A few days had passed and Kitzie was become less frightened by Mikeys friends hanging around the house almost every day. Mikey even woke up one morning and heard her laughing at something Frank had said. When he went downstairs to find her she was on the couch between Frank and Ray while Ray was showing them something on his phone. Mikey smiled at the scene in front of him. He had been happy that she seemed to be healing but he would still wake up in the night to Kitzie waking from a nightmare, freaking out realising she was in bed with a man. He'd sit up and remind her that it was only him and then he would comfort her as she calmed down. She'd get a bit better and get a bit worse and he could only hope that the bad times would be less common.

It had been less than a week since the 'incident' as Mikey called it when he was talking to his friends and brother, but the bruises were still there. The bruises had even gotten darker over the 2 days after the attack. Mikey could stay calm almost all the time but when he got a glimpse at a bruise, anger started to boil inside him but he had to swallow it for her benefit. The 2 men who had caused all of this were still nowhere to be found by the police. Every day they called Mikey to inform him of new leads that really led to nothing at all.

Mikey made his way further down the stairs and Kitzie looked up at him with a hint of a smile, for him. Mikey felt his heart swell briefly as the pair looked at each other, a moment, a look that was between them only, as Frank and Ray kept looking at whatever was on Ray's phone. Ray finally noticed Mikey and so the moment was over.

"Mikey, you're finally awake. Thought you were dead in there."

Mikey looked at the clock on the wall. "Nine in the morning isn't that late." He rubbed his eyes and walked towards the kitchen. Kitzie stood up immediately and followed him.

"Hi Mikey." She said gently once they were in the kitchen.

He turned "Hello Kitten." He frowned at himself. He should really stop calling her that. It was too... boyfriend like... It felt natural to say but sounded strange when he heard himself say it.

"Frank said you're throwing a party tomorrow." She looked nervous now.

"Oh he did. Well... I was thinking it might be good to unwind."

"Is it okay if, um, if I go to my house when its on?"

Mikey frowned. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I just don't think I should be here. For that."

Mikey had taken the past few days off school to look after Kitz but was thinking it was time for her to see people. "I want you to be there baby." Baby... Another pet name. Damn it. "I don't think your house would be the right place for you to be all by yourself after... everything." He opened the fridge and looked aimlessly inside. He wanted the conversation to end and he wanted his own way. Hadn't he earned that?

"Frank said he'd be happy to stay there with me while the party is on. So I don't get... get bad again."

Mikey practically slammed the fridge door shut hearing that. "Oh did he?" He couldn't hide the spite in his voice and he could see it made her nervous. "Yeah, I'm sure he did say that. He wouldn't want you to get scared and not have a man around to tell you everything is alright. Like I do." Sarcasm was loud and clear in Mikeys voice.

Kitzie looked down not knowing what to say. "I don't think he means anything by it Mikey. He's nice to me." She answered back gently. "He doesn't... scare me. I'd be fine with him."

This wasn't meant to happen. Frank wasn't meant to make her feel safe. "Well then Kitzie, if your so sure Franks intentions are pure and he isn't just trying get you alone to sweet talk or scare you out of your clothes then why don't you go ahead and hang out at your little crime scene across the road." He pointed in the direction of her house.

It was cruel. Mikey knew the moment the words left his mouth. The look on Kitzie's face said everything. She looked down and her breathing became shallow. She was trying not to cry. Now Mikey felt guilty and he hated feeling guilty. "I'm only trying to.."

"To what?" She shot him a look he wasn't expecting. She was upset at what he said.

Frank came into the room suddenly and glared at Mikey who hadn't expected him to hear their conversation from so far away. "So am I going to try to pressure her into sex, or am I going to get her alone and assaut her? I didn't understand which one you were implying at." Frank was mad.

Kitzies jaw clenched but quivered at the same time. She took a step back.

Mikey had his eyes on her. He glanced at Frank and back to her. "Cool it Frank. Your scaring her."

"I'm scaring her. No your scaring her Mikey. I thought you were trying to help her. Not trying to own her by making her too afraid of everyone else to be without you."

"That's not what I'm trying to do Frank. You saw how she was when she went back there. Curled up into a little ball in her closet. Do you want to see her like that again? Tell me you don't want to fuck her. Go on, tell me."

Kitzie began to cry softly and backed away a bit more. Ray walked into the room. He had heard everything and looked from person to person confused.

Frank scoffed. "Even if I did it wouldn't matter because I wouldn't try anything on her. Do you think I'm an animal?"

Kitzie went to walk away but Frank took hold of her wrist and stopped her. She gasped. "Stay here." He told her. She did.

"Take your hands off her." Mikey demanded through clenched teeth. Frank pulled her closer and put his arm around her shoulder. Kitzie began shaking. Mikey had to take in a deep breath so he wouldn't explode into the fit of rage that was building inside him again. He spoke really slowly and calmly. "Frank. What I said was stupid and I was wrong to say it. I know you would never hurt her. But please take your arm off her because you are scaring her right now."
Frank stayed still and stared at Mikey. Ray was going to step in but decided not to. Mikey sighed. "Look at her Frank."

Frank looked at Mikey for a few moments, then to Kitzie who was trembling and staring at Mikey. He gently took his arm off her. "Oh... I am so sorry Kitzie. I shouldn't have made you a part of that. I'm sorry."

Kitzie was still trying to calm a little but her voice trembled. "I-its okay F-frank." She stepped away from him and straight to Mikey who collected her in his arms and held her close. He held her tightly and whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry baby. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She was still shaking slightly.

Frank looked upset at the reaction his argument with Mikey had on her. He moved closer. "Kitz, I didn't mean to scare you. I'd never hurt you. You know that right?"

Kitzie nodded but Mikey and Frank ddn't know if she meant it or not. Mikey held her tighter. "He wouldn't Kitz. He'd never hurt you in any way baby."

Kitzie pulled away from Mikey and started walking away. She put her hand on Franks shoulder momentarily before she wandered off and up the stairs. Frank, Mikey and Ray heard Mikeys bedroom door shut.

"You have to stop this Mikey. You're too protective. She's not your girlfriend." Frank said.

"I know. But..."

"But what?" Ray asked.

"But she's got to be protected by someone." Mikey said.

"She doesn't need to be protected from Frank." Ray told him.

"I know that Ray. I just said it in the moment. Felt weird that she didn't want to be around me alright? I don't want her to still be scared of me."

Frank and Ray's eyes wrinkled in confusion. "Why would she be scared of you?" Frank asked.

Mikey looked down at his shoes. "I scared her at school one day. And in my car another time."

"What did you do? When?" Frank asked getting annoyed.

"Before everything happened. When we hated each other. After she hit me that time. I wanted to get, like revenge. I scared her. I feel like crap about it too ok? And I'm trying to make up for it."

Ray sighed. "Okay. I don't think we want to know."

Mikey shook his head. "No you don't. Lets just leave it at that ok?"

The three left the room and went back into the other room.

"Should I check up on her?" Mikey asked.

"How about you just leave her alone for a while." Frank said trying not to sound too angry.

The possessive feelings in Mikey didn't go away. But he had just enough self control not to go upstairs and hold his girl. His.

Notes

I decided to start writing this again and see where it takes me. Sorry to the people who have waited so long. Any thoughts on this chapter?