So! My computer herped a derped and I lost most of my documents including my fanfiction stories! so, until I find the flash drive with the stories backed up on (I packed everything up for college, and I totally don't want to unpack that shit ~w~) This is a serious tale, about a serious topic.

WARNING: SERIOUS ISSUES (Spousal Abuse for now, I'll warn you if something more serious comes along down the road.)

Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money from this, okay? Kool!

Trapped

Stephanie Plum let out a low, tried sigh, sitting at the dining room table that was situated in her home. A basket of clean white clothes and a basket of dark clothes, which were neatly folded and waiting for Stephanie to put away, sat beside her on the pristine white carpeted floor. Stephanie had dinner in oven, baked ziti, with homemade pasta sauce, with extra garlic, just the way her husband liked it. Stephanie still could not believe it, but yes, she was now married, again. After her first disaster of a marriage to Dickie Orr, she swore she'd never get married again. She spent a good year, trying to get back on her feet, and to start her life all over again. She had found a job at a local bank, and was living modestly, in an apartment that had been five minutes away from her parents' home in Chambersburg, or the 'Burg. One Sunday night, when Stephanie went over to her parents, her mother hounded her and told Stephanie that she needed to find a husband. Her mother pointed out that she was almost 30, and wasn't getting any younger. That made Stephanie angry, her mother pushed her into marrying Dickie, and now she was at it again.

She got her mother of her back, by going on a date she set up or Stephanie. Her date turned out to be Joe Morelli. She hadn't really known Joe, apart from the time he got her to play Choo-choo in his father's garage, and when he took her virginity when she was 16. The last time she had heard about Joe, from his gloating mother, he was some hot shot detective in LA. He had come back, because his aunt died, and gave Joe her house. He now worked at the Trenton Police department, he was only a few weeks away from getting promoted to Lieutenant. He was handsome, Stephanie had to give him that, and he was successful in his work, he always caught the bad guys. So when Joe asked her out again on a date, Stephanie said yes.

They had been going out for maybe 6 months, when Joe asked Stephanie to marry her. They had been at Roussini's on Valentine's day. He had gotten down on one knee, right in the middle of the restaurant, and proposed to her. Stephanie couldn't help but feel that the pressure was all on her, what was she to do? She liked Joe, and yes, she did love him a bit, but marriage, that was a big thing, and they had only been dating for half a year. Sure, this would get her mother off her case, but did she really want to marry Joe?

It only took Stephanie a moment to accept his proposal. They got married three months later, with a lavish 'Burg marriage, and settled in the house Joe inherited from his aunt. Stephanie knew this marriage would be different from her last one, Joe truly cared for her, and loved her, he would never do her wrong. This would be a different marriage.

Stephanie didn't know how true that would be.

Joe began to change, after the marriage. he still showed Stephanie love and affection, but there was something off about it. the hugs and kisses, they seemed tensed, almost forceful. He told Stephanie that he was agitated, because, he had yet to get his promotion, and that they could really use the money. Stephanie did point out that she too was working and with the two pay checks they bought in, they were living comfortably. When he did get his promotion, Joe asked Stephanie to stop working, to be a stay at home wife, and to make sure that dinner was on the table for him. They got into a huge fight about it, Stephanie loved working at the bank, no she wasn't going to give up her independence. Just because they were married, didn't mean she couldn't have a job. One night she came home from work, Joe rounded on her and got in her face about her job and quitting it. again, a fight broke out, but this time, Joe struck her. She had never been hit beore in her life. Joe slapped her across the cheek. He had been stunned, and apologized, but Stephanie wasn't having any of it. it took her four days before she could talk to Joe. He had apologized, and told her that he was stressed out from working a huge case, and that he was only looking out for her. He gave her flowers, candies, jewelry, trying to make up for the fact that he hit her. sadly, it worked, and Stephanie forgave her husband.

What a fool she had been.

Two weeks later, she came home from work again, and Joe demanded she quit her job, like he did every night. Again, Stephanie told him that she wasn't going to quit her job, and be a stay at home wife. Joe got angry at her and they got into a loud screaming match. Joe had slapped her again, but this time instead of looking apologetic, he had grabbed Stephanie's arm and demanded she quit her job, now. When she told him no again, Joe shook her and told her to call the bank up and to quit now, or else she'd walk into work the next day, black and blue. Stephanie had called the bank manager that night and quit her job. Joe had pushed her away and told her that he would be the bread winner, and she was to clean the house and cook his meal, like a good 'Burg housewife.

Like a good 'Burg housewife. That's what Joe wanted, 'Burg housewife.

She confided in her mother, telling her about the night he slapped her and shook her. She was expecting her mother to be sympathetic, to tell her child to leave the marriage. Instead her mother shook her head and said, "Well, you should have quit your job the first time he asked you to do so, honestly Stephanie, to be a good 'Burg wife, you have to listen to your husband."

After that conversation, she didn't bring up that topic around her mother. Stephanie now knew that her mother would be of no help. She didn't want to burden anyone else, so, she kept it to herself.

That had been about five years or so ago. Stephanie hoped that by quitting her job, Joe would be happy. Joe was never happy, Stephanie found out. He wasn't happy with her cooking, her cleaning, any little excuse to yell at Stephanie, to slap her.

Stephanie turned from her sitting position, hearing the front door to house open, and Joe walked in, with a bunch of flowers, and a smile on his face. Stephanie put on a smile and said, "Welcome home Joe, Dinner's almost ready."

"Good, Cupcake," Joe said, leaning in and kissing his wife, "Here, I bought these for you, to celebrate."

"Celebrate what?" Stephanie asked, taking the flowers, and putting them on the table, "Our anniversary was last month."

"Grandma Bella wants a great-grandchild from me," Joe said, causing Stephanie to turn around and look at him, "and who am I to turn down her request, we're celebrating the start to parenthood!"

Stephanie's smile faltered and she said, "Joe, I don't want to have a child now, I'm not ready, maybe in a year or so-"

Stephanie let out a cry, as her sentence was cut short by a sharp slap to her face. Joe grabbed her by her elbow and said, "We've talked about this before, Cupcake, do we need to have another conversation, hmm?"

"N-no," Stephanie said, her eyes downcast, "Joe…please, you're hurting me."

"I wouldn't have to hurt you, Cupcake, I you just did what I told you to do," Joe growled, twisting Stephanie arm, making the woman cry out in agony, "Now, are we in agreement with starting a family?"

"I-" Stephanie started, but she had to stop, as the bones in her arms began to strain, "I don't think it's-"

Stephanie felt more than she heard the bone in her arm break. The pain exploded and she let out a loud cry of agony, falling to her knees, holding her limp arm. Joe loomed over her crying form and said, "I really don't want to have this conversation again, Cupcake, it's time we really started having some kids of our own."

Joe let out a sigh, and said, "Damn it, Cupcake, why do you make me do this to you, don't you see, I only want the best for you, if that means popping out a few babies, then you pop out a few babies."

Stephanie shied away from Joe, when he tried to touch her. Joe shook his head and said, "I don't like hurting you, Cupcake, you make me do this to you, remember that…now come on, we have to go to the hospital, to get a cast for your arm."

"The Ziti, I need to turn the oven off," Stephanie said through a tiny sob, "Then we can go to the hospital."

(~~~~~~~~~~~~)

'You make me do this to do, remember that….' Stephanie tossed in the bed, looking over to Joe's sleeping form. That's what he told after every beating, that she made him hit her, break her bones, push her down the stairs. That's what he's been telling her for the past five years, it was all her fault. Did she deserve a beating after cooking the pot roast too long? Did she deserve a tumble down the stairs for not getting all the wrinkles out of Joe's dress shirts? After five long years of this situation, Stephanie truly didn't know, if she did or did not deserve the beatings. She couldn't really go to anyone about it, she hadn't spoken to anyone but her parents and Joe's parents, and they weren't much help, Stephanie's mother was really no help, Stephanie had caught her mom and Joe talking quietly about sabotaging Stephanie's birth control, so she could get pregnant. Stephanie hoped that her birth control hadn't been tampered with now, that she wasn't pregnant now. Truth be told, not only was she not ready for a baby, but she didn't want a child in this environment.

Stephanie gently placed her blue cast covered arm on her chest and sighed softly, looking up at the ceiling. The nurses at the hospital gave her pitying stares, as she was led through the hospital by Joe. It was like they knew what was really going on between the couple. Was it that obvious…or was it…had they seen this before? Stephanie had been carful as to what she told the ER doctor about her broken bone. She had fallen down the stairs, tripping on a high heel. Joe had approved of her excuse, so did the doctor, because he had set her broken arm and gave her some pain medication. She'd be in a cast for 4 weeks, and she couldn't do much lifting and carrying. She couldn't listen to the doctor's order, she had to lift the laundry basket, she needed to move the furniture to clean it, she needed to replace their winter clothes for their light clothes, she couldn't just rest around, or use just one arm, she needed both her arms.

Stephanie closed her eyes, seizing up as Joe wrapped his arm around Stephanie's waist, and murmured, "Cupcake…"

What could she do now? She was stuck in this marriage. she tried to leave her husband before, by going to Valarie, her sister. Her mother had called Joe and told her where she was, when they got home that night, Joe beat her black and blue, threatening to use his growing power in the police department to make life hell for everyone she knew. He quickly got promoted to sergeant after his last promotion, he had so much power and pull, and now and then he did work for the FBI. Stephanie was terrified, because Joe told her that he could make her disappear, he could kill her, and no one would know.

She was trapped, with no way out of this hell.

TBC…

A serious tale about a serious issue, Reviews are loved, this is what I'm working on, until I find my flash drive with all the stories backed up on it! Reviews are loved, I love your feedback :T