Episode Forty One

Bowen Cabin

Summer closed the door behind her, but didn't lock it before going on her quest to find blankets. The rain was freezing and she was soaked to the bone, her only thought to get dry. It didn't take long to find the clean blankets in a cabinet, and she quickly grabbed an armful before heading back to the living room. But as she returned, she spotted Pete standing in the doorway. "Pete!"

"Summer," Pete replied, smiling as he wlaked the rest of the way in and closed the door behind him.

"What are you doing here, Pete?" Summer asked, hugging the blankets to her chest. "You don't belong here."

"I belong wherever you are, Summer," Pete replied, quickly crossing the room. "I belong with you."

"No, you don't," Summer said firmly, backing away. "I belong with Jamie. This is his family's cabin..."

Pete sneered at Jamie's name. "You deserve better than him, Summer."

"There is no one better than Jamie," Summer replied. "No one, certainly not you."

Pete moved quickly and grabbed Summer's upper arms, startling her so she dropped the blankets. "Don't ever say that, Summer."

"Let me go!"

"No! You are mine, we belong together..."

"You belong in a pysch ward!" Summer snapped back. "You're cra..." she was cut off as he smacked her.

"Shut up."

"Pete, please, just let me go," Summer pleaded. "You're scaring me."

"You know we belong together, Summer. You know it! Tell me!"

Summer flinched at the harsh tone, but was terrified of what he might do if she refused. "We do, Pete. We do."

Pete smiled and caressed her cheek. "Good, baby, I knew you'd come around," he said.

"I... I need to call my mom, let her know I'm okay," Summer said.

"We can call from the road," Pete replied.

"She'll be worried."

"She'll understand!" Pete said, grabbing Summer's arm again. "Come on, Summer," he ordered, pulling her towards the door.

"Pete you're scaring me!" Summer pleaded.

"You want to call that guy, don't you? The one you've been seeing behind my back!"

"No, Pete! never!" Summer said, praying he'd believe her. "I'd never betray you!"

"Then come on!"

Summer helplessly let herself be pulled out to Pete's car and shoved inside. As he went to walk around she considered jumping out and running, but knew he could catch her. She'd have to wait, but she'd find a way to escape him. She had to for her sake and for her baby's.

Daniel Sr's Office

"What is the meaning of this, Daniel?" Miranda asked as she sat down across form her husband's desk. "You and Aaron missed dinner."

"And where is Aaron?" Daniel Jr. asked.

"I'm aware that we missed dinner, Miranda, and Aaron is upstairs with Jamie," Dnaiel Sr. explained. "Something happened tonight. Actually something happened a year ago and ended tonight."

"What is it, father?" Annie asked.

"A year ago Jamie was... assaulted at a party. Sexually assaulted," Daniel Sr. said, struggling to say the words. "Tonight the man responsible tried again."

"What?" Richard asked. "Is Jamie okay? You said tried, did the bastard get caught?"

"He will be, but Dr. Reed said he was in shock," Daniel Sr. explained. "And yes, the man was."

"How did this happen?" Annie asked. "I heard you telling mother that there were police guards..."

"One of the polcie officers, Officer Powers, was the man who did it," Daniel Sr. said simply. "Jamie asked me to tell all of you, since he knew it would get out anyway and he didn't think he could do it himself."

"It won't be on KTVN," Richard said. "We'll report about Officer Powers being a... we'll report that. But Jamie's name won't be mentioned," he promised.

"It's part of the story, Richard," Daniel Jr. said. "You can't compromise work ethics for the boy."

"I won't put him through that!" Richard replied, angry. "He's a kid. He doesn't... he didn't deserve this to happen and he doesn't deserve the entire town knowing about."

As her older brother's argued, Annie got up. She caught her father's eye and pointed up to let him know she was going to see Jamie. Daniel Sr. nodded, knowing if any of his children could comfort Jamie, it was Annie.

Jamie's Room

Jamie sat on his bed, dressed in sweatpants and a longsleeved shirt, with Aaron sitting across form him still dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Neither teen was saying anything, Jamie too tired and shocked over the events, Aaron wanting to let Jamie take the lead, but at the same time not wanitng to leave the other boy alone. Both teens jumped when the dor opened, but Jamie also scurried back until he hit the headboard.

Annie whinced at the reaction, understanding it, and now finally understanding his startled and fearful reaction the mornign after the first night he spent at the mansion. "It's just me," she said. "I brought some chocalate chip cookies. They temporarily relieve all ills."

Jamie smiled slightly and reached out to take one of the offered cookies. "Thanks," he said.

"Anytime," Annie repleid. "Can I sit down?"

Jamie nodded, his mouth full. "Go ahead," he said after swallowing.

Annie gave Aaron a significant look and he got off the bed. "I better go get some real food before cook heads to her room for the night. She hates trespassers in her kitchen," he said in explaination.

After Aaron left, Jamie cracked a small smile. "Not so subtle," he said.

"I'm crazy and you expect subtlety?" Annie repleid with a smile. "Father told us."

"I thought he would," Jamie admitted, hugging his knees to his chest. "What happened when he did?"

"Mother said nothing, Richard and I were outraged and upset, and Daniel Jr. picked a fight with Richard over whether your name should be mentioned or not in the KTVN reporting of it. Richard refuses to put you through that, Daniel Jr. says it's part of the story so you have to be mentioned. I hightailed it out of there in the middle, but Richie's the boss of the station, he'll protect your privacy."

"Good. it's bad enough I'm an artist and now a model. I don't need everyone knowing I... everyone knowing I let myself get raped."

Annie frowned. "You didn't let it happen! I'm sure you fought!"

"I did, just not hard enough," Jamie replied tiredly. "Of course I was drugged, so that would ahve slowed my reflexes, right? But if that's told, then people'll think I'm an addict."

"Drugged?" Annie asked.

"David Harris thought I was being too uptight, and that if he gave me just enough Ketamine to loosen me up, I'd be fun to have at a party. Excpet he didn't tell me because he knew I'd refuse, and I didn't know why I felt sick. I didn't know so I went outside to throw up, and he was there..."

Annie scooted closer and pulled Jamie into a comforting embrace as he trailed off. "It's okay, Jamie. It's all going to be okay."

Med Center

"Sar, you shouldn't be out here," Julian said as he walked up behind his wife and put his hands on her waist.

Sarah continued to stare in the window of the hospital room at Hank as he lay hooked up to machines. "He'll live, you know. He'll live and be fine," she said, but then a bitter smile crossed her lips. "But he'll never walk again. He won't be able to hurt anyone else the way he hurt Jamie."

Julian closed his eyes, not used to his wife taking pleasure in another's suffering, but he did understand why she did. "He'll still go to prison," he promised. "He won't get away with what he did because he was hurt."

"Too bad he won't feel it if someone does to him what he did to all those people," Sarah said. "The one downside."

"I don't like this side of you, Sarah."

"Neither do I, Jules," Sarah replied, turning to look at her husband. "But can you blame me for hating that bastard? Jamie's a kid, just like all those others he hurt."

"I know," Julian said, pulling her into his arms and rubbing her back. "I know."

Pete's Car

Summer watched the town flash by her as Pete drove through town, a plan forming in her head. Thankfully, he had decided to go back through town, taking the quickest route to the highway instead of the less traveled one. All she had to was hope for a red light and she'd have the chance. As she watched, waiting and hoping, she felt the car slow and heard Pete's whispered exclaimation of annoyance.

"Damn light," he muttered.

Summer's eyes snapped ahead to the light just as it changed from red, back to green. She didn't hesitate a second longer and threw open the door, tumbling out and slamming her shoulder into the road as Pete started forward.

"Hey!" Pete yelled, slamming on his breaks.

Summer scrambled to her feet, one hand clutching her injured arm as she desperately tried to get her bearings and figure out where they were. She spotted the sign for Virginia's, just two blocks away and started running for it, the sounds of Pete's running foosteps following her. If she could just get there, she could get help from Jamie's uncle. 'Please god!' she silently begged, 'Let me get there!'

She risked a glance back and saw Pete was closing, jsut a few feet behind her. Letting out a sob of fear she tried to move faster, though ever footfall jarred her arm, making her want to scream. It was only as she turned into the parking lot that she saw the sign in the door.

End Of Episode Forty One