Act 4: Unmasking—

Tiffany belittled her in front of the family.

Worthless. Incompetent. Why are you my daughter? Why aren't you better?

Kathryn smiled and apologized while her nails carved through her skin under the table

He saw how forced her pleasantry is. How angry his stepsister was.

Sebastian met her eyes. He was met with a dissonant gaze.

Later he went to her room unannounced.

She's screaming in her pillow. The object muffles her humanity.

Touching her shoulder, he feels a shock at the contact and she turns around.

The numbness is back. She's not in the mood, please fuck off.

"I'm not going to tell anybody, Kathryn."

Her frown softens but it stays nevertheless. He doesn't get kicked out.


It was month five and he was barely getting by. It wasn't a miracle that he survived this long, but it was still some sort of game between them that he considered. He wanted to prove the people wrong, that this was going to last and he would make it even if it killed him.

Annette smiled sweetly at him, her eyes shining in the darkness while he drove his prized car from their date. Her hand felt cold against his as the air whipped back her soft yellowed hair and commented about how he was in better spirits lately.

Did she really want to know how and why?

He had been fucking other women to get off.

As his cell phone rang, he quickly answered it, eager for any other means of distraction. What he heard caused his feet to feel like lead and he couldn't help it, the car swerved and Annette screamed, jerking to turn the wheel back just in time to avoid the oncoming truck.

He regained his senses and screamed an apology over the angry yelling, stopping her effectively with a single sentence.

"Kathryn's boyfriend just tried to rape her, okay?" he snapped, his shaking fingers grabbing a cigarette from the hidden pack he kept in his pocket. "I-I have to go there."

---

"Where's Kathryn?" it was the first question Sebastian demanded as he stepped inside the townhouse with Annette trailing behind him. She was surprised at the urgency and nervousness in his voice and at how his fingers clenched and unclenched. When the maid choked out a suitable response, he practically ran upstairs and Annette recognized the fear in her own heart.

He was shaking with anger and anxiety and worry, his ocean eyes sad and full of rage… Something wasn't right.

With a shaking, clammy hand, he opened the door and found Kathryn staring blankly out the window, her dress torn and bloody. There were smears of dried blood on her face and yet she paid no heed.

"Oh, God." Annette gasped and he cursed at her silently for breaking the silence.

Kathryn's neck craned and looked at them. Normally she would have screamed or threw something but this time, she appeared withdrawn. Broken somehow.

"Kathryn? Are you alright?" Annette spoke up timidly, the concern lacing her voice.

The brunette didn't reply and instead looked at Sebastian sharply, still saying nothing.

It had been months but he still understood. The desperate need in her eyes, the way her mouth was set, the way she clawed the wooden floor and the silent coldness in her stare. No matter how she appeared to be, she still didn't want others seeing her that way.

"Annette," Sebastian turned to her, realizing how confused she must feel right now. "I'm going to need to attend to my stepsister; the driver will make sure you get home."

He didn't even wait for her to reply. By the time he turned around, he had already forgotten about her presence.

Kathryn was still watching him, looking up like a little girl lost. He felt himself break at the sight of her shattered and walked cautiously towards her seated form. His mind swam with questions, what happened? What did asshole do? What did he get to do to her? Why couldn't she have fought back harder? She was the strongest person he knew…

"Leave." She rasped, cringing when he came closer.

The tightening in his chest grew at her sounding frightened, she never sounded like that. He wasn't used to her sounding like that, in fact, Sebastian would rather that she ignored him than for her to be that way.

"It's okay." He whispered, his mouth drooping down and his eyes narrowed in concern. "I won't leave… Kathryn, please."

Annette watched all this, transfixed at how slowly he treaded his steps so as not to alarm her. She watched how he looked fragile and determined at the same time, his handsome face contorted as though he were in pain and his arms outstretched towards her.

"It's okay…" he repeated gently, bending down to pick her up.

And Annette Hargrove watched, with an untold jolt deep inside of her, as the almighty Kathryn Merteuil who had been larger than life itself; cling on to Sebastian tightly while his strong arms brought her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and their chests were crushed together, legs splayed around his waist and he cradled her as though she were the most valuable thing alive.

"You're shaking." He noted worriedly, rubbing her back with his palms to create some sort of warmth. She didn't reply and instead burrowed her head deeper into his neck, her hands clenching and wrinkling his collar.

"Make her leave." Kathryn finally spoke, her throat sounded dry.

Sebastian turned around, still carrying Kathryn and his eyes met with Annette's. It was then that Annette Hargrove saw the truth in his eyes. His forehead bore worried wrinkles and there was so much more to the concern he was displaying especially when Kathryn tightened her hold again, looking like she wanted to disappear into him.

"Annette, I'll talk to you soon." He said. That was it. No apologies, no explanations whatsoever.

Annette waited for more, for an 'I love you' or a 'Goodnight', but there was none. Tears brimmed her large eyes and Sebastian knew that she knew. She wanted him to stop her from leaving, to explain that he was just worried about his stepsister and that he still loved her.

Silence.

As the heavy door slowly closed, she caught a glimpse of Sebastian murmuring something to Kathryn, holding her fiercely to him and looking like he would murder anyone who tried to hurt her.

And then there were two.

He let her hang on to him for as long as she wanted, never asking for an explanation of what had happened. The image of her screaming and writhing underneath her boyfriend while he touched her, the image of her usually in control being shattered and replaced by a helpless young woman enraged him. He held on to her tighter than she did to him, not wanting to think about that but all the same, it stuck to his head.

"Did he get to…?"

"No." she said, attuned to his line of thinking. "I-I called Blaine when he was trying to get in. The fairy managed to get him off me just in time along with his faggot football boyfriend. They're taking Brandon to the police right now… Well that or sufficiently beating the shit out of him."

"I'll kill him." Sebastian muttered darkly, rubbing his cheek against her forehead absentmindedly. Kathryn responded with a slight hum and allowed the frisson between their bodies to calm her down, the slight stubble on his cheek scratching and tickling her skin.

"Put me down now." She said after a few moments, sounding more composed. He complied, settling her down the bed.

"I'm staying here tonight." He almost demanded, knowing that probably she would ask him to leave now. "I'm not going to fucking budge if you make me leave, I swear that if you fight me on this I'll make sure you lose. You're in no condition to—"

Kathryn took his arm and he stopped talking as she pulled him to her.

"Just for tonight." She said softly, any trace of coldness wiped clean by the traumatic experience.

His thoughts were flying and his emotions were askew. She needed him tonight and he didn't want to be anywhere else.


A/N: One... last... chapter... I do have to warn that the last chapter will give the rating a run for its money. Yes I'm branching out. Lol, I'm trying to not be shy when it comes to scenes such as that like I was in AIE (if you'll notice in Chapter 21. Right Katie? ;-D), so yeah, I don't want to have to have a limit when it comes to writing. Eh. Ignore me.

AnnLaw:Why certainly you may admire me again. And again. And again? Haha only kidding dearie but wow thanks for the review it really did make my day. I don't mind the 'popCORN' like you said I'm just glad that you like it, as for my writing well I have certain moments I'm just lucky that this came out so quickly and I had time to write. If you'll read the shit I wrote in the past... You'd turn green and throw up. I'm glad it will never see the light of day again. Lol as for the deep, dark and gorgeous bit that really made me smile. So this chapter's for you since you seemed to be eager for it, and btw, aren't deep, dark and gorgeous a way to write K/S fics? They're so melancholy and lusty and sarcastic. I love them. Hope the drool you've created while waiting has been cleared off for now and I'm craving for some strawberries myself... Oh well! Till the last part!

Sophia: Sorry for distracting you from your midterms it must be over now I hope you did well.

Ocfan: You despise me? WHYY? Haha just kidding. You know the thing I love about your reviews is that you give me your own analysis of how they're perceived. Yours is truly one of the many reviews I look forward to reading. Aww. Don't be shy. Bask in the compliment. Lol, but seriously, thank you. Hopefully I'll continue having your input in case more stories or chapters pop up here, I guess we'll never know right?

Katie: Imagine my surprise when I checked my mail to find out one from you. Pleasant surprise that is, it made for a good welcome back from my weekend away from home. I'll try to give you spoilers from Thoughts since like I said it might indeed take a while if you want. Let me know. ;-D