I wrote this storyline for a secondary character I created because on the show we had both Veronica and Parker raped, but they were conveniently drugged with no memories. Most rapes are vicious and violent, and the memories plague the victim forever. Parker seemed to get past hers on the show way too easily, and Veronica's rape didn't stop her from going back to the guy, who also slept with her while drugged (Duncan). In this story, I wanted to take a character through real, psychological trauma. I want to see how it affects the rest of the characters and what happens when people fail to see someone else's pain. Her not telling is crucial to the rest of the story I am writing. Jazmin's secret will be the backdrop, not the center of the rest of the story. Does the world stop when you hurt? It doesn't, and it won't for Jazmin. Yes, this makes her a weaker character to many, but this a woman who has been sheltered and coddled her entire life. Sometimes, you have to be destroyed before you can be reborn.

This chapter begins the same night as Jazmin's rape, but it starts with other characters. It is not where we left off—a bit later on the same night.

Chapter 7: Shattered

********Friday Night at the Beach House***********

Veronica was very excited because Duncan had agreed to bring Lily over to spend the night. Taking care of a very active toddler was much more work than a newborn in many ways, so Veronica loved to have the opportunity to practice her mothering skills. Of course, as godmother she just loved to spend time with Lily.

"Did you tell Dick that Lily was coming over?" she asked Logan.

"Yes. He had a business dinner that one of us had to be at. Since Mac wanted to go, he volunteered. They should be here soon, though. The dinner was an early one," Logan said. "It may surprise you to know, but Dick is actually better at those things than I am."

"Really? You have so much practice," Veronica said.

"Yes, and I always hated those kinds of things where I had to be all fake and act a certain way. Why do you think I was always risking my dad's wrath? Being passive aggressive was my only form of open rebellion. Although I know what to say and do and can pour on the charm when necessary, Dick is so warm and genuine that he immediately gets the models to relax. And the models under eighteen who have parents accompanying them trust him instinctively and adore him," Logan shared.

"You're kidding?" Veronica asked in surprise.

"Nope. Dick is a natural at handling people. So is Trina. Of course, hers is more of an act, but most of the vapid models can't tell the difference," Logan said with a grin. "They think her fawning is their due!"

Their doorbell rang. Veronica opened it and greeted Lily with a kiss and a hug, which she returned. However, she soon ran into the room and jumped into Logan's arms.

"Logie! I missed you! How come you didn't go to the carnival wif us when Daddy took me? Dickie and Mac and Parker was there," Lily asked him with a disapproving frown.

"Sorry, sweetie, but I had to take my fiancée some place special to celebrate our upcoming marriage," Logan said, grinning at her in his arms.

"What's a fi-fi-on-cee?" Lily asked, stumbling over the hard to say word.

"Remember, honey, I told you that Logan and Veronica were getting married? When a person is engaged, they call the other person their fiancé," Duncan explained.

Lily's eyes lit up. "Will I get to be the flower girl?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course! Who else?" Veronica said smiling. She decided to quit feeling slighted over Lily's preference of Logan. Duncan was right. When Lily got older, Veronica would be who she preferred. In the meantime, Veronica had Richie.

Trina appeared and greeted Duncan and Lily.

"Where's your baby? Can he play with me?" Lily asked.

"Well, he's still too small to do much but eat and poop, but I was about to wake him from his nap and change his diaper. Would you like to help?" Trina asked her.

"Yes!" Lily said excitedly. Logan put her down.

"Come give me a kiss goodbye first," Duncan ordered. "I'll pick you up tomorrow." Lily gave her dad a hug and walked off with Trina.

"Aren't you going to stay and hang out a while?" Veronica asked.

"I'm really not in the mood. Parker dumped me," Duncan shared, morose.

The front door opened up interrupting them, and Dick and Mac came in.

"How did it go?" Logan asked.

"Awesome! They were eating out of my hands!" Dick bragged. "The girl's father loved Mac 'cause he was a computer geek."

"Neptune's new power couple! Look at you two!" Veronica exclaimed.

Mac laughed. "I definitely wouldn't go that far!" she said. "Hey, Duncan. Is Lily here?"

"Yes. She's with Richie and Trina learning how to change diapers," he said.

"Duncan was just telling us that he and Parker broke up," Logan said, catching them up to speed.

"No way!" Dick exclaimed in sympathy. "Why?"

"Piz is back in town and wants her back. She still loves him," Duncan said, sitting down in a chair. He decided he could use some sympathy.

"That blows! Why would anyone prefer that Pisster?" Dick asked, affronted on his behalf.

"Some women in this very room have been known to want that wanna-be-rocker," Logan said with a smirk and pointed look at Veronica.

"Ha, ha. You're so not funny!" Veronica complained with an eye roll. She gave Duncan a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry, Duncan. I didn't realize she'd just break up with you. I figured she'd give it time and make sure things were okay with her and Piz."

Duncan looked surprised. "You mean you knew he was coming back?" Duncan asked.

"Well, Wallace told me on Tuesday. He wanted me to ask Weevil if Piz could stay with him and Jason until the semester ends," Veronica admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Duncan asked, upset.

Veronica flashed him a guilty look. "I'm sorry. I was going to warn Parker, but Wallace said Piz was going to call her. I didn't think I should be the one to tell you," she told him.

"You know, Veronica, this is the second time you've let me be sucker-punched by the girl I'm dating!" Duncan said angrily, getting up from the chair. "You did the same thing with Jazmin. Two friends you've known a lot less longer than me. You're really turning into a lousy friend!"

Veronica gasped in dismay at his sudden attack. She hadn't expected it.

Logan, who was even more protective of Veronica since she became pregnant, got to his feet and confronted Duncan. "Don't yell at her! It's not her job to mediate your love life!" Logan said angrily.

"Excuse me for thinking one of my best friends would have my back!" Duncan yelled back. He looked at Veronica. "At least I know where I stand now. I even rank lower than one of Logan's ex-girlfriends! I'm glad my sister isn't alive to see your disloyalty!"

That was going too far. Veronica's eyes filled with tears like he had slapped her. Duncan knew he'd crossed a line and wasn't surprised when Logan took a step toward him, ready to slug him for insulting Veronica. Dick and Mac both jumped to their feet. Dick grabbed Logan while Mac put a restraining hand on Duncan.

"Relax, Duncan. You know Logan doesn't deal well with Veronica being upset since she got pregnant," Mac murmured to him.

"Dude, you need to chill!" Dick said to Logan. Then he turned to Duncan. "Dude, why don't you and I get out of here and go get a drink or something?"

"Fine. I'll be back tomorrow to pick up Lily. Call me if she needs me," Duncan said grimly. Then he turned to leave.

"I'll go with you guys," Mac said. Dick grinned in approval and reached out and took her hand.

When the door closed, Logan went to Veronica and pulled her into his arms. "Don't listen to that ass-wipe! You don't have a disloyal bone in your body! He's just talking out his ass!" Logan exclaimed.

"Logie, you aren't 'posed to say ass! Daddy says," Lily informed them from the edge of the room. She had wandered into the room in time to hear Logan's impassioned words to Veronica.

Logan winced but turned to face her. "You're Daddy doesn't know everything!" he said, still annoyed.

Veronica sat up and pushed him away. "He was mad and forgot the rules, honey. He's sorry," Veronica said, wiping her eyes.

The very intelligent toddler came closer and saw that she was upset. Lily frowned. "Did Logie be mean to you and make you cry?" she asked, shooting Logan an accusing look.

A real smile bloomed on Veronica's mouth at Lily's defense of her. "Sometimes, pregnant women are overly emotional. They cry easily. Even if they're happy. I am crazy emotional these days, baby. But I'm okay," Veronica assured her.

Lily crawled onto her lap and kissed her. "Don't cry. Big girls don't cry," she said solemnly, obviously repeating what had been said to her.

"Sometimes, they do. But I won't anymore. Not when you're here to make me so happy," Veronica said, smiling at her. Children had a way of making everything matter and others thing matter less.

Logan was relieved to see Veronica pushing aside her upset. He knew that Duncan using his sister as a weapon had to have devastated Veronica, but she was putting on a brave face for Lily's sake. Although Logan did think Veronica ought to have given Duncan a heads up or even him, he wasn't going to let anyone hurt her. Not while she was carrying his unborn baby. Not while she was the most important person in his entire world.

*****A Bit Later*****

Dick took Duncan to a bar he liked to go to sometimes called the Blue Angel. It wasn't a favorite college hang out. Usually, only locals frequented it, so it was never too loud or quiet. The pool table in the corner was the only real thing the place had going for it, which is how Dick had discovered it one afternoon when he was too annoyed with his frat brothers to play with them. Needing new faces, he had found this place. The seedier atmosphere appealed to him. Every so often, a ghost from his past would bring dark thoughts, and he'd crave a place where no one knew him. A place where he didn't have to be the life of the party or the goofball.

"You've never brought me here before," Mac observed, looking around.

"'Cause you don't like me taking you to bars," Dick reminded her with a grin.

"It's fine. No one we know here," Duncan said with a careless shrug.

"Exactly," Dick said. He ordered three beers from the server and some chicken wings. "Their wings rock."

"We're sorry about Parker," Mac said softly.

"Me, too," Duncan said sadly. Then he looked at Mac. "You're a girl. Why don't girls like me? What's wrong with me?"

Mac gave him a sympathetic look. "There's nothing wrong with you! Both Jazmin and Parker have nothing but good things to say about you. They both care a lot about you. As does Veronica. How many guys would have ex-girlfriends say the same thing?" Mac pointed out.

"Not any of mine!" Dick added with a grin.

"Yes, but they always break up with me or choose someone else," Duncan replied grimly. "I guess this is what I deserve for treating Meg so shabbily."

Mac and Dick exchanged surprised looks at his remarks. Mac didn't know much about Meg and Duncan's relationship first-hand, so she didn't know what to say.

Dick said, "Dude, that's bullshit! It don't work like that! If we only got what we deserved, I sure wouldn't have Mac!"

Mac couldn't help but smile at Dick's explanation. She laid her head on his shoulder. "Sometimes, God feels sorry for the screw-ups," she remarked with a flash of her dimple.

Duncan gave a reluctant half-smile at their remarks. "He must not feel sorry for me yet. Things never seem to go right for me for long," Duncan said.

"Give it time. You're so much cooler than that loser," Dick said loyally.

Mac raised her head and said, "He's right. Give it time. Piz and Parker have several issues. Things may not work out. Parker wasn't indifferent to you when she was with him, so don't give up."

The server brought the beers. "In the meantime, drink up!" Dick encouraged.

******Piz and Parker******

Parker drove Piz over to Eli and Jason's place. Her reunion with Piz had been a bit awkward. Neither knew what to expect from the other and were unsure how to act. They had just started to actually talk when Eli came over. Parker hoped things would get better when they got him settled.

No one was at the house when they arrived at Jason and Eli's. After exploring the house and taking his bags into the only empty room upstairs, Piz sat on the bed. "It's pretty empty," he said looking around the room. The guys obviously hadn't done much more than throw a bed into the other room.

"We should go out and get you some hangers for your clothes until you get a dresser in here," Parker said.

"That's fine. I could use a bite to eat," Piz said.

When they went downstairs, they heard some giggling. Piz was a bit embarrassed to see to people he didn't know well making out on the couch.

"Hey guys!" Parker called out, hoping to get out of there with the least amount of embarrassment.

Daisy sat up and looked at them. "Oops! We didn't realize anyone was here," she said sheepishly. She carefully adjusted her shirt.

"Hello," Jason said with a rueful grin. "Yeah, I didn't notice your car outside."

"We ran into Eli at my place, and he gave Piz the key," Parker explained. "We just brought in his stuff."

"Hi," Piz said with a shy smile. "Thanks for letting me stay here. I know it's a bother."

Jason got to his feet, proper manners drilled into him since he could walk and held out his hand to Piz. "Not a problem. It's good to see you again," Jason said with a friendly smile. "You know Daisy, right?"

"Yes," he said, smiling at her. She had been an exciting interlude for Wallace.

"Hey, sugar. Glad to have you back. Cute boys are always welcome," she said with a flirtatious smile.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Ignore her. She can't help it!" he explained. Daisy giggled.

Parker hadn't spent much time with Daisy, so she didn't know how to respond. She decided to just ignore her. "Well, we were going to go get some hangers for the room and a bite to eat. We'll be back in a few hours," Parker said.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about the empty room. I've been distracted this week," he said, giving Daisy an accusing glance. She looked smug and unrepentant. "I'll get you a dresser this weekend."

"There's no need to go to the trouble. I'll get something," Piz said quickly.

"No, it's fine. It's our guest room, and I meant to do that last spring when Jazzie was living here. She picked out the bed and coverings," Jason explained. "I'll go tomorrow and get a dresser."

"Well, thanks," Piz said, not sure what to say to such unexpected generosity.

Parker reached for his hand. "We appreciate it," she said with a smile. "Catch you guys later."

When they got into the car, Piz said, "I don't really know how to deal with guys like him."

"He's a guy like any other," Parker said with a shrug as she started her car.

"No, he's not. Wallace told me about the mob thing when his dad hit him with the info back when he was with Jazmin. But Jason doesn't look anything like a thug or dangerous kind of guy," Piz said.

"'Cause he's not. I've met his grandmother and his dad. Now his dad is in a class by himself, but Jason's very well-mannered and extremely intelligent. Jazmin often complains about him getting all the brains and the beauty," Parker said.

"Jazmin inherited a lot of beauty, too," Piz said with a grin.

"Believe me, I know. I live with her," Parker said smiling. "They're not like us, but they're good people, I think. Jazmin and I have become really good friends. We're both kind of outsiders to the group. She's had problems with her brother dating Daisy."

"Looks like they've gotten close," Piz observed.

"Yea, it does. Maybe that's why Jazmin was hiding in her room earlier. She really hates Daisy, and her and Jason are very close," Parker said.

"My younger sister never liked any of my girlfriends when I was in high school. I think that's how it works," Piz said, smiling. He was glad they could finally talk with ease. It had been disappointing to discover when he arrived that the ease between them was gone. Now it seemed to be returning.

When Parker stopped at a Target, Piz grabbed her hand. "It's really good to be here with you again. I'm sorry. For everything. Please, give us a chance," he said beseechingly.

"I know you are. I'm sorry, too," Parker said. "And I am going to give us a chance. I told Duncan yesterday that I wasn't going to see him anymore."

"You did?" Piz asked in surprise.

"I still love you," Parker admitted.

Piz grinned happily and leaned over to kiss her.

Parker was upset to discover that it was Duncan's face that now lingered in her mind as she kissed him.

*****The Next Day******

Saturday morning, Mac dragged herself out of bed earlier than she wanted to—much to Dick's protest. They had spent several hours drinking and playing pool with Duncan the night before. It had been fun, and Duncan had declared he wasn't going to sit around moping over a girl who didn't want him. Although Dick had encouraged that thinking, Mac couldn't help but worry about all her friends. She had told Madison she'd come over to help her with her failing classes. Now she was regretting her generosity. Since she rarely overindulged, she didn't hold her alcohol well.

Marilyn smiled warmly at her, surprised to see her at their door. "Cindy, it's good to see you. I didn't know you were coming by," she said. Since she had been spending time with Mac's mother, she had quit calling her Mac. Now both mothers called her Cindy.

Mac gave her a tired smile. "I told Madison I'd tutor her," Mac said stepping through the door.

Marilyn's smiled widened. "Oh, that's so good! Thank you! She really needs a friend like you. She's been kind of a drift since high school. Her best friend Shelly went to USC and Madison was wait-listed. They never had a spot for her. Going to Hearst wasn't what she wanted," Marilyn shared.

"Is she up? I told her ten, and she said that would work," Mac said.

"I'll check. Did you have a late night? You look tired," she observed.

"Yes. Dick and I were out with Duncan. He was having a bad night and needed a distraction," Mac said.

Marilyn patted her shoulder before heading upstairs. "You're a good friend, I'm sure. Go into the kitchen and get some coffee or anything else you want. Make yourself at home," she said.

Mac did just that. She had almost finished an entire cup of coffee before Madison finally sauntered down. If she hadn't been carrying her books, Mac would've left.

"I told you I was going to be here at ten, Madison. The least you could've done is be ready on time!" Mac said in annoyance.

"It's not even ten thirty yet, relax," Madison said. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down. She took in Mac's less than perky appearance and the shadow under her eyes. She grinned. "Looks like someone had a real good time last night!" She felt immensely satisfied that Mac wasn't so perfect after all.

"Dick and I went out with Duncan last night. He needed some cheering up," Mac said. She grabbed the books and began flipping through them.

"What could the Prince of Neptune have to be down about?" Madison asked, curious.

"The girl he was dating decided to get back with her ex-boyfriend," Mac shared, distracted as she was reading through the table of contents.

Madison grinned at the news. "Really?" she said, a note of excitement in her voice.

Before Mac could respond, Lauren came into the room. "Hey, Mac! You didn't tell me you were coming by!" Lauren said. She gave Mac a hug.

"Sorry. I meant to text you," Mac said.

"She was too busy getting trashed," Madison said gleefully.

Mac glared at her. "You should be nicer to someone that is volunteering to help you because I can leave," Mac said firmly.

"I'm joking!" Madison said to Lauren.

Lauren laughed, happy to see her sisters voluntarily spending time together. "Well, I'm glad you're here 'cause I needed to tell you about the costume I want you to wear for my party. You haven't gotten one yet, have you?" Lauren asked.

"Nope. Dick and I have yet to agree on a costume," Mac admitted.

"Well, I want to be Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, and I thought it'd be cool if you and Madison dress up as the two witches. Madison can be Glenda the good witch, and you can be the Wicked Witch," Lauren said excitedly.

"Gee, thanks," Mac said dryly.

Lauren grinned. "It's because of your hair, silly! Madison is blonde like Glenda, and your hair is dark like the wicked witch," she explained. "And then Dick can dress up as the cowardly lion since he's big and blonde like a lion. Then Veronica can be the Scarecrow and Logan the Tin Man! What do you think?"

Madison loved the idea of playing Glenda, especially if Mac was the ugly, green witch. "I think it's brilliant!" Madison said, flashing Mac a smug look.

Mac actually liked the idea, too. "I've never dressed up as a witch before. It sounds fun," Mac said, smiling.

"Do you think Veronica will like it?" Lauren asked eagerly.

"I'm sure she will love the idea. Since you're the birthday girl, we can do whatever you want," Mac said easily. She loved having a sister to spoil. Even though Lauren was too old for real spoiling, Mac loved making her happy, and this was such a simple thing. She'd have to tell Dick it wasn't the cowardly lion but Dorothy's lion protector. She doubted he'd seen the movie or remembered it well enough to know the difference! She chuckled thinking about it and realized she wasn't annoyed anymore with Madison.

"So show me your syllabus," Mac ordered and began to try to teach Madison something.

******Jazmin and Eli******

An exhausted Jazmin had to force herself to get into the shower. She knew Eli was coming by soon, and if she didn't do a better job with her appearance, he would grow very suspicious. Her night had been rough and full of bad, violent dreams. For some reason, she wasn't just dreaming about David's attack, but she was also reliving that horrible day with Joseph. The day he broke her heart and caused her to fall down a flight of stairs, killing their baby. In some of her dreams, both men took turns raping her. Or Joseph watched and laughed as David held her down. She had woken up crying the last time and gave up on sleep.

Neither Parker nor Mac was around, so she went downstairs and turned on the TV. She was mindlessly turning the channels when Eli arrived.

"How are you feeling, Princess?" he asked as he gave her a light kiss on the lips. Jazmin had to force herself not to flinch. His touch was gentle; his touch was loving. There was no reason to fear him. Jazmin knew that there was no part of Eli that didn't love her nor any part of her that he didn't love. However, she was still jumpy from what had happened yesterday.

"Okay," she said listlessly.

"Are you hungry yet?" he asked. He had something in his hand.

"Not really," she said.

"Well, I'll put this in the fridge. But in an hour or so, I want you to try and eat something, okay?" he asked in concern.

When she nodded without protest, he went and put up the soup. Then he returned and examined her too pale face closely. The light blue bruise was marring her perfect features. His eyes darkened at the sight. She should never be hurt. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her. She laid her head on his chest. "Did you sleep last night? You look exhausted," Eli said.

"No. I had bad dreams. They kept me up," she admitted.

"Do you want to talk about them?" he asked.

"I don't remember much except I was being chased by a faceless somebody. Very creepy," she lied. As much as she hated to deceive him, the truth would hurt him so much more.

"Maybe you should eat a little and then go back to bed. I'll come back later," Eli suggested.

Jazmin raised her head and looked at him in alarm. "No! Don't leave me! I need you here!" she said anxiously.

Her sudden anxiety bothered him. However, he didn't have a sister, so he didn't know if this overly emotional behavior was normal for a woman during her period. He smiled. "Of course, babe, I'll stay. I'll need to leave and get some work done in a few hours, but I can come back after that and stay the night if you'd like," he offered.

She visibly relaxed. "Yes, please. I'm not feeling like myself today, and you being here makes me feel better," she explained. Then she snuggled back against him and put her arm around his waist. His arm went back around her shoulder.

"Okay," he said. He didn't say anything more, but he found her uncharacteristic clinginess disturbing. Although it sometimes felt like they'd always been together, they had been dating less than two months. Maybe this was just a side of her he hadn't seen before. Maybe for a few days once a month she was a bit emotional. He could deal with that, and he dropped her kiss on her forehead. "Whatever you need, Princess. Always," he assured her.

Jazmin only felt safe if he was here. She couldn't risk calling Jason because he knew her too well. Avoiding him for a while would have to be a priority. His penetrating gaze would be too relentless. Unlike a lover, a sibling would never hesitate to push too hard or upset and offend to get answers. Jason would never willing upset her unless he thought it was for her own good. Then he'd be at his most highhandedness. Until she got a better grip on her emotions, she couldn't risk revealing too much to her other half.

She moved her head slightly so that she could see Eli's face. "Thanks. I love you," she said, a look of vulnerability on her face.

To Eli, she looked like she was bracing herself for his sudden rejection. Finding that puzzling, he cupped her cheek. "Not more than I love you," he said back to her, relieved to see a small smile finally appear on her face. He picked up the remote for the television. "So what were you watching?"

"Nothing yet. Put it on something happy. Like cartoons," she suggested.

Eli chuckled at her request and did what she asked. There were worse ways to spend a Saturday.

******Chapter End******