"You two are a sweet couple," Catherine said quietly from the front seat. Brooke gave her a small smile. She liked the girl. Catherine was nice, generous, and funny. She thought she and Tyler made a great couple and it was disappointing that something as asinine as racism was getting in the way of their happiness.

"Thanks," Brooke said.

"I think what’s been done to the two of you is horrible," Catherine added. Brooke frowned in confusion. She hadn’t said anything to her about the situation. Noticing the blonde’s confusion, Catherine continued.

"Sam mentioned a little bit to me while you and Tyler were getting the popcorn and stuff. I asked about the bruises. I know, I’m a bit nosey. Tyler scolds me for it all the time," she said sheepishly. "She said she’d been beaten recently."

"My dad," Brooke sighed, trying not to let the guilty tears win. She still felt incredibly guilty that her father had hurt Sam so badly.

"Yeah, she said something about that. She wasn’t too specific though. Just that he went for you and her Mom and she got in the way," Catherine explained. Brooke nodded.

"That’s one way of putting it," she said sadly.

(Leave it to Sammy to make sure she doesn’t seem heroic) she sighed internally.

"Cath, leave poor Brooke alone. It’s none of our business," Tyler said softly.

"Sorry," Catherine apologized. Brooke shook her head as Sam shifted to be impossibly closer in Brooke’s lap as she slept.

"It’s OK. I need to talk to someone. I don’t know how to help her. She seems like she’s getting so far away from me and I can’t hold on tight enough. Her mother says she’s not sleeping, she’s moody and irritable. And she HATES the motel, according to my aunt who’s staying next to them. I wish my father had never found us after we left. Everything was fine then."

"You left?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah," Brooke quickly explained the situation up to the point they were at now while Tyler and Catherine listened intently. It felt good to talk to someone outside of the situation, especially given that Catherine was a Psych major.

"Sounds like she’s lacking in a stable environment," Catherine piped up. "That can cause all sorts of problems on top of what’s already bothering her. I’m not trying to diagnose her, Brooke, but she might need professional help." Brooke snorted in a very unladylike fashion.

"No offense, but like I’ve told you, we’ve had some bad experiences with therapists. I doubt she’d be all that up for it."

"Well, if you change your mind, or hers, there’s a place on Hilltop that I think you’d both like. It’s called the St. Franscisan Life Center. It sounds religious, but it’s not," Catherine explained. "It’s run by nuns who are licensed therapists. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere and from what I hear, it seems to work for people who don’t like or respond well to conventional treatment."

"I’ll think about it," Brooke said as they pulled up in front of a house a few doors down from Catherine’s. "Thanks."

"No problem. Let’s do this again sometime," Catherine said as Tyler opened her door to let her out. They shared a kiss as Brooke stroked a faded bruise on Sam’s cheek with the tip of her finger.

"Oh, my Sammy, let me help you," she whispered to the still sleeping form. She thought it was great that Sam was still asleep but worried that without her there, Sam wouldn’t sleep at all. And she HAD to go home or her father would flip.

"Time to go home, Brooke," Tyler whispered. He looked at the two girls in the back seat. "I hope Cath didn’t offend you or anything with something she said."

"Nah," Brooke smiled. "She’s trying to help and believe me, I appreciate it."

"So, we going to do this again?" Tyler asked with a wide grin. Brooke grinned back.

"Tyler Ross, are you asking me out on a second date?" she asked with a giggle.

"Yes, Brooke. I must say this has been one of the best dates I’ve had in a while," he joked.

"Me too. Well, in that case, count me in."