Disclaimer:
I don't own Pac Blue, or PB's characters; I'm not using this for money; yatsa, yatsa, and yatsa.
I don't own Touched By An Angel, or TBAA's characters; I'm not using this for money; yatsa, yatsa, and yatsa.
Claimer:
I do however own the characters of Dani, Aurora, Leia, and Jezebelle.
Characters:
Jezebelle – the red-brown haired caseworker angel.
Danielle Amy Hunter-Calloway – T.C.'s goddaughter. After her parents were killed in a car crash, she was adopted by T.C. & Chris. She's 16, with strawberry-blonde hair & blue-green eyes. She's 110 Lbs. and is 5' 4".
Aurora Alison Carre – Russell's niece. She & her little sister are currently staying with Russell & Jamie until their mother gets out of rehab. She's 16, with deep-red hair and brown eyes. She's 112 Lbs. and is 5' 3"
Leia Lynn Carre – Russell's other niece. She's 11 months old, with blonde hair and mahogany eyes. She's 13 Lbs. and 1' 11".
***
Innocence
Part One
***
March 3rd, 2000
Lt. T.C. Calloway kicked in the door and held his gun out in front of him, "Police!"
A groan was heard in another room, and the officers that were with T.C. spread out. T.C. continued on his path toward where the sounds were coming from.
'Please, let it be her. Please, please! Come on, Dani.' T.C. thought to himself, as he pushed open the door to a bedroom.
T.C.'s daughter – sixteen-year old Danielle Amy Hunter-Calloway – was lying on the bed. Her clothes were tattered and stained, and her arms were covered in bruises. The officer practically screamed with joy for having found her. She'd been missing for a week – and T.C. blamed himself.
"It's okay, Dee. It's Dad. I'm here." He comforted, picking her up and running out of the room, "It's going to be okay now."
Unseen to T.C., four angels were watching.
***
T.C. looked at Chris, who was busily pacing the small waiting room. Her blonde hair was a wry, and a path of tears was flowing off her chin. He held up his hand to take her's and she sat down beside him.
"I can't believe I let this happen. I shouldn't have let her go to that party." T.C. angonized.
Chris laid her head on his shoulder and squeezed his hand for reassurance.
A knock on the door brought T.C.'s attention to the young-looking, blonde-haired, male doctor, who was standing in the doorway. A red-haired, female doctor stood beside him.
"Excuse me, but are you…" The female doctor looked at the clipboard she held, "Lt. Calloway?"
T.C. nodded his head, "How's our daughter?" He asked, as the two doctors sat down across from T.C. and Chris.
"I'm Andrew and this is Monica." Andrew said, a bit uncomfortably, "Monica examined Danielle."
Monica sighed and took over for Andrew, "Mr. And Mrs. Calloway, the results of the tests we ran seem to show that Danielle was raped."
***
T.C. took a deep breath and walked into Dani's hospital room. The teen was sleeping, a smile on her face that tore at his heart. He picked up her hand gently, and held in his. "I'm so sorry, Dani. I am so, so sorry." Tears began to fall from T.C.'s face.
From the doorway, Tess, Monica, Andrew, and Jeze were watching and talking.
"How can people do that to a child, Tess?" Monica asked, anguished.
"I don't know, baby." Tess answered.
Jeze looked at Dani. Jeze had been with Dani the entire time she was missing. She was there from the moment Dani walked into the party, to the moment Tony Londe hit Dani in the head with a beer bottle, to every awful moment of the rape, to now at the hospital. Jeze's heart twisted with those thoughts. She'd been unable to help Dani through it all.
"Jezebelle." Andrew said, curious about her sudden silence.
Jeze looked up, "Humm?"
Andrew nodded – he knew what she was thinking about. When Dani's blood had spilled from the gash in her head from the bottle, Andrew had been there. However, he'd been called away at the last moment.
"Now I want you three to listen to me." Tess began, "Dani has always been the strong one in her family. She took care of her little sister and her older brother. She learned Sign Language so she could talk to them and was the interpreter for her parents. She only went to sixth grade so she could get jobs and feed her siblings. However, she isn't as strong as she thinks. Her strength was based on the fact that she had something to do or someone to care for. She doesn't have that anymore and she isn't going to know how to act once her parents tell her what happened."
The three angels nodded and began to prepare for the storm.
***
March 4th, 2000
Dani squinted open her eyelids revealing the blue-green oceans beneath them. She allowed her eyes a moment to adjust, and then began looking around the room. To her left was a large picture window, through which morning light was filtering in. Around the sides of the window, white curtains were hanging. All along the walls were pictures of angels and seraphs. Dani smiled at one – it looked a bit like Chris.
Dani looked at the door as two doctors and her parents walked in.
"I was wondering when you were going to get up." T.C. teased, "I thought you were going to sleep forever!"
Dani smiled, "Like you don't sleep forever? Not to mention the snoring. I really don't know how mom can sleep with you." She teased back, giggling.
Andrew and Monica delighted in the playful banter of the teen and her father. The two seemed to share the same personality.
"So when are we going home? I have to get to school and Monday is my day to cook. Speaking of home – why am I here?" Dani asked, in her usual playful way.
T.C. smiled at her, but his smile soon became a frown. How do you explain to your child – who apparently doesn't remember the last week of her life – that she's been raped?
"Hello? Dad? Earth to Dad. Come in, Dad." Dani said, waving her hand before his eyes, "Lt. Calloway, snap to."
T.C. shook his head and looked at her, "What?"
"You just completely blanked out."
"Sorry."
Chris sighed, "I'll tell her, T.C."
"I can do this, Chris. I can."
Dani stared at her cryptic parents, "Could somebody let me in on what's going on?"
Andrew looked at T.C., "You don't have to tell her now. It would be preferable now that she's curious, but she needs to know."
T.C. took in a deep breath, "Danielle, You know I love you, right? I will never, ever be disappointed with you or hate you. I love you and you will always be beautiful to me."
Dani nodded, wearily. Now she was really confused. What was he talking about?
T.C. looked at Chris, who reached down to hold on to T.C.'s left hand. He reached down and picked up Dani's right hand. He leaned over to kiss her forehead gently, and then continued, "The party. You don't remember it at all?"
Dani furrowed her eyebrows, "Not really. I kinda had a few beers. Not a lot, Dad. Just two, I guess. I'm not really sure. All I remember is Tony saying catch, and something hitting be from behind. After that, I'm drawin' a blank. Am I in trouble or something?"
"No. Tony…The party…" T.C. looked at his wife for guidance.
Chris' face began to become red as new emotions flood her, "Dani, do you remember if Tony was throwing the bottle to you or at you?" Chris asked, already knowing the answer. With Dani's unknowing revelation, the group now knew where the gash on the back of the teen's head had come from.
Dani began to think and suddenly the memories flooded back.
"Such pretty hair." Tony teased.
Dani struggled to get loose from the handcuffs that bound her hands. She knew T.C. had told her the trick to these things, yet she didn't have the strength to pull the cuffs off. Clouds started to float over her eyes and she could feel the wetness of blood on her head. Something wasn't right and Dani knew it. She knew this wasn't right. She screamed out for her father, for her mother, for anyone to help. But no one came. Suddenly, the realization came in and Dani knew what was happening. She began to pray.
Dani looked at her father, "I tried to stop him. I really did, Daddy." She said through tears. She reached for T.C. and he hugged her to him. He rocked her back and forth, and tried to comfort the child, but her tears became worse.
Chris' eyes begged Andrew and Monica to do something for Dani. Something to calm the child's pain, at least for the moment. Dani's soul was shattered, and Chris could hear it in the sobbing and moaning. She suddenly felt the intinct of motherhood, and looked at Andrew, "Please. Anything to calm her down." Chris pleaded.
Andrew nodded and walked away to get something from outside. He returned a moment later with a sedative. He injected Dani and the teen began to quiet almost instantly. Soon enough for the two adults, Dani's cries and sobs were reduced to sniffling and T.C. placed her back in the bed.
Chris hugged T.C. tight and the two stood there for a minute or so, ignoring the fact that three other people were in the room. When they finally unlocked their arms and stepped back, Chris was busily wiping at the tears on her face. Andrew and Monica looked at them, sincere compassion in their eyes.
"Sorry about that." T.C. apologized.
"It's okay." Monica said.
Chris looked at the two people before her, "When can we take her home?" She asked, still dabbing at the tears with her finger.
"We're not sure. We'd like to have her stay overnight and talk to a counselor. There's also a teenage girl Danielle should meet." Andrew answered.
T.C. nodded his head numbly, "Okay. I just would like to recommend that you call her Dani. She doesn't like being called by her full first name."
Andrew smiled. Dani and Jeze were going to be good friends.
Chris smiled, "And Dani's best friend is Aurora Carre. She's going to come by at some point, so don't be surprised."
"Thanks." Monica said, as Chris and T.C. headed back to their car. They knew how long sedatives make someone sleep, and Monica figured the two would be back by the time Dani was waking up – and they'd probably have toys to comfort the teen with them.
Jeze walked up behind Monica, "Boo."
Monica jumped, which made Jeze smile with delight. 'I'm beginning to get the whole picture now, Father. No wonder Andrew said she has the soul of a child.'
Jeze looked at the teen, "I still wish I could've done something for her." She said, mournfully, "No one should have to endure that."
The other two angels nodded their heads in silent agreement.
"So, when am I supposed to show up?" The red-brown haired angel asked, now looking at her friends.
"He hasn't told you yet?" Monica asked with mild surprise.
"Nope. I assumed he'd told one of you." Jeze answered, curious.
Andrew smirked, "I know when, so calm down, Halo-ette. Today. You and Aurora are going to meet and the two of you will come here."
Jeze nodded. She began a silent prayer for the hell that Dani and everyone who was close to her was about to go through.
***
Aurora looked at her uncle. 'It can't be true. It can't be.' She thought to herself. Dani was so…so…Dani. She'd never let this happen. She'd always been so strong, so willing to fight. She suddenly knew who to blame, 'God, How could you let this happen to her? How? She never did anything wrong. She's always gone to church and she's always been good. Always, how could you let this happen?!?!'
Russell saw the look in his niece's eyes and he wrapped his arms around her. Aurora and Dani were so close, if one bad thing happened to one, the other would be distraught. Now Russell knew how to comfort Aurora.
"Why don't we go to the hospital and see her? I'm sure she'd love to see her beset friend." Russell suggested.
Aurora nodded, "That'd be nice. I want to go get something from another room, okay? It's hers and I know she'd want it."
Russell nodded and went to check on Leia, while Rora got the item.
"Jamie." He said, after walking back into the living room.
"Yes?" She called from upstairs.
"I'm taking Rora to see Dani. Watch Leia for me."
"Sure."
With that, Russell took his niece and walked out to the car.
However, a red-brown haired teenage was walking over to them. The two people stopped walking.
"Can I help you" Russell asked. He'd never seen this girl before, and it was obvious that Rora didn't know this girl either.
"Actually, Dr. Andrew and Dr. Monica sent me over to talk to Aurora, and take her over to the hospital. I'm Jeze." Jeze said, removing her sunglasses.
Aurora nodded, "My uncle was just going to take me over." The teen began to look over the angel. The girl wore her reddish-brown hair in a French braid with a silver-wire headband to hold the flyaway strands out of her eyes. She wore a pair of bellbottom blue-jeans with a white tank top and an unbuttoned, short sleeve white shirt.
"Oh, okay. I was just on my way over to talk to Dani. If you two wanna come with me in my car, your welcome." Jeze said, playing with her keys.
Aurora looked at her uncle and the two nodded, "Thanks."
Jeze smiled, and walked back to the car. She stopped before she opened the car doors. "I thought you had a little sister?"
Aurora smiled, "I do. Her name's Leia. She's in the house."
Jeze leaned up against the car, "So that's who Leia is. Dani's been asking to see Aurora and Leia since she woke up."
Rora smiled getting Jeze's message. She handed the grocery bag she'd been holding and ran back into the house. A muffled conversation was heard between Rora and Jamie, before Rora returned with her little sister and the baby's infant carrier/carseat, as well as Leia's diaper bag.
Jeze smiled, unlocked the car doors, and opened the door to the front seat so Aurora could set the infant's seat in the seat. After setting it so it wouldn't move, Aurora placed her baby sister in the seat and got in the back. Jeze turned on the car, and headed toward the hospital.
"So how long have you know Dani?" Jeze asked Aurora, who was watching the different things pass by the white car.
Aurora smiled, "For as long as I can remember."
Jeze smiled again, "She seemed to be a sweet person from what her parents told me."
"She is. She loves to volunteer and she likes to teach kids to swim and bike-ride. She loves to surf and she loves to be with my sister." Rora said, smiling at the memories, and then she frowned, "I don't know why God let this happen to her. She never did anything wrong. She goes to church like everyone else, she believes…"
Jeze sighed, "Free will is why this happened. God gave everyone free will. I have it, you have it, Tony has it. I don't agree with how he used his, but God gave it to him."
"He should've done something to help her, Jeze. I know you aren't supposed to ask Him for something he can't change, but He's Him. He shouldn't let her suffer."
Jeze nodded her head, "I know how you feel and I know how Dani feels. I know it seems like He betrayed you, but He hasn't." Jeze sighed, "When we see Dani, I want you to tell her how you feel. I know she won't tell you hers right off the bat, but you're her best friend. You can comfort her in a way that no one else can."
Aurora nodded, and breathed as slowly as she could to calm her nerves.
***
Andrew met Jeze at the door to the hospital, "This must be Aurora. I was told to keep an eye out for you. I'm Andrew."
Aurora looked at the doctor, "Hi." She said, meekly.
"This is Aurora's uncle, Russell." Jeze said, " I was just going up to see Dani."
Andrew nodded, "That's good. She could really use a familiar face or two right now."
Jeze nodded and led Rora, Leia, and Russell into the hospital. After heading to the elevator, Jeze pushed the button for the fourth floor. All four people were silent as they headed to the room currently housing Dani. Jeze knock on the door.
Dani looked up, "Hi, Jeze." She said, a bit tiredly.
Jeze smiled weakly, "I brought some visitors – I even got Leia."
Dani smiled at the sight of her friends. She reached for the baby and pulled Leia onto her lap, "Hello, Leia Lynn. How's ya' been?" She cooed.
Jeze smiled at Tess, who was seated next to Dani's bed. The 'older' woman stood up to leave the friend to talk, and tugged at Jeze's arm. "I'll be out in a second."
Dani smiled, "Tess is nice."
"You don't live with her. Andrew, Monica, and I say that if she gets a webpage, it'd be key word Grouchy." Jeze teased, "Anyway, I'm going to check in with someone I know, and leave you guys to talk. Here's" Jeze handed her a card, "my pager number. If you need me, page me."
Dani nodded, and Jeze walked out, leaving the people to talk.
-*-*-
Cassie Jamie
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