I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR THE CHARACTERS.

Music Credit: "Fighter" – Christina Aguilera

Chapter Five:

~*.*~
''Cause if it weren't for all that you tried to do, I wouldn't know how capable I am to pull through.
So, I wanna say, 'Thank you.'
'Cause it makes me that much stronger, makes me work a little bit harder, makes me that much wiser.
So, thanks for making me a fighter.
Made me learn a little bit faster, made my skin a little bit thicker, makes me that much smarter –
So, thanks for making me a fighter.'
~*.*~

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Mom screeched as soon as James and I made it through the front door. "He was forcing himself on you, Karson?" She asked.

"You saw him when he was on me. Don't pretend like you didn't know. He was raping me and you knew." I spat. I held onto James trying to stand upright. The meds are kicking my ass.

"I-I didn't know for sure that he was doing anything." She argued.

"You saw him! You didn't do a damn thing to try and stop him! You're as bad as he is." I whispered. She frowned and finished her drink.

"Karson has a concussion. She's on some strong medicine. Why don't you two talk about this in the morning?" James suggested. Mom shrugged and took a swig out of her bottle.

"You can't keep blaming me for not being there." Mom told me. She loomed over me, her breath reeks of booze. "I'm always here." She drawled. She drank some more and looked at me. She sighed. "I'm tired." She walked away.

"Let's get you upstairs." James guided me up the stairwell. Kendra was waiting for me, just outside my room.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked me. I shook my head. "I could have done something to help you." She sobbed. I let go of James and sank down to hold her.

"He would've hurt you, too. I couldn't live with myself if he hurt you. He told me if I said anything he would start on you and Kelley." I cried. "I couldn't let him hurt you." I whispered.

"You don't deserve what he was doing to you." She wiped my face. "We didn't know. He always tried to be so fatherly around us."

"I don't blame you."

"You should."

"It isn't your fault." I kissed her forehead. "I love you." I told her. She sniffled.

"I love you, too. Go get some sleep." She stood up and pulled me up with her. She hugged me and looked at James. "Take care of my sister." She told him. He nodded.

"I plan on it." James assured her. We got back into my room and helped me take off my clothes. Carlisle wrapped my ribs and showed James how to help me after I showered. "Do you want to shower?" He asked. I nodded.

"It would be nice to get the blood off of me." I whispered.

"Let's get you clean." He helped me walk to the bathroom. He unwrapped my chest and turned on the water. He stared at me. I feel so naked.

"Can you join me?" I asked him. He looked me over.

"I would love to join you, Angel." He smirked.

"I don't want to be alone." I told him.

"I'm right here." He assured me. I nodded. I watched as he stripped out of his own clothes. I watched his abs move as he took off shirt. His arms flexed when he started on his pants. I bit my lip. He lost his boxer-briefs. He's… wow. I couldn't stop looking at his body. Sure, I've see the top half before, but now he's standing before me in all his glory. "See something you like?" He asked, walking up to me, nuzzling my neck. I nodded.

"Maybe," I whispered.

"Maybe?"

"Yes." I confessed. He smirked.

"You're not the only one." He told me. "You're beautiful." He whispered.

"It's nothing you haven't seen before."

"Not entirely true, and that doesn't mean I'll ever get tired of looking at you." He wrapped his arms around my middle. I can feel him hardening against me.

"We should shower." I changed the subject and stepped into the steady stream of water. James groaned.

"How do you keep getting hotter?" He asked me. I blushed and looked away as he stepped inside and pulled the curtain closed. "Just give me a second to get it out of my system." He stared at me and I can see the arousal radiating from his skin. After a minute he looked like he had it under control. "How are you feeling?" He asked me. I shrugged.

"I'm tired, numb." I answered.

"He's not coming back, Angel." He assured me. I nodded.

"I know, but I don't know where to go from here, either."

"You go up. You take control of your life. You can do anything you want."

"I don't know what I want."

"Everybody has to start somewhere."

"I want to be with you." I told him. He smiled and started washing the blood from my body.

"And I want to be with you." He whispered. I smiled.

"Where does that leave us?"

"Together. I'll keep teaching you how to defend yourself, and you'll get stronger. You'll learn how to not be afraid. Jeff can't hurt you, anymore. And when you're ready, I'll show you the world."

~*.*~
'Never saw it coming, all of your backstabbing.
Just so, you could cash in on a good thing, before I realized your game.
I heard you're goin' 'round, playin' the victim now.
But, don't even begin feelin' I'm the one to blame, 'cause you dug your own grave.
After all of the fights and the lies, guess you're wanting to hurt me, but that won't work anymore.
No more, uh-uh, it's over.
'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture, I wouldn't know how to be this way now and never back down.
So, I wanna say, 'Thank you.''
~*.*~