"I can't wait to meet her," Joe speaks up a while later, looking over at Nick as they both sit on the bench in the park.

Nick smiles slightly. "You'll love her," he starts.

"I already do," Joe interrupts him.

Nick looks over at him and frowns confused. "You do? But you don't even know her—yet."

"I know I don't. But look at how much you've changed in such a short time. You were a jerk, and one of the biggest assholes in school, Nick. She brought you back to who you used to be...before the divorce and everything. Remind me to thank her for that. Because I've missed you, too, Nicholas."

Nick looks over at him once more. "You did? Really?"

Joe nods. "Really. You're my baby brother, man. We used to do everything together, remember? And then Mom and Dad got a divorce, and I moved in with Dad, and you became...someone you weren't. You started hanging out with Zac and Taylor. You started hooking up with random girls all the time–"

"No." Nick interrupts him this time. "I've never hooked up with girls. And when we go to school tomorrow, I'm going to put that rumor to rest once and for all."

"I didn't think those rumors about you were true," Joe muses. "I mean, yeah, you changed, a lot, but that definitely didn't sound like the kid I used to know."

Nick nods and is silent for a little before looking over at Joe again. "Hey...can I ask you something?"

Joe nods too. "Sure, bud, anything. What's up?"

Nick bites his lip slightly and looks down at his hands. "Did Dad used to...hit Mom?"

When Joe doesn't answer, Nick frowns and looks at him once more. His eyes widen as realization sinks in. "He did...didn't he?"

Joe nods slowly. "Yeah," he answers after a second. "Yeah, he did. He'd get drunk, and then he'd get mad about something, and he'd take it out on her. I saw him hit her once and stood up for her, and he ended up hitting me instead."

Nick eyes widen again. "That's how you got that black eye back in eighth grade?"

Joe nods once more. "Yep."

"But—but if you knew he hit Mom, why did you go live with him? I wouldn't want to."

"Because it was court ordered, Nicholas," Joe explains to him. "I didn't want to, but I had to."

"Has he ever...hit you?"

"No," Joe says, much to Nick's relief. "He only hit me that once, when I stood in front of Mom, but he hasn't hit me since."

"Oh, man," Nick comments. "I owe her the biggest apology of all."

"Yeah," Joe agrees. "You really do." He pauses for a second. "I think you really need to go find Demi. Have you tried calling her?"

Nick shakes his head. "She doesn't have a cell, and I don't know her home number. Can you drive me to her house?"

Joe nods instantly. "Come on," he says, standing up.

Nick stands up too and they walk back to Joe's house. They're in his car and on their way to Demi's minutes later.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Joe wonders, coming to a stop in front of Demi's house ten minutes later.

"No," Nick replies, pushing open his door. "I got it."

"Nick." Joe grabs his arm, pulling him back before he can get out of the car. "If her father hurts her as bad as you say he does, what's to keep him from hurting you as well?"

Nick looks over at him. "You do care."

"Nicholas, I never stopped caring about you. Ever."

Nick gives him a smile. "I'll be okay," he assures his brother. "If anything goes wrong, I'll call for you, okay? I promise."

Joe nods hesitantly. "All right," he finally relents, letting him go. "Be careful!"

Nick looks back at him and smiles at him again, giving a thumbs up, before taking a deep breath and walking up to Demi's front door. He knocks on it hesitantly.

"Demi?" he calls when no one answers. He hesitates again before trying the door knob. It turns easily in his hands so he cautiously opens it and takes a step inside. "Demi?!" he says again. He hears a sound coming from a room down the hall and walks slowly to it. "Demi?" he whispers.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Nick stops in his tracks and turns around slowly, staring up at the man standing in front of him. He swallows hard.

"I'm—I'm a friend of Demi's," he says, trying not to let his fear show. "I was—I was looking for her."

"Nice try," the man replies with a nasty laugh. "That whore doesn't have any friends."

Nick's hands form fists, his fear forgotten. He's through letting people talk bad about this sweet, wonderful, beautiful girl. Even her father, this six foot plus giant standing in front of Nick, isn't going to get away with calling Demi a whore.

"She," Nick says, emphasizing each word, "is not a whore. Do you hear me? And if you talk about her like that one more time, if you fucking touch her one more time, I swear to God I will beat the shit out of you."

Demi's father sneers at him and then laughs loudly. "What are you going to do? You're about as tough as a fucking teddy bear."

Nick scowls at him and punches him square in the jaw. He staggers back only slightly and then glares at Nick, tackling him to the ground, punching him over and over and over again. He tries to fight him off but can't find the energy to. He closes his eyes and yells his brother's name before his world fades around him.

Joe looks up at the sound of Nick's cries and is out of the car and in the house seconds later. His eyes widen at the scene in front of him: his brother lying unconscious on the ground, Demi's dad on top of him, still hitting him.

"Nick!" he screams.