Throwing off the covers & sighing, the curly haired boy trudged into the kitchen. He was sure to keep quiet as to not wake Lynn or JC. He got a glass of water & wiped his mouth when he was done. On his way back to his room there was a noise by the door. Thinking he was just tired, he got closer & listened. It sounded like someone falling so he looked out the peephole. When he saw it was Nicole, he ripped open the door.

She slumped against the frame, obviously too weak to stand nor having her walker to be able to. She whimpered as she looked at him & said, “Justin, please...”

“Oh, good Lord!” the 13 year-old cried out. “Nicole, what happened? Where’s your dad?”

“Help me-me. I’ll be good.”

Justin took Nicole’s arms & half carried her inside. “Nicole, what are you talking about?” he asked in a whisper.

“I-can't go back. Please don’t make me. I promise I’ll be a good girl,” she cried.

“I have to get my mom,” he said, nearly in tears himself.

“No! Please, not yet. I just need s-somewhere to stay tonight so he does-doesn’t g-get me a-again.”

“Uh...” Justin wracked his brain as to what to do. If he woke his mom, he’d be betraying Nicole. And possibly putting his best friend at more danger with her father. “Ok. You can stay in my room. Let’s get you cleaned up first.”

Justin carefully helped Nicole to his bed before going to the bathroom & grabbing the first-aid kit. Coming back in, he saw her curled in a ball on his bed. He closed his door & turned on the light before sitting next to her. “I-I got some sweats & a shirt for you but we need to clean those cuts.”

When Nicole merely nodded, he reached for the cotton & peroxide, gently dabbing her arms & cheek. The more she hissed in pain the more tears he had to hold back. He listened as she cried & told what her dad did. He couldn’t believe Mr Evans did this. ‘[i]How could someone do this to a little girl?[/i]’

When he was done, he turned around to give her privacy to change. Then he covered her with the blankets & made sure she was comfortable. As he was grabbing his pillow & extra blanket for the floor, he heard Nicole whimper, “no, d-don’t leave. Can you hold-hold me?”

Justin’s heart broke as he heard her weak request. This was no longer his rambunctious best friend that he could tease & play with. No, the little girl in front of him was broken by her parent, the one person who’s always supposed to love & protect you. He climbed up next to her, carefully wrapping her in his arms. If her own father wouldn’t treat her right, he would. He planned on asking JC for help tomorrow but he’d make sure no one ever hurt his angel again.
---
NEXT MORNING     Justin didn’t sleep at all once Nicole was with him. He alternated between calming Nicole’s crying, keeping watch for her dad & making sure Lynn nor JC heard them.

Before the other 2 in his apartment woke up, he helped Nicole out the door. Her dad’s car wasn't outside so they assumed he didn’t notice she was gone before going to work. They got her a clean change of clothes & Justin saw the broken things around the small apartment. Anger rose through his small body but he kept calm. He didn’t want to scare Nicole so Justin fought an internal battle.

They went back to Justin’s & saw Lynn and JC were dressed to leave. “Good morning, Honey. Where were you?” Lynn asked.

Nicole, who was now in her wheelchair, looked to Justin nervously. “Oh, uh, I went to get Nicole. She’s coming with us since her Mr Evans had to leave early.”

“Ok, no problem.”

JC threw the young boy a questioning look. “Hey, just can I ask you something in the other room?”

“Uh, s-sure, C.” He followed the teen to the bedroom. “W-what's up?”

“Why do you two look like you've been through the war? I heard crying last night, what's going on?”

“I can't tell you right now, I will at the studio.”

“Ok, but if you're in trouble we need to tell Lynn.”

“I will tell you later! We have to go.”
---
Later that day, Justin & Nicole were watching JC film the detention skit. When he was done, he approached them & saw Nicole lean closer to Justin. “J, you said we’d talk?”

“Yeah, we better handle this now.” Justin then turned to Nicole. “Hey, Angel Girl, come on. Let’s go talk to JC, huh?”

JC caught how Justin was trying to calm Nicole’s expression. “Come on, we’ll figure this out.”

Once in the boys’ dressing room, Justin began to speak. “Um, Josh, you know how Nicole had a few bruises the other day? Well, last night when I got up, Nicole was at the door. Her dad hurt her, Josh. We can't let her go back.”

“Are you sure it was Mr Evans that did this?”

Justin nodded, already feeling Nicole shaking from the sobs she was holding. “It’s ok, Nic. Tell him what you told me last night.”

After she had finished her painful story, Nicole was crying & tears were slipping down Justin’s cheeks, unable to hold them back. JC even had tears in his own eyes. He loved these kids like siblings & it hurt them seeing his family in so much pain. He’d always tried to protect them from the normal things teens go through but this never crossed his mind.

He cleared his throat, preparing for asking the hardest question of all three of their lives. “Nicole, Sweetie, can you look at me? Your daddy didn’t – he didn’t t-touch you where he’s not s-supposed to, did he?”

Justin gasped & held his breath. He’d never thought of that. All of this was too unreal. They let out sighs of relief when she shook her head no & then lay it back on the 13 year-old’s shoulder. “Just, we need to tell your mom. She can help us.”

“No! Please don’t. I’ll – I’ll be in m-more trouble,” Nicole cried.

“Nic, Nic, listen to me,” Justin soothed. “I promise you, no one will hurt you anymore, ok? JC & I will make sure of it but we need to tell my mom to make your dad stop.”

“Let’s go find Lynn, kids,” JC said softly. Since the little girl wouldn’t let go of Justin’s shirt, he walked next to her as JC pushed the chair.

Justin whispered soothing words as they walked down the hall. As they rounded the corner looking for Lynn, they saw the one person they didn’t want to. Alan Evans.

“There you are, you little brat.” He grabbed Nicole’s arm & she cried out. Justin pulled the wheelchair back so she was behind him & JC.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Justin screamed. “You're not going to go near her ever again. You’ll have to go through me before you lay another finger on her.”

Alan scoffed, nearly spitting on the boy. “Is that supposed to be a threat? You're a shrimp, I could crush you.”

“No, you won’t,” JC warned, stepping in front of the kids. “Because if you hurt these kids, I’ll break your arm & then have you arrested so fast your head will spin.”

“You want to bet?” the man growled. He then went to punch JC.

JC half smirked, having an excuse to hit the man that hurt his friends so badly. As the fight broke out, Nicole cried out & clutched to Justin’s shirt once again.

The 2 men wrestled to floor, JC getting most of the punches with Alan already half drunk. Tony & Dale ran up, trying to pull him off. “Let me go, guys! Let me go.”

Justin wanted to hit him too, he was almost itching to make the guy pay. But he knew he’d get hurt & in trouble. JC had a better chance.

“Joshua Scott Chasez, stop this instant,” Lynn shouted. After a few more hits, JC stopped but the older boys still had to hold him back. “Now, why on Earth are you hitting Mr Evans?”

Alan smirked evilly, thinking he’d get off the hook. “Mom, Nicole’s dad beat her. He hit her, just look at the cuts on her. She showed up last night & I just had to help her. I’m sorry I-I didn’t tell y-you.”

“It’s ok, we’ll discuss that later.” She took it the visible bruises on the girl & the anger radiating off the boys. Then she saw the rage in Alan’s eyes. “How could you hurt your own daughter? She’s an innocent child.”

“You're going to believe those lies those brats are telling? And that retard got everything she deserved for being a burden. You know how much I had to give up?”

Justin bolted forward, wanting the degrading against Nicole to stop. “Shut up! You know nothing about her. If you did, you would know she’s never a burden!”

JC pulled the struggling boy back, wanting to let him have a shot at the adult but knowing he couldn’t. “Easy, buddy. We’re all upset. Just take care of Nicole & let Lynn handle this.”

He went back to her side, her head falling to his chest as she cried.

A few minutes & a lot of cursing from Alan later, Security, police officers & Child Services were called. Nicole was shaking so bad Justin was afraid she’d hurt herself. Going into the dressing room, they took the kids’ statements & looked over Nicole’s injuries. The cops hauled a yelling & kicking Alan away, confirming child abuse.

Lynn walked into the room, looking tiredly at the kids. This ordeal had gone all day. “JC, can you take them home & then get some of Nicole’s stuff? She’ll be staying with us for awhile.”