A/N: Okay, here we go, the next chapter. This one has a lot more Peter interaction.

Disclaimer: I make absolutely no money what so ever on Higher Ground, Happy Bunny, HIM, or anything else I happen to mention...trust me, I am incredibly poor.

Three hours later, Maddie was released from the hospital to go home and pack. She had many thoughts running through her mind. Was this place going to be just another group home? Was she going to be cast into another outcast role, considered a freak by her peers? But, at the same time, a happier thought was going through her mind as well. She was going away, far away, another country even. Away for a long time. No more abusive father, no more perfectionist mother, no more students at school knowing all her dirty little secrets. Nothing, nothing but a clean slate. She planned to keep it that way, too. Even if it meant not saying one word to anyone, student or teacher or whatever they had there, see was not going to ruin herself again.

The next day, at the air port, her parents pulled her aside.

"Now, look here, kid," her father started, "I don't want any calls about you, ya see? None of this cutting bullshit, drugs, nothing! I already have to spend my hard earned money to send you to this school for rejects, and I don't want to have to have anymore trouble from you! Lord knows you've caused enough already! And if I even hear one whisper about you telling anything that goes on in my home, than you will regret it, I promise you that!" He finished with a hiss and a glare, warning her to make a peep. Her mother didn't say anything, like always. She just looked away, too afraid of losing her beloved husband to ever stick up for Maddie.

Soon after her father had finished his little speech, Peter appeared again. This was the first time he had had a chance to see the girl outside of a hospital gown, and her appearance was much different. Her hair, which had been blonde the day before, was purple today. She wore tight bondage black and purple pants and a purple top with a character on it. It looked to be some sort of bunny with a phrase underneath it. Upon closer examination, the phrase said "You Suck And That's Sad." In her hands, she held what looked like a black hoodie with some sort of what he guessed was a band logo; it was a strange looking heart. The hoodie had the word HIM on it. Her make up was very dark, and it instantly reminded him of Daisy. She had dark red lips, black eyes with sparkles, and every pale skin tone. Her jewelry was black leather with studs: a necklace, bracelet, and belt. The bandages that had wrapped her wrists had been replaced with purple and black stripped wrist bands. All and all, the look wouldn't have been out of place in Rocky Horror Picture Show, but he couldn't let it deter him. He knew from personal experience that appearance was just another one of the walls that these kids put up. He took a deep breath and spoke out.

"Alright Maddie, it's time to board the plane. Are you ready?"

With a final, disgusted look at her parents, Maddie nodded, not saying a word, and walked toward the terminal.

On the plane, Peter turned to Maddie and began talking.

"Okay, since we have about three hours to kill, I figured I go ahead and get the interview/assessment part over with, that you would usually have once you got to Horizon."

"Horizon's the name of the school?"

"Yes. It's a symbol for the fact that there are better times ahead, just over the horizon."

"You've got to be kidding me. How cheesy is that!?"

"Even so, it's fact. Anyway, first, can you answer some questions for me?"

"I guess so....."

"Great!" Peter pulled out a notebook and a manila folder from his carry on and took a pen from this pant pocket. "What is you full name?"

"Um, Madison Lee Brown." Peter made a note.

"Okay, but I assume you like Maddie?"

"Yeah, only my parents and grandparents call me Madison." Scribble scribble.

"Next question. How old are you?"

"Shouldn't the files you got from my school and the hospital and stuff already have all this?"

"Yes, but for record's sake, I need to hear it first hand from you."

"Fine, whatever. I'm 16. My birthday is April 7th, 1988. I'll be 17 in about 6 months."

Peter wrote all this down and turned to ask her another question.

"Okay, now on to physical features. How tall are you? How much do you weigh? What color are you eyes? What color is your hair, right now and naturally?"

"5'4", 80 pounds, green, purple, blonde."

"Can the purple be washed out?"

"Yes, if it has to be."

"Good." He made another note of all this, and circled the weight. That was incredibly too low for someone of Maddie's height and age. He would have to get her counselor to monitor her eating, because, at the moment, she weighed even less than Jules.

"Okay, now to the tough questions. Why did you try to kill yourself?"

At this, Maddie froze. She didn't want to tell him, she couldn't. She just couldn't. It wasn't worth the risk. Instead, she just defiantly turned her towards the window and tried to ignore Peter, hoping that he would get the hint. Peter did indeed get the hint, and even though it was against his better judgment, he decided to drop it for now; he knew to not push his student before they were ready.

"Okay, we'll try a different approach. Why were you sent to all those other hospitals and home and why didn't they work?"

Maddie decided that telling him this wasn't telling too much out, so she went ahead. He was the main teacher, after all, and all he had to do was read her file to find that out.

"Suicide attempts, drug use, self mutilation, anorexia and bulimia, depression, bi-polar disorder, and truancy."

Peter rushed to write all this down. It seemed like his newest student had more wrong with her than he first thought. The suicide attempts, drug use, self mutilation, and truancy he knew about. The eating disorders he had suspected as soon as she had told him her weight, but it was a completely different matter to be dealing with actual mental illnesses. Not to mention that he still didn't know anything about her home life or why she had tried to kill herself this time. Maddie wasn't just an at-risk-teen, she was in risk already. He would have to handle her much differently than the others.

"Okay," Peter said, regaining his composer, "last question. How can Horizon help you? What can we do differently from the other places that failed to help you?"

"Um, I dunno. I'm sorry." At this, Maddie looked sad. She was closing up, Peter could tell, could see it in her eyes. It was such a sad, lost look. His heart went out to the girl, and he promised himself that he would succeed where the others had failed.

"It's okay, Maddie. We'll leave it there for now. Why don't you get some rest? Maddie looked relieved at this. She turned towards the window, grabbed a pillow, and almost immediately went to sleep, as Peter just sat there and watched her sleep.

A/N: Okay, next chapter, Horizon!!! And, of course, the Cliffhangers. R/r as always!