"Jo... Jo Angel... Can you here me, love?"

Some say that to die is to enter a never ending sleep. You close your eyes and are forever wrapped in velvet darkness. Then how come I feel like I'm being forced awake, on a Monday morning, after a long weekend of partying? Jo slowly opened her eyes to find her fathers teary eyes gazing at her. "Da…?"

"Oh thank God! Jo…" Jo's father was kneeling beside her bed, he must have been crying a great deal, for his eyes were red. Jo looked around, her vision was a little blurry but she saw she was in a hospital bed. "Da, I'm alright…"

"Sweetheart I thought I had lost you." He sat on the bed next to her, calmer now that she was awake.

"Where is everyone?" Jo asked, not seeing anyone else with them.

"They all wanted to stay to make sure you were alright, but after 2:00 a.m. I sent them home, Alex went ballistic when I had Brent take her home."

"Heh…I gather she did, they probably wanted to put her in mental care." Jo said imagining Alex's rage.

"Oh believe me they tried, I had to sign the release forms." That put a smile on Jo's face. "Jo, in a few minutes a police officer is going to come in and talk to you, about what happened tonight."

Jo frowned. The police?

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

"Uh…n-no, no Da. I'll be ok. But will you come straight back, after they leave?"

"Of course." He stayed by her side until a woman, with dark hair stepped into the room. Jo's father stood up "I'll just be outside, Jo." He said. Jo nodded and he left.

"Hello, Josephine. My name is Claudia. How are you feeling?" The woman sat down in a chair next to Jo's bed, she had a clipboard in her lap. She had a very kind face, with soft brown eyes. Her long hair was tide up in a bun on the back of her head. She was probably in her late thirties. She didn't look like a cop to Jo.

"You're the police?" Jo asked. Claudia smiled and took something out of her leather coat and handed it to Jo. Jo looked closely, it was a detective badge.

"A dectective…"

"Yes Josephine, I'm here to ask you about what happened tonight."

Jo nodded. She could feel a killer headache coming on…or maybe it was only her injuries.

"So tell me, dear, how are you feeling?"

"Honestly? I feel like I've been hit by a truck…" Jo said.

Claudia nodded "Yes you took quite a blow to the head. Do you remember what happened?"

Jo looked down into her lap. "It all happened fast…"

"Its ok, just tell me how you remember it…" said Claudia calmly. I have spoken to your friends, they told me you were all at a club this evening, and they found you in an Alley. What had happened before they found you?"

Jo looked at the detective. She could see she was a patient woman. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Paige and Spinner had a fight outside the club, and Paige ran away crying. I was worried she might get hurt, so I went after her."

Claudia nodded for her to continue.

"After a few minutes I lost sight of her, and for a moment I thought I had lost my way. It was dark, there was only one street lamp lit on the corner and it was kind of foggy. Then I heard her scream…"

"Paige?"

"Yes…it was so close, just in next alley if she hadn't screamed…I could have walked right by and never knew she was there. I ran into alley…" Jo stopped.

"And then what happened, Josephine?"

Suddenly every nightmare of her past came flooding back into her mind. Jo saw herself being pushed into the cold concrete as each boy molested her, one right after another. She remembered how ashamed she felt at having her body exposed for all of them to see, and weak that she couldn't fight back.

"Josephine?" Claudia looked at the girl, lying in the bed. She had not spoken for two minutes and was staring straight up at the ceiling, she didn't even blink. Her fists were clenched, so tight that the white of her knuckles had spread to her wrists. Claudia thought for a moment before placing her hand gently on Jo's. Jo snapped out of her gave with a gasp. She started turning her head from side to side, breathing hard.

"Josephine! Calm down…" the detective said soothingly. "It's alright…Do you want me to call a nurse in?"

"N-no…" Jo said looking around, seeing she was safe, her breathing started to slow down "I'm alright…I was just…remembering, something…"

"Something, that happened last night?"

"In the alley…Paige was on the ground…her skirt was riding up to her hips…and her panties were down to her ankles…she was screaming." Jo turned her head away as tears started to fill her eyes. "And he was on top of her…"

"Who was, Josephine?"

Jo choked back a sob.

"Josephine…I know this must be very, very difficult, and painful to think about, but you must tell me all you know…do you know who was hurting Paige?" Claudia remained calm and patient.

"He…his name is…Dean. He wasn't alone…there were three more guys with him. I don't know who they were. Dean got up and came towards me, and one of the others held Paige down. He grabbed me, and when I resisted he started beating me…next thing I know I'm lying in a hospital bed."

"Josephine…" Claudia said slowly "Do you think there was any chance that you were raped last night?"

"No…" Jo shook her head, trying to remember.

"I think the nurse should have a look just to be on the safe side…" Claudia stood up.

"NO!" Jo thoughts went back to her first examination after she had been raped. She hated the feeling of being poked and prodded! She hated having physicals when she was little, but it was a NIGHTMARE after she had been raped.

"Josephine…I know, it's a very scary thing that you're going through…but sweety, you really should be examined. If there was any chance that you were raped, it's extremely important that we know for sure! It could make all the difference in the world in this case." Claudia sat back down and waited for an answer.

Jo thought about it long and hard. "I had hoped never to go through with this again…but if it would make any difference…" Jo nodded.

"This is so unfair! I can't just sit here like nothing is wrong while Jo is in the hospital and Paige is who knows where probably going through Hell!" Alex was pacing the living room. She was still pissed off that Jo's dad had sent her and Brent back to the house. She wanted to stay and see if she came to, bit noooo they wouldn't let her!

"They will have the cops all over town looking for her, Alex." Said Brent. He was sitting at the computer desk, next to the phone waiting for a call from his dad. He was trying to calm Alex down, even though he was just had pissed as she was "They'll want to talk to you, and who ever else was there. Da said they were already at the hospital waiting to talk to Jo about what happened. You'll get your word in, Alex."

"Its not about that! It's about me getting out there and kicking some good-for-nothing ass!" Alex kicked the coffee table.

Brent stood up "SIT DOWN!" he yelled. Alex stopped where she stood, staring at him. And slowly she sank onto the couch. "You can't be too hasty, Alex! This is serious! You can't just jump in and expect to the save the day! The cops are involved! This isn't just some bully on the playground! This is a rapist! I know you're worried about Jo and Paige, I AM TOO! But you can't go jumping in and putting yourself in dangerous situations! You could get hurt, Alex! You can get others around you hurt! I came close to getting a restraining order for decking a guy, whom I was SURE was one of Jo's rapists! But I had no proof! None, I only had my love for Jo, but it's not enough, Alex. It's not enough to protect you. There is a time a place for you to step in…and times to back off."

Alex sat still, watching Brent. She had never heard him speak like that, ever. She had always known he loved Jo with all his heart but she never thought what must be going through his mind right now. And she knew then that there was nothing more painful for him, then the thought of him not being able to protect his sister.

This was a time to back off…

Claudia had gone out to talk to Jo's father while the nurse was in with Jo. They already had Jo's clothing, so they didn't need to ask her to remove them. She wore her hospital gown. Nurse Jenny put on some rubber gloves and asked Jo, to sit up in the bed, with her legs apart. Jo did what she was told, but she was turning red in the face. This was so humiliating!

Jenny started her examination, Jo tensed up a bit.

"Well…" said Jenny "No, genital trauma…no seaman…no fluids whatsoever…"

"Could he…have worn a condom?" Jo asked, as much as she wanted this to end, she wanted to know the truth.

"No, from what I can see, you haven't had intercourse within the last 24 hours." Jenny removed the gloves. "You're a lucky one, Jo."

Jo hugged her knees close to her chest, thanking her lucky stars. But then she thought of Paige. Where was she…?

(A/N: Finally got this chapter done! Thank you all sooo much for your support! Your reviews encourage me to keep writing! I still more to come! Please Review!)