WARNING!!!!!!!! THIS CHAPTER IS MUCH DARKER THEN THE PAST NINTEEN. IT HAS ELEMENTS OF ATTEMPTED RAPE AND AN ATTACK, SO PLEASE, PROCEDE WITH CAUTION

The rating has been raised to reflect the violence and I am sorry to anyone this offends.

December 1st 1982
Northern California

It was the last day of Troy's suspension. Even thought she didn't want to be Troy anymore, Tracy still knew he was a necessary evil. She also knew she had to be him in school. It would be asking too much to try and be Tracy there. Her mother had managed to find a therapist willing to see her, but the first appointment wasn't until later in the month, the day she'd go to visit Sage and Rachel.

She wanted to be Tracy outside of the house, away from the farm and not just in the Bay area. But that wasn't possible, not in the tiny red-neck town they lived in. Rumors would fly, so would the insults and maybe the bullets. So instead of being in town, Tracy decided that she would go for a walk, through their olive orchard. There was usually very little traffic on the road that they lived on, so that was good.

Soon she found herself walking through the dry parts of the orchard in a red skirt, with bright red leggings and a black shirt. Her hair was pulled into pigtails. Her thoughts remained on her new friends in Livermore. They had helped more then she guessed they knew. She slowly began to make plans and ideas for things they could do in the summer.

Her thoughts were shattered as she heard Bruce.

“Well I was hoping to find you all alone, but this is too damn good. The little fag does wear dresses. Maybe he wants to be a girl. Am I right? You wanna be a girl, fag?” She looked up and saw Bruce, Frankie and two other boys she had seen at school, but didn't know. All of them were either leering or glaring at her. The one of the kids she didn't know looked tiny compared to the other three kids, but he had a wild look on his face, just as Bruce and Frankie did. The fourth one looked unsure.

She stopped in her tracks as the four boys started moving towards her. “Fucking snitch. I was just going to kick your ass. No one snitches on me.” He gave her a leering smile that chilled her to the bone. “Maybe I'll take it out of your ass, too. Maybe we'll all take it out of your ass.” She had heard a lot of stories about Bruce, how he was a thief, that she had seen first hand. She knew he had a thing for beating up people. His temper was quite known at the school. And everyone knew he had a record with the police. But one rumor that had been spread a year or two before it died off quickly, something about him sexually attacking a young girl. There had been no proof, just stories. Something had happened and everyone was quick to forget it. But it was that one story that was coming back to scare her. She went into a defensive stance as the four boys split up, leaving Bruce coming right at her and the other three from behind and her sides. Bruce began to chuckle. He knew it was Troy, just by the look on his face and hte instant drop into a fighting stance. Plus how many girls Troy's size were on that ranch. “You really think you can take all of us?”

Tracy tired to keep her voice steady, but her heart was pumping and she was scared. It was late enough that her parents were home and Peter was to show up soon to hang out. She just had to get to the house. So her training kicked in and she tired to defuse the situation and stay calm. “Bruce, just let me go. I don't care who you tell about the skirt, just let me walk out of here and no one gets hurt.”

The bigger boy took a step closer, looking like he was thinking about it, then smiled and shook his head. But it wasn't a friendly smile. Tracy felt it was what other fish saw when a shark came near. Nothing but teeth and attitude. “Ummmm. No. You screwed up when you told them what you saw. And you wont make that mistake this time, will you?”

Bruce faked a lunge forward, causing Tracy to move. The wild looking boy to her side latched on an arm, then he slipped behind her and put his arms behind her in a full nelson. Frankie sent a quick punch into her gut. She grunted in pain as Bruce stepped closer. He pulled out a pocket knife and opened it up.

Tracy squirmed, but the kid holding her arched his back, taking her feet off of the ground. Bruce put the blade against her throat and pushed it slightly. “Fight me and I'll fucking cut ya.” Her eyes were wide with fear and he pulled the knife back, then he slapped her cheek. ”See, you can make a good choice.”

She was thinking of ways to escape, she needed to get out of the hold. Her thoughts were interrupted as Bruce put the knife at the bottom of her shirt and he moved it upwards, cutting her shirt open. “Look. The fag has a bra on.”

“Hey man, I just thought we were gonna scare him.” The forth boy began to look nervous. He cast a glace to her and it looked almost compassionate.

“If you can't handle it. Then fucking leave, but don't say shit. You talk and I hurt you.” Bruce said, barely looking to the other boy as he began cutting into the skirt that Tracy was wearing. “This fag is gonna get what he deserves!”

“Dude! Look at you! You really gonna do that to him!” The other boy pointed in Tracy's direction. She could see that fear was all over his face. “Who's the fag here!”

Bruce turned to face him, swinging with his empty hand. The blow caught him on the chin and the boy hit the ground. Tracy began to squirm, making the boy who held her to let her feet touch the ground as he adjusted his grip. Tracy took a quick step back and rolled her shoulders, causing her attacker to flip over her. She flexed her arms and popped his grip, then kicked a leg into Frankie’s gut as he moved towards her.

She rolled to her feet as Bruce turned back and she snapped a kick out, catching him weakly in the crotch. He screamed out and staggered back. The boy she flipped reached out and grabbed her ankle. She staggered and pitched face first onto the dirt as Frankie and Bruce were rising up, both of them swearing. She kicked a couple more times at the hand that held her and managed to hear a light pop sound from the boys wrist. He screamed and let go of her ankle. She got to her feet as fast as she could.

Tracy turned and took off in a dead sprint. She headed for her place, but the younger kid got to his feet and managed to slip past her forcing Tracy to change her escape route. She made a wide arc, running for her grandmothers backyard, hoping she was home. She screamed as she began out run them, but in climbing the fence she began to lose her lead. She made it almost over the fence, but Frankie grabbed her foot. Tracy kicked her leg, but it didn't work well. Frankie let her go as Bruce was climbing the chain-link fence. She hit the ground with a thud, but as he saw Bruce moving towards her, she got up and ran, headed to the backdoor.

The third boy came out of nowhere and shoved her hard, sending her staggering again and hitting the ground. All three boys were pissed, even though they had been the ones to start the attack. “Think you're funny! No body kicks me in the nuts and gets away with it.” Bruce lashed out at Troy, but Tracy caught the blow and deflected it, sending the bigger boy staggering away.

The other boy bounced in, throwing a strike that Tracy blocked easily. She pushed back and turned to sidestep Frankie. The nameless wild child ran back and lashed out with a kick that got close to Tracy's crotch.

Tracy blocked her crotch as Frankie kicked at her again. She made a quick sidestep and swept her arms and one leg, which managed to deprive Frankie of his footing. She then made a quick move away from Frankie and the other boy, but she wasn't ready for Bruce, who came up from behind and put her in a bear hug. He lifted the her off the ground as she began thrashing around, then he threw Tracy to the ground. Before she could act, Frankie sent a kick to his face.

Tracy managed to block her face, but she wasn't ready for Bruce's kick to her crotch. “Nobody kicks me in the nuts!” His vision went white as stars exploded into view, while she shrieked out in pain.

The next kick hit him in the upper chest, then another She swore she heard a popping sound and a lance of pain wracked her body. “Fucking Fag!” Bruce screamed again as he kicked out to her face. Then a second kick to the crotch.

Tracy's arms moved again and Frankie sent one more kick to her crotch, as hard as she could. Stars exploded into his field of vision. A another set of kicks went towards her face, one connecting over a cheek. She tried to curl into a ball as feet assaulted her from three directions. Bruce kicked at her side again. “Hold the fag!” He glared at Frankie and the other boy. The two of them grabbed her, an arm and leg each, then then kept her on the ground. Bruce cocked his leg back and his foot connected into Tracy's crotch once more and another scream left her lips, one that was heard a block away.

Peter had come over to hang out with his friend, but as he had reached Tracy's front door he had heard a scream rang out and Maggie flung the door open. She paused for a moment as she tired to focus on who was screaming and Peter looked at her. “Where's Troy?!?” He asked.

Then a second voice filled the air, it was the unmistakable voice of her Mother-in-law. “LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Maggie stared at Peter, then she turned and yelled into the house.

“William! Trouble at your mothers place!” With that, Maggie began running for Modine's house. Peter was already jumping one of the fences that separated the two homes.

A second voice rang out. “SHUT UP BITCH!” And that was followed with a scream of pain from her Mother-in-law.

Conner was standing on the porch to the neighbors house, having helped with some cows that got out of the pens, when he heard Tracy's scream, Vance was next to him. He looked through the bare trees, towards his house and saw his youngest grandchild on the ground and being attacked by three boys that he didn't know. Vance had already turned and was watching too. His vision turned red as he watched his wife come out and scream, then was attacked. “Call the cops!” He snapped at the neighbor, as he broke into a dead run, Vance behind him.

Frankie had let go of Tracy when Bruce hit Modine, so did the other boy. They both stood up, forgetting their first target as Bruce began kicking at the older woman who had tried to hit him with a rolling pin. “Maybe I'll beat you with this bitch.” Instead he slapped her across the cheek, hard. She screamed out again and staggered back.

Tracy heard her grandmother scream and her blood boiled. Though her vision was marred by something liquid over her right eye, she could see the look of pain on Modine's face she she hit the ground, holding her arm. The impact with the ground brought another scream. Another scream parted Tracy's lips, not one of pain, but of pure rage.

The small child summoned all of her anger, strength and courage and she began to hold onto it. He could hear a voice yelling in her mind, like a Drill Sargent. ~GET UP, NOW!!!~ The voice in his head screamed. ~THAT BOY ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO BE AROUND HER. HE'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO TOUCH HER!!! GET UP AND PROTECT HER, NOW!!!~ She rolled till she was on all fours and then started the agonizing climb to her feet. The pain threatened to tack her back to the ground, but she had to prevail, Modine was counting on her

The pain tore through her body, causing her to scream again, but like before, it was akin to a battle roar. She began to focus her pain and anger on Bruce. She couldn't rest until he was down, broken and bleeding. Frankie turned as she got to just one knee. He tired to kick again, but Tracy blocked his leg and almost fell over, but she sent a quick, weak punch to Frankie's knee.

She didn't even watch as Frankie fell backwards, holding himself. Tracy screamed in pain as she stood up fully. The second boy stepped in, swinging. Tracy brought up an arm, stepping with him. She screamed in pain as she twisted with him, slapping his back and causing him to stumble past him and to the ground.

He glared at Bruce who had turned to sneer at her. “LEAVE HER ALONE!!!” She took a pain-filled step closer to Bruce. Sweat began to bead up on his forehead, his teeth grinding as hard as they could, his hands made into fists so tight that the knuckles had turned a ghost white. He took another step, swaying as he stood there panting. Her strength was fading fast. She could only hope that someone had heard her. Someone had to be coming, or Bruce was going to hurt her Grandmother.

“So the little fagot thinks he can fight.” Bruce took a step towards Tracy. “Gonna fucking kill you.”

Bruce's attention was all on Tracy, he hadn't heard someone vault the fence to the backyard, nor had he heard the boy running towards him, but he felt the impact. Peter dropped his shoulders low, catching Bruce just at the waist. His momentum forced Bruce onto his shoulder, at which point he raised up, causing him to flip backwards onto the ground.

“TROY! LOOKOUT!!!” Peter screamed as he slowed, then he bolted towards Tracy, but passing him and slamming into Frankie who had grabbed a rock and was moving to strike Tracy. The two boys hit the ground and Tracy spun to see what happened, causing her to scream once more and this time she fell back to the ground. The impact forced one more scream out before the pain had grown too much for her to handle and the darkness took her.

Peter rolled away from Frankie and to his feet. His target was doing the same, just a bit slower. As Frankie stood up, Peter threw a series of punches, a jab to the gut, followed by a punch to the face and a hook to the belly. Then he threw his weight at Frankie and hit the ground.

The third boy had decided to cut his losses and run. He was halfway over the fence when Conner yelled out. “Vance!” And he pointed to the boy. Vance poured on the speed and ducking into the field to come around the boy. Bruce had manged to get back to his feet and was about to rush Peter, when a set of fingernails raked his face. Maggie swung again, placing herself between him and her family.

“THAT'S IT YOU FUCKING BITCH!” Bruce screamed as he swung at Maggie, catching her on the cheek. She fell down and he started to loom over her. He cocked his leg back, ready to kick at her face, only to be blown off of his feet by a crushing right hand to the face.

Conner stood over the boy and shoved a foot into his chest. “You get up and I will end you, punk!” The old man growled.

Peter shoved Frankie backwards to the ground as he tired to stand up. Peter stood between the boy and his friend. “I dare ya. Try me.”

“Tracy!” They all heard Maggie scream as she saw her child on the ground.

“MOM!” Tracy's father raced over, shotgun in hand. “TRACY!” He went to Frankie and worked the slide on the weapon and he shoved the barrel against Frankie's head. “You better hope she's alright, or you won't live to see tonight.” William put a bit more pressure against Frankie's head, causing the boy to wince in pain. He forced his voice to calm down and he spoke clearly. “Peter, go and call the cops. I got this covered.” He growled. He didn't take his eyes off of his target, a lesson learned in the war.

“Lilly is calling them already.” Conner replied.

Peter began to go to the house and stopped but cast a glance to his friend. “He okay?”

“I don’t know.” Maggie said, trying to move her daughter. As she shifted her, she began to sob quietly. “I just don't know. But go inside and call to make sure an ambulance is on the way.”

“Okay.” Peter replied.

Conner looked at him. "Use the phone in the kitchen." He said before he looked around the backyard saw Vance fighting the third boy, behind his parent's house. He watched as Vance sent a quick right to the boys face, followed by a kick to the gut. As the third attacker slumped to the ground, he called out. “Vance, keep him there.”

“Okay Grandpa.” Vance called back as he threw a kick of his own into the kids body. Almost ten minutes passed till they heard the sounds of the sirens.

Maggie sat at the side of Tracy's hospital bed. It was evening now, the sun had set in the sky already. She knew it was just past nine, or was it eight in the evening. She didn't know for sure, it didn't matter. Her bruised cheek had been looked at, but that didn't matter either. She knew Modine had been admitted for the night, due to possible internal injuries. She worried about the older woman, but her main concern was the still form that lay on the bed next to her.

She knew it could be a few hours till her child work up. The doctors had done a lot of work on her. But Maggie was determined to be there when she woke up. She wanted to be the one to tell her child what had happened. She had kept the emotions held back, she needed to be strong for Tracy.

William had been by earlier with Peter and Vance, but he had taken them home. He tried to get her to leave as well, but she refused to leave her daughter all alone. She knew she needed to talk to someone though and the silence was slowly getting to her. So she scooted her chair over and picked up the telephone and began to dial.

A few moments later a familiar, friendly voice sounded in her ear. “Cooper Residence, Shelly speaking.” Maggie couldn't hold the emotions back anymore and she began to cry into the phone. “Hello?” Shelly asked.

“Sorry.” Maggie managed to say. “Sorry Shelly.”

The tone on the other end of the phone went serious. “Maggie, what happened?

“My baby.” Maggie managed to get out.

“Tracy? What happened to her?” Shelly asked.

“They hurt her.” Maggie sobbed into the phone. “They hurt my baby.”

Sorry for the pronoun switching, but as some people know of Tracy and others don't I tired to keep it with how they see and refer to Troy/Tracy. I do promise that the next few chaptrers will get better, I just fewlt this was needed to help get the Bruce story line finished.