See Me - 16. Chapter 16: Until Someday Comes

Cedric headed down the hall and that was when he spotted Detective Morrell and he approached the man, shaking his head. "Please don't tell me they put you on my son's case. Aren't you supposed to be on homicide?"

Trace turned around and he looked at Cedric. "Normally...but I often get a pick at which cases I want and I grabbed it first." He said. "Though, there isn't much to be solved, the man was caught in the act."

Cedric mockingly laughed. "So, you willingly grabbed this case? After you came into my home and threw my son down, when he wasn't the least bit aggressive, and you made him a suspect in a murder?" His eyes narrowed. "You know, congrats on having guilt, and fuck you for trying to get it off your head by using my son and what has been done to him..."

"Mr. Del Raia..." Trace took a deep breath. "I understand why you are upset, but I promise you, I am doing this because I owe your son, I totally jumped the gun without really looking at the facts. Now if you have questions, I'll answer them...and I hope that gives you some sort of peace of mind."

He stared at Trace and then ran his hand over his face as he tried to choke back the urge to cry as he thought about what was done to his son. "Just give it to me straight."

"Okay, apparently...what happened...your son has English first period, and kids were apparently.."

"Hey.." He lifted a finger towards Trace. "No apparently about it, those little bastards have tortured my son ever since he started that high school, we already moved him to a high school further away to distance him from his usual bullies." His eyes narrowed. "A group of them even tried to undress him in the hallway just a month or so ago, I should have realized some kind of fucking danger then. And I...I didn't see it...and I should of..."

"Cedric...we can't predict the future, all we can do is be the best that we can be." Trace looked down. "Anyway, he left the class room and the period ended and another student was getting a tour of the school, the Principal was with him and they heard the noises from the office and opened the door and caught the man."

"And? Did you arrest him?" He asked Trace.

"Well, from what I was told...he yanked his jeans up..."

Cedric turned away and shook his head. "That disgusts me...that son of a bitch."

"Savanna and the student tried to restrain him but he ran out of there. The student ran after him, of course the school is expected to maintain safety, Savanna called for a teacher to track down the student and then the coach to come aid her in assistance and called for emergency services."

"We have a picture of him, all of his information, everything, we have set up road blocks, they are out looking, I swear we will catch him." Trace said, though he knew it wouldn't bring much comfort.

"Expected to maintain safety." Cedric turned towards him. "And the protection they hired..." He shook his head. "You just let me know when you find the bastard, I want to see him...and you can put me in jail...because I will beat him to hell and make him wish to die because not even sex will take away the pain I give to him." He stepped back.

Trace simply nodded, not at all in agreement, but he would let the words linger, understanding the anger of a father after having his child hurt, not so much from personal experience, but he had been on the job long enough to get it.

"Now I have to call my wife and my daughter." He turned and headed towards Emry's room.

Dolph reached over and he took Emry's hand and squeezed tight. "Look, Emry...before I got here...Justin was giving me the third degree. I know I was supposed to tell him, it's a good thing I didn't...because you needed me, but he could have just as well followed me here and...you, more than anyone, you don't need that." He looked up and stared into his eyes.

Emry looked down at their hands and then he looked up at Dolph and returned his gaze.

"Emry..." Tears ran down Dolph's face by this point. "I love you...and I wanted to tell you that for the longest fucking time...and this is so screwed up...yet the moment feels so completely right, maybe because you need it more than anything."

Tears ran down Emry's face and he shook his head. "I...I..."

"No..." Dolph brought his finger to Emry's lips. "I heard the cops on the way in, I didn't know it was you until I got in here, that man is still out there...and I have to find him."

His chest began to push out and fall back in quick rapid breaths of panic as Dolph turned around and rushed right past his dad and out of his room. "Wait..." He spoke up, but it was too late by that point. "Dad...you have to stop him."

Cedric watched Dolph rush out and then he looked at Emry. "What happened?"

"He's going after him...and he's going to get in trouble..." He shook his head. "Go stop him."

Cedric walked over and he wrapped an arm around Emry. "It's okay...don't worry, he just needs to feel like he's doing something, police are out everywhere, they will find him." He pulled out his phone. "We need to call your mother and your sister."

Emry shook his head. "Why? Mom doesn't care...and Lana hates me."

"Lana is angry...but she loves you, and so does your mother, you will see that when drugs aren't driving her life." He dialed Lana's cell phone, figuring she would be easier to reach if Jessica was busy for whatever reason.

Emry laid down and he hugged the blanket close to him, trying to calm himself down, not wanting them to come in and inject him with a sedative, he didn't want to be unconscious or helpless and vulnerable.

"Hello?" Lana answered the phone.

"Lana, it's me, is Jessica around?" He asked, his free hand soothingly rubbing the top of Emry's head.

"Yeah, shes right here...we were just hanging out in her room." She suddenly looked confused. "You sound like you've been upset."

"What's going on?" Jessica walked over to the bed and sat down beside Lana.

"Lana, you better put it on speaker, something really bad has happened." Cedric said.

"Did Emry have an attack?" She asked and then quickly brought her phone down and switched it to speaker.

"Well, for whatever reason...and Jessica, I hope to God you didn't decide to take a stash before we left, because Emry ran short on his medication, and yes he had an attack because of it, collapsed in the hall."

"Cedric, I swear I didn't take anything, I..." Jessica ran her hand through her hair. "I would never take the last little bit he had. I came here to get help."

Lana sat there in silence, she knew their mom didn't take it, she had used it to drug Dolph into sleeping with her.

"Well, it gets worse, So, if you did...you should feel really fucking ashamed." He then dropped the harsh tone. "What happened...it's not easy to say, the patrol officer at the school was hounding him and...when he collapsed, the man...he..."

Lana looked towards the phone and began to nibble at her finger nails.

"What did he do?!" Jessica screamed frantically.

"He took Emry into his office and..." He looked down at Emry and then he turned his back toward him. "Emry...was raped." That last bit was mumbled, not wanting his son to have to hear it.

Lana pulled her hand away and the breath escaped her lungs and she sat there in shock. "Oh my god..." She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"It gets worse, he was awake and aware...as it started, then he went into sleep phase...and awoke as the man..." Cedric closed his eyes. "As the son of a bitch was finishing."

Jessica's eyes widened and she stood up and then collapsed to the floor, sliding down the wall.

He had a feeling that they would both be speechless. He walked over and started to rub Emry's head again, seeing he had closed his eyes by this point.

"Can we...can we talk to him?" Lana asked.

"I think he just fell asleep." He whispered. "He needs to rest, he looked like he was fighting it. I just think...now he has even more reason to be terrified of his conditions, as if he didn't have enough reasons to be afraid, now he has to wonder if people will save him or hurt him."

Lana began to cry and her hands moved up and over her face. "How...how could someone do that?! How could...how could they..." She looked around and began gasping and crying.

Jessica couldn't do anything, she was paralyzed with shock. However she had to do something, to the best of her ability. She finally pushed away from the wall. "Cedric..." She called out as she grabbed the phone. "I can't...I...I'm just...shocked I..."

"Jessica...just take care of one child....and I got the other...and take care of yourself. I got everything under control." He understood the guilt that must have dropped on Jessica for all the years of cruel treatment, though he had no idea of the guilt that Lana was currently facing as she cried hysterically. He pulled the phone away and hung up, looking down at Emry and he pulled up a chair and sat down, he wasn't going to leave his side, not tonight and not any night.

Asia looked up when she heard someone banging on her door as if they were trying to bust it down. She looked over at Dani and her eyebrows lifted. "Someone is seriously PMSing..." She grinned and pushed away from the bed and headed down the hall.

Dani got off the bean bag chair and he followed after Asia as she headed towards the door.

"Okay, which one of you bitches is mood swinging and forgot your tampons? Is it you, Talia? Do you need a fucking Midol? Or maybe it's Siera?! But wait, blow up bitches.." She opened the door to find Dolph on the other side. "..don't bleed, and guys don't need tampons." She stared at him. "I can still offer you a Midol, though. You sound cranky."

Dani stood half way down the hall, and Asia's mistake caused him to start laughing, he stumbled and fell into a lean against the wall as he shook his head. "Assumption is a bitch, that is a concept that is so very true!"

"Get out of my way." Dolph demanded as he shoved past Asia and headed down the hall, looking into both bedrooms until he determined which one was Asia's and headed in there.

"Wow! Just break into my house!" Asia went to swing the door shut, but it was then that Miki caught hold of it, Jesse standing right behind her.

"What the hell is happening? He came speeding in here, squealing tires, acting like he was carrying out a mission!"

Asia looked at Miki and Jesse and she waved her arms. "I'll let you know, when I know, come on in, we'll make a party of it." She turned and walked down the hall to find out what Dolph was doing in her room.

Miki and Jesse headed inside and they walked after Dani as the three teens followed the other two into Asia's room.

"Where is it? I know you're always packing heat and I fucking need it." Dolph looked over at Asia.

She looked at him and crossed her arms. "What the hell do you need heat for?"

"Because...that son of a bitch put his hands on Emry and I'm going to make him pay for it! Now where is your fucking gun?!" He screamed at her.

Dani stared at Dolph. "Well...after you kill him...you can always shove a tampon up his ass. Leave your mark..."

Asia turned around and waved her hand at Dani. "Shush!" She looked over at Dolph. "What do you mean? Are you fucking saying Emry got raped? For fucking real?"

He yanked Asia's closet open. "Stupid dumb asses in English made a bunch of fucking retarded jokes about him, he ran the fuck out and he didn't have any medicine and collapsed in the hall." He frantically flipped through Asia's clothes and then he turned towards her. "Yeah and that's when Patrol Cop Chase came up, thought it'd be a good idea and got caught raping him by Principal Morris."

"Wait..if he got caught, isn't he arrested?" Miki asked, Jesse looked horrified at the news.

"No!" Dolph snapped at Miki. "Bastard yanked his pants up and ran like a bitch!"

Asia turned around and dug into her purse, slipping her gold knuckles onto her fingers. "Okay...Dolph...I'm telling you that you need to calm down and wait before you do something stupid."

"No! I can't calm down and wait! The police might get to him and get him before I do!" He turned towards the closet. "Where is your gun?!"

"I know someone who can help..." Asia turned around and swung her arm with as much force as she could and she punched Dolph across the face, sending him falling back and he landed on the floor. "Now stay!" He wasn't moving any time soon, she used enough force to knock him out.

Miki's eyes widened. "Oh my god! What if you gave him a concussion?!"

Dani stared at Dolph. "Poor guy." However, while he didn't exactly feel empathy for what happened to Emry, he did want to pursue this situation.

Asia frowned. "I had to stop him some how." She shrugged and looked between Dani and Jesse. "Well, don't just stand there...be men and lug his ass somewhere."

"Where the hell do you suggest we put him? And what are we supposed to do when he wakes up? Hell...how come your dad is never home?" Jesse looked at Asia.

"He comes home, but he stays at his girlfriend's a lot, she has a really nice house, shes uh...middle class and he has her thinking he's more than what he really is. He goes out of his way to buy fancy looking clothes at Good Will." Asia looked around. "I know someone who can help...but if we don't have anywhere to put him."

Dani rolled his eyes. "Lets just keep him here, we can gag him and if your dad comes home...Does he care if you're having kinky sex?"

Asia looked over at Dani. "No...and he doesn't ask either."

"Good! Then you got a guy in bed, gagged, because it's kinky hot." He looked around. "Anyone got some handcuffs? Rope? Tape?"

Asia nodded towards her dresser. "I got some handcuffs in my panty drawer, just dig them out and don't make a big deal out of it. Hell, use a pair of my panties to gag him, use two pairs if need be, though socks would be more efficient. And there might be a roll of that silver, gray, tape in a drawer in the kitchen."

Dani nodded and he looked at Jesse. "Go get the tape, I'll get him onto the bed and we'll get him strapped up."

Jesse frowned. "This is so imprisonment and kidnap." He walked out of the room and moved down the hall.

"Don't worry, he only cares about getting Chase, and tell him I am out working to make that happen, I know just how...and who can help us, and for his sake, he better." She wiggled her finger at Miki. "Come on, the girls got to do their part."

Miki crossed her arms and watched as Dani dragged Dolph up and pulled him onto the bed and she sighed and headed out of the room with Asia and towards the front door, passing Jesse on the way as he headed back towards the room from the kitchen.

"We'll call you guys! So, be near the phone!" Asia grabbed her purse from a hanger on the wall and she opened the door, letting Miki walk out first and then she stepped out and shut the door, turning to lock it with her key and then she started down the steps to head towards her car.

Emry slowly began to stir and his eyes opened and he looked around, noticing that he was in a different room, one that looked more like an inpatient room. A sigh escaped, his dad must of had him admitted so that he could go to work with a little peace of mind. His lips stretched into an odd expression for a moment and then he looked over, noticing Dolph's back pack in the chair beside the bed, he must of left it and they put it there when they moved him.

He pushed himself to slide up into more of a sitting position and that was when he noticed the keychain hanging on the outside and a flash drive hanging off of it. He reached over and snatched the bag, pulling it to the bed and he looked at the flash drive.

"Kane and Bub?" Emry looked up and he was smart enough to get the short hand. "Blow up bitch?" It made more sense than someone having the name Bub or having the name Bubba and using that for a nick name, seemed ridiculous for someone to do that, it just made more sense that these were initials, made up by Asia, in reference to Siera.

"I wonder what in the hell could be on here?" He unhooked the flash drive from the key chain and leaned over, dropping Dolph's bag into the chair and he looked at the flash drive. He would need a computer to access whatever was on it, the hospital was full of them, the question was, how would he get access to one of those?

"Oh, you're awake...that's good." A male nurse came in and smiled. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?"

Emry looked up at the nurse. "Unless you happen to let people borrow laptops? Or you can tell me where to find a desktop that I can use..."

The nurse slowly nodded. "Well, if you want to risk getting caught, there is always the doctors library, they won't do anything...but depending on who you run into, they might get really mad."

Emry looked down. "I just need to figure out what is on this flash drive."

"I could always go and get my IPad...it has a USB port...and then you can see what is on it. If you can stand the suspense long enough for me to go to the locker room and fish it out of my locker."

Emry looked up and he grinned. "I guess I can take a little more suspense."

"Good." He smiled, happy to see Emry in better spirits, knowing by the files, exactly what happened to the patient and he felt rather sympathetic for him, especially as young as he was. "I'll just be right back." He nodded.

"Hey...wait." Emry called out as the nurse stopped at the door. "I kind of like you...and sometimes I end up in the hospital quite a bit, if I make you my favorite nurse...I have to know how to ask for you."

The nurse turned towards Emry and he smiled. "I'm flattered, I just do my job, really, and I do it the best that I can, patients like a friendly nurse, someone who can lift their spirits, bring a little sun in, especially if they are full of clouds and rain." He shrugged. "Stupid analogy."

"I think it's kind of funny." He chuckled. "I picture a cartoon happy land."

The nurse grinned. "Well, my name is Christian...it's Christian Tate, ask for me if I'm who you want to see." He chuckled. "I'll be right back." He said, leaving the room, the locker room actually wasn't that far away.

Emry smiled and then he looked at the flash drive. "Kane and Bub..." He shook his head. "What could possibly be on here? What the hell would Kane want with Siera?" He thought over it for the few minutes it took for the nurse to come back.

"Hey." Christian headed over to the bed and offered out his IPad. "There you go. Uh..do you need some privacy? I'd kind of like it back...you know, right after."

Emry took the IPad and grinned, shaking his head. "Whatever is on here...they think it's a secret, obviously it's not...and that secret is about to spread, might as well stay for the entertainment."

Christian grinned. "High School drama...I remember that, not too long ago."

"Ours tend to go beyond drama and into hell." He stuck the flash drive in and then his finger worked across the screen, pulling it up and then lightly tapping the flash drive and there were two mp3 files. "Kane and Bub...and Kane and Justin."

"Bub?" Christian's eyebrows lifted.

"It's not a nick name for Bubba, it's kind of an inside bully joke." Emry tapped the first MP3 and the windows media player popped up and suddenly the sounds of metal lockers banging began, followed by loud moans, the sounds of Siera and Kane as they had sex.

Christian's eyebrows lifted as he listened to the recording.

Emry quickly turned the volume down to a level that only they could hear. He listened until they started spitting out words and immediately he knew it was Kane and Siera. "I was right...Bub is...blow up bitch."

"Blow up bitch...inside bully joke." Christian mumbled. "I guess who ever recorded this is the bully, likely female and...that is what she calls the girl?"

"You should consider being a police profiler." Emry stopped the recording. "Because you were right on all counts." He then tapped the second file and the same sounds began, except this time there was an alteration and Siera had been replaced with Justin.

"And...she hates this Kane guy and wants to make him sound gay." Christian grinned and started to chuckle.

"Well, I'm pretty sure eventually...this fake recording will happen for real." Emry stopped the file. "I mean, not with Justin...obviously, but Kane is kinda in jail and after a few years...I figure he'll get desperate and want some. They all do right?"

Emry went on in a tangent. "And the big bads with the gang affiliations, well they will probably trump him like a bitch, if he doesn't give himself up for protection, and if neither of those two, masturbation just became tiresome. At least those are the prison stories I hear."

"Uh...hold on. He went to prison? So, a lot has had to have happened since this..."

"Yeah, he was that guy that robbed that gas station, the girl he took hostage? My sister." Emry said.

"Oh, wow...I remember hearing all about it on the news." Christian sat in the chair by the bed.

"Yep." Emry removed the flash drive. "Thanks for letting me borrow it." He offered Christian's IPad back to him.

"Any time." He grabbed it and stood up. "Well, I need to take this back and make my rounds, I don't want to run too far behind. Just use your remote and ask for me if you...need me or just miss me." He chuckled.

"Will do." Emry nodded and once Christian left, he looked at the flash drive. "This...could be very fucking valuable." He wrapped his hand around it in a closed fist as he thought carefully about how he could use it or what he should do with it.

Asia turned the wheel and she pulled off the road and into the parking lot of the police station, looking around, she picked a handicap parking space on purpose and pulled right into it, she didn't care if she did get a ticket, she was about to walk out with a ton of money, and if her new plans went as she hoped, so much more.

"Asia, why are we at the police station? And why did I have to ride with you? I could have taken my own car." Liam looked at her from the passenger seat.

"Because of the shock, you might of wrecked. I was going to tell you, but I decided to wait until we were here." She turned to look at him. "You know that patrol officer? Chase? He..." She sighed. "This is not easy to say."

Liam's eyes widened. "What did he do?"

"Emry didn't have his medicine and...well, they said people were being a bunch of stupid jackasses in English class and he ran out and then...well, he collapsed in the hall." She looked down. "Dolph came over very angry, telling me everything. While Emry was cataplexy...Chase drug him in the office and..." She looked up at him. "He started to rape Emry."

Liam's eyes slowly widened. "He did what?!" Liam's eyes closed. "He fucking did what?! While Emry was..."

And in the moment that Liam closed his eyes, Asia yanked the handcuffs out of her purse and quickly swung it around Liam's wrist, locking it and then she yanked the other half around the steering wheel and handcuffed him.

Liam's eyes shot open and he looked at Asia after she handcuffed him to the steering wheel. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

"You think rapists are bad?! They are pretty fucked up! But then you go off murdering and put Emry's bottles there, you stupid bastard!" She quickly jumped over her door since the top was down. "You ain't getting away!" She pointed at him and back stepped towards the building.

Liam watched Asia. "Murdering?! I never murdered anyone! Get back here and let me go!" He started yanking on the handcuffs.

"Not only did my evidence lead to an arrest, I caught you and brought you here, you just wait till I get that big fat reward!" Asia turned around and headed up the steps and went inside the police station.

"Asia! Come back!" Liam screamed as the door shut.

She walked into the lobby and headed over to the desk and slammed her hand on the bell several times. "Hey, bitch."

The secretary looked up at Asia, alarmed and then angered.

"Wipe that look off your face, you are in the presence of a hero today. Get Detective Morrell out here right now, I got what he needs." She up-nodded a single time. "Tell him it's Miss Money Flow, he'll know who you're talking about."

The secretary grabbed the phone and punched in a few numbers. "Detective Morrell, I have a girl out front..."

Asia chimed the bell. "A girl?"

The woman's eye twitched with annoyance. "Miss Money Flow...is out here to see you." She said through gritted teeth, feeling as ridiculous as she sounded.

Detective Morrell let out a bellow of a laugh. "Send her back to my office."

"Sure thing." The woman hung up. "Go through that door, walk along, you'll find his office."

Asia glared at her. "That door should have been accessible to me as soon as I walked in...someone like me shouldn't have to speak to a servant like you." Asia reached into her purse and dropped a penny on the counter. "Change for your troubles." She walked around the desk and headed through the door.

"Asia..." Trace smiled and threw his hands around the back of his head as he leaned back. "I guess now I get to see this evidence, I guess I shouldn't be sarcastic..."

"No you shouldn't." She interrupted him. "You saw Michelle's reaction." She sat down across from him. "Not only do I have evidence that will lead to an arrest...but I caught your suspect and I have him in my car."

Trace's hands fell and his arms crossed on his desk. "You...arrested someone who you hope your evidence will make us arrest? You realize if you restrained him, that is kidnap unless we deem otherwise, right?"

"I know you won't." Asia sat her purse in her lap. "I just have one more...new condition."

"Oh, yeah? And what's that?" He grinned.

"Should this lead to an arrest, I want him arrested on the local news, out of my car and I want you to make sure my Aunt Jackie is watching the whole thing. I want you to make a statement that I brought him to you, that I caught him and that I provided the evidence that lead to his arrest, that I am a hero and was given...said amount of reward money, the whole amount, which should total to sixty grand. Then I want to make a statement on camera."

"Wow..." Trace laughed. "Okay, I will see what I can do about that, and I'll clue your Aunt Jackie in, but I can't guarantee she will watch, but I don't see why she wouldn't, but first...as for the agreement." He looked down at her purse.

Asia gave him a suspicious look and slowly pulled the plastic bag out, it contained the note inside and she tossed it onto his desk. "There is nothing fake about it. That is her hand writing. Her mother recognized it, that is a woman's hand writing, there are even splotches of blood. She must of given the letter to him, once you read the contents, you will have your motive, they always say most murders are crimes of passion."

Trace took the time to pull on a pair of gloves so as not to contaminate the evidence, already noting that Michelle and Asia's prints would be on it. Although, Asia's prints being on it might not be such a good thing, given the gun belonged to her. He opened the bag and took the note out and unfolded it as he began to read it.

Asia looked around the office. "You know you need to decorate. This office looks so old and stale...kind of like what you'd find in Grand Theft Auto." She grinned. "And that animated guy is so not hot." She looked over at Trace.

"Okay..." Trace looked up. "This gives a possible motive...but it definitely doesn't prove murder."

Asia's eyes widened. "Hey! Come on...you have dead ended on this case, it gives you a suspect. Don't you want to look good to your boss? It's enough to make an arrest, you better show some progress before you get in trouble."

Trace laughed and he folded the note and put it back in the bag and tugged the zipper, stopping short to flatten it and push the air out before zipping it all the way. "I guess it could be grounds for an arrest for questioning. It definitely doesn't put this kid away."

"Doesn't matter, the contract said if it lead to an arrest, didn't say if it solved the case." Asia sat back, throwing one leg over the other. "So, I suggest you pay up and get to work on my last condition."

"No." Trace shook his head. "You are correct, the contract did say if it lead to an arrest, sure...but we are not going to blow the top off and go public with this until we know we got the right guy, we have a reputation to protect, I am sure you can understand that."

"Then tell them my evidence lead you to a suspect, don't tell them it solved the case, and tell them you paid me for the lead." Asia shrugged. "That's not a lie. Then you can tell them you will let them know when there are future details."

"I'll have my partner call the media, I'll talk to them, get you a few minutes on camera...but I won't have..." He picked up the plastic bag. "I'm not putting Liam...on camera."

"Fine, and make sure he calls my Aunt Jackie." Asia reached into her purse and pulled out a ripped corner of paper. "That's her number, tell her that it is vitally important that she watches the news, but don't tell her why." She sat the number on Trace's desk.

Emry had hidden the flash drive in the safety of the nightstand next to his bed, hoping that Dolph didn't miss it, he still had to figure out exactly how he was going to use it. He was going over everything in his head, everything that he knew, anything that would be beneficial. The fact that Jesse could manipulate recordings, how angry he was at his sister, blaming her for this happening to him, the idea of Asia cashing in on Mia's murder.

So many things on his mind and yet he had this one thing that he felt he could use for any of them but not all of them. Then there was the idea of making sure Merit's life wasn't ruined by that baby that was created from such an awful mistake that he made.

As he thought about Merit, his attention turned as Merit walked through the door, having called on him to come about twenty minutes ago and it hadn't taken him long to get there.

"Wish I could say I didn't know." He walked over to Emry's bed and grabbed the back pack and moved it to the floor and sat down. "But...word spreads fast."

Emry laid back. "Anyone in English feel guilty?" He asked in a bitter tone.

"I don't know...but they are pretty messed up if they still think it's funny." Merit looked up. "I'd still rather hear it from you than to hear it as second hand knowledge."

"You want it from my perspective." Emry stared straight ahead. "You hope I blacked out."

Merit looked down momentarily. "Did you? Because if you were aware..."

"I was aware, I could hear...I could feel." He looked down. "I could hear every cuss word he said...every time he grunted, the sounds he made when it felt really good, I could feel his hands, I could feel him inside of me, every little thing, and I noticed it all ten times more as I laid there, paralyzed, helpless, unable to talk...unable to move."

Merit stared at him with a look of shock and anger.

"Then I went out, it all went dark, by the time I started to come out...I could feel the warmth of his cum, and he still kept going." He finally looked over at Merit. "And no one knows this, no one will ever know...because you're the only one..." Emry started to cry. "The only person I would ever tell."

"Emry..." Merit reached for his hand.

"When I woke up...I was aroused...it felt good...and he hit me just right...and I orgasmed." He looked down. "Of course...the police know, but no one else. I made Detective Morrell promise that no one else would know...ever."

Merit squeezed his hand. "That is not your fault, don't be ashamed." He shook his head. "Sometimes, it's automatic. You know how...how guys wake up like that, hell...sometimes guys get off just from dreaming, it was just an automatic response, it's how we're made to react, and if...if he wasn't actually, well...physically hurting you or...rather, causing you physical pain, it could happen."

Emry reached up with his free hand and he wiped his eyes. "Yeah, well...I still hate that it happened, it was rape and it makes it feel like it wasn't. It makes it all feel invalidated, like...it was like my body saying yes to him because I couldn't verbally say it, and even if I couldn't...I would never have told him yes, but it doesn't matter, part of me enjoyed it."

"You were unconscious, how could you control it?" Merit shook his head. "Stop that."

"Unconscious, meaning my subconscious loved it." Emry closed his eyes. "I'm sorry...I just hate it, I mean...it makes me feel wrong for...well, it makes me feel wrong for saying it was rape, I just feel like no part of you at all should enjoy it."

"Emry, you can't think like that." He reached up and his hand moved to Emry's cheek, bringing his face around so they could look at each other. "I got your paper...the one you threw on the floor."

"You got it? Why?" He asked.

"Strangely...it was not a paper on Athen...it was your special paper, that was what you wanted to share with everyone, when I realized what it was, I knew you would be upset if anything ever happened to it and so...I saved it for you." Merit explained.

"Thanks...I guess I would of been a little upset." He shrugged. "Athen and I never did the assignment, I had to share something, it just felt so right." He looked up at Merit. "I know we're not together...but you know that the love between us, it exists."

He nodded. "I know it does...and it always will, and that is why you always call me when you need me." Merit looked down. "It's just strange how it's there and we both deny giving in to it and...I'm not sure either of us knows why."

"Maybe on some strange level, the separation makes it feel greater when we actually do come together." His grip on Merit's hand slightly tightened. "Tragedy can feel just as powerful and be just as beautiful as happiness. We come together to hurt together and that is when we love together, just enough to get through it, coming so close and stopping just short, and maybe someday, if we ever happen, it will feel so good."

Merit brought his free hand up to Emry's cheek. "Maybe we can just have another taste." He leaned closer. "Tell me, let me know...we can kiss, just this one time."

Emry shook his head. "No...it has to happen when the moment is so right and so perfect and...that moment is not now." He paused. "I think that moment will come, in it's own time, when it's right, we just have to wait for it."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Merit brought Emry's hand to his lips to muffle the cries that wanted to escape. "I fucked it up, I have a child on the way...all because I did something so stupid..." He lowered his head and he closed his eyes. "I can't ever fix that."

He stared at Merit. "Don't ever believe that it's too late. Life...you never know what life can become, what life will bring to you or what you might stumble upon, where you might end up on the road, or where the paths might change, when you might have to choose to change direction, when...you will be given that option."

Merit looked up, his face soaked in tears. "How can you say that? There is no changing what I did and what has become of it."

"Tell me..." He closed his eyes. "And please don't get upset, it is simply a question." He looked at Merit. "Do you want the child?"

"Emry..I love you." He looked at him through his tears and he shook his head. "I love you so much...but, for even you, I could never not want my child, it's part of me, something beautiful that I helped to create. Do I hate the fact that it happened? Do I regret it? Yes, of course, it's not what I wanted, but it's here and it happened and I have to accept it and I have to do what I have to do."

He drew in a deep breath and he slowly nodded. "I can respect that...but you know, there are ways...and they don't have to include being with Siera. Of course she will be there, a constant reminder, as horrible as that is, but you don't have to be with her to see this through." He looked down. "But...until that solution is found, yes...I have to admit, being with her, making the appearance, it does have to happen, to guarantee the safety of your place within your childs life."

"You understand, so much...and I can't thank you more." Merit sniffled and he shook his head to try and get rid of his tears, blinking several times to clear his eyes.

"For you...I could understand anything." He pulled his hand free from Merit's and reached over and ran his fingers through the hair at the side of his head. "So, you go and make sure you see this through and make the best of the situation, deal with what is now, as I have to do...until someday comes, and when it does...I picture a really pretty sunset."

Merit slowly smiled. "Until someday comes." He wanted to burst into tears again, but he held it back, wanting to appear strong. He gently took Emry's wrist and pulled his hand down and onto his lap. "When someday comes...I'll be ready to meet you in the middle of that sunset." He took a deep breath and he stood up and turned around, heading out of the room.

Emry watched Merit walk out and then he looked down when he heard the door close and that was when his thoughts drifted to the flash drive. "I'll save you..." He mumbled, beginning to realize what he was going to have to do, the first stages of his plan.

Sorry and all apologies for the late posting. Yesterday was an abnormally busy day. Hope you enjoyed the read and stick around for more!