It took a good week or so before Jonathan loosened up around Jack, and though the tension seemed to be lost between the two, my fear still crackled in my veins every time Jack became rambunctious. I'm sure he could feel the way I stiffened under his touch as he swung his arm around my shoulders, a typical action of his as we walked somewhere, and I'm positive that he recognized the way I couldn't look him in the eye as he challenged my opinions or pushed my limits.

I was just being stupid, though. It's not like he'd actually hurt me or anything. At least…that's what I thought.

Lunchtime, only one more class and we were free. Jack had gone to his locker to get his lunch, while Jonathan and I situated ourselves in our normal spot, just outside of the fence that separated the baseball field from the forest. It was kind of convenient actually, going to one of the crappiest school in Gotham, because it was right out on the city limits, by the beautiful forest.

Jack came skipping along, lunch and water bottle in hand. He was the only guy I knew who was so comfortable with his sexuality that he would actually skip across campus.

"Well ladiessssss…I was-uh thinking and-"

"You? Thinking? Ahhh!" I clutched Jonathan in mock horror.

Jonathan just rolled his eyes, mouth too full with a sandwich to say anything.

"Oh-ho-ho! Mia made a funny." Jack fake-laughed dryly, tossing his paper-bag lunch at me.

"Hey! No head shots!" I yelled, half-angry, when the bag, and more importantly, the apple inside the bag, collided with my head.

Jack went off on one of his real laughing tangents, while I rubbed my head with exaggerated poutiness.

"You suck." I spat at him.

"You su-uck." He mocked back in sing-song voice.

"Children please," Jonathan said softly, collecting the scattered contents of Jack's lunch.

Before the apple reached the safety of Jonathan's pale grasp, I snatched it from the grass. In one quick motion, I swiped my tongue across the apple's smooth, waxy surface and chucked it at Jack. He caught it with ease and raised an eyebrow.

"Seriouslyyy…you are so immature." He grinned and took a bite of the saliva-tainted fruit.

"Ewww…Jack!" Jonathan and I cried simultaneously.

"Now," Jack said choppily through a mouth full of apple, "We are going on a...a field trip. So pack up your, uh, lunches and lets sca-ram."

He kicked the ground by our feet and tossed a look over his shoulders, as if to emphasize the urgency of our leaving.

I turned to look at Jonathan, who had already gotten up and extended his hand towards me, an offering to help me stand. But I stayed firmly in my spot.

"Where are we going? And why-"

But it was too late. Jack had swooped down and, in an instant, thrown me over his shoulder and began to walk further into the forest.

"Jack! Jonathan! What the hell?!"

"Just go with it," Jonathan offered, "at least we get to skip Spanish." He shrugged and kept pace behind Jack.

I then proceeded to pound on Jack's back and kick my feet like a freakin' two-year-old, chanting over and over:

"Put me down! Jack! Just put me down! Ugh!"

Finally, when we were far away enough that I couldn't run back to school too easily, he threw me down onto a softer patch of grass.

"Hey! Careful with the merchandise!" I scowled at him, half-playfully.

"You'll ah, live." He replied, tongue swiping over his lips.

"So what are we doing?" Jonathan asked casually, as if I hadn't been so rudely abducted and tossed onto the ground.

"Swimming!" Jack howled enthusiastically, practically jumping in the air.

Jonathan and I both looked around, raising our eyebrows. There was no water to be seen or heard.

"Welllll," he drawled, "You think I'd take-uh the chance of us getting caught? No-ho-ho. We're going quite a waysssss. So let's go!" He was antsy to get moving, and practically leapt over me in the direction of the swimming-place.

Jonathan, being the somewhat gentleman that he was, lent his hand to me in order for me to stand. I rose with his help and rubbed my butt sorely. That was going to bruise later.

Catching up to his pace, Jack threw his arm over my shoulders and, like the coward I am, I felt my muscles seize up.

"Dolly-olly-olly…reallyyyy?"

He peered down at me, knitting his brows and giving me his puppy-dog eyes. I knew that he felt my tension.

"Really." I said firmly, sticking my tongue out for good measure.

He laughed, hopping a bit, all joy and mischief until Jonathan deflated his good mood.

"Jack…we don't have swimwear." Jonathan pointed out obviously.

"We uh, what?" Jack stopped hop-skipping.

"Bathing suits?" Jonathan prompted.

"Oh." His tongue made another appearance, dancing at the corner of his scar.

"You guys can just swim in your shorts and I'll stay on the banks." I presented lightly.

"Right! Right! Right!" Jack bounced, literally, "I knewww there was reason we kept you around." He laughed huskily, pushing his hand on top of my head and mussing my hair.

I glared at him my best and he pinched my side.

"For the-uh, last time…let's go." Jack took my hand and I latched onto Jonathan with my other, all of us making a run into the thicker forest.

After about ten minutes of straight sprinting, I was the first to tire and break off of the little chain we had going. Jonathan stopped shortly after and then Jack, who was still just bursting with energy.

"Almost, ah-almost there!" He giggled, clapping his hands.

"Seriouslyyy, you are so immature." I quoted Jack, doing my best impression of his deep, rough voice.

"I. Do. Not. Sound. Like. That." He growled, walking backwards.

Jonathan and I exchanged glances, and then both burst out into laughter.

We walked side by side, feeding off of each other's good mood while Jack half-jogged forward.

"He's like a puppy," Jonathan whispered to me, eyes on Jack.

"A deranged puppy that chews up all your favorite shoes." I remarked.

Jonathan stifled a laugh, his blue eyes sparkling, and looked on.

I enjoyed the silence between us, it was comfortable, not awkward, though at first I thought we were just walking too close, but when Jonathan's knuckles repeatedly grazed mine, I finally looked up at him, but Jack, who had stopped, took the words out of my mouth.

"Aww…is little Jonny trying to hold Mia's hand? How cuuuuuute-uh!" He growled the last part, eyes gleaming.

Jonathan didn't answer; just shot Jack an especially chilly glare. Jack stumbled back, as if the defiant stare had actually hit him, and laughed snidely.

"Shut up Jack." I scolded definitively, flipping my hair and tossing him a bitchy smile.

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but instead he just laughed like the maniac he was and shook his head, as if reprimanding himself.

The sound of gushing water ahead made us all eagerly trot ahead, and I think I actually gasped when I saw the spring.

Nestled back into a little corner of the forest laid a seemingly small pool of water, and the melodic rush of a waterfall drew us closer to a more confined space where water was thrusting itself over a beautiful tumble of rocks about ten feet above the water. All along the banks were patches of blue and violet wildflowers, and ivy clung to the rocks that enclosed the area.

And before I could close my mouth from hanging in awe, a great splash of the cool water smacked against the back of my throat and I started hacking in the most attractive manner.

"You should really ah, cut down to a pack-a-day." Jack crooned from below. He'd already stripped his shirt and shoes and was down in the water, splashing around, happy as can be.

Jonathan clapped me on the back till I could breath, then we both perched on the edge of the rocky bank. We both kicked off our Converse and laid the black sneakers next to Jack's belongings. Dipping our feet into the water, we shivered. It was glacial.

"C'mon Jonny Boy!" Jack splashed playfully at our feet. Jonathan's skinny ankles and large feet were comical next to mine, tiny as a doll's.

"You think you'll ever grow into those feet?" I asked, tugging on a chunk of Jonathan's thick, dark hair.

"I-"

"You know what they say about big feet!" Jack chirped, interrupting Jonathan.

"Jack," Jonathan warned, kicking a wave of water at him.

I didn't really get it, but didn't press for more info. By the look on Jack's face, it was bound to be something perverted.

Jack came at us with a mouthful of the cool, clear water and sprayed it at us. Jonathan stood immediately, probably to go and find a rock to smash Jack over the head with, but I grabbed his hand.

"Like a puppy," I reminded Jonathan with a smile.

"A puppy that needs to be neutered." Jonathan growled, running a hand through his hair angrily.

As if on cue, Jack then made manacles around our ankles with his hands, and quicker than I thought possible, dragged us into the frigid pool.

Water rushed into my mouth and nose, stinging and biting its way down into my lungs. A rough hand clamped itself around my upper arm and dragged me to the surface, sputtering and sneezing liquid. I was brought face-to-face with Jack's scarred grin, Jonathan glowering at the tanned imp and smoothing the hair out of his eyes.

"Jack, its freaking freezing!" I chattered through my teeth. "And I'm in my flipping clothes! What am I going to do when we have to leave? Die of hypothermia?" I splashed angrily at him.

"Yeah, thanks a lot Jack." Jonathan snarled.

"Jusssst take off your shirt and leave it to dry, it'll be all fine and dandy when we leave."

"What about me?" I demanded angrily, pounding my fist into the water.

"Just take my shirt-tuh. Jeez, you're so whiney today."

"I wouldn't have anything to whine about if you weren't so freaking impulsive." I huffed, beginning to paddle to the shore.

"Ah-tah-tah-tah." Jack snatched my calf and raised his other hand, pointing his index finger admonishingly. "One game, jussssst. One. Then you and little uh, Jonny there can be party poopers all you want."

"Okay, shoot." I half-sighed, half-ordered.

"Marco-polo!" He wheezed gleefully, "Jonny's it!"

"This is so lame, Jack." I said dismissively, beginning to head back to dry land.

"So you'd rather hang with your…your lover-boy than play one little ole game with your friend?" Jack sighed with mock defeat and rejection.

"Ohmigod! You are so annoying. Fine. Let's get this over with."

Jack tackled me with a hug and then sprung around to face Jonathan.

"Alrighty, Jonny boyyyy, count to uhmmm…thirty. Got it?"

Jonathan rolled his eyes and nodded, glaring at me like I was the one to blame for Jack's childish whims.

Trying to be as silent as possible, Jack and I swam towards the waterfall, with a plan to lead Jonathan towards it and then swim elsewhere.

"Marco!" Jonathan called with his silky voice, eyes closed and hands out in front of him like a blind zombie.

"Polo!" Jack and I yelled back in unison.

He swam closer to us.

"Marco!"

"Polo!"

It went on for ten more minutes, until Jonathan was almost a foot away from us. Then Jack grasped my wrist and dragged to the side of the waterfall, where a narrow strip of water, mostly hidden by rocks, led to another small pool of water. The roar of the fall was muted now, and Jack led me to the edge of the pond, eyes like jade fire. His cheeks lifted in a gruesome smile and my heart sped up, crashing like thunder in my chest. Something…something was wrong.

"Now that-uh, now that we're alone." He cooed, leering in at me, "Tell me what you think about dear ole Jonny-boy."

Despite my fear, I felt that stupid fire of anger erupt in my belly. "Why are you so obsessed with him? You're not gay, are you?" I spat with a derisive smile.

That remark wiped that dumb smirk off of Jack's lips. His tongue ran itself along the curve of his full lower lip and that black danger from the locker incident returned to his eyes.

"So-uh…you think I'm a queer?!" He said shakily, trying to reign in his anger. His fists were tight knots at his sides, the tendons sticking out of his wrists so beautifully.

I merely laughed, feeling fear worm its way through my veins and intestines like some arctic tapeworm. Goosebumps peaked on my arms and I could feel something coming, something…not too good.

Faster than I could register, Jack clamped his right hand around my neck, so hard and so fast that I didn't even have time to inhale before he decided to cut off my air. I could feel my eyes bulge, my nostrils flare, and my face redden with lack of oxygen. I squeaked and kicked and splashed, but to no avail. His iron grip remained, as did the inhuman rage in his eyes.

His other hand snaked up my violet sweater and grabbed my breast roughly. His short nails dug into virgin flesh, and I uttered a small cry of panic. My lungs were imploding, the air raking itself across the organs as it fled from my lips and nostrils. I couldn't breathe, couldn't breathe, couldn't…breathe.

He brought his lips down to the base of my neck, nipping and biting harshly as he worked his way up the goose-bumped flesh.

Finally he released my neck in favor of the side of my face, thumb pressing hard enough to break my fragile cheekbone. I inhaled sharply, the air scalding my cracking lungs.

His other fingers curled slightly into my hair and his hot mouth trailed upwards still, till it found my own. His chapped lips were urgent against mine, his tongue like a molten snake trying to pry its way past my sealed lips. Immediately my hands were against his chest, pushing him away, but he was a statue. Yanking my head back, I stole another gasp of oxygen before he pressed his mouth to mine. Eyes wide and desperate, I did what I thought would've put him off: I bit him.

Right on his serpent tongue, my teeth sank in and at the same time he elicited a moan, tightening his grip on my breast, cheek, and hair. I turned my face to the side, trying to loosen his death grip on my hair, which felt that it might tear out of my scalp, and screamed with all of my energy, which was not much. To my disgust, he began grinding his hips into mine, razor-sharp hip bones crashing against my own. My mind was becoming fuzzy, eyes stinging with tears, becoming blurry. He was going to rape me.

I screamed and screamed and screamed, and all of it went into his mouth. I even bit him again, which only made him growl and bite me back. My fists were balls of iron pounding against his chest and I lifted my head to expel one more scream, this time a name.

"Jonathan!"

Through the ringing in my ears I heard frantic splashing, and then Jack's face was ripped away with the force of a punch. Jonathan stood before me in the shallow waters, shaking the fist that had punched Jack, eyes wide and face red. Jack turned from the half-crouched position the punch had set him in, hand cupped beneath his gushing nose. The animalistic lust and rage seemed to have been knocked from his head, because his eyes were clear now, and the ghost of a grin traced his lips.

"What the fuck was that?" Jonathan screamed, breathing heavily, fists clenched in front of him.

"She called me queer." Jack said lightly, almost as if the fact that I called him gay dismissed his actions.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned his head back, trying to stop the blood as if nothing had happened.

I'd been so caught up in the drama that I hadn't realized that I'd been sobbing, my shoulders quaking and my hands trembling. Jonathan looked from me to Jack, and then to me again. Then the most horrible thing happened.

Jonathan's eyes frosted, his jaw tightened, and his breathing evened. He was gone. Anti –Jonathan was here now, emotionless, cold, and immune to the pain and anger that would be ravaging Jonathan right now.

I lifted my shaking hand and reached out for him, hoping to rock his shoulder to wake him from the abyss of his mind, but anti-Jonathan shifted is weight so his shoulder was out of reach, glaring at me through the thick fringe of his lashes, his eyes like icy daggers. Without another word, he wrapped a cool white hand around my wrist with enough strength to crush the frail, protruding bones.

"We're leaving." He informed Jack, turning to lead me out by bruising wrist.

Jack had stopped his bleeding nose and was stalking behind us, a good ways away. Like the paranoid mess that I was, I kept turning to face him, anxious and scared and waiting for something.

My heart was like a tribal drum in my chest, beating so fast and irregularly that I thought I was going to have a heart attack or something. I'd stopped crying like a baby, though my fingers were still trembling.

We came to the bank where our shoes and Jack's shirt lay, and Jonathan didn't even miss a beat as he swung himself onto dry land. He dragged me up with him, seating me a good inch or two from himself. Jonathan pulled his shoes on mechanically, strategically placing his long legs between me and Jack. I slipped my feet into my Converse and proceeded to wring out my sleeves, shivering and rubbing my legs together to create some warmth in my body.

Jack had yanked on his matching black shoes and tossed his dry shirt over my head. A little disorientated, I fumbled beneath the huge shirt and then finally found the arm and head holes. I felt Jack watching me with his hooded eyes and when I turned to him, his lips turned up into a mischievous smile.

I averted my gaze and rose, this time offering my hand to Jonathan. He took it and, with great difficulty, I helped him up.

We walked in silence for a good ten or fifteen minutes, Jonathan leading, me following closely after, and Jack trailing behind, kicking rocks at the backs of our feet. I hoped that Jonathan could feel my unspoken gratitude radiating off of me, and at the same moment that thought crossed my mind, his crystalline gaze shifted down to my drenched figure. He rubbed my back awkwardly and I knew my Jonathan had returned.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly.

I nodded, giving him a tight, close-lipped smile that was only half-genuine. I let my gaze fall upon the forest ahead, letting him rest his hand between my shoulder blades.

Deep in my heart, I knew that Jack and I could never be the same.

A/N: I'm very ambivalent about this one...please review and tell me what you think! :)