A/N: Howdy howdy you fine people :D

So, I wrote most of this chapter while I was on a break at college, so I know it might not be as good as a few of the other chapters (not that many of them are any good either haha) but I didn't want to make you lovely people wait too much longer. :)

I'm going to shut up now haha.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks,

xoloveJBox

"Hey, how was your day?" Seth asked Kim when he met her at the end of the school day.

"Brutal. How about you?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask the same bunch of people who've been watching me all day?"

"I know what you mean." Kim replied, smiling slightly, though she didn't know what there was to smile about. When she got home, she would have to talk to the police officers that would be waiting for them. She didn't want to have to go over things that she had already told them time and time again. Not that it would matter. Kim knew she could tell the officers the same things a million times and nothing would change. The evidence all pointed to Ryan; Kim could tell them otherwise until she was blue in the face, and it wouldn't make any difference.

They descended the steps, happier than usual to be leaving school for another day. They quickly located Sandy's car and clambered in, eager to leave. The three had pulled out of the parking lot before most of the other students had made it out of the building.

"How was school?" Sandy asked, but when neither answered, he hadn't been good. A few more minutes of silence passed before Kim leaned forwards from the back seat.

"Hey Sandy, can we still go and see Ryan today?"

"Sure, "Sandy confirmed, pleased to see both Kim and Seth perk up marginally at the thought "but don't forget; you both have to talk to the officers again this afternoon."
The reminder made them both slump back in their seats, and Seth groaned loudly.

"I don't understand why we have to talk to them again." He complained "we've already told them what happened, and they've still decided that Ryan's guilty."

Sandy looked into his rear view mirror, noticing that Kim had gone quiet again, and he saw her biting her bottom lip nervously.

"Kimberly, I know what you're thinking, so stop thinking it." He warned, and Kim jumped slightly at being dragged so suddenly from her thoughts.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about Sandy." She tried, though she knew herself that it was an awful attempt at being elusive.

"Don't lie to the police." He commanded simply, and Kim's eyes widened a little at being caught out. She wasn't proud of the fact that she had considered lying; and she was less than impressed with herself because she had been caught so easily. But what else was she supposed to do? No one believed the truth, and she could see no alternative.

"It might help Ryan now, but in the long run, it will only make things worse." Sandy continued when she didn't say anything. "That goes for both of you." He added to Seth "if you don't know the answer to a question, tell them you don't know, but do not lie. At all."

The conversation was ended when Sandy pulled up in the driveway, the officer's car already there.

Kim took a deep, stabilizing breath. She was not looking forward to this.

Ryan looked across at the clock on the wall. It was almost exactly five o'clock in the evening. He had finished his school work at least two hours ago, and he'd done nothing but lie on his bunk ever since. He had counted and recounted the tiles on the ceiling, and he had started on the opposite wall. He was up 624. He lost count when a voice came at the metal bars that formed the forth wall.

"Atwood, let's go. You got visitors." The guard announced abruptly. Ryan sat up, blinking at him docilely.

"Yeah, you know, people. Come on, let's go." The guard that fetched Ryan was a nice man, though Ryan was yet to catch his name. He had bright, clear blue eyes that made him look like he was always laughing. His hair was thinning on the crown of his head, but it was still at the stage where it was almost unnoticeable when it was combed right. He was a big man, standing well over six foot, and had huge, broad shoulders. Even most of the tougher inmates had trouble keeping their cool when he was around, despite the fact that his bark was a lot worse than his bite.

Intrigued because he hadn't been expecting anyone, Ryan jumped from his bed and landed silently in the soft rubber pumps that adorned his feet. He waited patiently while the guard unlocked the door and let him out. They walked calmly down the corridor, Ryan's curiosity peaked. When they emerged into the cafeteria/visiting hall, Ryan had never been so relieved to see Seth. Under satisfactory supervision, the guard left again, and Ryan crossed the room to his friend.

"Hey," he greeted, getting Seth's attention.

"Hey man," Seth replied "how's it going?"

"It's definitely been better." Ryan answered, and Seth mentally winced at the stupidity of his question. The air turned slightly awkward, and they fell into a light silence for a few long seconds.

"We're only going to have about fifteen minutes each," Seth continued, not slightly conscious over what he was saying. "We only have an hour, and Dad needs to talk to you about...legal stuff that I have no idea about."

"Ok." Ryan replied, not sure what else to say.

"Well, I definitely prefer the playstation as a source of Seth/Ryan time, but this is cool too." Seth joked, and Ryan laughed lightly. It felt good to have something to laugh for, even though it wasn't particularly funny. He suddenly felt a little lighter, and as if things were at least a tiny bit better. Though Ryan wasn't stupid, he knew that it was going to take more than a bad joke to make things ok again. They chatted casually for a few minutes, though it was slightly stilted.

"Well, I better go," Seth finally announced, "Kim'll kill me if I take any of her time." Ryan smiled, and though he had enjoyed talking with Seth, he wanted to see his sister. Seth clapped Ryan's shoulder and said goodbye. Ryan watched him walk away and longed to be going with him. He spent a minute or so looking around the room, searching for distraction while he waited for Kim. When he heard her voice, his head snapped around. She was thanking the guard who opened the gate for her, and he sat, a little impatiently, while her eyes searched the room for her. She looked the same as usual, but Ryan had never been happier to see her. She eventually found him, and she beamed brightly as she strode over.

"Ryan," she breathed happily when she reached the table and sat across from him. She took his hand from the table and squeezed it comfortingly, because it was as close to a hug as they were allowed to get, which was a shame, because they both could really have used some contact at that moment. They went through the same initial conversation as Ryan had with Seth, but when Kim's face turned more serious, Ryan knew he would have to work to make things seem even a little normal.

"I bet the pool house is quiet." He commented, and Kim simply nodded, looking down at the table slightly.

"How was school?" he asked, trying again to get some kind of conversation started.

"Really, Ry? We're having small talk now?" she whispered, looking at him sadly.

"No, I guess not." He replied almost as quietly. He wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say.

"Did you do it?" Kim's awesome power of direct conversation really was incredible.

"I don't know." Ryan answered honestly, after a few long seconds of consideration. "I don't think so, but I...I don't know."

"How did you get those bruises?" she asked, nodding her head towards his face and arms. The speed at which Kim could change the topic of a conversation could be dizzying sometimes.

"It's nothing." Ryan answered feebly, an excuse he was used to telling her when he used to get into fights in Chino.

Kim laughed bitterly "That's almost as bad as telling me you walked into a door." She muttered. "I'm not a child Ryan!" Kim suddenly exclaimed, making Ryan and a few of the other boys around them jump slightly.

"I know." Ryan whispered, though he suddenly found it hard to see his fifteen year old present Kimberly. All he could see was the five year old Kimmy she had once been, scared and stammering in tattered clothes, someone he needed to protect. He couldn't help but think he'd failed her.

Kim could feel sharp, stinging tears prickling at the back of her eyes, and she was determined- no, desperate- not to let them fall there. Not in front of her brother, not in front of the strangers in the room, not in front of anyone.

"I should go," she murmured "Sandy has some important stuff to talk to you about."

Ryan searched his sister's face. He mistook the sadness there for disappointment, and not just general disappointment; disappointment in him. In his eyes, she was not seeing Ryan, she was seeing Trey, or their father, and that felt like it was ripping him into little pieces.

"Ok," he said, trying to hide the fact that he was tearing himself apart "Let me know when you're coming next time, and I'll try to be in a better mood."

"Do you want me to bring anything for you the next time I come?" she asked in a low, sombre tone.

"No." He answered. What would he possibly need in here?

A minute passed, and Kim didn't leave. She wasn't sure if she could just yet.

"Have you told Mom?" Ryan asked, though they were no longer looking at each other

"No. Do you want me to?" Kim could feel the tears moving through her head like a flooding tide, and she knew that if she didn't leave soon, her tears would fill the room.

"No." Ryan finally answered. Kim rubbed her face roughly with her hands and stood abruptly.

"I love you Ry." She told him firmly, the only thing she seemed sure of lately.

"I love you too." He replied as she turned away. She took a few slow steps forward, readying herself to actually leave.

"Kim?"

She froze. She didn't want to turn around. She knew if she did, she'd have to stay, because she couldn't bear returning to an empty pool house where nothing seemed real to her. Why did he have to make things so hard? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, stabilising herself before turning back to him.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice wavering.

"Did you find your glasses in the drawer next to your bed?"

Kim smiled weakly. She should have known Ryan would have put them somewhere safe. She didn't know why she hadn't checked there. She knew that if she said anything else, she would break down, and she felt like she could cry for years, so she simply nodded, smiled and turned away. Kim walked out of the room and didn't look back.

But God knew it was hard.