Author's Note: I didn't like the Frank and Julie together, no matter how brief their relationship was, and this plot bunny would not leave me alone. I'll allow you to connect the dots. :)
As Julie regained consciousness, the first thing she could hear was a baby crying. The noise was distant and distorted, by was definitely being made by an infant. She pushed herself up from the cold hardwood floor as another realization hit her; it was her baby crying. Her son, the one she had been going to check on a while ago. How had she ended up on the floor? An all too familiar feeling in her neck answered her question almost immediately. Julie began to hope that she had woken up at the end of the torment, and not in the middle of it.
A scuffing sound behind Julie made her jump, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She knew that sound.
"Get up." His voice was gruff, angry. The brunette was used to this routine by now and she complied as quickly as possible. She swayed a little once she was standing up, a dizzy feeling washing over her slender figure, a side effect she was sure had been caused by one too many blows to the side her face. Julie put one hand out to steady herself from falling. She accidentally grabbed his coat, the one that he always wore when he had been out drinking. It was brown leather and reeked of beer. She was a foot or more away and the smell was surrounding her. He slapped her hand away, his strong hand coming into contact with her fragile skin. Julie whimpered softly but knew enough to keep quiet. The last thing she needed was for him to hear her. She could just imagine how he would react.
"Are you okay?" He asked, mock concern taking over his tone. Julie doubted that he really cared. If he cared, he wouldn't keep doing this to her.
Willing herself not to lash out against him, Julie nodded. "Frank, if you will excuse me, I have to go take care of Jake now."
She brushed past him before he could protest. The shaking woman could already feel the bruises and wounds beginning to form and she sighed. The last thing she needed were more bruises. Her friends were already suspicious as it was; she didn't need to make them any more curious about where the contusions were coming from. As she reached the stairs, Julie climbed the white marble as fast as she could, wanting to distance herself from his as much as possible. Jake's, the now hysterically sobbing infant, cries echoed down the hall as Julie reached his nursery. She closed the oak door behind her and quickly shut the many locks. Satisfied that she and her baby were safe, Julie strode over to Jake's crib so she could pacify him.
"Shh, it's okay," Julie soothed. She lifted the toddler over the wooden railing that adorned the side of his bassinette, gently wiping the tears away from his cherub cheeks. Cradling him against her chest as she moved over to the rocking chair, Julie swallowed her emotions. Her mothering instincts had kicked in upon seeing her son in tears and Julie no longer cared about what she had just experienced. Her only thoughts consisted of how she could make Jake feel better. The brunette picked up Jake's favorite blue blanket, the one Kirsten Cohen had given Julie at her baby shower. The soft fleece seemed to calm Jake whenever he held it, so it was the perfect thing to give him at that time. Julie sat down in the white rocker, wincing as her bruised back touched the back of the chair. She moved her attention away from the pain coursing thought her body, and on to Jake. He's cries had softened but they were still faintly present.
She began gently rocking the chair, hoping the toddler in her arms would calm down soon. Julie didn't know how long he had been crying, but she figured it had been at least an hour. Although he was just a toddler, Jake knew when his mother was being hurt. Her cries and moans of torture would reverberate up the stairs and drift into his room. That's always when he started crying, when he heard those sounds. Julie knew this all too well. Jake's sobs often increased Frank's anger, which made the agony she suffered worse. She forced the thoughts away from her mind, not wanting to think about it any more than necessary.
Before long, Jake had drifted back into sleep. The comfort of his mother worked that way, a miracle cure for whatever was troubling the toddler. His cries had subsided, leaving Julie alone with her thoughts. She wasn't really sure how she could escape her current situation, but the brunette knew she needed to do it soon. For both her sake and for the safety of her son.