Start the song. It's Out of Sight by Spookyghostboy.
***trigger warnings for mentions of self harm, mentions of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and implied attempted sexual assault.***

Maybe it was out of habit from when he was little, but Josh always sat on his dad's desk when he visited at the station. His dad used to set him up there so he could watch cartoons on the computer, but now Josh just sat there out of habit. Half of Officer Dun's desk always remained uncovered, simply so Josh would have somewhere to sit.

It was more fun to visit his dad at work when it wasn't so his dad could keep an eye on him though. Last night, Josh had blown up on Abbie over something stupid. He couldn't even remember what. He'd locked himself in his room before he could hurt her, thankfully, but his arms were shredded. His dad had taken his door off its hinges and made him take a pill before bed, but that wasn't really necessary. Josh was so scared he would hurt Abbie that he'd climbed into his dad's bed around midnight and stayed there until the sun rose.

The officers at the station didn't mention the gauze that occasionally showed up on his wrists anymore. They just tried harder to make him laugh on the days he had it. His dad probably had something to do with that though.

At the moment, Officer Dun was typing up some sort of report. He didn't mind working around Josh. In fact, it had been his idea for Josh to come in to work with him today. He'd wanted to keep an eye on Josh, and Josh didn't want to be home alone with his baby sister, so here he sat.

Josh smiled when Officer Stevens, an older man who always called Josh "sport" and Abbie "princess," walked by. He set a Snickers down next to Josh as he passed, giving him one of those winks old people always seem to think means friendship.

"Thanks, sir," Josh said with a grin, making his dad look up.

Officer Dun laughed. "Oh hell, Tom. You give my kids all kinds o' treats all the time and then they ain't want nothin' to do with dinner. The hell are you playin' at?"

The old man laughed. "Come on now, Bill. He been sittin' there like he's your dog for a good hour. Y'know me, bud. I was thinkin' he might need him a treat. He been a good boy."

Josh laughed, ripping open the candy bar and smiling at the old man. "It's about damn time someone fed me. I'm fucking hungry."

Officer Stevens chuckled as he walked back over to his desk. "Well, sport, if your daddy ain't feedin' you enough, you come on over to my place. My wife'll fry you up the best damn chicken in this goddamn country. Ain't nobody goin' hungry so long as she's alive. I tell you what."

"I appreciate it, sir, but I think your wife may have some competition. You should see what Abbie can cook. As long as I got her, I ain't going hungry," Josh replied with a grin.

His father chuckled. "We got lucky havin' her. I ain't got no fucking clue where she's learnin' all this cooking shit, but she's doin' a damn good job. When Joshua got that deer in the Fall, she made the best damn steaks I ever had in my goddamn life. I tell you what, Tom. That girl should open up a fucking restaurant."

Before Officer Stevens could respond, both his and Officer Dun's radios went off. "We've received an anonymous call about a possible 273D in progress at 325 Arden Street."

Josh barely registered his dad responding as he practically launched himself off of the desk, grabbing his keys and wallet quickly. "Whats a 273D?" He asked Officer Stevens quickly as he shoved his things into his pockets.

"A wife beating. Why're you-"

Josh was already on his way out the door though, climbing into his truck and starting it immediately. He was driving before any of the officers had even left the station, practically speeding toward Ashley's house. He didn't even have time to wonder why he wasn't just letting his dad handle this before he was parked in front of 325 Arden Street, listening to Ashley's mom's boyfriend yelling at the top of his lungs inside the house as Josh parked his truck without turning it off and ran up the lawn. He didn't knock before going inside and upstairs, not slowing down for even a second.

Ashley was shaking, sobbing against her bare knees, when Josh came in her room. There weren't any thoughts in Josh's brain as he went to her closet, pulling out her flip flops and hurrying over to her.

"I need you to put these on," he told her, having to speak a little louder than usual so she could hear him over the yelling downstairs.

She startled at the sound of his voice, flinching away from him as if she hadn't realized he was there. "Josh?" She asked in confusion before letting out another sob. "Why are you here?"

He put her shoes on for her as he spoke. "I was at the station. Someone called the police. I heard your address. I don't know. Come on. We have to go."

Ashley let Josh pick her up and carry her downstairs, hiding her face against his shoulder and digging her nails into his skin when he carried her past the kitchen, where the fighting was the loudest. He carried her all the way out to his truck, sliding her into the passenger seat and buckling her in before closing the door. It wasn't until he climbed into the driver's seat and was driving away from the curb and toward the bumpy road next to Ashley's that he saw them.

There were bruises on the insides of Ashley's thighs, and they were new. They were just big enough to be from someone's fingertips. Josh's apathy was suddenly replaced with anger, and Ashley whimpered fearfully when he pulled over suddenly.

"What did he do?" Josh asked her a bit too harshly, making her flinch.

Ashley shook her head, leaning her head against the window and covering her face with her hands as she let out a sob. The anger in Josh was building and building, and he was just moments away from going back to Ashley's house and murdering that man when she spoke.

"My mom stopped him before. He didn't-" She sobbed again before uncovering her face and unbuckling her seatbelt. Josh didn't protest when she climbed into his lap and hugged him, burying her face against his neck. "He tried. Oh god. He tried. I knew he would. I told you. Brendon laughed, but you didn't, and then he tried. Oh my god."

Although it was foreign territory, Josh held her and let her cry. He'd never felt rage like this. Last night was nothing compared to this. He hated that it made him think of counting the cracks in his ceiling as he tried to fall back to sleep after his mom had been in his room. He hated this man. He wanted him to be burnt alive, feeling every moment of his skin melting off of his putrid bones. Instead, he held Ashley and let her cry.

"Did you hit him?" Josh asked finally.

Surprisingly, Ashley let out a shocked laugh. "You know what? I did. I punched that piece of shit and ran for my mom. I did that. I didn't.... What if I didn't, Josh? Would he have-?"

"You hit him. That's what matters. You're okay. He's not gonna hurt you. My dad said the other day that they've been waiting for that piece of shit to get violent so they could lock him up for good. My dad's probably there right now cuffing that asshole," Josh reassured her, not quite sure why he was doing it.

Ashley nodded, lifting her head to press her forehead against Josh's. "Thank you," she whispered shakily.

"We're still not friends," he told her.

She almost smiled, lifting her head so her lips ghosted against his as she spoke. "I don't think you'd know if we were. Would you?" When Josh didn't respond, she chuckled slightly, kissing him lightly before resting her head on his shoulder. "Why would you walk into a violent household instead of letting your dad handle it just to get me out of there if we aren't friends?"

Since Josh didn't have an answer, he chose to shut her up instead. "I couldn't let him kill you before I got what you owe me."

Ashley wasn't shaking as hard now that she had Josh here to hold her. "I guess I owe you more now, don't I?"

"Looks like it," Josh replied simply.

Ashley sighed. "Not right now, okay? Not until I can breathe right again."

"Obviously," Josh replied, surprised once again when Ashley ignored his condescending tone and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Thank you for saving me again," she whispered against his shoulder. "If only I'd've known you could handle more than just lizards years ago."

He shrugged, looking out of the window as two police cruisers sped past them. If they recognized his truck, they didn't show it. They sped right past him and turned down Ashley's street.

Ashley stayed in Josh's lap for quite a while. The cruisers passed by again, this time with some sleazy guy in the back. Thanks to her hiding place against Josh's shoulder, Ashley didn't see. It wasn't until Josh saw Ashley's mom (whose face he'd only actually seen a handful of times despite having practically lived at the Frangipane household for years) drive by as well that Josh slid Ashley back into the passenger seat and drove her home.

---

Josh sat on the bathroom counter while Ashley showered, reluctantly smoking a cigarette that he occasionally handed to her when her hand shot out from behind the pale pink shower curtain for it. She was too scared to be alone, so Josh stayed. He'd told her to call Brendon at first, but she'd instantly started crying. Crying made him uncomfortable, so he caved.

When the shower shut off, Josh stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray he'd brought in from Ashley's bedroom. He didn't pay much attention to Ashley when she got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Her hair was just as wild as he remembered it to have been when they were kids, but the blue dye made it seem even more insane. It was kind of satisfying to Josh.

"Do you think he's going to come back?" Ashley asked worriedly.

"Depends. Is your mama stupid enough to bail him out?" Josh asked, hopping off the counter and following her when she went back into her bedroom.

Ashley chuckled bitterly as she dug through her closet before pulling out an oversized shirt that Josh knew was probably Brendon's. She pulled it over her head before dropping the towel from underneath it. "Of course she is."

Josh sighed, laying down on her bed. He looked up at her ceiling. She had four cracks in hers. His bedroom had six. After a moment, Ashley laid down on the bed next to him, now wearing pajamas shorts although it was only the afternoon. She didn't touch him. She just looked up at the ceiling too.

"I want bad things to happen to him," she whispered to Josh. "Is that bad?"

Josh shrugged. "I don't know. God's gonna punish him someday though. Come Judgement Day, he'll know what he did wrong and be punished for it."

"I hope so," Ashley replied quietly. She looked at Josh then with worried eyes. "Can you stay a little longer? I don't want to be here alone, and I'm pissed at Brendon right now for not believing me. Besides, Brendon's a pussy. I'd be safer with you here than I would be with him."

Originally, Josh had been planning to go home with his dad after work to get ready to go fishing tomorrow. Some part of him didn't want to leave until he knew that piece of shit wasn't coming back here though, so he nodded.

"Yeah, for a bit. Just try not to be annoying," he told her. Ashley nodded, tangling her fingers with his. Josh sighed and separated their hands. "That's annoying. I'm not your fucking boyfriend."

She nodded, staying silent for a moment before looking at him again. "Can we do something then? I don't want to think about him right now."

"Like what?" Josh asked irritably.

Ashley shrugged, and Josh didn't realize she was shaking until she climbed off of her bed. "I don't know. Let's go downstairs and find something to do. How long are you gonna stay?"

"I don't know, Ashley," Josh replied irritably once again as he climbed off of the bed.

He followed her downstairs, not really sure why he wasn't just leaving. Ashley was shaking though, and Josh got mad again whenever he saw the bruises on her thighs. Maybe it wasn't really about her. Maybe he just didn't think anyone should have to be scared to be at home. Josh hadn't been scared to be at home in years, but remembered the feeling. He remembered the sleepless nights and the cracks on his bedroom ceiling. Even if he wasn't Ashley's friend or her boyfriend, he didn't want her to know she had four cracks in her ceiling in the way he knew he had six in his.

That was why he let her sit him down on her couch while she went off to find a movie. That was why he let her hold his hand when she picked one. No one deserved to be scared in their own home, except the guy who did this to Ashley.