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Bethany lay on her side, looking at the rain pounding the window. She felt like the window, and everyone else in her life was the angry rain. Eventually, if the pounding got to hard, she'd shatter. Bethany continued to look at the window, not out, but just at it. Tears stained her cheeks, and she took in each breath carefully. She finally sat up, running a hand through her rather long blond hair. She didn't understand Nick, but she wasn't assertive enough to confront him. Bethany heard a crack of thunder, fallowed by Jeffery's cry. She sighed, ripping the covers off, dressing, and walking aimlessly down to Jeffery's room. She brought the boy into her arms and bounced him, calming him instantly. She wished Nate would call.

Nate felt a cold nose, on his hand and one brown eye opened only the be greeted by the face of Dallas. He chuckled falsely and propped himself up. "Scared of the weather, Dallas?" he teased, out of all the dogs, the chocolate lab was most like a child. Instead of accepting the offer, to hide in the sheets, the dog opened his jaws and sat Nate's phone, and a slightly damp price of paper on the bed next to his hand.

"What's this?" Nate asked examining it only to find Beth's number. He chuckled, "You wanna see yer' lil' buddy again!" he assumed, but Dallas had seen it. How much happier Nate had been with her, that's all the dog wanted. Nate rolled over onto his back, Dallas, scrambled into bed with him. Nate rolled his eyes and dialed the number, putting his phone to his ear.

Bethany grabbed the phone, seeing as the number was unknown. She assumed it was Nate. She answered the phone quickly, pressing the cold metal to her ear and speaking quietly so Nick wouldn't here.

"Hello?" She said softly.

((Forget the last picture, THIS is how I think Nick looks. http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en ... 29,r:8,s:0 ))

(( And this is how I see Nate when he's older. http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en ... 9,r:13,s:0 ))

Nate was surprised when she actually answered. "Hey." he said, a ting of happiness in his voice. "Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?" he asked quickly. He knew she was bad at hiding things, she spilled her words, and he could tell she was sad... She was too quiet.

(I like the new Nick pic! And I think that's how Nate would look to xD)

"Oh, no. I just...uhm..." She couldn't think of a good excuse so she just frowned and sighed, "Doing nothing.." She finally said softly, looking over her shoulder and fearing Nick would come in at any moment.

"Are you sure? Beth if this is a bad time I can-"

"What the f*ck are you doing?!" Nick snarled, storming into the room, not caring if Jefferey wa there.

"Nick! Don't curse around Jeffery!" Bethany would easily submit, but when it came to Jeffery, she'd fight until her very last breath, "I-I'll call you back." She said into the phone, taking Jeffery tightly in her arms and hanging up.

Nate looked at the phone when the line went dead. Something was wrong, and he knew it.
Thinking he was insane as he jumped up, hurriedly got dressed, and rushed down the stairs. What was he thinking? Surely his constant sorrow hadn't drove him mad? No. He wasn't crazy. That he was sure of, he opened the garage door and ripped a big blue tarp off of a car shape. Then, there before him, stood Atticus's old black Camero... Ghost's Camero... The one they had used to track Heather. He got into the car and it roared to life, all those gizmos and gadgets lighting up. He didn't know where Beth lived, so he typed in her phone number, and a dot appeared on the small GPS screen. Without hesitation he floored the gas and the car roared off.


Nick didn't pay her any mind, he was just there, standing before her. He hit her, hard, with the back of his hand across her face. "You put the boy down. Or I'll kill you and him both! Now talk, you snivling wh*re: What the h*ll where you doing?" he boomed.

Jeffery didn't like the man in front of him, the man smelt foul, and he hurt Jeffery's mommy constantly. Every memory that Jeffery had with the man only meant more pain for mommy, and he loved his mommy dearly. So, when Nick's backhand swept across Bethany's face, Jeffery started to cry frantically.

The crying didn't help the situation, it only encouraged Bethany to hold on tighter to the boy. Her face stung, tears lined her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and tucked her chin down. "No. I'm tired of you." She growled, finally standing up for herself. "You're a bully, Nick. I was wrong to stay with you so long. I'm leaving your sorry a*s. Don't you ever touch me, or my son, ever again." She demanded in a calm, but firm voice. "You won't kill me, or Jeffery. No one is that f*cked up in the head, but some are pretty close. What happened to you? What made you so bitter? You served in the war, you're supposed to have honor. Now look at you, beating your girlfriend, threatening your only son. Scum like you make me sick." Bethany hissed, burning a glare into his eyes, she looked at him, with and erupting fire. And it was that fire that may have just cost her, her life and her son's.

He stood there quietly, his face, showed nothing but a drunkard's rage. Finally, a sinister smirk formed on his face as he approached Bethany and Jeffery. He chuckled, a bit psychotically. "You know what? I'm so happy you finally found your voice..." he said sweetly, brushing his hand over her cheek, then letting it rest there. "And... You're right... I'd never hurt Jeffery..." his face turned wicked in an instant as he clamped his hand around her throat. "I need to strangle the little b*tch holding him!" he snarled, beginning to squeeze her throat, until a familiar voice behind him challenged: "Leave 'em alone you f*cking b*stard!" a sharp, and powerful pain came to the back of Nick's skull. He roared with agony and whipped around, after slinging Beth and the baby to the floor, he cane face to face with Nate.

Nate had been able to get in easily, he simply picked the front lock. He had heard the commotion, came in, and gave Nick a roundhouse kick to the head. And now he stood in a strange fighting pose. Something like a boxer, but with a relaxed karate like body. What no one, not even Heather, knew... Was Atticus had allowed Nate to take MMA up until just a few years ago. Nate's eyes weren't on Nick, who was confused by the moment, he looked pitifully at Beth and her son.

Bethany hated the feeling of not being able to breathe, she hated the blood that rushed to her face and caused a headache, she hated the sensation of slipping. Maybe Bethany did love Nick, maybe she would've have always loved him, if it weren't for him strangling her. And as she was pushed back, and curled around Jeffery, trying to protect him. She didn't focus on who was there to save her, but as long as someone was, she wasn't about to complain.

Bethany sat up on the floor, touching her throat, tears in her eyes. She shot a glance at Nick, mostly just fearing him, but then her gaze rested on Nate. She paused, taken aback by the sight of him. She'd never told Nate where she lived. How did he get in here?

"Son of a b*tch! Nathan Smith..." Nick smirked at the sight of Nate.

Nate glared at him, blinking with confusion. Before he could react. Nick lunged to tackle him. Nate, was lean not raw muscle like Nick. As they fell Nate kicked him in the stomach, flipping him off of him, and allowing Nate to rolled back to his feet. They where now in the hall.

"Gee city-boy, I ain't seen you in ages." Nick growled, slamming Nate into the wall and pinning him.

"Feelings are mutual!" Nate sneered, poking him in the eyes and causing him to cry out in pain. After a brutal struggle (which I'm too lazy to describe XD), the house became quiet again. Then the sound of heavy footsteps, sounded, they where heading for Jeffery's room. But their owner was unknown...

Bethany had been cuddling into Jeffery the entire time, crying mostly. She rocked him back and forth, until the sounds of struggle had died down. The footsteps echoed down the halls and she shivered, preparing herself for the worst.

Finally the footsteps stopped, and Nate appeared in the door way. A dark purple bruise was already shining proudly under his left eye. And blood trickled from his nose. He had managed to kick Nick and knock him out. He blinked, his amber eyes bright from the excitement of the fight.

"Bethany!" he said softly, hurrying over to her and Jeffery, then falling straight down to his knees alongside them.

Bethany instinctively latched onto Nate as soon as he became level with her. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and felt herself sob ever so gently. "Nate.." She said with a type of bitter relief.