“Hmm?” He glanced up from the paperwork spread out across the kitchen table.

“Do you think you may have gone overboard here?” She pointed at the top two shelves of the refrigerator which were packed with various bottled drinks. There were neat rows of orange juice, apple juice, grape juice, cranberry juice, water, tea, sports drinks, sodas, lemonade and Starbucks coffee drinks.

“I wanted to make sure you had some choices.” He watched as she grabbed a bottle of lemonade, unscrewed the top and took a drink.

“So that’s why the garage looks like a warehouse club?” She grinned as she sat down and glanced at the papers spread out in front of him, “What’s all this?”

He rolled his eyes, “Stuff for the European tour. Dates and crap.”

“What date do you have to leave?”

“We’re leaving at the end of the month...” he shifted some pages around, “The 22nd. We go to London first.”

“OK.” She nodded, “You remember my doctor’s appointment is today right? I have to be there in an hour.”

He crossed the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, “Yeah. I have nothing going on all afternoon, so I’m good to go.” Sitting down and reaching for her hand he caught her eye, “Are you sure you want to do this? Because you don’t have to do anything that frightens you or makes you uncomfortable.”

Morgan smiled warmly and nodded, “I’m sure. I want to move on and get past all of this. I feel like I’m making progress...slowly.” She sighed, “I just hope this helps.”

“You’re sure you want me there?”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to go through with it if you aren’t there.” She looked down at her hand clasped in his, “But Justin...”

He lightly put a finger under her chin and forced her eyes to meet his again, “Yeah?”

“I don’t know what I’ll say...I mean, I don’t know if it will be upsetting for you. What if you, hear something that makes you change your mind about me...or us.”

“Mor, that can’t happen. It’s not possible. I love you and that isn’t going to change, ever.”

Dr. Westerville walked into the room and closed the door silently, “Hi Morgan.” She smiled brightly, “This HAS to be Justin.”

Justin stood up and extended his hand, “It’s nice to meet you.” He nodded, “Would it be ok if I spoke to you for a second before we start?”

Dr. Westerville nodded, “Of course.” She led Justin into her private inner office and leaned her hip against her desk, “What can I do for you?”

Justin ran his hand over his head, “I need to know this is safe, and that she can’t get any more hurt than she already is. I need to know that this isn’t going to set her back. She has to be safe.”

“Justin, I would never suggest any form of therapy to a patient that I didn’t think they were ready for. I would not ever risk Morgan’s safety or well being. She is a very strong woman, and it is a credit to her strength that she has come this far.”

He nodded and started back toward the door. Stopping only when the doctor said, “It’s a credit to YOU that you’ve made it this far as well.”

“I haven’t done anything.” Justin shook his head, “I don’t know if I’ll ever really be able to understand this.”

“I think it’s sad that it’s never discussed how date rape affects the victim’s loved ones and friends. One horrific act can touch so many people.”

Justin turned to face her, “I’m not worried about it’s affect on me. My soul concern in life is making she the woman sitting in the other room is ok.”

Dr. Westerville nodded, “Don’t minimize your own emotions. Your feelings are important.”

Justin sighed, “We’re not here to psychoanalyze me. We’re here to help Morgan, so how about we just stick to that?”

Nodding the doctor motioned to the door. When the walked in Morgan glanced up from the magazine in her lap, “Did he threaten you? He tends to threaten people when he feels that things are out of his control.”

As she sat down Dr. Westerville laughed, “No, he didn’t threaten me.”

“Good.” Morgan smirked.

Dr. Westerville set down her note pad and smiled, “So, are you still sure you want to do this?”

Glancing at Justin, Mor took a deep breath and nodded, “Yeah. Let’s do it.” He smiled reassuringly and she reached for his hand, “Is it ok if I hold his hand?”

“Of course. However you are most comfortable.” The doctor shifted in her chair, “Now let me explain a few things before we actually get started. I will not ask you to do anything while you are under hypnosis that might be harmful to you. Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state, it happens to you many times each day, it will probably feel very natural. Expect to feel relaxed, not necessarily ‘hypnotized’. You can't get stuck in trance, any more than you could get stuck sleeping. The only thing that may keep you from reaching a state of hypnosis is fear. If someone is afraid hypnosis it will not be easy. Are you felling afraid at all right now?”

Morgan shrugged, “Not really. Maybe anxious, but I’m not scared.”

“Good. Let’s get started.” The doctor got up and dimmed the lights, “Morgan try to get as comfortable.”

Morgan shifted a little settling against Justin’s side, lacing her fingers with his, “OK. I’m ready.”

“Ok, in a trance you will most likely hear everything and be aware of things going on around you in the environment. Many people remember exactly what goes on inside trance, which is one of the reason’s we’re doing this, to try to help you remember.”

“Right.” Mor nodded.

Dr. Westerville smiled, “Morgan I want you to take a deep breath and as you let it out, close your eyes and begin to feel yourself relaxing.” Morgan took a deep breath and as she let it out she let her eyes slowly fall shut. “Very good. Now concentrate on your arms, relax your arms, feel them growing more and more comfortable, feel the muscles become loose and limp and even more relaxed.”

Justin watched Morgan’s facial expression as she continued to breathe deeply. Her arms growing more relaxed. He glanced up as the doctor continued, “Feel your legs, relax your legs, feel them growing more and more comfortable, feel the muscles becoming loose and limp. You are getting more and more relaxed.” As the doctor talked Morgan through relaxing every part of her body.

Justin could feel Morgan grow slightly heavier against his side. He noticed her eyelids flutter slightly and looked up at the doctor who nodded reassuringly as she continued to talk in a gentle voice to Morgan. Her fingers twitched slightly and he looked alarmed. Dr. Westerville smiled and said, “You’re doing very well Morgan.”

After ten minutes Dr Westerville took a deep breath and said, “Morgan, you are completely safe. Nothing can hurt you at all. Do you understand me?”

Morgan’s voice was quiet when she answered, “Yes.”

“I need you to go back in time. I need you to go back to the dance in New Hampshire. Can you see it?”

“Yes.”

“What do you remember about that night?”

Morgan smiled slightly, “I’m wearing Stasia’s lucky dress.” Justin smirked and shook his head slightly. Of all of the things she could remember, she thinks of Stasia’s dress.

“Morgan, who is with you?”

“South, Jack and Bob.”

“Morgan, can you tell me what you’re doing?”

Morgan smiled again, “I’m talking to Justin.”

Justin smirked again as the doctor asked, “What are you talking about?”

“I’m mad at South. She told Bob that Justin is my boyfriend and Bob’s feelings got hurt.”

“Where is Bob?”

“He’s getting drinks while I’m in the bathroom.”

“When you leave the bathroom what happens?” Dr. Westerville watched Morgan carefully.

“I found Bob. He’s handing me the soda I asked for.”

“Are you drinking the soda?”

“Yes. I set the glass down so we can go dance again.”

“What happens next?”

Her brow furrowed slightly as Morgan continued, “I don’t feel well. I’m dizzy and I’m nauseous. Bob says I look funny and he’s going to take me home. He helps me get in the car.” She turned her head slightly, “Everything is so foggy. I hear him talking to me, but nothing seems to be making sense.”

“Morgan you are completely safe. Take a deep breath and tell me exactly what is happening.”

“Bob walked around the car, took my purse off of my lap and said, ‘I’m taking your keys.’ I’m trying to answer him, but I’m just sort of grunting.” Morgan’s brow furrowed, “I don’t understand why I can’t say what I want to say. My words aren’t coming out.”

“My head is rolling towards him and he picks me up and carries me into the apartment building. He pushed the door open and let it bang against the wall. It bounced back toward him and he kicked it closed with his foot.”

“I feel like I’m in a dark tunnel. My hands feel ice cold and my stomach is churning. My leg hurts when it hits the doorframe in my bedroom. Everything is moving in slow motion and I can’t seem to fight back to the surface.”

“Bob throws me down on the bed and walks away. He slipped his jacket off and is starring down at me. His voice is so evil and he says, ‘Why did you have to complicate things? This could have been so much easier if you’d just given in on your own, but NO! You had to start dating Mr. Popstar...and not even a COOL popstar.’ Dr. Westerville looked up as Justin cringed and squeezed his eyes shut.

“I’m blinking slowly and I can see him by my dresser. He’s holding the picture of Me and Justin. He says, ‘So this is Mr. Wonderful.’” Again Justin cringed. But nothing would prepare him for she said next.

“I hear someone else. I don’t understand. I hear another voice.”

Dr. Westerville is very cautious as she proceeds, “Morgan, I want you to focus on that voice. Who is it? What is that person saying?”

“He’s screaming, ‘DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN!’”

“Morgan, who is he? Where is he?”

“It’s Justin. I can hear his voice in my head.”

Justin’s eyes grew wide, and he started to say something, but the doctor held up her hand, “OK, go on. What is happening now?”

Bob is standing over me and I try to say something again but he smirks at me and says, ‘Looks like you’re about ready.’ He walked over, with the frame still in his hands, he grabs my chin and jerks my face around, holding the picture n front of my face. His voice is horrible when he says, ‘Want to give him a little kiss?’” Justin ran his free hand over his face and fought the growing urge to breakdown.

Morgan shook her head slightly, “I can hear Justin again. He’s screaming, ‘YOU’RE NOT GOING TO LET THIS HAPPEN! COME ON! YOU CAN”T LET THIS HAPPEN!’ I want to fight, but my body will not respond to me.”

“Bob is pushing me over onto my stomach and grabbed the zipper on my dress. He keeps jerking down on the zipper, and it only slid partway, and it’s stuck. He grabbed the dress and I can hear it ripping. He pulled my dress down and threw it somewhere.” Morgan cringed and she recoiled into herself slightly, “He licked my tattoo and said, ‘Hot. This thing is hot.’”

He is grabbing my shoulder and I’m on my back again, I feel sicker because he said, ‘No bra. I like that. Did you do that for me?’”

“Justin yells, ‘YOU HAVE TO FIGHT!’ I want to listen to him. I don’t want Bob looking at me. I try to get Justin to come help me...so I call his name.”

“Bob laughed and I can see him untying his tie, ‘Call me whatever the hell you want, but your Justin isn’t here! It’s just you and me, and my little friends.’ I don’t understand who he’s talking about. I know Justin is with me, I can hear him talking to me.”

“He back over me again and he says, ‘This is going to be amazing. I’m going to enjoy every second of this...it would be better if you were awake, but this will do.’”

“This time Justin is screaming louder. He screams, ‘YOU CAN FIGHT IT! COME ON YOU CAN FIGHT HIM!’ I know he’s right. I have to fight against Bob. Somehow I say, ‘No.’”

“Bob is angry and he says, ‘No? What are you going to do North? I’m in control here. You can’t do anything to save yourself. I’M IN CONTROL!’ He hit me and Justin screams, ‘FIGHT HIM! COME ON! YOU CAN FIGHT HIM!’ I try to answer him so I say, ‘Justin.’”

Justin stopped trying to fight the tears and his body began to shake slightly. It hurt more than he ever thought possible knowing she had called him, knowing she had wanted him to help her, and he hadn’t been there for her when she needed him most.

“Bob laughs at me and says, ‘He’s not HERE.’ He pulls my underwear down and grabs my knee. I am feeling terrified. My chest is getting tight and I’m trying to push him away. He’s glaring at me and holding my hands above my head. So I scream, ‘NO!’ Then Justin is screaming again, he’s screaming like he wants to crawl out of my mind and kill Bob. He says, ‘THAT’S RIGHT! SCREAM ‘NO’! YOU’RE DOING IT! KEEP FIGHTING!’”

“Bob says, ‘This would all be over faster if you just let the drug do what it’s supposed to.’ All of the sudden Bob is gone and South is there. I don’t know where she came from but she’s screaming. She screams, ‘GET AWAY FROM HER! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!’ South is on top of me. I can feel her cold hands on my cheeks as she yells, ‘MORGAN! MORGAN! TALK TO ME! CAN YOU HEAR ME? DEAR GOD! PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES!’ That’s all. The dark takes over.”

Dr. Westerville nods and says, “Morgan you’re doing very well. Morgan, when you emerge, you will remember everything you have told me, but you will remember that you are safe and secure. No one is going to hurt you. You are safe and secure. Now, I'm going to count to five, when I reach five, your eyes will open and you'll feel relaxed and refreshed. One...two...three...four...on the next number your eyes will open and you'll feel relaxed and refreshed. Five, eyes open, feeling relaxed and refreshed.”

Morgan’s eyes fluttered open and she looked at Dr. Westerville, “I don’t think anything happened. I don’t feel any different.”

The doctor smiled, “Morgan, can you tell me what happened that night in New Hampshire?”

Morgan squinted slightly and then nodded, “Yes.”

“You know that you are safe and that Bob cannot harm you.”

Morgan nodded, “Yes.” She squinted, “Dr. Westerville. Why was I hearing Justin’s voice?”

“Our brains have a way of trying to protect themselves. Your subconscious was trying to fight to the surface. You retreated to your ‘safe place’. Apparently, Justin made you feel safer, more secure.”

“So I get freaked out and Justin shows up in my head? Is that even a little normal?”

“It’s very normal that you find a place where you feel safer.”

Morgan shifted to look at Justin. She immediately noticed the dried tears streaking his cheeks, “Justin?”

He shook his head slightly and ran his hand over his face, “Yeah?” He smiled weakly.

“You are crying.” She reached up and touched his cheek lightly.

Justin’s eyes slammed shut and he shook his head, “No. I’m not crying now. I was just upset listening to you say what...what happened.”

Her eyebrows drew together, “I’m sorry...”

“NO! You have nothing to be sorry about. He did this...” He was silent for a moment before a sob racked his body, causing his breath to catch, “...and I wasn’t there when you needed me.” The tears began rolling agin.

Dr. Westerville leaned forward and placed a hand on Justin’s knee and one on Morgan’s, “Justin, I understand the emotions you are feeling, but you cannot place blame or guilt on yourself, just as Morgan cannot blame herself. You both have valid emotions, and you both have a right to those emotions, but we are here to help Morgan feel safe and healthy again. Coming here today was such a huge step for both of you.” Dr. Westerville pointed at them, “Look at yourselves right now. Really look at how you’re sitting, and look inside at how you’re feeling.”

“Morgan, you are leaning into Justin, drawing strength from his presence. Justin, you are sheltering her, protecting her and at the same time drawing strength from her. You have a give and take, you are each trying to put the other’s needs before your own. That is a rare thing.”

Justin squeezed his eyes shut and sighed, “Why does it all have to be so complicated?” He pinched the bridge of his nose, “So what do we do now?”

Dr. Westerville smiled, “We move forward. Morgan, how are you feeling at this moment? You have remembered a very traumatic event, what are you feeling?”

Morgan cocked her head, “I feel...funny. I sort of assumed remember how it happened would frighten me, or make me pull into myself again, but I don’t feel that way. On one level, I’m just glad to ‘know’ what happened. I think one of the scariest parts of this whole thing was the fact that I just didn’t know anything, I didn’t remember anything. I think the unknown is ten times more frightening than knowing and being able to get past it...sort of.” She shrugged, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m still not thrilled that this whole mess happened....and now that I know, I sort of wish I could forget, but know I knew...you know?”

Dr. Westerville smirked, “Strangely enough, I do know.”

“So now I know. And now I’m angry. I didn’t think I’d be angry. I haven’t been angry at all since it happened...” She stopped and smirked when Justin snorted, “OK, let me rephrase that. I haven’t been angry at Bob. I’ve lashed out at my friends and loved ones, but I was honestly feeling more fear when I was lashing out than anger.”

“Well that makes sense. You were afraid, because you didn’t know anything. Now you know and now you realize you have someone to be angry with.” Dr. Westerville nodded.

Morgan looked down at her hands and then glanced at Justin, “Seems like I always have someone to be angry with doesn’t it?”

Justin’s eyes met her’s and he instinctively pulled her tighter to his chest, kissing her temple he whispered, “Yeah.”

Dr. Westerville raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

Morgan sighed, “It’s just that I don’t really have a relationship with my parents. I’d have to say I have a lot of...anger toward them. I don’t know, I guess I’m just wanting to have a normal life.” She looked at Justin, who bit his lower lip slightly, “I don’t know that I can have a normal life until I deal with all of my baggage. I don’t know that I can be the partner to Justin that I want to be if I don’t deal with everything. I know I have to deal with this whole situation with Bob. I know that I’m going to need to deal with my parents.”

“So what is making you decide to take all of this on right now? Is dealing with your parents going to make dealing with your feelings about the attack more difficult?”

Looking down at her hands Morgan was quiet for a moment, “Knowing what happened, today...being able to remember it and having Justin here with me makes me realize that no matter what happens in my life, I have him by my side. The fact that he’s my safe place or whatever, makes sense. Justin is the only one in my life who’s been a constant.”

The air had grown cold and the sky was streaked with red as the sun set. Morgan scanned the yard for Justin. She’d already checked his office, the game room, his bedroom and the gym the only other place she could think of was the yard. In the distance she spotted his dark siloutte near the pool. Grabbing a jacket off of the hooks near the door, Mor stepped outside and walked quietly toward Justin. He turned as he heard her approaching. She smiled, “Hey. What are you doing out here?”

He ran his hand over his face, “I was just thinking.”

“I assumed that.” She nudged him with her elbow, “What are you thinking about?”

He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans, “I have to talk to you. I have to tell you something that I should have told you a long time ago.”

Her eyebrows slowly drew together and scanned his face carefully, “What’s wrong?”

He walked over and sat on the end of a lounge chair. She stared at him for a moment and then walked over and sat on the end of the chair across from him, “Justin, you’re freaking me out here.” She looked down at her shoes and whispered, “What you heard today has changed your opinion of me hasn’t it?”

He squinted for a second and said, “What?”

“You are looking at me differently now aren’t you?”

“No. That’s not what I want to talk about.” He squeezed his eyes shut, “I don’t think differently of you...but you may look at me differently after I tell you this.”

“Tell me WHAT?” She pushed her hair back from her face.

“Today you were talking about your relationship with your parents. The thing is, your relationship with your parents...is my fault.” He laced his fingers together and looked down at his hands, “You don’t have a relationship with them because of me.”

“What in the hell are you talking about?”

As hard as he tried, he could not force himself to look her in the eye, “I suppose, when you look at it on the most base level...I blackmailed your parents to leave you alone.”

Morgan cocked her head, “You PAID my parents to stay away from me?”

He looked up with confused eyes, “What? Paid? No! I threatened them, well more specifically, I threatened your mother.”

Morgan leaned forward a little, grabbing his chin between her thumb and forefinger, “ Justin, I think you need to fill in some of the HUGE blanks here, because right now, this makes no sense. WHEN did you do this? WHAT EXACTLY did you say? What did SHE say? WHY did you do it?”

He sighed, “Why? I did it because you called me in the middle of the night sobbing and hysterical. You were afraid, I wasn’t going to let you be afraid anymore. So that morning, you know when you were at the house with everyone, I went over there, to your parents and I talked to Margot.”

“I’d love to have been a fly on the wall for THAT conversation.” Morgan rolled her eyes, “So what did you two say to one another?”

He remembered it like it had happened that same morning. The whole scene was clear in his mind. The thing that he was remembering most vividly was the way his heart had been thundering in his chest. As he began to recount the story for Mor, his heart was pounding the same way. He closed his eyes and spoke quietly.

When Morgan’s mother answered the door she was obviously angry to see Justin standing there alone. His hands were shoved deep into his jeans pockets and he was staring at his shoes. “Where is my daughter?” The woman asked coolly.

When his eyes met hers they were cold and angry, “She’s at my house with my parents.”

“Well she needs to get back to her house with her own parents.” She started to shut the front door.

“I can’t let her do that.” His feet didn’t move from where he was standing.

“Excuse me?” Margot’s eyes narrowed.

“I came here to talk to you and Mr. Northrup.”

“Mr. Northrup is sleeping.”

“I can talk to you alone if you want, but either way....Morgan doesn’t live here anymore.”

The woman turned to face him fully, “Who in the hell do you think you are? I am not about to let some 17 year old little shit tell me that my daughter is going to live with him.”

Justin shook his head slowly, “I didn’t say she was going to live with me...she’s welcome if she wants to, but I said she wasn’t going to live here anymore. I can’t let her come back here. She’s afraid.”

“How DARE you! I am going to get my daughter!”

She started to push past him and he calmly said, “If you show up at my house or do anything to stop her from moving out I will call every news station in Florida and expose the great Dr. Northrup as the unfit parent you are. If you ever hurt Morgan again, I will make sure that the news crews get footage of your huge house with no furniture. If you try to do anything to me or to Morgan, the entire State medical Board will know about your husband’s drinking and gambling. If you don’t let this happen, the perfect picture you’ve painted will be blown apart.”

Margot turned on her heel and slapped Justin across the face, causing his head to snap to the side, “You wouldn’t dare!”

“You said it yourself. I’m a 17 year old little shit. Try me.” He turned his eyes back to her’s, “Morgan is going to be living near my family and I. If she wants you to know where, she can tell you herself. You’ve hurt her for the last time.” With that, he walked back to his car and drove off.

When he opened his eyes, he thought he was ready for anything. He was ready for, pain and anger. He had prepared himself to see hurt and confusion in her eyes, what he had not prepared himself for was to see a smirk on her face, “Why are you smiling?”

“This is your big bomb? THIS is what you’re all Mr. Guilty Guy about? Justin! You threatened her, which I sort of had always ASSUMED.”

“You did?” His eyebrows drew together in confusion.

“Good GOD! Have you MET yourself? Of COURSE you threatened her! It’s what you do!” She moved to sit next to him on his chair, lacing her fingers with his, “We were 17. We were frightened, and God knows neither one of us actually knew what to do. But Margot was an adult, had she cared even a little, maybe she would have thought about the fact that we were 17 and that she should fight for her daughter. She cared more about her precious image than she cared about me. You got me out. You saved my life. If there is one thing in life you should never feel guilty about, it’s this.”

“But they stayed away because of me. Maybe they WANTED to come get you, but they were afraid or something.” A tear rolled down his cheek.

“Oh Justin.” She wrapped her arms around him, “Love, they stayed away because it was easy. You fought even though it was hard. I wish you would have told me sooner, it may have saved you A LOT of money on counseling for me back then, but this doesn’t change the way I feel about them and it certainly doesn’t change the way I feel about YOU now.” She kissed his cheek, “From the very beginning, everything we’ve gone through, we’ve gone through together.”

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I just thought you’d hate me...”

“Never.” She kissed his temple, “You’ve had an awfully rough day haven’t you?”

He ran both hands over his face and nodded, “Not as rough as your’s.”

“You know what? I don’t think it was rough. It was strange, and I feel the need to shower at least a hundred times, but I think it’s better knowing.”

“So now what do we do?” He looked down at their hands as they came back together.

“Now? Now we are going to have to talk to my parents.”