Title: Falling Through

Author: alienangel19852003

Summary: Phil and Keely are best friends, and they've been that way for three years. Despite the fact that both of them want to be so much more. Keely decides to go out with someone else just to shake Phil up so that he'll admit his feelings, it ends up scarring the both of them more than they can ever imagine. The secret they have to live with ends up bringing them closer than ever.

Rating: M, rape, violence, teen partying, teen pregnancy.

Disclaimer: I do not own POTF, I cannot stress that enough. Title comes from Over My Head (Cable Car) by the Fray.

"The hope that keeps me trusting"

The nurse stepped out of the examination room, "You can see your friend now." She smiled ruefully.

By this time Phil had paced the whole length of the hallway so many times he'd lost count but for some reason he really didn't want to go into that room, he knew if he went in there he would have to pretend that he wasn't a total wreck on the inside. To pretend that he didn't lose a p art of himself when Keely lost her innocence.

He sighed and walked into the room, Keely was still sitting on the examination table staring blankly into space. His mother was facing the window staring out of like it was telling her the secret of life.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey." She whispered.

He gently placed his hand over hers, "Are you ready to go?"

She finally blinked, "Umm… the nurse said…there is a chance that I could be–that I could be pregnant."

Phil had a feeling that might happen as much as he didn't want it to happen he knew it was a definite possibility.

"What if…" she said looking up at him with new tears shining in her eyes.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But I'm telling you right now, whatever happens I'll be right there with you." Phil said, trying desperately not to cry.

She tried to smile but her chin trembled, "I can't believe you stuck by me after everything I've done…"

"Keely, I love you more than you can imagine…where else am I gonna be if I'm not by your side? I think I'll die if you don't stay with me..." Phil whispered.

"I love you too Phil…" She whispered, "I can't believe that after – what happened… you still…"

"Keely, nothing could ever make me stop wanting to be with you." He told her, the words made her smile a real smile.

"Let's get you home. I'm sure your mother is worried about you." Phil whispered, pulling her into his arms.

"No! I can't go home... she'll take one look at me and know something is wrong…" she said, "I want to stay with you…"

"Alright…" he said, as if he could say no to that.

He lifted her from the table, she buried her face in his neck and it should be the best feeling in the world holding the girl he loved, but it wasn't it was going to take so much to make sure Keely was whole again. And he was going to help her pick up the pieces. Every step of the way.

He started to walk out of the room but stopped in the doorway when he realized they were leaving someone behind.

"Hey Mom? Are you coming with?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure Phil…" she seemed to snap out of her trance.

Keely stayed awake during the drive back to Phil's, the one thing that was keeping her going was the idea of taking a hot bath and trying to wash away some of the memories of the night. Getting examined only made her feel even more dirty. She was very fortunate that there was no extensive damage other than a mild concussion. She had read that many women who got raped were hurt so badly that they wouldn't be able to have children.

She'd been dreaming about a day years from now when she and Phil would have a house full of children and she was glad that Bruno hadn't managed to snatch that dream from her. The possibility of being pregnant now at seventeen loomed over her head like one of Messerschmitt's exams. She wrapped her arms around Phil's shoulders as he carried her inside.

"Phil why don't you take Keely upstairs to the bathroom, I'm sure she wants to get cleaned up. I'll come up and run you a bath and help you clean yourself up." Mrs. Diffy said, "While we're doing that I want you to clone yourself a sleeping bag, you'll floor it and she'll take your bed."

"That's not necessary I can sleep on the couch." Keely said.

"None sense." Barbara said, heading upstairs.

They followed, Phil left Keely with his mom and went to do what he was told. Mrs. Diffy was intent on running the bath water. Keely slowly closed the door, and started over to the bathtub glancing at her refection the mirror, she only saw the ghost of herself.

She stood there staring confused at the girl, she'd become all a sudden.

"I'm gonna go get you something comfortable to wear, I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes Keely."

"Okay, thanks Mrs. Diffy."

Keely started to remove her tattered clothing, noticing for the first time hand shaped bruises on her wrists. She went to the mirror to survey the rest of the damage on her body. She was covered in bites from her neck to her stomach, hand shaped bruises on her wrists her thighs were like two big bruises.

She started to cry when she took in her appearance. She felt dirty, defiled. She had wanted her first time to be special, not some brutal experience in the backseat that thankfully, she didn't remember. She had wanted her first to be Phil, not some drunken football player.

A knock at the door caused her to jump. She grabbed the big yellow towel Mrs. Diffy had left for her and covered herself with it as if the person outside could see her.

"Keely?" Phil said his voice was muffled through the door, but Keely could still hear the quiet concern in it.

"I'm fine Phil…" she told him knowing that she would never be fine again.

"You don't have to be fine Keel…" he told her.

Keely wiped a tear off her cheek, "I don't?" she asked through the door.

"No…it's gonna take awhile…to get back to fine."

"How long will it take to feel good and not just fine?" she asked him.

"I'm sure you'll find out." She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Thanks Phil," she told him.

"You're welcome, I'm gonna leave you alone so you can get cleaned up I'll be right outside if you need anything." He told her.

"Okay,"

Keely walked over to the bathtub and stared down at the water for a few seconds, she wished it could really wash away the way she felt, it wouldn't clear away the bruises, it wouldn't make the pain in her heart fade, and it wouldn't get rid of the inedible marks Bruno had left on her forever.

But she got in determined to wash the feel of him from her skin. That didn't work either; she ended up with raw skin. She lay all the way back in the tub putting her head under the water as she washed her hair sneaking some of Pim's weird shampoo.

She got out and put on the clothes Mrs. Diffy had left for her. She drug a comb through her wet hair trying to rid it of all the tangles before she walked out of the bathroom. She was still so sore from what Bruno had done.

She found Phil sitting in the hallway waiting for her.

"You waited outside for me?"

"Yeah," she could see his blush in the dark.

"That's sweet."

"Are you hungry, I could make you something?"

"Nah, I'm good, just tired." She said.

"Well, let's get you to bed."

"Will you sing me to sleep?" she whispered.

He nodded, "I must warn you that I'm not exactly a great singer."

"But you are the best friend I've ever had. And the most amazing guy I know." She told him.

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her into his bedroom; she wished this was how the evening started with her and Phil. The thought filled her with regret and her eyes with new tears.

Phil sat Keely down on the bed, noticing she was crying softly, "Keels…" he didn't know what to say.

"I am so stupid…" Keely sobbed.

"You are not stupid­­­­­­­­-" he started but she interrupted her.

"Yes, I am…I knew…how you felt…how I felt and then I still stayed with him. I got what I deserve." She said.

He cupped her face in his hands, "Keely, listen to me…you do NOT deserve what Bruno did to you. You were scared, you didn't do anything wrong."

"I did…I walked away from you…away from what we could've been…what we should be." Keely sobbed.

Phil wiped her tears away and tried to hide his own, "We could still be anything you want us to be…"

"Really…" Keely said.

"Yes," He whispered.

"Will you wait for me…to be good again?" she asked.

"I'll wait for you forever…" he told her.

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her.

"So sleepy," she whispered.

"Lay down and I'll sing to you…"

She did and kneeled by the bed and held her hand for a few minutes while he thought of a song to sing.

"Find me here and speak to me…I want to feel you…I need to hear you…you are the light that's leading me to the place where I find peace…" he sang know that it was her favorite song.

"You are the strength that keeps me walking, you are the hope that keeps me trusting, you are the light into my soul. You are my purpose you're everything. How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you…would you tell me how it could be any better than this…" Phil sang.

Keely had fallen asleep. He pulled the covers up around her, kissed her forehead and walked out of the room into the hallway careful not close the door all the way he didn't want to leave Keely alone.

He found his mother in the hallway, "How is she?"

"She's doing very well considering," he said.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm trying to be there for her as best I can. I don't know how to feel right now." Phil said.

"This is really hard. Phil, she's gonna need time…"

"I'm not rushing her into anything. I would never do anything to hurt Keely." Phil told her.

"I didn't say you were right now the hardest thing to do will be to love that girl. These next few weeks are going to be hard, for all of us."

"It would be hard for me not love her right now. She's been through so much. She is so strong, I don't know what I would do if I'd lost her tonight…" he said.

"I've been watching you with her tonight, the way you've treated her. The way you've taken care of her…loved her…I see the magnificent man you are becoming. And I have never been prouder of you in my life." She said hugging him.

"Mom, you don't have any advice or anything for me?" he asked.

"You're doing fine, I have run out of infinite wisdom to share with you." She said.

"Goodnight Mom."

"Goodnight, Phil. And you go to sleep don't stay up all night watching her sleep."

"I won't."

"You'd better not."