Can't fight this anymore....

"What?" Alice asked as she rubbed her arm mindlessly, opening the wounds in hopes of calming her under his stare.

Tucker thought about it for a minute and then shook his head chuckling. "No, I don't." He tilted his head to the side slightly. "Favorite smell?"

Blake pushed her hand away. "Don't do that to yourself."

"Axe -- on guys, anyway. If that counts as one," Bonnie said with a slight laugh. She hoped that wasn't weird. "You?"

Tucker chuckled and nodded. "It counts." He thought for a moment. "Vanilla on girls. Other than that, it's a tie between car oil and fresh cut alfalfa."

Alice wrapped her arms around herself, the one she had rubbed was now bleeding slightly. "Sorry." she murmered.

"Vanilla," Bonnie repeated, taking a bite of ice cream. She'd have to remember that. "What's your favorite season?"

Blake sighed and rubbed a hand across his face. "it's hard to help you when you hurt yourself."

Alice stared at him. But it helped her to hurt herself. She looked at the ground, jumping slightly when she saw a car drive by, the shadow moving in the corner of her eye, scaring her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "What do you want me to do?" She asked finally.

Tucker thought about it for a moment. "I don't have a favorite persay..." he trailed off and looked at her. "I much prefer the transitions between winter and spring and fall and winter."

"Not hurt yourself, not make this any harder than it has to be." Blake sighed.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard that answer before..." She paused. "What's Bailey's favorite color and season?"

Alice looked down at the ground. She wasn't going to promise anything. Maybe she should just go home...she could probably sneak through the window unnoticed.. Her lips throbbed, reminding her of what was waiting there for her. "Where do I sleep?" She asked after a moment, her voice a broken whisper.

Tucker had to think for a moment. "Pink and fall because she gets to go to school."

"Not showing you until you give me any razors you brought," Blake said, holding out his hand for them.

"She likes to go to school?" Bonnie raised her eyebrows.

Tucker nodded. "Most days anyway." He chuckled as he watched her. "She loves to learn. She soaks it up like a sponge."

Alice stared at his hand. She just stared at it. She wasn't giving anything up unless she absolutely had to.

"Wow, that's great," Bonnie said with a grin. "So does that mean she doesn't want to work on the farm when she gets older?"

"Do you want to be safe from your parents or not? You stay here, but you have to give me the razors."

Alice looked at him, debating whether it was worth it or not. She could probably get some more later...She reached into her pocket, handing over the freshly used razor, along with four others.

Tucker shook his head. "Nah. I doubt she will. She likes clothes. Fashion. Things like that."

Blake gritted his teeth when he saw fresh blood stains on the razors. "Is this all of them?"

"People that work on farms don't like that sort of thing?" Bonnie asked. if they didn't, then she wondered how Tucker could like her...she liked those things.

"No, they do. Gran loves to keep up on that kind of stuff." Tucker looked at his empty bowl. "But Bailey designs it. She doesn't just keep up with it. If she follows her passion," he shook his head. "She won't stay around."

Alice nodded, and watched him, flinching slightly as she saw the anger in his eyes when he saw the blood.

Bonnie's bowl was almost empty. "Will you miss her if she leaves?"

Blake turned away from her, leading her to the room she could stay in.

Tucker nodded and gave a small smile. "Are you kiddin me? It's like she's my own kid. Course I'll miss her." His voice was soft. He sighed and shook his head, "but that won't be for at least another dozen some years."

Alice looked at the small room. It was....clean. She looked at him. "are you sure?" She didn't want to soil the room with her..

"Are you raising her by yourself?" Bonnie asked. That must be hard. Plus Bailey was probably a constant reminder of his sister, right?

"Yes, I'm sure," Blake said, exasperatedly, though a sort of smile came to his face.

Tucker gave a small smile. "Gran helps out, but ya. Basically."

Alice looked around, jumping as she heard the front door shut, automatically hiding in his chest, not even really aware of her actions. Just fear.

Bonnie nodded and looked down at her mostly empty ice cream cup. "Ready to go?"

"It's just my Aunt's...friend." Blake said softly down to her then called to his mom. "Hey Miranda! I have a friend over!"

"That's great!" Miranda chirped, not really one to get involved.

"When ever you are." Tucker said with a smile.

Alice cringed at the woman's voice, Blake's words barely even reaching her. A tear rolled down her cheek, pure fear still coursing through her.

"It looks like we're both done...so yeah, let's go." Bonnie smiled back, then stood up and dropped her cup in the trash.

"What's wrong, Alice? She's not going to hurt you," Blake said softly, hesitantly brushing her hair back to sooth her.

"P-promise?" Alice said, her body shaking slightly. Flashes of the shutting door and her mom coming home with her "friends" or her dad coming home with his friends, all of them drunk, all of them high..using her.

Tucker smiled and dropped his cup in the trash and walked with her out to his truck. "So, I didn't plan much past the ice cream part...what would you like to do?"

"Promise," Blake whispered. "Everything's going to be just fine." Since she hadn't flinched away, he continued to stroke her hair.

"Hmm," Bonnie said, thinking about it. "We could go to the park...and walk." She wasn't good at thinking of things to do on dates, especially when they'd already done one thing, and so there wasn't much time left.

Tucker chuckled and nodded. "I like that idea." He unlocked her door and helped her in, then went to his side and got in. He started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards the park.

Alice closed her eyes, part of her trusting him, the other part being more reserved. She made herself not flinch as he touched her, her own little way of saying thanks. She wouldn't garuntee that he could do it again after this though.

I have to go get food. I realized this afternoon that I didn't have a can opener, so I didn't eat. But now I really need to eat. So I'll be back in a bit

"Sorry, it's sort of a lame one," Bonnie said with a shrug, looking down at her hands. Usually she was more confident in what she said, but Tucker made her feel nervous. In a good way.

Blake hummed quietly, not sure what the tune was, but it used to help him when he was little.