"Nick, do you have any idea where Sara is? She was supposed to be taking
pictures of the scene, but I can't see her anywhere, not that I've really
looked."
"Sorry Cath, no idea, but I'm finished with the body, I'll go look for her." Nick walked around a bit, cautious of the road running beside the forest that they had found the body in. "Sara?" He called. He saw the police issued Tahoe and walked around it. He saw Sara there, sitting with her back on one of the wheels and her knees drawn up to her chest, with her arms around them. She was staring out on the horizon, looking at the night sky. Through the moonlight he could see her crying. He sat down beside her, "You want to talk?" He asked.
"No." She replied simply.
"Why are you crying?" He asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. She was silent so he continued. "It's because of Hank, isn't it?" He watched Sara, though she still didn't look at him, nod her head slowly. "Sara, he's an ass. You deserve better than him."
"No, Nick. I don't. Hell, I was lucky to have him for the amount of time I had. It's just that I loved him, but he didn't love me. No one I've ever known loved me. No one." Sara started crying
"What about your parents?" Nick asked. He wanted to tell her that some one did love her. Him.
"All four of them hated me."
"Four?"
"Mother, father, step mother and step father."
"How do you know they didn't love you?" As soon he said he knew he shouldn't have. She gave him a look that told him she didn't want to talk about it, hell; she'd probably rather talk about what turns her on. At that moment Catherine walked around the car.
"Sara? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. . ." Sara started, but Nick cut her off.
"No she's not. Cath, I'm going to drive her back to her apartment okay?" Catherine looked at Sara's face with running mascara tears streaming down her cheeks and nodded.
"Fine, I'll finish here, Nick, you stay with her, can I expect you to be back tomorrow?"
"Yeah Cath, thanks." Nick replied, surprised that Sara didn't argue. She just got up and sat in the car. Nick got into the drivers seat and started the car.
"How do you know they didn't love you?" He repeated softly.
"No. I don't want to talk about it." Sara answered. They drove the rest of the way in silence. They drove up to the complex and rode up the elevator together. As they entered the apartment Sara turned around and quietly said "Thanks." She tried to close the door but Nick stopped it with his hand.
"Why do you get so shy whenever I mention your parents?" He asked.
"Why the hell do you care so much? I hated them and they hated me! Can't you just accept that?"
"No I can't. I know that there's more to it. I'm not leaving until I get an answer either." Sara slumped down on the couch as Nick talked. She started crying again too.
"I left so I wouldn't have to talk about them though." Sara said softly through her tears. "I don't want to talk about them again."
"Fine, what about boyfriends?" Nick asked.
"I don't want to talk about it!" Sara shouted. She brought her knees up to her chest. Nick knew that she'd brake eventually. He felt bad about making her feel bad, but if she doesn't tell anyone soon, it's going to kill her, from the inside.
"Sara, come on." That did it. It broke her. The tears started pouring out of her eyes and she lent on Nick and started talking.
"When your step-dad and his friends rape you every night, your dad burns you with cigarettes and beats you up, locks you in the basement for days, so you almost starve to death, your step-mom calls you worthless a shit head, and other things, and your real mom is even worse. She just completely ignores you; you kind of take a hint. All my boyfriends were the same as Hank, hell! They were worse. At least he didn't beat me or rape me like the others. It's just that I wish that there was some one that actually cared about me." She finished. Nick was trying to now take all this in and make sense of it. Why she hates battered woman cases and would never let anyone get close to her. Sara was still crying into him. His shirt was wet from her salty tears. It was insane to him though. She was supposed to be so strong. Was all that a cover up for what she really was? She was the least person he'd expect to be so vulnerable. Did he really know her at all?
"Sorry Cath, no idea, but I'm finished with the body, I'll go look for her." Nick walked around a bit, cautious of the road running beside the forest that they had found the body in. "Sara?" He called. He saw the police issued Tahoe and walked around it. He saw Sara there, sitting with her back on one of the wheels and her knees drawn up to her chest, with her arms around them. She was staring out on the horizon, looking at the night sky. Through the moonlight he could see her crying. He sat down beside her, "You want to talk?" He asked.
"No." She replied simply.
"Why are you crying?" He asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. She was silent so he continued. "It's because of Hank, isn't it?" He watched Sara, though she still didn't look at him, nod her head slowly. "Sara, he's an ass. You deserve better than him."
"No, Nick. I don't. Hell, I was lucky to have him for the amount of time I had. It's just that I loved him, but he didn't love me. No one I've ever known loved me. No one." Sara started crying
"What about your parents?" Nick asked. He wanted to tell her that some one did love her. Him.
"All four of them hated me."
"Four?"
"Mother, father, step mother and step father."
"How do you know they didn't love you?" As soon he said he knew he shouldn't have. She gave him a look that told him she didn't want to talk about it, hell; she'd probably rather talk about what turns her on. At that moment Catherine walked around the car.
"Sara? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. . ." Sara started, but Nick cut her off.
"No she's not. Cath, I'm going to drive her back to her apartment okay?" Catherine looked at Sara's face with running mascara tears streaming down her cheeks and nodded.
"Fine, I'll finish here, Nick, you stay with her, can I expect you to be back tomorrow?"
"Yeah Cath, thanks." Nick replied, surprised that Sara didn't argue. She just got up and sat in the car. Nick got into the drivers seat and started the car.
"How do you know they didn't love you?" He repeated softly.
"No. I don't want to talk about it." Sara answered. They drove the rest of the way in silence. They drove up to the complex and rode up the elevator together. As they entered the apartment Sara turned around and quietly said "Thanks." She tried to close the door but Nick stopped it with his hand.
"Why do you get so shy whenever I mention your parents?" He asked.
"Why the hell do you care so much? I hated them and they hated me! Can't you just accept that?"
"No I can't. I know that there's more to it. I'm not leaving until I get an answer either." Sara slumped down on the couch as Nick talked. She started crying again too.
"I left so I wouldn't have to talk about them though." Sara said softly through her tears. "I don't want to talk about them again."
"Fine, what about boyfriends?" Nick asked.
"I don't want to talk about it!" Sara shouted. She brought her knees up to her chest. Nick knew that she'd brake eventually. He felt bad about making her feel bad, but if she doesn't tell anyone soon, it's going to kill her, from the inside.
"Sara, come on." That did it. It broke her. The tears started pouring out of her eyes and she lent on Nick and started talking.
"When your step-dad and his friends rape you every night, your dad burns you with cigarettes and beats you up, locks you in the basement for days, so you almost starve to death, your step-mom calls you worthless a shit head, and other things, and your real mom is even worse. She just completely ignores you; you kind of take a hint. All my boyfriends were the same as Hank, hell! They were worse. At least he didn't beat me or rape me like the others. It's just that I wish that there was some one that actually cared about me." She finished. Nick was trying to now take all this in and make sense of it. Why she hates battered woman cases and would never let anyone get close to her. Sara was still crying into him. His shirt was wet from her salty tears. It was insane to him though. She was supposed to be so strong. Was all that a cover up for what she really was? She was the least person he'd expect to be so vulnerable. Did he really know her at all?