Update! Here is Chapter 8. This was quite difficult to write. Hope you enjoy it anyways.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing!

Alex was so consumed by Jay's return that she failed to notice another person approaching them. As the intruders identity became apparent, Alex stiffened up cautiously. Their build was too tall and stock to be her mom or Ellie, her first and second guesses. Soon, Alex caught a twist of whiskey in the air and she knew exactly who it was.

"Hello Alexandra."

"Nathaniel..." Alex gasped in horrified disbelief.

Jay spun around and came face to face with the tormentor. Nathaniel's voice dripped with evil, bitter malice. "Bet you didn't think I'd show my face round these parts again." He continued sarcastically. "Happy New Year!" He smiled creepily.

"What do you want, Nate?" Alex's brave, hostile veneer was scratched by her shaky voice. She felt Jay's hand link up with her own and his thoughtfulness suddenly made her more nervous. Jay was macho and egotistical enough to swing for Nathaniel. He squeezed her hand tightly. "Jay, don't do anything." She hissed desperately.

"Hogart!" Nathaniel exclaimed sarcastically. "Sorry, man I didn't recognize you without your mom."

Jay let go of Alex's hand and stepped angrily toward Nathaniel, but Alex grabbed onto his shirt and held him back. "Jay! Stop it!"

"Alex, we're talking. Keep your mouth out of it."

Jay looked at Nathaniel with hate in his blue eyes. "Alex, he's got no fucking right to talk to you like that!"

"Jay! Please leave it!" Alex had tears burning in the back of her eyes. She was adamant she wouldn't let them fall. She just needed Jay to listen to her and not try anything stupid with Nathaniel.

"Alex, listen to the man. Unless you a black eye to match the one I have your mom."

"Oh, hey hey, that's enough of that, prick!" Jay shook himself easily from Alex's feeble grip and stepped toward Nathaniel bravely. He was mere centimeters shorter than his opponent, but Nathaniel had years of abuse practice behind him. However, Jay had youth, a clear head and boxing practice on his side.

"What are you, twelve?" Nathaniel shoved Jay back, but he bounced straight back.

"Nope!" Jay kneed Nathaniel in the crotch and he bent over double. Jay stepped backward and took that opportunity to kick him over. Nathaniel fell backward and Jay lunged at him. He battled him to the ground and threw a right hook slamming sickeningly into the side of his face. Nathaniel managed to get a grip on Jay's arms and threw him off him with minimal effort.

This didn't deter Mr Hogart though. He scrambled off the ground eagerly and stepped furiously on Nathaniel's beer belly with his muddy work boots he was wearing on his feet. Nathaniel let out a gut wrenching cry and doubled over again, his head jerking off the dusty ground in pain.

"You fucking bastard, you come anywhere near this girl or her mom again and you'll be fucking sorry." Jay threatened. He swiped a pot plant off a windowsill and pelted it at Nathaniel's weak body. He let out another gurgled cry as soil flew out of the pot and all over his body.

"Jay!" Alex squealed grabbing the material of his shirt angrily. "What the hell?"

"It had to be done, Lexi!" Jay shouted grabbing her arms to get her to focus.

"Get off me! Don't fucking touch me!" Alex shook herself out of his grip and stormed off.

"Alex! Lex, stop!" Jay called after her but she didn't slow down at all.

Ellie was euphoric. She had no idea who she was making out with, but whoever it was, it was awesome. She didn't even notice that Alex had suddenly ditched without a reason.

"Alex?" Jay's voice catapulted into the pitch black silence. "Lexi, I'm really sorry." He was stood behind her, and his voice was shooting right into her eardrum.

"Jay, I asked you not to touch him, and you still did." Alex stated calmly, not letting her emotions spill over yet.

"I know. But I wasn't gonna have him talk to you that way."

"But I asked you not to start anything. You just went ahead and did it anyway. What are you trying to prove, JJ?" Alex returned to using his old nickname, reasons for that she didn't know herself.

Jay had found Alex sat at the play park on the swing. She swung very slowly back and forth and the metal swing ropes creaked scarily in the dark.

"I wasn't trying to prove anything. That jerk deserves to be in prison for the shit he puts you and your mom through."

"But beating that shit outta him isn't gonna solve anything. He's gonna come after you with a weapon next, he doesn't have a conscience!"

"Alex, he won't." Jay wasn't sure though. "Alex, I need you to show me something."

"What?!" Alex spat angrily. She was in no mood for Jay's bullshit.

"Bruises. I know you've got 'em."

"No I haven't." Alex lied. "It's my mom he beats. Not me."

"Yeah, like I'd believe that!" Jay scoffed. He slowly reached out and touched her shoulder. She jumped as his hand came to a rest on her shoulder. "Please show me your bruises, Alex. I need to know what's happening to you."

Alex slowly rose from the swing and walked around the moving seat to stand face to face with Jay.

She bowed her head so all he could see was the top of her hair. "Jay, there's no bruises." She could feel his hand slowly slipping her jacket off her shoulders. He'd soon exposed the skin, and she could tell from his facial expression that he could see what Alex thought he could see.

On the top of her left arm, she had a huge bruise that was still fresh from Nathaniel's last spree. He gently tilted her head back and saw that she had tears streaming down her devastated face. His heart shattered to see her cry.

"Alex, please don't let him keep doing this." Jay kissed her once and carried on talking. "Are there any more?"

Alex was hesitant to reveal the two on her leg and stomach, but she found herself lifting her shirt up to show him. The dim light made the bruise upon her flat, tanned stomach appear bigger and blacker than it was. The shadows were deceiving. Jay was left reeling by the sight, and was more than taken aback when she lifted her shirt down and began to reveal another. He thought there was just the one.

"Oh my God, you cannot let that bastard do this to you. I'm gonna kill him!"

"No, no! Jay, no! I don't want you to get involved. We can handle it!"

"Obviously not!" Jay laughed despairingly. "Alex that fucking head-case beats the shit into you and your mom and you think its OK!"

"I don't think it's OK! I just know what you'll do to him and I don't want you to go doing anything stupid! I need you hear not in juvie!" Alex confessed, not intending for her tongue to let that much slip. She fell into his arms and he held onto her tightly. She broke down in his arms and could not stop the tears from falling. "You can't leave me again!"

"I'm not gonna leave!" Jay held her tight, sheltering her from the cool midnight breeze. He could feel her tiny body trembling in his arms and a huge lump formed in his throat. It made him sick that this creep was getting away with doing this to ladies. He may have been a thug, an undesirable, but there was one things he would never tolerate, and that was violence to women, no matter what the circumstance.

Things had changed so much since they were young. She wasn't a little girl anymore. They both realized that. There was no time to fuck around and waste their lives, things were moving so, so fast. And Jay did NOT like the direction they were headed.

Hope you liked it! I know this chapter was kinda depressing, and I could've done a MUCH better job, but I hope it was OK. Please be kind and R&R! I wanna know genuinely what you guys think! Thank you!! x x x x