He looked down at her, and the look in his eyes Jenny recognized. It was anger and hatred, as usual. But she finally figured out that last look, that one she could never distinguish during her beatings from him. It was terror.
He swung at her again, his face contorted with an animalistic rage.
"Justin, please!" Jenny said, trying her hardest to wiggle out of his reach. She was backed up in a corner of the hotel room. "Please don't hurt me anymore! I didn't mean to! I'm so sorry, so sorry..." Jenny trailed off as yet another blow came into contact with her, this time left cheek. She didn't know what she was even sorry for. She had done nothing wrong, nothing to anger him.
But he had been drinking, so she got bear, regardless of whether or not she deserved it. She had never deserved it.
"Justin!" The door burst open and JC entered the room. "Quit it, now."
Justin stared at him, hit Jenny one more time, and stalked out.
JC rushed to Jenny's side and hugged her, rocking her from side to side.
"Make him stop it, JC," Jenny cried. "Make him stop...Please, just make him stop."
"I'm trying," JC whispered in her ear. "It'll be ok, Jen, it'll be fine."
"Will it?" Jenny asked, sobbing onto his shoulder. "I don't know how much more I can take."
"Shh," JC whispered. "We'll get him some help and..."
"No!" Jenny pushed JC away from her and her face registered fear. "We can't tell anyone!" Jenny was pleading with him now. "No one."
"For God's sake, why not?" JC asked, running a hand through his thick black hair.
"He'll know it was me and you, and he'll beat me, and I don't know if I'd..." Jenny trailed off, unwilling to admit she honestly thought he was able to kill her.
"You need help!" JC protested.
"No," Jenny said firmly.
JC looked at her and groaned. His life was so complicated, what with having to always protect Jenny from Justin everytime Justin drank, having a career that you couldn't simply leave at the office, and then there was the small problem of how he felt about Jenny. He loved her, but he couldn'd say anything for one reasons. Justin might freak out and beat Jenny or even him.
JC's heart filled with love for the girl laying huddled in a corner in front of him, her black hair hanging into her face.
"Fine," JC consented, unable to disagree with her, even if it was for her own good. "Let's get you cleaned up, eh?"
Jenny smiled up at JC. "Thank you."
JC lifted Jenny off the floor and took her to the bathroom, where he washed out her cuts, put Band-Aids on, and kissed her bruises.
"Better now?" JC asked, lifting her off the vanity and setting her on her feet. She was a little short, so he had always had to lift her on and off of the vanity when something like this happened.
"Much," Jenny whispered. "But now I just want to go to bed. Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"
JC looked at her questioningly. He'd never received that particular request before, not that he'd turn it down.
"I'm scared," Jenny whispered sheepishly.
JC nodded. "Alright."
JC watched as she climbed into bed and huddled down under the covers.
"Will you sing me to sleep?" Jenny looked up at JC hopefully.
"Yeah," JC smiled. He had the perfect song for her. And it was by them, too.
"Thank you, JC," Jenna smiled up at him. "I thought you might not do it, but it was always worth a try."
Why would I say no to anything you ask of me? JC almost said aloud, but managed to sing instead.
When clouds above you
Start to pour
And all of your doubts
Rage like a storm
And you don't know
Who you are anymore
Let me help you find
What you been searchin' for
Somewhere
There's a field and a river
Somewhere
You can let your soul run free
Someday
Let me be the giver
Let me bring you peace
JC smiled and finished his song, even though Jenny was practically asleep.
Even after she fell asleep, her face stayed tense and scared. And the more he watched her sleep with terror on his face, the angrier he got at Justin and the more he felt his heart breaking into a million tiny pieces.