Ashton didn't want to count all the places he hurt. The first thing he felt was his head. He felt the soreness of his throat from his screams. As he remembered them his face felt warm from the shame. He knew it didn't matter, but it still felt that way. His eyes wouldn't open, and he thought maybe that was for the best. The sliver of light he could see was far too bright and made his headache worse. His jaw hurt.

Flashes came back, of a fist and a hand and a whip. He didn't know how his dad could do this, but he did it and had done it before. Not to this extent, but still. He could take pain.

Voices drifted to him. ". . . needs help."

"He can get out in a couple of hours. A full 24-hours needs to pass."

A choked sob.

It all sounded familiar. A face drifted into view and his heart sped up. "Nicole," he rasped.

A small gasp and hands rested on his chest. "Ashton," she said softly. He felt her head rest on him and felt as tears soaked his shirt. He awkwardly reached up to touch her but hissed when a pain shot down his arm. He'd forgotten how his shoulders were both nearly dislocated.

She sat up and touched his arms. "Don't move, Ash." Her voice was thick with tears – for him – and it hurt. Why did everything have to hurt? "Mason will take you to Benson in a couple of hours when they have to release you. They can only hold you for 24-hours."

"Okay." Water. He wanted water so badly. "Water," was all he could manage to say.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor and a minute or so later someone – Nicole, probably – helped get him to sit up a little bit so he wouldn't choke. The cool water passed his lips and he drank it greedily. "More," he said, voice a little stronger.

He drank three more cups of water before Mason said he needed to stop. Ashton didn't think so, but he was locked in a cell, so he couldn't really go and get it himself. "Fine." He tried to push himself up, and Nicole helped him. He could feel cuts everywhere. "How bad?"

"Bad, man," Mason said. His heart sank.

Nicole had her arm around his shoulders. "You're not that bad, Ash. Your eyes are swollen shut, but it should be okay once the swelling goes down." She rubbed his back. It felt good. He wished she could massage that muscle that was starting to get tight, but he felt another cut in the area and decided not to ask. He leaned over on her. She smelled like outdoors. His woods. If his face didn't hurt he would have smiled.

"It's bad," he mumbled.

"What happened?" Nicole asked. His heart sank further. He didn't want to tell her.

But he didn't have to – Mason spoke for him. He felt his face heat up with shame again. "His father beat him," Mason practically spat. "The man came in here breathing threat and murder. He drug a chair into one of the cells, came back, got a whip out of someone's desk – don't ask me why it was there or how he knew it was there – told me to get Ashton and that I had better get him or I was going to take his place and then he would get Ashton anyway." He sighed. "I can't get his-" Ashton moaned loudly. He didn't want her to know how much he'd screamed.

Mason cleared his throat, seeming to pick up on his thoughts. "Anyway, I didn't want to see or hear it, so I delivered Ashton and closed the door to the cells behind me. I'm so sorry, Ashton. And sorry to you, too, Nicole. I'm sorry I couldn't stop him."

Ashton began to worry. "What happened?"

She sucked in a breath – she was close enough he could hear it. "I, uh, was locked in here with you."

"And Mason can't unlock the door?"

She was silent for a minute, but Mason answered for her. "No, I can't. Clive told me to leave her in here. For 24-hours. She'll be released tomorrow morning. I'm sorry."

The sadness in his voice was so thick Ashton felt it. "It'll be okay." He started to chew his lip but quickly stopped. The split hurt too bad. Instead, he chewed the inside of his cheek. Things were going from bad to worse. He turned his head to Nicole. "Would your parents let me stay with them?"

"They might, but Hailey won't want you to. She'd tell them you'll kill them all in their sleep."

He sighed. "She really doesn't like me. I'd forgotten. But still, can you bring me there after I get out, Mason?"

"I don't know. Maybe Benson can."

Ashton frowned. Well, as much as his face would allow. "Why not?"

Fabric rustled. Ashton assumed the man shrugged. "Clive is already suspicious. If I don't stick around, he'll fire me and then where will we be?"

"True."

"Speaking of which, I need to get back to work." He walked away and silence settled over Nicole and Ashton.

He reached up for her face again, gritting his teeth through the pain. His fingers lightly trailed her jaw it felt. He had to let his hand drop. "My shoulders," he muttered.

She gingerly touched them. "Does that hurt?" He shook his head. "What happened to them?"

He was miserable. "They were nearly dislocated last night." He swallowed.

Her fingers trailed his back near one of the sources of pain. "How did you get these cuts?"

"Whip." She was quiet. He was both glad he couldn't see her and upset he couldn't. If she had pity or anything like that in her eyes, he was grateful he couldn't see her. But if she didn't, he was missing out on seeing her face. He leaned his head on her shoulder, and she held him to her. He was suddenly so tired, and she was so comfortable.

Two hours later, Ashton woke up to Nicole gently prodding him. "Ash," she whispered, lips against his ear. He smiled as best as he could, which wasn't much. "Ash, Mason's here to take you to Benson."

He sighed and sat up. What a role reversal. Just yesterday he was the one in her position. Now he was the one seeking comfort and falling asleep on her. When he thought about it that way, he didn't like the way it made him seem. But then, wasn't a healthy relationship a little bit of give and take? Give her the comfort she needs, then get some comfort later himself?

Nicole helped him to his feet. He swayed a little before opening his eyes as far as he could. The swelling had gone down some, so he could see Mason a little. He looked at Nicole. She just looked worried. She didn't feel sorry for him. The little bit of relief it brought him was quickly taken as he stepped out of the cell. His father was in the hallway.

Ashton swallowed, unsure. What did his father want, now? Still, he began walking towards him. The doctor was past him, out the door, and down the road. Step one to getting there was going by his dad. It just wasn't the most pleasant first thing to do.

As he neared, Clive smiled at him. "How's that voice?"

Being with someone for 18 years results in them knowing you, just like Clive knew Ashton's buttons. Ashton felt his face flush, but he stared defiantly at his dad. Well, as defiantly as someone with both of their eyes swollen almost completely shut could. Clive laughed as Ashton shouldered past him.

Once he was outside, the brightness assaulted Ashton's eyes and made his head pound. Mason, right behind him, heard the small moan and put a hand on his arm to steady him going down the stairs. At the car, they paused. "Front or back?" Mason asked.

"Back," he said in a voice that sounded something like a whimper. Mason guided him gently into the back and closed the door. Ashton lay down on the backseat and rode in silence for the five blocks they had to go to reach Benson's office. There, Mason helped Ashton sit up, since his arms were too sore to push him up and he felt too weak to sit up himself. He stood and shuffled into the building with Mason, who claimed to be tagging along to make sure the doctor made time for him.

The waiting area was empty and Benson sat at the front desk. He looked up and his jaw dropped. "Is that-" He stopped and shook his head. "Of course." He cleared his throat. "Ashton, let me help you to the exam room. Mason, if you need to leave, he'll be okay."

"I do need to get back. Nicole's in holding for today. He was just released."

Benson shook his head. "Well, go on, then." The door opened and closed while Benson gently guided Ashton into a room. Benson sat the table up a little more and helped Ashton get on it and lay back. "We need to get your shirt off now." Gently, he worked the shirt over Ashton's head and off his arms while he moaned a little, not concerned with not showing his pain since Nicole wasn't nearby.

With his eyes closed, he listened to Benson move around, leave the room, come back, and do some other things. Something cold – ice, he realized – was put on his eyes. He hissed at the cold but settled back into silence. Benson sighed. "This is going to sting, Ashton."

Fire burned through an open cut and then again in another and another. He clenched his teeth. It was almost mild compared to his head that morning. "There's more on my back," he said in between pants.

"We'll get to those in a little bit. Now, let's see if the swelling has gone down any." He lifted one of the ice packs and Ashton opened his eye. Not all the way, but most of the way. "Good. I'm going to put this back on in a minute. Before I do, I need to check something. There's a lump on your head, so I'm going to briefly see if you have a concussion. I can't do what I would like, since I don't have the right things to check, but this will do for now." He held a finger up. "Follow my finger." Ashton tried. By the look on Benson's face, he thought he did okay. "Now, don't close your eye." He took out a small pocket flashlight and shone it briefly in Ashton's eye, moved it away, and repeated this a couple of times. Once it was back in his pocket, he frowned. "I think you're fine, but you need to sit up now so I can put ice on that bump." He stepped out of the room.

Ashton, with great effort, sat up while he was gone. Benson came back and sat another cold pack on his head. "There's one of those cuts on my back."

Once it was taken care of, Benson leaned against the counter. "Do you hurt anywhere else?"

"My jaw and my shoulders."

He nodded. "You've got a nice bruise on your jaw, and I don't see anything wrong with your arms."

"Dad nearly pulled them out of the socket."

Benson's expression softened and he shook his head. "Why did he do it this time?" Benson was the only person that really knew the extent of Ashton's beatings, since he'd been coming there for them the whole time.

Ashton sighed. "Long story short: he thought I knew something I don't and he beat me for not telling him."

He shook his head. "Ashton, you shouldn't have been in there. Why were you?"

He sighed. "That's a little hard to explain. He wanted Nicole to bring me in there as a 'consultant' on stuff, and so I went. If I didn't, it would have made him question her, and she's my last hope right now. I can't afford to have him go after her, too." He bit his lip and winced when he bit the cut. "Also, I don't think I'd be able to stand anything happening to her." He stared at his feet for a long moment before he brought his gaze back up to Benson's. "If he hurts her like this, it might be the only time I could murder someone."

Benson's eyes held understanding. "I can understand loving someone that much, but that wouldn't be wise. Especially if he hurts her. If he does that, and then you retaliate, neither of you guys have a legal leg to stand on. She would be viewed as an accomplice. At best, she may get off, and you would spend 20 years in jail, and she would probably find someone else and then you won't have anything. But if you do nothing to retaliate – not that he knows of, anyway – that means that when this comes around to bite him, you have a card to bite him even harder."

Ashton watched his friend through one half-open eye. "We are trying to get him pinned for murder."

"I know." Benson tapped his mouth with a fist while quietly clearing his throat. "Ashton, you know I only want to help you, right?" He nodded warily. Benson nodded. "I can't help but notice some things. I know you and Nicole deeply care for each other. Would you mind telling me about that?"

Ashton gave him a half-smile with the side of his face that didn't hurt as bad. "You want to hear about my love life, Benson?" For some reason, he found this funny, but he was going to tell him all the same if Benson wanted to hear about it.

The man just gave him a small smile. "I'm just curious!" he protested.

Ashton shrugged. "There's not a whole lot to tell. She loves me, I love her, and I plan on keeping her around for a long, long time."

Benson raised one eyebrow. "Are you thinking of marrying her, Ashton?"

Feeling his face flush again, Ashton shrugged. "Maybe."

The man grinned. "That's great! Remember: I've got a tux and I'm free any day of the year."

Ashton couldn't help laughing. After a moment, Benson joined in.