Tainted Love
Summary: Daisy had been manipulated by Shiloh for so many years, it truly took the way he threw her aside for Kristina for her to realize he was bad news.
Daisy had been seventeen and in her junior year of high school when she met Shiloh. He'd come to her school to talk to the juniors and seniors all effortlessly charming and brilliant. She'd immediately been taken by him. She supposed she was naive. She didn't really date, too involved with her studies and trying to be the perfect daughter and sister. Her father had died when she was ten so her time at home was spent helping take care of her thirteen, ten, and eight year old siblings.
Daisy could still remember going up to Shiloh after his speech, hugging her books to his chest as she beamed up at him. It had felt easy to tell him about her family life. Her father's death, the pressure she felt to make her mother proud. He'd placed a hand on her shoulder and told her that she seemed like an amazing young woman. He'd invited her to visit Dawn of Day, talking about how close the group was and how he was sure she'd fit in. She'd visited that weekend and fell in love with it. She loved how close knit the group was and she became even more charmed by Shiloh. She didn't pay attention to the way Harmony looked at her knowingly.
She got the tattoo the summer before her senior year, giddy as it was inked onto her skin. It wasn't hard to keep it hidden from her too busy mother. And when she had sex with Shiloh for the first time a few days afer getting that tattoo, that fact was easy to hide as well.
It was a couple of years down the road that Daisy met Tatum. The woman was a bit older with brunette hair and sweet blue eyes, a waitress at the local diner who was going to school to become an elementary school teacher. When Daisy got a job there, too, she and Tatum bonded. Tatum confessed to being an only child and how she'd been raised by a single mother. How they were always moving for her mother's job, never staying in one place for more than a few months. Tatum had confessed that her life wasn't going to be like that. That she wanted to stay in a town for years, really put down roots for she and her future children. It was a few weeks into their friendship that Tatum came home with Daisy to Dawn of Day.
Shiloh's expression when he saw her should've been a clue. He'd turned on all the charm as he smiled at her and shook her hand, acting in much the same manner as he had when he'd met Daisy. Daisy had ignored it, even when Harmony came up behind her in the kitchen, hand resting on her back and whispered into her ear, "Annoying when he finds a new play thing, isn't it?"
Daisy had whirled around at that to face the older woman, frowning at the sardonic smile upon her lips. "I don't know what you mean." She said in annoyance.
Harmony had laughed at that and leaned closer. "You cannot possibly think that you're the only one Shiloh has fucked?" She smirked sarcastically. "Before there was you, there was me. Then he tossed me aside when he found a new little doll to play with. Guess he's doing the same to you, now." She smirked even wider and moved past the younger woman and out of the kitchen.
Daisy had shaken that from her mind, not wanting to think of that. She'd tried to convince herself that Harmony was just bitter. They'd never got along. Harmony had been tense the moment she'd met Daisy, seeming to be filled with hatred for her.
And then, around a year after Tatum had come into their lives, she was beginning to drift away. She started hanging out away from Dawn of Day. She was no longer charmed by Shiloh, and she'd stopped sneaking into Daisy's room so they could whisper secrets to one another. It was another few months after that that she up and disappeared.
It was when they moved to Port Charles that Shiloh had pulled her to the side and requested that she send the newspapers he handed her to a woman she now knew to be Sam Mccall, sister of their newest DOD member, Kristina Davis. Daisy hadn't questioned what Shiloh wanted her to do. She'd just dutifully done it.
And then Daisy began to realize what Harmony had told her was right. She'd seen how the man acted with Kristina. How Kristina seemed to admire him. It was like looking in a mirror. Now, more than anything, Daisy missed the talks she'd had with Tatum...Willow Taite, now. She missed the family she'd left behind, desperately. Her fierce, sporty sister. Her adorable and artistic brother, her cherub of a youngest brother. And her hardworking, loving mom. She hadn't seen them since graduation. Since she'd left with Shiloh. Now more than ever she wished she'd listened to her mother's worries about her leaving with an older man. She felt as if the rose colored glasses she'd worn when around Shiloh were finally off and she saw him for who he really was. She saw the similarities between she, Kristina, and Willow. How Willow had never known her father, how Kristina had never really seen hers growing up, and how she herself's father had died when she was still a child. Were those similarities what had drawn Shiloh to each of them. Daisy couldn't help but swallow at the thought as she clenched her bedspread in her hands and stared at the picture on her stand. It was of her with Willow. Bright smiles on both their faces, hair wet and faces makeup free. It had been a picture they'd taken after the car wash. In the other picture frame, there was photo of Daisy and her siblings, Whitney, Benji, and Caleb. She wondered if Willow would be willing to talk to her. If her mother and her siblings were still living in that same house. If they'd be willing to listen to her if she went to see them. She bit her lip and hoped that they would.
Daisy swayed on the balls of her feet nervously as she knocked on the door to Willow's apartment. When it swung open, tears immediately stung her eyes. Willow looked much like she did when she'd been Tatum, hair shorter and smile a little more timid. Otherwise the same, though. For a few moments, Daisy just stared at Willow, drinking her friend in before she threw herself into the woman's arms and clung to her. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she buried her head in Willow's shoulder, feeling silky hair brush against her face and the familiar scent of the body wash Willow had always loved. "I missed you so much." She breathed, eyes closing as Willow hugged her back.
"I missed you, too." Willow sniffled as she pulled away and led Daisy into the apartment, closing the door behind them. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything before I left. You were always a good friend to me. I just...had to get away." Her smile was sad as she gestured for Daisy to take a seat on the sofa. "Do you still take your tea with one sugar?"
At Daisy's answering nod, Willow left the room and Daisy looked around the living room. The apartment was rather small, but it was tidy and clean. The throw on the back of the sofa made the room feel homey and she sunk deeper into the cushions.
Willow came back into the room not long later and handed Daisy a mug before taking a seat beside of her. "I guess I should explain why I had to leave." She mused, sipping her tea.
Daisy nodded. "I was always curious about that. I just realized that Shiloh is manipulative myself. How did you realize so much sooner?"
The other woman stared down into her mug, frown marring her face at a memory. "There was this time he got angry at me for going on a date with a customer we had, Dennis." She mused. "I came home around midnight and he was still up. I think you were fast asleep. You had planned the next day's charity event and had to get some rest.
Daisy remembered that. The charity event was supposed to help earn money for a local middle school. She'd practically collapsed onto her bed after planning the day out, purely exhausted.
"Anyway, Shiloh was upset. He got on me about not being home. About how I was abandoning my family. He grabbed my wrist and really got in my face. He made threats about the blackmail he had on me. I freaked out. We...we ended up having sex. That went on for a few weeks and I hated it. But it felt like the only way to get him to trust me again, to make him not release the blackmail. And he was making threats toward people I cared about. It seemed like a way to keep them all safe. I ended up missing my period and a few pregnancy tests and a visit to planned parenthood confirmed that I was pregnant. I knew I had to leave. I had to protect my son. Luckily I'd gotten a job offer for here and I took it. I had my baby during the summer and put him up for adoption. I didn't want Shiloh to know about him in case he ever managed to find me."
Daisy gazed at Willow with wide eyes, leaning forward to sit her cup on the stand before she leaned in to wrap her arms around her friend once more. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, heart aching as she thought of the woman in her arms alone, giving birth to a baby she had to say goodbye to almost immediately after. "I wish I'd been there for you. I was so foolish where Shiloh was concerned."
The other woman shook her head. "It's not your fault, Daisy. Shiloh had been manipulating you since you were seventeen. I'm just glad you've realized that he's not a good guy. How did that happen anyway?" She wondered.
Daisy swallowed hard as she sat back and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Harmony tried to tell me that he tosses women aside everytime he gets a new girl. She told me that the first time you met Shiloh. She said that Shiloh had done it to her. I ignored her. I only remembered what she said when we came here and he had me start sending newspaper articles to some woman he used to know. And when I introduced him to Kristina and saw he'd begun to behave around her the way he did me and the way he did you. She was so utterly charmed by him."
"Kristina is my friend's sister." Willow said. "He hasn't convinced her to get the tattoo yet, has he?"
Daisy shrugged. "I don't know." She confessed. I haven't been around either of them much since Shiloh convinced me to take all of the blame for the newspapers he convinced me to mail to Kristina's sister and started giving my responsibilities to her."
Willow winced at that. "God, I'm sorry Daisy. I wish I'd told you everything before I left. I could've convinced you to come with me."
The two sat in companionable silence after that, thinking of how badly they'd both been manipulated by Shiloh.
It was Willow who convinced her to come here. To convince her to visit the family she'd abandoned years ago but as she stood in front of the door, she couldn't seem to find the courage to knock. She didn't even know if they'd be willing to see her after what she'd done.
"Hey." A voice said from behind her, causing her to whirl around, eyes widening as she saw Whitney for the first time in six years. Daisy recognizes her even after all of these years.
Whitney's eyes narrowed as she recognized the woman in front of her. "Daisy?" She spit out in a voice like daggers. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Daisy swallowed hard at her sister's anger. She saw the hurt that hid in the younger woman's dark eyes and felt as if a fist had squeezed her heart. "I'm so sorry, Whitney." She whispered.
The nineteen year old frowned, arms wrapping around her torso protectively. "Did you know mom cried every night after you left us? I was so convinced you'd come back a couple of weeks later. That you'd call us or something. But you never did. Benji and Caleb blamed themselves."
Daisy stared down at her feet guiltily. "I'm so sorry, Whitney. I was dumb. I regret abandoning the four of you. But I'm back now, and I'd love to make it up to you."
Whitney scoffed at that and rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She mumbled, before pushing past Daisy to step into the house. She turned in the doorway. "You might as well come on in and wait in the living room. Mom won't be home until five thirty, Benji is in art class and Caleb is at a dance recital. I've got to fix dinner."
Daisy followed her sister inside obediently, looking around the house, the pictures on the stand of Caleb and a blonde girl on a stage, dressed as Peter Pan and Wendy, of Benji beaming, a streak of red paint down his cheek, another of Whitney dressed for prom in a dress the color of a sunrise, staring up at a girl with auburn hair, dressed in an emerald dress lovingly. Whitney in her gown from graduation, beaming at the camera. Her heart ached as she saw all of the things that she'd missed out on and she followed Whitney into the kitchen.
Whitney stood at the counter, chopping up tomatoes and onions for pasta sauce, back facing Daisy.
"Do you still play sports?" The older woman asked timidly, swallowing the lump in her throat as she stared at her sister who seemed to be trying her hardest to ignore her prescence.
Whitney seemed to tense at that, hand on the knife becoming tighter so her knuckles turned white. "Yes." She hissed, voice dripping like poison. "You'd know that if you hadn't left with your stupid boyfriend."
Daisy didn't say anything about that, knowing Whitney wasn't going to listen her. She was contemplating turning and leaving, pretending that she'd never come here when she heard the door slam open and shut and the shout of her mother calling out to Whitney that they were home. She heard a gasp behind her and turned slowly, eyes immediately locking on Benji who's dark eyes were wide behind his glasses.
"Daisy?" Benji asked in disbelief, blinking down at her owlishly.
Daisy stared at him, tears filling her eyes at how grown up he looked. He looked so much like their father did in the wedding pictures of he and their mother that it took her aback. "Benji." She choked out.
"Ben!" An annoyed voice called out. "Let us through the doorway.
Benji stepped aside and that was when Daisy saw her mother and Caleb.
Daisy as she watched her mother's mouth drop open. Before she could say anything, the woman had stepped forward to embrace her. "Daisy, oh honey. I've missed you so much. I always wondered where you'd disappeared off to." She pulled away to touch Daisy's cheek. "Are you staying for dinner? I'd like to know what you've been up to for all of these years."
Dinner was a quiet affair with Whitney sending her glares or trying to ignore her existence, Benji being so quiet, and Caleb just staring at her and shock, it was only she and their mother who were talking. She explained things to her mother, apologizing for leaving and how she'd finally realized Shiloh was bad news, how her friend had convinced her to come for a visit. And after dinner, Whitney stalked upstairs, shutting and locking her bedroom door behind her.
It was after she'd been led to her own bedroom and Benji had went off to call his friend that Caleb finally spoke.
"Whitney doesn't hate you like she's pretending to." The boy told her as he laid on his stomach on the bed, hands under his chin and legs in the air. "She's just hurting."
Daisy sat up and studied her brother closely. "You aren't acting like Whitney or Benji." She observed.
Caleb shrugged casually. "I can tell how much that Shiloh dude messed you up. I remember meeting him. I found him a bit weird. Something about him creeped me out."
Daisy smiled sadly. "I wish I'd realized that before I left town with him." She said sadly.
Caleb gave her a comforting grin. "You've realized now." He reached out then to squeeze her wrist. "I'm glad you're back, Dais."
The next morning when Daisy walked into the kitchen, she was shocked to see Whitney sitting there.
"Caleb said I should talk to you." She said with a roll of her eyes, hands wrapped around her cup of steaming coffee.
Daisy chewed her lip and nodded, sitting down in the chair across from the younger woman. "Okay. We can do that."
"When you left, it really hurt." Whitney began, eyes locked on Daisy, penetrating and intense. "You'd always been a constant in all of our lives, especially after dad died. And then suddenly, you weren't there anymore. You never came to see us, you never gave us a way to contact you. It felt like we weren't good enough. Like you leaving was our fault." She stared down at her hands. "And eventually, I decided it was better to be angry than to be sad. At least I felt in control when I was angry." She met Daisy's eyes again. "You have to promise to not leave again, Daisy. I don't know if we could handle losing you again."
Daisy reached out to hold her sister's hands, willing her sister to look into her eyes and see the truth in them, "I'm not going to leave again, Whitney. That was the biggest mistake I could've made six years ago. I just need a chance to prove myself again. To tell you guys what all has been going on with me."
Whitney hesitantly nodded. "Okay." She answered, finally giving Daisy a smile.
Daisy let out a relieved breath. Things weren't fixed. Not completely. But at least she had a chance now. And she was going to prove herself. Shiloh didn't have a hold on her anymore.