Chapter Twelve

Gabrielle was swimming in and out of consciousness as Ian carried her to the car. Spike opened the door and Ian gently placed her bruised body into the backseat. "We have to help her," Spike said as he was crying. "Should we take her to the hospital or what?"

"I don't know..." Ian said as he was covered in Gabrielle's blood. "We- we're almost home. We'll take her to Mom and Dad. They'll know what to do."

"Okay, but I want to KILL whoever did this to her," Spike stated.

"I want to kill them, too," Ian said with gritted teeth. "They deserve to die for what they did to her."

Ian didn't know that Gabrielle was his half sister as well as his cousin. His parents had never told him that bit of information, nor did he know that Reese was also carrying his half-sibling. As far as he knew, he had no other siblings but Spike and the baby his mom was now expecting.

Ian and Spike were solemn the rest of the way home. When they pulled up in the driveway, Spike said he'd stay with Gabrielle and he urgently told Ian to go inside and get their parents. "Okay," Ian said as he was the less emotional of the two. Spike was looking back at his cousin and openly sobbing. He held her hand as he waited for Ian to come back with their mom and dad.

Minutes later, Ian ran into Kendall and Zach's bedroom, covered in Gabrielle's blood. He flipped on the light as he exclaimed, "I need help!"

Kendall sat up in bed in alarm as Zach moaned and tried to cover his eyes from the blinding light. "What the hell...?" Zach groaned.

That's when he saw all the blood. He shot out of bed and asked, "What happened? Where is your brother?!"

Zach got dressed in the blink of an eye as Kendall began putting her own clothes on over her nightie. "Spike's fine. It's... it's Gabrielle," Ian stated.

"Gabrielle?" Zach said in confusion. "What about Gabrielle?!"

"She's hurt," Ian said sadly. "Hurry!"

Zach and Kendall rushed down the stairs after Ian and outside toward Ian's car. That's when they saw Gabrielle, covered in only Ian's letter jacket.

"Ohhh my God!" Kendall cried out. "Wh- what happened to her?" She couldn't believe that her young teenage niece was lying there so still. She knew deep inside that Gabrielle had to have been sexually assaulted, but she wasn't ready to believe it yet. That thought was far too horrifying.

Zach stared down at Gabrielle, the child he had delivered into his own hands. He was her biological father. She carried his blood in veins. A dozen feelings filtered through him as he and Kendall learned about Gabrielle's sorrowful situation.

"Dad, she was raped," Ian said, stating the obvious. "We found her on the side of the road... after we left the football game."

"We... we need to call Bianca," said Kendall, still in a state of shock. Her niece had been raped. This was going to KILL Bianca, considering all that she had been through with Michael Cabias.

"No, call Reese," Zach said quickly. "She can break the news to Bianca."

"Alright. I will call Reese and in the meantime, you get Gabrielle into your car and drive her to the hospital," Kendall said to Zach.

Zach nodded, but Ian said, "Dad, she's already in my car. I can drive her to the hospital. You and Mom meet us there."

"Hurry, Ian... and be careful," Kendall said tearfully as she hugged her son. Spike never let go of Gabrielle's hand as Ian rushed her to the hospital.

Xxxxoooo

After Ian drove away, Zach and Kendall climbed into their car. Zach was driving as Kendall called Reese. It took awhile, but Reese finally answered. "Hello," said Reese in a sleepy voice.

"Reese, it's Kendall. There's been... an- an accident."

"What kind of accident?" Reese asked, sitting up in the bed in alarm.

"It's Gabrielle. She's... " Kendall stumbled over the words. "She's been raped."

"WHAT?!"

"You and Bianca need to come to the hospital. We'll be there with Gabrielle."

After she ended the call, Bianca stirred beside Reese. She had been sleeping deeply and had only awakened because Reese's cell phone had rang. "What is it?" Bianca asked. "Is it one of the girls?"

Reese didn't know how to tell Bianca the terrible news. Bianca was going to be devastated. "That was Kendall-." Reese began.

"Ohhh no! Is something wrong with my sister?"

"Bianca, no," said Reese as she took the woman she loved into her embrace. "Kendall's fine. She just called to tell us... to tell us... Bianca, it's Gabrielle. She's in the hospital."

"What?! Why is Gabrielle in the hospital?" Bianca exclaimed. "What happened to our baby girl?"

Reese had to say the words that she knew were going to tear Bianca's heart to pieces. There was no easy way to say it. She had no other choice but to blurt out the truth.

"Gabrielle was raped."

What happened next was far worse than Reese could have ever imagined. Bianca started to scream and cry hysterically. "Bianca, Bianca..." Reese said as she held her struggling wife who was weeping. "I'm here; I'm not going to let you go... Not now... and not EVER."

Bianca was suddenly thrust into another place and time; into the horrifying memory of her own brutal rape. It took her a few minutes to return to the present. Staring into Reese's beautiful and concerned eyes, she sucked in her breath with sudden and amazing strength. "Let's go to the hospital. We need to be there for Gabrielle."

XoooXooo

Reese and Bianca arrived at the hospital just as Kendall and Zach reached it as well. Ian and Spike had already taken Gabrielle in. A nurse had thrust papers at Ian.

"You go sit down. I'll give these to Reese to fill out," Kendall told her son softly.

Ian nodded as he handed over the papers and sank down into a seat next to Spike. He didn't understand who would be so cruel to someone like Gabrielle. She was so sweet.

Kendall handed Reese the papers. She began to fill them out with all the history and details for Gabrielle as well as the insurance information.
When she was done, she returned it to the nurse at the admition desk. "Are they helping my daughter?" Reese asked the nurse in a voice so full of worry.

"Who is your daughter?" the nurse asked.

"Gabrielle Montgomery Williams. She was just brought in," Reese said.

"A doctor will take care of her," the nurse promised.

"Okay," Reese said, not feeling okay at all. She felt completely sick as she went back to sit next to Bianca.

"Someone has to tell Miranda," Bianca choked out.

"I'll call her," Reese said. She took her phone out and began dialing Miranda's number.

"Reese? Is mom okay?" she asked in confusion.

"Your mother has seen better days," Reese said softly.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Miranda asked.

"Gabrielle was raped,' Reese whispered.

"No!" Miranda exclaimed. "That's impossible!"

"I'm sorry, honey. We are in the hospital waiting room right now. We don't know who did this to her, but they are awful."

"It's all my fault!" Miranda said with a sob. "Gabrielle called me. She- she asked me to hang out with her at the football game. I said 'no,' because AJ and I-."

"Sweetie, it's not your fault. The only person to blame is the one who hurt Gabrielle. Please don't blame yourself."

Miranda sniffled on the phone. She was still feeling terribly responsible, despite what Reese had said. "If only I-," Miranda murmured.

Her crying grew worse despite Reese's reasurances. "Are you alone, Miranda? Are you going to be alright?" Reese asked her oldest daughter.

"No, I am not alone. I am here with Ace," Miranda stated as she reached out to take AJ's hand. She held onto it so tightly.

"You stay with AJ tonight. I don't want you to be alone. I know he'll keep you safe. Your mom and I will be here for Gabrielle. We'll stay with her at the hospital and we'll keep you informed about how she's doing," Reese promised.

"Okay, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too, Miranda," Reese said as she ended the call.

XoooXooo

After her phone call with Reese, Miranda was distraught. AJ pulled her into his arms as he did everything in his power to comfort her. "What happened?" he asked in concern as he was stroking her long dark hair.

"My sister - Gabrielle - she was... she was raped."

"Ohhh no, that's awful. I am so sorry," AJ said sincerely.

"AJ, she called me and asked if I could join her at the football game. What if this happened because of me?!"

AJ shook his head strongly. "No way is it your fault. Whoever raped Gabrielle is to blame for his actions and I hope the police catch him."

"I just can't imagine what my little sister is going through. I- I haven't even had my first kiss."

"You haven't?" AJ asked in surprise.

"No," Miranda said as tears ran down her face. "I've been saving all that for someone special. Someone ... someone like you."

Despite the sorrowful circumstances surrounding Miranda's sister, AJ couldn't help but smile at her words. "You're special to me, too, Miranda... so much so that I truly wish I hadn't agreed on going with Heather to the Spring dance. I would rather go with you."

"Really, AJ?" Miranda asked with hope in her heart.

"Really," he replied. "There is no one I'd rather take to the dance than you."

Tenderly he wiped the tears from Miranda's soft cheeks. Then, very slowly, his lips dropped onto hers. He took her sweet lips in a warm, gentle kiss. She wound her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss. She hungrily responded as her heart began to pound in aching desire. After a moment, AJ pulled away, looking deeply into Miranda's eyes.

"How was your first kiss?"

"I'm not sure. I think I am going to need a few more; then I can let let you know."

He grinned as his lips took hers again. She moaned as she pressed her body tightly against his. It was getting hot and steamy extremely fast. AJ realized that he was now doing so much more than comforting Miranda. They sunk down on the bed together in passion as their kisses deepened. Boldly Miranda's hands began to explore his body with soft caresses.

Once again, he pulled back a fraction from their kisses to look down at her questioningly. "Miranda?"

"Make love to me, Ace. I need you," she breathed.