At about 3:45 that afternoon Bug went to get Lux from school as planned. She had of course bombed her Geometry to test because all of the times she had pretended to be studying she had been at Bug's apartment. She got on the back of his bike and he took her to his apartment.

Half an hour later they were deep into a make out session. Bug settled himself between her legs and started deepening the kisses. Ever so slowly he reached down and started unbuttoning her jeans.

"Bug." Said Lux. "Stop."

"Come on," said Bug as he kissed her neck. "You know you want to."

"No I really don't," said Lux as she pushed him off of herself and stood up.

"What's your problem?" asked Bug.

"I just want it to be special," said Lux slowly.

"And what I'm not special enough for you?" demanded Bug.

"Shut up!" said Lux. "You're just picking a fight with me.

At that moment Bug stood up and gave Lux a shove. She fell into a bookcase and crumpled to the floor.

"Lux…I'm sorry," said Bug as he tried to help her up.

"Don't touch me," said Lux. She got up and ran out of his apartment.

When she got downstairs she pulled up her shirt and noticed that new bruises were forming where she had hit the bookcase…but they weren't the only ones. When Bug lost his temper sometimes he got a little rough. There were old bruises on her arms…he only hit her in places she could cover up. She went outside and hopped on a bus that would take her relatively close to Cate's.

"What are we going to say to her?" asked Baze as he peered out the window for the 100th time.

"We are going to be completely forward with everything," said Cate. She had sent Ryan home earlier. This was something she and Baze needed to do alone.

At that moment Lux came into the house with her head down as she made her way towards the attic stairs.

"Lux," said Cate. "Come in here please."

Lux hadn't realized that her parents were home. They were never home at this time of day.

"Hey," said Lux. "What's up?" She sat down in a chair opposite Baze and Cate. She noticed that they both looked really serious. "Is something wrong?"

"You could say that," said Baze, his temper getting the better of him. "This morning I was running late to pick you up, so I called Cate. We were both a little surprised to find out that you haven't been riding with you either of us thought you were for a while….so where the hell have been?

"I can explain…" said Lux slowly.

"Don't explain," said Cate. "Just tell us the truth.

"You wouldn't let me see him," said Lux. "So I started seeing him in the mornings…I didn't think you would find out…..I'm really sorry."

"Lux…." Said Baze in an exasperated voice. "I don't even know what to say. I thought we were done with all of this sneaking around."

"I'm sorry," said Lux softly. "It won't happen again."

"You're damn straight it won't," said Baze. "You're grounded until further notice."

Lux whirled around an d tried to get out of the room, but Baze stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Ahhh," she said. Flinching away because her skin was tender.

Immediately Baze released her. "Lux," he said. But she was already up the stairs and into the attic.

"I hardly touched her," said Baze.

"Let me try," said Cate.

She went upstairs and found Lux rubbing her arms on her bed.

"Let me see," said Cate. When she looked at her daughters arms she saw bruises new and old and handprints. The same with her back.

"Oh Lux," said Cate. "Has he been doing this for a long time?"

Lux only nodded. "He just gets frustrated…"

"Lux," said Cate firmly. "No one has the right to hit you. Do you understand me?"

"He loves me," said Lux.

"No," said Cate. "This isn't love." She gesstured to the bruises as she spoke.

Cate gave Lux a quick kiss and then when downstairs to talk to Baze.

"I'll kill," said Baze as Ryan came in the front door.

"Who?" asked Ryan as he settled himself next to Cate on the sofa.

"Bug," said Cate. "Baze sit down. It won't do any good."

"So she was with Bug," said Ryan.

"Yep," said Baze. "And besides whatever else they were doing he was hitting her."

"What?!?!?" said an astonished Ryan.

"I knew he wasn't good for her," said Cate. "We have to keep them apart, but I don't know how."

"For starters we're moving her to the guestroom," said Ryan. "She can't sneak out from down here."

"And I will take her to school everyday, no matter what," said Baze.