AN: Hey guys miss me? I know you did. Anyways, SOOO sorry...but life has been REAL hectic. Here's the next chapter. Tell me what you think.

Sean sat in his chair, legs crossed, hands folded in his lap. He didn't even bat an eye and Dri couldn't understand why. Before she knew it she was laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" Sean asked.

"I thought it would make you freak out, when I told you that."

"I still don't understand why it's funny."

Dri walked back over to the couch and sat down. "Do you believe it?"

"Is it true?"

Dri tilted her head. "What if I said it was?"

"Then I'd ask you to tell me why."

"But it isn't, and you already knew that."

Sean nodded. "I did."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why? I knew it wasn't true and so did you. The question is why did you say it?"

Dri shrugged. "I don't know. To give you an answer."

"But it wasn't truthful. You don't want to be honest, not even with yourself."

Dri's shoulders tensed. "What do you mean?"

"You're not responsible for your brother's death and you know it. You just don't want to face it."

Dri stared at her hands. "It was my fault. I dream about it every night."

"How was it your fault?"

She sighed. "Alec wanted me, only me. When I wouldn't do what he wanted he'd either..."

"Either what?" Sean asked. She was getting close to talking and he didn't want Dri to stop now.

"He'd either beat Adrian or drug me and take what he wanted anyways."

"And what is it he wanted?"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Dri, not talking about it won't make it go away. You can't let it stay in there forever."

She looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes. "You want to know why I cut?"

Sean nodded.

She sighed heavily. "Cutting makes it go away."

"Makes what go away?"

"The pain inside of me." She pointed to her chest. "The pain in here, when I cut it all goes away."

"But it's only temporary."

"Temporary is better than nothing," Dri snapped. "It's like when the blood pours, so does the pain. I don't want the pain anymore."

"We can make the pain go away in better ways."

Dri laughed again. "What by talking about it?"

"It sometimes helps."

"Says you."

"Says a lot of people."

"Dri when was the first time you cut?"

"I told you a couple of weeks ago."

"Maybe this time," Sean replied. "But I think it's been going on for a while."

Dri smiled sullenly. "What makes you think that?"

"Because if you use cutting as a way to release the pain and you've been in pain for a long time."

"Adrian caught me the first time. He was so mad at me, or so I thought. Come to find out he was just worried."

"So it's been a while then?"

"Yeah, I don't remember how long exactly, but a few years definitely."

"Consistently?"

Dri shook her head. "No, a few weeks are truthful. I hadn't been cutting since before I came to live with Mac."

"Why not?"

Shrugging she said, "I was too busy trying to survive. Adrian was dead and Alec was coming after me constantly."

Sean nodded. "What did Alec do to you?"

Dri hugged herself tightly. "I...I don't want to talk about it."

"All right," Sean said, knowing she wasn't ready. He still planned on doing the hypnosis. It would probably be easier for her to talk that way.

Duncan walked into the apartment. "Am I early?"

Sean shook his head. "No, I think you're right on time."

Dri ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Please don't be mad at me. Please don't kick me out!"

Duncan pulled her away and looked down into her eyes. "What on earth makes you think that I'm mad at you, or that I would kick you out?"

"B...because I'm tainted. No one wants to be around someone who's tainted."

Mac pulled her into a hug. "Dri, I'm not mad at you and I will never kick you out. I love you. I'm just worried about you."

Dri began sobbing into his shirt. She had been crying so much lately and she was so disappointed in herself, but she couldn't help it.

Pulling away from Duncan, she said, "I'm tired."

"Why don't you go get some rest?"

"Actually if you're going to go to bed, I think we should start with the hypnosis."

"More drugs?" Dri asked shakily.

"Only a mild sedative."

She looked wildly back at Duncan. "No, Mac please! No more drugs!"

"Sean, is it really necessary?"

Sean walked over to them. "You're opening up Dri, and that's good, but can you tell me why you're afraid of storms? Can you tell me what exactly Alec did to you?"

Dri thought about it. "No, but..."

"But this can help."

She looked back and forth from Sean to Mac. Finally her eyes settled for the floor. "I don't want to do this." Suddenly a thought came to mind. "Sean, how did you know I don't remember exactly what Alec did to me when he drugged me?"

Sean smiled. "I told you I rarely miss a beat."

Dri crossed her arms over her chest. "I still don't want to do this."

"Dri..." Mac started.

"No, this wasn't part of the deal! You said talk to him! You never said anything about drugs!"

"I said we go by what Sean says, and Sean says you need to do this."

Dri felt anger rising in her. "This isn't fair!"

"Dri this is going to help, I promise," Sean told her.

"NO!"

"Dri, please." Mac pleaded.

She looked down. "This isn't fair."

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