No Longer Alone

Chapter Thirty-Three

*Damian's POV*

    We had gotten Marie what looked like a pretty good variety of food, thankfully she seemed to like vegetables as well as fruits, meats, and grains.  She was chattering about something when she paused, her eyes going wide, as she looked at someone.  Looking up I saw my parents with Nicole, and two other people that I couldn't recognize from behind, but what I could see was that my parents looked concerned while Nicole looked like she was about to pass out.  Marie didn't look happy anymore and looking at Alex we both nodded and walked over a bit concerned, I was close enough when the male opened his mouth to recognize his voice as being rat-boy from the meeting.

   "Of course the little ice princess is alright."  Rat-boy started, his words sounding odd, and he clung to some female. "Don't let her fool you too.  She's crazy.  A total b***h.  She acts like she is all meek and nice...but when it comes down to it, she goes crazy on people and really isn't that likable." 

    I was completely shocked to hear the words coming out of his mouth, and a look at my parents showed that they were as surprised as I was by this kind of an outburst.  Nicole looked like she was fighting back tears, but she still stood tall.

    "Andrew, please get away from me, this is not the right kind of place for this." Her voice was soft, and strained, even when she was snapping at me I'd never heard her sound like this.

    "Oh shut up Nicole.  You are just jealous coz I'm with Andy now not you." The bimbo next to rat-boy starts in on her, and I see Nicole glancing at my parents and I, a look of devastation and and sorrow in her eyes. "She is absolutely nothing an' a total nut job.  Andy here told me what he said to her before.  Seriously you gotta be really messed up or on something to like spending time with her."

     "Seriously she is disrespectful, has no sense of humor, and is now tryin' to make me look bad with the new client." Rat boy starts up again and I feel my hands clenching into fists, I go to take a step towards the little rat, when Alex stops me and looks down.  Marie is crying, and looking scared, I unclench my fists and nod to Alex, I didn't want to upset her any more either.  "You may wanna get away from her too before she causes you problems too.  She is just trash n doesn't respect her leaders, or anyone.  She deserves to be all alone, she doesn't deserve anything else."

    With that I look up to see Nicole apologizing profusely for something, almost running for the door, and tears streaming down her cheeks.  I see Alex getting Marie over to her grandmother as my parents start ripping into the drunken duo. Next thing I know Alex is back at my side, and the kids are with their grandmother moving further from the commotion.

    "Go see to her, your parents and I have got them, and her friends are gonna help keep an eye on her kids, but she needs someone right now."  Alex says before giving me a nudge the way she went, and turning back to the two letting them have a piece of his mind as well.

    I took off after her, thinking she must have headed outside, and hope that I am right.  I'm not gonna be able to do much good if she went into the ladies room.  I get outside and hear someone struggling for a normal breath, and follow the sound.  There she stands, her face tilted up to the sky, and even with her eyes closed, it is still easy to see the suffering in her face, and her struggle to bring herself under control. 

    Unable to stand that look, I spin her towards me and pull her into a hug, stroking her back.  I feel her tremble for a moment before letting go and crying into my shirt.  I really hope that Alex is taking care of that bottom dwelling scum sucker and his cling on.  Right now the only thing I can focus on is the woman in my arms and trying to give her this moment of support.

****Alex's POV****

    "Let me tell you something you self-centered, no account, drunk sack of s**t..." Xander was going off on the drunks.  I am guessing he took a liking to Nicole and her kids, though he is protective of most women and children.   

    I was glad that I was able to get Marie away from the situation before all hell broke loose.  I'd been working with Val and Xander to get them here since he finally admitted that he saw her as more, that our plans for them to show up was already today, I thought fate was lending a helping hand when Damian asked me to put this together, that these two would be able to help us hammer through that steel wall she has up.  I wasn't expecting us to break her.  

    The second that she started rushing off, Val and Xander started laying into the two drunks, and I heard the whispering.  Some of the things said though, made me wonder, and I needed more information, I didn't know which of these people could help me out, and her mom was busy with her kids.  I spotted Stone off to the side looking confused and went to talk to her.  She looked at me met me half-way across the room, her eyes on the situation, and concerned but not willing to take a step in it seems until she knew what was going on.

    "Who is that couple that is going off on Andrew and his girlfriend, and why are they going off on them?"  she asked when I next to her, both of us still watching the fireworks.

    "Well first, they are going off on them because they are drunk and were saying some horrible things to and about Nicole, she ran out in tears." Stone started hurling profanities, and looking like she was torn between wanting to punch someone and needing to find Nicole. "Second, those would be Val and Xander Blake, Damian's parents, as well as the founders of VXB, who seem to have taken a liking to Nicole and her kids."

    Stone looked at me, her eyes wide and her face pale, not knowing how tonight's events would impact anything.  I shrugged unsure as well at this moment, and she nodded.

    "Now I need to know what happened to cause him to do that."  I looked to her, and she shook her head eyes sad.

    "I know a little, I was gone when everything happened, the only one I know of that knows everything, or almost everything is her best friend Jen, and I don't have a way to get ahold of her."

    "I do."  I smile, finally seeing something to help in this case.