A/N: Here is the latest installment! Enjoy! Read and Review!
Disclaimer: I own everything you don't recognize. Although you should recognize Annie by now…
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Annie had somehow managed to go to sleep again around four in the morning. She couldn't hold her eye lids open any longer, and she succumbed to sleep. It didn't take long before the nightmares began.
Annie gasped and screamed in pain as Mark slid the cold, hard knife into her side and dropped her on the ground to bleed out…
Annie bolted up as she gasped for air, realizing it was just a nightmare. She gingerly rested a hand on her throbbing sutures as she bit her lip. She attempted to get up, but the pain was so great that her knees buckled and she came crashing down on the floor. She let a few tears escape as she not only felt the physical pain of what happened, but the emotional pain too.
She knew it wasn't Mark, but it felt like him. It looked so much like him. He had tried to rape and kill her; it was emotionally crippling and exhausting. Her Dad didn't even know the half of it. She heard a knock on the door.
"Annie?" She heard her father question warily.
"Just a sec, I'm not decent!" She called back, lying so she could have enough time to scramble onto her bed, and wipe the tears from her eyes. She knew her puffy, blood-shot eyes would give her away anyhow, but she didn't care.
"Come in!" She called once more as she sniffled one last time, trying to look as normal as possible.
"I brought you some food." He said as he brought the tray over to her bed and set it down next to her. He noticed her eyes.
"Have you been crying?" Dean questioned, worried.
'Damn puffy, blood-shot eyes…' Annie thought to herself as she shook her head.
"No, why would you think that? I'm fine."
"Annie…" He said in that voice which clearly told her that he knew she was lying.
She sighed and looked away, she knew she had to confess, her Dad would just keep bugging her until she did.
"I've been having nightmares…" Annie whispered faintly as she picked up a French fry and started nibbling on it.
"About?"
"Mark." She finished her fry.
"What about Mark?"
"What do you think?" She snapped, Dean sighed, frustrated.
"Sorry." She mumbled as she picked up another fry.
"Tell me what happened."
"I don't want to…"
"What did he do to you?" Dean questioned, becoming more worried by the second. Annie turned to glare at him.
"I said I don't want to talk about it."
"And I said I do. Spill it."
"Please, just leave me alone…" She wailed, and a tear escaping her eyes.
"I can't, you're my daughter and I love you. If some son of a bitch did something to you, I need to know. It's my job to protect you."
"You can't protect me from everything, Dad."
"I can try."
Annie looked away again. She then glared back up at her father, fire in her eyes.
"He almost raped and killed me, satisfied?" She yelled. "What can you possibly say to make that alright?" She hissed.
Dean was in shock for a moment, and then anger appeared on his features, and then an emotion Annie didn't expect: remorse.
"I'm sorry." Dean whispered as he pulled his daughter into a hug, careful not to touch her wound. She hugged him back as she buried her head in his shoulder and just broke down crying. Dean gently rubbed her back, trying to reassure her and calm her down at the same time.
"I've got you now; I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you." Dean whispered as he held her there for what seemed like hours.
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"Daddy?" Annie questioned meekly as she kept her head resting on Dean's shoulder. They were still in the embrace, and Annie didn't want to leave, she felt safe for once.
"Hmm?" Dean hummed.
"I want to learn how to fight. Really fight." Annie whispered. She knew a few moves, but she knew her father could teach her more if she begged.
"Annie…" Dean groaned.
"Please?" She whispered, making her voice frail and pleading. Dean sighed knowing exactly what she was doing, but he even though he knew he was being played, he couldn't resist. He knew it was in her best interest anyways. Annie knew she had won.
A few minutes passed, and Annie finally let Dean go, and she sat there, staring down at her bed.
"I can't do it." She mumbled. Dean just looked at her, confused.
"Can't do what?"
"I can't stay with him."
"Why not?"
"I can't get over it… I've been having nightmares… Every time they are about him touching me; stabbing me." Annie whispered faintly. Dean just nodded.
"I understand. Do you want me to—"
"—No, I'm a big girl. I can handle it myself."
------------A few days later---------------
Annie frowned. She was getting out of her corvette and heading towards the high school. It was her first day back to school, and her torso still felt like a bitch. She didn't want to face Mark; as far as he knew they were still together and fine. She knew she had to do this in person, and although it would kill her, she knew she had to do it for herself.
She walked over to her group of friends, spotted Mark in the middle of it all. She knew Evan and Jen were dead, but she had other friends. She still felt terribly guilty about that too.
"Annie!" Mark said with a grin, she could see the bruises on his face from where her dad had wrestled him to the ground. She didn't smile back.
"We need to talk. Alone." Annie whispered and walked away behind the school auditorium.
"What about?" Mark questioned; dumbfounded.
Annie bit her lip, trying to keep herself from freezing up, or from crying. Truth was, she was terrified of being with Mark alone.
"I can't… I can't do this anymore."
"What?"
"I can't be in a relationship with you." She whispered, her lower lip trembling.
"What?! Why? Annie, we're so good together…" He trailed off.
"I know, but I don't feel for you the way I used to… I have to let you go."
"There's someone else, isn't there?" Annie flinched as Mark raised his voice; she could see him slamming her on the bed all over again…
"N-no…." Annie stammered.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever." He scoffed as he walked off. Annie just leaned against the wall of the auditorium and broke down again as she slid to the ground. She heard the bell for class, but it ignored it. She just had a study hall this period anyways. The only class she was worried about attending was her business course. It was career day, and her father and uncle were guest speakers, along with a few other parents from other professions in the city. That class was third period.
Annie heard footsteps approaching, but she didn't care. "Annie?" She heard that all too familiar voice. She looked up and saw him; she couldn't believe her eyes.
"Aaron?" She questioned as he offered her a hand up. She told it and she stared into his deep blue eyes. He smirked. "Live and in the flesh." The sun shined down on his short, blonde hair.
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at the road house with your Mom, and Ellen!" Annie exclaimed, but she was too excited to see her best friend, Aaron Harvelle.
"I heard you needed some cheering up, so I decided to drop by." He said with a charismatic smile, and she hugged him tightly.
"I've missed you so much." Annie whispered into his shoulder as her eyes started to well up again with tears.
"Me too, Winchester. Me too."
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A/N: Never saw that one coming, did ya? He's Jo's boy! You'll learn all about him in the next chapter! Read and review! Tell me what sucks, and what rocks!
