Mark's Little Girl
A/N: This story starts in the year 2000. Back before he met and married Betty, Mark Brown at age 25 had a little girl. He raised her with the help of his family. This story is told in her narrative. I'm hoping to get it up to the year 2015.
2000
I hadn't really meant to do damage to Auntie Cathy's husband, But Michael was a terrible man. More than once I had seen the bastard hit her. Often when auntie was at work Michael forced me to have sex with him, he didn't care that I was 14 and me da' could probably break him in half for it.
The night Auntie found out that he'd been hurting me, not the sex part, but that he'd hit me too was the night that she had sworn she'd never go back. It was stormy and he was pissed as usual, Auntie tried to protect me, but once he knocked her to the ground, he came for me. I ran as far as I could in the small house, he caught up with me in the laundry room and punched me to the floor screamin' that I wasn't to tell Auntie what he had done, because she'd blame me for seducing him.
After that Michael left the house and Auntie found me bleeding on the floor of the laundry room. She helped me up and we went to hospital, I was admitted, which was how we found out that I was pregnant. Auntie called my da', he and his wife Betty came. Once I was discharged from the hospital, Auntie came back to Ireland with da', Betty and myself. We kept the baby stuff a secret until after we had gotten settled back at home. With the way this family is it was easiest to just tell everyone together so that da' wasn't set to explain what was going on with everyone.
We sat in Granny's sitting room Auntie patted my hand and nodded to me, I stood and looked around "I've got something that I need to tell everyone." The family stopped their own little conversations and looked at me, I looked away I couldn't bear to see my da's face when I broke his heart. Granny tried to break the ice by introducing me "Saoirse Brown."
I coughed and finally took a deep breath "Da', Granny, Everyone…I'm pregnant." I kept my eyes down I couldn't look, tears were sliding down my cheeks, I felt granny take my hand "How did this happen love?" then da' spoke "You've had seven kids ma' you know how it happened." I finally looked up Da' was angry with me I could see it, Betty though seemed more concerned than anything. Seeing the disappointment in me da' eyes made me speak up "It's not what you think! I didn't want this, didn't want Him" the words came out of me with venom, Auntie frowned "What are you saying Saoirse?" still crying I felt that no one would believe me but I said it anyway. "Michael raped me Auntie…every time you worked nights."
I watched as it sank in and then there was a free for all, da' started fighting with auntie, while the others all yelled over each other trying to stop them, I stood sobbing until Betty who had been the only one not yelling, came over to me and gave me a tight hug "It will all be alright love. Come, let's get you some tea." In the kitchen I sat in granny's chair hugging myself as Betty made tea "Da' hates me. He blames me." She turned and looked at me "No love. He knows who the blame belongs to, he's just angry that it happened and that he was unable to be there to protect you. They're all yelling love because they love you and are angry that you've been hurt. I looked at her "you're not angry?" She smiled sadly "I'm very angry, and I won't stop until he pays. But someone needed to take care of you because you're the victim. Now you don't have to decide now, but soon you'll have to decide about the little one."
I looked up at my stepmother and bit my lip "If I keep it, would you and da' help me?" She smiled and kissed my forehead "Yes, of course we will. The whole family will." I nodded and watched as my stepmother waded into the fray and whistled to make them stop yelling. I heard her speaking loudly to them "That little girl in the kitchen doesn't need you at each other's throats, she needs her family to love her and take care of her. Especially you Mark! She's terrified! She thinks you blame her for it!" Before I knew it my da' who had always been my hero strode into the kitchen and knelt in front of me. "Saoirse, Love this is not your fault. Yes chicken I'm angry, very angry but not at you. Never at you. I blame meself for sending you there. I didn't realise that he could hurt you. And I swear if I see him again I'll kill him.
I sniffled "You're really not angry with me?" he smiled and hugged me tight "I'm really not mad at ya chicken. And I will support any decision that you make about the baby." I smiled "Betty said you would. She said the whole family would" My dad nodded "Aye. She's pretty smart isn't she love?" I nodded hugging him tight "I say she's a keeper."