Marie glared at the beaten woman in front of her. She didn't register who it was until Adrianne spoke.

"I need you to call the police........." She managed to choke through the tears.

"Oh god Adrianne, what in the hell happened?

Hearing Adriannes' name JC jumped up from the couch and opened the front door all the way. Without speaking her lifted the crying girl into his arms and walked swiftly to his Expedition.

"Marie baby, get my keys and my cell!" He yelled over his shoulder.

Marie was still in shock. Tears filled her eyes as she locked the house and jumped in the passenger seat.

"Adrianne I'm taking you to the emergency room." JC said starting the vehicle.

Adrianne heard nothing. The pain was intense and in her mind she blamed herself. Silence filled the car and JC could hear Marie quietly crying.

"Marie? Honey are you ok?"

"I'm fine." She turned her head back towards the window.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the hospital JC carried Adrianne in with Marie right behind. The nurse on duty called for a stretcher when she saw them come through the automatic doors. He laid her on the stretcher as the doctor bombarded him with questions.

"I really don't know what happened. She came to my house like that. We brought her right over."

The doctor smiled. "That was a smart thing you did son. Did you want to come back with her?"

Nervousness filled his stomach as the thought of needles ran through his mind. Marie stepped forward and placed her hand on JCs' shoulder.

"I'll go."

He looked down at her worried eyes. "Are you sure?

"Yeah I'm sure." She kissed JC on the cheek and followed the doctor down the hall.

JC waited until Marie disappeared around the corner before he called Chris.

"Yo!" Chris answered the phone.

"Chris I'm at the hospital."

"Shit, C are you ok? Man what happened?"

"No, no calm down. Adrianne is here. Something happened to her. I don't know what. She just showed up at my door." He could hear a car start through the phone. "Chris?"

"I'm on my way now." The phone clicked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marie observed everything from her chair against the wall. The doctors talked loudly as they stuck Adrianne with needlesand took bloodwork. A nurse walked in the room and over to Marie.

"Are you friend or relative?"

"Uh...I'm a friend."

"Well there are some policeman here that need to take a statement from you."

"Ok." Marie stood and followed the nurse out into the lobby where JC was already talking with the officers, telling them all he knew. The tallest man noticed Marie and walked over to her with his pen and notepad.

"You are Marie, am I right?"

"Yyy..yes thats me."

"And your last name?"

"Knight, Marie Knight."

"Can you tell me anything about Miss Green, or what went down tonight?"

"I don't know what happened to her. All I know is she showed up at my house and we drove her right here."

The officer smiled. "Thank you for your help Miss Knight."

Chris came running through the doorss, almost knocking JC over.

"Where is she? What the hell happened?"

"Calm down Chris." JC placed his hand on Chris' shoulder. "We are trying to figure out what happened. As soon as Adrianne is stable enough these officers will get to the bottom of it.

"Can I at least see her?"

Marie walked over to the nurse at the front desk and asked if Chris could take her place in the room. The nurse smiled and nodded. She spoke to the lady beside her before leading him to Adrianne. Before opening the door she spoke.

"Just a few minutes. Ok? She'll be moved to a room soon."

He nodded and drew in a deep breath. No one was in the room as he looked around. His eyes stopped on the small figure laying in the bed. As he walked closer he could see the blood still dried on her face, and the tubes stemming from her arms. "Oh god...." He said quietly. Tears burned his eyes. She was sleeping so he kissed her forehead lightly and left them room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

An hour later there was a group of people sitting in the waiting room ready to see Adrianne. Everyone was nervous, not knowing what happened was the worst part. Chris had his suspicions in the back of his mind. The bruise, and all the missed dinner plans pointed to Mark. Not wanting to jump to conclusions he decided to talk to Adrianne first.

A doctor emerged from the hall where her new room was. Chris stood up as he came over. "Is she ok?" He asked before the doctor could speak.

"She's sore, but she's a tough girl. She'll be fine."

"Can she have visitors?" Heather asked.

"Thats not a problem, just keep it short and two at a time. She's in room 221."

"Thank you for everything." Lance said before the doctor left.

"I want to see her first. Alone." Chris said not making eye contact with anyone.

"All right man no problem." Joey gave him a slap on the back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Chris looked back and forth between the doors until he came across 221. There was a nervous feeling in the pit of his stmach as he opened the heavy door. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her. "Oh A......"

Her head turned towards him and her heart broke at the look on his face. She started to cry.

"Adrianne what happened?" He took her hand and sat in the chair next to the bed.

"He hit me. Mark hit me. I can't believe I let it happen."

"Why didn't you say something? How long has it been going on?"

"It wasn't like this before, he was such a nice guy."

"Adrianne how long?!"

"For about a year..."

Chris' face fell. He kissed her hand and left the hospital room. On his way through the lobby he announced he was leaving and someone else could go in. Heather and Lance were heading in that direction so they went next.

Chris walked swiftly to his car with JC trailing behind. "C back off man!"

"Where are you going? What about Adrianne?"

"That bastard did this to her!"

"Mark? Wait, what are you going to do?"

"If you're going then get in the car."

JC slid into the passenger seat as Chris started the engine. Thoughts of Mark beating his best friend invaded his mind, causing his temper to flare. I should have seen it. He thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One year and Six months ago.......

All the guys were stressed. The lawsuit was wearing on them and Adrianne was trying to be there for them all. After losing her job on the tour she started work with a modeling company as a scout. Chris had started calling her three or four times a day, each time wanting her reassurance that he was doing the right thing.

Her favorite place to scout was the mall, especially on the weekend. The day she met Mark he was eating pizza in the food court. His dark hair and striking good looks caught her eye as she was grabbing some pizza of her own.

"Excuse me?" Adrianne asked the man. He looked up from his lunch. "I'm sorry I interrupted but I'm a scout for Model Inc. and I wanted to give you my card."

"Thanks but I've got a job. I will take your card though." His smile made her blush.

"You can call me....I mean that number anytime." She pointed to her cell number with her index finger.

"I'll do that." He glanced down at the card. "Adrianne beautiful name. I'm Mark." He stood grabbing her hand. She blushed again as he placed a tender kiss on her palm.

"I've got to get going, so I'll uh....talk to you soon?"

He nodded. She took off out of the food court, forgetting all about her plan for pizza. As soon as she was out of earshot she speedialed Chris.

"Chris I met someone."

"You met someone? Who?"

"I met this guy in the food court. I gave him my card but I think he's more interested in me than the job."

Chris was silent as a hint of jealousy rose in his throat.

"Hello?? Are you still there?"

"I'm here, sorry I'm just tired. Listen I'm glad you met a guy but I've gotta go. Ok?"

"Sure see ya later." Weird, she said to herself. Chris had never been so short with her before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JC and Chris were minutes away from Adriannes' house before Chris spoke. "C, I should have figured it out. I told her I would be there for here like she is for me and I wasn't."

"Don't blame yourself Chris. There were no signs." He looked over at Chris. "Or where there?"

"Now that I know there was a mountain of signs that I should have noticed."

The car pulled into the paved driveway and shut off.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to give that ass a taste of his own medicine." Chris got out and slammed the door, half running up to the house.

Mark had just returned and was packing his things. JC cursed silently as Chris opened the door and walked right in. Following him in he saw blood on the wall and floor. He heard Marks' voice from the bedroom.

"What in the hell are you doing here?"

Chris responded with a punch to Marks' face, knocking him to the carpeted floor. "Who the hell do you think you are? No wait I can tell you. You're a bastard!"

Mark, still stunned looked on from the floor. JC stood on the hall ready to help his friend is needed.

"Get the hell outta here!" Mark tried to stand but Chris prevented him.

"You listen to me you weak piece of shit. Any man who has to beat his fiance isn't worth marrying. That makes you an animal, and if you really loved her........" He stopped mid sentence with his finger still pointed at Mark. "That woman," his voice cracked, "deserves more than the crap you gave her. She means the world to me and I won't stand around watching you tear her down!"

JC stepped forward as his voice rose.

"Now get your shit and take your worthless ass somewhere else!!!"

Mark scrambled to his feet, still wiping blood from his busted lip. He grabbed his duffel bag from the bed and scurried out the door.

"Dammit!" Chris yelled.

"Calm down man, he's gone." JC ran a hand through his hair and sat on the bed. "What now?"

"We should clean the floor and wall before Addy gets back. I don't want her to see it like it is now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marie was the last person to visit Adrianne. Her nerves were shot when she opened the door and walked in.

"I'm sorry for bothering you like that. It's just your house was closest and......"

"Stop! I owe you an apology Adrianne. I've been such a bitch to you and lots of others for to long."

"Apology accepted."

"I think there is something I should tell you and I hope you will listen."

Adrianne scooted over in the bed and patted the space beside her. "Have a seat, I'm all ears."

Marie walked over and sat slowly. "I've been keeping something from everyone, even JC. My father used to abuse me......."