Griffin spotted Cara, Marissa and Ryan already seated in the auditorium. The room was slowly filling up with donors and guests and a wall of press photographers were setting up in front of the stage.

"There you are." said Griffin, leading Kendall towards their friends. "We've been looking everywhere. You just vanished."

"We wanted to get a good spot to watch the speeches." explained Marissa.

"And hey it's not our fault you were in a world of your own!" said Cara light-heartedly, tapping the chair beside her. "We did save you a seat!"

Griffin and Kendall settled, taking a moment to peer at all the sea of people around them.

"There's a lot of important people here." said Kendall, as she spotted a few famous faces in the crowd.

"Well," said Griffin. "Your sister has the power to make good things happen."

Cara sudden leant into the group.

"Is that who I think it is?" she hissed, pointing to the right of the crowd.

They all turned their heads to try and spot who she was talking about.

"Whoa," gasped Ryan.

A very famous rock star was taking a seat at the back of the auditorium. The guy was trying to be discrete but as he was awash with press flashbulbs as he sat, it wasn't very effective. The sea of flash bulbs then moved to another face in the crowd, a famous debutant, her dog's head poking out of her purse. Then the cameras turned to a movie actress, who was seated a few rows behind them.

"Isn't she going to be playing Bianca in your mother's movie?" asked Ryan.

"That's rumour." said Kendall. "Right folks smile; I think it's my turn."

As she spoke a wave of white light washed over them.

…

The lights on the podium were being dimmed and there was someone on stage testing the microphone.

"When does this start?" asked Marissa.

"Any second now." said Ryan glancing at his watch.

A woman came up on stage and adjusted the microphone.

"Who's that?" asked Griffin.

"The Gallery owner." said Marissa. She and Bianca had spent a good fifteen minutes talking to her earlier.

As the woman started her welcome speech Kendall nudged Griffin.

"What?" he asked.

"That's something you don't see everyday." said Kendall, "Muriel flustered."

Griffin followed her gaze to the ever reliable Muriel who was standing next to the podium. At that same moment Muriel spotted them in the crowd. She hurried up the stepped and ducked down beside their seats trying to be discrete in the quiet auditorium.

"Mrs Slater, Dr Castillo, I'm sorry to disturb you but your sister is running late. She was supposed to be here a good five minutes before her speech starts. And I can't go and fetch her because we are a steward short..."

"That's fine. I can go and fetch her." said Kendall, "She's probably busy with last minute cramming."

"No I'll go. That's fine. You enjoy the speeches." said Griffin, getting up from his seat.

"I can go." offered Marissa.

"Why don't we all go." suggested Cara.

The group got to their feet, whispering apologies to the people around them.

"I didn't mean to disturb you all." said Muriel.

"Its fine." said Ryan, "We can't let Bianca miss her big moment… Only there is just one thing. Where do we find her?"

…

They followed Muriel's directions to the conference room. They reached the door only for JR to come bursting through, barrelling into them. There was fear in his face as if he was running from something terrifying. On pure reflex Ryan caught his arm. JR punched him in the face and kept running.

As Ryan clutched his bleeding nose, Griffin replayed the image of JR in his head, the scratches on his cheek, the spots of blood on his shirt, the bruising on his knuckles. With fear in his gut Griffin ran into the room. Bianca was lying on the floor, her face bloody and her dress torn.

"Bianca!" screamed Kendall.

"Bastard." snapped Ryan and tore off after JR.

Griffin rushed to Bianca's side, kneeling by her head. She was awake and clearly terrified.

"Don't move. I've got you." he said. He looked nervously at the bruising on her neck. "Don't move."

"JR." croaked Bianca, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"He's not going to get away with this." said Kendall as she and Marissa rushed towards Bianca.

"Please don't touch her." said Griffin. Both women froze when they saw the concern on his face.

Griffin had put a hand either side of Bianca's head to steady it. Bianca's neck was bloody and bruised and he was clearly worried how this trauma could do to her damaged spine.

"Her neck." gasped Marissa.

"I'll kill him." snapped Kendall. "I'm going to kill him. You ex-husband is a dead man!"

"That's not helping." snapped Griffin.

He leant over Bianca and spoke reassuringly

"Bianca I don't want you to move too much. And try not to speak."

"I'm fine." croaked Bianca. "I'm fine."

"I'm sure you are right." assured Griffin. "But I want to wait for an x-ray to tell me for sure. You understand, I just want to make certain this hasn't done anything to damage your recovery. Just try not to speak and try to keep still."

Bianca sighed and silently looked at something beyond his right side. Griffin turned his head to see that she was looking to Marissa. The red head looked like she was suffering from shock herself. As he watched Kendall put her arm around Marissa's shoulder.

"She's in good hands." she said in a comforting tone.

Cara leaned over her brother's shoulder her phone at her ear.

"The ambulance is on its way, and the police."

"Good." said Griffin as he concentrated on keeping Bianca's head still.

The conference room door crashed open, making them all jump. Ryan, breathless, blood dripping from his damaged nose, stood there looking despondent.

"He got away from me." he sighed. "I couldn't catch him."

"The police are on the way." said Cara, moving to his side. "Now I think you should sit down."

"I'm fine."

"No you are not." she said, as she examined him. "I think your nose is broken."

Reluctantly Ryan let her lead him to a nearby chair.

"Where is that ambulance." muttered Griffin.

…

Jesse was there with his notebook while Griffin supervised Bianca being placed on the paramedic's trolley.

"This was JR." asked Jesse. Cara, Ryan, Marissa and Kendall were still in the conference room.

"He came running out as we arrived." said Cara.

"He punched me in the face and then ran off." said Ryan, a large dressing on his nose and the beginning of two black eyes.

"Is this my fault." Marissa asked quietly. "Did he do this because of me?"

"No, this is JRs fault," said Kendall. "He did it because he is a bastard."

"We are going to get him for this, don't you worry." said Jesse shutting his notebook. "Every patrol I've got is out there looking for him."

Griffin came up to the group.

"Marissa. Bianca is asking for you. I think it will be fine if you want to go with her in the ambulance."

Marissa's face lit up and she hurried over to take Bianca's hand as the paramedics wheeled her from the conference room.

"Is she going to be alright?" asked Kendall.

"I think she will be fine." said Griffin. "It's just a precaution because of her previous neck injury."

Kendall nodded sadly. Griffin engulfed her in a hug.

"She's going to be fine."

One of the police officers hurried to Jesse's side.

"Sir, the press are insisting on a statement."

"Damn vultures." He snapped.

"Oh god the press." sighed Kendall. "This will ruin the whole exhibition, everything Bianca has worked for… I can't let that happen!"

…

Jesse stepped into the spotlight on the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press. I have been asked to make statement. I am grieved to inform you that this evening Miss Bianca Montgomery has been the victim of a serious assault."

There was a flash of bulbs from the press at his last words.

"She had been taken to Pine Valley Hospital for treatment. We know the identity of her attacker and a man hunt is currently underway to bring this man into custody. I am confident we will have an arrest very shortly. Thank you"

More flash bulbs went off and reporters began clamouring to ask questions. Who was the attacker? How was she hurt? Why was she attacked? Was she raped? Jesse hated the ugliness of the press, as they clamoured for sensation over story.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to answer questions while the investigation is underway." he said loudly over the hubbub of noise. "But Kendall Slater has asked if she could say a few words."

The hubbub grew louder as Kendall stepped to the podium and flash bulbs washed then both in a flood of white light. Jesse stood to one side as Kendall held up her hand for silence.

"I want to say something to you all. Ladies and gentleman of the press I am here to ask you for a favour."

And unpleasant murmur rumbled through the crowd, they obviously didn't like the implication.

"Tonight something horrible happened to my sister. Sadly this is not the first time she has been a victim of assault as I am sure you are fully aware. A few years ago my sister was the victim of a horrendous crime but she had the strength to overcome it and what's more she used that nightmare to make something wonderful, The Miranda Centre. This exhibition we are standing in now, this day, should not be remembered because someone has hurt my sister. If it is then the bastard who attacked her has won, any bastard that ever hurt anyone has won. She doesn't deserve that, and the people this centre helps don't deserve that either. My sister invited you here to celebrate the hope and recovery that comes after injury. If she had got to do her speech I'm sure she would have said this exhibition was a celebration of the love and support that was given to her after the shooting, but she is wrong. This exhibition is about her, the love and support she has given to us. Every picture in this room, every work of art you have seen, every volunteer, every person who supported this evening, who support the Miranda Centre, are inspired by my sister's heart. And I include myself in that number because she is a truly good person, something we all know is very rare. The Miranda Centre exists because my sister didn't want another woman or child to suffer abuse, to feel alone and helpless. That idea helps people all over the world, that idea has saved lives. My sister deserves so much more than to end up just another cheap headline..! She has done the impossible, turn something devastating into something good, something right. Ladies and Gentleman of the press I am issuing you a challenge. Can you do the same thing? Something horrible has happened to my sister this evening and my challenge to you, is to turn it into something good... Something both you and she can be proud of… Thank you."

As Kendall left the podium the flashbulbs flickered once more while the crowd of reporters were oddly quiet.

…