** hi, sorry I haven't updated in a looooong time but I just got caught up in a bunch of different stuff and totally forgot. EnjoyJ **

"What the hell is going on here?" his words were slurred and he was definitely drunk. "Is this why you wanted to come with us Foreman?"

" Um no...?" Erik said, glancing nervously at me, then Hyde again. "Relax Hyde."

"Shut up man." He yelled, shoving Erik off the bed and onto the floor. " Don't think I don't know what's going on here. Why else would you be dropping her off at home at one in the morning?" he was advancing on Erik who was still dazed from the assault.

" Wait Hyde you said you didn't remember." The words sprung from my mouth with more anger than intended and he stopped, rounding on me now, his glassy eyes glaring daggers at me. He wasn't mad by any means, not from what I could tell anyways. Just hurt.

" I don't have to remember a goddamn thing. Kelso said he saw you and Erik in his car getting pretty cozy for the past couple of nights. Wanna tell me about that Jacks? Doll?" he was leaning over me, his breath reeking of alcohol. Shaking from head to toe and scary as hell. Not again.please again. My hand swept up, clenched in a fist ready to make contact but it was intercepted, though somewhat clumsily by Hyde's. I winced as he grasped my wrist, forcing me down onto the bed.

"Hyde stop you're hurting me." I said, pushing against his chest with my free hand as hard as I could. It was no use.

"Hyde man get off of her." Erik was standing up, trying to look threatening, his fists clenched at his sides.

" Butt out Foreman." He replied, not looking away from me. I was losing the feeling in my hand but despite my constant struggle he wouldn't let up. And as if in slow motion Erik tackled Hyde to the ground, both of them landing on the other side of the bed. There was a momentary struggle between the two and then the sound of fist connecting with face and all movement stopped. Hyde rose slowly, staggering slightly towards me, everything inside me was screaming to run but I couldn't. I could only look over the edge of the bed at Erik's motionless form and a feeling of utter dread consumed me. I realized as Hyde began to crawl onto the bed that I was still on my back, and I panicked.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry." I just repeated it over and over again pitifully as he straddled me, his open palm making connection with my face again and again. I stopped my pleas only to cry out before continuing. "Please I'm so sorry. Please!"

"Shut up." His words were harsh, dangerous and I fell silent, only having a half a second to register as his kissed me forcefully, pushing my head into the mattress and making it almost impossible for me to breath. The few precious gasps of air I was able to consume burned my nostrils and choked me with the stench of hard liquor. The kiss seemed to last forever but he finally pulled his lips from mine, panting. "You're mine.." He said quietly letting the full weight of his body press against mine, crushing the air from my lungs. He sounded like a lost child, afraid, confused and frustrated. "You're mine."

" I know baby. It's ok." My words were forced and painful through the shallow breaths I could manage, but all I could think of was to comfort him. "I love you." I let my hand reach up slightly to stroke his hair but he jumped up, slapping it away.

"Don't touch me." the harsh dangerous tone was back, but at least I could breath again. He sat astride me, grabbing both my wrists and holding them above my head. "Stop lying!"

"I'm not, I love you." and it was true. I did love him, I couldn't help not to. He just needed me, needed my help. He began working on his belt buckle with his free hand and grunting at the effort but finally unclasping it.

"Show me." he ordered, his blood shot eyes traveling up my body. Oh god no.not like this. I tried to free my hands from his grasp as he unbuttoned my jeans and slid them down over my hips, panting heavily. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement, then a baseball bat colliding with the side of Hyde's head, sending him flying forward onto me again. The wind rushed out of my lungs as he pulled my hands out of his now limp grasp. Erik was standing beside the bed, shoving Hyde's body off of me and onto the floor.

" Erik!" I yelled looking at Hyde, horrified. "What did you do? What if he's really hurt."

" It's a plastic bat." He said, wiping his brow with the back of his hand and wincing " Are you okay?" I merely nodded, pulling myself into a sitting position and tugging my pants quickly back into place. Shutting my eyes tightly, I tried to gain composure. My whole face was throbbing and a dark purple bruise was already forming on my left wrist, but I was fine.

"Are you?"

"I'm fine. He only hit me once." he stared at me, studying my face. "You're not fine. Come on we'll go see my mom."

"ERIK!" we both froze as the sound of Red's voice boomed from downstairs. "WHICH ONE OF YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS RAIDED MY LIQUOR CABINET?!"

Erik's POV

Jackie's face was red and light purple for the most part, especially on her cheekbones and brow. Her lip was bleeding and swollen on the left corner but she seemed not to notice, shooting quick glances at Hyde who was still on the floor. I could hear Red coming up the stairs towards my room and quickly grabbed Jackie bye the hand, pulling her as gently but quickly as possible towards the door. She was pulling all the hair into her face and starring at the ground, glancing back at Hyde before making a finale exit and waiting as I closed the door behind us. Of course my dad was waiting for me at the top of the stairs.

"Hey dad."

"Erik, did you hear me? One of your dumbass friends raided the liquor cabinet and I want to know who." I just nodded towards my room, putting my finger to my lips.

"Who's in there?" he asked, reaching for the doorknob. Jackie intercepted, still starring at the ground.

"Hyde is.he's not feeling good." She said shrugging. "We don't know who took your alcohol." She was protecting him? After that whole episode she was still protecting him.

"Well when I found out who did, there's gonna be an ass-hat field day." Red grunted stomping down the stairs.

" Jackie!" I yelled turning to face her. She winced, leaning against the wall.

"What?"

"What? WHAT! Why the hell are you protecting him? He just hit you.again. Multiple times!" I said making the usual angry hand gestures. "You can't seriously feel bad for him."

"He needs help and support." She replied, glaring at me from beneath her dark locks, "And if he can't get it from his friends then who can he get it from? He has nobody else, Erik!"

" He needs a good kick in the ass."

" You sound like your father." She muttered dismissively.

" Yeah well maybe my dad has it right. I mean look at me, I don't go around beating up on girls now do I?"

" Yeah well Hyde never had a father." She was still arguing on his side, and making good points. But none excuse the state of her face and wrists, which were already bruising.

" So that makes up for everything? His dad wasn't there to teach him NOT to beat up girls so you get the end results? He should know that, it's just good ethics." She opened her mouth to talk but I knew what she was going to say even before she said it. "And don't tell me he did it cuz he was drunk because I will nail your ass to the wall."

"Erik do not make a big deal out of this." She said in a hushed tone. " If everybody makes a big deal out of this he's gonna think it's too much of a hassle to be with me and he's gonna leave . He's gonna hate me because he doesn't need the drama right now and I'm bringing unneeded stress to his life." I didn't know what to say to her. She was so ready to excuse him that she didn't see how wrong it was. I just stared at her for a moment, reaching over and brushing the hair from her face.

"Jackie." I guided her into the bathroom and turned her towards the mirror. "You can say whatever you want, but you're going to stand here and stare at your reflection until you come up with a valid excuse for any guy to do that to you." She just stared into the mirror, tracing her fingers over the marks on her face, wincing every time she passed over a newly forming bruise. sighing in resignation she turned towards me.

"Fine, I will talk to him. But it's not fair to get angry. I'll just tell him not to drink anymore and you can come with us for the week." she said in resignation, turning and heading for the stairs. "But for the record if anybody asks, I got in a chick fight."

"With who, big Rhonda's?" I joked. She shook her head tiredly.

"With whoever you want it to be, just not him." she said, waving over her shoulder dismissively.

" Erik, Jackie there you are. Red said." Donna was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs, but her voice trailed off as she saw Jackie, who was trying desperately to cover her face.

" Where is he?" she asked, starting up the stairs, "Is he up here? I swear to god Jackie I'm gonna-"

"Donna!" she grabbed her shirt sleeve, tugging hard and stopping Donna from further ascent.

" What? It was Hyde wasn't it?" she asked angrily, trying to pull her arm away, then turned on me. " Did you kick his ass Erik?" I just looked at my feet, avoiding any eye contact whatsoever.

Donna's POV

After all the work that women done to eliminate male dominance and she's gonna just let him do that shit to her. And Erik? He was letting it go on too? This is ridiculous, I mean everybody can't be afraid of Hyde, I'm sure as hell not. I pulled my arm free from Jackie's grasp and continued to climb the stairs.

" He's passed out drunk." Erik called after me, "In my room." I reached the top f the steps and opened the door to Erik's bedroom and sure enough Hyde was lying on the floor, dead drunk. I sighed, knowing I couldn't wake him up even if I wanted to, so I just closed to door and headed back down. Besides, I'd rather yell at him when he was good and hung over.

"Jackie are you okay?" I asked as I reached her, taking her face in my hands and examining the red and purple marks gracing her usually perfect face.

" Yes I'm fine." She smiled, wincing and touching her lip. "I'm tougher than you think."

"Yeah I'm sure." I said sarcastically, heading toward the kitchen, knowing the two would be at me heels.

" Donna."

" What Erik?" okay so I wasn't as mad as I should have been, but I could still pretend.

" I was gonna kick his ass you know. I even hit him with my bat. Jackie didn't want me to hurt him." he was whining almost and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and smile.

" I'm not mad at you I'm mad at Hyde." I muttered, reaching the fridge and grabbing a bag of frozen peas, handing it to Jackie. "Stick that on your face." She sat down at the kitchen table, placing it over the left side of her face and sighing.

" Can we not tell anybody until I get a chance to talk to Hyde myself ?" she said quietly, "I don't want it to come as a shock to him if people are pissed or anything."

" Fine whatever." I could feel the anger mounting in me again. She was still protecting him. "You talk to him, then I'll kick his ass."

"Donna!"

"What?"

" Just cool it, ok?" she said angrily. " Erik's gonna come stay with me and Hyde while my mother's in town. I'm sure if Hyde touches me he'll call you." The sound of heavy footsteps coming through the swinging door turned the attention to Hyde, who was stumbling into the kitchen, glasses pulled lopsidedly over his eyes as he rubbed the side of his head.

" Hey guys." he said somewhat confusedly. "Forman man you got any coffee? I need to sober up if Jackie's mom's coming."

"Yeah, just a sec." Erik walked over to the Coffee Maker in on the counter and pulled a mug from the cupboard behind him. "Take a seat Hyde." Hyde nodded, practically falling over to the table and slumping down in a seat.

"You think Red's mad?" he asked in a child-like voice. Oh great.now he's a helpless drunk, of course.

" I don't know.he doesn't really know it was you yet. But if he did he'd be pissed yeah." I replied, watching Erik walk over to the table and hand him a coffee.

"Well if he sees you like that he'll figure it out." Jackie said, taking him gently by the arm and pulling him out of his chair. "Come on, we'll go get you settled into my place."

"Yeah, just wait in the car, I'm gonna go get my bag." Erik said, heading out the kitchen and in the direction of the stairs. Jackie pulled the sliding glass door open and guided a slightly stumbling Hyde out into the driveway and into the cruiser. I shook my head, a feeling of foreboding welling up in my chest. I just don't feel right about this.