Author's Note: Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers, especially the really inspiring ones. Oh yeah, that's all of them ;) So, here's another chapter for your reading pleasure, or displeasure for some. The first part is really just a bit of fluff, something I thought would be cute. Let me know. Emily's POV. Cheers.

I'm woken up by the feeling that the contents of my stomach need to be emptied. Oh god, I forgot. I run to the bathroom and make it just in time to see my dinner for the second time. I vaguely feel a hand holding my hair and another rubbing my back soothingly. I turn around once I've emptied the contents of my stomach to find Naomi holding a glass of water in front of my face. I hesitate to reach for it because I don't fancy seeing it again.

'You have to keep hydrated, Em.' Naomi says softly and sympathetically. I like this side of her. Less ice more nice. I reluctantly take the cup of water and drink all of it, knowing that it's only a matter of time before it comes back up. I hand the cup back to her, but don't bother getting off the floor. Usually when I'm sick I just camp out in the bathroom to avoid spewing wherever I sit. Today will be no different. Naomi notices this and leaves the room. I figure she's left me to go back to bed, and I don't blame her. Who'd want to spend their day watching me throw up?

Naomi's been gone for less than five minutes when she enters the bathroom again, empty-handed. I shoot her a puzzled look and she offers her hand to help me stand up.

'I don't want to move.' I say, voice hoarse. She just sighs before leaning down and slowly lifting me up. I don't know what she's doing, but I honestly don't care at this point. I feel like shit. I put my arms around her neck and she starts to walk me through the bedroom. She carries me down the hall and into the other bathroom where she's set up a make-shift bed for me. She's also brought in some books and food.

She lays me down gently on the pile of blankets and sits herself right next to me.

'I figured if we were going to spend the entire day in the bathroom, we might as well use the biggest one.' She says with a small sympathetic smile.

'Naomi, you don't have to-'

'I want to.' She says simply. I just sigh because I know she's not leaving. She wraps her arm around my shoulders and I cuddle up to her side. She starts to move her hand up and down my back soothingly and I feel myself start to drift off.

I wake up to find Naomi and me in the same position I fell asleep in. I look up and see that she's fallen asleep too. I feel that soon to be familiar feeling in my stomach, and I turn just in time to spill my guts for the second time today. Naomi is instantly awakened and holding my hair again. There she is with that damn glass of water again.

'Do you hate me? Or do you just like watching me throw up?' The venom in my voice is clear, but she just waits for me to take the water and drink it all. I know I shouldn't be a bitch to Naomi, she's only trying to help. I'll make sure to thank her tomorrow. Next she hands me a banana. Is she joking? I give her a look that says just that.

'It's called the BRAT diet.' I look at her with annoyance clear in my expression. She sighs and rolls her eyes. 'Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Things that you most likely will be able to keep down.' Oops. I open my mouth to apologize, but Naomi cuts me off. 'It's fine Emily. You didn't know.' She says with nothing but sincerity in her voice. I smile softly before peeling the banana and eating it slowly. Naomi takes the peel and leaves to throw it away. When she returns she sits down next to me and wraps her arm back around my shoulders, and I fall into another deep slumber.

I wake up feeling like slightly better. I immediately notice that Naomi is no longer acting as my human pillow. 'Naomi.' I call out weakly. I sigh and decide that I'm feeling well enough to go look for her. Before I can reach the stairs I hear shouting. More specifically, I hear a man shouting. And even more specifically than that I hear Anthony shouting. The voice that's haunted my dreams countless times.

'You were never good enough for me, you worthless bitch! Once I'm finished with you, Red'll get what's comin' to her!' I hear specifically. I take the time to get my cell phone and send a quick '911 Anthony' text to Cook. I then run down the stairs to find Anthony standing over a defeated looking Naomi. Before my brain can object, I'm running at Anthony, fueled by rage. I tackle him to the ground and deliver a forceful punch to the nose and a knee to the balls. I quickly stand up, knowing that won't keep him down for long. I rush over to Naomi and gather her up in my arms, choking back a sob at the state of her. I know Cook will be here any second, he lives about two minutes away from me.

Just as my thought ends, Cook bursts through the door. He immediately sees me with Naomi on the floor.

'Take her to the hospital, I'll take care of him.' He says quickly.

'Cook, you have to call the police. This has to end.' He nods. I pick Naomi up and grab my car keys on the way out the door. The trip to the hospital feels like hours, even though it only takes about fifteen minutes. I quickly gather Naomi in my arms and rush into the E.R. I've never really had to do this before, so I just run in and yell for help. Someone immediately comes over to me, and then everything becomes a blur. They take Naomi away from me on a stretcher, and I can faintly hear a nurse talking to me. She hands me some paperwork and tells me to fill it out. I walk over to the waiting area, barely aware of what I'm doing.

It feels like hours before someone approaches me. He tells me that Naomi has been stabilized, and I can see her. She has lost a lot of blood, mostly just from her broken nose. On top of that she broke three fingers and cracked some ribs. They say she'll be fine, but she has to stay overnight. I thank him and he leads me to Naomi. Tears are running down my face even before I see her, but they come thicker and faster when I see her. She looks so fragile. Everything's so fragile. I walk in and sit down next to her bed and take her hand. It's only minutes before I drift off to sleep.

I wake up to find that Naomi's still sleeping. I feel so guilty. I promised her, I fucking promised, that Anthony wouldn't find her. That I would protect her. How is she going to trust me again? One step forward and a hundred steps back, that's how it always feels with her. Not that I regret any of it. I'd do anything for her. She's worth it. I see her start to move, showing signs of waking up.

'Naomi?' I whisper. Her eyes open and tears instantly spring to her eyes when she sees me. 'Naomi, I'm so sorry, I know I promised, I'm sorry, I don't know how he found us, I hate myself for this-'

'Emily, stop.' She says through her tears. 'I'm not crying because I'm upset.' I'm instantly confused. 'I'm crying because I'm so relieved that Anthony didn't hurt you. I just left to get something to eat, and then he was there, and I tried calling for help, but no one came, and-'

'Naomi, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry.' I interject.

'No, Em, it's okay. I don't blame Anthony's actions on you. It's no one's fault but his.' I look at her in awe. This girl is seriously amazing. I stand up and gently wrap my arms around her.

'He's going to go to jail, Naomi. I'm not letting this happen again.' I say firmly. She just nods against my shoulder, still wrapped in my arms. 'I know you just want to move on, but once he's locked up, we can move on together, okay?'

'Okay.'

Note: Sorry, rather short one. Next chapter will be Katie helping Emily deal with Karen. Then Naomi dealing with Anthony after that. Then I think you know what happens after that ;) So, two more chapters before the getting together, I thought would be good. Let me know. Oh, and when I started this chapter, this is not what I had intended to happen. I swear, it was going to be full 'o' fluff. Sorry, but review!