Disclaimer: just asked Bruno if I could, he said no... not fair

A/N right I have decided prom in two chapters, the whole murder thing should be over by next chapter, it is rather hard to write as they aren't actual CBI or anything, didn't have to write anything today yay! But stupidly played world war three again, dunno why, but I hurt them again *smacks self on non sore hand* sorry, rambling, read on!

Grace got up the next morning, her whole body aching. Her bruises had bruises, her windpipe and stomach still ached from her father's blows. She was thankful it was a cold day so she could wear long sleeves. She put on her light blue long sleeve top and jeans, wincing every time the fabric brushed too close to her bruises. She went down to stairs to see her dad sitting at the table, on the phone, she quietly slipped into the kitchen and made herself and her brothers and sisters breakfast and sat it by the barstools at the bench. She ate her cornflakes in silence before Hayley came down.

'Hey Gracie, did you have a good sleep?' she asked

'Yes, I did, you like your cornflakes?'

'Yes yummy'

She watched her sister eat. From anyone else's point of view, Hayley was a normal kid, she wore Barbie pyjamas and had a teddy and like most 6 year olds wore pink religiously. But most days Hayley saw her mother drink her sorrows away, her father beat her sisters and brothers and saw her oldest sister picking up the pieces of their broken family.

'Gracie, why does daddy hit you and Autumn and Joel and Matt?' she asked

Grace felt as if she was about to cry, Hayley, although she wasn't hit at, saw it all and cried, she didn't know why it happened, and Grace didn't know what to say, she didn't even know why. It wasn't as if he was a drunk like Teresa's dad. He just got stressed from work and took it out on them.

'I don't know, Hayley, he just has a lot on his plate with work and all, we have to be extra nice to him'

'I am going to give him a hug right now!' she said jumping down.

Grace, realising he was on the phone, the one time you never bother him.

'Hayley, no!' she called

But it was too late

'I love you daddy' she said loudly latching herself onto his leg.

He put the phone on hold.

'What do you think you are doing?' he yelled at her, trying to kick at her to get her off.

Grace ran in as he kicked Hayley in the ribs and pulled her off.

'You sick bastard' she said as she picked up a crying Hayley 'Sure you hit me, and the others, that is bad enough, she came in to show that she loves you, which I am surprised she does, and you kick her because you are on the phone, I thought you would have more class, obviously I was wrong, I am sick of lying about my bruises, I am sick of making excuses for you, we all are' she said half screaming, half crying

'How dare you speak to me like that' he spat

'Oh, I just did' she said as she walked back into the kitchen

'Bitch' he muttered before he picked up the phone again

'Now Hayley, it is really important that you don't tell anyone about what daddy did to you, we will sort this out, I will talk to mommy and we can sort this out ok'

'Yes Gracie'

'Good girl'

Grace lent against the cool marble bench and thought about what she had said, she was going to do something about it, she just wasn't sure what just yet.

Half an hour later she set off for school with all of her siblings in tow, her mother was too hung over, and her dad never took them. Teresa walked her siblings too, so they would have someone to talk to. She sent Jane off with the kids and pulled Teresa off to the side before bursting into tears.

'He hit her' she said bawling

'Hit who?'

'Hayley, he would never hit her, or so we thought, she said to him she loved him, and he hit her because he was on the phone, what sort of father does that?'

'Oh god Grace, I know, it's bad enough when they hit you, but when they hit someone so vulnerable, it's even worse, every time my dad even goes near Liam Felix or Kyle, I scream at him, so the beating turns on me, I hate it, but it's better than them being hit'

'I stood up to him, oh god, I don't know what to do, my mom drinks, and my dad is the sole breadwinner, I don't know'

'Trust me, you do have options, when you get home today, pour all the alcohol in the house and talk to your mom, tell her to divorce your dad, after all, what is his, is hers as well, legally.'

She dried her eyes and sniffed

'Thanks Teresa, you are a real friend' she said

'Don't worry, you aren't the only one with demons in your closet'

'What do you mean?'

'That is going to be something that you will have to ask them yourself, their stories aren't mine to tell'

She didn't get a chance to answer as Wayne arrived.

'Hey guys' then he noticed Grace's wet cheeks 'Oh, god, what's wrong?'

'I need to tell you something this free period, meet me at the lockers' she said her voice shaky

He wanted to know why she couldn't tell him now, but chose not to ask her why.

They went into school but Patrick excused himself just after they walked into the gates.

'Where are you going?' Teresa asked

'To talk to Catherine and Courtenay, why?'

'If you hypnotise them, I swear to god, I will kick your arse to the sun and back' she warned

'I won't' he said, with his fingers crossed behind his back.

'Good, see you in home room' she said as they walked towards it

'He's up to something, isn't he?' Grace said

'Of course he is, I can't be bothered with dealing with it' she replied

They sat at their usual homeroom table and watched the cheerleaders, for someone had lost their 'friends' they certainly weren't acting like it! Both Courtenay and Bree were missing, they knew where Courtenay was but Bree wasn't in sight.

Suddenly Patrick came back in with a mischievous smile on his face.

'I found stuff out, I will tell you what, and then I will tell you how, so that way, you will be pleased with me' he said

Teresa rolled her eyes, she knew how he did it already.

'Ok, go ahead' she said

'Turns out Courtenay didn't get the killer hired, Bree did, and Courtenay doesn't know either, then just as I was about to come back, I ran into Catherine and had a bit of a talk with her, she and Olivia said that Bree had been really nice to them recently, but the damn bell went before I could really work my magic, and Teresa, I have my arse protector on, so go ahead' he said

'Dammit, if you didn't get decent information, I would, we need to tell the police about this, have they talked to Courtenay yet?'

'No, she said they hadn't'

'Ok, we have time, Patrick, at interval, you will find Catherine and do the unethical and probably illegal deed, get whatever you can, the sooner this is over, the better, I was just getting used to routine' she said

Grace sat in French, staring at the clock every 2 minutes, she had her free period next, and was itching to talk to Wayne. After the bell went she practically ran out to her locker, where Wayne already was.

'Hey ready to go?' he asked

'Yea, follow me' she said pulling him along towards the back of the school were it backed onto the river. Some kids came down here to skip school, or smoke, but Grace pulled him up the river a fair way, where nobody was.

'So,' he said 'What's up?'

'I need to tell you something' she sighed

'You said earlier, go ahead'

'I haven't told anyone this, and only Teresa knows because she walked into my house in the middle of it, I'm not sure how to say this, it's not something I like to talk about, but, well, here goes, my dad beats me if I do anything wrong, he hits and beats my younger sister and brothers too, and today he hit my youngest sister, my mom drinks whenever it happens, so she can't do anything, oh god, I don't know what to do' she said tears falling down her face

Wayne pulled her into his arms and breathed in her scent, he couldn't understand how someone could hurt Grace, his Grace, caring, kind, compassionate Grace.

'It's ok, you aren't the only one with a less than ideal home situation' he said

She pulled her head out of his chest and snivelled

'What do you mean?'

He pulled her down into his lap and started to rock her from side to side

'My father is a biker, he spends most of his time down at the pub and betting our money away, he beats me, my sister and my mom, he will come home drunk and start smashing stuff, and beating us, he put us in the hospital a good few times, I'm pretty sure you know about Teresa, don't you?'

'Yea'

'Cho's parents didn't care what he did, he let loose and landed himself in juvie, Patrick grew up in a carnival, hell, none of us have had it easy, you aren't in this alone Grace, nobody is ever truly alone, never forget that'

She buried herself back into his chest and felt herself breakdown into heaving sobs. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in as close as she could.

'I love you Grace, no matter where you come from or how you are treated, I will be the man in your life that will love you, never hurt you, no matter what'

She froze at his words, amazed at what he would do for her. She pulled herself up to look him in the eye.

'I love you too, I'm sorry about your dad, thank you for being so kind' she managed to get out before collapsing in another lot of tears.

He kissed the top of her head.

'Shhh, it's ok' he whispered

She pulled herself up, and looking at her phone

'We should go and meet Teresa and the others, it's nearly interval' she said drying her eyes and cheeks

'Not just yet' Wayne said

'Why?' Grace asked, but he bent down to kiss her. He suddenly pulled away, it was over as quickly as it had begun

'Ok, now we can go' he said grabbing her hand and swinging his arm over her head, trying to get her as close as possible, hell, after all she had gone through, he never wanted to let her go.

They met the rest of the group after a quick trip to the bathroom so Grace could tidy up. Patrick was itching to find Catherine and Olivia, Teresa had to practically hold him by the shirt to keep him from running off every time he saw someone who looked remotely like Bree or Catherine.

'Hey guys' Teresa said

'Hey, they are here now, so can I go?' Patrick said impatiently.

'Ok then Mr. insistent, go'

He tore off into the crowd and quickly out of sight, leaving the others waiting in suspense, would he get the answer they all desperately wanted?

A/N by the way, interval is like morning break or recess sorta thing, I dunno what it's called in America. I asked my English teacher, the one who gives me homework koz I talk in class all the time, if we could study the mentalist for our movie for the term. She said no, then I asked her why, she said it was stupid, so I said she was stupid, this resulted in me getting sent out of class. Now I have detention for the rest of the week. What I sacrifice for the mentalist....