Promises

"What's going on?" Rory's voice rose to panic.

"Get off of me!" I pushed the guy further away as hard as I could and finally got a full look at his face. Immediately, I understood why he seemed familiar. "Oh my God." He was Devon's older brother. Back peddling, I headed straight for the closest door.

"Vikki talk to me. What is going on?" I looked behind me, relieved to see the guy didn't follow.

"I need a ride." It took all of what was left of my control to speak clearly and calmly. He was obviously getting worked up as it was. When I got to the back of the bar, I pushed through the large, steal door and went outside into an abandoned portion of the parking lot surrounded by other abandoned buildings. It was a bit bigger than an alley way, but not by much.

"Vikki, what happened? Are you okay? What's going on? Where are you?" There were too many questions, but through them I could hear that he was getting up and getting ready to leave. Through the phone, I heard the front door close and the jingle of keys.

"Dean and I were fighting." The words stuck in my throat and refused to come out.

"Did he hit you?"

"No," I lied.

"Is he with you?"

"No. I'm by myself."

"Who were you talking to?"

"Umm." I couldn't lie again. "It was Devon's brother. I just ran into him, and he started grabbing at me. I'm at the Last Chance."

"That bar on Church Street?" It sounded like he was moving faster.

"Yeah, that one."

He was in his car and the engine started. "Listen, this is not a good time to be in that neighborhood, especially for you. You shouldn't be there by yourself. Is Devon's brother still around?"

"No. I don't know where he went."

"Is Tim working tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Stay inside and stay by him. I'll be there in five minutes. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you until I get there?"

I was shaking my head before realizing he couldn't see that through the phone. "No," I said out loud. "It's fine. I'll be fine. I'll go back inside right now and stay close to Tim."

"Okay," he didn't sound to be in too much of a hurry to let me off the phone. "Five minutes. Stay inside. I'll come in and get you and maybe break that guy's arm."

Just as I was about to reiterate my promise to do what he asked, the back door swung open. "Shit." My hand dropped slightly, lowering the phone from my ear as I saw the person walking towards me. On the other end of the phone, Rory was calling to me, but I couldn't understand his words. "What do you want, Devon?"

"Vikki!" With the single word, I recognized his slur. Less than half an hour had passed since I'd been in his room, but he was already drunk. "Just the girl I was looking for. You know when my brother called and told me you were here, I realized there were a few things I forgot to tell you."

"Get away from me." My voice was far from demanding, too drained to be strong.

"Hmm you know, I think you'll really really want to hear this. It'll really explain some things that I don't think you fully understood." I stepped back as far as I could, stupidly putting my back against a brick wall. "You really are a fucking dumb shit. A back alley, by yourself, at night. How much dumber could you get?"

"What do you want?!" It was a nightmare. Worse.

"Just to explain why a guy like me would be caught dead with a stupid bitch like you. It was prom, remember, when I first saw you, hanging all over Rory like he was God's gift to women, and man do I hate Rory. And then I find out, not only were you and Mr. Do-Gooder close, but you were Rich Winters' kid sister. Two for one. I could piss both of them off at once. I corrupted the innocent little girl they had tagging along, and even took her away from them. You are so fucking stupid if you ever thought I actually gave a shit about you. You were only good for stories to tell my friends." He kept walking forward, but I had nowhere to go. Too soon, he was only inches away.

The phone now hung limply from my fingers, yet to be closed. "Okay, so I was nothing. I am nothing. You said what you wanted to say."

"You know I haven't really decided if I want to be done with you or not. You were good for a personal little emotional punching bag. You just always came back for more." He put his hand on the wall next to my head. I closed my eyes and could only think, 'not again. Not twice in one night'.

White lights reddened my vision, and I opened my eyes to find a car spinning around the corner into the alley. The tires squealed, making Devon turn over his shoulder just as a figured, outlined behind the bright lights, stepped from the car.

"I'm going to rip your fucking head off, Devon!" The intensity in Rory's voice was even more frightening than it had been earlier.

"Easy there tiger. Wouldn't want to risk this one getting hurt or anything, now would we?" He moved closer, putting his hands on my waist.

"Vikki, get in the car." The anger was deeply rooted in his voice.

Devon gripped tighter, pulling me up against him. "Aw, come on. We're not quite done playing yet. You're really going to ruin our fun?" Struggling against him did nothing, he only held tighter. My own eyes found Rory's furious ones, desperate for any amount of reassurance.

He stepped closer, leaving the door open and the car running. "This is your last chance to get your fucking hands off of her."

"Mm and if I don't?"

Rory covered the area between us in fewer strides than should have been possible. Grabbing Devon by the shoulder, he pulled him off of me easy and slammed him solidly against the brick wall, pinning him by the throat with his forearm. "If you don't, I rip your fucking throat out." His breathing was labored, intensified by his anger. "Vikki, get in the car."

"What are you going to do?"

"Get. In. The. Fucking. Car." Not willing to argue with him, I slowly moved away, not taking my eyes off of them as I backed toward the car, my shadow playing against the wall and across they faces. "I told you not to hurt her, to never ever lay your hands on her."

"You can have the bitch. I don't need her anymore."

Rearing back, Riley hit him square in the gut. Once. Twice. "Rory!" I couldn't let him lose control. It was a stupid thing to do. His attention broke to me for only a second, but it was a second too much. Pushing him off, Devon took a swing, narrowly missing Rory's jaw. Quick to retaliate, Rory took a swing of his own, landing right on target, and threw Devon back into the wall.

Too much was going on, one pushed, the other pushed back. One hit, the other hit back. I stood rooted in place, unable to do anything more than watch. Finally, Rory pulled back and hit Devon square in the temple, throwing him off balance and to the ground. He spat, clearing the blood from his mouth.

Picking him up by his shift collar, Rory pulled their faces in close. "You don't come near her ever again or Rich, Me, Tim, all of us we will kill you." Another hit to the face. "And we'll take our time." A final blow before throwing in against the wall and letting him slump to the ground.

Rory stood and turned slowly, catching me staring at him, wide-eyed and breathless. "Get in the car, Vikki." He said one last time, voice rough and breathing heavy, still furious.

I clung to the seat, trying to not look as the road whizzed by faster than it should have. "Rory?" I breathed out, pushing through my panic. His jaw was set in a definitive line, and his eyes didn't leave the road for even a second. "Rory" I tried again, this time with a bit more conviction.

"Give me a second, Vik." I nodded, knowing he couldn't see me, and continued to watch his face. Finally, we began to slow. Until that moment, I was not aware of what direction we had been heading. Then it was obvious that we were pulling up to his apartment complex. He pulled into a spot and killed the engine, but made no movement to get out. His breaths were deep and forced. "Are you okay?" He finally asked, slowly. It was hard to see him in the darkness, but the shadows made him even more frightening.

"I'm fine."

"You're lying."

"Yes," I answered truthfully, "but you're scaring me."

He sighed heavily and took a few more deep breaths before turning to look at me. His green eyes had softened with concern, and there was very little left to frighten me. "I'm so sorry, Vik." Even in the given circumstance, I loved it when he called me that. "I am. I'm usually a lot more even tempered, but that was more than I could handle." He couldn't find the proper word to describe Devon the way he wanted. "I should have made sure you were okay earlier, but I was worried that if you started to cry or started telling me what really happened, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from going back there." He shook his head, unable to finish what he wanted to say. "Do you want me to take you home?"

Too quickly, I shook my head. Rich was the last person I wanted to see me in my current state. Rory was bad enough; the pair of them would be a million times worse. "Okay, come upstairs then and warm up." He opened his door and got out; I did the same. Before I could take a step away from the car, his arms were around me, holding me tighter than I ever remembered, clutching me to his body. Instinctively, I buried my face against his chest as he wrapped one arm around my lower back and the other near my neck, his head dropping down nearer mine.

The quivers from his chest told me he was either near tears or still shaking with anger. "I'm sorry, Vik," he whispered into my hair. The warmth of his breath caused goose bumps to grow up and down my arms. "You're safe now. I promise you're safe. I'm never going to let him hurt you again. I promise." His arms were so strong and warm. I tacitly believed him. "I'm so sorry."

I wanted words to come, something to tell him he didn't need to be sorry, but my brain was too foggy and clouded with emotions I couldn't understand. "Come on, let's get you inside." He pulled away from our hug and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, keeping me close and leading me into the building.

Once we got in, he closed and locked the door behind us. For some reason, being in his apartment made me feel even worse, almost like I was walking into the home of someone I had just cheated on. He started to say something to me, but I cut him off, "Do you mind if I take a shower?"

He was watching me, rather intently, and most likely noticed the change that rippled through me. "Of course," he spoke gently, giving my shoulder a small squeeze, "go on into the bathroom, I'll get you something to change into."

As I stepped away from him, he seemed almost reluctant to let go; his grip lingering for only a fraction of a second longer than necessary. I was in the bathroom for less than a minute before he walked in with a pair of his shorts and a t-shirt for me. "They'll probably be a bit big for you, but they're clean."

Taking them from him, I felt even more saddened. An 'I told you so' would have been deserved from him, but I couldn't imagine that even crossing his mind. Instead, he was doing everything he could to take care of me after Devon proved that everything Rory had ever said about him was all too true. I tried to say thank you, but where could I even begin? Before I could even open my mouth, "You can use the towel on the rack, and the wash cloth on top of it. I just put them out, haven't used them yet. I'll leave you alone. Take as long as you need," he walked out and closed the door behind him.

I set the water to a comfortable level and started the shower, stripping off my clothes and stepping into the tub. The water felt good as I began to scrub myself, but all at once it was not good enough. Devon's face came into view and I scrubbed harder, turning the hot water up a bit more. There were red patches on my skin where I scrubbed, and the heat of the water was almost too much, but I needed it.

Then, I could hear Devon's voice, the names that he called me and the vile things he yelled at me while he abused and mistreated me. I could feel him hitting me, touching me. I could feel his hands all over me. All at once, I was crying, having to lean up against the side of the shower to support my own weight. Then I was falling, sliding, my body slowly slumping toward the base of the tub until I curled myself into a ball, bringing my knees up to my chest and burying my face in them, sobbing uncontrollably.

The hot water rained down on me as I sat, naked and vulnerable. Had five minutes passed since I had collapsed? Ten? All I could do was cry as the room filled with steam, wrapping me in a blanket of warmth that provided no warmth.

There was a knock, just one, gentle and timid. "Vikki?" A tiny creak and an even smaller surge of cool air told me the door was cracked. "Vikki, are you okay?"

The sound of his voice was calming, reminding me that I wasn't alone. "I'll be done in a second, Rory." My voice was clearly choked and shaken with my sobs, something I knew he couldn't not notice.

I could feel his hesitation as he lingered near the door. "OK, I'll be out here waiting, but take your time." His words were purely without subtext. He was not annoyed or trying to rush me. Instead, he was only telling me that he would be there when I got out. He would be waiting to comfort me.

It was only a minute after he closed the door again that I turned off the water and stepped from the shower, wrapping his towel around me. Looking down at my hands, I saw how pruned the skin was. No wonder he was worried, I must have been in for a lot longer than I had been aware of. Once I was dry, I pulled on the shorts and t-shirt he had lent me. As the shirt came over my head, I noticed how strongly it smelled of him, giving me a tickle of warmth that had nothing to do with the foggy air.

When I emerged, he was sitting on the couch in the living room, looking disheartened and concerned. He looked up at me as I walked in and attempted to give me a comforting smile, though it came out quite pained. Without hesitation, I went and sat beside him where he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. His fingers massaged their way through my wet tangles, calming me significantly. His body was warm and comforting, welcoming.

"What happened tonight, Vikki?" There was reluctance, as if he were asking a question to which he did not want to know the answer. I had my own reluctance, but slowly, word by word, the entire story started to fall out of my mouth. Halfway through, I was crying again, causing him to hold me closer, though, from the sound of his breathing, he was close to tears himself. I could feel his heart beat against his ribs and the sound was soothing. He stroked my hair and ran his fingers up and down my arm as I spoke, relaxing me even more.

Once everything was out, he pressed his lips against the top of my head, not kissing, but simply resting himself there. It brought a whole new wave of emotions and guilt, making me wish I were still scrubbing myself in the shower. An uncomfortable feeling rose in my chest. "Today wasn't the first time he hit you, was it?" The words were calm and even, but I could feel the fury behind them.

"I'm sorry, Rory," I choked out, unable to properly answer the question. Even more, I felt that he already knew what it was. His hand tensed into a fist on my arm.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Vik. You've done nothing wrong." He looked down at me and moved his hand under my chin, urging it up gently. Our eyes met for the first time since I stepped out of the shower. His own eyes were stained red with tears, though it didn't look like he had allowed any to escape down his face. "You have done absolutely nothing wrong," he said again, slowly, as if explaining something very important.

"I should have listened to you and to everyone else; you all have been telling me that he was shit."

"Shh," he moved his hand to the side of my face, his thumb covering my lips. "It doesn't matter."

I started to protest, "But what if you get into trouble for what happened", but he shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. Just know that I'm never letting you out of my sight again." A smile flickered to his lips, showing me that he was teasing.

"I think I'm okay with that." I snuggled closer to him, finally feeling at ease. There was more I wanted to say. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was that he had to take care of me, sorry that he might get into trouble for what happened. Sorry that I hadn't listened to him in the first place. Yet, I felt that everything could wait.

Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against my forehead. "I'm just so glad you're okay. I mean, I know you're not ok but you're here. You're back and safe."

"And sleepy." Until the words slipped out, I hadn't even realized how true they were.

"You're always sleepy." I knew immediately that he was referring to the wide range of times I had fallen asleep on him, and couldn't help but smile.

"It's your fault for being so cozy and warm." My body was relaxing in to his, slowly, yet without restraint.

He chuckled shortly. "I'll be sure to stop that immediately." A sigh escaped his lips as I dropped my head against his chest, desperately wanting to hear his heartbeat again. "Do you still not want to go home?" There was a hint of strain in his voice as he whispered the words.

Nothing short of him telling me to leave could have made me go. "If you don't want me to stay then I guess I'm ready to go."

"Didn't I just say I wasn't going to let you out of my sight? I called Rich while you were in the shower to let him know you were here, so if you want to stay, you are more than welcome to for however long you want."

Pulling my knees up onto the couch, I slumped ever further against him. "For the night?" Saying it out loud made me nervous and self-conscious, but he had to know my intentions were purely innocent.

"If that's the plan, kid, we should probably get you settled before you fall asleep out here and I have to carry you to bed. I'll take the couch tonight."

I started to sit up, feeling even worse about how far out of his way he kept having to go for me. "I can sleep on the couch."

"Nope."

"Riley."

"Nope."

"Seriously."

"Nope nope nope." Putting his fingers against his ears, he turned away from me. "La, la, la, la, I can't hear you!"

"Really?" I grabbed at his arm, trying to pull his hands away from his ears. "Riley. You're being ridiculous." Suddenly, the mood was completely lightened, and all the problems of the night seemed a million miles away, simply because Rory acted as if he hadn't a care in the world. "Fine, well, as long are you're not listening, you won't care if I say that I'm just going to go outside and sleep in your car to make sure I don't trouble you any more than I already have tonight. So I'll just see you later." I stood as if about to leave.

The second I turned away, arms came around my middle, "not so fast." Just as effortlessly as he had when I was twelve, he picked me up and slung me over his shoulder. "Looks like I'm carrying you to bed." With his arms wrapped around his thighs, he moved toward the bedroom.

"I thought you weren't listening." Between his shoulder being lodged in my gut and the blood rushing to my head, my voice came out strained.

"I have ESP. Can be quite inconvenient sometimes, especially if you're trying to ignore someone who is just talking nonsense." We reached his small bed room, and he immediately plopped me down onto the bed.

To my great displeasure, I let out a groan of pain as my back hit the mattress. All of the laughter drained from Rory's face. "Oh God, are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't even think." He was frantic, desperate to apologize. In an instant, he looked ready to cry, eyes full of guilt.

"It's okay. I'm fine. I landed on a sore spot, that's all."