Then, a kid being pulled away from a raggedy house while a woman covered her face and cried. The kid, a teenager, was dirty and his lip was b.l.o.o.d.y. When he looked back, there was a man beside the lady, if you could call him a man. He was broader than any normal man with arms like a cartoon wrestler and he looked strangely satisfied, his grin too wide like a clown, as the officers placed the kid, Bish, none to gently into the back of the squad car, lights blaring for all to see the criminal. Bish's thoughts were only for the woman with the monster's arms around her and how he hadn't gotten there fast enough to stop the last beating. And now, his foster mom didn't have him there to save her anymore.

I realized then that this was Bish's perception. His memories were distorted but as real as anything I'd ever felt. This is what his child mind was filled with. Pictures and flashes of monsters of every kind and variety, human monsters. This was what his childhood was like.

I pulled desperately out of his mind and threw my focus to Caleb instead to block Bish altogether, with my hand covering my mouth to hold in the scream. Caleb was fighting to hold himself in check as well, so as not to run to me.

"Oh, Bish," I sighed as goose b.u.mps ran down my arms.

"What's the matter?" Bish asked and bent to see my face as I held tight to his arms for support. "You look a little green, Mags."

What is going on with you?

I heard Bish in my mind but forced it shut. Caleb was watching me with wary eyes, seeing what I had seen through me and his legs twitched, seconds from making their way across the room to rescue me with his calming touch.

I'm ok. It just surprised me, that's all. I'm ok.

He didn't look convinced but nodded slightly where only I could see.

"I'm fine. And I grew up is all." I punch Bish playfully in the stomach and tried to keep my own self in check with a plastered on little smiled. "If you hadn't run off to New York, you'd have noticed how different I looked wasn't so drastic."

He ignored my dig and pressed on.

"What happened, Mags?" His glance flickered to Caleb and Peter. He did not look happy. "Someone better tell me what's going on."

"Oh. Sorry, Bish," Dad said and stepped forward. "I forgot. This is Peter and Caleb Jacobson. This is my son, Bish. He's been interning in New York."

"Nice to meet you, Bish," Peter said and shook his hand.

"Likewise," Bish muttered snidely.

"Bish," I protested.

"They apparently have something to do with this. That's why you're just now introducing them when they've been standing back there the whole time." He went to stand ominously in front of Caleb. "So what is it? What do you have to do with Maggie disappearing?"

Caleb was tall but Bish still had about two inches on him and though Caleb was plenty big in the chest and arms, bigger than most guys I knew, Bish was the biggest guy I personally knew. And he was p.i.s.sed.

I'm gonna have to kill this guy. I can see that right now.

"Bish, no," I protested again and went to stand in front of Caleb. "What are you doing?"

Caleb wasn't scared of Bish, he just didn't want there to be a problem with him and upset me. I felt him grab my arm from behind and squeeze affectionately. I turned to look at him and he smiled, pulling me to his side "It's ok." He held his hand out to Bish. "I'm Caleb. I'm dating Maggie." Bish still didn't take his hand so Caleb lowered it.

"Bish," dad said and put a hand on his shoulder. "Caleb found Maggie. She was kidnapped by some...men. She escaped from them. Caleb and Peter found her in the woods yesterday and brought her home."

"What? Why didn't you just say that?" Bish asked me.

"Well, you were all...on offense," I answered.

Bish chuckled and looked back to Caleb.

"Sorry. She's my baby sister," he explained and extended his hand out to Caleb. "You know."

"I get it," Caleb laughed and shook his hand. "I have a sister too."

"So...you said you're dating? Did you know each other before yesterday?"

"Yeah. We were already dating before that. I was out looking for her."

Bish looked back at me and all humor went away. His mind was confused as to how he should react to this. He didn't know whether to just be happy I was safe or go berserk and ask who needs to die.

"I'm fine," I told him and grabbed his hand. "Really."

"Stop, Mags. It's not like you had a bad experience at the dentist. Ok. You were kidnapped."

"But I'm fine now. I just want to forget it."

He pulled me to him roughly, my head under his chin. I squeezed him, still feeling the slime of his memories of the men and women who had abused him all around me. My chest was tight and I fought to keep tears in check.

"I missed you, kid." He sighed. "I shoulda been here. After mom left... I should have come home to make sure you both were ok." He pulled back. "Has she called you?"

"No."

"Yes, actually," dad answered. "She's called everyday since you were gone."

"You shouldn't have called and told her, dad."

"She's your mother, Maggie."

I leaned my head back and looked at the ceiling.

"Well. I don't want to talk to her. I'm not being disrespectful but she has a lot of things to make up for, with you," I pointed to dad, "before she does with me. She may have abandoned me but she left you, dad."

"Maggie, she's your mother," he repeated with more inflection.

"She's your wife! It's not the same thing."

"You're right. It's not the same thing." Dad came up to me. "You can't hold what your mother did to me against her. She and I will work out our problems or we won't, but that doesn't have anything to do with you and her."

I did not want to talk to her or be talking about her anymore. You just don't do that to people. They were married for a long time, they promised to love each other forever and she just left. How can you do that to someone who had devoted their life to you? What kind of chance did people who loved each other have if they had to worry about the other person flipping out and leaving you one day for no apparent reason. I didn't think that Caleb would ever do that to me but it's only because of the imprint. He can't leave me. His body wouldn't let him.

"Don't," Caleb said across the room and looked at me sternly. "Don't you do that."

I looked at him and bit my lip, suddenly wanting to cry. One minute everything seemed so sure and certain and the next I was in limbo. The truth was...that I missed my mom. I missed her the way she used to be and yet I was so angry at her for the way she was now. She did leave me and as much as I wanted to never see her again, if she walked through that door, I had no idea what I'd do.

I'm sorry, baby.

Caleb walked over and pulled me to him. I breathed him in and put my arms around his middle, letting him calm me.

I'm sorry. I'm such a girl.

He laughed and pulled back to look at me.

"That's the way I like you."

"What am I missing?" Bish muttered under his breath.

"Nothing," I said and scolded myself for forgetting that he doesn't understand everything. "Um, we better get going if we're going to make lunch at the Jacobson's." c.r.a.p, Bish. "Oh, uh. Bish is here."

"It's fine," Peter a.s.sured. "We made plenty I'm sure. Bish you're welcome to join us."

"Ok. Great," he said and looked at me with a raised brow. "Maggie, why don't you ride with me?"

I halted my steps, my body protesting, but, it was only a ride down the street, right? I'd see Caleb in like five minutes. Normally, it wouldn't matter so much but I didn't want to be away from him at all for a while. I sighed and got a grip on myself. I'd have to learn to function like a normal person.

"Yeah," I agreed, my fingers scratching at the side of my thigh and glanced at Caleb, he smiled.

I know it's hard. It's just really bad right now because of everything that happened the past few days. Go with him and I'll see you at Kyle's.

I smiled and nodded, then told Bish I had to go grab my shoes. Caleb, Peter and dad went on and were gone by the time I came back down.

"Ok. Before we leave," Bish said and cornered me on the stairs. "What the heck is going on with you and this kid?"

"Everything," I answered softly and truthfully. "Everything is going on with us."

"What do you mean everything," he boomed.

"Not that. Everything as in- I'm in love him."

"c.r.a.p." He sat down roughly on the bottom stair. "What happened to Chad?"

"What do you mean what happened?" I sat down beside him. "You know exactly what happened. He dumped me."

"Yeah. But I thought you...I don't know."

"And what's up with you? Why were you being such a jerk to Caleb?"

"Why haven't you told me about him?" he countered.

"I don't know." I laid my head on his shoulder. "It's different with him."

"Chad was a tool."

I laughed.

"Yeah. But I thought you liked Chad."

"I did but that's only because I knew he was a tool and nothing bad would come out of you two dating."

"Why does everyone say that?" I muttered.

"And I'm protective with you and all your boyfriends. Chad got his fair share, it's Caleb's turn."

"He's nice, Bish. He's really good to me. He loves me."

"How long have you known him?"

"Doesn't matter. Just be nice to him. He's gonna be around for a while."

"Alright. He did save your life. I can be nice I guess."

He pulled me from the step and opened the door for me.

"How long are you here for?" I asked and as much as I missed him, I hoped he'd be leaving soon.

I was supposed to be leaving with Caleb tonight and Bish knows dad wouldn't let me go on a vaca with a guy. He'd think something was off if I made up something about staying at a friends the night after I was kidnapped.

"No idea." He opened my car door and slumped roughly into the drivers seat of his rented Ford Taurus from the airport. This was so not a Bish car. He leaned his head back on the seat. "I hadn't thought about it. I just couldn't sit up there and wait for news from dad anymore. So I spent my savings on a plane ticket."

"Ah, Bish. I wish you hadn't. I miss you and I love you but I hate that you have to struggle so much. Your boss is such a jerk."

"It's ok. It was worth it. I just don't know what I'm gonna do now. New York is like a different universe, Mags. Everything is so expensive. I barely have any money left over after my bills. I've been working for this guy for almost three years thinking he'd promote me but I'm still his intern."

He looked over at me. I was trying to keep my face neutral so he wouldn't know but his thoughts were desperate.

He hadn't been telling dad and I what a hard time he was having. Apparently, it was really bad. His apartment was c.r.a.p and he was behind on rent. His job was tedious and his boss always had him doing extra errands and things for no extra pay and on his time, threatening to fire him if he didn't do them without complaint. He had to do odd jobs, give blood and walk dogs on weekends just to have money for food. He was thinking about quitting but there was nothing else to do. He'd looked. He wanted to come home but didn't want to ask. He felt like a failure.

"I'm sorry. Maybe you should just come home? Dad would let you move back for a while until you get settled into another job."

He brightened a little.

"I've actually been thinking about that. I even looked at the cla.s.sifieds in the city so I could commute from dad's. I don't know." He shook his head. "I'm not sure what I want."

I leaned over and kissed his cheek and he smiled in surprise at me.

"You should do what makes you happy," I chimed sweetly. "So, how about girls?" I said conspiratorially.

"Girls?" he scoffed. "Got no time for girls," he laughed and cranked the car. "Unless she worked at my boss's coffee shop, I'd never see her."

I laughed and then he did too. It was a sad truth and I didn't blame him but it still sucked. I wanted him to be happy. He wasn't. I hated it.

"I can't believe you're dating that guy. He's very strange."

"What?" I asked, puzzled by why he was bringing it up again.

"I didn't say anything." c.r.a.p. I'd read his thoughts. I'd have to watch it around him more carefully. "Where we headed?"

I spouted the directions and he pulled out.

"So. How's Beck?" he asked.