The ride to her house was silent as the hum of the engine thrummed in her ear and the radio played a laid-back talk show. The dark skies were partially cloudy, the moon was nearly full, and stars twinkled in and out of the darkness. 

Nothing could go wrong this night, Jessica concluded eyes closing dopey smile still on her face.

 Nothing.

Soon enough the taxi pulled up her drive and the crunch of the tires on rock made her eyes flutter open as she sat up realizing she had dozed lightly.

"Thank you for the ride, "she said to the old taxi driver and he gave her a stone-faced nod.

She closed the door and walked to her door as the taxi peeled away kicking up dust. Frowning she pulled out her keys and went to unlock the door.

"Huh," she said as she twisted the knob out of habit, but there was no resistance as it released the latch and allowed the door to open, "May and her brain. Forgot to lock the darn door."

Stepping through the threshold Jessica sighed taking off her shoes, pulling her hair out of the bun and turning on the entry light. She locked the door behind her and made her way past Bones and Spock who were still snoring very heavily. She paused thinking to wake them, a strange feeling turning in her stomach at the fact they had not acknowledged her leaving or return.

"Spock, Bones! "she called lightly worry clenching at her. 

Bones snorted deeply in sleep before rolling over and kicking Spock causing him to groan a bit before continuing his snores.

"Oh I should let them sleep, they are getting older, "She reasoned, chuckling at the cute display.

Jessica decided if they were still sleeping heavy by the next day, she would call the vet. Rubbing her eyes, she made her way down the hall to her bedroom, glad she was home alone tonight so she wouldn't have to worry much about discarding her clothes on the floor. 

Even though nice, the blouse and jeans were not as comfortable as her normal everyday clothes and she was satisfied as she arrived at her room in nothing but her under clothes, running her hands through her hair and padding through her dark room to her bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

She turned on the bathroom light and turned to the mirror, but froze when she could have sworn she saw movement in her bedroom. Stepping back in her bedroom she looked around once before writing it off as the wine.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth she flicked the light off and then made her way to bed, collapsing on it face first with and audible sigh, sore and not used to staying up quite so late, though she was still sluggish and tingling from the wine.

"I'm getting ooooold!"she whined into her pillow, wiggling under the sheets. With a large yawn she began to relax exhaustion doing well to lull her to a quick sleep.

Jessica wasn't sure what it was, but she tensed as the hairs on the back of her neck stood.

 A creek to the floorboards.

 A breeze that didn't belong.

Or the odd sense that she heard light breathing.

Her eyes opened wide and her shoulders stiffened. She paused for only a second-but there it was again. 

A shaky exhale.

Surging up she swung around behind her and managed to give a pretty solid hit to the side of her attacker before they grabbed her wrist and pinned it down.

Heart pounding Jessica tried to flip back over but the man, for it had to be a male with larger hands like those, secured his grip and wouldn't allow it. One hand was wrapped tightly around her left wrist holding it to the mattress to prevent her hitting him again, the other was between her shoulder blades pressing her down on top of her arm which proved useless in pushing her up.

Her throat seemed to want to close up in terror, but she managed to shout a shaky-let me go! Who are you! W-wha-!"

She was cut off by two large legs pinning her down on either of her hips and the hand moving up to grasp the back of her neck and instinctively she froze. 

Breath hitching in her throat she tried to slow her racing thoughts and calm her shaking to try and find a way out of this situation.

"P-please, "she couldn't think of anything else to say. A hot breath was on the back of her ear, shaking as were the large hands holding her, "please let me go."

"It shouldn't have been like this Jess "she blinked teary eyes at the shaking voice, recognizing the distraught whispers of her attacker.

"Not that it fucking matters at this point," the man's grip tightened and she cried out slightly as his voice became angry.

"This could have been avoided," He squeezed her wrist and pressed her harder into the bed"it could have all been fucking avoided Jess. I don't want to hurt you- I don't want anyone to! I just need you to-to listen and then. . . "

"George? "Her voice was wavering .

"Listen to me, and we may be able to work something out," came the response as he let go of her neck to press his hand into her shoulder. 

She felt him tremble.

Not one to listen on a good day, she wasn't going to change now, instead bucked attempting to throw his far larger form off, "George stop! What are you doing!?! Please st-stop!"

"Stop fighting, just LISTEN," he pulled her up with him so that they were both sitting him still at her back.

He lifted her up so she was pressed against him, pulling her left wrist to hold against her chest. But he must have forgot that he had freed her right arm with the action, and she didn't hesitate in grabbing the lamp on her bedside table and swung back hitting him square in the jaw.

George shouted and fell back, and she quickly scurried forward but he gripped her ankle causing her to topple forward and knock her head on the corner of the bedside table. Her alarm crashed down and hit the radio on, blaring static and a broken announcer.

"Help! "She knew that there were no close neighbors, but it was difficult not to have the dim hope someone may hear her.

"Fuck Jess!" George gripped her and flipped her over, facing his shadowed face twisted in rage, the handsome young man erased by rage and something more dark, more sinister she did not want to name, "just fucking sit still. Listen to me damn it- I am trying to make this easier before he has someone else do something worse!"

He gripped her legs hard enough to bruise, and she threw a punch at him which caused him to smack her hard across the face making her cry out.

George looked shocked at his own action as he gazed at his palm, but she didn't allow him to recover as she kicked at his stomach winding him.

He gasped, reaching forward to pin her again before he was being thrown off of her by another figure.

She flipped over, not being able to clearly see the skirmish in the dark but could tell another man had come and was struggling with George. One punched the other well enough to knock him back into her dresser, causing several pictures and other knick knacks to fall on him and her mirror to shatter. The other, George, used that opening to run to the window and quickly dart out it.

For a few seconds she sat there wide eyed at the slumped figure holding herself as she shook. Then there was a groan and the figure rose up revealing Alex.

"A-Alex? "her voice was watery, and she blinked away tears.

He froze and looked at her wide eyed and about as frightened as she felt. He suddenly knelt down and put his hands up, much like when he had when one of the calves had gotten its leg stuck in barb wire,"Jess,"his voice was no longer that playboy teasing tone, it was calming and strong, "Its okay. He's gone."

"I-it was G-George," she was suddenly aware of tears running hot trails down her cheeks, "he. George tried to, "a sob broke from her and she slapped a hand over her mouth as the other touched her sore neck, shoulders shaking as she staired at the floorboards.

"I know," he said, "I'm going to call the police."

He stood slowly and paused at her bedside, grabbing her blanket, and setting it around her shoulders.

"Th-thank you, "she forced her breathing to remain normal as she stood on shaky legs, "I better get dressed."

It was as if she was moving through a fog. 

She got to her dresser and threw a baggy T- shirt on and then gripped the blanket tightly around her shoulders again, sitting down on her bed and facing the window.

The thought of George attacking her was insane. 

The violence was unlike the boy- he had always been pleasant to be around and talk to and would take merciless teasing. She continued to repeat the incident in her mind again and again, trying to come to terms with it or find some flaw in the obvious truth.

Jessica kept repeating the incident, thinking of how George had pleaded her to listen. 

Her head spun- why hadn't he just spoke to her? 

Why attack her? 

Scare her so?

And for who?

Time must have passed because a woman was kneeling in front of her suddenly. She had rust colored hair and kind brown eyes looking up to Jessica. She spied the cop uniform the woman wore and seemed to home in on the badge shining in the rooms light.

The woman was saying something, but it took Jessica a moment to hear her.

"Jessica I know you are frightened, but I need you to focus, "She was saying and Jessica blinked a few times, cold tears unchecked on her eyelashes hitting her cheeks.

"I, "she took a shuttering breath wiping her face, "I am. I am. Sorry. I was just. . . thinking."

"You've been through a traumatic experience, "The woman nodded. Her voice was gentle, soft, "My name is Jennifer Cowles. I am a police officer. I need a statement of the events from you. Your friend here already informed us of what he saw and is willing to go in and give a statement so he will be there with you. We can go sit out in my cruiser away from all of this to wait for the medics to arrive to check you over."

It took a moment to realize what the officer was referring to until she realized there where cops all around, that it no longer was dark but all of her lights were turned on. Alex was chatting with an officer near her dresser, glancing to her occasionally with concern while obviously relaying the events to the man who jotted down things Alex said while gesturing to his bruised chin and the shattered mirror.

"Of course. Yes. Yes of course," she found herself nodding giving a wavery smile. She found herself carted to a cruiser with Alex following silently, and it was about halfway out the door that she found herself yearning for Brad to be there, to give her that gentle atmosphere he seemed to produce and make her feel at ease. She shook herself from this, though, and did not pursue it as she recalled the two children in his care at the moment.

The ambulance came and the medics gave her a quick check up. She adamantly refused transport or to see a doctor, and yes she would stay with someone and they would bring her to the hospital if she showed any change in her behavior. 

They were worried about that knock to her head, apparently it was a good one- least per the medic with a handlebar mustache and gray eyes.His concern over the strangling was present as well, and said even though it had not been tight or long, she should have someone with her to check in while she slept. He emphasized that she should rest and probably had a concussion to some degree- which meant no activities of any sort until it healed.

"My dogs," she finally was able to think clearly enough to ask and felt she needed control of this insane situation somehow," Will they be alright?"

She knew they had been brought up earlier, and one of the officers who was married to a vet had volunteered to look in on them and ask his wife.

"They should wake up by morning. May feel woozy, but according to Daniels's wife, their breathing and responses are acceptable she isn't worried about anything bad happening," the rusty haired officer smiled a little," Officer Daniels has left her number on the refrigerator if they do seem poorly tomorrow though. She has offered to do a house visit if it is preferred."

Jessica nodded, feeling suddenly very exhausted and took a deep shaky breath, "Okay. Alright then. Thank you. I appreciate all the help."

The officer hesitated and seemed as if she wished to make another attempt at seeing if Jessica would like to stay elsewhere before she seemed to think better of the offer and nodded her head heading back to her police cruiser as she became one of the last to vacate Jessica's driveway.

It suddenly seemed very empty and quiet, it still being the middle of the night there was the sound of the breeze rustling the field and the sound of the animals distantly in the barn disturbed by the sirens and large foot traffic, and the slowly returning sounds of the wildlife.

"Jessica," she jumped only a little before sighing and turning to Alex who had his arm crossed, his shoulders where slumped as he seemed to try and appear as small as possible, "We should go inside. Unless you want to go to town, May would be there. . ."

"What are you doing here? "She suddenly realized that May and Alex had planned to be in town that night and Alex was there unexpectedly.

"We were worried about you," Alex looked to her earnestly," I told May I didn't want her coming all the way here when so much was going on. I'm glad. Jess. . .god. "He put a hand through his hair suddenly looking very wrecked before straightening up and set himself square and stern," But we should head in. Or to town. Either way, we shouldn't be standing out here."

"I don't want to head to town," her shoulders sagged the rest of the way and she sighed rubbing her shoulder," I am tired. I want to go to bed."

He nodded following her in and locking the door firmly before checking on Spock and Bones while she headed to her room standing in the doorway.

The room was a mess, her lamp on the floor, there was some blood- had she hit him so hard? The mirror on her chest broken with shards across the floor while all the small knickknacks still were spread across the floor and some broken. Her bedding was tousled everywhere, and she noticed just now there was a crack in her window.

Stepping back, she went to the hall, opened the closet, and took out one of the spare pillows and blanket and headed to the front room. There was Alex who was looking out the window before turning to her in surprise she smiled a bit shakily and shrugged," I don't really . . .want to sleep in my room. . .I was going to sleep out here... "her voice faltered feeling absolutely silly.

Alex seemed to realize she needed him to support this as for he grinned a little, not his fullest grin but a small smile none the less, and he shrugged," we can take all the blankets and put them out here and you sleep on the couch, I call the floor and we can put on a tv show or something."

"You don't have to; I can sleep on the floor you can have the couch, "but he was already waving her offer off with," do you see how tall I am and how small your couch is? The floor is far more inviting!"

They settled into the living room and threw on old reruns of a T.V show that Jessica could not bring herself to watch because her exhaustion set in as soon as her head hit the pillow and she found herself falling asleep immediately.