well...here's the end...for now? who knows. I hope it doesn't suck. R and R

NOT ALONE

"Hey dad," I said blandly when I walked in.

He grunted in response and I ran upstairs to take a quick shower, hoping I'd be able to go hang out with Lex afterwards to get out of the house. I knew it was late, but I didn't care.

"Where are you going?" my dad barked when I made a bee line for the door, clean and dressed in grey sweat pants and a white beater.

"To hang out with Lex"

"Across the street?"

"Yea"

"What did I tell you about going over there! huh?" he yelled, standing up.

Damn he was grouchy.

"You said I could after—"

"Shut up! Just...shut up! After everything I do for you, you leave as soon as you find out I'm home. What's your problem!"

what's my problem...? my problem is him...

"ANSWER ME, DAMN IT!" he yelled, throwing his cup against the wall, shattering it all over.

"Umm... I was just gonna go hang out...it's not a big deal. I can stay here, I don't care..."

"NO! Why don't you want to be around me? WHY!"

"Dad, just...just stop yelling. I'll stay, it's fine..." I requested lamely. I was shaking already and felt like throwing up from the tone he was using. It scared the shit out of me, especially with him yelling. Plus, it looked like he'd been drinking.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"No, dad, I wasn't trying to..."

Before I really registered him moving, he was in my face...and then I was on the floor.

"Dad!"

"Shut up!"

All I could think was that I wished Jon was there, but he'd told me at school that he was going to spend another night at Thane's.

Alex saw Jairyn pull up to her house around 8:30 and wanted to hang out. It was a little late, but she didn't think Jairyn would mind. The two of them hadn't hung out in a while and she missed it. Even through she'd made some more friends at school, Jairyn was the best and Alexa missed having it be the two of them hanging out once in a while.

"Dom, I'm gonna go over to Jairyn's...see if she wants to hang out for a while or something"

"Aiight, don't be too late"

"I won't. Later"

She jogged across the street and walked up her porch steps. She was about to knock when she happened to look through the living room window. She also just happened to look in the window in time to see Jairyn's dad throw her to the ground.

Her hand froze in mid air and she mouth was agape. That was the last thing she'd expected to ever see.

She could tell that Jairyn's dad was yelling but she only heard muffled sound. She stayed long enough to see him haul Jairyn up by the collar, and then she turned and ran back across the street.

"Dom!" she yelled, throwing open the door and running into the kitchen.

Dom jumped out of his seat like it burned and met her before she even made it to the living room.

"What?" he asked, quickly looking her over to make sure she was ok. Vince, Brian, and Leon were up now as well to see what was wrong.

"It's Jairyn...her dad... he's freaking out, I don't know..." she spat out, not knowing what to say.

Dom's eyes narrowed and things clicked into place.

"Fucking hell..." he cursed, hurrying around Alex and crossing the street in a dead sprint with the guys behind him. They didn't know what was really going on, but if Dom was mad then they figured they had a reason to be too. If not, they'd have to be there to stop him from doing something stupid.

Dom barely glanced through the window and barged in through the front door to see an the back of the older man's hand connect with Jairyn's face.

Jairyn's dad looked up in surprise and glared at Dom.

"Get the hell out!"

"The fuck I will," Dom growled, striding forward and punching him in the cheek with all the hate he had in him.

The man fell to the ground and blinked rapidly.

"Get out of my house, damn it"

"I'd be glad to"

Dom bent down and gathered Jairyn up off the ground and carried her out the door.

"Dom..." Leon stood in the door, shocked by what had taken place in the last two minutes.

"You and Brian stay here to stop Vince before it's took bad," Dom told them, not stopping.

While Dom walked away, Vince stayed in the living room, shooting daggers at Jairyn's dad. His own dad had slapped him around and there was hardly anything he hated more than a grown man who hit his kids and wife to feel big. Vince planned on showing her dad just how 'big of a man' he was.

Brian and Leon stayed behind like Dom told them to, knowing they were gonna have to stop Vince soon.

Dom carried me right across the street and into the house to the upstairs bathroom. I was embarrassed, but relieved to say the least.

I saw Alexa in the living room but she didn't say anything as Dom headed up the stairs.

He kicked the door shut behind him and set me on the counter before rummaging around for a first-aid kit. He still hadn't said anything and I refused to look at him.

He finally found the kit and set it on the sink next to me. He just stood there waiting. For what, I don't know.

"Jairyn..."

He tilted his head a little and I got it. He was trying to get me to look at him...but I really didn't want to.

"What?"

"You ok?"

"Yea, great"

"Ok, stupid question. You can look at me ya know..." he said softly, trying to tilt my chin up. I let him but looked over to the let instead of at him.

He sighed and cleaned the small cut on my lip. That was the only thing that was wrong, really. He'd come before anything too bad could happen.

He threw the rag away and pushed the kit out of the way.

"This is what happened last week, isn't it? This is what happened when I told your dad you got into a fight...and this is why Jon was mad..."

It was more of a statement than a question and the guilt was evident in his voice. I just nodded.

"J, how long has this been going on?" he whispered, like he was trying to keep it a secret from the walls or something.

"Uh...since a little while after my mom died...he just lost it I guess..."

"Shit...why didn't you say something?"

I shrugged. I didn't know...

"I don't know...what was I supposed to say? In the beginning I thought it was my fault and me and Jon decided to just not tell anyone...we'd kept it a secret for so long that it seemed wrong to tell. That's dumb...I don't know..."

Silent tears streaked down my face. I realized it sounded stupid, but I didn't know how to explain.

"It's not dumb...Jairyn, it's ok..."

He must've seen my tears because the next thing I knew he was hugging me to him. I hugged him back and just cried. I mean, I really cried. I just let it out because now there was nothing to hide.

"Jairyn, listen to me, you're ok now," he said softly, pulling back once I'd stopped. "You can stay here. Jon, too, ok? You're safe here, alright?"

I nodded and wiped my eyes. That sounded great. I never had to go back to that house. I'd have to get my clothes and crap, but other than that I was out. That thought was comforting.

Someone knocked lightly on the door and Dom moved to open it a sliver.

"What Brian?"

"She ok?"

"Yea"

"Alright...Mia's home and Alex told her. She's freaking out and wanted to know"

Dom nodded and closed the door. He handed me some tissues and I took them with a yawn.

"Tired?"

I just nodded.

"Alright, come on. The guest room is a mess but you can take my room"

"You sure?"

"Yea, come on"

He helped me off the counter and guided me down the hallway with a hand on my back. I couldn't help but notice that he was treating me like I might break any second, but I didn't mind. It just made me feel even safer.

He pushed back the covers and I pulled off my socks before getting in. I sat there fidgeting for a little bit, forgetting Dom was even there.

"You alright, J?"

"Huh? Um...I mean...yea, I'm fine..."

"Want me to stay with you?" he asked, seeing through my lie.

"Uh..not if you have something to do, I'll be fine..."

He just shook his head and walked around the bed and got in beside me, pulling me to lay down. Dang, his bed was really comfortable. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me a little closer.

"Go to sleep, J, you're fine now"

I sighed and did just that.

I woke up and shifted to look at the clock. 5:30am. It was early but I was hungry so I carefully slipped out from under Dom's arm and went for the door. On my way I all but tripped over a big duffle bag. I didn't remember it being there before but I shrugged if off and went downstairs as quietly as I could.

I froze when I stepped into the kitchen. Letty was sitting at the table; that explained the bag in Dom's room. Shit! That meant she saw us in his bed. Granted, I was too young for him, but she'd never seen that age difference as a reason to spare me from glares and rude comments before.

"Sup chica," she greeted.

"Nothing, just hungry. Look...me upstairs with Dom, that wasn't anything, it's—"

"Calm down girly," she smiled (yea, smiled), "I know. Vince was still awake when I came home and he told me...about what happened"

"Oh"

I shifted awkwardly and she gave me a sad smiled.

"Don't worry, babe, I know how it goes. Why do you think I started living here with Mia when I was 15? It certainly wasn't because my family was great"

"Really?"

"Yea. I know how you feel, and I'd have killed Dom if he hadn't been that nice to you"

I smiled and sat across from her at the table.

"Here, help yourself"

She pushed a white box at me and I opened it to see a bunch of doughnuts.

"I couldn't sleep so I made breakfast," she chuckled.

I smiled and helped myself to the biggest one. Yea, I was really hungry...plus I just really like doughnuts.

"Ooo, Vince is gonna kill you"

"He doesn't have to know," I manages around a mouthful.

She nodded and winked before getting up. She sat back down a moment later and sat a big glass of milk in front of me.

"Thanks"

"No problem"

I smiled and we talked quietly for quite a while about this, that and the other things. We both jumped and looked up when we heard someone come thundering up from the basement. It was Jesse.

"J, are you—" he stopped when he saw Letty.

"Umm...I have to take a shower," she said quickly, jumping up and hurrying up the stairs.

"Jairyn, are you ok?" he asked, sounding shaky.

"yea, Jess, I'm ok"

"Ok...I'm sorry I wasn't there. I was gone last night and...jeeze...I'm so sorry, baby..."

He kneeled down in front of my chair and hugged me tightly around the waist so that his head was on my stomach.

"Jess, it's ok. It's not a big deal..."

"You're ok?" he asked again, pulling back to look in my eyes.

"Yea, I'm fine"

"Good. You're staying here now, just so you know"

"Yea, I know"

He nodded and got up and sat in the chair next to me with a sigh.

"Jesse, would you stop looking like that. I'm ok, I promise"

He nodded and looked me over for a while. He seemed satisfied after a moment and perked up by grabbing a doughnut.

Everyone else was up and downstairs a few hours later.

"Doughnuts, yes! Thanks Let!" Vince exclaimed, opening the box and looking around. "Damn, none of these are very big...guess I'll need two"

Me and Letty shared a look and a smirk before going back to our conversation.

"J and Let, you two ain't going to school today, ok?"

"No, we're really gonna argue with you," Lex said sarcastically.

"Uh...Jairyn, did you ever call Jon?" Brian asked, peering out the window.

"No, why?"

"Cuz he's home and he might freak if you're not home"

"Oh...right"

"I'll go get him," Leon offered, jumping up and hurrying out to get him as he got out of his car.

I watched them talking through the window and Jon looked ready to panic and run over to the house but Leon grabbed his arm and talked some more. Jon nodded and they calmly walked over.

Jon gave me a once over when he walked in but didn't say anything about it.

"Jon, did Leon tell you that you two are both staying here now?"

"Yea; said I was staying in his room."

"Alright...the girls aren't going to school, so I'll call you in if you wanna stay home too"

"Nah, we have a scrimmage tonight so I have to go to school. I'll take a doughnut though"

"Help yourself"

Jon helped himself to two doughnuts, gave me a kiss on the forehead and hurried out to the door to make it to school.

"...Take me to a place where nothing's wrong,

And thanks for coming, shut the door,

They say someone out there sees us,

Well if you're really then save me Jesus

Cuz I've been this way for far too long

I wasn't meant to be alone..."

This is a Call - Thousand Foot Krutch

I smiled to myself and just listened to everyone talking. This was gonna be my new family. Yea...family. That word used to just mean Jon...now it was a group of people. A group of people that I really did love. Things were gonna be a lot better now, and I couldn't help but smile on the outside as well. Alexa caught my eyes and smiled as well. Then we both just started laughing for no real reason. The weird looks the team gave us just made us laugh more. Soon Mia and Letty were laughing and the guys were just shaking their heads and trying to hold in their chuckles. We didn't care. Things were already looking up. I wasn't alone anymore; I had a whole family that loved me back.

.R AND R.