I don't own Divergent.

Hey, everyone. You guys should be really happy...this chapter is really long. I promise there will be more baseball talk soon. Oh and I think I'll update ADD tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

"July eighth. Are you doing anything special?"

"Nah." He looks at his watch. "We should go."

Peter's nose looks less purple and swollen now, though I guess it's permanently crooked. Not that I'm complaining. It might warn girls away from him.

Peter and I glare at each other for a few seconds. Four is standing at my side awkwardly.

"You better go practice."

"Hey, Tris," Four says. I can hear his ragged breath - he must have just come in from practice. "Will you go to dinner with me?"

"Sure. Where?" I get off of my bed.

"Well, there's this really good Italian place about ten minutes from here. You up for it?" I hear his door close.

"Sounds good. Outside my room in twenty minutes?"

I hear the phone being put on speaker. That means he's pulling his sweaty workout clothes off to shower. "Yup. Bye, Tris."

"Bye, Four." I hang up and look in my closet, trying to decide what to wear.

"You look…you look great, Tris," Four says.

"Thanks," I reply, looking down. I decided upon a dark blue knee-length dress with a gray sweater and black and white converse. I put a little makeup on, too. "You don't look half bad yourself." He's wearing dark jeans, a light blue button-down, and converse.

"Thanks."

"This is good," I say, taking another bite of pasta bolognese.

"Mhm. I know the owner, actually. That's why she gave us this nice private booth." Four takes a bite. "Otherwise I get kind of swarmed."

I nod. "Makes sense, what with you being a baseball star and all."

"Yeah. Tris, I -"

My phone rings. I look down at it, and it's my dad. "Four, it's my dad. I'm sorry." I pick it up. "Dad?" I whisper. "This was a bad time. I'm at a nice restaurant with Four."

"Beatrice, I'm sorry." Dad sounds panicked. "I need you to have AJ with you. We just got off the plane - we're in Florida. I need you to come pick us up at the airport."

"Dad, we aren't anywhere near the airport!"

"Beatrice, it's important. I'll explain when you get here." Dad still sounds panicked. "AJ," I hear, "hold your suitcase for a second."

"Dad, what's going on? Are you guys okay? And I don't have a car!"

"Just come." Then he hangs up.

I look at Four. "Look, Four, I'm really sorry. Can you, maybe, drive me to the airport? I know it's not anywhere near, but -"

"I'll do it," Four interrupts. "C'mon, let's go. Your dad sounded frantic."

He throws sixty dollars on the table and pulls me out of the restaurant.

My dad and AJ are waiting, my dad's face tense. AJ is sitting on a suitcase. I jump out of the car and scoop AJ up in my arms. "I missed you, bud," I whisper.

He hugs me, balanced on my hip. "I missed you, too, Mommy."

I kiss his little blonde head. Fortunately, he looks nothing like his dad - he looks like a little me. He's small, too, and lean. "I love you, AJ."

Four walks over, and AJ sees him. "FOUR?" he says in awe. "Four Eaton?"

Four grins at him. "AJ? AJ Prior?"

"How do you know my name?" AJ asks suspiciously. "My mommy says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," he adds.

Four grins and looks at me. "Is Beatrice your mom?"

I mentally facepalm as AJ says, "Yeah. Why?"

"Well, your mom is my friend." Four steps closer. "How old are you, kid?"

"Four." AJ cuddles closer to me. I can tell he's kind of tired.

"Are -"

"Hey, Four," I say, tone light but commanding, "why don't you go sit with AJ in the car? AJ can tell you about his peewee league."

Four shrugs and holds his arms out for AJ, who wraps his arms around me tightly. "Mommy, I wanna stay with you."

Four helps me gently pry him off. "I know, but, but I need to talk to Papa. Remember how you said you wanted to meet Four? Well, now you get to."

AJ sighs and allows Four to hold him. I walk over to my dad, who has put both of the suitcases into the trunk.

"Dad, what's going on?" I ask. "I need to know."

Dad opens his mouth and then closes it again. "I'm really sorry, Bea. I can't tell you yet. I swear to God, though, when I can, I will. When this is all over."

I sigh and hug him, knowing he won't tell me more. "I love you, Dad. Whatever this is, be careful. Promise?"

"I love you, too, Bea. I promise. I promise." Dad hugs me tightly and then looks at his watch. "My flight leaves in fifteen minutes. I have to go. I love you, Bea!"

I hug him one more time and watch him go. Then I get in the front seat of the car. Four is in the driver's seat, turning around to talk to AJ, who's nearly dozing off.

"AJ, are you buckled?" I ask. He should be in a car- oh. Wait. Four must've put him in the carseat Dad brought.

"Yup. Four buckled me," he mumbles, falling asleep.

I hold a finger to my lips, looking at Four, grab my phone out of my pocket, and put the sound machine app on. I set the phone on "do not disturb" and put it on the seat next to AJ, who's asleep.

Four isn't looking at me, just concentrating on the road ahead of him.

"I'm guessing you want an explanation," I say, my tone defeated.

"That would be nice."

"AJ is my kid. Peter - Peter -"

"Peter got you pregnant and left you?"

I shake my head. "Peter raped me. Then I found out I was pregnant…and I couldn't bear to give it up. My parents supported me, even suggested I give him up for adoption. But then…when I saw him in the hospital…I just couldn't. He was - is - a beautiful byproduct of terrible violence. So I kept him. My parents let me live with them - they understood - and I finished college - a combination of online credits and classes at the university I'd been at. Then I started working for a high school as an ATC. I spent the most time with the baseball and softball teams. I would sometimes bring AJ to work with me. Everyone understood. Then I applied for a job with the Yankees…and you know the rest."

Four bites his lip. "I'm guessing you don't want to be looked at like a kicked puppy."

I chuckles slightly. "No, I don't. But I also don't want to be looked at like I'm…dirty. Impure."

Four scoffs. "Like anyone would do that. It's not your fault he raped you." He glances at me. "Do you get child support?"

I shake my head. "I haven't tried. Why?"

"Because he technically has to pay it. I'll hire you a lawyer," Four offers.

"How do we prove he's Peter's?"

"DNA. We'll get samples from you, Peter, and AJ. We don't even have to mention the rape part, if you'd like," Four explains.

"How do you plan on getting Peter's DNA?"

"Leave that to me."

I hesitate. "Four, why are you doing all of this? You've only known me for like two weeks and -"

"I'm doing it for a lot of reasons," Four interrupts, "some of which you will never know. But one of them is because it's what's right. The bastard raped you and got you pregnant, and he isn't even paying you child support?"

I lean over and wrap my arms around him. "Thank you, Four. You're a great friend."

He smiles down at me for a second. "You're welcome, Tris."

"Look, Max, I'm sorry -"

"We can't have the kid at practice." Max points at AJ. "He has to go somewhere else."

"It's just for today! I'm going to figure out somewhere for him to go tomorrow, I promise," I say hurriedly. "I can put a helmet on him or whatever. He has one."

"Why is he even here?"

"My parents were taking care of him," I say slowly. "Then they couldn't. So last night, my dad flew him out here. I only found out he was here last night at about eight. You can ask Four; he drove me to pick AJ up."

Max sighs. "Just for today. And he had better stay out of the way. Whose kid is he, anyway?"

Just then, Four comes over to me, looking surprisingly happy. He hands me a bloody rag in plastic bag. "I got Peter's DNA," he announces. Then he sees Max. "Oops."

"Peter is the dad?"

"Um. Yeah. We -"

"He raped her when she was eighteen," Four supplies. I punch him in the side.

"Oh. If you're saying that officially, I have to kick him off the team, but I'll let you decide. Does he go?" Max offers.

I shake my head. "The more money he earns, the more child support he'll have to pay me. He stays. Speaking of which, Four, where is he and how did you get the blood?"

Four puts an angelic look on his face. "He fell down the stairs and broke his nose again. I just helped him mop it up."

Max shakes his head. "I didn't hear that. So is he coming, Four?"

Four nods. "He's about two minutes behind me." Then Four squats down and begins to chat with AJ.

"So that's why you hate him so much," Max muses. "I would've thought you'd be more afraid of him."

"I would be, but I learned to fight and now I can take him."

Peter stumbles onto the field, looking a little dazed. I scoop AJ up from Four and start walking over to him. Four scrambles to follow me.

"Tris," Peter sneers. "Got yourself pregnant?"

I growl at him. "No, you son of a - no. Andrew Jeremiah here is your s-o-n. He will never know, but I thought you ought to. And soon you will be paying me c-h-i-l-d s-u-p-p-o-r-t for him. And I will repeat myself: AJ will never know he is your s-o-n. I don't want him know his f-a-t-h-e-r is such an awful person. You are a d-i-c-k, and I hate you."

Peter's eyes widen. "What?"

"Yeah," I say fiercely. "And we're going to the doctor soon to have it verified that he is your s-o-n."

"Bitch," Peter says. "Why didn't you do it sooner?"

"Because I didn't know where you were." Then I walk back to the dugout, where I stand next to Max, AJ still on my hip.

"Who was that, Mommy?"

"Someone mean," I reply, kissing his head. "You don't need to worry about him. So did you and Four have fun this morning?"

"Uh-huh. He said he would play catch with me. At the park," AJ says excitedly. "And he said I can meet Mariano Rivera and Zeke Montenegro!"

I chuckle. "Maybe you can, bud."

I see Zeke saying something to Four, gesturing at me once or twice. Four gives him the scariest death glare I've seen in a long time and says something back.

AJ has fallen asleep on my shoulder, despite my moving around and the sounds on the practice. I'm currently walking around, giving tips. I walk over to Zeke and shift AJ from one arm to the other so I can grab Zeke's arm.

"Stop, Zeke," I order. "Your neck and back are tensing too much right now. Why are you so tense?"

"I'm angry," he admits, glancing at Peter.

"Zeke, that is my business and my business alone," I tell him firmly. "He's already been beat up twice, and Four is helping me take some legal action. The best thing you can do is just ignore him. Apparently AJ and Four are going to the park. Maybe you can come and bring Will and Uri. I don't know. Just leave Peter be."

Zeke relaxes. "Okay. I'll see if I can convince Mariano to say hi to him, too."

I clap him on the back and continue to walk around, giving tips. When I get to Four, who's pitching today, I nod.

"Looking good, Four." I touch his shoulder and let my hand linger there for just a second before walking away.

"I wanna go to the park," AJ whines.

"If you don't stop whining, you won't be going anywhere," I warn.

AJ sighs and goes back to his coloring book. I pull a sweatshirt on and grab some clothes for AJ to change into: his favorite navy blue basketball shorts and a white Yankees tee shirt with "4" and "Eaton" written on the back, and "Yankees" on the front. I hand him the clothes, and he changes.

"Four!" AJ squeals, obviously delighted that he's here.

"Hey, kid." Four steps into my room, followed by Zeke and Mariano Rivera. Rivera squats down.

"Hi," he says.

AJ's eyes are like saucers. "Mariano Rivera and Four and Zeke Montenegro."

All three chuckle. Rivera shakes AJ's hand. "Do you have your cap? I'll sign it."

AJ practically runs to his backpack. He rummages through it and pulls out his peewee league hat. I smile as all three of the men standing there sign it. Four also signs AJ's shirt.

Mariano Rivera claps AJ on the back and leaves, while Four picks AJ up and puts him on his shoulders.

"If you hurt my kid, I'll kill you!" I shout to Four, who's currently running through the halls with AJ on his shoulders. "So who all is coming?" I ask Zeke, who's walking beside me.

"The gang - Chris, Will, you, Four, me, Uri, Mar, Lynn, and Shauna," Zeke answers.

"Sounds good." I see Four letting AJ climb up on him and do flips. "Four Eaton, put my son down, now."

Four sighs. "Fine." Then he puts AJ back on his shoulders and continues to walk.h

"What does the park look like?" AJ asks...again.

"Four already answered that question, Andrew," I say, a warning tone to my voice.

"Uh oh," he says in a small, cute voice. "You're mad at me. You only call me Andrew when you're mad."

"We're here!" Four announces.

I help AJ out and we look around. It's a playground with a baseball field next to it. AJ loves it, though. He grins at Four and then runs onto the field. There are a few other kids on the field. I grab our mitts and follow him. Four follows me, and Zeke and the others slowly come, too.

"- can't play," a boy, probably eight, says. "You're too little, kid."

"But -" AJ protests.

Four steps forward. "It's okay, AJ. You and me and Zeke can go play in the outfield. I'm sure these kids don't mind if we use a little of their outfield."

The kid looks up. "Wh- Four? Four Eaton? From the Yankees? How does he know you?"

Four nods at the boy, and then puts AJ on his shoulders and walks away. We all follow, everyone on the field staring at the three Yankees going to play ball with a kid.

"Thanks for playing with AJ," I say to Four as Uriah and Zeke play with him. Four and I are sitting on a bench, watching.

Al jogs up to us. "Hey, Tris."

"Hi." I don't take my eyes off AJ.

"That your kid?"

"Yes." I hear Four snort very slightly beside me.

"He's cute." Al sits next to me. I move closer to Four.

"Thank you." I glance at him quickly and give him a tight smile.

"Do you wanna go out with me?" Al asks, all in one breath.

I look over at him, surprised. I feel Four tense beside me. "Um. Sorry, Al, but I don't really think of you that way."

"Sure you don't. You had your hands all over me four days ago." He's referring to when I checked his ribs for a break.

"Um, no," I say, confused. "I was checking your ribs for a break, because you told me you thought you had one."

"Yes, you did."

"No, man, she didn't," Four growls. "I was there. Leave her be. Go."

Al leaves. I lean on Four slightly. "Thanks, Four."

He shakes his head. "It's totally fine."

"Look, doctor," I say quietly, "please don't mention what this is for. He doesn't need to know who his dad is or how awful he is just yet."

We look over at AJ, who's sitting on the table, swinging his legs and looking at us. The doctor sighs. "Fine."

"Thank you." I sit nex to AJ. "The doctor's going to prick your arm a little and take a little of your blood, okay? Then he's going to do mine."

"Can he do yours first?" AJ requests.

"Sure I can, kid," the doctor says. He switches out the vials and takes my blood. I don't even flinch, just look at AJ. The doctor puts a little gauze and a piece of medial tape on my arm.

AJ screws his eyes shut as the doctor takes his blood. The doctor puts a smiley face over his needle mark.

"Thank you," I murmur.

"You're welcome. The results should be ready in about thirty minutes," the doctor tells me.

We return to the waiting room, where AJ immediately climbs into Four's lap. He's gotten much more comfortable with Four since he first met him a week and a half ago.

I laugh and pull AJ onto my own lap. AJ hugs me. "I love you, Mommy."

"Beatrice Prior?" the receptionist calls. I stand, balancing AJ on my hip. Four follows us back, a hand casually pressed to my lower back.

AJ now sits in my lap in the office while Four leans against the wall. We agreed that once the doctor got here, Four would take AJ away so I could talk with the doctor.

"This just proves what I already knew," I say. "I knew Peter was the father. And you can match the DNA sample from Peter to the one from his stay in jail for a DUI?"

The doctor nods. "You're good to go, Beatrice. This is enough proof to convince a judge to issue a court order for child support."

I shake his hand and take the file. "Thank you."

"What did he say?" Four asks me. We're driving back to the hotel.

"We just need this as proof," I reply, holding the file up.

Four takes it from me. "Why don't I hold this?"

"Thanks." I lean my head on his shoulder, and he glances down at me quickly.

"Come on, AJ," I order, pulling him along by his arm.

"Stiff!" I hear from behind me.

I spin, putting myself between Peter and AJ. Only...Al is there, too. "What do you guys want?"

"Just to talk," Peter replies, cracking his knuckles. I pick AJ up, run the remaining feet to my room, toss him inside, and start to push the door shut. Al and Peter are trying to open it.

"AJ, baby, get my phone and call Four," I order. He does while I do my best to keep them out. "Tell him I need him."

"He's coming," AJ tells me.

I hear approaching footsteps and then a weight is pulled off the door. I wait a few seconds and open it cautiously. Four has a foot on Peter's throat and is holding Al up by the throat.

Four drops Al and hugs me. "Are you and AJ okay?"

"Yeah. I got us in the room and all, but I couldn't get the door closed, so I had AJ call you." I take a deep breath and hug Four tighter. "Thank you."

Four kicks each of their sides, hard. "Don't ever come near her again." Then he leads me back into my room, where he picks AJ up and hugs him, too.

I look at my phone. It's nearly eight. "Time for bed, AJ," I announce. "Get your PJs on and brush your teeth, okay?"

He sighs but obeys. "Will you tuck me in, Four?" he asks hopefully through a mouthful of toothpaste.

"Go spit and I will."

AJ runs off to the bathroom. Four stays sitting next to me on the couch.

"Thanks for coming, Four," I say quietly. I lean into him slightly.

"No problem, Tris. I wouldn't want you or AJ to get hurt," he murmurs. His arm slides around me just a little.

"Four?" AJ says.

Four stands and leads AJ away. I wait for him to return and, when he does, curl back into his side.

"Thanks. Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Why don't we just sit and talk?" Four suggests.

I smile. "Sounds good."

I wake up in my bed. I don't remember coming in here. I get up and stumble out. Four is sitting with AJ, talking about baseball. Of course.

"Hey, boys," I say, rubbing my eyes. "Why are you still here, Four?"

"Do you want me to -"

"No, it's fine. Just - how did I get into my room last night?" I cut him off.

"Oh. Well, you fell asleep next to me, so I carried you to your room," Four explains, rubbing the back of his neck.

I sit next to him, resting my hand on his warm shoulder. "Thank you, Four. Do you have practice today?"

"No. The rest of the team is getting here today. I was thinking we could go get you introduced to them?" Four suggests.

I haven't moved my hand yet. "That sounds good. When do they get here?"

"Today, anytime. I was thinking we could grab some breakfast, do some practice - I told AJ I would help him with pitching for a little while - and then go say hi." Four smiles at AJ.

I kiss the top of AJ's head. "Sounds good, Four. Do you mind watching him for a few hours? I have some work I need to do."

Four frowns. "I don't want to leave you alone."

"Just for a half hour. Then I'll bring my new files to the field and memorize while you guys play," I bargain.

"Fine," Four gives in.

I hug AJ. "See you in thirty minutes, bud. Have fun with Four."

I start entering the people I've treated so far this week into the computer. It's a dull process, but I get paid to do it. I'm about to leave, and then someone drags me from my chair. I smell the familiar soap and begin to struggle. It's Peter.

He bangs my head against the wall and begins to hit me. I'm dazed; I can't fight back. Then another pair of hands join, holding me while the first ones punch me over and over again.

Then someone knocks on my door and enters. I look up, trying to focus. It's Four, carrying a sleeping AJ. When he sees what's happening, he sets AJ on a table and proceeds to beat both of the men up. Peter tries to get away, but Four grabs his shirt and finishes beating them up. He leaves them unconscious on the ground and picks me up. He lays me on one of the tables.

"What do I do, Tris?" Four asks, sounding like he's trying to control his emotions.

"Lift my shirt," I say, "and gently check for breaks. Gently, Four."

He does so. "How can I tell if there are breaks?" He presses on one last area, and I hiss.

"There's a fracture there," I tell him. "It should go away." I wince. "But my head...he banged it against the wall and everything is dizzy."

Four gently wakes AJ up. "Come on, bud. Can you hold onto my shirt? I'm gonna carry your mommy somewhere and I don't want you getting lost."

Four lifts me up and carries me away. I clutch his shirt and breathe in his comforting smell - like metal with a hint of sweat, and at the same time something heavy and kind of sweet.

I feel very comfortable when Four lays me down. I must be in a bed. But I hear talking.

"- not on the team, Four, and you know it," a man says.

"Please, sir," Four begs.

The man sighs and gives in to whatever Four is asking. Wow, the lights are really pretty in here - all yellow and sun-like.

"Hi, honey," he says. "Do you know what your name is?"

"Beatrice Prior."

He continues to do different concussion tests on me, and then he double checks my ribs for breaks. I found Four's hands to be much nicer.

"Okay, Four. Take her to - wherever, ice her head and her ribs, and stay with her for tonight," the doctor.

"- concussion?"

"No. She's just out of it. She should be fine."

Four lifts me up and carries me away. I reach my arm down for AJ, who grabs my hand. "Are you okay, Mommy?"

"Yes, baby," I murmur. "I'll read you a story later, okay?"

Four sets me down somewhere soft. It's his bed, I think, because it smells like him.

"AJ, stay here with your mother," Four instructs roughly. "I'll be back soon."

AJ comes and cuddles up to my side while we wait for Four. My head is starting to clear.

"Four?" I croak when the door shuts again.

"Yeah?" Four lifts the dozing AJ and puts him on the couch. Then he lifts me up and lays me so I'm in his lap, and he's holding me so I can sit up.

I lean into him. "I think my head is starting to clear."

"Then why are you leaning on me? Not that I'm complaining."

I don't move. "I never said it was clear. Just clear-ing."

Four holds me slightly tighter. "You know...I'm really glad I met you."

"Can I ask why?" I murmur, pressing my face into his neck.

"Because you're great. Because AJ is an amazing kid, and I'm lucky to know you two," he responds.

"I'm pretty lucky to know you, too. I mean, other than the fact that you're helping me with Peter and you don't think I'm weird or dirty or wrong, AJ positively loves you and I can't help but feel safe and loved around you," I admit.

Four wraps his arms around me more tightly. "Thank you, Tris."

"Mhm." I breathe in his scent again. "Where did you go?"

"Beat Peter up again and dropped him and Al off with the doctor."

I make a disinterested sound and lay my head back on his shoulder. "I'm tired."

"Can I let you sleep?"

"No, but you can sleep next to me," I reply, grabbing a fistful of his shirt.

Four kisses the top of my head. "Okay." And with that, I doze off on his lap.

When I wake up again, I'm still cuddled up to Four, but we're laying down in his bed. He's watching me, a small smile on his face.

I move myself away. "Sorry," I mumble.

Four shrugs. "No, it's okay. You're cute when you sleep."

I hesitate. "Why did you come in from the field?"

"It had been much more than a half hour, and AJ started to get cranky," Four explains.

"If you hadn't come and gotten me, I would have died. I guess I'm not as safe as I thought."

"Hey, to be fair, they got the jump on you - you didn't know they were there," Four argues.

"I know." I lay my head back on Four's chest.

"We," Four announces to AJ, Will and I (mostly AJ), "are going to take you to the park for a few hours and give your mommy and Christina some time together."

"Do not feed him ice cream," I warn, "no matter how cute he looks. I guarantee he'll be bouncing off the walls for hours if you do."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Four says.

I sigh and shake my head. "Go."

"Ingrate."

"Go, nerdface," I repeat, smiling.

"So…is there anything going on between you and Four?" Christina asks as soon as they leave. We've already bolted the door and such.

I shrug and lay back on the bed. "I don't know. I kind of want there to be. Remember when Peter and Al beat me up? Last week? Well, the morning after that, I woke up spooning with him."

"Naked?"

I laugh. "No, but the principle applies."

"Do you want there to be anything?"

I sigh. "Yes, I do. A lot. AJ loves him, he's amazing to me, and I really like him. Even though it's only been a month."

Christina bites her lip. "You won't know if it's meant to be unless you try."

"Yeah, but I don't even know if Four likes me. Chances are he doesn't. I mean, I'm small, ugly, small, short, I was raped, so I have issues, and I have a son. Why would he like me?"

Christina take my hand. "Honey, AJ and Peter are not your fault, and Four knows that. He would never think any worse of you for it. And…" She hesitates. "And Four's never acted the way he acts around you around anyone else. Everyone else he just…he just puts his walls up."

I nod slowly. "If he initiates anything, I'll go along with it. If not, I'll just have wet dreams and think about him constantly."

Christina smacks me soflty. "I did not need to know that."

I grin. "That's why I said it. I don't have wet dreams. I never have."

"So…"

"AJ!" I say, picking my baby up.

"Mommy, I wanna get my hair cut," he announces.

"How?"

"I want it to look like Four's." He points at Four's fohawk-thing.

"I do it with gel, bud, not a haircut," Four explains.

"Oh." This doesn't faze him. "Will you do it for me?"

"Sure, sometime. C'mon, AJ, let's get you dressed and off to practice with the big boys," Four says, lifting him out of my arms. We walk to my room, and Four helps AJ pick out some clothes. Then we grab his glove and walk to the fields.

"So he'll be meeting the rest of the team for the first time," I comment.

"When do you come back to practices?"

"Tomorrow." Then I chuckle. "Remember when Max said AJ could only stay for a day?"

"Kid's charming as hell, and cute as a button," Four points out.

AJ runs onto the field when we get there and jumps into Zeke's arms, yelling "ZEKEY!"

The other players chuckles. Zeke grins and hugs him. "Hey, kid. Where's your mom?"

"Present," I mutter and pick him up. "AJ, we don't want to hurt Zeke," I say loudly, grinning. "I mean, we know he's a baby and all, but no need to intentionally hurt him." Then I whisper, "I'm kidding, bud."

AJ looks at Zeke. "I'm sorry."

Then AJ starts laughing, really hard. I chuckle and kiss his head. I put him down, and he looks around.

His eyes widen. "Derek Jeter…Robinson Cano…A Rod…Brian McCann…Michael Piñeda…Mark Teixeira…Jacoby Ellsbury…Ichiro Suzuki…oh my gosh."

"Your kid knows his baseball," Four says.

"My dad, AJ and I used to sit and watch the Yankees games together," I explain. "Dad would explain the plays and which player was which."

Four smiles at me. "Sounds like fun. Have you heard from him?"

I scowl. "AJ!" I call. He turns around from staring at them and comes to me. I whisper in his ear, and he obeys.

"What did you tell him to do?" Four asks.

"You'll see." Just then, he takes Zeke's glove and gives it to me. Zeke doesn't noticed, but Four does.

"Mm. Why?"

"Because Zeke will be looking for it." I turn and put it in the cooler. "We're all good."

AJ is still watching the "big boys," eyes wide and mouth open. I shove Four out to go play with them and pull AJ onto my lap.

Zeke starts to panic when he can't find his glove and makes an idiot of himself. Four is smiling.

I grab it from its place in the cooler and put it back where it was before, and then come and sit with AJ again.

Then someone rattles the fence behind me. I turn and see Peter there. "You can't just eff off, can you, Peter?"

"Not with you. Your boyfriend over there beat me up because of my little lesson to you. I think it's time for another," Peter tells me, beginning to climb the fence. I run out onto the field, straight to Four.

Four sighs and lifts Peter by the shirt. "Dude, how many times do I have to beat you up to get you to understand that she isn't your punching bag or rape toy?"

"She made you beat me up!" Peter snarls.

"No, she didn't. She was so badly beaten that she couldn't see, let alone talk," Four growls back.

"She still made you."

Four sighs and looks at me. "Why do you bother letting him stay on the team?"

I don't answer, just set AJ down. "Hold his head up for me," I order. Four looks at me weirdly, but does so. I peer at his eyes and feel his pulse and then pinch him. He responds a second later. "He's on drugs. Get a cup and make him pee," I tell Four.

I lift AJ again. The other players jog toward us. "What's going on?" they ask.

"Peter's on drugs," Four answers. "Any of you got a cup?"

"I'll go get one," Zeke volunteers. He disappears.

Peter struggles slightly against Four, who doesn't look like he's having any trouble holding him back.

Zeke returns with the cup, and I turn away with AJ, feeling sick at the thought of seeing that...again. Four taps me when he's done and walks me off the field.