"WHAT IN MISERABLE HELL-" Ozuma screamed as he roughly fell back to the floor. Mariam turned the corner just then, her eyes quickly widening. She rushed over to Ozuma's fallen form and lifted the hyper active dog off of his chest. He was covered in sweat, mud, and now water from Max. And he did not look too happy about it.

"Oh my god, Ozuma I'm sorry! I know he didn't try-" Mariam attempted to say, but was cut off.

"Save it Mariam." Ozuma said as he picked himself up off the floor. "It seems all you've been doing lately is causing trouble for this team. And my patience is running think. You're the main reason we haven't captured Draciel yet, and if you keep causing ruckus I'll have you on a plane and headed back to our home town in no time." Max was couldn't believe what he'd just heard. And it was entirely his fault.

Ray was sitting not a few feet away, and he could see the look in Max's eyes. The cat knew how Max must've felt. Max slunk away back into the bathroom, where Hilary had her back to the wall and listening. Both Tyson and Kai looked down sadly.

It's all my fault. All of it. I shouldn't of ran out. Max muttered, his tail losing the wagging.

It's not your fault Max. I can't believe Ozuma treats her like that! It's no fair. Ray said, putting his paw on Max's back. In fact, Hilary was thinking the same thing. She growled and stampeded out of the tiled room, and directly in front of Mariam.

"How dare you say that to her! She's a part of the team too! I bet Mariam works just as hard, if not harder then all of you put together!" Hilary screamed, her fists clenched in front of her. Joseph came in to ask what the commotion was about, to find Hilary screaming.

'Mariam must of done something again...' he sighed and gave his sister a sympathetic look. Ozuma glared at Hilary, a glare that would send the bravest into a fit of fright.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, SAYING THIS TO ME YOU BITCH!?" He protested, advancing a few steps forward. Hilary gasped and was about to say something else when Mariam grabbed her arms like she did the first time and pulled her back, quickly. Hilary almost tripping over her own feet, Tyson, Kai, Max and Ray followed, but before Mariam could close her bedroom door Ozuma's voice rang out again. "And clean up this damn mess! And put on a dry shirt! God, you look like a slut!"

Mariam sighed.

"Don't say anything else to him Hilary, it'll just make it worse." She said, closing her door gently.

"Mariam, you don't deserve this! This is unfit. I can't believe you put up with this!" Hilary implied, her fists still in a knot as she sat down on Mariam's bed.

'I guess someone has it as bad as me after all...' She thought sadly. Max was still upset, and he just limped over to the closet and lied down. Max's paw hurt, and he guessed it was just how hard he hit Ozuma. But that wasn't all what was wrong. He could've gotten Mariam sent away. He'd never get to see her again.

That was harsh... Ray said as he sat beside Max. Tyson kept his gaze on Hilary, who almost looked on the verge of tears. But what reason did Hilary have to cry? The brunette's head was down now, and she looked slightly shaken. Kai thought it might of been how Ozuma yelled at her... But no, on second thought, Hilary was a tough girl. She could take a screaming. Tyson glomped over and clawed at her leg. Hilary picked him up and gave him a gentle stroke. At that moment, Tyson noticed the bruise on Hilary's cheek. She must've taken an awful smack to get that. But maybe she just ran into another door... But Tyson hardly thought so. He'd have to find out.

"Hilary, maybe you should go home. You know, until things quiet down a bit. "Mariam said, her hand still on the door, her blue locks covering her eyes. Hilary looked up, and arose from the bed, patted Ray and Max affectionately, nodded at Kai and put Tyson down. Mariam waved at Hilary friendly as she opened the door and Hilary walked away. Soon the closing of the main entrance to the condo was heard, Mariam sighed turned to look at the boys, pain evident in her eyes.

Hilary arrived home around half an hour later, and snuck in late. The last thing she needed was her father beating her senseless. After a quick look around, she paced up the steps to her bedroom. 'Damn!' She said mentally once she got to her room. 'I didn't give the boys their blades... Oh well, do it tomorrow.' She thought, closing her door behind her. Hilary changed into dry clothes, pulling out a gray tank top and her usual white skirt. That was when she remembered her paper from earlier that day. Hilary bent down and pulled the slip out of her pocket. It was slightly damp, but still readable. She smiled faintly before bolting downstairs and getting her CD case from under the couch. The paper inside, she turned to head back upstairs.

Once there, she adjusted her stereo volume. Then played the Hilary Duff CD she had put in. Hilary tuned it to 'Someone's Watching Over Me', her favorite song by the same-named singer. She loved to listen to that song, even write her own songs. But she couldn't sing at all. The main reason Hilary loved the song was because, even though she knew her mother was most definitely not watching over her, it gave her a feeling of serene peace. Soon the brunette's thoughts changed to what had happened a while ago, and how upset Max looked.

Max had seemed really really lost, and Hilary knew that Max had been hurt too, and hoped that the injury was nothing serious. He didn't mean to get Mariam in so much trouble ...Man, she seemed.. She seemed... Hilary couldn't describe it; hurt, sad, alone, and, ...Afraid. 'I guess that explains why she's been acting so differently..' The brunette had her own problems to deal with. She looked into her father's room. He was asleep in bed, on top of the covers. The air in her house smelt heavily of smoke and booze. Stepping on beer bottles and cigarette butts, she grabbed a bottle of Oust, in Lavender, her favorite scent, and sprayed all around. Then it was time to vacuum and clean her blood stains out of the carpet.

Tyson fluffed his cheeks with food, and walked out of the kitchen. Him, being so small, Tyson had time to think while walking to the bathroom. 'What happened to Hilary's cheek? I wonder...' MUNCH! He stopped thought for a second to eat a corn kernel, 'I hope things are okay at home... But Mariam doesn't exactly have things good here either...' Tyson came to the bathroom door, and peered inside to see Mariam drying the wet floor with a sad gaze.

'She looks an awful lot like Cinderella,' Tyson thought, 'Evil stepbrothers and all.'