Chapter 10

"Hanna, what the hell happened?"

Hanna stood there pitifully with a busted lip and eye in front of Joey's apartment door.

"It's a lot to explain....I just came to clean up and I didn't want to be alone."

"Okay- Uh...I'll get a wet rag and some ice." Joey stuttered. Hanna just nodded and didn't take her eyes off the floor. She moved the recliner and sat down, closing her eyes to keep the vertigo at bay.

"Um...where's Chandler?" Hanna asked, her eyes still closed.

After Pierce had punched her twice, he tried to apologize. He was escorted out of the bar, and some slightly sober people had tried to help Hanna, but she waved them off and asked them to call her a cab. When the cab got there, she walked outside, and Pierce was waiting for her. She had yelled at him, while clutching her blackening eye. She could not really remember what she had said, but it was something along the lines of "We're done, Pierce. Get out of my face, get out of my life."

Then Hanna got into the cab and she spit out her address, only after she said it she realized it wasn't her address. It was Joey's. And now she was here, and Pierce's face was burned into her mind. It made her sick to her stomach.

"He's uh...he's out on a date tonight." Joey fidgeted in the kitchen, glancing over to her sitting in his recliner. He came around the counter, bringing some ice wrapped in a cloth and a rag to wipe off some of the blood.

"And you're not?" She laughed gently, and then winced. "Ow."

"Um...no, not tonight." He chuckled, handing her the ice. She patted her lip and tried to clean off the blood as good as possible without looking at herself. Joey looked at her, sensing her struggle. He took the rag from her and began to gently wipe off the blood.

  She opened her eyes to look at Joey as he concentrated on cleaning her wounds. Joey wasn't the man that Hanna had thought he would be. This wasn't the boy who was obsessed with women. This wasn't the boy who was immature and shallow.

  This was a man.

  A man who cared.

   Joey finished cleaning up her wounds and sat back as if checking to make sure he got every thing off.

  She looked into his eyes.

  His eyes met hers, and she smiled, despite the pain.

  "Thank you, Joey." She whispered. He swallowed and just nodded. "I'm really grateful to know you." She leaned forward in the recliner and wrapped her arms around Joeys neck as he was kneeling in front of her. She pulled him into her. It took Joey a moment to react, but he brought his hands to her lower waist, resting his head in the crook of her shoulder. Her scent surrounded him, and he melted to it. Joey wanted to stay there for a little while, but he was reminded of the reason she was sitting in his apartment, and he pulled away.

  "Now...are you gonna tell me what happened or...?" He asked.

"It was just an accident at the bar. I'm a clutz." She laughed awkwardly.

"You want to stay here tonight? It's late. Maybe you shouldn't walk home." Joey sat back, shrugging his shoulders as if making a proposition.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Hanna looked at him.

"Of course not, Hanna. You're my favorite sleepover partner." Hanna laughed, raising her eyebrows. "Oh! Well, not like that. That's not what I mean, you know..." She laughed again.

"I know, Joey. Thank you." He laughed nervously, standing up.

"I'll get you some blankets for the bed."

"Don't bother, Joey." She stood up slowly from the recliner and walked to Joey's room, letting herself in.

He just walked behind her, watching her, and smiling.

"You sure you don't want to change?" He watched as she slipped her shoes off, sliding under the covers.

"I honestly just want to sleep, is that okay?" She looked at Joey. Joey furrowed his brows.

"Of course that's okay, why wouldn't it be?" He leaned on the door frame. Hanna shook her head.

"I- I don't know." She laughed quietly. Hanna looked up at Joey and patted the spot next to her. He smiled, flicking the light off and getting under the covers.

"Good night, Hanna." He whispered. She hummed in response, and they were both fast asleep.

She wasn't alone and that's all she could ask for.

  Hanna woke up and took a moment to gain her bearings.

  She stared up at the ceiling and traced her steps of the previous night.

  She knew the sick feeling in her stomach wasn't just from the alcohol last night.

  She recalled the sight of Pierce's fist coming at her, the sight she'd sworn that she'd never allow herself to see again.

  A shiver ran down her spine.

  The hatred in those eyes, those eyes that she was so drawn to when she first met him. She had hoped that Pierce had gotten the memo and was on his way back to Atlanta at that very moment, but maybe that was too hopeful. 

   And as strange as it was, she felt a sort of happiness from it. But along with the happiness came a weight. It was a weight that prevented her from smiling about never seeing him again. A weight that seemed to be locking her in place, not allowing her to go anywhere.

Hanna sighed softly and sat up, looking at her watch. It was almost 5:30 am. Joey wasn't awake yet, so she got up and put on her shoes that she had kicked off the night before and left.

  She got into her apartment and immediately showered and freshened up.

  She decided that she needed some coffee, desperately.

It was 6:15 as she walked out of her apartment and shut the door. She made the short walk to Central Perk. Hanna wasn't looking when she walked into the coffee shop.

Well, at least she wasn't looking for him.

When Hanna walked in, she saw everyone in the group....plus another person, Pierce. Hanna's stomach churned and she suddenly felt nauseous.

They were talking and laughing together. Pierce was telling a story of some sort and everyone seemed completely entranced. She contemplated turning around and walking out. That idea was thrown out when Phoebe turned around and announced Hanna's arrival.

"Hanna's here!"

Hanna had never wanted to shrivel away more.

"We were just talking about you!" Monica exclaimed.

"Yea I told them the story of last night and how you slipped and hit your face on the table at the pub. It's just such a good story I couldn't not tell it!"

She forced a small laugh and brought a hand up to her face, gently brushing the bruised area on her cheek and the busted portion of her lip.

"Yea...I'm such a clutz." She said dryly.

Pierce scooted over to make room for her. There was only a little sliver on the couch left for Hanna, meaning she'd be partially sitting on Pierce's lap. Hanna had no choice.

She sat down and half heartedly placed her hand on Pierce's thigh as he placed his around her lower back. The position felt strangely intimate, and it only made her sicker.

"It's okay babe. You know I love you regardless." Pierce leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek. She shivered.

Love? Is this love? She's lying to her friends about who Pierce is, about why she came to New York, about the bruises on her face, she was lying.

Hanna looked around at the group as Pierce continued to tell a story. She hoped that one of them, at least one of them, would look at her eyes and see her cry for help, but no one noticed.

"Wait, when was this?" Monica asked smiling.

"Oh, I believe this was...spring, a couple years ago." Hanna snapped her head up, her heart stopped for a moment.

"A couple of years ago? I thought you and Hanna just met in the city?" Rachel leaned forward to look at Pierce. Pierce's hand tightened slightly. Hanna dropped her face into her hand.

"Uh, no. No, Hanna and I have been dating for four years." He stated, frustration in his words. Ross spit out his coffee, Chandler coughed, Phoebe whispered a stunned "oh," Rachel's mouth fell open, and Monica's mouth hung agape. Hanna noticed all of these reactions, but she only cared about one. It was Joey's. He stared at the carpet for a moment, his eyes wide. He wouldn't look up. He coughed and stood up, walking out of the coffee shop. Hanna didn't say anything about Joey leaving, because she didn't want Pierce to target him.

Hanna scoffed, looking at Pierce. She stood up from his grasp.

"No, we've been broken up for months. Would you like to tell them why we broke up? Would you like to tell them about my big move to New York?" Pierce looked at everyone sitting in the circle, awkwardly.

"Hanna." He said under his breath.

"Ok, Pierce. So you don't want to tell them, but I will. Hanna turned to her friends and pointed at her bruises. "This is why we broke up." She said with tears in her eyes. They stared, stunned for a moment. Their eyes flicking between her and Pierce. Rachel was the first one to react. She stood up, hugging Hanna and pulling her to the couch, telling her to sit down. Monica rubbed Hanna's back.

Rachel turned to Pierce, who was sitting on the other end of the couch with a pale look in his face. His jaw was clenched.

"I suggest you get out of my coffee shop before I kick you out." She looked at him. He looked over at Hanna once again and stood up. He looked down at Rachel, squinting his eyes menacingly. "You think I'm scared of you, tough guy? You've got to be pretty pathetic to hit a woman. Now get out." He opened his mouth to say something, but Ross came and stood behind Rachel, a hand on her shoulder.

"You heard her, pal." His eyes shifted to Ross for a moment. Pierce huffed, turning and walking out.

"Hanna, I'm so sorry." Monica rubbed her back as she silently cried.

"Chandler, can you go check on Joey? But don't tell him about...this." She pointed to her face. He nodded, getting up from his chair and squeezing her shoulder as he walked by.

"Only you would be concerned about someone else after what just happened." Rachel scoffed. Hanna laughed pitifully.

"I went to Joeys apartment last night, and he helped me clean up after what Pierce did to me, but I didn't tell him the truth about what happened, or who did it. I just feel bad that I wasn't honest with him and he took care of me." Hanna replied.

"I'm sure Joey will understand, Hanna." Ross looked down at her.

"Yea, if you'll just tell him the truth, he'll understand." Phoebe nodded, reaching over and putting a hand on Hanna's knee.

Hanna nodded, but thinking about coming clean to Joey about everything Pierce did to her, about her long four year relationship, about her move to New York, and everything in between seemed exhausting. She didn't want to lose Joey, though.

"Yea, I'll talk to him about it. But I think I need to go home."

"Are you sure?" Phoebe asked. "We're all happy to stay with you."

"Thanks Phoebe, but I think I need to be by myself. I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you guys. I promise I'll talk more about it later." They all nodded and watched her slowly get up from the couch and leave the coffee shop. The group exchanged solemn glances as the worry settled in.