Chapter Six – The Aftermath

"Ow, my head" Danny groaned as he stumbled into the kitchen the next morning. Rhuben looked up from the mug of hot chocolate in her hands. "Morning, love" he leaned forward to kiss her and Rhuben backed away.

"Try a breath mint first" she said and a soft smile tugged at her lips as she got up from her chair. "Do you want me to make you some coffee?"

"Yes please, I've got a splitting headache" Danny moaned and dropped his head onto the table. Rhuben chuckled and went over to put water into the coffee maker. She sighed and waited for the coffee to be made. "But that's nothing that a hug can't fix"

Rhuben stiffened as she felt Danny's arms wrap around her waist and he kissed her neck.

Tears silently fell down Rhuben's cheeks as he took her virginity from her. He pulled out of her and quickly pulled his pants back up. He leaned over and lightly kissed Rhuben on the lips.

"See, I told you when I first met you that I would be your first. And I was right. I have to tell the other Cobras Mission Accomplished" with that, he left the room, and Rhuben laid down on the bed, in a fetal position for an hour before getting her clothes.

"NO, DON'T TOUCH ME!" Rhuben cried and elbowed Danny in the stomach, backing away from him. Danny grunted as he held onto his stomach and backed away a few steps, taking deep breaths.

"Ok, I think I deserve that for drinking last night" he wheezed and gave a small cough, standing up straight. Rhuben looked stricken. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else" she muttered.

"Someone else like whom? Your dad?" Danny asked in a serious tone as he gazed over at her. Rhuben shook her head, trying to keep the tears from falling down her cheeks. "Uh oh, something must really be wrong is you're crying. I've only seen you cry once, and that was when you figured out Julius was in the hospital. What's wrong?"

"I can't tell you" Rhuben breathed, trying not to sob, but her quivering lip was giving her away. "You'd hate me if I told you." She started to take the promise ring that Danny had given her off of her finger.

Danny noticed and grabbed her shoulder and stared at her. "Tell me what happened, love. Now." He said quietly, but Rhuben could tell that he was serious.

"Last night…I was…I was…I was raped, Danny" Rhuben whispered and started to cry harder. Danny wrapped his arms around her in a hug and rested his chin on top of her head as he waited for the news to finally sink in.

"Do you know who did it to you?" he asked after a minute.

"Yes and no" Rhuben replied. "I have a feeling I know who it was, but I'm not exactly sure."

"We have to get you to a hospital" Danny said suddenly, pulling away.

"No!" Rhuben cried, her eyes widening. "You can't tell anyone."

"Well, if that bastard did rape you, you could have an STD, or you could be pregnant. We have to find out either way" Danny replied. "I don't want you to get even worse because this happened."

"What's going on?" Tom asked as he stumbled into the kitchen, also holding onto his head.

"I'll tell all of you guys later," Danny dismissed. "Right now, Rhu and I have to talk" he put his arm around Rhuben's shoulders and the two left the kitchen. Tom shrugged and walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup full.

Harry, Riley, Patrick, Noah, and Sydney were the next ones in the kitchen. Harry sat down at the table and dropped his head onto it. Patrick, Noah, and Sydney sat down at the table and looked at Tom and Harry in sympathy.

"Harry, do you want a cup of coffee too?" Riley asked, grabbing Harry by the hair and lifting his head off the table. Harry nodded. "You must have a serious handover"

"You don't know the half of it" Tom grumbled.

"That's what you get for bringing in people who drink, especially around us" Sydney said and stuck out his tongue. He sighed when his friends moaned in pain when the front door slammed. "Where are Rhuben and Danny going?"

"They have to talk" Tom replied.

"They're not breaking up again are they?" Patrick asked as he went to get a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

"If they do, that just means that they're going to get back together again" Riley commented as she set a mug of coffee down in front of Harry, who waved a hand in thanks. "No problem, just don't drink when my brothers are around, again, ok?"

"Got it" Tom moaned.

"Jesus, my head hurts" Dougie groaned as he walked into the kitchen. He had both of his hands on his head, as if he was trying to hold it together. "It feels like someone drilled a hole into my head."

"Yeah, that's what happens when you get a hangover" Riley said coolly. "Either that or you act like a completely different person."

"How many times am I going to have to apologize?" Dougie asked and winced when Riley slammed the refrigerator door shut.

"Until you mean it" She hissed in reply and started to make breakfast.

"What'd you do?" Noah asked Dougie as he sat down at the table with a heavy sigh. "Besides drink, I mean."

"I got mad at her when she confronted me for drinking and then slapped her" Dougie admitted.

"Ok, you were already in danger of her being made at you when you started to drink" Patrick pointed out. "She's not that great with people who are drunk, for obvious reasons."

"And then you blew yourself up, when you hit an abused girl" Sydney said stressing the last four words. Dougie jumped and held his head again.

"Wow, you really know how to make my head feel worse" he grumbled.

"I'm great at that."