The evening had gone good enough with the exception of running into Tina, and the failed meeting between Marshall and Regina’s parents. Now she had to tell them about the record contract.

After getting everyone’s attention, Regina stood up on a chair and made her announcement.

“Just to let everyone know, I am leaving California at the end of the month. A few weeks ago, I signed a five year contract with Aftermath records.” A gigantic cheer went up from the crowd of family. She was pulled down off the chair and she was pulled into the crowd, being passed around and congratulated.

Once everyone had calmed down, Regina decided to get something to eat. As she was at the table, spooning some stuffed shells on her plate, she heard a voice behind her.

“So isn’t this a nice way to stab your family in the back,” Sangio said as he stepped up to his daughter.

“How exactly am I stabbing you in the back?” Regina asked coldly, her body tensing.

“Not just me. Your mother, your family.”

“How is going after something I want, hurting the family? Tell me, what is so wrong with going out and doing something with my life?” Regina snapped.

“You are defiling the family’s name, going around with that piece of white trash!” Sangio hissed. Regina was positively shaking with anger.

“He is not white trash!” she shouted. A few people nearby noticed and Marshall turned to see what was taking Regina so long to come back to the table. He sensed something was up and motioned to the guys to follow him.

“You’ll go and do this record deal, you’ll turn into a slut, not that you couldn’t already be one. It was a good thing that baby died. At least she wouldn’t have been the daughter of slut who couldn’t take care of her!” Sangio roared. That did it. Regina dropped her plate and flew at him with such force that he fell back into one of the other tables with a crash.

They struggled for a minute or longer when Regina grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled back her fist. She felt arms wrapping around her and grabbing her arms.

“Get the fuck off of me!” she screamed as she struggled to get away from Marshall, Dre and Bizarre who were dragging her off and away from her father. They held onto her firmly and dragged her into the house, her mother following.

“Let me go! Now! I’m gonna fucking kill him!” she screamed.

“Just calm down for a second girl,” Bizarre said as he tried to hold her steady.

“Fine, just get off of me!” she said, finally calming down a minute. She shook their arms off of her and began to pace.

“Dammit, why didn’t you let me hit him!” she yelled.

“Because you can’t record anything if you’re in jail for assault!” Dre replied.

“I don’t care, I don’t fucking care,” she repeated as she paced.

“What the hell is wrong with you!” Edith screamed as she entered the living room.

“What is wrong with me! Did you fucking hear what he said to me!” Regina screamed back at her mother.

“You need to start showing some respect around here! You owe him, you owe your family, and you need to do your duty towards your family!” Edith replied angrily.

“My duty, to the family! What, coming back here, working as a fucking waitress in the restaurant while you found me another fucking husband, right? Well fuck you!” Regina screamed.

“Damn right that’s what you should do. You turned your back on us,” Edith replied.

“Me? I did my duty. I married the guy you wanted me to when I was only sixteen. A man that didn’t give a fuck about me and then throws me out of our house, when our baby dies. For twenty years, I lived with that monster you call a husband, and had the shit beat out of me everyday! But funny, how you never seemed to notice it.” Edith looked away at this and Regina continued.

“As long as I took the beatings and you didn’t have to deal with it, you didn’t care. Everyday mom! You would go to your room and ignore the fact that he was beating the ever living shit out of me with that belt, or his fists, or anything he could put in his hand. And I thought, I stupidly fucking thought, that if I could keep him away from you, that you’d eventually see, and get us out of here. But you didn’t. That’s why you’re angry at me. Because I didn’t come home again and take over my place as his punching bag. I didn’t do what you thought I should do. And now, I’m out of it. I don’t have to do what he wants, I don’t have to do what you want. I’m out.” Regina said each word steadily, her hands hacking at the air as she spoke.

“You are bringing shame to the family Regina, doing this, being with him, he’s no good, he’s trash,” Edith said shaking her head. Regina felt her body shake with anger so intense it took everything in her not to dive at her mother. Marshall twitched at this remark, he was getting sick of it.

“Don’t you even fucking dare call him that! I have had enough of you, enough of him, all of this! I am not going to allow you to tell me how I should live my life, and I certainly am not going to allow you to attack a man who is the type of father that he cannot even begin to understand.” Edith just shook her head and turned for the door, slipping out the back.

Regina took a long shuddering breath as she stepped to the nearest wall and leaned her fist and forehead against it. The guys all watched, no one knowing what to do. She tensed and then let go, then tensed again, backing up a step from the wall. She shook her head slightly. She picked up her hand again, rubbing it across her forehead.

Regina breathed deep and clutched her hand into a fist. She launched at the wall, screaming “Dammit!” as she smashed her fist through the drywall. Everyone jumped at the noise and the surprise of Regina lashing out so fast. She stepped back from the wall, not even noticing her hand that was already bruising, and slammed out the front door.

Marshall didn’t wait and followed her outside to the stoop where she was sitting hunched over her head leaning in her good hand. He hesitated, then decided to sit down beside her.

“I wanted to hit him, just once,” Regina said quietly. Marshall wasn’t exactly sure what to say. He knew things were not okay, and to have someone say, “Everything is going to be okay,” usually only made people angrier. He could relate to that. He was saved from having to say something else when she spoke again.

“You guys were right though. I’m not gonna miss out on anything because of him. He’s not worth it.” Marshall knew if he’d been in the same situation he wouldn’t have had any qualms about beating the shit out of his father and losing everything, his daughter, his deal. But he didn’t want Regina to have to deal with that. She already felt like enough shit had been her fault. At least he kept her out of jail and able to get away from him.

Marshall’s mere presence seemed to be enough. Just having him sitting there beside her, made her feel all the more comfortable. She could slowly feel the tension ebbing away. Her parents were a small part of her family, she could do without them.

“Good thing we pulled you off of him, I think that one punch might have killed him,” Marshall said reaching for her bruised hand. Regina laughed slightly and winced as he looked her hand over.

Inside, Bizarre, and Dre were joined by the rest of the guys. They’d heard the fight from outside, as had the rest of the family and wanted to know if Regina was okay.

“Some party, thought I went home for a reunion with my parents,” Swifty remarked as he stepped inside.

“What the hell is that?” Proof asked going over to the hole in the wall.

“Where Regina’s punch landed, that’s all,” Dre said, rubbing his hand across his forehead.

“Shit, she could have killed him,” Ace said examining the wall.

“Where’d she go?” Fifty asked.

“Outside, with Em, but I wouldn’t bother them,” Bizarre replied.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were forced to marry him?” Marshall asked.

“Easy excuse not to get involved with you,” Regina replied immediately.

“So you didn’t care for him?”

“We were friends, that’s all. He didn’t really want to be married, but he didn’t want his family looking at him like he was a freak. We tried once, and that’s how I got Maria. I was thrilled, she was really the best gift I could have ever gotten.” Regina replied.

“You know you’re grandparents told me, about, everything, right?” Marshall asked.

“Of course they did. I wouldn’t expect any less from them either. Are you mad at me ‘cause I didn’t tell you?” she asked looking over at him.

“Why? No one is exactly too fond of relating their family history, especially after you’ve only known someone for a few days. The point is I know now. And now I know that he isn’t going to be a problem between us.” Marshall replied honestly. He was glad that he now knew Regina was all his. The marriage had been a farce, something most likely to keep Sangio and Edith entertained with. Besides that, she hadn’t lied, she just didn’t tell him the extent of the marriage and the reasoning behind it.

“Can we get out of here?” Regina asked.

“Yeah, we got to get to the hospital and get that hand looked at.” Marshall replied as he stood up, taking her good hand in his and pulling her up as well.

“Look, nothing’s broken, that’s not the first time I’ve put my fist through drywall,” Regina replied.

“Nothing doing, I’m taking you anyway. Besides, I know a doc at the hospital that won’t ask any questions,” Marshall said as he led her to the car and unlocked the door.

“Why do I have a feeling I’m not the only one who’s put their fist through a wall before?” Regina asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Just get in the car,” Marshall laughed.