Time to find out what Alice's cryptic remark at the end of chapter 7 was all about. This chapter will contain things that are not appropriate for younger readers. I'll post a warning so you can skip it if you want. Just a warning, this will be my last update for about a week. I'm going to 4H camp and won't be able to work on the story while I'm there. Sorry everyone!

Alice and Tarrant winced at the same time as she continued to work on his shattered hand. He couldn't bring himself to look at what she was doing, for fear he would be sick. Instead he decided to ask her about her strange comment.

"What do you mean," they winced again "by that?" he asked, finishing his sentence through gritted teeth. He could see that her jaw was clenched as well.

"Exactly what I said," she hissed. Whether she was hissing at him, or because of the pain, Tarrant was unsure. "After some of the things that happened to me in China, what you said isn't something I am going to stay angry about."

"What exactly happened?" he asked as he eyed the instrument in her hand. He didn't know what it was, but it didn't look pretty.

"Why does it matter?" she asked, wincing again. "It's in the past."

"I would still like to know," he said cautiously.

Alice didn't answer; she instead focused on his hand. She picked up a jar of something and slathered the clear goo on his mutilated hand. He made the mistake of looking at it and was surprised. Most of the bone shards were back in their usual places, with only a few still poking through his skin.

"How did you do that so quickly?" he demanded.

"Practice, practice, practice," she muttered. Her mind was obviously elsewhere.

"Alice," he said softly "what happened?"

Alice put the jar away and wiped her hands on a rag before speaking. "When I was on the ship to China, there was a man named Ian. He was very kind and didn't treat me like a lower life form just because I am was woman. At first, our relationship was strictly platonic, but it wasn't enough for him. He wanted more. More than I was willing to give. So he took it. He came into my room in the middle of the night and tried to…" she trailed off and focused on his hand. "I broke his nose and he left, saying he would get what he wanted eventually, and that I was a stupid whore who shouldn't even be on the ship to begin with."

Tarrant was horrified, but he could also feel rage, hurt, sorrow, and betrayal coursing through him. With a jolt he realized that he was feeling not only his emotions, but Alice's as well. "I still don't see why that was worse than what I said," he whispered. "He didn't actually do anything."

"Just because he didn't rape me," she spat "doesn't mean he didn't do anything."

"What happened?" he asked intently.

The flood of memories hit him like a battering ram. At first he could only make out random images, but then everything snapped into place and he saw everything.

A/N: Skip this part if you don't want to read about Alice almost having her innocence stolen. I'll post another A/N when it's over.

Her door creaked open and Alice sat upright in the darkness. She couldn't see who had entered her room, just his silhouette. She vaguely recognized the form, but her sleep-fogged brain wouldn't register who he was.

"Who's there?" she called sleepily. The man didn't answer her; he just stepped in and shut the door. Hearing the lock click snapped Alice into action. "Who is it?" she demanded.

"Shhhh," the man said soothingly. "Just lay back down."

"Ian?" she asked. "Is that you?"

"Yes my love, now just lie down and relax," he whispered.

She felt Ian push on her shoulders lightly, trying to make her lie back. When she resisted, he started pushing harder. Alice pushed his hands away and stood up. "What are you doing?" she hissed angrily.

"Something we've both wanted to do for a while," he purred seductively. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She could feel his arousal against her stomach and pushed him away. "Get off me," she snarled.

"Come on," he whispered. "You know you want it. You know you want me."

Alice shoved him away again and stepped back. "Do not touch me," she growled.

Ian's face hardened. He shoved Alice back onto the bed and pounced on her. Placing his lips be her ear, he whispered, "I will get what I want, one way or another." He proceeded to rip off her nightgown, leaving her in little more than scraps of cloth to cover her. Stroking the side of one of her breasts, Ian leaned down and kissed Alice's unwilling mouth. As he started to remove her underwear, Alice shoved him away and punched him in the nose. "Get out," she snarled.

Ian was cupping a broken nose. "I'll get you eventually," he snarled. "I will get you, you stupid whore! You are a plaything, nothing more than a strumpet here for our entertainment! If you refuse me again, you won't live to tell the tale," he vowed before exiting the room.

Tarrant wanted to ask her questions, but the next memory hit him before he could open his mouth. This one was worse than the last.

Alice was sitting in a dark, slimy corner of a distant alleyway. She was broken and bleeding. She had a black eye forming, two cuts above the other eye that were pouring blood, bruises all over her naked body, burns, cuts, slashes, and a whole other manner of horrifying injuries, namely a broken wrist that looked like it might require amputation if not seen to immediately.

"I told you if you didn't give me what I want, you wouldn't live to tell the tale, and now you see it wasn't an empty threat. I will leave you here for the rats to defile your body, and when I come back tomorrow and find you dead, I will take what I want," Ian purred silkily. Then he walked away, leaving her broken and naked.

Alice didn't move for a long time, too tired to do anything, even open her eyes. When the coldness set in, she was unable even to shiver. She realized in the back of her mind that death was coming, but could not summon the energy to do anything about it or even to care.

"Alice," a voice whispered in her ear. For a split moment, Alice thought that Ian had come back to finish the job, but somewhere in the back of her mind she knew who it was. It was her hero, come to save her just in time. "Alice you have to get up," the voice told her.

'I don't want to,' she thought. 'I want to stay here and talk to you!'

"Alice, get up," the voice told her sternly. "You have to get up! It is not yet your time to join me in the next world!"

'Does it hurt?' she asked, again thinking her questions. "Dying?"

"It will if you don't get up!" he hissed. "Where is the little girl I knew? She would fight for anything she believed in, and now she sits, broken and dying in some slimy hole in the middle of nowhere!"

'I want to come with you,' she thought weakly. 'I miss you so much. Please don't make me go…'

"I'm not making you go, I'm making you live!" the voice told her softly. "I will always be with you, if you will pick yourself up and live."

'I-I will,' she vowed. 'I will live, just stay.'

"I never left…" the voice faded away into nothingness.

"No!" Alice screamed. "Don't go! I need you!" In her desperation to find the man she missed so much, Alice started crawling out of the dark corner she was in, desperate to find the only one who understood her. Her pleas did not go unanswered. A man found her, though not the one she wanted. The man was older, with graying hair and kind eyes. He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her naked body, then lifted her up and took her to his home. There, he and his wife helped care for her. When she was able, she left them, offering her eternal gratitude to them, and went back to the ship that would take her home.

A/N: The worst part is over, so now you can read on like nothing ever happened!

Tarrant was unable to form coherent thoughts after what he had just seen. Alice brutalized and left for dead. He now understood why Alice hadn't let what he said get to her. He now understood why she had been so terrified when they had woken up together. "I am so sorry," he whispered.

"It's done with," she said stiffly. "I want to forget about it."

"Alice…" he said softly.

"Done," she said, letting go of his hand. It was wrapped in a cloth to protect the stitches he assumed.

"Wow," he said. "That was fast."

"Luckily, you were the only one who couldn't do anything but watch me be used as a plaything," she said bitterly.

"Alice, I'm sorry," he said.

"I don't want your pity," she growled. "I want to forget about this." Knowing he could not win, Tarrant bowed his head and let the subject pass. As much as he hated it, he knew she would speak of this subject any more. "You won't be able to work until your hand heals."

Tarrant's head snapped up in alarm. "What?" he squawked.

A sparkle of amusement lit itself in Alice's eyes at his reaction. "You can't work with one hand and I won't let you injure yourself further by straining your hand."

Tarrant pouted. "I won't hurt myself," he said sulkily.

"Well I'm not going to risk you permanently injuring yourself," she snapped teasingly.

"Fine," he muttered sullenly.

"Good boy," she teased, kissing the top of his head and leaving the room.

Can anyone find the song lyrics I put in the flashbacks? It was an accident at first, but then I was like "I like Skillet, so I'll go with it!" There are two different songs, both by Skillet. Good luck and Fairfarren all! R&R!