~O~

“Oh man!” Pacey groaned. Jack felt like a ton of bricks.

“HE, HE, HE!” Jack giggled as Jen tried to prop him against the wall while Pacey searched through his pockets trying to find the motel key card.

“OH SHIT!” Jen gasped as Jack almost toppled to the floor.

“WHOA!”

Pacey reached out and grabbed him just in time. Jack’s eyes were closed, and he was mumbling something incoherent.

“Is he gonna be okay, Jen?” Pacey asked, starting to worry.

“Yeah, he’ll be fine…we just need to drop him in a bed for a few hours.” She stood back, wiping her hair away from her face. “Where’s the key?”

“Somewhere in my pockets, will you get it?”

It was taking all of Pacey’s strength to hold Jack still. He kept swaying from side to side as if he’d drop at any second.

“Yeah,”

Jen slipped her hand first into one of Pacey’s front pockets, and then the other.

Pacey stiffened when he felt her hot hand pressed against his thigh within the cloth. He swallowed hard, and stared at Jack’s face; concentrating on holding him still. Jack let out another giggle.

“Yeah, funny stuff, man!” Pacey said gruffly.

“Found it!” Jen said, withdrawing the plastic card from Pacey’s pants.

She fiddled with the door, and finally got it open, and the two of them dragged Jack inside.

“It’s so hot,” Jack mumbled annoyedly as they dropped him on the first bed.

“I’ll turn on the air,” Jen said, smoothing back the hair from her face. She walked over to the air unit in the wall, fiddled with the dials, and after a moment, a cool stream of air wafted through the room.

“Is that better?” She asked as she came back to Pacey’s side where he stood over Jack.

“Yeah…” Jack mumbled. He was sweating profusely…a side effect of Ecstasy. “But I’m hungry…I want food…”

“It’s after 3 am!” Pacey exclaimed. “No ones going to be open this late.”

“There’s a Chinese food place open 24 hours,” Jen said, suddenly feeling hungry herself. “They’re nearby and they deliver.”

“Mmmm…Chinese food…” Jack sighed sleepily.

“Well,” Pacey said, picking up the phone. “Get the phone book,”

Within a half hour, Jen and Pacey were sitting on the floor sucking up chow mien in front of the TV while Jack sat against the bed, half way slumped, and half way passed out in front of his uneaten bowl of Kung Pao chicken.

“This is good,” Jen grunted, as she bit into an egg roll.

“Um-hmn,” Pacey nodded, twirling his noodles with his chopsticks.

“Jack’s missing out,”

“He sure is…”

“MMm!”

Jen sat back, feeling completely stuffed. She picked up her soda, and took a long hard sip. She glanced over at Jack as she chewed on her straw, then at Pacey who sat, eyes glued to the TV.

She never should’ve agreed to let him watch Skinemax with the volume turned down low. She giggled. He was so engrossed in this shoddy, lame-ass B-movie…

She watched him, engrossed herself for a moment.

“What?” He asked, looking up; suddenly feeling her eyes on him.

“You…”

“What??”

“You just look so…so…”

“So what???”

“Nevermind!” She giggled.

“WHAT???” He smiled, obviously interested now. He set down his plate and chopsticks and leaned towards her with bright blue eyes.

Jen looked back at the TV shyly, as a pair of breasts flashed across the screen. Pacey didn’t even notice…he was staring at her.

“I…” She glanced at Jack again, and took a deep breath. “We should get Jack to bed.”

She crawled towards Jack, and gently took the bowl of food out of his grasp. Jack mumbled something in protest, but she just smiled. Pacey crawled over next to her and began clearing the rest of his food away.

“I’ll get his arms, if you can help lift him up,” She said, rising to her feet.

“Sure,”

Within seconds they had Jack off the floor and dropping back into his bed. His head hit the pillow and he smiled pleasantly, eyes still closed.

“Are you sure he’s going to be okay?” Pacey asked as Jen started untying his shoes.

“Yeah…he’ll be okay.”

She went back, leaning down to kiss Jack’s forehead when he suddenly reached up and grabbed her, pulling her down onto the bed beside him in a hug. Startled, Jen winced, a little too loudly with pain at the bruise she had forgotten about on her back, and Pacey looked at her strangely. Pacey reached down and helped her untangle herself from Jack’s grasp, and she stiffly rose up from the bed. Jack reached out again in his sleep, but this time, Pacey grabbed the pillow from his bed, and shoved it into Jack’s arms. Jack clutched it tightly, smiling again, and then after making a few smacking noises with his lips, began to snore comfortably.

“You okay?” Pacey asked as Jen went hastily to the door. The look on her face told him otherwise, but she shook her head and put on a false smile.

“I—I’m fine,” She said, slipping on her jacket. “It’s late…I should go.”

“Spend the night,” He said quietly. She looked up at him.

Jen was tempted.

Being with him and Jack all night, she’d been able to forget about what was waiting for her at home…but she knew she couldn’t. If she wasn’t there for her mother in the morning…

“Nah, Pace…I’d love to, but I can’t.”

“Oh,” He said, disappointedly. She reached for the door.

“Let me drive you home.” He said reaching for his coat.

“No…I’ll catch a cab.” She said adamantly. He slipped on his coat anyways.

“Well…I’ll walk you down then.”

She smiled.

“Okay…”

~O~

“Thanks for taking us out tonight,” Pacey said as they waited near the curb for the sign of the first cab. Jen assured him that one would be by any minute, as was the usual case in any overly populated New York city.

“No, thank you for taking me out.”

Pacey watched her curiously as he saw a somewhat haunted look flash across her eyes. She was thinking about the past few horrible months with her mother…though she wouldn’t mention it.

“…I..I really needed to get out. Thank you.”

“No prob.” He smiled. Then, “Are you sure you can’t stay with us…with me?”

There was a somewhat awkward silence between them.

“No…Pace…”

She smiled sheepishly, but would not look at him.

“I can’t…my mom…”

“Okay…”

A cab came into view, and Jen stepped out to the curb and waived.

“Well…can I see you tomorrow, before we head home?”

The cab pulled up to the curb. Jen thought about what he was asking.

“Yeah…I’d like that,”

“K…for lunch then?”

“Sure.”

He stepped forward to hug her, and Jen almost cringed; squeezing her eyes shut, as he started to wrap his arms around her body; fearing the pain that was sure to ensue.

Pacey paused as he noticed her reaction, but then continued to hold her anyway…

Gently... Without force; without pain.

Surprised, Jen opened her eyes.

She suddenly relished how warm his embrace was…and considered taking him up on his offer to stay. She considered not even going back at all; and instead, running away back to Capeside with her friends; going back to the place she loved, the place she felt safe…the place where she could free herself again...

But the thought only lasted a second; that’s all she would allow. Jen gently pulled away from Pacey, and he let her go. He then opened the door for her, and held it aside as she climbed inside the cab.

“So tomorrow…around 1?” He asked, still holding the door.

“1 would be perfect.”

“Okay…good night.” He was smiling down at her.

“Good night,”

And then he shut the door, and the cab pulled away.

The whole ride home, Jen thought of how tender touch his touch had been…and she longed to feel it again.

~O~

The next morning, Jen awoke to the sunlight on her face.

Who had opened the shades?

“Rise and Shine, Jennifer.” Her mother’s voice cracked out.

Jen sat up groggily. Helen Lindley stood at the foot of her bed, dressed and made up, with her hands on her hips. Jen looked over at her alarm clock. It was only 10:15. She groaned.

“I’m taking my baby out for Sunday Brunch,” Mrs. Lindley said happily.

“Oh, Mom,” Jen sighed, slumping back against her pillows. “It’s too early…let me sleep a few more hours…”

“Jennifer,” She said in that warning tone. “I’ve made reservations…Get up. Get dressed. NOW.”

Jen did as she was told, and rose from her bed. She yawned, scratching her head…and then stretched.

“OW!”

She reached back, and felt the swollen, purple skin on the small of her back. She looked back, lifting up her pajama top, and her jaw dropped at the site of it. It had gotten worse since last night; dark, red, angry…but Jen’s mother didn’t even notice.

“So Jenny, I’ll expect you down stairs in a half an hour. And dress presentable… The ladies will be there, and I don’t want them thinking my daughter’s a slob…or a slut.” The last word was purposely biting. Mrs. Lindley headed towards the door and exited without looking back.

Jen felt the bruise again, and felt a small sting in her eyes at her mother’s callousness. She took a deep breath, and hobbled into the bathroom where she started the shower, and began to undress.

It wasn’t until she looked in the mirror when she realized how severe their fight last night had been. Besides the scratches on her face, and the obvious bruise on her back, Jen had small dark bruises on her chest, shoulders, stomach, and the back of her thighs…

…From where her mother had kicked her.

She felt her tears well up again as she relived the humiliation of it all over again.

For five minutes, Jen stood at her sink and cried.

~O~

Mrs. Lindley loved going to Brunch.

It was her time to shine in the society spotlight.

She and Jen sat alone at a small round table in the center of the restaurant. The center…where her mother could be the center of attention.

Lady after lady stopped to say hello as Mrs. Lindley sipped champagne and ate bits of her fruit and croissant. She smiled brightly, would nod at Jennifer, then the ladies would walk away and her mother would go back to her plate.

Jen just sat staring at her over-priced gourmet crepe pancakes, a knot in her stomach, and her shoulders slumped in rebut. She was thinking about Pacey and Jack…and Pacey holding her for that moment before she entered the cab…

“Jennifer, stop slouching.”

“Yes, mother.”

She made the effort to sit up straight, but it only lasted a moment as the aching and fatigue took over her again.

“Oh…there’s that Patricia Hanson…” Helen sighed disgustedly. “You know, her daughter, Debra, is doing quite well. She’s been accepted to Harvard, and Patricia just dotes on and on and on about her. I hope she doesn’t come over here…”

Sure enough, she did.

“Patricia!” Helen exclaimed excitedly. Mrs. Hanson approached their table. They greeted each other in a false warmness that made Jen want to gag.

“Oh look…Jennifer is home!” The woman sighed phonely. She patted Jen on the shoulder, and Jen offered her what little smile she could.

They chitchatted for a moment, before Mrs. Hanson turned to Jen and asked,

“So, Jennifer…how are your studies?”

Jen was about to answer sarcastically that she was a highschool drop out, when Helen broke in and answered for her.

“Jennifer will be attending school in Paris…”

“PARIS!” Mrs. Hanson wailed out. “Paris! Oh my! That’s wonderful!”

Jen stared at her mother in disbelief. Helen eyed her caustically as she went on, telling lie after lie after lie, trying so desperately to impress the woman before her.

Jen felt her jaw grow tight.

“…and Jennifer is graduating at the top of her class. She’s so far ahead, that she was able to take some time off and come home to visit. Since Brice is away on business, I’ve never been more than happy to see my little girl!”

Jen almost laughed.

She sensed her mother’s anxiety as Mrs. Hanson’s questions became more and more specific. The few times that Jen had opened her mouth to speak, her mother had shot her such an icy glare, that Jen just looked to her lap and said nothing.

But now, her mother’s act was just making her ill. She couldn’t stand to sit at that table for another second.

“Excuse me…” She said, throwing down her napkin and rising from her seat. Her mother stared at her questioningly. Mrs. Hanson watched her too. “I…I need to use the ladies room.”

“Of course, Jennifer.” Helen said curtly, turning back to her friend.

Jen walked away, but instead of heading towards the rest room, she went to the lobby, and asked to use the phone.

“Hi…Pacey?”

“Yeah?” Pacey said groggily as he sat up in bed.

“It’s…it’s Jen.”

“Oh, hey!”

“I’m sorry to call so early…I called information to get your number.”

“That’s okay,” Pacey said gruffly, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He looked over at Jack, still asleep, snoring softly, and then at the clock reading 11:36 on the nightstand.

The line was silent for a moment.

“Jen…what’s wrong?”

“Nothing…”

Another moment passed.

“Jen?”

“Um…”

She just needed to hear his voice. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall clutching the phone to her ear. Her breathing was slow and steady as the knot in her stomach loosened, and she felt herself relax.

“…I wanted to check on Jack.”

“Oh,” Pacey chuckled.

“How is he?”

“He’s still breathing…” Pacey felt himself yawn.

Jen narrowed her brows and frowned.

“I’m sorry to have waken you up so early…”

“Don’t be…it’s about time I get up anyways…we’ve got a date in an hour and a half, don’t we?”

Jen smiled.

“Yeah…we do.”

“Okay.”

“Okay…”

Jen listened to his breathing at the other end of the phone. Pacey listened to her silence.

“So…I’ll see you in a little while,” She said, and quietly hung up the phone.

~O~

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