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Chapter 3: Results

When Grace woke in the morning she was in her own bed with her sheets pulled up around her. She began to move but stopped when she realised that the wounds on her back had stiffened. In the week that had just passed her injuries hadn't had time to stiffen up before they'd been reopened and knew ones created, now that she'd had time to lie still and begin the process of physically healing she was becoming stiff.

So instead of moving her whole body, she moved her head to look at where her bed was sinking to allow the weight of her brother, she smiled when she saw him, glad that he was here with her. He smiled back and helped her to sit up as best he could, leaning her against a second pillow so that she could see him without straining her neck.

"Feeling any better than yesterday?" He asked as he took the closest of her hands in both of his own.

"Much better," She said in a quiet voice, "I think."

Saxon's smile faded and he moved one of his hands from hers to her hair, which he brushed gently away from her face so that he could see her properly, "Let's change your bandages," He suggested, "Don't want those injuries getting infected."

Slowly Grace rolled over and allowed Saxon to remove the bandages on her back, disinfecting every gash on there and then to put clean bandages on. She tried not to wince, flinch or cry out when he put the disinfectant on but she couldn't help it.

When he was done Grace turned over again and looked at her brother, "Now I'm sure that you didn't come in here just to say good morning and change my bandages. What did you want to say? By the way, what time is it?"

Saxon allowed his smile to return for a moment as he informed his sister that she had slept until 10:30 and it was now almost 11:00. Then his smile faded and he stood up, moving into the sunlight that filtered in through the window.

"Grace maybe I should've let Anna do this but," He hit his fist absently against one thigh, "Since Anna pointed out that you could be…" He faltered, "Well I went down to the drug store and got this," he stopped and held up a small box that read "Early Pregnancy Tester."

Looking down at her hands Grace nodded, slowly she got up and took it from him and signalled that he should leave the room. Fresh tears had filled her eyes and Saxon wanted to stay with her but he knew that he couldn't so he went.

Grace watched as her brother left the room, she turned the box over in her hands and then walked into the large ensuite bathroom that opened into the bedroom that she shared with her twin, closing the door behind her.

-

That day was mostly spent in Saxon's apartment for Grace's part, she sat on the couch in the living room watching TV and moving as little as possible. Marco and Jimmy visited her again at around two in the afternoon.

She smiled at them when she opened the door, they could see that her back was hurting her but if she was hiding it from them then she wouldn't be happy for them to act as if she needed help with everything. She had a very proud nature and knowing this, both boys were reluctant to do anything unless they saw that it was causing her too much pain.

After Grace had explained to them why she was home on her own they settled down on the couch beside her and began watching the things that were on TV. Eventually Grace bored of watching though and stood, growing restless about being kept in the apartment all day.

Jimmy couldn't stay long but before he left he made sure that she knew his number if she needed him. He told her that he'd let himself out and before he did, Jimmy ruffled her hair a little knowing that the extra annoyance would keep her occupied for a while.

Soon after Jimmy left Grace turned off the TV, Marco wasn't watching it and neither was she so there was no point in keeping it on. She pulled her knee up to her chest and tried not to think about the pregnancy tester that was currently sitting next to the basin in her bathroom. It didn't work, nothing that she could think of ever took her mind off it for long.

Finally she spoke up, "So, Marco," She was uncomfortable about asking this of him but she couldn't wait any longer, "Saxon went to the drug store last night got a…a pregnancy tester. I used it this morning but I haven't checked it yet, I've been too scared. I was wondering if…"

Noticing that Grace's voice had trailed off Marco looked at her, her young face anxious, "Wondering if I would check it with you?" He asked gently.

Grace bit her lip and nodded, then she looked up at him and met his eyes, "Thank you, you've done more for me than I'll ever be able to do for you."

"Don't be silly," Marco said, gently pushing her shoulder, "I'm doing what any good friend would do, now are we going to check it?"

Once again Grace nodded and then began to stand up, slowly, ever so slowly so as not to hurt any of the gashes on her back. Marco stood as quickly as he could and took her hand, allowing her to lean on it if she wanted. She hesitated, looking at their hands with a nervousness that Marco had never seen before in her.

Slowly they made their way to Grace and Anna's bathroom where Marco saw a small object sitting next to the basin. He let go of Grace's hand, sensing that this next bit Grace would have to do herself, without him looking over her shoulder.

Grace picked up the tester and looked at it as though it might bite her at any moment, she bit her lip and the look of worry on her face deepened, "It says…it says that…Marco it says positive; that means that…"

Marco looked at her with what he hoped was a sympathetic expression before he opened his arms, inviting her to be comforted. She accepted the offer and once again, Marco found a distressed Grace in his arms, he cooed quietly reassuring her that somehow everything would be all right.

When she finally pulled out of Marco's arms, Grace dug the heels of her hands into her eyes to get rid of any remaining tears, "Well, I s'pose I'd better tell Anna and Saxon."

Marco felt slightly out of place, like it shouldn't be him standing there in front of this distressed teen but then she looked at him and the grateful look in her eyes showed, "Thank you Marco," she said quietly, "I'm glad that you're my friend."

Marco smiled and walked beck out to the living room with her to watch TV while they waited for someone in Grace's family to come home. Finally Saxon came home with Anna; each of them greeted Grace with a hug and thanked Marco for keeping her company. It didn't take them long to notice how unsettled Grace was and they soon started asking questions.

Grace let them ask their questions but finally shushed them, "That's not what the problem is, yes those things are problems but they're not the major one."

"So what is the major trouble Gracie," Anna asked her twin as she sat down next to her on the couch.

Grace looked across the room to where Marco was sitting in one of the arm chairs; he shrugged as if to say that she had to tell them sometime, why not now.

Grace took a deep breath and plunged into what she had to say, "Saxon, you know how you got me that pregnancy tester and I used it this morning? Well I checked it this afternoon just after Jimmy left and…" her voice faded away before she forced herself to say it, "And it tested positive."

Anna looked at her for a moment and then found her voice, "But those things aren't always accurate, I mean they can get it wrong, can't they?"

Saxon looked down at Anna sitting on the couch holding her twins hands and Grace sitting and looking worried about the whole situation, "They can be wrong Anna but they can also be right," He said in a quiet voice, "I could go and get another one to double check but, the results could come up the same."

Anna looked away from him and back to her twin, then she looked over at Marco, "She didn't just read it wrong? Did she?"

Marco shook his head, "Anna it's very hard to read that thing wrong."

"Anna," Grace said, bringing her twins attention back to her, "I'll take another one if it helps but I doubt that it'll come out any different."

Anna looked at her and nodded, "I'm sorry," she said in a barely audible voice, "You're the one who might be pregnant and you're taking this better than I am, I should be comforting you not the other way around."

A single tear tracked its way down Anna's face and Grace reached over, wiping it away and then pulled her twin into a hug, "I don't mind, it means that I'm not the only one who's scared about this."

For a few minutes the twins just sat on the couch hugging each other fiercely and the Grace looked at her watch, and then at Saxon, "Harry's supposed to be coming over tonight isn't he?" she asked her older brother.

Saxon looked at the calendar, "Holy shit you're right, what do you want for dinner?"

"I don't know," Grace said, "There's not that much food in the fridge."

Saxon thought for a minute and then said, "Stuff it, we'll order pizza. Marco did you want to stay for dinner or is your Mum gonna cook."

Marco grinned at the offer of staying for pizza and looked at the twins who were now grinning up at him despite themselves.

"I've never known Marco to pass up pizza," Anna said, "Why don't you go and call your parents."

Marco nodded and went to make the call. Saxon smiled briefly at his younger sisters and ruffled their hair before he disappeared to his room where they suspected he was finding his wallet and changing out of his work clothes.

Just as Marco was putting the phone down the door bell rang and Anna leapt to answer it knowing already who it would be on the other side of the door. She threw the door open and then quite literally threw herself at the person on the other side.

Marco raised an eyebrow in question at the male laughter coming from the hallway outside, Grace just smiled and got up to rescue her half-brother from her twin. Anna had already told Harry about what had happened to Grace so when he saw her he hugged her and looked her over carefully, checking for any unnoticed injuries.

She gave him a look of reproach before she yelled to Saxon that Harry had arrived and then introduced him to Marco.

"And I thought you were the only hobbit," Harry commented to Grace after saying hi to Marco.

"Oh that's thin ice you're stepping on there," Grace said before she and Anna gave each other a look and tackled him, Grace more carefully than Anna.

Marco looked at the three teenagers on the couch, "Is this a regular thing?"

Grace pulled herself away from her sister and half brother looking at her watch, "Well he's been tackled twice in the three minutes that he's been here, Anna we're getting soft, quick tackle him again."

Anna grinned at her twin, happy that Grace had something to take her mind off the events of the past week. Just at that moment the phone rang, and Saxon who had just re-entered the room in his boardies and billabong shirt picked it up and leaned against the door frame listening. Everyone else listened to Saxon's end of the conversation, their full attention on Saxon and the phone.

Harry and Anna watched intently over the back of the couch, Grace watched over Anna's head and Marco looked on from where he stood slightly off to one side.

Eventually Saxon put the phone down and looked over at Grace, "That was the police," he said quietly, "They got the group of boys who did… you know and they're going to be put on trial, it turns out that this isn't the first time that they've done this to someone."

Grace looked down at the ground, tears welling up in her eyes again. Thinking to herself she couldn't remember when she'd ever cried so much as she had this past week, and things probably weren't going to get any easier. Then she remembered how she'd once fallen over when she was little, her Dad had picked her up, set her on her feet, dried her tears and then told her to "Buck up," and that the cut on her knee would get better.

Drying her own tears now she silently told herself the same thing that he had that day and then she spoke, "Well that's a good thing, now how about we get that pizza, I'm starving."

Saxon looked at her and nodded, smiling at how she had handled herself, he was proud of her, "Who's coming with me?"

"Can I?" Grace asked quietly, "I haven't been out since I got home yesterday."

Saxon nodded, "Why not, anyone else gonna come?"

"I will," Harry said, standing up and moving to put his arms around Grace in a quick hug, she'd composed herself very well considering all that had happened to her in the week just gone.

"Right," Saxon said, hitching his pants up and grabbing his car keys from the kitchen bench, "Off we go."

"Harry, hold still a minute," Grace said moving to stand behind him, she jumped lithely onto his back, despite her injuries, or maybe the day had helped unstiffen them a little, "All right, off you go."

Harry rolled his eyes and moved off with Grace on his back, clinging like a little monkey. Anna laughed as Grace waved good bye from Harry's back.

"Well," She said calmly, "I think that was some good results we just got about those guys, maybe things will be a bit easier from now, at least Grace can leave here without worrying about that."