The white knuckle grip Ethan had on the steering wheel never relented as he sped through the streets of Chicago. He muttered incoherently under his breath as his old friend anger cheered him on.

"I can't BELIEVE this SHIT," He ground out through clenched teeth. He could practically feel his blood boiling with each thought. When did she come back? Where did she come back from? How long had she'd been home and was she even planning to tell him?

The ringing of his phone seemed to barge into his thoughts like a fog horn. He snatched the device from the center counsel and glanced at the caller Id.

Mom.

"Not now-" Ethan bit abruptly before slamming on his breaks to keep from plowing into the person waiting at the light in front of him. In the process, his phone happened to fly to the floor.

"God damnit!" He cursed.

"Son," Nora's voice advised through the car's sound system, alerting Ethan that the call had indeed been answered. "Is that type of language really necessary?"

"Now's not a good time mom," He grumbled as he dipped from behind the slow moving driver ahead of him.

"You always say that," Nora dismissed, believing it was another one of his veiled attempt to get rid of her. "As I was-"

"Mom!" Ethan announced sharply. "I really don't have time for this, okay? Danny's home."

"Oh," was all Nora could manage in a small, questioning voice.

Unfortunately, her tone wasn't lost on Ethan.

"But you already knew," He supplied flatly.

"Ethan, honey..." Nora fumbled.

"GoodBYE Mom," Ethan gritted and ended the call.

"Un-fucking-believable," He growled and shook his head. Everyone had a secret, and every secret seemed to cover for her.

He skidded to a halt and threw the gear in park. He stared at the house he was parked in front of and felt his nose flare. He'd had enough. It was time to go to root of it all.

++++++

Danica stood pacing in her room, still debating on how she was going to explain herself to Ethan. She wasn't sure how long she'd been at it, but she happened to glance at her window, out onto the street below.

Something that hadn't previously been there caught her eye and her stomach suddenly felt as if it were made of lead. The new addition was a vehicle that she knew all too well. She inched closer, never taking her eyes off the car. By the time she collapsed on to the window seat, reality came knocking at her door.

"Danny," Gale called solemnly as she stepped into the room. "Ethan's here."

Danica felt herself stop breathing the moment Gale moved aside to reveal Ethan.

She watched as he stepped into the room, looking everywhere but at her. She took in his concentrated expression, his hair, his smell, everything about him. Everything that she remembered and clung to was the same, mostly. But she noted the darkened shadows under his eyes and knew she was the cause.

"I'll leave you two alone," Gale murmured and quietly made her exit.

It wasn't until when the door shut that Ethan finally looked at Danica. Involuntarily, he took note of how his old college sweatshirt hung on her frame. She'd obviously lost weight.

He moved forward and Danica seemed to shrink away, staring at the floor and fiddling with her fingers. ‘Since when did she become so fragile', Ethan wondered.

Danica twisted her fingers nervously, to afraid to meet eyes with Ethan again. The anger and pain she saw was enough to send her anxiety into over drive.

"You know," He scoffed. "I don't know whether to hug you or shake you."

Danica nodded mutely. She gnawed into her trembling bottom lip.

"You just up and disappear without a word," He seemed to muse. "And don't even think enough of me to say when you back."

"Ethan, I'm- I'm sor-"

"No," He exclaimed, cutting her off. "No. You don't get to do that. I won't give you the satisfaction. After all of THIS! You don't even deserve the chance to apologize."

Danica's mouth moved wordlessly, grasping for something, anything to say.

"And like the fool that I am," Ethan seethed, feeling every built up emotion fighting to come forward. "I actually came running TO YOU!"

"I going to come to you," Danica gasped, she felt her chest tightening with every word. "I was going to tell you..."

Her trailing off was enough to fuel Ethan even more. "Tell me what? Huh? You better come up with some good shit, because this scared little girl act isn't it!"

Tears began to spill down Danica's cheeks against her will. She knew he would be angry, but she had no idea how to face it. All she knew for certain was that she deserved it.

"You don't understand," She pleaded.

"What's there to understand," Ethan yelled. This new whimpering Danica was something he wasn't prepared for. Weak wasn't something Danica was, and while tiny voice tried to reason his hurt drove him forward, using her weakened state as fuel. "That you're a coward? That you're selfish? That you're careless? Stop me when I get to one that you like."

"You don't understand," She repeated, bringing her knees to her chest. It was all coming back.

"Well, make me understand." Ethan seethed.

‘He doesn't want you,' A voice began to sneer in Danica's mind.

"No," Danica whimpered and Ethan recoiled in shock.

"No," He spat. "I at least deserve to know what possessed you to pull this stunt."

‘He deserves better.'

"Stop it," Danica sniffled, knotting her fists into her hair.

"The hell I will," Ethan continued, his rage blinding him to the woman slowly falling apart before him.

‘You're filthy. You're ruined. Why would he want you?'

Danica squeezed her eyes shut. "Please stop."

Suddenly Ethan charged forward, gripping her wrists. "What's wrong with you?!"

‘Tell him you're used. Tell him you're broken. Tell him you asked for it... tell him.'

Without either of them realizing it, the final chain holding Danica back had broken.

"I WAS RAPED!" She all but screamed