Title: Haunted (Title subject to change)
Author: Chickiee-Dee aka Alyce
Rating: I'm gonna go with M
Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em, but I can dream
Summary: No matter how far we run, sometimes our past just has a way of catching up with us. Sequel to Never Again. Brennan POV
Authors Notes: Ok, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but there was a request for more, so I decided to kill some time and give it a go. And this isn't just going to be one-shot…it will be longer, just not sure how long though. Oh and for the record anything in italics is a flashback.
Same warning applies with this fic as the last…may contain scenes involving non-consensual sex, if this makes anyone uncomfortable, I'd advised against reading it.
Finally, I wanna dedicate this to Immy, who got me into Bones in the first place. Enjoy!
Haunted
Chapter 1
I stare at the bones set out before me, almost shocked into silence, and that isn't something that happens very often. The skeleton on the table, inches away from where I'm standing are that of one of my many foster mothers…Clarice O'Daley. The bitch who accused me of wanting to sleep with her sleazy ass of a husband. "Bren?" I can hear Angela calling me and I turn to face her "Is something wrong sweetie?" she asks, obviously noticing the tears that are sliding down my cheeks. "I'm fine," I tell her, angrily wiping the tears away and striding off the platform, intent on hiding in my office. I really can't deal with any of this today…actually I never want to deal with it again. My body is long healed after that ordeal but deep down the emotional scars are still there, and something tells me they're all about to be torn open again.
I pull the coat around me tighter, trying in vain to keep my gangly body warm. I spent almost two hours this morning sorting through my meagre supply of clothing, trying to find something respectable to wear. Something deep inside told me that he'd get away with it, even though they had the evidence from the Rape kit…I'm a foster kid, and we don't exactly have the best reputation. Detective Helner approaches me, once again reaching out a comforting hand, like she did so many weeks ago when I came into the hospital. "How are you Temperance?" she asks, eying me carefully, concern etched across her features. "I'm fine," I said quietly. That wasn't true. I barely eat and sleep, and the people I'm living with now aren't the nicest that I've ever met. They didn't even bother to come today, I was dropped off at the courthouse while they were on they're way to work, and I guess they expect me to walk home, since they didn't leave me any money to catch a bus home. The look on Helner's face told me that she didn't believe me, and I honestly didn't blame her. We were called into the courthouse and I took my seat next to Peters and Helner, and scanning the small room I spotted him, sitting at the table only a few feet away from me. Seeing him again bought all the memories back again, and they played through my head, my mind creating its own version of what happened when I was unconscious. I can feel the glares of the rest of the O'Daley family, sitting behind Him, and I know they think that I asked for it. That I'm just some slutty foster kid, who sought to ruin their family.
"Bren? Are you sure you're ok?" Angela, trying again. Gotta give her credit for being persistent. I dabbed at my eyes with the damp tissue that I was holding, and nodded unconvincingly as more tears began their descent. "What's wrong? Sweetie, you need to talk about it." I shook my head vigorously. What happened is in the past, talking about it now won't change a thing about what happened and it won't make the fact that he was never made to pay for violating my body any easier.
"We the Jury find the defendant not guilty." Not Guilty. The words assaulted me, and my head fell to my hands. They'd all but promised me a conviction, and he was allowed to walk away a free man, leaving me to deal with this for the rest of my life. I stood up, running from the court, tears streaming down my cheeks. Some people rose to stop me, but their efforts were futile as took off towards the front doors of the courthouse. I heard some people calling my name but I didn't bother to stop. I just wanted to get out of there, I wanted to go home, and most of all I wanted my family back. I didn't want to be alone anymore.
Angela came back into my office five minutes later, two cups of coffee in hand. "I'm not leaving here until you tell me about it." She said matter-of-factly. Pushing a cup towards me, she gestured to my couch, and I reluctantly followed her. Sipping the hot liquid I sat the cup on the table and turned to face her. I didn't know where to begin, I hadn't told anyone about what had happened, aside from the first foster family I had after the…incident…no one else knew about what I'd been through, and I hoped to keep it that way. "Sweetie," Angela said, noticing my silence.
"I've never told anyone this…" I paused, and Ange grabbed my hand, squeezing it comfortingly. "When I was sixteen, I was in this foster family…the O'Daley's." Her eyes flashed with recognition, "O'Daley, the woman up there?" I nodded. "Is that why?" she asked. I shook my head. "No, so far from it. I'd been there for a few weeks, and I was sort of happy there, they weren't the most horrible people I'd ever met. I was in my bed one night, and out of the blue He came into my room…I pretended I was sleeping…I thought they were just checking to make sure I was asleep. I knew they did that sometimes. Making sure I was behaving myself I guess. This night was different though.
"He came over to my bed, and climbed on me. He held me down and when I struggled he hit me." I pause, wiping at the tears that are streaming full force down my cheeks. "He made me touch him, and when I thought I could get away I tried but he hit me again, I knew what was going to happen…I was knocked unconscious when I struggled and when I woke up he was gone, and I was lying in a pool of blood." I heard Angela gasp and clutch my hand tighter. "I left and walked to the hospital, I don't know how long it took, but I remember collapsing through the front doors and when I was inside they confirmed what I already suspected. He'd raped me while I was unconscious." Angela sat there in stunned silence. Tears were sliding down her own cheeks and she made no attempt to wipe them away. "Who was it?" she whispered.
"Trevor O'Daley, the victim's husband. He was acquitted when the case went to trial. I think he spent twelve hours in jail." I didn't bother trying to stop the tears that were flowing like water from a tap, and I held onto Angela even tighter as she attempted to comfort me. She whispered apologies into my hair as I let out fourteen years of tears on her designer shirt.
A/N: Ok, it's kinda short, but I just wanted to get something laid out and posted. What did people think?? Not too sure when the next update will be done…I'm busy with work for the next couple of weeks and then I'm goin to see my family for three weeks and I don't have the net down there, but if I don't post before I leave, I'll def have something when I get back. Also if anyone else has a suggestion for the title, I'll take ideas, I'm not sure that what I've got fits, but its late and I wanna get this posted. Cheers.