**1**
When Conrad Grayson left the prison he felt like the mightiest man on earth. This situation right now showed him again that he could get out of everything if he just used his money and influence. And yes, the security man who had helped him to escape would be paid well.
He thought back to the dark, cold prison cell, in which he had spent the last weeks and it was humiliating, that a man like him had to be at a place like that. And he definitely would never go back again. He was Conrad Grayson; he had to sit in his office ruling the world instead of crouching in a cabin and thinking about his former life.
Therefore he had to make sure that they would reopen his trial and exonerate him, because it was the only chance to make him live his life as a free man and to be the influent business man he once had been. And anyway in his eyes it was a waste of time to think about David Clarke and whether he could be innocent. He was dead and nothing would chance anything about that.
Of cause Conrad couldn't take care of his acquittal on his own, he would get framed right away, if he would appear somewhere, after all he still was an escaped prisoner. But Conrad had other ways to get what he wanted. How often had he blackmailed and threaten people to save his own life and protect his social status? He alone had the necessary means to make everyone to his puppet, and he would never hesitate to use them. He was ruthless and everyone, who had ever dealt with him, knew that he would stop at nothing.
However, he actually was a wanted criminal, and he was frustrated to admit that this circumstance considerably curtailed his possibilities. It really lowered his mood when he realized that it would be almost impossible to blackmail someone as long as he couldn't show up anywhere. They would just call the police and Conrad couldn't risk that. The longer no one knew where he was the more time he had to bribe a judge to reopen his trial. And the police would be after him very soon, he didn't want to reduce the time he had left.
He snorted angrily when he remembered that after his arrest he also couldn't get his money back. But without it a part of him was missing. He had been used to have much more money than he could spend and now he stood there without anything. But he was a Grayson, which meant something. Whatever happened, he would always have his name. And even if it was a little bit dishonored since he had been sent to jail, Conrad new that his name would always be an advantage, and he would fight to get his life back, no matter what! And then he suddenly thought about his former wife and he was sure that, if he used his power right, she would do anything to help him.
How long would she have to stay at this awful place? Victoria stood at the window in her room at Clairmont Psychiatry and looked outside. She tried to be strong but on some days she found it hard. This place was so bleak, she felt lonely and left and the worst of all was: Emily Thorne -or should she say Amanda Clarke?- was the reason why she was here. She finaly had triumphed and that was a fact Victoria didn't like. She was alone, no one knew where she was and nobody would look for her. That thought was painful, she didn't know if she would ever leave the psychiatry. There wasn't much hope, Emily would ensure that Victoria would be locked up as long as possible, maybe forever. But she tried to believe that there would be a day when she would return to her castle and to her life as the Queen Of The Hamptons.
Victoria was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, when the door opened. One of the carers came in, together with a young, red-haired woman. She carried a lot of luggage and was discussing wildly. "You can't lock me up here! I am perfectly healthy; I don't need any psychological help!" The guy, who had brought her in, sighed. "Your mother decided to check you in, she -" "Because she wants to get rid of me! She hates me! But I don't belong here, this institution is for insane people, which I am not! So don't you dare to leave me alone here!" "I'm sorry but I can't help you." The man turned to Victoria who was still standing at the window and had silently watched the situation. "Louise is your new roommate. I thought that maybe you could take care of her until she has settled here." Then he left the room and Victoria was alone with the new patient. The young woman looked grimly at the closed door. "This is so unfair! I never did anything that would justify checking me in. If they would just listen to me instead of my mother! She destroyed my whole life, but this time she's gone too far! It's just despicable to lock me up at a place like this!" She looked at Victoria who seemed a bit overwhelmed by this outburst. Than the girl remembered her social grace. "Oh, I'm sorry. Louise Ellis", she said holding out her hand. Victoria squeezed it after a moment of hesitation. "Victoria Grayson." Louise gasped excited. "THAT Victoria Grayson!? The wife of Conrad Grayson?" "Ex-wife", Victoria corrected with a smile. Louise radiated. She already heard much about the Graysons and she had always admired Victoria. Now she thought that maybe this place wasn't that bad at all. "It is such a great pleasure to meet you! Maybe this isn't the perfect place and time but I've always wanted to get to know you. I have so much admiration for you!" Victoria smiled again, she was used to people who were excited when they met, it usually didn't meant much to here but in here it was nice to hear some friendly words. After she finally calmed down, Louise started to unpack her suitcase while Victoria lost herself in her thoughts again.
Actually she had no desire to share her room with that girl and to 'take care of her'. She had enough own problems and wasn't sure whether she wanted to listen to another angry outburst by Louise. But on the other hand it was comforting that she wasn't completely alone at this cold place. And it had a calming effect that there was someone who didn't talk to her as if she was crazy. Also Louise didn't seem to judge her because of the things Conrad had done. In fact there had been more than one situation when people in the psychiatry looked angrily at her or whispered behind her back. And a few days ago an older woman had even shouted at her, named her a 'monster', who wasn't the innocent she claimed to be and that she should be killed right away for the things she had done. Words like that hurt. Victoria knew that she had made mistakes that she had made some wrong decisions but she couldn't change it. And she hated, if people confused her sins with Conrad's and judged her because of him. That was something she really despised. Never, ever she wanted to be compared to Conrad! He was the one who destroyed her life (right after Emily Thorne) and in her opinion he was a much worse person than she was.
"Why are you even here?" Again Victoria was snapped out of her thoughts. Louise had finished unpacking and sat on her bed. "What do you mean?", Victoria asked warily. "Well, I never had the feeling that you were... crazy. Of cause I don't really know you, but why is the Queen of the Hamptons in a psychiatry? You don't belong here." Victoria sighed. "I don't really want to be here... and you're right, I'm not crazy. It's a long story." She didn't want to talk about Emily and how humiliating it was to be imprisoned by that damn woman. So she continued quickly: "What about you? You said something about your mother? What happened?" Louise swallowed. Suddenly it seemed to be hard for her to talk and Victoria felt a twinge of pity for the girl. With a few steps she crossed the room and sat down on the bed next to Louise. "My mother always let me feel that my brother was her favorite. He was that perfect son every mother dreamed of and I was just... me. And when my father died everything got worse." Louise tried not to let Victoria see how wet her eyes got at the mention of her father. He had always been there for her and he had never treated her the way her mother did. "My mother had never been there when I would have needed her. She always had better things to do than worry about her daughter." Hesitantly Victoria put her arm around Louise and she thought about her own mother. The things which had destroyed her childhood. Victoria had always pushed away the memories of her past; she had tried to leave it behind her. But she knew that her whole life had been influenced by the doings of her mother. She had kicked her out when she was fifteen, she had murdered a man, of cause these things had left their marks on Victoria. A bit helpless she tried to comfort Louise; a stranger with which she seemed to have so much in common. The younger woman wiped away a tear, then she continued: "One day my mother decided that she had to get rid of me. She used her good relationships to a lot of people, and managed to check me in... She locked me up here and I don't even know why." Victoria saw the desperate look on Louise's face and more than before she felt reminded of herself. Moreover in this moment the mother in her woke up and so she pulled the girl into a gentle embrace. "I know what you are going through.", she said softly, "but you are strong, you will make it. And your mother isn't worth to think about her just one more second!"
Victoria didn't know herself what she was doing. She sat here in her room in Clairmont Psychiatry, holding a young woman in her arms and tried to make her stop crying. It was a really strange situation, and Victoria was relieved when Louise finally calmed down. They sat there for a while, silent, each of them lost in her own thoughts. Victoria asked herself what could have happened, if her mother hadn't been that cruel. Would she ever had become Conrad's wife? Probably not. She never would have got one of her beloved children... and she also never would have met David. The thought at him was painful too. He was the only man she had ever truly loved and he was dead... and it was her fault. No, Conrad had threatened her, she had had no choice. That was what she always told herself. But was it true?
In this moment the man who had brought Louise came back. "Louise? There were some single therapy sessions prescribed for you. The first will start in a few minutes. Would you please follow me?" Louise stood up and was almost at the door, when she turned around again. "Victoria? I am glad to have you as my roommate. It's good to know that I am not alone in here."
Okay, I hope you liked this; it's my very first fanfiction, so if you have some tips or suggestions for improvement please let me know!
I know, this chapter is very similar to the show, but that will change within the next chapters. I just needed a basic on which I can build up my story.
The first six chapters are already written so I think you won't have to wait too long for the next one. And believe me, I had a reason to let Conrad alive... ;)