Hiya guys, yeah I realised a lil' too late that I goofed up that name in the chapter. I wasn't paying attention to my mutinous hands and they typed Alicia instead of Marta. Sorry! I would have taken it away and changed it but someone had already reviewed and I didn't want to lose the review! Speaking of which...

Shout-outs

Nanners77: I have heard of that website, it is cool isn't it? Glad you liked the chapter and lemme know if you have any ideas about what could happen!

Evil nymph15: Good to know you're enjoying the story!

Mika: Hello again. Look I don't want to start a fight but if you hate this story so much why do you keep reading it? A bigger person would just leave it and stop being so petty. Thank you for not annoying me more than you do.

Marcy Bayd: Thanks for spotting my goof! Like I said before, I would have changed it but Nanners77 had already reviewed and I didn't want to lose the review. I hope you keep on enjoying the story!

Tis I Vikki: 'Leesten very carefally, I vill say zis... only vunce.' Of course I've seen Allo Allo! It's so funny! Thank you for another lovely review! I'm writing this about ten minutes after you left my house! Have a good time in Southampton! Sorry I couldn't make it!

Rockin awesome x: Good to know you think it's interesting! If you have any ideas, surely let me know-That goes for everyone!

OKey dokes, On with the chapter!

Chapter five

Saturday, 19th December

Juliet had been in the apartment for two days and Laurie was not making her self popular with the infant by trying to bathe her. She and Katie had gotten Ned to give them some Cash and they had gone shopping for the child to buy sleep suits and things.

Katie and Laurie had gotten to be close friends over the days they had known each other. Katie had a gentle, caring disposition which made her almost angelic were it not for the party girl side of her. Boy did Katie know how to rock.

Juliet screamed until she was purple when Laurie held her just over the tub of water situated in the middle of the Living room. The teenager had never realised such a tiny thing could make so much mess. The beige boarding trousers and vest Laurie was wearing were covered in dark splashes.

Ned and Dewey had gone off to get a takeaway, which handily, as Laurie pointed out, got them out of having to be around when Juliet was bathed.

"Come on," Laurie tried to coax as Juliet screamed harder, wriggling her tiny body in Laurie's grasp. Freddy emerged from the kitchen, where most of the band had congregated until they went home. Freddy however, stuck around eating them out of house and home. Laurie rolled her eyes 'Oh great.' She thought mutinously.

Freddy held his hands over his ears, "Make it stop." He whinged. Laurie huffed indignantly.

"Of course Freddy. Hold the baby while I get my magic wand out of my bra!" She retorted moodily.

"You're so annoying!"

"Nice to know you're not pissing me off for nothing!" Laurie mimicked what Freddy had said to her two days before. "You could just leave you know!"

Freddy stuck his chin out defiantly, "No."

"Why not?" Laurie sighed, exasperated, "its bad enough that I have to deal with one baby!"

"You're holding her wrong!"

"Well you do it then, Mr. Magic!" Laurie held out Juliet, who was still crying her little lungs out. Freddy rolled his eyes to heaven and seized the howling bundle of annoyance, placing her gently in the crook of his arm, motioning to Laurie to give him a towel. She passed him the one she had been using to dry herself and Freddy threw it over his shoulder, then motioning for another towel. Obtaining one he wrapped it around Juliet and placed her over his shoulder as if he was burping her.

"Can you put some slow music on?" he said absently to Laurie, rubbing the baby's back. Laurie stood, dumbfounded for a moment and shook herself mentally and reverted back to her self.

"A please would be nice." She muttered vaguely, wandering over to the CD player. Spying a Simply Red CD she slipped that into the disc player. Immediately a slow melody filled the apartment:

'Every time we say goodbye

I die a little

Every time we say goodbye

I wonder why a little

Why the Gods above me

Who must be in the know

Think so little to me

They allow you to go'

Freddy swayed gently around the apartment with Juliet, who by now had reduced herself to occasional hiccups. Laurie watched on bewildered; as Freddy went on to sing the next verse softly to the baby. Laurie heard it as a whisper, but he was definitely singing along with the record:

'When you're near There's such an air

Of Spring about it

I can hear a lark somewhere

Waiting to sing about it

There's no love song finer

But how strange the change

From major to minor

Every time we say goodbye...'

Juliet had fully quietened down now and Freddy took the child from his shoulder. Kneeling next to the baby tub he laid her in and began to wash her. What's more, it looked like Juliet was actually enjoying it. Freddy glanced up to smirk at Laurie, who was stood with her mouth hanging wide open.

"You're... You're kidding me!" she spluttered. Freddy's smirk got a little wider. Laurie was at the end of her tether. She huffed and flopped down on the other side of the tub, reaching her finger in for Juliet to grasp.

"You just danced around with her." she muttered mutinously. Freddy heard and grinned, "I can't help it if the Ladies adore my romantic nature." Laurie raised an eyebrow " What romantic nature? You proabbly drugged her."

"Nope." Freddy said in his trademark over confidant voice, "Juliet just couldn't resist me."

"Well I managed it." Laurie shot back, wrinkling her nose. Freddy shook his head, "Whatever."

"Oh I'm not even going to start that again." Laurie leaned over the tub to reach behind Freddy for her sweater. Finding it just out of her reach Laurie exhaled heavily, puffing out her cheeks. Freddy grinned at her, "That's an attractive look." He said reaching over to get her sweater for her. Laurie took her sweater from his soapy grasp, nodding her gratitude "Well you're the only other person here. Pray tell, who am I trying to impress?" she said silkily, slipping her sweater on and zipping it up.

"You know you want me." Said Freddy big headedly, lifting Juliet out of the water. Laurie stared at him like he was a Martian, "What you mean in the universe where you're Shane West and actually a half decent guy?"

"I'm decent!" Freddy protested indignantly, wrapping Juliet in a towel and cradling her in the crook of his arm.

Laurie smiled patronisingly and reached over the tub. She patted Freddy lightly on the head "OK you think that. But If I agreed with you, then we'd both be wrong."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again-You are so annoying!"

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Are too."

"Am not-Shit!"

Laurie fell backwards, laughing manically. This time it was Freddy who looked at her like she just fell from the sky. When Laurie laughed - when she really laughed, it was pure filth. Freddy also noticed when Laurie opened her mouth so wide, he could count her fillings. She had five in total, all in the top row of teeth.

"You are such a.... such a... loser!" Laurie gasped for breath. She was completely red in the face from her laughing fit and there were tears of mirth streaming down her flushed face. She wiped them away with her sleeve and then there was silence in the absence of Laurie's sudden outburst of mad laughter. Freddy glanced down at Juliet, whom he was still holding. She had fallen fast asleep, one of her little hands clamped on to his shirt. She was sort of cute, Freddy decided, twisting himself so that he could put Juliet in the Moses basket Ned had bought. Laurie was staring at him.

"Hey Loser." She muttered, bringing Freddy out if his reverie, "Don't you think she's a little young for you?"

Immediately Laurie felt bad for initiating Name calling as it was a subject she was infinitely tender about. She opened her mouth to apologize when Freddy interrupted.

"Was the name calling necessary?" said Freddy moodily, turning to face her "Rabbit?"

Laurie's hand was wrapped around his face faster than they could both blink "I told you never to call me that!" she hissed.

"Oh, so it's OK for you to call people names but they're not allowed to call you one dumb little name that doesn't mean anything?" Freddy's face was stinging and he could feel a hand print forming. Tears of anguish prickled at his eyes but he ignored them.

"Who said it didn't mean anything?" Laurie yelled. They were both standing now "I was about to apologize but no, you had to let your mouth over take your mind!"

"Well what does it mean then?" Freddy shouted back heatedly.

"None of your fucking business!" Laurie stomped off into the kitchen. Amazingly, Juliet hadn't moved throughout the entire exchange. Freddy ran an exasperated hand through his hair and followed Laurie into the Kitchen, determined that their little spat wasn't over.

Laurie was stood with her back to Freddy as he entered the kitchen. "I think it is my business, don't you Laurie?" Freddy spat. Laurie turned around, almost crimson with rage.

"How dare you even think that!" she hissed, "It's nobody's business unless I choose to tell them! You don't know a thing about misery! You don't know a damn thing about abuse!"

It just slipped out. Laurie clapped a hand over her mouth to silence her self. Freddy stared at her for a minute.

"Who hurt you Laurie?" Freddy asked quietly. Laurie averted her gaze "Get out." She murmured in a low voice.

"No."

All the anguish Laurie thought she had been crying out over the years suddenly came to her in one big adrenaline rush. Her hands were balled into fists and Laurie could almost feel the crescent shapes from her nails cutting into her. Memories of the dream kept flashing in front of her eyes. That along with the red haze that was settling made it damn near impossible to see.

"...crying behind closed doors like the weak little rabbit you are... You don't see anyone else crying about their woes and fears because they're tough and they're strong and you're just weak and running away from everything!" Laurie's father's voice was inside her head, shouting. Laurie's first instinct was to cry but she bit her lip until she could taste blood.

"Get out." She said again.

Freddy stood watching the seething young woman and shook his head "No." he said again. Laurie looked up at him. The expression in her eyes was that of an animal caught in a trap.

"Why won't you leave?" she said weakly. It looked like it was taking all her effort not to crumple to the floor and dissolve into sobs. Freddy opened his mouth to reply, and couldn't. He covered it well.

"Because I won't."

Laurie let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and the force of the sent her mind reeling. She backed into a counter and slid to the floor, her back against the cabinet.

Freddy didn't quite understand what happened next. He felt like some invisible force was pushing him toward Laurie. Gently he reached down to take one of her hands. Quickly and instinctively Laurie jerked away.

"You haven't got any scars." Freddy murmured, thinking back to all the short skirts Laurie had pranced around the apartment in.

"It wasn't that kind of abuse." Laurie whispered. Freddy's face was confused for a second and then understanding crept in to play and He turned a funny shade of grey.

"Oh my God." He managed to choke out in a strained voice "Oh my God Laurie I'm so sorry."

"Everybody's sorry," Laurie said quietly, "Nobody helps."

Freddy didn't know how to answer. Again he reached out to Laurie to put his hand on hers but she jerked away, "Don't touch me." She retorted. Freddy looked surprised, "Why not?"

Laurie looked up at Freddy. She looked him straight in the eye and said "Because I don't trust you."

Hmm kay. I'm leaving this here because I want the next chapter to be a POV thing plus I'm kinda tired. Please review!!

Take Care,

Officer BudBabe