The following few days were horrible. Thoughts on how this will affect their relationship. An image of his mother screaming at her thinking all this was her fault. And worst of all, mental images of Nathan behind the bars of the jail cell.

Tears constantly poured in fear for her love's safety. As Victoria stepped outside, the sun peeked through the clouds as thought afraid of her presence. Thinking fresh air will sooth her worried and stressed nerves, she took a few too many deep breaths. Her head began to feel like a balloon; dizziness and drowsiness took over and soon she collapsed, falling onto her green front yard.

A few hours passed before she regained consciousness. Her good friend, Allen, had seen her lying on her front lawn and carried her inside to her room,

"Wha-? Allen? What are you-?" she remembered the news story on television and began to panic,

"Allen we need to go to the Police Station in Annapolis! Nathan-!" Allen clamped his hand over Victoria's panicky mouth,

"Would you shut up for 30 seconds? I know about Nathan. That's why I'm here." He smiled, looking down at Victoria. The look on her face made him laugh. Victoria's eyes trailed to who was standing behind Allen,

"Nathan!" she screamed, leaping out of bed and into Nathan's arms. He smiled and held her as she began smacking his chest.

"How in hell do you expect me to live when you're putting even more stress on my shoulders?" she screamed at the top of her lungs at him. Nathan stood there; feeling bad when Victoria sighed then kissed him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I was supposed to be arrested. I didn't know anything."

"Anyway, how'd you get out?"

"Your friend, Allen, paid my bail. My mother didn't have the money, or so she said, so Allen came down and bailed me out."

All Victoria really cared about was that her 'baby' was out of trouble.

"You had me so worried." She cried into his chest as he held her. Allen was Victoria's ex-boyfriend but his feelings for her still lingered; and seeing Victoria, whom he still loved, with another guy really put a black knife through his heart. But seeing Victoria happy was all Allen needed to go on with life.

After all the excitement during the past week or so, Victoria needed a break. A break away from her problems, away from Nathan's psychotic mother, especially Nathan's psychotic mother, and away from everything else.

So, she created the idea to try to get her boyfriend, Nathan, to come with her and a few of her friends on a road trip. Well, needless to say, Nathan's mother has a few words of her own,

"Hell no you are not going!" Pat ranted and raved. "She's almost eighteen…"

"Exactly! She's almost eighteen years old and as I recall, you said yourself once she was eighteen, she and I can do whatever we want together."

His mother growled and clenched her teeth. She was actually silenced. She had no comeback; no lecture; nothing. Nathan grinned with success and triumph.

"God damn you to hell!" Pat snapped at him.

"Mom, why can't you be happy for once in both our lives? I'm finally happy with someone and you're trying to break Victoria and I up!" he tried keeping his voice down since his pit bull, Lacy, was cowering under the kitchen table.

"I'm tired of arguing with you about this. I'm going to bed." His mother quickly snapped then took off to bed. Nathan fell back into his sofa, totally exhausted from arguing and fighting with his mother over his love for Victoria.

Victoria rose the next morning excited and hyper. She couldn't wait for the upcoming week. A whole seven days for just her and Nathan. That's all she wanted; a day, or in this case seven, alone with her one and only. And Victoria's sure Nathan wanted this too.

She had so much to get done. There was packing, packing, and more packing. Also, there was the issue of where to go. Victoria has been everywhere almost. That is except Alaska.

"Oh hell no! I am not going to Alaska My…" she abruptly stopped her sentence. Nathan looked strangely at her facial expression,

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"My father's in Alaska. He and I have a rather long and…. cruel history together. He…. did something to me that I will never forgive him for."

"Victoria, I don't know what happened between you and your father but if you don't get over it, you'll never move on with life."

"If only you knew," she trailed off, fighting back tears. Nathan tilted his head slightly to get a better look at the weeping girl who stood in front of him. His eyebrows were raised with confusion,

"If only I knew what?" he asked, his hands placed on her shoulders lightly. She caught his eye, her own full of tears,

"What he did to me…" a single tear ran down her face as she wept, burying her face in his chest. She heard his uneven heartbeat and his breathing becoming uneven and harsh. She glanced up, his face was red but he acted as though he had no idea what was wrong.

"Nathan, are you alright?" she reached up slightly, putting her palm against his cheek when he finally gave in. He clutched his chest on the left side, where his heart was, as he fell to his knees.