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A/N: Wow. It's finally happening. I'm actually updating this! I am so, so, so sorry for how long it took me to finally post this! I actually had the chapter mostly written out, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish it off. This is actually the last chapter, and I wasn't ready to end the story. Normally there would be an epilogue, and there might be, but I'm leaving it open for a little while so that I can decide whether or not I want to write a sequel. I made the mistake of posting an epilogue for "Break the Ice" and I've been regretting that ever since, so I decided to wait a bit on writing an epilogue for this.

Anyway, I hope you guys forgive me for the long wait, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Warnings: Language, sexual innuendos, and mentions of abuse.

Enjoy the chapter :)

Chapter Twenty – Anywhere But Here

Katie's POV

I didn't return to my dorm room until almost one PM the next afternoon. I had been shut up in James' dorm with him, holding him as he slept fitfully, tossing and turning. Eventually Carlos returned to the room and offered to keep an eye on James for me.

When I stepped into my room, I found my mom sitting on my bed with a plastic bag on the floor. I eyed it, recognizing the name and symbol on it – it was from a local teriyaki shop that I had eaten at a few times.

"How's James?" Mom asked as I closed the door.

I shrugged, unzipping my jacket and shrugging out of it, tossing it to the side. "Why?"

"There are rumors going around the school about him and his stepmom…Is it true you two got her arrested last night?"

"It's true," I admitted, reaching for a change of clothes. "But she deserved it, trust me on that."

"No, I do. Word is she had been sexually abusing him for years."

"That's the truth. Listen, I'm going to go shower. I'll be back in about ten minutes or so."

"Okay," she agreed. "Hurry back, though. I brought you lunch." She indicated the bag on the floor.

"What'd you get?"

"Miso soup, chicken yakisoba, and steamed rice."

I smiled a little. "Thanks."

"I got food for James as well, though I'm sure it'll need to be reheated. Since your stepdad and I didn't know what he'd like, we just got him beef teriyaki and gyoza."

"We haven't gone out to teriyaki yet, so I don't know what he likes either," I said. "But I'm sure he'll appreciate it. I'll run it over to him after I shower. Carlos is staying with him so that he's not alone."

"He's not handling everything well?"

"I think he's finally letting himself break down. When we got back to his dorm room last night, he fell apart. It didn't help that his dad is pretty much blaming him and is acting like James never told him what was going on. And James did, but his dad beat him for it." I raked my fingers through my hair. "His dad's a piece of work, and I don't think his mom is much better. They're both just…ugh." I crossed my arms, scowling. "There aren't strong enough words to describe either of them."

Mom sighed. "Go take your shower, sweetie. We'll talk in a little while."

I nodded and headed off with my clothes and toiletries. Fifteen minutes later I returned to the room, wearing fresh clothes and feeling a little bit better. I dug James' food out of the bag and headed back across campus. I found him huddled under the blankets on his bed, a James-shaped lump.

Carlos was sitting on his own bed, tossing a bouncy ball up in the air and catching it neatly as he chattered away absentmindedly. He sniffed the air excitedly when I walked in with the to-go box. "Food!"

"Sorry, dude," I told him. "This is for James. My mom got it for him."

James poked his head out from under the blankets so that only his hair, forehead, and eyes were visible. He blinked at me. "Teriyaki?"

"Yeah. It's just beef and gyoza, but I hope it works." I set the container on the nightstand. "How're you doing? I can actually see your eyes, so I figure that's an improvement."

"I don't know," he sighed. "Mostly I just don't want to get up."

I sat down on the bed beside him, brushing his bangs out of his face. "It's going to be okay. She's been arrested and you're never going to have to deal with her again."

"I might have to testify at her trial," he said quietly. "The cops told me last night. I might have to get up in front of a judge and jury and talk about everything she did to me. How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know," I sighed, rubbing his back. "But I'll be there. I'm going to help you get through this, we all are."

Carlos nodded. "Yeah. Come on, buddy. You're not alone. You have me, Katie, Kendall, and Logan at the very least. And Jo and Camille think you're awesome."

"Exactly," I said firmly. "We're all in this together now. And my mom clearly likes you, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten you food. So you have her on your side as well."

James finally pushed the covers back and sat up, reaching for the food. "Tell your mom thanks."

"I will." I kissed his forehead and got to my feet. "I have to get back to my dorm room, she's waiting for me. If you feel up to it, go ahead and drop by. I'm sure she wants to get to know you a little better."

He smiled a little. "Thanks, I will."

"Good." I smiled back and headed out, waving at Carlos. I made my way back to my dorm, where my mom and food were still waiting. I plopped down on my bed and grabbed the cup of soup, prying the lid off and snatching up the plastic spoon that had been in the bag. I dug in hungrily, my stomach growling loudly.

"Hungry?" Mom chuckled.

"Starving. Last night was so long. Oh, James says thanks for the food, by the way."

"How is he doing?"

"A little bit better. He perked up once he smelled the food," I laughed, slurping my soup up.

Mom chuckled, before frowning. "What exactly happened, Katie?"

"With what?"

"With James and his stepmom. With last night. I really don't understand any of it."

I sighed, finishing off my soup and starting on the yakisoba. "I can't tell you everything. I don't even know all of it, and I don't think I ever will. But I can fill in the blanks. I don't want to go into detail, though."

"And I understand that. But how much damage has been done? How old was he when it started?"

"He was twelve, Mom. His dad had just remarried and she…she went after him when Mr. Diamond was away on a business trip or something. And it continued on. From what I understand, it was still happening last summer. She subdued him with handcuffs," I added when Mom opened her mouth. "I know he's a lot bigger than he is, but she used handcuffs."

"Did she – " Mom swallowed hard, looking slightly sick. "Was there actual sex involved?"

"None of it willing on his part."

"Oh my God…" she ran her hand over her face.

"I know." I set my food aside, my stomach churning with nausea. "And his parents didn't believe him. They called him a liar."

"For it to go on for that long and for his parents to not even give a damn…" she shook her head. "That's sick. That is truly sick. Has he talked to anyone about it?"

"He's talked to his best friend and me."

"I mean a professional. A therapist."

I shook my head. "He talked to his school guidance counselor when he was in middle school and a fat lot of good that did him."

"He should talk to a therapist."

"I know, but he's stubborn. He doesn't want anyone to know. He'll never say it, but I think he's ashamed. He managed to suck it up to tell the cops what happened, but that's it. He's terrified of the idea of having to go in front of a judge and jury and explain what happened."

"And they'll want details," Mom sighed. "It might be better if he went up in front of the judge and jury with a therapist who can attest to the damage that his stepmom's done. It would make the case a lot more solid."

"He recorded her."

"I know. And while that should be enough evidence, it can't hurt to add even more proof to the mix."

I nodded in understanding. "I'll talk to him about it."

"Okay." She bit her lip, rocking back and forth like she wanted to ask me something else but wasn't quite sure how to get the words out.

"Just spit it out, Mom." I grabbed my food again, taking a bite of my yakisoba.

"Are you sleeping with James?"

I promptly choked on the chicken and noodles. "Mom!"

"What? It's a legitimate question. You're sixteen and doubtlessly have hormones raging. And James is a very good looking young man."

I choked again. "Did you just call my boyfriend hot? You cougar!"

Mom rolled her eyes. "I didn't call your boyfriend hot. I was merely making a statement."

"I'm going to tell Andrew you said that," I threatened, jabbing my plastic fork in her direction.

"Like I care. Anyway, are you going to answer me or not?"

I played with my food. "I'd really rather not…"

"I see. Was James sexually active before you?"

I stared at her.

"Besides the whole thing with his stepmom."

"That's not for me to answer."

"So he was."

"I didn't say that!"

"It was implied."

"Why does it matter?" I demanded. "James has his problems, but he's a good guy. He loves me."

"Do you love him?"

"More than anything. And it's not like he pressured me into sleeping with him. He was actually hesitant. I'm the one who wanted it. It was all me."

"Um…"

"And besides, I'm the first girl he willingly slept with sober. He always had to get drunk to sleep with those other girls."

"That is a lot more information than I wanted, but okay, then," Mom pushed her hair back over her shoulder.

I winced sheepishly, realizing that I had gotten a little bit carried away. "Sorry. You're probably not very proud of me right now, huh?"

She sighed. "Well, I always hoped you'd be older than sixteen before you got into such a serious relationship."

"I'll be seventeen in March."

"Not what I meant. And no, I'm not thrilled about this. But it doesn't make me think any less of you. I love you no matter what, Katie. I always will. And after everything that's happened with James, I am so proud of you for helping him, for sticking by him. He's going to need that. I'm glad he has you."

"How could I not stick by him? He didn't ask for this to happen. And he's a sweetheart, he wouldn't hurt a fly. Damn it!" My eyes welled with tears, spilling over. "I hate what she did to him. I hate her! I've never hated anyone this much, I didn't know it was possible, but I do, I really do. I just want her to rot in a cell somewhere forever. He doesn't deserve any of what she did to him. Why did this happen?" I stared up at Mom, tears streaming down my face, and she sighed, pulling me into her arms.

"I don't know, sweetie. But he'll get through this. He'll be okay one day."

"When?!"

"I don't know that either. But one day he'll be okay, he'll be healed. He'll always have the memories, but they'll just be a part of his past, not his present."

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked helplessly, leaning into her.

"Just be there for him. Do what you've been doing. He needs the support. He needs to know that people love him."

I sighed, closing my eyes.

"Tell me about him," she suggested.

"What?"

"Tell me about him. About other stuff, besides the darkness. What his hobbies are, his favorite subject. That sort of thing."

I thought for a moment, my lips curving up in a slight smile. "He's good at math. He sometimes helps people with calculus. But his favorite subject is drama. He's going to be in Guys and Dolls in December. He can sing like nobody's business, he's amazing. He can't decide on his favorite book, but his favorite book series is a tie between Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. He loves rock music, though he listens to pop, country, and rap too. He used to make mixed CDs, but now he mostly just makes playlists. His birthday is July 16th. He wants to go to Juilliard, but he doesn't know if that's going to happen because his mom won't pay for it and he's gotten into a bunch of trouble here at school. He has a black Dodge Charger that he bought last summer. We met in detention, of all places. His favorite movie is the first Pirates of the Caribbean one. And he loves me."

"He sounds like a good guy, if a bit of a troublemaker."

I laughed. "From what I hear, he was always a little troublemaker. Oh, and he was the cutest little thing when he was younger. He showed me pictures the other night. Here." I pulled my phone out and got into my photo album, bringing up one of the pictures. "I made him send me some of them. See? Wasn't he adorable?"

Mom chuckled. "He really was. He hadn't grown into his eyes yet. James looks like Puss in Boots when he was begging."

I grinned. "Right? That's what I said. He glared at me."

She grinned too. "Well, tell him I said that he was adorable."

"Will d – " I cut off at the sound of a knock on the door. "Come in."

James stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Hey, Katie. Hey, Mrs. Knight."

She waved her hand at him. "Please, call me Jenn. How're you doing, honey?"

"Better now that I've eaten. Thanks for the food."

"Not a problem. After all the rumors I heard surrounding your stepmother's arrest, I figured it was the least I could do."

James furrowed his brow. "Rumors?"

I nodded hesitantly. "The word is out about her, James. People know that she abused you. I'm sorry, I don't know how they know."

"Someone probably saw her get dragged away in handcuffs last night," he said heavily, sitting down on my other side.

Mom bobbed her head in agreement. "Most likely."

I took James' hand in mine, absentmindedly tracing hearts and stars over the pack of his hand with my thumb. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"I think I brought this up awhile back, but…have you given any thought to talking to a therapist?"

"Katie – "

"I'm serious. You're so stubborn, but you can't do this on your own. And I don't know what to say to help. I don't think Carlos does either."

"It shouldn't even matter. It should be over."

"But it's not," Mom spoke up, and we both snapped our heads around to look at her. "You still have to live with the demons, James. People are going to say that it's over, that you should be past it, but that's not the way something like this works. You don't just get over something like this overnight, not when you have years of trauma under your belt. You need help, and unfortunately your friends can only do so much."

"I can't even afford therapy," James argued. "My parents won't pay for it. So even if I wanted it, I still couldn't go."

"I'll help you," she offered quietly. "I'll help you pay for it."

"Why? You don't even know me."

"But you're my daughter's boyfriend, and it's clear you love her and she loves you. And my son definitely values your friendship. Those are very good reasons to help you with this."

"I have school – "

"So you'll do it once you graduate," Mom said simply. "And in the meantime you can talk to the guidance counselor."

"Please?" I said to James beggingly. "I'll sit in the therapy sessions with you if you want. But please do this."

He sighed. "Carlos has been pushing me on this. Fine. I'll do it."

"But only because I said please?"

"But only because you said please."

I grinned a little, before another thought struck me. I turned to Mom. "What's going to happen with Zach and his dad?"

"His dad has told Zach to stay away from you and James, and if he ever lays a hand on another girl ever again, he'll be disowned. And that means no Wilder inheritance."

I smirked. Zach relied on his inheritance to help give him a lift up once we graduated from college. He would be completely lost without it.

"Well, at least that's taken care of," James said in satisfaction.

I nodded in agreement and kissed his cheek.

James' POV

The next month went by quickly. In late November I was called down to Minneapolis so that I could testify at Kimberly's trial. As promised, Katie was in the audience, along with her parents, brother, Carlos, and Logan. Kimberly was found guilty, and sentenced to spend a minimum of ten years in jail. Her lawyer was still trying to work something out, but I didn't think anything was going to stick.

My dad barely said anything to me at the courthouse, but when he looked at me as we were filing back out to the lobby, guilt was etched across his face.

"He feels guilty," Andrew said quietly as we walked out to the parking lot. "He just doesn't know how to apologize."

I looked at him. "How do you know that?"

"Please. I'm good at reading people. And I may not be Katie's and Kendall's birth father, but the idea of anyone hurting them is unimaginable. I imagine it's what it's like for your dad."

"He deserves to feel guilty," Katie said scathingly. "He called James a liar."

"I know, and I fully agree. I'm just saying, the guilt has got to be overwhelming."

I didn't say anything. I loved my dad no matter what he had said or done, but the truth was that I wasn't sure I really wanted him in my life, at least not at this point in time. And I didn't have to worry. The Knights had already invited me to spend Christmas break with them and I had taken them up on their offer. I was looking forward to actually spending a school break with sane people who I actually liked. It would make a nice change.

December finally hit, and with it came opening night of Guys and Dolls.

"You're going to be amazing," Katie said to me as she lounged on my bed a couple of hours before the show was set to begin. "You're going to be the sexiest Skye Masterson the world has ever known."

"You think so?" I asked as I stared at myself in the mirror.

"Definitely. How're you doing your hair? Slicked back?"

"Yeah, I think so. We have hair stylists to help with that."

"I can't wait to see that," Katie told me, getting up from my bed. "You're going to be so incredible, James."

I smiled as I turned to face her. She wrapped her arms around me and stood on her tip toes so that she could kiss me. I kissed her back, pulling her closer. She leaned into me and I sighed contentedly. Definitely the best relaxation technique there was.

The show went amazing. There weren't any technical difficulties, and everyone was right on cue. We received a standing ovation when we ran back onstage to take our bows.

Afterwards, we piled out onto the stage as the audience spilled over.

Katie practically attacked me, leaping into my arms and kissing me passionately. "You were amazing! See? I told you! And a scout from Juilliard is here and – oh my gosh, I think he's coming over." She wiggled out of my arms and straightened out her clothes, before tugging at mine.

A moment later, a well dressed man with dark hair and a goatee made his way through the audience to stop in front of me. "James Diamond, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

He smiled at me. "You were amazing, truly spectacular."

"I'm sorry, could I get your name?"

"Oh, right. I'm Jonathan Burkhart, a representative of Juilliard. The drama coach here is actually an old friend of mine, and she told me she had a few star pupils. Clearly, you're one of them. May I ask if you've considered where you want to go to college?"

"I've actually considered Juilliard," I admitted. "But I don't think I'm going to have the money."

"There are always scholarships. Apply for one," he urged me. "Who knows? You might actually be granted one. Here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to me. "Call me if you decide to apply to Juilliard. I'll be glad to help you out."

"Thank you," I said, pocketing the card.

"Anytime, Mr. Diamond."

I watched as he strolled away, and turned to Katie. "Did that just happen…?"

She nodded, grinning up at me. "I think you have a way in to Juilliard."

"That's insane…oh man…"

"You're going to be on Broadway one day, James. Your parents might not think so, but I know you are. You're going to be the best damn Broadway performer anyone has ever seen."

"I can actually believe that." We both turned as my mom stepped through the crowd, walking towards us. "Hi, sweetie."

"What're you doing here?" I demanded. "I thought you were going to be out of the country."

"I was. But after everything that's happened…" she shook her head. "After calling you a liar, I wanted to see you in person. And since you were so excited about this musical, I thought I might as well watch it. And you were amazing. You honestly were. I was blown away by your performance. Katie's right, you really are going to stun everyone when you get to Broadway."

Katie and I both gaped at her. "Wait – " I said slowly. "Does this mean you'll pay for me to go to Juilliard if I'm accepted?"

She nodded. "If you want to go, then I'll help you get there."

"For real?"

"Yeah. Just…consider this me trying to make up for all the years I believed your dad and Kimberly. I can't do much else."

"You could pay for the therapy he's going to need," Katie spoke up. "Help him get past what Kimberly put him through. Oh, and pay for him to go to Juilliard. Those two things would be perfect."

Mom paused, thinking it over, before nodding. "Okay. I'll do it."

Katie grinned again, bumping her shoulder against mine. "My work here is finished."

"What made you change your mind?" I asked Mom in confusion.

"Realizing how badly I screwed up with you," she said reluctantly. "Realizing that trying to pretend that everything was okay was the worst thing I could do for either of us. And I'm sorry, James. I'm so, so sorry. I'll help you in any way I can."

"Are you sure? I mean, you spent a long time pretending nothing weird was going on…"

"I'm sure."

"You weren't even here for the trial, Mom."

"I'm sorry. The realization has been dawning on me slowly, but it took me a little while to finally accept that I needed to come here and apologize. I don't want you to push me out of your life. I want you to one day forgive me. I love you, James. And I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make this up to you, I promise."

I hugged her in response. She hugged me back, and I smiled as I pulled away after a moment.

"By the way," Katie said to Mom, "James got an offer from Juilliard. They want him badly."

Mom smiled. "That's wonderful!"

"Isn't it? And he did it all on his own. I'm so proud of him." She kissed my cheek.

"So, wait…" Mom eyed us. "Are you two together now? Are you dating her?"

I nodded. "We've been together for going on two months."

"I am so out of touch…Come on. Let's go get something to eat and you two can tell me everything that I've missed." And with that she led us out of the theater, with Jenn, Andrew, Kendall, Carlos, and Logan following behind us.

As we walked, I smiled at Katie. "You know, I'm starting to think you're right."

"About what?" she asked curiously.

"That everything really will be okay."

She smiled back. "Yeah, everything is. And I can't wait to see how it's going to work out."

I nodded and slipped my arm around her. There was a hint of promise in the air as we stepped out into the courtyard, and I knew that this was just the beginning.

And in that moment, I didn't want to be anywhere but here.

So...that was the last official chapter. Did you guys hate it? Love it? Like it? I'm going to admit, I'm not entirely satisfied with the chapter, but hopefully that's just my inner perfectionist coming out.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story! And I would love to hear your thoughts on it, so please review :)