A/N: It's super late so I'll make this snappy

"W-Where am I…" Victory mumbled. Frank could see her shoulders shake. She was disoriented from the drug. Her hand felt the fabric of the bed.

"NO!" She shouted thrashing. "GERARD!" She tried to sit up but Frank held her down

"LET ME GO! NO! GERARD! FRANK! HELP!" She screamed as she started crying. Frank held her tight as she scratched at him.

"VICTORY! It's ok! Shh! You're safe!" He shouted over her screams. Slowly she stopped and her arms dropped to her sides. He felt her thin hands cling to his still filthy shirt. He patted her head as he hushed her.

"You're safe. It's ok. We're far, far away." He whispered. He pulled a way still letting her rest her weak head on his shoulders.

"What happened?" She said wiping tears away. "Where are the others? Where is everyone?" She started getting worked up again. Frank tightened his arm around her.

"They're ok. Everyone is ok. They're getting cleaned up. After you were knocked out we carried you away from the Asylum. You remember Dr. Chola?" He said stepping away and waving a hand towards Sherri. Victory nodded.

"Hello," Sherri said with a wide smile and sat on the bed at Victory's side. Victory was silent but gave a weak smile.

"I'm going to be taking care of you, alright?" She said speaking as if Victory was a child. She patted the girls arm tenderly.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore."

With out warning Victory's shoulder's began to shake as she started sobbing. Sherri put an arm around her and rubbed her shoulder. Frank stood looking helpless.

"It's just shock. She's ok. Why don't you got find your friends and get cleaned up. It'll be good for her to see them." Sherri said professionally. Frank nodded and left the room.

"What if he finds us…?" Victory whispered. Sherri rubbed Victory's shoulder and shook her head.

"Don't worry about that. He has no idea you are here. Just try and relax." Sherri stood up and handed her a glass of water.

"Try and take a sip. It will calm you down."

Victory held the cold glass in her hand. Just looking at it made her stomach turn. She had no desire to eat or drink. Reluctantly she took a sip. The second the water touched her lips it was as if she hadn't drank for days. In some truth she hadn't. She gulped the water down greedily.

"Not too fast. You'll make yourself sick." Sherri warned taking the glass.

Oddly enough Victory felt a strange sense of calm wash over her. Her shaking chest finally stopped and her heart slowed.

"Thank you…" Victory said numbly. Sherri set the glass on the table and sat back on the bed.

"It's a little trick my grandmother taught me." She said thoughtfully.

A light knock came from the door. Frank poked his head in. Sherri nodded for them to come in.

"Ray get your hands off me I can walk fine!" Gerard grumbled as he walked in. Ray was close behind him followed by Mikey. Gerard looked over to see Victory sitting up.

He was wearing a pair of black slacks with a crisp white button up shirt. She couldn't help but notice how dashing he looked, how they all looked. It was the first time she'd seen them in something other than scrub green pants and dirty white shirts. His hair was slicked back from water making him look like something from TV.

"Your up!" He said rushing to her side. She couldn't help but blush. He looked so handsome yet she was still covered in dirt and his blood.

"How are you feeling?" he asked putting a hand on either side of her face and looking her over.

"I'm ok. I should be asking the same about you!" She eyed up where he'd been shot.

His eyes dropped too. He put one hand on her shoulder and to other to his stomach.

"It's a little sore, but I'll live." He said looking up with a smile. He leaned in to kiss her. It was the second time he'd kissed her. She couldn't help but feel self conscious with everyone in the room. He pulled back and sat next to her. Sherri stood up as the others sat by Victory. Sherri sat on the edge of the bed amazed. After everything they had been through, she expected them to be filled with hate, but it had only brought them together. She watched as love radiated from each of them.

Finally Gerard turned to her and pulled something from his pocket.

"Frank said you knew about Korse and Victory?" He said softly. Sherri sat up straight and placed both hands on her lap.

"I found the master key taped to the inside of this book." He said opening it. "It's addressed to Victoria Chola. That's your name isn't it? How is that possible?"

Sherri let out a light sigh.

"I suppose it's time you all learned the truth." She said but her voice sounded strange. She accented the words in the same English accent Korse did.

"I'm not from Monroeville. I'm from England. The man who wrote that book was my uncle Eric Blair. That is a first copy of his book. He gave it to Victoria Chola as a gift." Sherri turned to Victory.

"Your mother." She said keeping her smile. "You see your mother and my uncle were an item once. My mother married Victoria's brother, your uncle. After my parents were killed in a car accident he took care of me. Though Victoria couldn't live with her brother's death so she left my uncle and befriended a doctor named Charles Korse. After a year she got pregnant with you, Victory, but slowly things began getting violent. She still kept in contact with Uncle Eric and he worried for her life as well as yours. When Korse heard of their secret phone calls and late meetings he demanded the three of you move to America. Uncle Eric was heart broken but respected Victoria's choice to leave. Doing so he left her this book. I had no idea it was still around." She said thoughtfully touching the stained pages.

"Uncle Eric was devastated when he heard what had happened to Victoria but he knew there was no way he could get close to Korse and I couldn't stand to see my uncle suffer the way he did. Not only that but I couldn't stand to let a monster like Korse continue to do the things he did…I mean…your family after all."

She hesitated.

"So wait…" Frank said sitting up. "That makes you two cousins. You knew all along, everything!"

Sherri nodded.

"I was always interested in medicine but after my husband passed I knew I had no place trying to make a family in England. We had news that things were getting worse at Desolation Row from local police. Korse wouldn't remember my face or my name so I went as a Psychiatric Doctor, having actual credentials. There was no way the state would stop me if I did things legally."

"Wait!" Frank stopped her again. "If Korse married Victoria wouldn't he know her last name and know who you were?"

Sherri smiled and shook her head.

"When Victoria left Uncle Eric she kept his pseudonym George Orwell. I'm not sure why, part of me wants to think she still loved him. Korse only knew a Victoria Orwell. I knew he was torturing Victory…though I had no idea you'd forgotten completely about your mother."

Gerard felt Victory's hand ball up around the sheets.

"I'm so sorry." Sherri said shaking her head. "I tried to do this as clean as possible. I had no way of know I'd set you off…"

Victory shook her head.

"It's alright. It's better this way." She said swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Ok…" Gerard said putting a palm to his head. "I know it's the pain medication messing with me but in lame man terms how are you connected?"

Sherri let out a sigh.

"Basically, I am Victory's cousin, I'm here to help but you guys escaped before I could do anything."

Gerard nodded.

"Ok…"

"So where do we go from here?" Mikey asked rubbing his hands together. He couldn't seem to stop. It was the first time his skin felt actually clean.

Sherri stood up and brushed her dress off.

"Well, I start by making you all a good home cooked meal, you look starved to death. I don't even want to imagine what they fed you. Then tomorrow we get the first train out of town and go to the police and explain everything. A shot to the stomach is proof enough of how mad Korse is." She went to her closet and pulled out a navy blue dress.

"Why don't you all head down stairs and help me prep for dinner." She said setting the dress on the bed. "Victory you can use my washroom and clean yourself up. I'm sure you could use a hot shower."

Victory nodded finally breaking into a smile. The boys headed out the door, but not before Gerard snuck another kiss to Victory. She hid her rosy cheeks as they left and tried to get out of the bed. Her muscles still ached from the drugs but she pulled herself up on the post of the bed and stumbled to the shower. The water felt so good on her skin. She saw as cakes of dirt and filth washed off of her. She scrubbed her skin raw with the soap and let the water wash over her dirty hair. Once a month the guards would let them take showers but they had a single bar of soap between all of them. Victory was allowed a privet shower but she still always had very little to wash with. She read the bottle that said SHAMPOO. Turning it over she read the directions. It felt so good in her hair. She felt the soap bubbles squish between her fingers. The bottle said repeat as needed so she thought it best to do it two more times…just to be sure she was clean. Finally when the water ran clean she got out and wrapped a towel around herself. She ran quickly to the bedroom and dried off. Sherri had given her underwear too next to the dress. Luckily they were close to the same size. She slipped on the dress and pulled the skirt tight over her hips. It cut low at her chest and was a little large in the hips it was comfortable. It was the most dazzling shade of navy blue and had two red buttons at the belt line and two more at the six inch slit at the bottom. The inner part of the slit was the same shade of red making it look very American. The sleeves were short and made her arms a little cold. After years of wearing the same outfit the dress felt so foreign to her…and she liked it. For once she didn't look like her sickly self. She looked like the people beyond the gates of Desolation Row. She looked…normal.

After stumbling around the kitchen Sherri made him sit and watch as she prepared dinner. He watched as Ray prepared steaks and Mikey was mashing potatoes. He also noticed how close Frank and Sherri were as she told him how to make chocolate pudding. He saw a twinkle in the boy's eyes when she'd correct him on mixing the batter and how she smiled at the corner of her lips ever so slightly when he messed something up or asked a question. He looked away from them and to the grandfather clock. Victory had been in the shower for an hour and a half now. He started to worry she had fainted and was now drowning, or slipped on a bar of soap and was now bleeding out on the bathroom floor. He tapped his finger on the wooden table nervously.

Finally the stairs creaked as tiny feet started down the stairs. Victory rounded the corner almost bouncing into the room. It was a good thing he was already sitting or he may have fallen the blood rushing to his cheeks.

She was stunning. She'd only ever worn our patient uniform in all the years he'd known her. He hardly recognized the woman before him. The blue dress hugged her curves beautifully. Her hair was a shiny chestnut brown and waved so naturally, Judy Garland would be asking her for tips! She pinned the front back making her bangs puff up a little, only making her look like a movie star.

"Victory, how are you feeling?" Sherri asked putting a stack of plates on a table in the next room.

"Much better." She said with chime in her voice. "I've never felt so…."

"Free?" Frank said with a wink as he whipped pudding. Victory smiled and nodded trying not to giggle.

"Can you and Gerard help set the table?" Sherri asked going back to the kitchen. Victory nodded and headed to the dining room.

Gerard felt a hand under his chin closing his mouth.

"You're drooling." Mikey said smirking and going back to the potatoes. He didn't even realize his mouth was open.

He hurriedly rushed to the dining room and grabbed the silverware. Victory was already on her third plate. Gerard fumbled with the forks. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

"Erm..you um…look really nice…" He choked out the words. Her face flushed and a large smile spread over her face. It was a smile he'd never seen before.

"You look very handsome yourself." She said holding the last plate. She kept her head low as she smiled. They reached the end of the table together. They were only inches apart. He stared into her eyes feeling the heat between them. He just wanted to hold her close and keep her safe forever. He brushed his hand across her ivory cheek and leaned in for a deeper kiss this time. Her knees shook.

"Dinner's ready!" Sherri called. Victory dropped the plate. It landed straight on his big toe. Victory scrambled to grab it and set it on the table. Gerard gasped in pain but quickly sucked in as the others started in the room.

He pulled out a chair for Victory and sat beside her. Frank pulled a chair out for Sherri and sat between her and Gerard. Mockingly Mikey pulled out a chair for Ray and sat between Victory and Sherri. They had to admit the food was amazing. It melted in their mouths. Sherri was a little startled when she saw how fast they all ate. Victory had three helpings and admitted she hadn't eaten for the last two days.

Finally after dinner they retired to the living room. Sherri set up beds for all of them on the floor.

"I thought you might feel best spending your first night of freedom together." She said putting another log in the fireplace. It felt warm on their skin. The nights at the asylum were cold and damp. It was almost too good to be real. Sherri got pajamas for everyone and the settled into bed.

"Please stay with us." Frank said softly as he curled up next to the fire.

Sherri shook her head.

"Oh, no I couldn't. It's not proper. I really should sleep in my own bed." She waved her hands. The group all moaned and argued with her.

"Please." Victory said in her small voice. "It'd be like a sleep over."

She and Gerard were cuddled up on the couch.

Knowingly Victory batted her big eyes and put her lip out just enough to be noticeable.

"UGH, fine!" Sherri said groaning. She pulled up a blanket next to Frank and Ray. Gerard raised an eyebrow as she sat down closer to Frank. There was plenty of space between Ray and Mikey. He hid his smile.

"Ok everyone. Get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow." Sherri rested her head on a pillow and pulled the blanket up tight.

Victory tucked her head into Gerard's chest. Tomorrow everything would change.

A/N: I say Yay! everytime because I'm just happy I finished in one night. I hope you understood the whole Sherri back story. I know it got a little confusing. I had to make a chart just to keep it straight in my head and not have weird accidental incest or nonsensical relations. Hope you liked this chapter I tried to really paint the 1940's for you. Such pretty fashion. Let me know how you felt in the reviews, and also if anyone is actually interested in the art contesty thing. I've had zero feed back, reminder the winner will get a short story of their choosing! It doesn't matter how random! So to those of you Americans just going to bed, goodnight and to you English readers just waking up and reading this before school, good morning, and good day to all you other readers who read this whenever.