again. She simply watched helplessly from the car and bit her lip nervously. He grabbed Riley by the scruff of the neck and pushed him up against another nearby car, setting off its deafening anti-theft alarm as he did so.

"If I ever hear you talk about her like that again, I'll kill you," Jack warned through gritted teeth, whilst Riley tried to push him off. "Do you hear me?" He said, loosening his grip slightly.

"Whatever, man…" muttered Riley, brushing himself off and motioning to leave, "you wanna hang out with your loser friend there, that's fine but that's it for me and you. No more hanging out, no more band, nothing, got it?"

"Fine by me," said Jack, never once taking his eyes off him.

"Fuck, man, what happened to you? You used to be cool," continued Riley, exasperated, "she's got you brainwashed."

"Just leave, asshole," came Jack's irritated response.

"I'm leaving," replied Riley, "but just so you know, she's the lousiest lay I've ever had."

With a smirk on his face, Riley grabbed his things and led his friends away, leaving Frankie to stare at Beth through the car windows. Frankie motioned for Beth to wind the window down and out of sheer curiosity, she did.

"You might have won him over with that fake damsel in distress act but you won't have the first clue what to do with him, he doesn't like prick teases," said Frankie.

"He doesn't like rabid bitches either so I suggest you piss off, Francesca," came Beth's reply.

As Jack drove away from the parking lot, leaving Frankie open mouthed with shock, Beth couldn't help but mentally congratulate herself for not only keeping her calm but actually giving Frankie a much needed home truth. It was remarkably out of character for her. Or was it? The old Beth would never have gotten herself in a situation like this in the first place, maybe the new Beth was a more assertive and confident creature that wouldn't put up with peoples bullshit, she pondered.

As they pulled up outside her house, Jack looked over at Beth and although he'd been quiet for most of the journey, he looked to have finally calmed down from the earlier fracas. He stared at her intently, looking like he was going to say something but instead he moved toward her, lessening the distance between them and making Beth's heart beat ten times faster than it already was. Both excited and nervous at the prospect that he might kiss for a second time, she blurted out the first thing that entered her head.

"Do you wanna come inside for a while?"

"Uhh, sure," he said quietly, obviously a little taken aback.

They got out of the car and both made their way up to and through the front door. Beth was just about to offer to make Jack a drink when she heard a noise that pierced through her like a knife.

"S'that you Beth?"

The slurred words and aggressive tone was instantly recognisable and she froze, not wanting to look at Jack. She was less embarrassed of her Father and more afraid of what he might do if he saw her with a boy. She hesitantly turned to look around and caught Jack's eye.

"Get out," she whispered.

He cocked his head and looked at her quizzically. Before either of them could say anything more, Mr. Harper appeared in the living room doorway; his eyes were red and his facial hair had grown and become unkempt in the week and a half that he'd been absent, making him look more like a street dwelling criminal than a respectable Father. Mind you, the former was probably a more accurate description of him as he certainly wasn't respectable and he hadn't been much of a Father.

"You not gonna introduce me to your friend, Bethy?" He slurred.

"He was just leaving," Beth said hurriedly.

"Not on my account I hope," he staggered closer to Jack to get a better look at him, "She never brought a friend home 'fore," he continued.

"I'm Jack, sir, Jack Mercer, I go to School with your daughter." Jack was on his best behaviour, for which Beth was thankful but she wasn't sure it would do any good.

"You fucking her?"

Beth cringed and Jack looked horrendously uncomfortable at the question.

"N-no, sir," he stuttered in response.

"You lying to me boy?" Mr. Harper's face was just inches away from Jacks and despite Jacks generous height, Beths Dad still seemed to tower over him somehow.

"Dad, leave him alone, he's just a friend from School who gave me a ride home," pleaded Beth.

"Was I talking to you, you little whore?!" Mr. Harper was getting increasingly agitated and both Beth and Jack were palpably worried at their current situation. He turned back to face Jack and moved in even closer.

"Well, I'm waitin' for an answer, boy," he spat.

"I'm not lying, sir."

"I think ya are," continued Mr Harper, menacingly.

"Daddy please, just let him go home, he was just seeing to it that I got home ok," Beth said, ignoring her Father's insistence that she shut up.

Rather than dignify his daughter with a response, he reached back his arm and smacked her across the face with one balled up fist, leaving her sprawled on the floor, clutching her cheek in agony.

"Don't you talk back to me, you little bitch," came his justification.

Jack could do nothing but stare at Mr Harper, like a deer in headlights. Beating up on kids his own age was one thing but squaring up to someone's Father was another entirely and the proposition frightened him. Jack was tough but he wouldn't stand a chance against this man, he was still only a high school kid and Mr Harper had clearly been in a fight or two and come away largely unscathed but for the odd permanent mark here and there.

Mr. Harper turned back to face Jack.

"I know your type, boy. Hell, I was your type when I was your age; sniffing around for fresh meat, taking advantage of young girls like my daughter," the emphasis he put on 'my' made him sound so territorial, as if Beth were nothing but property.

"No, sir, I haven't touched your daughter, sir," in spite of his deep, masculine voice, Jack sounded like nothing more than a scared little boy.

Mr. Harper took a deep breath and staggered back a little putting some distance between himself and Jack. Spotting Beth on the floor, he nudged her with his booted foot.

"Get up!" He yelled.

"I think she's hurt, Mr. Harper, you should lay off her."

All that Jacks selfless act of bravery earned him was a malevolent stare and Beths Fathers hands around his neck, pinning him against the wall. Beth pulled herself up from off the floor and began hitting her Father in the manner of a spoiled child. She didn't think she had it in her to really hurt him but she knew she couldn't bear it if he hurt Jack.

Letting go of Jack and leaving him to slump on the floor with the wind knocked out of him, Mr. Harper turned around to face Beth. In blind panic, she backed away from him with a look of fear in her eyes. Her Father had made a habit of hitting her, punching her, kicking her, anything he could do to hurt her ever since her Mom left but not once had he had the same look in his eyes as he did now and it gave her chills.

"How fucking dare you hit me, you bitch!" He shouted, his voice reverberating around the living room.

"I'm sorry, Daddy, please……."

At that he struck her across the face with all his might and she fell backwards, landing awkwardly on her back. He knelt down and grabbed her hair, jerking her head backwards and causing her excruciating pain which caused her to yell.

"You were always destined to be a bad seed," he said, his words becoming clearer as he seemed to sober up, the angrier he got.

From her vantage point on the floor, she looked up and saw him undo his tarnished belt buckle and slide his belt out of the loops of his dirty jeans with surprising ease. She moved away from him, backing herself into a corner but he was stronger than she was and grabbed her legs and pulled her back towards him. He took hold of her wrists with malicious force and began to wrap the belt around them, binding them so she couldn't move her arms or hands. He picked her up by her hair again and she grimaced in pain, before he threw her to the floor, face first.

"You've had this coming for a long time, you made her leave and you're a poor fucking substitute for her, let me tell you…."

He knelt back down behind her and began undoing the buttons and zips on her denim jeans whilst she tried her best to beg and plead and lash out with every limb in an effort to make him stop. She knew what was about to happen and at the same time she knew she couldn't let it.

It took him a while to get her jeans undone and off given that she was on her front, face pressed against the carpet, and he had to pry them off from underneath her, while she kicked her legs out and tried to get to him to stop. He lay heavily on top of her, his breath making her nauseous, his face right next to hers, and he put his hand roughly between her legs making her whimper because she was still sore. He ripped her panties and the cheap elastic dug into her hip.

Jack had been slumped on the floor by the front door, watching the ghastly scene unfold before him but as soon as he'd regained his composure and realised the severity of the situation, he was back on his feet.

"Get the fuck off her, she doesn't deserve this," he yelled. Panic had left him without reason.

Mr. Harper abandoned what he was doing and rose to his feet again, striding toward Jack with vicious intent but stopped short. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his shirt sleeve, licked his lips and reached round the back of his jeans. His hand reappeared, except this time it was brandishing a handgun which he pointed at Jack, point blank. The gun was no more than 4 inches from Jacks forehead and having run out of words, he locked fearful eyes with the man in front of him.

"I could shoot you and no-one would give two shits, you know that?"

When Jack couldn't force himself to respond, Mr. Harper continued.

"You're one o' them Mercer boys. Everyone knows you, you're trouble. You ain't got no-one and no-one'll miss you when you're gone," he went on, "you still think you're a tough guy, huh?"

Beth remained on the floor, where her Father had left her, desperately trying to free herself from the belt that bound her wrists. She managed to loosen the battered leather just enough to slip one hand free and unwrap it. Standing, unsteadily, she pulled up her pants lazily, stumbled over to her Father and before he or Jack knew what was happening she'd threw the belt over his head and around his neck from behind.

She was a slight girl who didn't have much power behind her but the hate that she felt in her guts gave her strength and she squeezed her Fathers throat with the belt that had held her captive only moments before. As her Father fell to the floor, he lost his grip on the gun and Jack kicked it away from his hand and across the floor, out of reach. After what seemed like forever, Beth still couldn't bring herself to remove the belt from her Fathers neck and with a look of wild hatred in her eyes, she pulled it even tighter, as tight as her body allowed, and it made her knuckles go white. Her Father flailed his arms and tried, but failed, to grab onto his daughter and release her grip on the instrument that was blocking his air. He spluttered and began to turn red, his eyes bulging out of his skull with trepidation.

"Let him go, you'll kill him," Jack panicked.

Beth said nothing. Jack felt sick to his guts as the realisation of what was happening hit him and he clutched his stomach.

"Let him go!" He shouted, persevering.

When this didn't work, he grabbed Beth's fists in his own and forcibly pried the belt from her hands, leaving her Father to fall to the floor, lifeless.

Still holding onto Beth, he wrapped one arm around her.

"It's ok," he said, "it's going to be ok," Jack sounded more like he was trying to convince himself of that, than Beth.

Looking up at Jack was the final straw that sent Beth over the edge. She finally let herself go and fell into his lap, tears streaming down her face. He picked her up and cradled her gently, stepping over Mr. Harper who still lay unmoving on the cheaply carpeted floor. He carried her out the car and placed her in the passenger seat, fearing that she wouldn't make it on her own. She sat limply in the car seat, every ounce of energy having been drained from her, her face streaked with tears, dirty from being pressed into the floor and red and swollen in the places that had connected with her Father's fist.

As Jack climbed into the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition, he looked over at her. Every fibre of his being wanted to hold her and never let go. He wanted her to know that things didn't have to be like this, that they'd get better. He wished that he could watch over her to make sure that they did but at that moment in time he was unsure of just about everything and so he did the only thing he could; he started the car and took her as far away from that monster that she called 'Dad', as he could.

Well, I did promise more drama!

Keep the reviews coming, even if they're bad! I appreciate brutal honesty so if it sucks, let me know!

Hopefully it won't take me as long to update this time, my brain appears to have been on hiatus but I think it's returned…..