Melody POV

"I asked you a question when I first met you that you did not answer."

Michael was lounging in a chair in the guest house. Sky was at the beach, with Janet and Rebbie and the kids. I decided to stay behind with the brothers. When Michael said that, I paused. I thought of everything he'd asked me, and I came up blank.

"I asked why Juan treated you the way he did, and you didnt answer," Michael said, standing and helping me fold a blanket.

"Oh," I said. "Would you want me to tell you?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "No, I want you to suffer," he said, putting the blanket away.

I laughed lightly though his words did sting a little. He saw that, and his eyes went sad. "I'm sorry, Melody. That was very rude," he apologized.

"No, it's okay, you were just being sarcastic," I said.

"But I would like to know. Maybe it would help me understand you better," Michael said, sitting back down.

"Understand me better? What?" I asked.

Michael grinned. "I understand how Sky is sometimes. But you, well, there's one, I know. Taj called you pretty the other day, and you looked too scared to smile. I knew what Juan did so I know that's the reason why you're scared of most guys. But I don't know why he saw fit to treat you like dirt. You know the reason why, so what is it?" he asked.

I sighed and pulled the bad memory from my file. "I was supposed to marry him. The day before our wedding, I told him I wasn't going to do it. After that, well, you can guess the rest," I said.

"Why didn't you marry him?" Michael asked.

"Michael, I was seventeen. I wasn't ready to be little miss housewife," I said.

"That is understandable. No reason for him to treat you like trash," Michael said point blank. I take it the subject was closed. "So, that's why you're scared of any commitment. That's not healthy, Mellie," Michael said.

Oh, so the subject wasn't closed. "I know. It takes time," I sighed.

Michael stood and hugged me. "Don't let it take too much time, or even the guy who can fix you may walk away," he said.

"What guy?" I said, pulling away and grinning.

"What's this I hear of a David Quentin?" Michael said, grinning back.

I'm going to kill Sky. Like, as soon as she gets back. "He's...a friend," I murmered as my phone buzzed.

I looked and had a hard time keeping my expression calm. I had gotten a new text message.

"No use in hiding from me, Melodia. I always find you. Enjoy your vacation.

Juan."

"Who was that?" Michael asked, nonchalantly.

"Nobody," I murmered, erasing the message. "I'm going to the beach, to think about what you said."

"Okay."

I walked to the pier, and began to fret. It was late in the day, and the sun had nearly all set. I sat on a bench, and thought. I thought about Juan, where he was, and what was he planning. I considered for a very brief moment just jumping off the pier, but that would hurt Sky beyond anything. Suicide was not the answer.

Finally, I got angry. Who was Juan to force me to consider this? He wasn't anyone to me! No one important. In that moment, I flipped open my phone and sent a message.

"Meet me tonight. Under the Santa Monica pier. NO ONE ELSE!"

Grinning, I sent it to him. Knowing him, he'd think we were meeting for a rendez-vous. Good, that's what I wanted him to think. All those self-defense classes were going to come in handy.

Sky POV

I enjoyed my time at the beach with some of the Jacksons. I never had been to the beach before and it was so nice of them to invite me along. When we all got back to the house, Michael was grinning at me oddly.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he looked away. "Mel is waiting for you in the front room."

"Oh geeze...what did you do?" I asked. He shrugged and walked away and I groaned. I walked into the front room to find Melody tapping her foot at me. "Uh...hi...?"

"Don't you hi me. Why did you tell Michael about David? You know he's just a friend!" she stomped and I grinned.

"Yeah...sure he is. That's why you moan his name in your sleep," I laughed and she frowned and threw a nearby pillow at me.

Later that evening, we said goodbye to everyone. Michael told us he was gonna spend the night at Jackie's place with the rest of his brothers so they could catch up. They wanted Michael to help them set up a concert as well and he said it was the least he could've done. He wanted to make it up to his family for faking his death.

He hugged Melody and I and we left. We stayed up a while and watched a movie. I noticed Melody was acting a little strange. She stared off into space most of the night and didn't speak hardly at all.

"Mel? Helllooooo....?" I poked her with my foot. I was laying on my side on the couch and she was sitting at the other end with her knees pulled up to her chest.

"What?" she jumped.

"I said do you want more popcorn?" I held up the bowl and she shook her head.

"I'm gonna turn in for the night. I'll see you in the morning."

"Uh...okay...? Are you feeling alright?" I asked.

"Yep. Night." She closed the door behind her and I shrugged. I cleaned up the living room and locked the front door before going to bed myself. It was kinda funny how every door was shut and locked at night when Michael wasn't around. I guess we were a little insecure to say the least.

Melody POV

I dressed in a black shirt that Marlon had lent me (he knew something was up, he just didn't know what) and my black workout pants. I put on every ring I had and wrapped my wrists and hands in black ace wraps. I put on my black tennis shoes and put my hair in a pony tail. I prayed to God that no one would know what I was up to.

I quietly took the keys to Sky's truck and snuck out the house. I almost made it when I saw Paris, Michael's daughter, outside.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

I smiled. "Going to get Skylie a surprise. Don't tell anyone, even your daddy, okay?" I lied, my heart breaking as I did it.

She looked serene. I think she was sleepwalking. "Okay," she said sweetly.

I got in the truck, sighed, turned the key, and pulled out of there. As I drove, I concentrated on one thing, and that was my anger. If Michael could face his family, then I could face this.

I pulled in to the parking lot, and searched. I saw Juan's car, and a little ways up, Juan himself was sitting under the pier. Alone. With a blanket and a candle. I almost gagged at the cheesiness of it all. After all he had put me through, after the beatings and the namecalling and the plain HURT, he still thought I'd wanted to have sex with him? He was crazy.

I got out, sighed deeply, and stretched. I walked slowly to that glimmer of light.

"Melody?" he asked, clearly surprised.

"You've lost your mind," I said, glowering. I kicked sand onto the candle and the light went out. Some even hit him in the face.

"What the hell, Mels?" he asked, jumping up. He eyed my appearance and then laughed.

"You think you're going to fight me? Now be reasonable," he said, laughing hysterically.

I chose that moment to slap his laughing face. He quit laughing.

"You're the one who's lost her mind," he spat, grabbing my arm and twisting it as far back as it went. I took my other arm, and drove my elbow into his mouth. I was't fast enough. He caught my other arm and flipped me on my back, kneeing me in my ribs as I flipped. Ignoring the pain, I took my foot and pushed it into his groin, regretting I didn't wear my stiletto boots. While he kneeled in pain, I took my other foot and kicked him in the jaw, and stood up and tried to run. He grabbed my shoe but I kicked it off, thanking God I could never get my laces to stay tied long.

He stood and grabbed the back of my shirt, and it ripped from where I tried to escape his pull. I fell on my back again, this time feeling the broken rib. He straddled me and began slapping me. I felt around in my pants for my cell phone. I gasped in horror when I realized that it wasn't with me.

"No one to call for help, huh? I figured you'd have tried something like this, which is why my boys are on the pier right now. They're gonna love when you're so..vulnerable. But I get to have you first," he said, ripping off the rest of my shirt. I thanked God I put on a tank top under it.

"You're gonna try to rape me?" I asked, sarcastically, when inside I knew he wasn't kidding.

"Yeah. And you're gonna like it," he said, growling.

"Naw, I didn't like it when I was willing, what makes you think I'd like it when you're forcing me?" I said, employing one of the tricks I'd learned. If you insult a man's potency (or in this case impotency), he'd be turned off. But Juan wasn't the average guy. I'd forgotten about that.

"You weren't always this aggressive. I like it," he said, beginning to kiss my neck.

I used his distraction to really get him with my elbow this time while I kneed him in the groin. I pushed him off of me and ran toward the truck. I fell in the sand when I heard someone yell "MELODY!" Then I felt something hit my head, and I knew nothing more.

Sky POV

I jumped up from my bed and gasped. I didn't think I was really dreaming, but I swore I heard Melody yelling for help. I looked around the room and for some reason, I felt cold. I stood and pulled on my robe and stepped out into the living room. It was scary how silent it was. I tiptoed over to Mel's door and put my ear against the door, expecting to hear her light snoring or talking in her sleep. When I heard nothing, I poked my head inside.

"Mel? Are you awake?" I whispered. I walked over to the bed and poked the lump under the blanket. It didn't move. I poked it again and noticed the lump caved in with my finger. "What the hell?" I grabbed the blanket and ripped it off the bed seeing Mel's pillows bunched together to make it look like her body under the blanket.

I backed away and ran into her dresser. Her phone fell off next to my feet and I picked it up. I ran to the bathroom and slammed the door open, hoping to find her there. I didnt. I walked around the apartment for a minute and then noticed my keys were missing.

"Melody! I'm gonna kill you!" I threw some clothes on and stepped outside. "Ugh...I don't even know where she'd be going this time of night." I picked up her phone and dug through her messages. What I found made my heart drop. "Meet me at the pier...Melody what have you done?" I ran inside and grabbed the apartment keys and my phone and ran as fast as I could for the pier.

When I finally got there, Juan and a bunch of other guys were wrestling Melody. It looked like her shirt was torn right off and my face grew red. "Get your filthy beaner asses off of her!" I yelled. As she ran, one of them threw rocks at her. "MELODY!" I yelled and one of the rocks hit her in the head and knocked her out.

I ran over to her before the other men got to her and I positioned myself over the top of her to protect her.

"Back off Sky...this aint your fight," Juan spat.

"The hell it aint," I growled and punched him in the gut. He stumbled back and the rest of his boys surrounded me. I stayed close to Mel and fought them off as best as I could. "Melody...you have to wake up," I shook her. One guy reached for her and I kicked his leg and made him fall back. "Mel come on wake up please!" One of the guys grabbed my arm. "Don't touch me you stupid son of a bitch! Get off of me!" One man pulled me up by the waist and another started to tear my shirt off. "Hey! Let me go! Someone help!" I yelled. I kicked and screamed. I had no idea who in their right mind would be in this area at 2 in the morning.

The men fought with me and I was able to get away a few times. Each time, I ran back to protect Melody as best as I could. One man finally succeeded in tearing my shirt completely off and I covered myself and Mel. Just as Juan stepped forward with his hand on his belt, headlights brightened the area and the men took off running. As the car skidded to a stop, more men piled out of the car and chased Juan and his men. I covered Melody and covered my face.

"Sky...Mel...it's okay, I'm here now..." I looked up and saw Michael standing there. Jermaine handed him a jacket and he covered me and helped me up. I looked back at Mel and Jackie walked by with a blanket.

"I got her," he said, carefully lifting her and laying her in the back seat. I layed her head in my lap and rested my head on Jermaine's shoulder on the way back.

"Where are we going now?" I whispered.

"We're going to see mother," Randy said. "She'll know what to do."

I nodded and closed my eyes. Mel and I were safe now. I'll save the yelling for later, but I might as well rest while I could.

Melody POV

I woke up in a room filled with a bunch of orange roses and orange blossoms. Sky was there, holding my hand and Michael was on the other side.

"Am I in the hospital?" I asked.

"No. You're in my private doctor's emergency wing," I heard Katherine say.

"Oh," I said, looking around. Everyone was there, except the kids and Randy. Latoya, Janet, Rebbie, Tito, Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine, and Joseph were crowded in this room.

"So what happened? How much do you know?" I asked them.

Sky and Michael grinned at each other. "More than you would think," Michael said and Sky began to tell me what happened.

"But how did you find out, Michael?" Sky asked suddenly.

Michael grinned and began to tell his side of the story.

Michael POV

I heard my phone ringing, and I checked the time. It was two AM. I looked at the caller ID. Sky.

I answered. "Hello? Sky?"

"...Mel, come on, wake up, please! Don't touch me, you stupid son of a bitch! get off of me- hey! Don't touch her! Let me go! Someone help!"

I sat straight up, fear and anguish and anger going through my veins. I knew this feeling. Adrenaline. "Sky, Melody," I whispered, afraid. I swung my legs out of bed and donned a white tank and some black jeans. I tucked my hair into a ponytail, calling my brothers as I hastily got dressed.

They met me outside, all of them. Marlon looked as scared as I felt. I filled them in as we loaded into Jackie's SUV and Tito traced Sky's phone.

"Santa Monica beach," he said. "Near the pier."

Jackie sped towards there. Jermaine looked at me in fear. "Michael, calm down, it's going to be okay," he said softly.

I shook my head. I heard Spanish voices in the background while Sky was begging whoever it was not to touch her. I mentally did the math. Melody getting a text message and acting strange when she said nobody...her asking to go off by herself for a while...her being strangely confident when she returned.

I gasped. "Juan," I said in a strangled voice. I told them about how Juan was and they looked shocked. Jackie pushed the gas and we were going eighty, not knowing what we were going to find.

Melody POV

"And you know what happened when we got there," Michael finished for Sky.

"Oh," Sky said. She turned to the others. "Michael and I want a moment to speak with Melody."

Oh crap. I was dead. As the room cleared, Michael sat on the chair across the room with an amused expression on his face.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR EVER LOVING MIND?" Sky asked, shouting. When I went to answer she cut me off. "DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW SCARED I WAS WHEN I FOUND MY TRUCK GONE? AND YOU DON'T DELETE YOUR MESSAGES WELL, DO YOU? HOW COULD YOU THINK OF FACING HIM BY YOURSELF? HUH? HE ALMOST KILLED YOU! HE WOULD HAVE THROWN YOU IN THE OCEAN IF MICHAEL AND HIS BROTHERS HADN'T HAVE TURNED UP!" She kept shouting.

"I'm a good swimmer," I grumbled. "Are you done?"

"I am." She said, and sat down in a huff.

Michael stood and I cringed, but all he did was hug me and say "Don't scare me like that again," in a choked up voice. He then sat back next to me.

"Is that it?" Sky asked, incredulous.

"Yep."

"But she-"

"I know."

"And he-"

"Yep."

Sky rolled her eyes. "Fine."