Small Town Girl 2
by NB

Alex, Mac, Heather, and Bobby © NB


Three weeks later...

	Alex rushed through the school his breath all but choking in his throat as he ran up the stairs leading to the second floor of the main building on his way to home room. The bell rang and the instructor, Mr Davis, glanced down each end of the hall then began to shut the door. Just before he could close it all the way Alex reached the door and stuffed a textbook in the opening, "You're late again..", the aged skunk whispered in his low toned voice as he opened the door and let the young tiger in. Alex brushed his long hair back into place over his right eye and quietly took his seat. All during the day Alex kept his head down where no one could see his face waiting for lunch period when he'd finally be able to see the only two people who could bring any level of comfort to his heart.

	At lunch hour Alex sat in the far corner of the courtyard behind some wile berry bushes out of sight from everyone else. He slowly ate his apple when suddenly a pair of firm and comforting arms wrapped around his shoulders followed by the pressure of a larger individuals body pressing against his back, "Hey beautiful.", Bobby's smooth voice sent an excited chill through Alex's entire body as he turned his head until their lips met in a gentle kiss. After breaking their embrace the studdly cougar took a spot on the grass next to the tiger, "Alex,", he suddenly stopped as he noticed how Alex's hair covered his face, "That asshole did it again didn't he?", Alex nodded and brushed his bangs aside showing that his right eye was swollen shut. "Alex, you can't keep letting that fucker do this to you.", Bobby pulled his lover close as Alex whispered, "I tried... I called the sheriff but by the time he got there Mac was gone.", the cougar stroked the tiger's face, "I'm afraid that's not enough, you're gonna have to fight back at some point. People aren't meant to take this kind of abuse, especially when they've done nothing to deserve it." Bobby nudged his love and realized in that short time he had fallen asleep, exhausted from laying awake so many nights out of fear of the man he was left in the care of.

	After school Bobby was again at football practise with Alex and his sister, Heather, sitting at the side lines. His performance was off as he could not help but think about how anyone could hurt someone as sweet and loving as Alex, even if he was different from so called "normal boys". These thoughts lingered in his mind all through the evening, his dinner date with Alex, and on into the next day. Friday afternoon rolled around at long last and still Bobby could not shake his anger towards Mac and the ones in charge of protecting the innocent who had failed to bring him to justice for so long.

	On Saturday Alex had come over again after another of Mac's drunken rampages. Bobby sat on the roof of his house, just outside his window, thinking of what could be done and no matter how long or how hard he thought about it his mind always came to the same conclusion: if Alex couldn't or wouldn't defend himself someone would have to do it for him. His parents were out and had left the truck a perfect means to make the long distance to Alex's house but what to do when he got there? Sure he was young and fit but Mac was a large man and had seen his share of brawls in his life. It was then he saw it, there in the truck sticking up from behind the seat was his dad's twelve guage shotgun, "If dad didn't take the shotgun in then....", Bobby thought then quickly jumped down and ran to the truck and just as he thought his dad's Blackhawk magnum rested on the seat with a case of ammunition nearby.

	In Heather's room the girl tended to some of Alex's fresher wounds, covering what she could with makeup. "You know, Alex, I was a little freaked when Bobby told me you were really a guy. Tho I guess I should have figured it out my brother has always had trouble talking to girls other than me that is I mean alot of girls tried to hook up with him when he got on the team but....do you hear my dad's truck?", the two look out Heather's window to see Bobby screeching tires down the road headed in the direction that will take him straight to the farm road. Alex bolted out of the room without a word and was out the front before Heather could even react, "Alex! W-what do we do?", she shouted as Alex quickly turned and shouted back, "Call the sheriff!", then jumped on Heather's bike and peddled as fast as he could.

	Bobby slowly approached the old road that lead down the decrepid shack that was Alex's home and source of torment. He pulled over to a side road and shut off the engine, "If they see dad's truck...they might think he did it.", he took the handgun and began to load it slowly running though his mind that what he had planned to do at home was the only way for there to be any real justice for Alex. He stepped out of the truck as soon as he was sure no one was around, slipped the gun between his belt and pants then slipped into the thick patch of woods that would take him to his target without being seen.

	Alex continued to peddle as fast as he could knowing there was little chance of catching Bobby in time. He slid to a stop when he came to the truck and touched the hood whichw as still rather warm then took off down the road, "Maybe I can....even if he went through the woods I just might...", he thought to himself as every rock and bump in the dirt path nearly made him lose control. The house was more than a mile down the path but even going at full speed it felt like an eternity before he reached the battered, crumbling structure he had to called home. When at last he reached the yard he jumped off the bike and stumbled across the dirt lot, "The door is closed so Bobby couldn't have gotten here yet.", Alex's heart beat hard and fast in his small chest thinking all would be well but then the silence was shattered by an ear splitting blast.

	Birds from nearby trees took flight with fear as the young tiger's heart nearly burst out of his chest before he ran up the step and threw open the screen door. The house was dark as usual with only the light from outside providing any illumination but he could see a dreadful sight. Through the door on the other side of the room that lead into the kitchen that was also directly in line with the back door was Mac, in that stooped over stance of his, breathing heavy and standing over..."Oh God... Bobby!", Alex screamed without realizing as tear instantly flooded his eyes and rolls down his cheeks to the floor. Mac moved away just as Alex came into the kitchen and crouched over Bobby's lifeless body, he had been shot once in the chest, begging him to say anything. From behind him he could hear the familiar sound off a beer being opened, "Shtoop ed fok bwoke een", Mac chugged the beer and threw the bottle at Alex breaking it on the wall, who now could only feel the one thing he had felt for so many years.

	Heather rode shotgun to the Sheriff as his 1970 black and white Dodge Diplomat roared through the back roads and skidded on the asphault when they sharply turned onto the dirt road. The sheriff was stern faced as he took his sidearm out of it's holster and made sure it was fully loaded then set it back in it's place without resecuring the strap while Heather nervously bit down on her thumb unable to think of anything but every possible bad outcome. Back in the broken home Alex shook as his heart was filled with so much pain and his mind overcome with grief while Mac did the only thing he was good for: drinking a beer. "You...", Alex finally managed to mutter between sobs, "You...", his fists tightened until his claws ripped through Bobby's shirt and dug into his own flesh, "You son of a bitch!" Mac swayed a little as he looked with blood shot eyes at the teen, "Foks yeer probem? Onlee beech hurs yoo.", he staggered as he drew closer to Alex, his bare tail draggin the floor leaving a trail in the thick dust. He grabbed Alex's hair and yanked back on his head then placed the gun to the boy's head, "D'aww..po beech boy don't go no dick ta suk no mo. I'd say suk mine..but I ain't no faggy beech lik-", he was quickly cut off as Alex sharply turned his head and sank his teeth deep into the rat's wrist. In an instant Mac dropped the gun and let go of Alex's hair staggering back until he fell to the floor screaming in pain as his blood ran like water down his arm. Alex quickly got to his feet, grabbing the gun, and jumped on Mac's chest with the gun pointed directly at the man's face, "Go to hell!", Alex shrieked his body, heart, and mind filled with the anger of more than ten years of abuse as he pulled the trigger then pulled it again and again until only empty clicks rang through the house.

	Outside the Sheriff's car slammed to a halt and he quickly ran in with his weapon drawn. As he rounded the kitchen door following the sound of Alex's sobbing he lowered his weapon and returned to it's holster. Even now Alex continued to pull the trigger as he cried histerically until Sheriff took the gun away from him, "It's okay, sweetheart. That sorry bastard won't hurt you anymore.", he wrapped Alex in his jacket then carried him outside and placed him in the back of the car. He sat back in the front with a hand over his mouth with tears of his own welling up in his eyes, "Buck?...Where's Bobby?", Heather asked with fear in her voice. The Sheriff shook his head then grabbed Heather before she could take off and picked up his radio, "Darleen, Send the coriner...you've got two out here at the old Hackett place." Heather began to cry quietly and looked back to Alex, who had passed out already, seeing the blood splattered on his face and the end of his long, pink hair dyed crimson from more blood.

	A few days later Bobby and Mac were laid to rest in the local cemetary. As is fitting of a person like Mac no one came to greave him or place so much as a single flower on his grave which was marked with a simple headstone with his name, year of birth, and year of death. Later the headstone would be vandalized with the phrase "worthless bastard" which no one, not even the caretaker would clean off. On the other hand nearly the whole town came to Bobby's service, despite his crime Alex was allowed to attend the service with police escort. Bobby's headstone was engraved with the words "Beloved Son and Brother" with a guardian angel statue on either side and so many flowers that they covered the burial site completely. Several months later after the court moved Alex's trial to the state capitol to ensure an unbiased decision he was sentenced to the state mental prison after his lawyer entered a plea of insanity. Doctors that evaluated him concluded his beleif that he was in truth a girl stemmed from his mother's abandonment as well as Mac's lengthy abuse and determined that with proper treatment he may one day re-enter society as a cured man.

The End