A week. That's how long it has been since Tanner left that message saying that he was watching me. Every waking and sleeping moment since, I have been wondering whether Tanner was close, watching. The sleep that I have managed to get has been light, and sparse. I can sense that the guys know that something is up, and their worry has heightened over the last couple of days, but I have kept it to myself. After last Sunday, and the revelation from the guys, I have found that my trust has lessened with them.  They saved me that night, and that gave me the kick to try and start forgiving them, but it meant that I didn't have time to process. Terry's attack left its marks, emotionally and physically – the bruises I received still fading.

"Bambi?"

"Hm?" I ask, jolting my head up, causing my neck to complain. The damage was not only on the surface, but I also got whiplash from him shaking me. Ashton chuckles lightly.

"What had you thinking so deeply? Everything alright?" he asks. His gaze is unwavering, and I see a crease start to form between his eyebrows. I haven't missed his looks over the past week. It's usually after I zone out. After the tenth time, I worked out that he was worried I was having flashbacks of Terry. I'm not going to lie, it sometimes plays on my mind, but that's usually when I am trying to sleep. I used to get ones about what Jack did to me that night three years ago. I do still get them every so often, but not nearly as often as I used to, which at the beginning was nearly every day.

"I'm fine," I lie with a smile. "Just thinking about what to have for dinner."

I hear Gerard chuckle. "Must run in the family: me too. Now, get your mind off food and stand here, I think your face will be a lot more incentive, than mine." I look to where Levi is standing up, leaning against a rail, and then back to Gerard. I play with my hands as I stand up, biting the inside of my lip, feeling my blood starting to rush to my cheeks.  I move to where Gerard is standing, not knowing what he wants me to do. Gerard moves from beside me and moves to where Ashton is leaning against the wall.

"Alright, Levi, you know what to do," Gerard says. "Whenever you're ready."

Levi was discharged from the hospital a couple of days ago, and they now have him doing physiotherapy twice a week. He's only able to walk short distances, so is wheelchair bound until his leg has healed enough to put weight on for a long time. Eventually he will move onto crutches, and I know he'll be happier when he does. They have him walk a short distance each day to try and gain the strength back in his healing muscles. Sophie loves to ride in his wheelchair whenever she gets the chance.

Levi and I are only a couple of paces apart, but I know it will be a lot of effort, and pain, for him to walk it. It's hard to see him immobilised all because of me. He has been the one that always ran after Tanner, or reached me first. I know because of Gerard, he will heal a lot quicker than anyone else, but it will still take a couple of weeks. In that time he will not be able to go home, as he can't climb stairs, so Trystan and Ryder are allowing him to stay with them, and their parents who are home.

Levi steps forward and forces a smile for me. I smile back, but it comes out somewhat forced like his. He takes another step, and winces.

I look to Gerard and Ashton and see that they are watching him intently.

"Remember to stop if it starts hurting," Ashton reminds him.

"I'm fine," he grits out. He had been doing the different exercises for about an hour, and this was the last one, so I have seen him getting more tired, and less able to do the things that were asked of him, as we go. He's determined though to continue through, and not show any weakness.

Another step. His breathing gets heavier. I give him another smile, this one more genuine, and encouraging.

One last step and I extend my hands for him to hold so he can balance himself. He exhales. I squeeze his hands.

"Well done," I tell him. Ashton appears with Levi's wheelchair, into which Levi falls. Ashton claps him on the shoulder.

"Bambi's right. You're getting better. How did it feel?"

"Better, but frustrated at the pain that I still feel."

"I think that you'll be able to walk the width of this room by the end of the week," Gerard says inspiritingly.  Levi rolls his eyes. I walk back to the chair that I was sitting at before, and gather my things. I place the bag on my shoulder and follow after the others to the door. Gerard holds the door open for Ashton pushing Levi, to allow them through. I step into the hallway, and step back in shock when two wheelchairs go flying down the hallway past me, the sounds of a high pitched giggle going with them. I look after them, confused. The wheelchairs stop and I hear shouts of victory.

"Oh yeah! We beat you again!" Brody shouts. I shake my head and laugh slightly, and look toward Storm talking to Ashton and Levi, who looks like he has been dealing with this for a while (he looks like a cat who's had to deal with four puppies). Trystan and Ryder stayed home after school today, as their parents had plans for them all.

"That's not fair! Sophie is lighter than Jesse..." Colton complains, although he doesn't sound that put out. Surely he would win, being the best at sport.

"Are you calling me fat?" Jesse asks in mock offense. I step further out into the corridor, now safe from speeding wheelchairs.

Gerard says goodbye to us all, reiterating the promise he told me before I found out about the guys' abilities; that I can call him about anything, before walking down the corridor and past the others who are coming back with the wheelchairs. I chuckle at Sophie who is hitting her hands on the arms as she chants 'again' repeatedly. Colton's eyes light up when he sees me.

"Get out Jesse, I want Bambi. Maybe I'll have a chance of winning then."

"I- uh-" I start dubiously.

"Come on, mummy!" Sophie shouts.

I let out a breathy laugh, before giving in. I place my bag on the floor and sit down in the wheelchair that Colton is motioning with a wave of his arm. Colton bends and his head hovers beside mine. I bite my lip trying to focus on his words, not his lips being so close that he is almost tracing my ear, and his minty breath on my face.

"Are you ready?" he asks, a grin clear in his tone. I nod, not trusting my words at this point. He straightens back up, and I breathe out a breath I didn't know I was holding. He readies himself, as Brody calls out a countdown.

"3... 2... 1... Go!"

At the last word Colton pushes us off, and wind starts to rush by us. I laugh, gripping onto the arms of the chair. I hear peals of laughter from Sophie as she shouts at Brody to go repeatedly.

In seconds we come to a stop and I turn to see Sophie and Brody stopping beside us.

"I told you it was Jesse," Colton says to Brody and Sophie. His hands fall onto my shoulders squeezing them slightly, causing me to flinch.  I wait for him to tighten his grip and start shaking like Terry did, as my mind flashes back to the night, but he never does. I know that I am safe, and not there, but I'm pulled back to that night anyway. I see his leering face, smell the alcohol, and feel him pinning me down. I feel hands cradling my face, which confuses me as that doesn't tally up with my memory of the night. He never was so delicate and caring. I jolt out of the memory and find Ashton crouching down in front of me. He gives me a sympathetic smile.

"Breathe with me. It's OK," he reassures me. He takes a deep breath in and I follow his actions, only then realising how quick and erratic my breathing is. It takes a couple of repetitions before I am able to regulate my breathing.

"Would you like to tell me what happened?" Ashton asks. I look around and see that we are alone. I don't want Colton to feel like it's his fault.

"I just had a... moment. Where's Colton? I don't want him to feel like it's his fault."

"Him, and the others, are just giving us a bit of space. I thought it would be easier on you if we weren't overwhelming you. Colton understands," he explains before pausing. His hands fall either side of my legs, and he looks down. "Bambi, you know that we're here to talk, if you need to. Don't feel like you have to deal with everything alone. What you went through is not an easy thing to overcome."

I force a smile onto my face, trying to force conviction into my voice. "I'm fine, honest."

Ashton exhales, his shoulders dropping slightly, but he forces a smile onto his face as well, doing a better job of it.

"OK, keep in mind what I said. We're, I'm, always here," he says.

"Thank you Ashton, I will."

He pushes himself up, and I follow his lead and stand up. I bite my lip as I walk after Ashton pushing the wheelchair. Part of me wants to share with them everything; however another part, which hasn't fully digested what I was told by them, has me keeping silent. The thought of them fighting over me, and getting too close to them, again, also has me keeping my problems to myself. They won't fight over me, and I won't get attached, if I don't give them a problem of mine to solve. I'm sure they will get bored soon enough.

Here you go!

I hope you liked it! I will try and have the second chapter up soon!

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