Troy woke up in the middle of the night hearing someone crying. He sat up abruptly and looked around the room. Taylor was twisting and turning on her bed tears streaming down her cheeks. She finally jolted awake and sat up looking around her room looking around in a panic, her eyes finally landed on Troy who sat there just looking on as her tears kept on running down her cheeks. After a moment he slowly got up and sat down on the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her. He rocked her back and forth rubbing soothing circles in her back as her tears kept on falling.

"Shh, it's gonna be okay Tay, everything is gonna be okay" he whispered, her crying calmed as she looked up into his face and saw tears brimming his eyes. She buried her face back in Troy's chest and let the tears flow freely, what else could she do?

"Someday this pain is going away, right?"

"I don't know, only you have the answer to that question" Troy said quietly letting everything sink in. The rape didn't only affect Taylor it affected everyone else around her. No one would come to terms with all of this until Taylor herself did. When she was ready to let go of the pain everyone else would be right behind her doing the same "let's try to get some sleep, okay?" she nodded into his chest and let him lay her back down and wrap her blanket tightly around her again. He got up to leave and lie back down on the floor when her soft voice stopped him.

"Please hold me" he couldn't deny those chocolate brown eyes, so he lied down beside her and wrapped one arm around her waist. She laid her head down on his chest and let the steady beat of his heart lull her back to sleep. Troy seeing her eyelids drop and felt her breathing deepen stroked some of her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead confessing his love quietly to the sleeping Taylor.

-----

The next morning Taylor woke up to the smell of pancakes and the feel of someone's hand stroking her back. She looked up and was shocked to see Troy's deep blue eyes looking back down on her.

"Hey" he whispered as if he didn't want anyone else to hear him.

"Hey" she said back hoarsely, it was never good to fall asleep crying.

"Want some breakfast, I think your mom made pancakes" he said stroking some of her hair out of her eyes. She lifted her head from his chest and looked around her room trying to find something to wear. At least that's what she wanted Troy to think, she didn't want him to know she was embarrassed by the whole situation. Troy was like her big brother, her protector, her first major crush. At least that's what Taylor told herself he was, she didn't want to admit to herself that she loved him as anything else than a brother things would be so awkward if he ever found out. Troy stood up from the bed and stretched before reaching his hand out for Taylor to take. She did reluctantly and he pulled her of the bed the blanket falling around her feet, he didn't let go of her hand as he made his way down the stairs with her just a step behind.

"Good morning Troy, is Taylor up yet?" Ms. McKessie asked as she saw Troy in the doorway.

"She right here" he held up their entwined hands bringing Taylor in front of him. Taylor looked at the older woman and smiled shyly. She didn't know what to do or say in front of her mom anymore, was she disappointed in her for not fighting hard enough? Sure she had been at the hospital with her yesterday but she could have put up a façade in front of everyone. Why was she doubting her mom, the woman who had loved her unconditionally her whole life, the woman who stayed up with her late at night watching a movie and had a real girls night when her brother was out, why was she thinking her mom was disappointed in her now? The older woman looked at Taylor and tears glistened in her eyes, she took three quick strides to Taylor and wrapped her in a bone crushing hug.

"My baby, how you doing, you okay, you feeling okay?" she fired questions at her as she looked all over Taylor's face trying to find bruises or anything at all for that matter that told her how her daughter was feeling.

"Mom, I'm fine, or as fine as I will be for a while" she answered looking her mom in the eye before burying her face in the woman's neck.

"Troy" he quickly turned around and came face to face with Daniel "can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure man" the two looked at mother and daughter one last time before stepping out of the kitchen and made their way to the living room. Troy followed the older guy feeling as if he was on his way to his own death sentence "you don't have to look so scared I'm not gonna hurt you. I want to apologise to you, I know that all that happened wasn't your fault I just wanted someone to blame and take out my anger on and you were the closest at the time. I'm sorry man"

"It's okay man, she's your sister I'm sure I would have done the same thing for my sister if I had one"

"I'm sure you would, so are we cool?"

"We're cool" Troy said and the two guys pumped fists before returning to the kitchen where Taylor was now sitting with a plate full of pancakes smothered in maple syrup and butter. She smiled at the two as they sat down next to her and piled a few pancakes on their plates as well. Right now even though it felt as if her whole world was falling apart Taylor knew that one day everything would be alright as long as her family was behind her.