Kim crouched panting into the porcelain toilet bowl as his hands gripped the sides, his bare chest heaved with each breath as his hands shook and he tried to calm himself.

The news had hit him like a brick wall collapsing onto him. She was raped. Some creep had forced himself on her. He sat back from the toilet and leaned against the cold side of the bathtub. He felt in his chest and then his throat. His breathing became a bit more rapid despite his attempts to calm himself a sob escaped his throat as tears began down his face. He bowed his head and ran his fingers through his hair, tugging at the thin strands. Why? Why Lynette? Because she was different? That was no excuse. He'd been teased about it before himself, for being Vietnamese, but she'd put a stop to it.

"Get lost squinty eyes, I'm not gonna play with you," a four-year-old blonde haired blue eyed girl exclaimed as she shoved Kim away.

Four year old Kim felt his shoulders sag and his lips formed a frown. The first day of pre-school wasn't going so well.

'It'll be okay,' his mom had said, 'you'll make new friends.' So far that wasn't happening.

Another girl's voice interrupted the blonde girl's as she asked, "Wanna race with me?"

"Ew that makes you feel so icky," the blond protested.

"I wasn't asking you," the brunette girl clarified as she looked at Kim, "wanna race? Or we could play tag."

Kim smiled and nodded, "Okay. Tag."

The girl giggled a bit as she tapped his arm before running away from him. He took off after her, suddenly feeling lighter than he had a moment ago.

Kim washed his face at the sink with cold water, how could he ever forget that? No fear, but no shaming either. Just classic redirection of his attention. He'd eventually developed a crush on Chloe and was rejected last year, but when he'd told Lynette by text that night she hadn't responded with 'told ya so' or 'what do you expect? It's Chloe, duh!'

No, all she'd done was send him a crying cat face and then comment that there should be a crying dog face. He'd asked why dogs, and she'd responded by laughing and asking, 'What's my favourite animal, you dork face?'

Kim's fists clenched and then unclenched, then he clenched them again. She'd always been there for him. Always a friend to him. As for his part? He'd let her down twice. Once almost at the expense of her life, and this time- this time.

He felt the shred of control he'd regained wiggle free of him as his sobs started again. She'd been so scared the past five weeks and though they all tried, they couldn't protect her. He couldn't protect her.

Without a thought Kim bolted from the bathroom and raced down the stair case of his house, he opened the front door and ran out in the early morning sunlight. He was still dressed in his pajama bottoms he still had a severe case of bed head, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His only focus was on running, he'd run he decided until he could no longer feel his legs. As the houses and buildings blurred by him, he realized where he was heading and realized what he was feeling. He'd never felt grief for someone who was still alive though, it was an odd thing to experience.

Adrien straightened up in the waiting room chair and realized that a certain blunette girl had fallen asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. He quietly smiled to himself as he closed his eyes again, gently resting his head against hers. Then suddenly there it was!

The whirling of a photo being processed.

'The fun begins,' the fashion line heir thought to himself as he grabbed his jacket that Nathalie had insisted on bringing and used it to shield himself and Marinette from the paparazzi.

Suddenly one the Gorilla had them both in his arms and wordlessly carried them into a hospital room.

Lynette was sitting up, looking every bit as worse for wear as Adrien figured she probably felt, he looked over at Sabine, who was asleep on a couch in the hospital room. Suddenly Adrien realized there were three very comfortable looking couches, and two recliners.

"My godfather and your father insisted on the accommodations," Lynette explained.

Adrien nodded a little as he walked over to the hospital bed, he hadn't expected the twinge of pain he felt when she flinched at him sitting near her.

"How does the morning look?"

"Grey, bleak," Lynette replied. Adrien could feel the sunlight on his skin through the window, he knew what she meant and she'd known what he'd meant.

"I don't mean any offense to Nino, Max, or Nath but I just—for now at least—I don't want any guys near me except you and Kim," Lynette admitted, her eyes closed with what he could only assume was regret. He knew her, not as well as Kim, but well enough to know that like Marinette she didn't like excluding anyone without reason.

"They wouldn't have, you know that," Adrien replied in an attempt to quell her fears but it didn't have the desired effect.

"I also knew that my mother would force antibiotics down my throat that I didn't even need," Lynette hissed out.

Adrien blinked a bit at the statement before asking, "what do you mean?"

"I mean I thought I knew my own mother," Lynette growled, angrily as she stood from the bed and walked over to the hospital window.

Adrien felt his breath hitch in his chest if Lynette had been on antibiotics then… oh no!

"They gave you the morning after pill right?"

"Are you kidding? There's no record I was ever taking antibiotics. None. They were never prescribed to me, so why would they believe me? She planned all of this. All of it! I ever see her again I'll—" she stopped herself then. Adrien got the picture loud and clear. He even thought he'd do the honours himself and spare her the jail time.

"If—" He didn't want to finish what he was about to ask, the thought made him feel sick but he swallowed with difficulty and continued, "—if you are—what are you going to do?"

"I—I—" She shook her head, staring out the window. She caught a glimpse of her own reflection and felt her stomach twist in threatened revolt from the sheer disgust she felt in looking at herself. The thought of abortion was appealing, but at the same time made herself even more disgusted. She held her face in her hands and took in a few shaky breaths, "—I don't know."

Adrien wanted to hold her then. She looked completely ready to fall apart, they weren't that close though and he knew it.

Marinette rolled over, facing the back of the couch.

'Heavy sleeper, you're lucky,' Adrien thought to himself. He walked over next to Lynette and fought the intense urge to wrap an arm around her shoulders. He didn't however as he noticed something from the hospital window.

He gave a soft smile as he announced, "Lyn, Kim's here."