The very next morning, Oscar was waiting outside. "Get in, loser."

Daniel nearly punched the car. "We're making up this easy?"

"Bros before hoes." Oscar shrugged. "Besides, most what you did covers my ass. I'll just have to play a little more fair to get in Cara's pants again."

"Oh, Lord! You've never once played fair your entire life!" Daniel exclaimed in frustration.

"You're right. That's why she's going to come to me today."

"Evan?"

"Fuck yeah. Why else do I acknowledge my grandfather?"

And there it was, Oscar at one point in time thought about being a good kid or using his grandfather's power to be an absolute shit, and chose that depravity.

Daniel felt bad for Cara, but if she went back to Oscar, he wouldn't save her from herself.

~~~

Lunch time rolled around and their preferred smoking spot was peaceful, almost lulling Daniel to take a nap. "I guess she's not coming."

Oscar smirked, "Look up, Dan."

Yeah, this was the power of Evan in play. Cara didn't have a mark on her that he could see, but then she was as baggy as normal in Sean's hoodie. She couldn't walk any slower towards them. Daniel knew that walk a little too well.

"You remember what I told you last time, right?" Oscar didn't give shit one who overheard them, as usual, yelling that before she reached them.

Cara couldn't help but glance at Daniel, like she was drawing strength or security from his presence. He had to turn away.

"Get on your knees...do it right."

Cara's voice was low, pleading. "I can't do this... I'm pregnant."

Oscar punched her, and she crumpled into a gasping heap-if she flopped more, she'd look like a fish. "You let me touch you while... that's just sick, Cara. I won't do this, your mother can work out a deal with Evan."

Daniel turned back to face the two, barely able to hold it in. "Did you have to hit her?"

"You survived, didn't you? I did, too." There it was, the big reason why their mothers were inseparable friends. They recovered together, birthed a couple of monsters.

"Man, I can't do this anymore. Go back to beating up guys, but leave their girlfriends out of this or we're going to be fighting daily. Or at least quit making me a witness!" Daniel grumbled the whole time he helped Cara up, stuffing her back inside the hoodie.

"Just get her out of here. She's useless to me." Oscar waved them off.

Daniel just hoped this wasn't seen as a redeeming quality in his friend. Getting her to walk was excruciating, so he helped her up on his back-no way in hell was he going to carry her like a bride, give her the wrong hopes.

Although he couldn't take any more of Oscar, there was no way for him to get at Evan. That alone was why he stayed-and his mom was aware of it. The minute that old man died, his hands would be around Oscar's throat. For everyone's sake, it would be better if he could leave town, by then.

This girl didn't need to know that she was his breaking point. Given how quietly she took it, he suspected Oscar wasn't the first one to hit her for that announcement.

There were days when he thought the whole town needed to die.

~~~

That night was the first time Daniel would sleep at home while in his right mind.

Ennes was lounging on the couch, "Hey, did you see me Friday, when I came home?"

" No, I was out with friends in the city. Mom and Terry were home though," Ennes smirked. "What, you got in enough trouble to need an alibi?"

Daniel shook his head,"Not that I know of, but one of the football players disappeared."

"I heard, his little sister is in my class." That was enough to sober his brother. "Well, mom is in the kitchen, as usual."

Daniel tapped on the frame of the kitchen entrance to catch the lovebirds attention before he walked in. "Y'all saw me come in Friday?"

"No. We were in the den most the evening, didn't see you at all. Is there a special reason?" Terry spoke first. No surprise as the man liked to talk.

"Why, is something wrong?" Mom was more worried about her child than answering.

"Nah, probably just another weird dream." It was the best excuse he could give at the moment.

Daniel had plenty to worry about. Where did he go? Was that building that wasn't quite his home real? Was he at the sparring match?

None of it made sense, other than Oliver was setting him up for whatever happened to Sean.

He could see that now that he was sober-minded. Hindsight was ever the bitch. What exactly happened to Sean?

~~~

Nearly at suppertime, there was a frenetic knocking at their front door. It had been Daniel's turn to lounge in the den and ignore everyone else for a good half hour so he was the closest and was forced to answer it.

Cara burrowed her way into his arms a soon as he had the door open. "What the..."

"They found his body!" She cried out.

It hit him how totally alone this girl was at the moment, but he was the wrong guy to comfort her. He wind up patting her back awkwardly, looking at how dark it was getting, the fact that she walked all the way out here.

What pushed a girl to find a guy like him? He was tied up in this death, who knew how deep. "Cara, you can't come after me like this."

"My home is hell. Can I stay here tonight?"

Fantasies about being a normal teen with a permissive mom of having this goddess wake up in his arms died as quickly as they formed.

Of course his mom would let Cara stay, would kick him to the couch so she'd have a bed, treat her like a princess, but that couldn't keep him out his own room. Given how unstable she'd been, it would be nothing to get in her pants. Absolutely nothing. It wouldn't be fair to her-even if he suspected she came all the way out here for just that, mindless sex to take her mind off the way her life was sinking around her like coastal erosion.

Daniel just wasn't having it, but there was no denying he was sorely tempted. But was it because he was a gentleman? Hell no. "Let me call a connection, get you a safe place to stay. I'm telling you until everything is settled, you need to keep away from me."

With that, he passed her on to his mother-got her fed-while he made the necessary arrangements. Thank God Mom didn't fight him on getting her the hell out their house.