A week passed. Caroline had gone back to work and Ace was sitting in the Stratford house alone, waiting for Laura to come home from school. He'd gained a little weight over the past week, nothing too noticeable, just enough to make him feel a little sturdier. Colour had returned to his face, or rather had disappeared as the yellowed tinge was no longer there but he was still visibly pale. On the whole he had improved dramatically and now that Caroline had left the house he intended to act on his new found strength.

Laura arrived home from school. She realised his intention as his hands started to creep under her skirts and she flashed him a look. This look was their only form of contraception. He only seen it at a certain time during the month but it was having the worst timing. Ace slumped back on the couch.

"Do you feel okay babe?" he asked her rubbing her stomach.

"It hurt a little this morning but I'm fine now," she smiled at him. "I'm sorry," she said, leaning back on to his shoulder, "I hate it too."

"Don't worry about it babe," he said kissing her shoulder "If I got you pregnant your Ma would kill me."

"She wouldn't be the only one," Laura said thinking of Connie. "You look so much better," she said, regretting even more her monthly predicament. Then she realised what she could do for him.

She slid down on to the floor and positioned herself in front of him. She reached for his top button, unfastening it and then pulled his zipper down.

"Why do you always push my head away?" she asked him as she sat back down next to him.

"I told you before, I don't want you to have to have that in your mouth. It's not nice baby."

"How do you even know that?" she asked.

He smirked, "you don't want to hear about that doll."

"Was it because of another girl?" she asked quietly.

"Something like that," he said nuzzling her hair.

"Did you have lots of girlfriends before you met me?" she asked.

"Not exactly babe, but I knew a lot of girls," he said vaguely, not really wanting her to know all of this. "But if I'd have seen you around sooner I would have jumped you," he said moving so he was pinning her against the couch, "and introduced myself," he said lowly, running his hands over her breasts as he kissed her.

"Where were you hiding from me?" he asked suddenly, "I thought I knew every girl in this town before I seen you sitting on the stairs that day, looking gorgeous, and completely into me." He smirked at the memory.

"I was around," she shrugged, "I never seen you either, until then."

"Well I have you now," he said, "and don't think you're getting away."

He closed his arms around her, "you wanna go out somewhere? I haven't left this house for days."

"Mhmm," she said, "buy me a milkshake?" she asked sweetly.

"It's the middle of winter babe," he said smiling.

"I know but I feel like one," she said, "I'll share with you if you want."

"That's okay babe," he smiled, "alright I'll buy you a milkshake."

The two made their way to the Blue Point Diner. Laura sat down at one of the tables whilst Ace went across the road for a packet of cigarettes. He left her enough money to order her milkshake and to get a hamburger for himself.

"You by yourself?" Eyeball asked, he had noticed her sitting there and so sat down across from her.

"No Ace is just getting some cigarettes," she told him, starting to drink her milkshake which had just arrived.

"Were you alright after that Friday?" he asked her, he had meant to ask her sooner but she was becoming almost as elusive as Ace these days.

"Urgh, no," she said in memory, "my head hurt so much the next day I thought it was going to fall off." She started waving at the door and so Eyeball supposed Ace had just arrived. He got another chair and pulled it toward the table.

"Hey buddy," Ace said, reaching for his burger. "What are you two talking about."

"Oh," Laura said, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I was just asking her how she was after the last time I seen her," Eyeball said deciding this was his best chance to come clean about the thing. He knew Ace would kill him if he found out he'd kept it from him. Plus Laura was here he doubted he'd get too angry.

"This was the other week, I was going to tell you but I couldn't find you."

"What was the other week," Ace said slowly.

Oh boy, here it comes, Eyeball thought before saying, "this asshole got her liquored up at a football game she was at. Tried to make it with her and everything, the creep."

"What?" Ace said lowly. Eyeball knew this tone well, he was really pissed.

"He didn't get very far, I saw what he was up to, got over there. She was barely able to stand man, he gave her some pretty strong stuff."

Ace sat back in his chair, "I can't believe this, why didn't you tell me about it?" he asked Laura.

"I didn't want you to worry about it," she half mumbled, "it's over now."

"Who was this? Does he go to your school?" he asked, shaking her arm a little.

"It was the opposition. I did what I could," Eyeball insisted, "I cut him up a little but I had to get her home man, she was nearly passed out."

"Come with me," Ace said getting up quickly and yanking Laura out of her chair.

"You mean me?" Eyeball asked a little confused.

"Yeah you too," Ace said. The three walked out into the cold, Ace still grabbing Laura's arm and walked into a deserted ally.

"We're going to teach you how to fight," Ace said dropping her arm and standing so he was facing her. "That way if another asshole comes near you again you can get away okay?"

"Okay," she said, having no idea what he meant by all of this.