I do not own the Ducks, I own any random thing I make up, thank you for reading and reviews are lovely.

I don't know if you have 'credit' in America but it's basically the money that makes your mobile work. *Can't think of any other way to explain it.*

Thanks for the reviews.

Phoebe was pacing back and forth as Maria tried to calm her. She had been worried for two days now. Esmeralda always rang when she got home and up to her room. She rang to let Phoebe know she didn't get caught, but she hadn't rang. Phoebe hadn't heard from Esmeralda in two days and she was starting to panic.

"Phoebe, I'm sure she's fine. She might just have no credit," Maria said to her little sister.

"No, she had just bought more credit. She had worked twenty-two hours this week. She bought some clothes and credit." Phoebe was starting to sound hysterical as she turned to do another lap of her bedroom. "Something has happened. I know something has. She always finds a way of contacting me and letting me know she's alright. She didn't this time!"

Sighing, Maria walked over to Phoebe's door and opened it. Sticking her head out, Maria called down the hall. "Adam, Charlie, can you come in here, please?"

It didn't take the boys long to walk from Adam's room to Phoebe's. "Maria, what's wrong?" Charlie asked.

"It's Essi…"

"What?! What's wrong?" Adam interrogated forcefully.

"She hasn't called or text Pheob's in two days. Not since the bowling ally. She always lets us know she didn't get caught, and she hasn't," Maria explained in as calm a voice as she could manage. "You used to be able to sneak into her house. Do it again!"

"You used to sneak into the McGill house?" Charlie raised an eyebrow at Adam. "You were friends with McGill, the male one, why did you have to sneak in?"

"Phoebe would freak if she didn't see or hear from McGill in a couple of days and then I'd have to sneak in to check on her," Adam explained. "Phoebe, I'll do it. Come on, I'll sneak McGill out, you can wait in the car."

"I'm coming too," Maria said.

"Same," Charlie told them.

All four of them got into the car Adam's parents bought for his sixteenth. They drove the few blocks to the McGill house and parked two houses up and on the other side of the street. Turning off the engine, Adam looked at his little sister in the back seat as his friend in the front seat looked up at the house in awe. "I'll get in, get her and get out. Is her room still the attic?"

Phoebe nodded and Adam undid his seatbelt, getting out of the car. Adam warily walked across the road and over two houses. He walked down the clean ally next to the McGill house and jumped over the high stone fence. God, that's a lot easier now that I'm taller. Adam thought as he crept along the yard. The teenager snuck up to the side wall and climbed up the vine that went up the house. He reached where the wall stopped and the roof started and then he carefully hoisted himself onto it. Walking up the sloped roof, he was wary of loose tiles. He hadn't done this in years and he was worried something had changed. He worried for no reason, however, since he reached Esmeralda's window/skylight safely. Opening it quietly, Adam lowered himself down before dropping the short distance. Once again, he thanked his chance in height. Before, it had been a large drop but now it wasn't. He didn't even need a chair to reach the window and close it.

When he had closer the window, Adam looked around. Esmeralda wasn't in her room but it hadn't changed much since the last time he was in it. Her walls were still the color of the wood that makes up the walls, she still had floorboards instead of carpet and her window still had no curtains because it sloped. The draws of her dresser were even open like they used to, with clothes hanging out of them an all. He could see into her top draw clearly. It was one of the biggest changes. It had bras in it! And…and panties!

Pulling his eyes away, they landed on Esmeralda's queen sized bed. It was still a mess, making Adam think of all the wrong things. "Oh, God! This is torture!"

Adam walked out of the room quickly before he got any more thoughts. He walked down the stairs quietly and opened the door curiously, looking around the hall outside before walking out. He walked all the way down to the first level without finding anyone. Adam strained his ears to hear any noise but all he could hear was a funny noise coming from the kitchen. Heedfully, Adam walked towards the kitchen. Stopping at the threshold, Adam looked into the room.

It was spotless and at the sink, running water was Esmeralda, doing nothing to help Adam's imagination. She was wearing short, grey, sport pants and a tight, red tank-top. She was humming to a song that was playing softly from the little radio. When she started to sway her hips a bit, Adam had to stop her.

"Mc…McGill," Adam strained to get out. Esmeralda gasped and turned slightly, looking over her shoulder. Even though her long hair was obscuring her face, Adam could see. "Oh, Es…McGill. Why didn't you call me?" Adam moved forward and turned her around. He pushed back her hair and cupped her cheek. Her eyebrow was cut, her eye was blacky/blue and her lip was split. "Where are they?" he growled.

"They're not here. Why do you think I'm wearing this? They'd call me a slut and a whore if they saw." Esmeralda dropped her head before turning back to the washing up.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Adam saw Esmeralda nod before he headed into the foyer. He undid the three bolt locks before opening the front door and walking out to the iron bar fence. He gestured to Maria, Phoebe and Charlie to come in before walking back inside and pressing the button to open the gate. Once he saw them heading to the gate, he headed back into the kitchen. Maria, Phoebe and Charlie walked in moments after him, seeing as they ran up the drive.

The moment they were all in the kitchen, Adam walked over to Esmeralda and took the plate and sponge right out of her hands. "I'll do that," Adam told her, making her move away.

Esmeralda ducked her head, making her hair cover her face as she moved away from the sink and over to one of the stools near the island in the middle of the room. "Thank you."

"Esmeralda, show me your face," Phoebe demanded, using Esmeralda's full name to stop all casual manner.

"It's nothing," Esmeralda protested.

"What's wrong with her face?" Charlie asked in confusion.

Maria blatantly ignored him. "Esmeralda, show us."

"No," Esmeralda said, getting up and turning her back to them.

Adam sighed and put the cup he was cleaning back in the sink before drying his hands and walking over to Esmeralda. He put his hands on Esmeralda's shoulders and looked her in the eyes with a similar look in them as the day she had first looked into them. "Please, just show them."

Esmeralda rolled her eyes before turning to the small group of three. They all gasped at the sight and Charlie looked horrified.

"Who did that?" he asked, pointing at her face with a shaky finger.

"My father and brother," Esmeralda confessed. She dropped her eyes sadly as Adam went back to washing up. "Banks, I should be doing that!"

"No!" Adam said shortly. "Now, why did they do that? What was their twisted reasoning?"

"They didn't have one. They just felt like it," Esmeralda answered to quickly.

Adam dropped the washing back in the sink with a loud clutter. His shoulders tensed and he gripped the bench. "It was me, wasn't it?" he growled out.

"No, Banks, why would it be you?" Esmeralda's voice sounded forced and tearstained.

Phoebe and Maria grabbed Charlie's wrists and dragged him out of the room as Adam spun around. He walked up to Esmeralda with powerful strides, making her back into the island with fear. She had seen her brother and father walk that way to many times not to be frightened. Putting an arm either side of Esmeralda, Adam leaned forward and looked straight into Esmeralda's eyes. "Tell the truth! Was it me?" Adams voice came out in a low, rather menacing growl, although he didn't mean it to sound that way.

Esmeralda's eyes filled with tears and she covered her mouth as a strangled sound came out. "Yes," she choked. "My…my brother said I couldn't see you again but I…I can't…" she failed off as she dropped to her knees.

Adam knelt down beside her and drew her to his chest. Esmeralda clung to him as she cried. "Shhh, I don't want that either. I want to keep seeing you. McGill, you should have called me."

"No!" she shook her head and looked up at him with watery eyes. "Their insane, I'm safe because they want me around to clean the house but you... I don't want anything to happen to you, I wouldn't be able to handle it." Esmeralda suddenly looked shocked and afraid. She dropped her face and started stuttering. "I mean… I wouldn't wa…want to see Phoebe go through the p…pain of seeing you hurt. She's my best friend and I don't like seeing her sad."

"Of course," Adam said simply, looking down at her with a mixture of emotions. He looked confused, calm, and hurt all in one. "Come on, let's go see if Phoebe and Maria have ransacked your make-up and put it on Charlie."

Esmeralda giggled wetly as she allowed Adam to pick her up off the ground. They walked out hand in hand and found the group sitting uncomfortably in the sitting room. Adam noticed Esmeralda look at the half table and wince as she put a hand to her head. It didn't take too much for Adam to realize what was up.

"Come on, guys, I have to go finish the washing up," Adam said, dragging Esmeralda out of the room as the others follow.

"I can do it!" Esmeralda protested.

"No doubt," Adam agreed. "But you're not going to."

Charlie looked bewildered at Adam and Esmeralda acting as though nothing was wrong. He did notice that Esmeralda was looking Adams back sadly, but chose not to comment. Instead, he said something else. "What are we going to do?"

"Nothing," Esmeralda replied quickly.

"But… but we… we can't just leave you here," Charlie stammered.

"And we're not going to!" Adam reassured him. Esmeralda looked at him with a frown of confusion. "Go get some stuff. You're staying at our house till the end of the holidays."

"Banks! No!" Esmeralda retorted, with fire in her eyes. "Do you really think my father would allow that?"

Adam turned to look at the beaten girl. Her bruises stood out more with her solemn expression. "Trust me, McGill, I can get you to stay at our house." When Esmeralda still looked doubtful, Adam looked her directly in the eyes. "Trust me, please."

Sighing, Esmeralda closed her eyes and nodded, a stray tear leaving her unharmed eye.

Sorry it took so long, school and all. This chapter's rather short but I just wanted to post something to keep my readers hooked.

That big green buttons your friend!

…o0Black-Sand0o…