She wasn't sure how long she cried, cried for her brother, cried for herself, and even cried for her sorry excuse of a mother. The night had finished in a blur, the guys had excused themselves after finding her a blubbering mess on the kitchen floor. Jack had continued to sit there with her and hold her and stroke her hair. At some point durning her break down she remembered him picking her up and carrying her to their room.

That's where she found herself now, in the comfort of their big bed. Carson knew she had cried herself to sleep, she was just thankful Jack had been there to support her. Now she found herself still in the comfort and safety of his arms. Her back was pulled tightly against his chest, one of his arms wrapped around her middle. She wasn't for sure if he was awake yet, there were no soft little snores coming from him. So she figured he must be awake.

She tried to turn around in his arm to face him and see if he was awake yet. But he tightened his grip arm her middle and lightly started to rub circles on her hip with is thumb. Nuzzling his face the crook of her neck from behind.

"Morning baby, how you feeling this morning?" Jack murmered with his face still buried in her neck, and placing light kisses on the back of her neck.

"Drained," she croaked, than cleared her throat.

"I bet. You cried for a long time," he replied, still rubbing his thumb on her hip.

"Did I cry myself to sleep?" she asked, wriggling around and finally turning to face him.

"Pretty much baby girl," he answered, she raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean after you cried and were half asleep and clutching my shirt. You were pretty much incoherently mumbling into my shirt."

"Oh," she replied quietly, moving her gaze from his face to his shirt.

Carson noticed the mascara smudges on the front of his shirt and could feel a blush creeping up her neck. She didn't know why but she was feeling a bit embarrassed. She knew she must have looked a mess, if her mascara was smudged on the front of his shirt. Feeling that embarrassed feeling in the pit of her stomache, she tried wriggling her way out of Jacks embrace.

"Hey where you going?" He asked, not releasing his hold on her.

She really didn't want to tell him that illogically she was being irrational. Because he had seen her in a much worse state, than just a tear smudge face. But something about the last however many hours and just crying on him like a blubbering idiot, made her feel a little ashamed. She kept her head and gaze down and shook her head in response to his question.

"Hey Carson," he said softly.

She felt the tears fill her eyes again and shook her head again. She couldn't believe she was about to cry again, you would think that with of the crying she did last night she wouldn't have any tears left.

"Carson hey, look at me." he said softly again, placing his fingers under her chin and trying to lift her face.

"No," she sniffled, shaking her head.

"Cars are you crying?" he asked, with a worried tone.

"No," she replied with a snap.

Carson finally wriggled herself out of his grasp and got out of the bed. Making her way into the bathroom, she could hear Jack sigh from the bed. Closing and locking the bathroom door behind her, she turned on the bathroom light. Turning towards the mirror, she cringed at her appearance. Like she thought she had mascara smudge under eyes, than had black tear streaks down her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot from all the crying she had done. Luckily her hair wasn't to bad of a mess. That was probably because she had fallen asleep on Jacks chest.

Sighing she moved away from the mirror and opened the shower door. She turned the water on as warm as she could get it, without it burning her. Than stripped of her clothes and got in, shutting the door behind her. She let the warm water hit her tense muscles and felt them relax. Than washed her body and hair quickly. When she was finished with that she shut the water off and opened the shower door. She grabbed a towel from the bar and wrapped it around her hair. Than grabbed the other fluffy towel and wrapped it around her body.

Looking around the bathroom she realized she didn't bring in any clothes in with her. She unlocked the door and went back into their room, keeping her gaze down to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Jack had on a pair of slacks and was pulling a button up shirt on. She went to her dresser and pulled out some undergarments and than pulled out a shirt and a pair of jeans.

She could feel Jacks gaze on her back the entire time and felt slightly embarrassed to be standing there in a towel in front of him, suddenly. It wasn't like he hadn't ever seen her without clothing on. Keeping her back to him, she quickly pulled on her underware and jeans under her towel. She looked over her shoulder and found Jack leaning against the doorframe of his closet staring at her. She quickly put on her bra and shirt.

Once she turned and faced him, he was standing not to far from her with a tie in his hand and holding it out to her. Carson grabbed the tie and waited for him to bend slightly, so she could slip the tie around his neck. Once he had straitened she tied it perfectly and moved the knot up.

"I've got a meeting I have to go to and than I'll be home. Are you still going to my game tonight?" he asked quietly, as she finished fixing the tie.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" she asked, looking up at him and tilting her head.

"I don't know," he replied, watching her.

"Look Jack no matter what, nothings changed. I haven't missed a game yet and don't plan on it now. Do you not want me to come?" she asked.

"No of course I want you to come. I just thought with everything thats happening that maybe you wouldn't want to go," he replied.

"No I want to go. Even with everything going on. I think it would be good for me. I mean I've got a charity thing to do with the girls this afternoon. So I'll just meet you at the arena afterwards, yeah?" she asked, turning towards the bed and grabbing Jack suit jacket. Than turning back to him and handing it to him.

"Yeah that's fine. I think it's good your going to get out and do that. In fact Cams, Nat is town why don't you take her with you? Your the only one, besides Cara that's made her feel welcome here. Than you guys can sit next to each other," he replied, slipping his arms in the jacket.

"Yeah I'll get her. Plus I think this is exactly what I need. To escape the pain for a little while," she answered.

"I promise baby it will get better. We'll figure a way to help your brother," Jack said, pecking her lips lightly.

"I hope so," she sighed.

"It will and don't forget Nat," he replied, grabbing his wallet and keys off the dresser.

Carson only nodded in response and got another quick peck on the lips, before she watched as Jack left her standing in there room alone. She sighed and shook her head, than looked at the clock. She realized she needed to get a move on it or she would be late. And today was not the day for the WAGS to be messing with her.

Returning to the bathroom she took the towel off her hair and ran a brush through it, before placing it in a messy bun. Than went and brushed her teeth. After that she put on some light makeup and gloss. When she was satisfied with her appearance she went back in the bedroom and grabbed her sunglasses. Than headed downstairs where she grabbed her purse, keys and abandoned cell phone. She quickly looked down and saw she had missed several phone calls from her Aunt again, and several of her siblings. She would just have to call them all back later, she couldn't deal with them all right now.

As she walked out to her vehicle she realized there was a blocked number that had been calling.

[i]'You have to be kidding me right? She wouldn't really be calling me and asking for help would she? Oh wait it's my mother of course she would.'[/i] she thought bitterly and mentally rolling her eyes.

Right as she got in her vehicle her phone started ringing again. She glanced at the number and realized it was the blocked number again. Hitting ignore she tossed her phone and purse into the passenger seat and headed to Cams place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carson and Cam's girlfriend Natalie pulled up to the place where the charity was being held ten minutes late. Evidently Jack hadn't called Cam to inform Nat, that she would be picking her up. So of course she had waited for Nat to get ready. As soon as they got to the center both of them got out of Carson's car. Both of them sporting sunglasses.

Nat and Carson made small talk as they entered the center laughing at some ridiculous thing Cam had recently did. Both of them stopped as they realized they had become the center of attention and everyone was staring at them both. Some the wives and girlfriends were glaring, some visibly sneering, and some just right out just staring.

Carson wasn't sure what she had ever done to these people. She had never felt welcomed or comfortable around most of them. Except for a couple of them. She wasn't sure if it was because she didn't have money like them, or the fancy clothes and shoes and purses. Maybe it was the fact that she was a new comer and invading their little click. Or maybe she just didn't like to sit around and gossip all the time. It maybe the fact that she actually had a job.

Most of the time she honestly didn't care and just stuck to herself and only talked to him when she needed. Most of the time she didn't let it bug her and kept to herself. But today she was not in the mood to put up with their shit.

"Oh thank god you finally made it," Cara Umberger said walking up to her and Nat.

"Hey Cara. Did you miss me?" Carson laughed hugging her friend.

"Of course. Then hens were clucking and getting on my nerves," Cara whispered conspiratoridly, hugging her friend back and than hugged Nat.

"Well god forbid that and I'm here to the rescue," she laughed.

She was glad that she had a friend in Cara Umberger. She was one of the few people who she got along with and felt comfortable around. Cara had also welcomed Nat with open arms. The three women turned and Carson and Nat followed Cara over to where she had been working at. They all sat down and went to work for the rest of the afternoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carson was exhausted by the time her and Nat had got to the arena for the game. Several of the other wives and girlfriends had tried to come over her during the charity event and had tried to get the scoop what was going on with her. She wasn't sure how word had gotten around so fast. This wasn't high school for god sakes[, but word had gotten around. She wasn't sure how much of it had gotten around, but she hadn't answered any of their questions. Not wanting to feed into their gossip.

Plus the fact that now her and Nat were having to sit in the family box. Where the gossip and speculation seemed to be going at a faster rate. Add to the fact now everyone seemed to be whispering about her, while she was in the room, she could see them from the corner of her eye. Her phone had been ringing non-stop again from her aunt and the unknown number was calling her again.

Sighing she hit ignore again and tossed her cell in her purse. She turned her attention back to the hard hitting game that was taking place down on the ice. She tried to pay as much attention to the game as she could. But found she was drifting off into space frequently.

She was brought out of her thoughts when her purse started buzzing non-stop. She could feel several people behind her staring at the back of her head and could see Nat looking over at her concerned, from the corner of her eye. She sighed and pulled her phone purse, seeing her aunts name flashing from the screen. She rolled her eyes and stood from her seat, going to a corner of the room. Trying to block the prying eyes and ears.

"What?" she snapped quietly, pushing talk on her phone.

"Is that anyway to speak to me young lady?" She heard her aunt ask.

"What did you want?" She snapped again, ignoring her aunts previous question.

"Carson you are treading on thin ice young lady. Why haven't you been answering your mothers phone calls?" Her aunt asked in a snotty tone.

"What are you going to put me in time out? I'm twenty-three for gods sake. And I wish no desire to talk to that woman," she replied, trying to keep her cool and voice down.

"She's your mother Carson," her aunt snapped.

"Look I don't have time for this. I really need to go now," she replied, rubbing her temple.

"Of course you do. You have time for that boyfriend of yours, but not your family. That's not how I raised you Carson," she heard her mothers voice come through the line.

Utterly confused she pulled her phone from her ear and looked at the screen, yep it was her aunts number. But how in the world was her mother on the line, she wondered.

"Mom?" She asked confusedly, putting the phone back up to her ear.

"Well who else would it be?" Her mom snapped.

"Uhhhhh I don't understand. I thought you were in jail?" She asked quietly, hoping like all hell no one had heard her.

"Well Carson you wouldn't answer your mothers phone calls. So she called me and asked me to three-way you. Because that was the only way you'd answer," came her aunts snotty reply.

"There's a reason I wasn't answering your calls all day, because I don't want to deal with this bullshit. But no you have to keep calling and calling. It was starting to get on my nerves. Now what do you want?" She snapped, starting to get irritated again.

"I need you to bail me out Carson," her mother answered.

"Excuse me?" She asked in disbelief.

"I need you to bail me out," her mother answered again.

"And just exactly how am I supposed to do that, huh?" She asked.

"Well I know your at that game of that boyfriend of yours. I'm sure he'd help you out," her mother answered.

"Excuse Me," she snapped, she felt her blood boil in anger.

"You need to come and get your mother out of jail," her mother replied simply.

"No. Nope I'm not doing it. I've had it up to about here with your bullshit," Carson seethed, holding a hand above her head, even though she knew neither her aunt or mother could see it. Than started pacing back and forth.

"Carson you will......," her mother started, but Carson was quick to cut her off.

"You know what, your a real piece of work. Did you know that? Huh, did you? You think you can order me around and tell me what I'm going to do. Well here's a News Flash mommy dearest, I'm twenty-three years old and you don't tell me what to do. You don't tell me to ask my boyfriend to bail your ass out of jail. You put yourself in this position and have for years. You always expect one of your children to bail your ass out of trouble. But guess what Mom? No more. I'm putting my foot down. You want to do the things you do, than go on right and ahead and keep screwing up your life. Keep on doing the drugs, keep on whoring yourself out, if that's what you want. It's not like you ever cared about us. But I'm not doing it anymore, I'm Not Bailing you out of jail. I'm going to do everything I can though to help Levi though. So. Stop. Calling. Me," Carson snapped angrily and loudly at the end of the conversation. She had stopped her pacing mid rant and hit end on her phone. Now she stood there breathing heavily and tried to not cry.

She felt a small hand on her shoulder and jumped slightly at the contact. She had completely forgotten she had an audience and slowly turned and found Nat and Cara looking at worriedly. The rest of the women were looking at her with wide eyes.

"Crap," she muttered, letting her head drop.