Chris let himself into JC's house. He'd considered ringing the doorbell but then thought better of it when he realized that the occupants of the house might still be sleeping. Mostly he was afraid of what JC would do if Alice was considering she hadn't been sleeping well since he'd taken her for Beth. And as he walked into the house, he began to believe even more he was right to suspect everyone wasn't awake.

The silence was almost deafening, and the only thing that kept it from being overwhelming was the occasional noises he made. Shutting the front door, locking it behind him, throwing his keys on the nearby table. He figured he'd make some coffee and then see if anyone was up. It was the promise of caffeine that propelled him forward, his soft steps navigating through the house towards the kitchen. It was when he stepped into the living room that he realized someone was up after all.

Justin was sitting in the beat up armchair that JC had positioned next to the couch with his back to Chris. It was kind of creepy in a way, him just sitting there in silence with nothing on. Chris realized he wasn't exactly in a position where he could really watch TV, but if he were Justin he would've turned it on just to have the noise of it. Though, maybe he was sleeping and that was why he didn't have anything on.

Chris took a step forward just as Justin said, "Chris?"

He about jumped out of his skin and then admonished himself for behaving so foolishly. Taking a breath, he tried to calm his now racing heart. Okay, so Justin was awake.

"How'd you know it was me?" Chris asked, letting the bag he'd brought in fall from his shoulder to the floor. He'd had a brief thought that maybe Justin was already beginning to adjust and learning how to use his senses in a way he hadn't before to make up for his lack of eyesight.

"I didn't. I was hoping," Justin said.

Chris instantly frowned. "Why?" He moved so he was able to see Justin's face, looking for any clue as to what was going on. Why he would've been waiting, hoping he'd show up early. "You and JC have a fight?"

Justin began to say no, but then he quickly amended, "Yeah, sort of. But everything's fine. We sort of made up."

Sort of? It was the thought that was running through his mind and his brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of what Justin was trying to tell him. "Okay. So..."

"JC finally got a hold of Beth last night and he's supposed to meet up with her this morning. I made him promise not to go until you or Joey and Lance showed up, but I think he was planning to go no matter what," Justin explained.

"And what? You think I can stop him?" Chris asked, getting the sense for just why Justin had asked JC for one of them to show up. It was pretty clear to him just from what Justin didn't say that told him he didn't think it was a good idea.

Justin's face scrunched up and he looked in his direction. "You have to, Chris. Something's obviously going on with her ex and I don't want him caught in the middle."

"It's his decision if he wants to go."

Justin blindly reached out, and Chris stepped a little closer, allowing him to grab onto his arm. "I have a feeling something bad will happen if he does. Please, Chris."

Chris was more concerned by the way Justin was clutching his arm than what he was saying. He could tell that Justin was worked up over whatever scenario he had in his head that he was convinced would happen and he would do whatever he had to in order to wipe the scared look off his face. It was so unnatural on his face and it wasn't one Chris saw often so he wanted to do what he could to remove it.

"Okay, I'll talk to him," Chris said.

"I'll go with you."

Justin stood up and went to take a step before his feet were truly planted and nearly tripped over the edge of the chair...or Chris's foot. He wasn't really sure which, but he had barely managed to catch him. Though, he knew it'd likely been caused from him standing up too fast because he'd clearly gotten down here on his own okay.

Still, it prompted him to suggest that Justin stay put and let him talk to JC on his own. Justin opened his mouth to object and Chris quickly added, "If you come with me, he'll feel like we're ganging up on him. Besides, he might still be sleeping."

After a bit of hesitation, Justin agreed and blindly groped for the couch, looking for purchase so he could sit down again. Chris watched him with a frown, hating how unsure Justin was and how unnatural it was to see him moving so awkwardly. Everything Justin did seemed so effortless and now the simplest things took more energy and focus than they ever had before. It took everything in him not to interfere though, knowing that would just make things worse.

Finally, Justin had managed to lower himself onto the couch. Once he did, he looked in Chris's direction like he could sense he was still there and was saying, "Well? Aren't you going to talk to him?" which was all the prodding Chris needed. He told Justin he'd be right back and then turned back the way he came, changing direction before he reached the front door so he could go up the stairs.

He paused just briefly at the top before he headed for the master bedroom. As he stepped through the doorway, he immediately noticed that the bed was occupied but it wasn't by JC. Alice's much smaller form was on the one side of the bed, blankets pooled at her waist and one arm curled around a stuffed dog. She was sleeping innocently and looked dwarfed in the large bed. It made him wonder if she'd had more nightmares and that was why she'd ended up in JC's bed. But that didn't explain where JC was.

Chris stepped further into the room, his eyes going to the connecting bathroom. The light was off, which told him JC wasn't in there. He was about to walk out of the bedroom and search the house for him when JC walked out of the large walk-in closet. Their eyes met for the briefest of seconds before JC returned all of his attention to the task of buttoning up his shirt.

"Good, you're here. Now I don't have to call Stephanie," JC said distractedly.

Chris was momentarily thrown by how terrible he sounded - it was clear his sinuses were all stuffed up. It seemed like the lack of sleep the last few days had caught up to him and weakened his immune system to allow him to get sick. But he forced himself to focus on what JC had said, not how he said it.

"Nice to see you too. My trip went well. Thanks for asking," Chris replied sarcastically.

JC rolled his eyes as he buttoned the second to last hole in his shirt. "You know I'm glad you got done what you needed to, but now I have something to take care of."

"Meeting Beth." Chris nodded once, watching JC carefully. He'd moved on to buttoning the cuffs of his shirt and the stiffness in his muscles told Chris he was on edge, likely nervous about what Beth would tell him. "Yeah, Justin told me."

"He didn't send you up here to talk me out of going, did he?" JC looked up at Chris and his eyes narrowed as he realized the answer for himself. His voice rose a bit as he demanded, "Are you kidding me?"

Then his eyes immediately shot over to the bed where Alice was. She was still sleeping, but she did roll over and mumbled quietly. He glanced around for a second before his arm shot out and he roughly grabbed onto Chris's arm, dragging him into the walk-in closet and shutting the door. Chris understood that he didn't want to wake Alice, but it was a weird place to have this conversation.

"Justin has no right to ask you to get involved. This is my decision. Not his, not yours," JC said, glaring at Chris.

Chris frowned at him. He hadn't expected this level of hostility. "He's worried, and based on what he told me, so am I."

"What the hell did he tell you?" JC didn't wait for an answer as he continued, starting to unbutton the shirt as he spoke. "All he heard was my end of the conversation. He has no idea what's really going on."

"From what I hear neither do you. That's why you're meeting her."

For some reason it'd taken JC less time to get the shirt off than it had to put it on and he yanked it off, tossing it aside. He stood there in a wife-beater, hands on his hips as he stared at Chris. "I know that she's in trouble."

"And you think meeting with her is going to change that?" Chris asked. JC didn't offer an answer as he pulled a long-sleeved t-shirt from a nearby hanger and threw it over his head. "It's not. If she's really in trouble, it's the police she needs to talk to, not you."

JC yanked the shirt down, smoothing it out with his hands before he looked at Chris. "You don't understand. She all but flipped out when I told her I'd been getting ready to call the cops if I hadn't been able to get a hold of her."

"That just convinces me even more that the police need to be involved."

JC shook his head. "You don't understand."

"I understand that you're hung up on her and-"

"I'm not!" JC interrupted, his voice firm. "We're just friends."

From the bit of exasperation Chris could detect in JC's voice, he knew this wasn't the first time someone had called him out on the true feelings he had for Beth. There was no doubt it'd been Justin and not just because he was the only one with JC the last twenty-four hours but because Justin knew just when to confront him with it. But it seemed JC still wasn't ready to face what they all knew to be true - it was apparent to all of them that he loved her. He wouldn't be doing all this if he didn't.

"And that you want to help her," Chris continued as if JC hadn't cut him off. "But this isn't something you can fix. The only thing you'll do is put yourself in danger."

"You don't know that," JC said, his voice low. It wasn't filled with anger but something else. Something Chris couldn't exactly put his finger on.

"No, but I know situations like this don't turn out good." JC looked at him confused, like he was wondering just how Chris knew. He cleared his throat and said, "I had a friend in high school. Her father was abusive and her mother struggled to get away from him for years. And any time her friends tried to step in, things just seemed to get worse."

JC looked at him, his jaw set. "That's not going to happen to Beth. I won't let it."

Chris shook his head. JC didn't get it, but it was clear he only had one thing on his mind. He wanted to swoop in and save Beth, and nothing was going to keep him from it. Still, he tried one more thing as a last ditch effort.

"Justin doesn't want to see anything to happen to you, and neither do I. If you go, you're going to get caught in the middle and end up hurt."

JC sighed heavily. "I appreciate what you're saying and the fact that you're worried, but I have to do this. If there's even a chance I can help, I have to try. For Beth, for Alice."

Chris stared at JC for a long moment. He wanted to argue further and point out that he didn't even look like he was up for what was surely going to be an emotional conversation. It was obvious that JC was exhausted and the paleness of skin was a major hint that he wasn't feeling as well as he should be. But he also knew it would be moot because nothing was going to stop him right then. He may not agree with it, but he understood it was something he had to do.

"Okay," Chris said finally. "Just be careful, okay?"

JC agreed and brushed past Chris to open the closet door and step out into the bedroom. Chris turned and watched as he walked over to the bed where he leaned over to give Alice a quick kiss on the forehead. With one last glance over his shoulder at him, JC rushed out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Chris sighed as he leaned against the doorjamb of the closet, praying JC didn't get hurt in this whole messy situation.

**************

JC glanced at the directions he'd printed out from Mapquest, ensuring that he was still on the right track. He was meeting Beth at a place just outside of Orlando and he wanted to make sure he didn't keep her waiting because he got lost. Given the way she'd sounded on the phone, he was sure that if he wasn't there right when they'd agreed to meet that she'd leave.

As he drove, his thoughts ran wild as he tried to imagine just what she was going to tell him. He knew that Chris and Justin were probably right - that something was really wrong with her ex, but he just had no idea what to expect. Beth had hardly spoken of the man and JC certainly had never met him. The feeling he got though wasn't a good one, and his worry just continued to increase the closer he got to the meeting place.

If he was honest with himself, he was also worried about Alice. He knew she was in good hands with Chris and that nothing would happen to her, but Beth had put her in his care. It almost felt wrong for him to leave her with someone she didn't really know. He wondered if Beth had had similar qualms about leaving her daughter with him. They spent as much time together as they could, but sometimes that ended up only being one or twice a year.

For some reason his mind was recalling a particular memory - Alice had been two years old and it had probably been the last time he'd seen Beth truly relaxed. It'd been a warm fall day, almost too warm for the middle of October. But it hadn't mattered much when they'd found a large tree to sit under at the park, relaxing under its cool shade as they ate their lunch. JC and Beth had talked, catching up on everything that'd gone on with them while Alice had played with some of her toys at one end of the blanket they'd spread out. Though the numerous toys hadn't occupied her for long.

JC and Beth had been in the middle of discussing something. He couldn't remember what it'd been anymore, but Alice had interrupted, standing in front of them. "What's this?" she'd asked, holding up a small hand that closed around an equally small feather.

"It's a feather," he and Beth had both answered at the same time. They'd looked at each other and laughed.

JC had gently taken the feather from the toddler's hand and used it to tickle her neck. She'd squirmed and ducked out of his reach, giggling. Beth had wrapped an arm around Alice's waist and had carefully brought her down to lie with them before attacking her stomach, her fingers dancing over her daughter's sensitive skin. He'd sat back and watched with a smile until Alice had pleaded for him to help in between the giggles, and he'd been more than happy to come to her rescue. Together he and Alice had turned the assault onto Beth and she'd fallen onto her back, proving her daughter had gotten her ticklishness honestly.

It'd been such a carefree day, and JC's heart ached with the memory of it. Even though he hadn't seen Beth for longer than an hour the other day, it had been easily apparently that she hadn't had a day like that in a long time. Maybe that had even been the last time. The thought provided him with even more motivation to help her get whatever was going on with her ex worked out so hopefully he could help her have more days like that.

Over the last couple days, almost every time he thought of Beth he remembered the worry lines on her face and the fear hidden deep in her eyes. And the more time that passed, the more he'd come to realize there was nothing he wouldn't do for her. In the back of his mind he could hear Justin saying that it was because he loved her. JC knew in his heart he was right, but he'd never allowed himself to admit it before. It seemed like every time he developed feelings for someone, something would happen and everything would be ruined. He hadn't wanted that to happen with him and Beth. Besides, prior to now he'd had no reason to believe she wasn't happy with Gabe and he would never do anything to jeopardize her happiness.

A horn blared, jarring him out of his thoughts. He blinked and quickly realized that he'd been sitting at a red light that had just turned green for several seconds too long, prompting the person behind him to show their irritation. The fact that he'd allowed himself to get so distracted while driving was unsettling, and he forced himself to focus only on following the directions to his destination. Getting into an accident was the absolute last thing he needed right then.

When he finally arrived at the address Beth had provided to him almost fifteen minutes later, he glanced down at the directions and back up at the street address. According to the directions he'd printed off, he was in the right place. He was thrown by the location as Beth hadn't mentioned them meeting in a public place. When she'd given him the address he'd assumed he was meeting her at her place - a place he'd never seen before. Though, that obviously wasn't the case.

It was a small train station that sat on the edge of the equally small town that was situated shortly outside of Orlando. The parking lot seemed fairly large, but there were only a handful of cars parked. Currently there were no trains in the station and for some reason it helped to give the place a creepy vibe. He didn't understand why Beth wanted to meet here, but he knew she had to have her reasons. Ones that he wouldn't hear until he got out of the car.

JC opened the car door and once standing outside, he made sure to lock it before closing it. He glanced around, looking for the car Beth had driven when he'd met her at Pompano Beach a few days earlier, but he didn't see it. A quick look at his watch told him he was right on time. She should be here.

From where he was standing he spotted stairs that would lead to the upper level, and he started for them so he could have the ability to spot her when she arrived. All of the trains were on the ground level and the only thing he could see on the upper level were a few benches. It seemed like it was meant as a waiting area, and there were a few people that were lounging on the metal benches. One was a young man who looked like he was in college with a large backpack and a duffle bag. On another bench nearby was an older couple that JC could imagine were waiting on someone from an incoming train, maybe a grandchild. There was no sign of Beth, but he didn't want to take a seat as he didn't want to miss her arriving. Not that he'd be able to make himself sit still anyway as his anxiety propelled him to move, sometimes pacing a few steps.

After a few minutes, he abruptly stopped and leaned against the railing that ran along the edge of the platform. He looked to the ground below, his eyes searching for the now red-haired Beth. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he sagged further against the rail, sure that she hadn't arrived yet and growing even more worried by the second. His mind ran wild with all the possibilities of what was keeping her and each one was worse than the last. They were freaking him out and he felt like he was about to have anxiety attack when a sudden light pressured was on his back.

He jumped and quickly spun around, inadvertently knocking the person that'd touched him away. The terror only lasted for a second as he quickly recognized Beth and reached out to steady her before she could fall, having been thrown off balance from him.

"Sorry," he apologized. He wasn't sure how she'd managed to sneak up on him, but he supposed he'd let his thoughts get the better of him and that it'd distracted him enough to not have heard or seen her approach.

Beth shook her head. "It's my fault. I didn't mean to scare you."

JC angled his body more so he was facing her. When he did, his eyes immediately went to the dark coloring on her cheekbone and the small cut just below the bruising. He looked at her, anger rising up in him as he demanded, "What happened? Did he do that you?"

"It doesn't matter."

JC ignored her as he got close and gently prodded the swollen flesh. Beth flinched and turned her face away from him. His anger just seemed to intensify. Though, he did his best not to yell when he said, "Why didn't you tell me he was abusive?"

"Because he wasn't until I told him I was leaving," she said, her voice so quiet it was almost carried away with the wind as she was still facing away from him. She was looking out at the bridge that you had to cross to get to the train station's parking lot.

JC watched her for a moment, trying to determine if she was telling the truth. He knew she wasn't telling him everything. That was why they were there after all, and despite the overwhelming need he had to demand that she tell him what happened and leave nothing out, he knew he had to ease into it.

"We need to get the police involved," he said at last.

Beth spun on her heel, facing him as she strongly objected. "No!"

JC blinked, completely stunned by her reaction. "They can help. They can get a restraining order on Gabe and make sure you're safe," he argued gently, trying to get through to her without sounding harsh.

She sighed. "It's not that easy."

"Don't tell me you're still in love with him." He was repulsed by the very idea that she could have feelings for someone that hurt her. The way she reached out and put a hand on his arm told him that his thoughts had likely been displayed on his face.

She looked him in the eye and said, "No. I realized I haven't for a while. If I ever did."

JC was almost thrown by the admission. He'd suspected that things hadn't been perfect between them, the fact that she hardly ever spoke of him said that much. But to say that she wasn't sure she'd ever loved him? It made him wonder just how she'd ended up with him then, how she ended up pregnant with Alice. Not that he didn't realize things happened and you didn't have to be in love with someone to have sex and become pregnant, but he'd never thought she'd be the type to just jump into a relationship with someone she didn't love.

"Then why?" he asked. "I can help you get a lawyer - make sure that you get everything you need. That Alice is safe and neither of you have to see him again."

He wasn't sure if a judge would actually okay Gabe being unable to see his daughter, but at the same time, he didn't see why not. Kids were a soft spot for most everyone, and if they thought her father might be a danger to her they wouldn't let him have custody. At least he would hope not.

"None of that would stop him," she said, her voice once again going quiet as she averted her eyes. "I think he has friends that are cops. They would believe him over me."

JC scoffed, unable to believe anyone would believe some asshole over her. She didn't have a deceitful bone in her body, and he was convinced others could see it too. "What is he, in the mob?"

Beth raised her eyes to meet his. "In a cult."

JC's eyes widened. "How the hell did you end up with someone in a cult?"

"I think you know," she said softly, her green eyes not leaving his. Though, he could see the fear in her eyes. He couldn't understand why at first because he'd never given her a reason to be afraid of him or his reaction to something as he'd always supported her, but it made sense a second later when what she said clicked.

He unconsciously took a step back in surprise. "You're in a cult?" he exclaimed, his voice getting a bit louder than he'd intended.

Beth looked around anxiously as she bit her lip, like she was scared someone had overheard them. She grabbed onto his arm suddenly and yanked him over to the small brick encased office that was currently empty. "You have to understand," she began, her voice much quieter than his had been. "After I miscarried, I was in a bad place. The thing I'd risked everything for, that I fought with my parents about was gone, and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know where to go."

"You could've come to me," JC said. He'd even asked her to. It'd been around the time he and the guys were getting ready to head to Europe, and she hadn't wanted to impose. She'd said she didn't want to get in the way of what he needed to do.

"You were busy trying to get your career off the ground. It was important."

"You were important too. Are important." JC sighed and a ran a hand through his long hair. "I would've dropped everything to help you, but you kept me at an arm's length. Still do."

She nodded reluctantly, like she knew he was right but didn't want to admit it. "At first it was because I was so depressed and I didn't want you to see me like that. Then when I met Gabe...I guess I thought I was in love and wanted to spend every minute with him."

"And now?" JC prompted. He could appreciate what she was saying, but none of those reasons justified why she'd kept everything from him for so long - why she still was.

She shrugged. "I guess I thought it was for the best." She paused, tugging at a strand of her hand. It was a habit she'd done a lot over the years, but it just looked strange with her doing it to short red locks instead of her long blonde hair. "I only recently realized what was really going on - who Gabe really was. It seemed like keeping you in the dark about it all was the best thing, that it'd keep you safe." She shifted anxiously as her eyes darted around before returning to his. "I still don't think it's good that we're meeting like this."

"I don't need you to protect me," JC said, trying to keep himself from sounding petulant. "If anything, it sounds like you need protecting."

Beth looked away. "I don't think you can protect me," she replied quietly.

JC gently grabbed a hold of her chin and forced her to look at him. "Why don't you tell me the whole story and we'll take it from there, okay?"

"Okay," she breathed. JC released her, and she took a shaky breath, glancing around once more before she began. "I met Gabe through a friend of a friend. He was so nice and he understood what I was going through. Even more, he offered me redemption for what my parents saw as a sin."

JC knew Beth's parents were very religious. They'd freaked when she'd told them she was pregnant as they believe you should only have sex after marriage, and they'd expected their daughter to do so. When they found out she hadn't been the good little virgin they'd wanted her to be, they'd all but flipped out and tried to convince her to get an abortion so no one would find out what'd happened. She'd refused and managed to keep up a good front until she left, calling JC shortly after and breaking down as she relayed how they'd reacted.

"He'd explained to me that he was the head of a small religious group that was much more open. That next to God, love was the greatest force on Earth and his group were like a family." Beth's eyes locked onto his. "I'd been rejected by my parents, and here was a group of people that were willing to take me in, that said what happened wasn't my fault."

JC forced himself not to point out that he'd been just as willing to bring her into his family and that he'd told her countless times not to listen to her parents. Instead he asked, "This is where you fell in love with him?"

She nodded, and JC couldn't help but feel disappointed even though she'd basically already admitted as much. "I'd known him for a couple months, spending a lot of time with him before he offered me an invitation to join his group. I'm still not sure if I was really in love with him or just the way he made me feel like I was capable of being loved."

"I love you!" JC blurted. He felt his face grow warm and he was sure his cheeks were red with embarrassment. It was one thing for him to recognize what Justin had said about him being in love with Beth, but never had he expected to reveal his feelings in such an unexpected way. But then hearing about her desperation to have someone love her had caused something in him to snap.

There was a pause and JC was afraid his confession had made her uncomfortable. He was about to apologize and try to take it back when Beth said, "I know."

JC felt a bit of the surprise she must've felt just moments ago. He hadn't realized she'd known how he felt about her - how he'd always felt. The question now was, did she feel the same?

He got his answer a second later as she reached out, taking hold of his hand and squeezing it gently. The soft smile on her face said it all. "Timing has never been right with us, has it? I wish I'd wised up to what Gabe was up to sooner. Then maybe we could've been together."

JC wanted to point out that they still could, but right then it was more important to know what was going on. It was the only way to help her get her life back - hopefully one where she was happier. "What's he doing?"

Beth took a breath and looked him in the eye. "He was doing experiments on Alice."

JC gasped, pulling his hand out of hers as he stepped back. "What?"

"It's not as bad as you're thinking. It's not like those things in the science fiction novels we had to read in high school," she said, trying to reassure him. She took his hand again. "Alice was never physically hurt. He's been trying to open a channel in her mind - he thinks she's gifted." His brow furrowed in confusion, not understanding what she was saying. She must've realized because she clarified, "He thinks she's psychic."

JC was in total disbelief. He didn't know what to say. Despite what Beth had said, it'd sounded like science fiction to him. And what made it even worse was she believed it. He could hear it in her voice, that she thought Gabe could be right.

"So then what made you decide enough was enough? I mean, if he wasn't technically hurting her." The last part was said with a sarcastic edge, proving he wasn't as willing to believe what Gabe supposedly thought of Alice.

"I said he didn't physically hurt her, but that didn't mean she wasn't in pain," Beth said, her eyes narrowed just slightly. Not in anger at him, but at the memory she was recalling with Gabe doing whatever it was he'd done to her daughter. "What he did was taxing on her mentally. I tried to get him to relax on it, tell him that if she truly had abilities she should be allowed to come into them on her own and enjoy being a kid in the meantime. He didn't agree and pressed her harder."

Tears glistened in her eyes, softening his frustration with her. With a sigh, he pulled her close as he wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. He can't do anything to her now. She's safe," he whispered into her ear.

Beth nodded against his chest. She hung on to him for a moment longer before she finally pulled back so she could look at him. "That's why I left her with you. I knew you'd take care of her and keep her out of harm's way."

JC opened his mouth to say something, but he instantly forgot what it was when someone else spoke. "Gabe thought you might betray him."

Beth immediately stepped out of his grasp and spun on her heel. In front of them were two people - both men. They were average looking, one slightly more muscular than the other but not overly so. The four of them were the only ones standing on the upper level - the older couple and young college student gone, presumably on the train platform below to wait for the train.

He tried to step in front of Beth, sensing something off about the two people standing in front of them. She intervened, putting a hand on his chest and glancing at him briefly as she shoved him back. "Get out of here, JC."

"No, not without you," JC said. He would be damned if he was going to leave her here with people that had clearly been sent by Gabe.

"Aw, isn't that sweet," the shorter of the two guys mocked.

Beth turned slightly to face him, but he could tell she was keeping one eye on the two men. "Go!" she commanded, shoving him much harder this time. She tried to sound firm, but she sounded more desperate than anything.

He glanced at the men once more, knowing they had likely followed her and come to drag her back to Gabe. Given what she'd told him so far, he couldn't let that happen. But he certainly wasn't up for fighting them off either, so he did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed onto Beth's arm and ran for it.

Beth stumbled for a few steps as the sudden movement had taken her by surprise, but she managed to get her feet under her and scrambled to match his longer stride. JC could hear footsteps behind him and tried to run down the stairs to the lower level as quick as possible without falling. Then suddenly there was a crack and Beth fell forward, her hand falling from his grasp.

JC quickly turned, expecting that she'd just tripped only to find that she was lying on her stomach with a red patch spreading across through her thin t-shirt. He stared in horror, his mind managing to put the pieces together. The crack, her falling, the blood...one of those assholes had shot her. She didn't move at all and that was all he needed to know that she was dead.

He wanted nothing more than to kneel by her side and cry, but the guys were nearly on top of him and not slowing down. Clearly getting Beth hadn't been their only objective; they wanted him as well. More than likely they wanted to use him to get to Alice. Well, if that was the case, that wasn't going to happen. Not now, not ever.

JC took off running once more, jumping the last three steps and not even pausing for a second. Not even when he'd landed harder than expected causing him to stumble as pain raced up his ankle. They were on his tail and the relief of him making it to his car was brief because as he fumbled with the keys to unlock the door, one of the men grabbed onto his arm and tried to pull him away. JC yanked his arm, somehow managing to slam his elbow into the guy's nose. It resulted in the man releasing him and it gave JC that extra second he needed to get his key in and open the door.

As soon as he was in, he locked the door while at the same time shoving the key in the ignition. The car roared to life and he quickly threw it into reverse, backing out of the space and nearly running over the guy he'd popped in the nose. He didn't hesitate as he threw it back into drive, practically peeling out as he sped out of the parking lot.

All the while he tried to force back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. He'd lost one of his best friends - a girl he loved - and he hadn't been able to do anything about it. As her best friend he'd failed her, and it was something he'd never forgive himself for.