DON'T own Summerland DO own Teresa Coleman.

Chapter XVI

Bradin, Help!

Two weeks passed with no more sign of Jerry, Bradin had terrible nightmares the whole time though, and Ava was pressuring him so hard to tell her what, besides the dreams of his parents, was bothering him that he couldn't take it and stayed out of the house and away from his family as much as possible. Teresa hadn't kissed him again since the day he saw Jerry, but it was obvious to everyone that they were officially a couple. Today he was meeting her at Spanish Cove and then they were going to see a movie, then go shopping for a present for Bradin's friend, then go to the friend's birthday celebration on the beach that night. He rolled over and looked at the clock, it was 6:00am, "Ohh," he groaned slightly, he hadn't slept at all. This was ridiculous, why was he letting the memories of what Jerry did to him kill him like this?

"Bradin!" Derrick's scream came from where he was asleep in his bed so suddenly that Bradin jumped. He got up and rushed to his little brother's bedside, "Derrick, hey, little dude, wake up." Bradin said softly as Derrick tossed and turned violently in his sleep, "Get away from her!! Ahh no! Let me go! Help me, Bradin!" Derrick screamed again. Bradin shook him hard, "Derrick!" Derrick was hitting at the air as he screamed, "Stop it! Leave her alone, Bradin, help!"

"Derrick," Bradin yelled, "Derrick, wake up!" Derrick abruptly sat up, he was shaking. Ava burst in the door at that exact moment, "What's going on?" she asked, concern visible on her face.

"Derrick was having a bad dream, he's okay." Bradin said to his aunt.

"No I'm not okay! Bradin? What, wh- where's Nikki?" Derrick asked fearfully.

"She's in her room I guess, you were having a nightmare, man, it's okay." Bradin hugged his little brother trying to make him feel better, "You're alright."

"But he had Nikki, then, when I tried to get her away he grabbed me... I was screaming for you to help us... but you never came, you just stood there." Derrick looked sad, "Bradin would you really do that, would you really let that man hurt Nikki again and not try to help her? Would you?" Derrick sounded so sad and disapproving that Bradin felt like he was hurting him.

"What are you talking about, D? What do you mean? Would I let what man hurt Nikki, and what do you mean again?" Bradin asked his little brother.

"You, know, like he did at our house... wh- when we still lived with Mama and Daddy..." Derrick saw Bradin's puzzled look and added, "You know, that man that used to come over... how he hurt Nikki? Don't you know. Bradin?" Derrick looked confused as to why Bradin didn't know.

"What man-" Bradin stopped short as he realized what man Derrick must have be talking about, he reeled back as the words "hurt Nikki again" sunk in. He had been kneeling next to Derrick's bed, now he fell back onto the floor.

"Bradin, are you alright?" Ava asked as she ran over and knelt beside him.

"Uh- I- uh, yeah, I mean... yeah." Bradin stood up and walked over to Derrick, "No, I wouldn't just stand there and let him, Derrick, I wouldn't let him hurt you or Nikki... ever." He felt his eyes burning with threatening tears, but held them back as he said, "You don't ever worry about that, okay? I won't let anyone hurt you, Derrick."

"Okay... so you won't let anyone hurt me, but what about-"

"I won't let anyone hurt Nikki either." Bradin assured his little brother with a smile, "Don't ever worry about me letting someone hurt either of you. No, sir, not without a fight anyway!" Bradin pretended to hit someone.

Derrick relaxed and fell back in his bed, "Okay Bradin, I won't worry... if you'll promise you won't ever just stand there if we need your help, okay? You promise?"

"Yes, Derrick, I promise." Bradin said somberly. Derrick smiled. Bradin smiled back and tousled his hair, "Now get up! What do you wanna sleep the rest of your life? No, man, there're girls out there, you gotta get up!"

Derrick laughed, making Bradin laugh too.

Ava watched the two boys, Bradin handled that one good, he was definitely going to make an amazing father, she knew, "Okay guys, you gonna come eat or what?"

Derrick leapt out of bed, "Did you make pancakes like you promised?"

"Yeah, what do you think, I would break a promise?" Ava chuckled, "Come on before they get cold!"

Derrick ran out and down the stairs, Ava started to follow but noticed Bradin had sat down on his bed and had his head in his hands. "You coming?" she tried to sound cheerful.

"Huh?" he looked up, "Uh, yeah... in a few." He looked back down.

"Okay, sweetie... you okay?" Ava went over and put her hand on his shoulder, "You know you really did a good job making him feel better about his nightmare."

Bradin stood up suddenly, "Uh huh..." he said distantly, "I mean, yeah I'm fine and thanks, I just hope I really did make him feel better... where's Nikki?"

"You did, and she's in her room as far as I know, why-" Ava hadn't even finished speaking before Bradin said, "Thanks, I'll see you later!" and rushed out of the room. "Oh, that boy," Ava sighed, shaking her head.

Bradin "escaped" his aunt before she could say anything else and walked to Nikki's door knocking on it softly, "Nik!"

She opened the door and let him in, 'What is it, Brea?"

"Nikki, why the hell didn't you tell me Jerry Brown "hurt" you?"

"Wh- what are you talking abou-"

"Nikki, don't give me that, you know what I'm talking about, now tell me why?"

"Tell you wh-"

Bradin pushed his sister onto her bed, "Just sit down and tell me!"

Nikki looked up at him for a minute then started crying, "Oh Bradin, I didn't wanna tell you something that was gonna make you try to kill somebody! Bradin please, please don't ever tell anyone what he did to me, please?" Nikki took her pillow and set it in her lap, "How did you find out?"

"Derrick had a nightmare and when he woke up he kept telling me that 'that man who used to come over was gonna hurt you again...' I guess I put two and two together..." Bradin looked away, "Nikki I won't tell... but what all did he do?"

"Oh Bradin, I- I just can't tell anyone..."

"Why? Cause he threatened you? Well he threatened me too, Nik, and I told you!"

"But-"

"Nikki, please, please tell me, you'll feel so much better, I know you still hurt from it. Please tell me when and what he did to you." Bradin sat down next to his little sister and put his arm around her shoulder, "Please."

Nikki leaned into his side and said very quietly, "He raped me... 4 times, but Derrick only knew about 1, and the only reason he knew was because he came home early from Bobby's one day and caught Jerry beating me... He never knew Jerry raped me, he doesn't even know what that is, he just knew he was hurting me and that must have been what he meant when he woke up from his dream..." She took a deep breath, "So he raped me 4 times and if I tried to resist he would beat me, I had to let him, Bradin, he was really hurting me if I tried to stop him! I- I wasn't being a slut or anything..."

"Of course not! I would never think that, Nik, it's okay, I'm not gonna judge you and I'm not gonna tell anybody." Bradin hugged her tightly.

"Thank you," Nikki sniffled, "Well that's about it, he would just beat me and rape me and then leave. But he would always tell me that if I ever told anyone that he'd hurt you and Derrick... I believed him Brea... I had no clue that he was already hurting you! No idea at all..." She held onto Bradin tightly, buried her face in his chest and cried.

"It's okay Nik, it's okay..." he whispered holding her tightly.

Hmm... what is it we do now? I know it's something... OH YEAH!!! REVIEW!!!!! Tee hee... please?

Anna Christie AKA SecondStarToTheRight15