Disclaimer : I still own nothing HSM or Roswell, just playing in New Mexico .

The quad was nearly empty as Ryan and Kelsi found a private spot to sit , away from cheerleaders who were doing an spur of the moment practice outside before heading for home while a handful of stranglers tarried with their friends by their vehicles . . Ryan found an empty picnic table away from all of the activity and gently pulling a very subdued Kelsi down beside him to talk .

' Kels, you want to tell me what happened back there ? Maybe shed some light on why your ex-boyfriend went Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when he saw us together '

Kelsi let go of Ryan's arm , let out a shaky breath , and smoothed her lips in a thin line as she silently berated herself for her horrible judgment . Oh she knew at some point that she would have to come clean , tell Ryan the truth of her sordid relationship with Maxwell, but Max punching Ryan hadn't been anything she had expected since his change a while back. Her nerves were back up and she didn't care a bit for it .

It all had happened so fast !

She was still reeling from her and Ryan getting back together now Maxwell had lost it !

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' Are you sure that Max didn't hurt you, Ryan ? '

Ryan rubbed the back of his head where it had connected with the stage feeling a sore spot where a bump was forming then nodded . He might have a hell of a headache later but he would live . It could have been worse especially since he wasn't much of a fighter .

' I'm fine . Kelsi , talk to me , please …'

Kelsi rose , rubbed her palms down the sides of her outfit in a nervous gesture as she felt his blue eyes intent upon her own . God, she didn't want to lose Ryan again ! None of this was how she had anticipated telling Ryan and she just hoped he wouldn't hate her .

' Please just listen to me . Try to understand that I just ..I did what I thought was best to protect you . I just really don't want for you to be mad at me when we just got back together , Ryan ,' pleaded Kelsi, her heart in her clogged up throat ,' I'm so afraid that once I tell you what I did , you will not want to be with me again '

Ryan reached for her , lifted her chin to tilt her face up to gaze into his concerned eyes .

' I'm not going to feel that way , I will try not to but sweetheart , tell me why you are so afraid to talk to me about you and Maxwell. Granted he's a creep and a jerk and I never really got why you went out with him to begin with so explain it to me '

Kelsi moved from out of his touch , rose , gathered up her energy as she found her inner strength . She touched the dangly star earring he had given her then began to speak .

' I've always felt sort of invisible with guys, sort of goes along with being shy, I guess . Before the summer I even used to think of you as this rich , obnoxious playboy rat until you started to change , I think I kind of opened up to you, and we really got to know each other '

Ryan gave her a mild smile .' Well, rat is new . I knew you weren't a fan of mine before but what does all of this have to do with you and Maxwell ? '

Kelsi gave him an exasperated look .' Ryan , I'm trying to explain . So over the summer I started developing feelings for you but I didn't know what to do with them then Gabriella is fixing me up with Maxwell. Its enough to freak me out …..' She laughed , slightly ,' He was so New York, so bold , so talented , and he made it really obvious he wanted me which you probably already figured that part out .'

She bit her bottom lip , hoped that Ryan wouldn't view her as this pathetic person either

.' It was flattering at first but I wasn't interested in him, romantically . I liked you which I must have tried telling Max a hundred times but he didn't care then all of my friends are advising me like I'm some clueless baby unable to make her own decisions so I got mad …'

Puzzled , Ryan tried to piece together what she was telling him .' You went out with Maxwell to , what, spite our friends ? '

Kelsi plopped down beside him, shaking her head rapidly .' Yes ! I know it was stupid and immature but I wasn't thinking . I didn't think you cared for me in the way I did you and nothing was happening between us so it couldn't hurt to date Maxwell '

' For the record, I was getting around to asking you out when you suddenly decided to go with that smooth talker musician '

' I know ,' Kelsi's voice grew small as she thought back to the rollercoaster ride of emotions and the encompassing fear that happened in her relationship with Maxwell, ' I tried to be a good girlfriend to Max . At first he was really attentive to me but he didn't like our friendship , Ryan, and I think he knew there was more between us . He ..he didn't like it or me talking to you so much ….Maxwell could get awfully possessive '

A distant look appeared in her eyes as she thought back to the first time Maxwell had lost his patience with her . She had tried breaking up with him , he had accused her of being a slut , and shoved her against the wall and Kelsi had knew then of her mistake .

Kelsi rubbed her wrists, absently .' He ..he saw how I looked at you and ..I tried to end things between Max and myself more than once but it just pissed him off . He believed that I was his muse , that I belonged to him .'

She swallowed a lump of pain in her throat .' I knew I had been stupid , that I made a horrible mistake but he wouldn't just let me end things . I did try, Ryan , I promise that I did …..he kept threatening to hurt you . I know I'm a coward but I truly believed that Maxwell would make good at it ….I couldn't risk him hurting you, Ryan '

Stunned, Ryan turned Kelsi towards him, noting the haunted look in her usually warm eyes . He reached for her hand , began rubbing soothing circles on her wrist .

' Kelsi, did Maxwell put his hands on you ? How bad did that son of a bitch hurt you ? God, Kels, how could you keep this from me ? '

Kelsi swiped at the tear sliding down her cheek as she tried to regain her composure . Maxwell had humiliated her that was true but it could have been so much worse if she hadn't been brave enough to just walk away from him at last .

' It doesn't matter , Ryan , because I ended things on my terms for you. I could handle some bruises and the humiliation as my punishment because I went blindly, stupidly into a relationship with Maxwell on my own because I was too scared to tell you how I really felt about you '

Ryan fought his own rising anger as he thought back to all of the scenarios he had imagined months ago as to why Kelsi had stayed with Max for so long , the sick son of a bitch abusing her hadn't even crossed his mind . That she had somehow managed to make that break of his hold on her to be with him was incredible .

' You could have talked to me , Kelsi , we're friends , first . We could have figured this out together instead of you being pushed around by that low life …..'

' No, I couldn't , Ryan ! Don't you see ? I felt as if I created this whole thing myself , I was responsible , I allowed him to walk all over me and it was up to me to fix it on my own ! You haven't seen Maxwell when he's angry , I seriously believed that he would make good on his promises to hurt you and my friends '

Noting Ryan and Kelsi hiding in the shade , Martha had left the cheerleaders to their own devices and quietly walked up on her friends catching her best friend mid story as a stunned gasp escaped her mouth . Ryan silenced her with a look as the tiny pianist continued on with her story , not looking up, lost in the horror of the past still .

' You know that I've never been the most confident person and I have been working on getting better at improving that but that short time that I was with Maxwell, he chipped away at what I had until I felt I couldn't even be myself because he didn't like it . Worse thing is that I let him hurt me that way and I am not proud of it '

' Oh my God , Kelsi , is that why you stayed with the bastard for so long ? '

Kelsi let out a resigned sigh ,' Yes . I couldn't confide in you either , Martha , because Max didn't like you or our friendship anymore than he did Ryan . When I finally broke up with Maxwell, the fact that he didn't fight me over it , it was unbearably painful but I wanted to be with Ryan more than anything . I could cope with dealing with Maxwell in class or during the play because I knew with others around he wouldn't do anything to me '

She flicked her gaze to Martha then Ryan as she tried to finish her story without her knees buckling on her or completely breaking down into a puddle of tears . What was done was done now and Kelsi refused to go backwards .

' Max apologized and well, he's been acting so differently , I had hoped he had decided to change . I haven't had any problems with him since then so I guess I was naïve and hopeful until he went after you today , Ryan '

Ryan felt a jumble of emotions , anger for her for not trusting him enough to let him try to help her , anger at himself for not figuring it out himself, and the urge to pummel that bastard senseless for hurting the sweetest woman on the planet .

He didn't know what to do so Ryan pulled her into into his arms, his touch tender as he pressed a comforting kiss on the top of her head .

' I'm sorry , Kels, sorry that I didn't figure it out myself . That you would …for me '

Kelsi pressed her face into the crook of his neck as she held tight .' I didn't know what else to do . I honestly thought it was all over now , that he didn't care anymore '

Martha allowed them their moment as she reevaluated the situation in her head , her skin crawling as it often did when she imagined her friend with Maxwell Donovan . There had been a coldness in his eyes that always frightened her slightly and that Kelsi had gone with him for a short time horrified her . Now that she understood the reasoning behind her best friend staying with him for so long rather than be with Ryan right off made sense now .

Still there were questions that had to be asked and it looked as if the boyfriend was still reeling . It might be better if they came from the best friend .

' Ryan , I'm going to steal my bestie from you for a little private girl talk , I promise I'll return her to you …' Martha laid a hand on her friends arm ,' Kelsi , please …I swear I wont browbeat you '

Kelsi gave her boyfriend a sweet kiss .' Thank you for not lashing out, Ryan '

Martha gave her a gentle tug moving them to a more private spot then fixed her with a concerned look . There was a slight haunted look in Kelsi's eyes but she couldn't help but notice the tension seemed to have disappeared all together now .

' I could express my own hurt that you couldn't let me help you but I wont . However this is more important , besides verbally abusing you and shoving you around , did he hurt you, physically ? I know there were times you were alone with him and if he hurt you, if he did more than shove you around , we need to go to the police , honey '

Kelsi flushed red in embarrassment as she squeezed Martha's hand .' He liked shoving me around , liked trying to control me . But Max never tried to hurt me in the way that you mean , thank God ! If I had stayed with him any longer , I don't know what might have happened but I'm fine . '

' Good but I think that you should go to the police '

' What would I tell them , Martha ? Its been months , my bruises have disappeared , and until Max went crazy and hit Ryan, nothing bad has happened . I just want to forget about it and get on with my life ….'

' Max is violent and hurt you , that isn't nothing . Will you at least think about it ? ' asked Martha , torn between wanting to make an anonymous call to the police on her best friends behalf or getting Jason and the guys to beat the crap out of Maxwell for her .

' I'll consider it but please, Martha , do not tell everyone about this , I beg of you . I'm okay with you telling Jason but I really cant handle everyone else's pity ' pleaded Kelsi , removing her glasses to rub her swollen eyes ,' that means no Taylor or Gabriella too '

Martha made a face .' You know they would only want to be there for you '

' I know ,' muttered Kelsi, wanting to put it all behind her now ,' I also know that Taylor is well meaning enough to get Maxwell expelled and arrested then sick her mother on him . I don't want to be the victim splashed all over the papers and Ryan is being unusually calm about all of this which I don't know how to take …..'

His family had the means to take care of the situation privately and with discretion and nobody would even blink an eyelash if Maxwell left New Mexico . Kelsi didn't think that Ryan had it in him but his father might encourage it if he were to share his concerns for her . It was unsettling to ponder what ifs and what might occur when Kelsi just wanted to put it all behind them and move forward in their relationship .

Martha gave her a sympathetic hug .' Ryan is probably still just processing '

She felt a slight tremble in her body, shook from a chill she only imagined came from the wondering if this new information would destroy the relationship that she and Ryan were only now trying to rebuild . Kelsi vowed that she was done apologizing for her actions and hoped that he cared enough for her that it be enough .

' I don't want to talk about it anymore , I don't want to give all of the details , I just want it to be done with now '

Martha gave her hand a thoughtful squeeze and a warm smile .' I'm here if you change your mind '

' I wont but thanks , Martha '

From across the parking lot, Jason spotted his girlfriend and his friends as he lifted a hand in a wave . Weary, Martha looked from Kelsi and Ryan then back at her boyfriend torn between wanting to be a buffer between them or leaving with Jason .

Ryan helped her make that call by rising to flank his girlfriends side, protectively .

' I got this, Martha , go on now . You don't want to keep Jason waiting ..its good '

' Fine but don't be a jackass either , Evans !' Martha wagged a finger at the performer ,' call me later , Kelsi '

They watched in silence as Martha met Jason on the sidewalk before linking hands to walk to the parking lot . It was such a ordinary , natural thing for a couple to do . Ryan's gaze searched the lot for signs of the sleek black Porsche that Donovan drove and was relieved to find that it wasn't there . He didn't know quite how he would react if and when he saw the slick son of a bitch again but right now, Ryan needed to calm his temper .

' I am sorry that my lies hurt you, Ryan , but I am finished apologizing for why I did what I did . If you changed your mind about us , I understand '

Ryan cupped her cheek, lightly , with his hand .' I haven't changed my mind about us even if we're both really shaky on trust . We can get better on that, I think '

' Definitely ' agreed Kelsi, pressing her forehead against his ,' Ryan, please don't mention this to your sister or anyone else . Gossip is one thing but this is private ..'

Ryan nodded his consent . Sharpay would be pissed at him if it ever came in to the light but under the circumstances, he would respect Kelsi's request though he wondered if speaking to Ms. Darbus about Maxwell would fall under that ?

He wouldn't have to give his drama teacher all of the gory details or betray Kelsi's trust in him if he simply expressed his concern that Maxwell was dangerous . Violent .

Who knows how much Darbus had seen from backstage to begin with ?

It was something to consider for Kelsi's safety .

Ryan slid her into a kiss that soothed , that gentled , that made her heart ping even after the kiss ended . They sat underneath the tree, the sun going down behind them , holding tightly onto one another , knowing there would be no more running from the love they shared .

***************************HSM*************************************

It was all unraveling on him , his careful , deliberate plan gone up in smoke from a weak, careless moment that shouldn't have happened . He'd done everything right , the sincerity, the apologies, winning Kelsi's friendship back - the bitch wasn't suppose to go back to Ryan Evans !

Thinking of her beguiling eyes wide and surprised behind the frames of her glasses when he'd gone after Ryan had jolted him back to himself quickly , he needed to fix this or there was no telling what might happen .

Maxwell pushed his dark hair off his forehead , gripping his bangs as he caught a glance of himself in the mirror , the flash of anger behind his eyes, the persona of a laid back good ole boy disappearing behind the impeccably crisp blue button down shirt , the designer slacks and 500 dollar shoes as his hands drifted across the baby grand piano , the tune frenzied slashing through the room like the rage in his soul .

This wouldn't do at all !

There would be no where to get Kelsi alone now , no way to punish her , as Ryan Evans surely wouldn't let her out of his sight after the unfortunate incident . Cooler heads must prevail here , he needed another angle , something no one would see coming .

Normally Maxwell would enlist his father to help him but the traitor was having drinks with Vance Evans this very moment . Mother would be useless .

The news interrupted his thoughts and he rose from the piano , listening to the reporter on the television as an idea took form, slowly .

' Meanwhile in Roswell, local police and the FBI , are searching for Laurie Dupree , the young woman who was recently recovered from being buried alive in a box in Frazier woods recently , has escaped the ambulance with the aid of two yet to be identified people . We will have more on this story as it unfolds …'

A touch of vile smile played around the corners of his mouth .' Roswell . Perfect '

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