Power Rangers Dino Fury [A Dino Thunder Fanfiction]

Nathan's Redemption - Part 2

    We decided to go back to Nathan's place so he can lay down on the couch and sulk. While he hadn't done anything physically strenuous today, his mental capacity had reached its limit. He had buried his face in the couch, and I sat down on the edge where his legs were.

    "Why does my whole body feel like a girl dumped me and then beat the living crap out of me?"

    I couldn't help but laugh. "You had a rough day today. I'm proud of you!"

    "If it hadn't been for you holding me to my New Year's Resolution, I would be happy." He groaned.

    I rolled my eyes. "You may think you would have been happy, but truthfully it would be festering and eating you from the inside out, draining you until the way you felt right now would be the way you felt for the rest of your life, torturing your old and fragile body when you're wearing diapers."

    Nathan propped himself up on his elbows, squinting at me like I was nuts. Then we broke into a sudden fit of laughter, falling back and holding my stomach.

    Once we calmed down, I took a deep breath and sighed. "It's so strange. I'm best friends with the guy who I probably would have punched if I had been confident enough meer months ago!"

    Nathan smiled and sat up and let me move back onto the couch. "Yeah. Fate has a weird way of throwing people together."

    He wrapped his arm around my shoulders as I leaned my head against his.

    "Can I ask you something?" I said quietly, hoping not to ruin our fun little moment.

    "Of course." He said, turning a little to look at me.

    "Remember when we first talked again, when I was still on crutches? It was the day I gave you my Dinogem."

    "How could I forget?" He smiled. "Best day of my life, I think. Meeting Alex would be a close second."

    I chuckled, then cleared my throat. "Do you remember when we were making up, and you said that you had a lot of things that were going on? What happened?"

    Nathan swallowed, the color fading from his face. I wrapped my arms around him, knowing that he was going to need me.

    "Thanks..." He cleared his throat. "So... where do I start?"

    "Wherever is easier." I said as he squeezed me tighter. I could feel him shaking.

    "Right... so, this house?" He looked around. "The balcony, the fireplace in my room, the warm bed and couch in my room? I've only had it for a few months. It's my mom's house. I haven't lived with her since I was eight."

    "What made you decide to move in with her?" I asked.

    "Well... ever since I was in middle school, up until about a year ago, I lived with my dad... he would... get drunk and... and hit me, a lot. Sometimes it was a slap, other days it would be a punch... some days I went to school with cuts on my face because my dad pulled a knife on me." His shaking grew more powerful, and his breath shaked like he was crying. His sniffling was the confirmation to that.

    I squeezed him tighter as he continued.

    "About a year ago, I finally got tired of being hit and I clocked him back. He called the cops on me, but they arrested him after they saw the marks on my face. I told them what he had been doing to me for years, and he's been in prison ever since. My mother was living in Florida, and as soon as she heard what happened, and as soon as I came clean and told her what Dad was doing for so long, she said she would move down here as soon as she could, no questions asked.