AN: Picture of Bernie up there. Extra long chapter and some surprises and major shade at the end of this chapter ayeeee.

Everyone in my house was celebrating about the news, Carlos started a conga line that was going through my small living room, Georgia was in the kitchen with the moms sharing recipes with one another, Bernie was playing with the kids, and I was at the table with all the guys playing poker.

"Alright, I'm done." I sighed, laying my cards flat out on the table as I rose from my seat, tossing the money I had lost in the bet as the men laughed in a playful manner.

"Come on Nat, where's your game face, that was the fourth round you lost." Buck teased, greedily swiping the cash from the table towards him as I snatched the cigarrette from his lips.

"No smoking in my place." I reminded him with a small smile, waving the cigarrette in front of his face before tossing it in the trash.

I tried maneuvering pass the dancing grandmas in my living room, Carlos cha chaing with all of them as I tried to make my way to my kitchen for a drink before I spotted a little boy in the middle of the hallway, a lolipop in his mouth with a nerfgun tucked in the band of his shorts.

I froze, narrowing my eyes at him as a slow challenging smile spread across my face and I held my ground while he glared at me.

"Stick em' up!" I said, taking out my pointer fingers making a make-shift gun with both of my hands before the kid took out his nerf gun and shot a styrafoam pellet at my stomach.

"I'm hit!" I screamed dramatically, clutching at my pretend wound and falling to the floor as Bernie marched into the hallway, dragging a handfull of neighborhood kids who were clinging onto his limbs and ankles, looking like a large jolly giant with children all over his back.

"Natalie!" They all screamed in unison making me laugh as I pretended to crawl away in fear when the kids jumped off Bernie and tackled me, creating a dog pile on top of me.

"There you are Nat! What are you doing down there? Get your stinky bodies off the poor girl, I just made beignets in the kitchen, go help yourselves." Georgia said, shooing the kids off me as Bernie took a seat on the hallway floor, letting out a loud sigh as he rubbed his pot belly.

"What's this I hear about you losing to Buck and the guys in poker hmm." Georgia said, giving me a playful nudge as she joined me on the floor.

"Natalie losing at poker?" Bernie added, turning to exhange looks with Georgia as I rested my back against the wall.

"I don't know, I just, I wasn't really thinking-"

"You're thinking about Harry still aren't you honey." Georgia cut in, putting a comforting arm around my shoulder as I leaned into her.

"He just, he didn't look so well was all. Just wanna know he's okay." I shrugged, picking at the fabric of my oversized jeans as she rubbed the side of my arm.

His cheeks were flushed, and it wasn't like the cute normal blush he had whenever he was embarrassed, it was different.

Almost unhealthy even.

He also had these dark circles under his eyes.

I should've just ignored his protests like I usually did and should've checked if he was okay, but he told me to leave and he was leaning back into Kathy.

"I know Harry's been a jerk to you lately but he did save our shops and cancelled everything." Bernie pointed out as we watched Carlos stumble out of the living room, lipstick stains all over his face and neck from the grandmas in the living room as he snapped his fingers at them.

"Ha, if you two were thirty five years younger, I'd so be down." Carlos slurred, winking at the giggling grandmas before they left making him scramble to the floor and sit on Bernie's lap.

"Help me! Those grandmas are restless." Carlos wheezed with wide frightened eyes, clutching onto Bernie's shoulders as Bernie rolled his eyes while Georgia let out a snort.

"Natalie your home phone's ringing again!" Someone announced from my living room as I stood to my feet.

"I got it! Thank you!" I screamed, throwing my head back so my voice would echo as I entered the kitchen and grabbed my home phone.

"'Ello." I said, trying to block out the cha cha music thrumming throughout my whole place while I plugged my other ear.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, hearing a frantic muffled voice through the phone as I lowered my head, furrowing my brows in confusion.

"Natalie! It's Deborah, from SS front desk. I need to tell you something."

"Oh hi Deborah! How are you?" I asked with a smile.

"I'm doing fine but it's Harry."

It was as if all the chaos and commotion in my flat faded away until I could only hear Deborah's voice echo through my head as my smile faltered.

"What? What... what about Harry?" I stuttered, letting out a nervous laugh as I shifted on my feet and scratched at my head.

"I don't know, he didn't leave his office all day until now and when he did he looked awfully exhausted. The poor thing looked plum tuckered out and he was trying to get to your place but-"

"But?"

"But Kathy, I think she took him to her place." She informed in an anxious tone and I almost dropped the phone in my hand at her words.

"Do you know where she lives?" I asked, already running into my living room to get my jacket as I pushed through all my party guests.

"Yes, I have a list of all employee's adresses." She informed, making me let out a small breath of relief.

"Alright Deb, I need you to tell me exactly where she lives." I said through the phone, my voice stern as I walked out of my flat with my jackets and keys in my other hand.

The line went off.

"Ah shit forgot it was a home phone, Carlos I need to borrow your cell!" I screamed, running back into my flat since I had broken my own cell phone a few weeks ago.

I swear if Kathy does anything to hurt Harry I will channel my inner ratchet fighter and drag a bitch.

++

"This the place?" I asked, turning off the ignition of my car violently as I glared at the small one story house in front of me.

"Yup that's the place." Deborah confirmed besides me, nodding her head as we leaned forward, peering through the car window.

"This some shady shit goin on here..." Bernie said from the back, leaning forward as well to look at the house.

"What are we all looking at... and why are we whispering..." Carlos murmured at his side.

"Are ya'll just gonna keep lookin out the window or are we gonna drag a bitch!" Georgia said, bringing out her tazer from the back of the car making all of us jump in our seats as we screamed.

"Jesus woman put that away!" Carlos shrieked, trying to climb out of the car as I got out, slamming the door behind me.

I ran to the front door, everyone following close behind as Carlos took out a bobby pin from his pocket and knelt down in front of it, trying to pick the lock.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Bernie scolded Carlos making him look up at all of us in annoyance.

"What! I saw this in a movie once! I don't see you guys doing anything." Carlos scoffed, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation before Bernie grabbed him by the back of his collar and put him to the side.

"I'm not one for violence but... Here we go!" Bernie said, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to reveal his beefy, hairy tattooed arms before he rammed his whole body against the door, making the wood splinter and snap as it fell to the ground.

"Feel the Bern!" Bernie screamed as him and Carlos bumped stomachs, causing Carlos to stumble back a few steps off Bernie's pot belly while my ears perked at the sound of Harry's voice through the hallways.

"I told you not to fucking touch me. I said stop." I heard him say as I ran to the source of his voice, my legs leading me to a closed bedroom door before I opened it with a slam.

My blood ran cold when my eyes fell on Harry restrained on the bed, his cheeks flushed with a layer of sweat on his face as he winced as Kathy groped him, hovering over his body with her hand down his pants.

I snapped.

One minute I'm staring at the two on the bed and the next I have Kathy's long hair clutched in my fist before I tackled her to the floor, giving her punch after punch as I began to see red.

The image of Harry trying to pull at his restraints, breathing heavily and cringing clouding my head as Kathy screamed with each contact of my fist to her face, the adrenaline and anger pumping through my veins.

"Fuck you." She spat when I had taken a break to catch my breath, my hands still clenched into tight fists while I studied her bruised and bloodied face before I yanked her by the hair to bring her face close to mine.

"Not without my consent bitch." I seethed, raising my fist before giving her one last punch to her nose as she collapsed to the floor unconscious.

"Ah shit she dead now." Carlos said from behind as I shook my hand to the side, a little part of me regretting going so hard on her but most of me feeling satisfied as hell.

"To be honest, been wantin' to do that since day one." I huffed while everyone gathered around Kathy's limp body before I turned and made my way to my main priority.

Harry was passed out on the bed as if he wasn't just being violated a few moments ago, his head resting back against the headboard, his brown waves of hair matted to his sweaty face as his chest rose and fell at an uneven pattern.

"Harry." I said in a gentle tone,
hesitantly placing my hands down to caress his face, his skin burning to the touch as his eyes flew open at the contact before he flinched.

"No, hey, it's okay, you're alright now, it's me." I reassured him, my heart breaking at the sight of Harry's distressed weakened state before our gazes locked and he let out a small sigh of relief as a slow smile crept on his lips.

"Oh thank god, her breath smelled like onions." He muttered, his voice hoarse as I tried to force a smile for his sake when deep down all I wanted to do was take him in my arms while going back to Kathy and kicking the shit out of her.

I grabbed the small key on the nightstand besides us before unlocking the handcuffs on his bruised wrists, quickly retreating back to untie the ropes on his ankles at the end of the bed with the help of Georgia and Bernie.

"Jesus you're hot." I muttered with concern as I slowly hoisted Harry off the bed and to his feet, his large frame slumping over mine while I slung one of his arms around my shoulders and felt his scorching forehead.

"Thank you... so are you..." Harry slurred with a lazy smile, his eyes half closed as he leaned into me, trying to bury his face in the crook of my neck as he inhaled.

"I'm going to take him to the hospital you guys. His temperature's really bad." I informed my friends as they stared down at Kathy on the floor while Bernie and Carlos argued which one should poke her first.

"Ohhh... are we going to have some nurse foreplay... Daddy likey..." Harry cooed, whispering the last part as his warm lips brushed against the shell of my ear while I walked him to the door, trying to move his wandering hand away from my ass.

"It's fine, Buck and everyone else are still at your place, he can just send someone to pick us up, you go take care of him." Georgia reassured, making everyone nod in unison behind her as her eyes traveled to Harry's slumped figure against mine.

"Thank you." I told her, sending everyone a grateful smile before my gaze fell on Kathy.

"Please make sure Katy Perry doesn't die." I sighed, readjustting Harry's arm on my shoulder as he laughed.

"Oh my gawd, did you guys hear my Nat? She called her Katy Perry because her name is Kathy and Katy and Kathy sound alike... She's so funny." Harry giggled, swaying a bit before I stabled him with a grunt as we walked out of the house.

"You're so funny." He repeated, giving me a dimpled smile, poking my face with his long finger as I placed him in the passenger side of my car.

"You're so funny, and pretty, and sexy, and-"

I slammed the door on his face, making his nose squish against the glass of the car window as I heard him mumble an "ouch" inside the car.

I wanted to get him to the hospital as soon as I possible, I just wanted him to be safe and get better.

Rushing into the car I reached over to Harry to buckle his seat belt making him lean back in his seat spread his legs for me with a smile.

"I'm trying to get your seatbelt Harry, not your dick." I told him, making his smile fall before he curled in his seat and handed me the belt, letting me strap him in.

I put my own seatbelt on, starting the engine and gripping the steering wheel with shaking hands, trying to control all my overpowering emotions as the adrenaline of dragging Kathy continued to course through my veins.

It was as if the memory of Harry being tied down and harrassed wouldn't leave my head, it was forever burned into my mind and I blinked rapidly, trying to focus on the road.

"You're crying on me." Harry's gravelly voice suddenly said from below, making me jump in my seat when I realized he had leaned over to my side to lay his head on my lap as I drove.

If we crash that boy will straight up fly out the front window with him not having his seat belt on correctly.

I made a turn, driving to the hospital before I wiped at my watering eyes, sniffing as I pursed my lips to try and stop.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even realize I was crying. I'm sorry I'm just so mad, but so relieved you're okay, and I just can't believe you had to go through that and I don't know my period just ended I don't get why I have to go through this shit again." I said, letting out a weak laugh as Harry looked up at me, bringing his hand to my face and brushing his fingertips across my flushed cheeks in a soothing manner, wiping away my warm tears.

"Even when you cry you're pretty." He mumbled under his breath, watching me as I almost swerved the car to the side at how much this boy was fucking me up.

For some reason what he said made me want to cry even more, I rarely ever cried but I was just so relieved he was okay, I kept thinking about what would've happened if I hadn't showed up on time.

I leaned back into my chair, making that face people make when their trying to stop themselves from crying, scrunching my face until I was probably wrinkly all over, sporting a triple chin as I furrowed my brows and squinted my eyes at the road like a pruney pug.

"Oh... nevermind.." Harry said, dropping his hand as he watched my pre-ugly-crying face making the both of us let out small laughs at his comment.

"I don't feel so good Nat..." He suddenly mumbled after a few moments of silence, curling his large body as he lay on my lap, his warm face contorted into a look of pain as I continued to drive.

"I know," I answered, not taking my eyes off the road as I brought one hand off the steering wheel to stroke his soft curls of brown hair.

"I got you." I promised him, but he was already passed out.

++

"So when we first got here the doctor said he just overstressed his body and that his temperature would go down if he just rested for a couple of days. It is currently day five and my homeboy's lookin' all vanilla and healthy again." I informed Dakota, the fifteen year old sprained ankle patient who was sharing the same room as Harry in the hospital as she looked at me from her bed.

"So what exactly are you to him again?" She asked, looking impatient but curious at the same time as I stopped my drawing to ponder her question.

"You know, you're not the first person who's me asked that before." I noted, wagging my marker at her before going back to my work.

"Well that's no surprise there," She snorted, her blue eyes watching my every movement.

"All the guy does is talk about you when you're gone, and when you're here you two talk like bros but I see the way you look at him. One minute you're kissing his cheek and the next your drawing penises over the guy's forehead while he's asleep." Dakota said with a straight face as I paused my drawing on Harry's face while he slept, the marker still in my hand as I studied the mini testicles I had drawn all over his skin.

"Oh come on, the doctor said he's feeling a lot better and he's a heavy sleeper." I reasoned, shrugging my shoulders before motioning towards Harry who was knocked out on the bed, his muscular arms crossed against his broad chest as I continued to draw little tiny cartoon sperms over his cheeks.

"You two sure don't act like boyfriend and girlfriend." She commented before leaning back down against the pillows propped behind her.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend? Nah we're best friends." I said with a smile of endearment, knowing that title meant a lot more to me than the word "girlfriend" as I drew a unibrow on Harry.

"So friend's with benefits." Dakota concluded making me widen my eyes in surprise as I dragged the marker across Harry's face in shock causing him stir in his sleep before he turned to his side and continued to snore.

"How do you know where my vagina's been..." I whispered in awe under my breath as I gave her a look making her roll her eyes at me.

"Oh please, even when he was sick with a fever he's still the hottest guy I've ever seen," Dakota said, gesturing towards Harry as I put the cap back on the marker.

"You can't be 'just friends' with a guy like that." She pointed out.

"Well... I guess you're right but between me and you I've never had a boyfriend before... nope.. nada." I said, lowering my voice and leaning forward in my seat to her as she widened her eyes at my words.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it was my friends in highschool who had all the boyfriends and I was just the single one in the group. It wasn't all bad for me though to be honest, mostly for them. At the end, they all got either dumped, heart broken, you name it, their relationships all went downhill and I was there in the front seat watching the whole thing." I told her, remembering my old highschool years as I leaned back in my seat.

I've seen all the tears shed, endured all the late night phone calls and rants, had to watch my closest friends in their darkest moments.

"There was this one friend of mine who found out her boyfriend was cheating on her," I continued, crossing my arms over my chest and tilting my head up to the ceiling as the memory flashed in my head.

"She didn't handle it so well obviously, she got really depressed actually... you know, the whole losing one's self. Smiling less, laughing less..." I mumbled, my words trailing off before I blinked back to reality and straightened in my seat, sending Dakota a smile.

"So long story short she realized life was too short to be sad over's people's mistakes and that boyfriends suck." I finished as she continued to stare at me.

"So what if someone goes up to your quote on quote, homeboy," Dakota said, making air quotes with her fingers before flipping her blonde hair to the side.

"And wants him. What is he gonna say? Oh sorry, I can't, I have a friend." She stated, making me purse my lips deep in thought at her words before I looked back at Harry on the bed who was still sound asleep.

"Huh, never thought about it like that." I said, tilting my head to the side as I continued to watch him sleep.

"Visiting hours are over in five minutes." A nurse informed, poking her head into the room as she looked at me before I gave her a nod and stood to my feet.

"Oh here, before I leave I got you something." I said to Dakota, rummaging through my tote bag before tossing her a small plushed teddy bear with a zipper on it's belly.

"I'm not five." She scoffed as she ran her hands through its brown fur.

"Yeah but there is five bucks in the zipper of the stuffed animal. Just a little thank you for being my doctor Phil everytime I visit." I smiled, sending her a small wink before I ruffled Harry's hair, making him let out a low groan of irritation as I walked out.

"Oh wait! Wait! I almost forgot!" I sputtered, running back inside the room as I whipped out my phone and smiled, outstretching my hand and leaning besides Harry's sleeping figure before snapping a picture.

++

I scrunched my face in annoyance, feeling something soft run across my skin as I brushed it away with my hand, trying to get more sleep before someone pinched my cheek and continued to draw on me.

"Stap." I mumbled, opening my eyes to find Harry smirking at me with a black sharpie in his hand.

"We're even now." He stated, putting the cap on the marker as I laughed at the sight of my doodles from yesterday still on his face, cuddling further into the pile of clothes I had surrounded myself on the hallway floor as he flicked my forehead in annoyance.

"Your penis got smeared." I said, poking at the messed up drawings on his skin as he moved a few clothes to the side and sat next to me.

"No fucking thanks to you. Do you know how hard it was to check out of that hospital with the words 'Big Dick Daddy' written on your fucking forehead." Harry seethed, wrapping his arm around my neck putting me in a choke hold as I laughed.

"You could've just washed it off." I pointed out, shoving his arms away.

"Trust me, I did, but someone used permanent marker." He said, placing his large hand on the side of my face before he pushed me away.

"It's called spit. Permanent markers can't do shit when you can use your saliva to wipe it away." I informed, making a show of swiping my tongue across the palm of my hand before I reached out to Harry who immediatly grabbed my wrist to stop me.

"Nat you're disgusting." He said as I licked my other free hand and tried to wipe at his face making him laugh before he grabbed my other wrist.

"Are you still... are you still mad at me with the way I treated you last week?" Harry said, suddenly becoming serious making me stop my movements all together as he let go of my hands.

"You're fine man, you already explained everything the past few days, I'm just glad you're feeling better." I said, placing my hand over his warmed cheek as I looked into his eyes, carressing his face.

"You just rubbed your spit on my face didn't you..." Harry said, not breaking eye contact as he grabbed my wrist.

"Yup." I said, moving my hand up and down the skin of his cheek, wiping away the drawings as he scrunched his face up and pushed me away.

"What are you even doing in my apartment, in the hallway, in a pile of clothes... you know I tripped on you when I first got in because I didn't even see you under everything and you were still knocked out." Harry informed, standing to his feet as he looked down at me.

"I brought some of my dirty laundry to your place since you have a washer and dryer in your flat. Then I took all the clean clothes out of the dryer, put them on the floor, and layed in them cause they're all warm and fluffy. I was also writing my story before I fell asleep." I explained, letting out a small yawn before I rummaged through the pile of clothes on the floor to find my journal.

"You ever gonna tell me what you're writing about?" Harry quirked, bending down and picking up one of my clean underwears before casually stuffing it in the back pocket of his jeans with a smirk.

"Someday." I promised, widening my eyes as I looked at my reflection through my cellphone, laughing when I saw that Harry had drawn a mustache, unibrow, beard and moles all over my face.

I suddenly felt his large hand on top of my head, ruffling my hair a bit before he crouched down in front of me and looked me in the eye.

"Thank you. Thank you for saving me back there." He said, his hand still on my head keeping me in place as I smiled at him.

"I got you." I told Harry before he leaned in and closed the distance between us, his fingers tangling in my hair into a gentle grip to keep me still as his lips brushed against mine making me close my eyes and smile at the sensation.

"Harry! Harry please open up!" A small female voice beckoned from the other side of the front door causing Harry and I to pull away from eachother in confusion.

"Harry please!" The voice pleaded with urgency.

"I think that's for you." I told him, slightly out of breath as he let out a groan of annoyance, his fingers still tangled in my hair before he rested his forehead against mine.

"Don't think I'm finished with you yet." He promised in a low husky voice, giving me a quick peck on my cheek before he ruffled my hair and stood to his feet, walking over to the door as I stayed on the floor and watched him.

"What! What the fuck do you want!" Harry bellowed, opening the front door to reveal a petite blonde with big blue eyes and full lips as tears streamed down her flushed cheeks.

She blinked in surprise at Harry, probably reading and observing the words and drawings all over his face before she went back to wiping at her eyes.

"Please let me in." She begged, puckering her quivering lip out before Harry slammed the door in her face.

"Dude!" I exclaimed, shooting up from the floor and pushing passed him to open the door again.

"She needs help," I reasoned when Harry shot me an irritated glare as I let the poor girl in, knowing the two obviously have met before with the way they were looking at eachother.

"She's just a girl I used to fuck with back then, all she does is cry and this time it's not my problem." Harry scoffed before I whipped my head to give him a look and slapped the back of his head while she cried even harder.

"Hoe shut the fuck up." I said, pointing at him before turning back to the girl.

"I just need a place to stay," She sniffed, wiping her eyes again.

"I need to get away from him, I can't do this anymore." She said, looking at her wits end as she shook her head.

"Who?" I asked, rubbing her back in a soothing manner before a guy with a blonde quiff came rushing into the room, tattooes littered over his pale skin and piercings over his lips, eyebrows, and nose as Harry rubbed his face in frustration and kept the door open for him.

"No, go ahead, might as well have the whole block come to my fucking flat." Harry mumbled into his hands, leaning against the wall.

"You think you can just run away from me like that!? You think you can just run back to Harry and pretend nothing fucking happened! I told you you're fucking mine!" The guy yelled, his Irish accent strong while his blue eyes focused in on the girl besides me as her expression contorted into one of rage.

"Just leave me alone Niall! I want nothing to do with you!" She cried out, pointing at him as he neared her.

"Bessa, you and I both know that at the end of the day, you'll always come to me... In more ways than one." Niall growled, looking down at her as Bessa gasped before she slapped him across the face.

"Oh girl don't act like your pussy didn't just clench at his words!" I hollered from the side causing the two of them to snap their heads towards me with shocked expressions.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Harry growled at my side, tugging the back of my collar and turning me around to face him as he glared at me, a look of pure jealousy and rage in his darkened green eyes.

"I said hers dude not mine, chill, my vagina only gets tingly for you." I assured Harry, playfully slapping the side of his face before his body relaxed and he let go of the back of my collar.

"How dare you speak that way to me Niall! I gave up everything for you! I gave up my family, my boyfriend, my ugly ass skirts and my anal virginity!" Bessa hissed, all the attention back on her once again as Harry let out a tired sigh and placed his elbow on top of my head while I leaned into him as we watched the two strangers fight in his living room.

"Anal virginity..." Harry and I echoed out before we both exchanged weirded looks.

Harry obviously knew who they were, I didn't of course but one thing was for certain.

Shit was definitely about to go down.

AN: Just sittin' and sippin' mah tea in the shade where I like it. Now we've officially got the whole squad, the next update will not be a chapter but it explains and goes more into depths about the boys' characters in the story and everyone else because there's a purpose between each one. I'm also going to explain where I'm going with this story. So stay tuned for that laterrr!