Upon arriving in the living room, Piper could understand what all the sounds she heard had been about. The TV was broken with a hole in the middle of it. The coffee table… well there wasn't one anymore. It was shattered in pieces. Most items in the room were destroyed including a window.

All Piper could do was look at Jasper with angry eyes but worry quickly took place as she looked her friend up and down to make sure he, contrary to his apartment, was still intact. Once she was sure he was fine, she lost it.

"WHAT HAPPENNED? WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT JASPER?" she shouted.

Jasper took in a big breath. He knew there was no other option then to tell her the truth.

"Take a seat!" he said gesturing to the couch which had surprisingly been spared.

Once the two friends were seated, Jasper started explaining.

"Okay, truth is… my father's a gambler." Jasper explained surprising his companion.

He never talked about his father and Piper surely wasn't expecting that. He was actually opening up about his family problems. She felt her heart quickening in fear of what he was going to say. She never asked questions about his family because she was deeply scared of the reality. She supposed there was no backing up now.

Jasper looked at his friend whose eyes were widening at his confession. He had to tell the whole story this time.

"He owes a lot of money to this very important criminal boss nicknamed the gorilla who makes Rob Moss look like a joke. And I had to hide you because I recognized one of his goons entering the building. I've met him before." He said sombering.

"When?" asked Piper who finally found her voice.

"Well… remember when Char talked about the metal plate I have in my head?" he started.

"No…no, no, no… a donkey kicked you in the head… that's why you have that, right? RIGHT?" asked a distraught Piper.

"Well, that's what I told Charlotte…" he started.

"JASPER!" Piper got up at that point. She didn't know if her nerves could handle where this was going. "Don't tell me that goon did that?"

He took her hand to make her sit down again, but he didn't let go of it as he continued.

"My father owed the gorilla a lot of money, more than he could spare. My mom had already took off on him for her drug dealer who she couldn't pay anymore. She figured it was a good way of paying her debts… anyway my father disappeared from the map for that time being and I was left alone in the house. It happened a little before I found out Henry's secret. I managed pretty well on my own until claiming time came around. Since my dad was nowhere to be found, I had to pay for him and since I didn't have any money except the cash I secretly hid for my future apartment…" he stopped not knowing how to say it.

"They beat you up?" she asked in the smallest voice he ever heard her use.

"To a pulp…" he answered nodding as she gasped. "Thankfully, my neighbor heard the ruckus and called the police. Upon arriving, I was already unconscious, so they called an ambulance, and they took good care of me in the hospital. I still don't know to this day who paid my medical bill, but I sure am thankful to them. The police established it was a robbery even with my statement… I guess the gorilla has connections in the police department. My doctor called the school for my absence, and I told Hen and Char I was at home with a gastroenteritis to make sure they wouldn't try to check on me. I didn't want them to get involved if they knew what really happened".

Piper was crying at that point. She couldn't believe he had to go through that. Even worse, he went through it alone.

"I know you wanted to protect others from that, but you should have told my parents Jasp. They would have helped!" she told him.

"I know they would have tried! But like I said, the gorilla has connections everywhere. I couldn't risk them knowing." He firmly answered.

Piper wanted to argue but she knew he was right.

"So why are they back now? How did they find you? You never told your parents where you were. Hold on… It's my fault, isn't it? They found you because of the video we made!" she said screaming and getting up once more.

Jasper grabbed her hand again and calmly sat her back down.

"Pips, it's not your fault. I didn't think about it. I had almost been able to forget my parents' problems but that doesn't mean they don't exist anymore. I'm guessing my father left town again in huge debts and they came to collect it."

"Please tell me they didn't hurt you this time!" said Piper as more tears came out.

"No, they didn't. It was a warning. They… they'll come back for the money… I… Pips, let's head to the man cave alright?" he tried to say in a calm voice while he was freaking out inside.

'Pay up or your girlfriend gets it!' he heard echoing in his mind. The scene kept replaying in his head. Nick holding Pips' picture from her magazine and crushing it with one hand. His heart dropped a beat at that. He could never tell her that what they threatened him with this time was way worse than his own self. He would make sure Ray would protect her from harm's way and he'd find a way to get out of this mess without involving any of his friends.