Stacy's POV

In all honesty, I saw this coming. But my hope was she into hard drugs or she had gone on a cutting spree knife in hand, blood spilling from her wrist. As horrible as that may sound, any of those options would have been better than this. At least she would have fallen from her own stupidity, not her fathers fist. What kind of monster could stand to do that to his own child?

Sabree wasn't a bad kid. She didn't deserve any of that. The worst part is, he enjoyed it. I could tell by the severity of her wounds that he enjoyed watching his child writhe on the floor in pain. This is all my fault. I could have prevented this. I shouldn't have yelled, but walked away instead until I composed myself. She could be dead, all because of me.

Seeing her like this, nearly killed me inside. It brought out an emotion I have never felt. An emotion worse than betrayal. This topped how I felt the day Kath cheated on me with Jay. My face was red with anger, I needed to hit something. Or someone. But I'm Stacy Peralta. I never had it in me to kill a spider, let alone punch somebody. So I took my aggression out on the wall, striking it full force until my knuckles killed.

Sabree. . oh, my god. I said I'd protect you. I still can. . I still have time to be Stacy Peralta, the hero.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you retarded? You could have killed her. Then we would have gone to jail, not only for murder but possession of drugs. I have acid, Rick. Not just pot. But acid. They could get me for that."

Karen's witchy voice carried far. Oh, shit. Where was I gonna go now? The closet? No,that's too far. The shower! That's my only hope. I closed the door to its previous position and crawled my way over to the shower.

"Shut the hell up, Karen. She's fucking fine. She's not going to die. And even if she did, I would just say she got into a car accident or something. I'm clean now, that's the whole reason I got her back."

The voices came closer. I held my breath, peeking out the open space between the shower curtain and the wall. There they were, Karen and her badly dyed hair, Rick with a beer in one hand and a joint hanging out of his mouth. With an angry kick, Sabree's body flipped to her back. He examined her body carefully, gaze focusing on her chest. It rose and fell, slowly. She had had trouble breathing, I could tell.

"See? She's still breathing."

"Fuck you, Rick. Just because she's breathing now doesn't mean she'll be breathing later on in the night." Karen yelled, pushing Rick away. "No one is going to believe that bullshit excuse." Smack. Sabree wasn't the only one getting a regular beating around here.

"Shut up, bitch. Or you'll be next."

Karen rubbed her cheek, shooting a lethal glare at her husband. Oh if looks could kill. Karen had nothing to say, watching only as her abusive beau walked away. She followed obediently, like a scared little puppy. I heard the door slam.

I rolled out of the shower, terrified.. I have to get Sabree out of here. I have to contact the authorities and the foster home. And Ty's parents. They'd just love to hear about this. I knelt down beside her, getting a first person account of her injuries. Cuts, everywhere, had decorated her face, shoulders, and arms. She had bruises from head to toe. Her pretty face was even banged up. By far the worst cut of all lay on her forehead. My hand reached out to smooth back her blood stained bangs. It was bad. When I pulled my hand away, her blood stuck to my fingers. I shook my head, fighting back a rising lump in my throat. My arm braced her back while my free arm slipped under her legs.

A small moan that slipped from her mouth let me know she was still alive. But for how much longer? "Don't worry, Sabree. I'll save you."

….

Tyler's POV

It was nearly midnight when I had heard a knock at my door. My parents, as usual, we're asleep. Nothing could wake them up. I groaned myself, fighting to pull myself out of my bed.I ran down stairs, skipping steps to save time. This had better be important. I'd never expected to see Stacy on my door step, Sabree cradled to his chest.

"Tyler, you have to help me. Get your parents up," He stopped to catch his breath. His cheeks we're redder than usual. He had ran over fourty five minutes to get her. "Her dad did this to her, Ty. Her dad."

God damn it. I told my parents this would happen, they didn't listen. 'Tyler, there's nothing more we can do if he gets the money.' They had said. Bullshit. Look at her now, Mom and Dad. Do you still think theres nothing you could have done? "Put her upstairs, I'll call 9-1-1."

We all sat in the front room, awaiting the arrival of paramedics. My mom had been shaken to tears. I hated seeing my mother cry, so I looked over at Stace. In all my years of knowing these boys, not one of us had dared to cry. He had a distraught look on his still rosy face, he had been crying as well. I felt awful, for I hadn't even thought about crying. My dad and I have always been in control of our emotions.

"Larry," my mother sniffled, drawing a wrinked tissue away from her face "she can't go back there."

"Yeah. Dad, we can't let Sabree go back there. What if he kills her next time?" My rock solid father shook his head, fiddling with his thick framed glasses.

"She's not going back. I'll be damned if I let this harm come to her again." In amidst all the chatter, Stacy had managed to escape upstairs. No one had stopped him, letting him see Sabree was the right thing to do. After all, Sabree had meant more to Stace then anybody.

Stacy's POV

I stood in the door way for a second, taking in Sabree's limp body. Anger pulsed through my body. If I ever see Rick again, I swear. . .

How could he not see how she hated him? The hitting, the abuse. He let alcohol tear his family apart. He drove Sabree's mother and sister to leave. He scarred her mentally and physically for life. How can he not hate himself?

Let me be the one who calls you baby all the time.

Surely you can take some comfort knowing that your mine.

The wait downstairs, was so excrutiating. I couldn't, and wouldn't, wait for the ambulance to arrive. I needed to be up here with her just in case she woke up. She would be scared. I wouldn't have that. I positioned myself on the bed just right and brushed away tangled hair that fell in her face. My eyes had studied her face carefully as I caressed her face.

Just hold me tight, stay by my side.

Let me be the one who calls you baby all the time.

I hadn't expected my touch to wake her up. Her eyes fluttered open weakly. She tried lifting her head but her neck muscles we're still too weak to support her. God, if I could only explain the feeling it had given me to see her eyes open.

She had managed a small smile, her lips taking the form of my name. I shushed her, running a hand through her hair. She was much too weak to talk, she didn't need to waste her energy on my name. "Ssh. You're okay now, Sabe."

I found my place in the world,

Could stare at your face for the rest of my days.

Now I can breath, turn my insides out and

Smother me. Warm and alive I'm all over you

Would you smother me?

Sabree had always been a rebel, though. Her hand reached up to grab mine and moved it to where her heart should be. Her eyes searched mine for the longest time, as if she was scanning her mind for the perfect thing to say. She didn't need to, for this moment took shape of the words longing to be said.

Let me be the one who never leaves you alone.

I hold my breath and lose the feeling that I'm on my own.

Hold me too tight, stay by my side.

And let me be the one who calls you baby all the time.

"Sabree, this is my fault. I shouldn't have yelled but I promise, I'm never going to leave you alone again. We're not going to let you go back there." I whispered, holding her hand tightly. "Never again." She closed her eyes lightly, she had understood what I was saying.

I gently pulled her head towards mine, kissing her lightly on the forehead, "I hate that I had left all alone. I'm sorry." I'm sure if Sabree had her voice back, she would be cursing at me. 'Stop apologizing, Peralta. It's not your fault my dads a jackass,' she would say.

Sabree's POV

What a little bitch. "Stop apologizing, foo'. It ain't your fault my dads an abusive jerk off." God, it had hurt to talk. I looked at his baby face then around the room, and for once I felt at home. I haven't felt this way in a long time. The warmth Stacy's body was emitting made me feel safer than he would ever guess. He said he would protect me, and I could tell by the sincerity in his voice that he had meant it.

"I must look so terrible right now." I laughed meekly. Stacy could only shake his head, stroking the side of my face with his gentle hand.

"No, you look beautiful. You always look beautiful, to me." How disgustingly cute. It made me want to wretch. I liked it though, in fact, I loved it.

When I'm alone time goes so slow
I need you here with me
and how my mistakes have made
Your heart break
Still I need you here with me
So baby, I, baby I'm here.

"Stacy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you the way that I did. That kiss meant nothing. I should have stopped it. And to be honest, Jay is a totally bad kisser. Like seriously, Stace. He's got nothin' on you." He laughed at my comment.

"Seriously, though, Stacy. I'm sorry. Breaking your heart was the last thing I intended to do."

The paramedics had arrived. I could practiclly feel their urgency harsh the aura of the room. Damn them. We were having, like a moment too. Stacy had heard, as well. He moved out of the bed with me right in time. They rushed Tyler's room, pounding me with questions. They were poking and prodding at me, trying to lift me into the streacher.

Ow, ow. Ouch! Fuck, aren't they supposed to be gentle? They weren't making this situation any easier, every contasnt move made my body flinch. As soon as they got me onto the streacher, they ran downstairs. Stacy held my hand all way, until the had to load me into the back of the ambulance.

All I could do is watch as the doors closed behind me, they we're going back to talk to Mia and Larry.

Tyler's POV.

"You boys have some good instincts. Some great timing, too. If you had waiting any longer, you might have been too late. Can you explain to me what happened, exactly?"

I hadn't been there. Stacy had stepped though. He had found her, after all. I can imagine he had a pretty good idea what had happened.

"I didn't come until after the damage was done, but there was glass. Lots of it, everywhere. She has cuts everywhere. Her ribs looked brusied, like he had kicked her numerous times."

The paramedic had cut him off, "Who is he?"

"Her father." Stacy and I had retorted at the same time. She looked fazed, but not surprised. "That's a pretty serious accusation, boys. Do you have any proof that her father is the perpatrator?"

"I'm her foster brother. She was taken away from her father when she was at least ten, because he had become a heavy alcohol abuser after he had an affair with some lady at work. She broke up her whole family, that's around the time her father had started beating her. She came to our house about a year ago, but her dad recently won rights to have her back," the woman had nodded, soaking in the details.

"Go on."

"Her first night back he burned her with a joint, three times on her arm. Then him and his wife got into a fist fight. He hit Sabree when she was trying to break it up."

"It's not the first case we've seen like this, I'll tell you. Would you mind? I think I need to have a discussion with your parents."

"They'll just tell you the same thing," I said, rudely. Stacy sent his elbow into my side.

"Can we see her? As soon as she gets put into her room?"

The lady, who now introduced herself as Hollie, nodded, "Of course, but you're parents will have to be with you. I assume you boys are related in some way?"

"Uh, sure. He's my. . .cousin. On my moms side. Stace got her blonde hair, alright." I chuckled weakly.

Yay updates. :D Enjoy this chapter, kiddies. Brownie points to whoever guesses the song I used.