Home by Danielle : - )
Synopsis- An abused teenager finds unlikely refuge with a Centre employee. Part I of the Madeline series.
Author's Note: This story jumps back a while-- to January of the first season, not too long after Jarod gives Miss Parker the white rabbit, who, since he hasn't been mentioned since (tsk, tsk), I've named Bunny. It might take a while for you to get the connection between the beginning of the fic and The Pretender but I promise there is one!
Disclaimer: Miss Parker, Jarod, Sydney, and Broots belong to NBC.. Everyone else belongs to me.
~~~~~
"Oh!" I moaned in pain. I couldn't have told you an exact location of the pain- my whole body was literally covered with bruises. Last time I looked I wasn't able to find even the smallest area of skin that wasn't bruise, cut, or caked with dry blood.
I looked up at the person responsible for the majority of the most recent pain- my stepfather, Steve.
"Is that enough? You ready to do it yet?" He asked, looking at Jack, who'd hit me more than his fair share.
"No matter how much you hurt me, I'm not going to kill anyone." Proceeded a gasp as Steve kicked me in the ribs.
"Look you little whore, if you don't agree with my plan to kill the governor we're going to kill you." Jack went to the small kitchen of our rathole for another beer.
"Kill me, I want you to kill me." I meant it, too, but I knew Steve wouldn't want to get rid of all the money I brought in. I wanted them, anyone, to put me out of this misery I've been in for two years. Jack was right calling me a whore. I am, not because I want to but because Steve makes me. He uses all the money to buy drugs. I wish one of them would kill me! That'd be okay. I could never kill myself. Mom raised me too well in our Catholic religion to commit suicide. But I can't remember how many times I've held a knife to my wrist wanting to slash it or a gun to my temple wishing I could pull the trigger.
"Come on." Steve pulled me to my feet and dragged me to the door, afraid I'd cry out really loud and cause a neighbor to call the police (as if that would happen in this neighborhood). Jack got behind the wheel of his brand-new Mustang convertible. Steve shoved me in the back and then got in as Jack sped away.
I knew he'd really let me have it now that no witnesses were around. I rarely scream or cry out. I found out early on that responding to the abuse will only spark more.
Steve continued to hit me while Jack drove around aimlessly. After a while, Steve stopped to catch his breath. I took the opportunity to see where we were. Jack had taken us to the lake. Since it's the middle of January all the summer cottages were dark.
We slowed down as Jack slapped me as hard as he could. When I still wouldn't agree, he told Steve to push me out of the car and let me walk home. Steve did just that and pushed me out into the snow without a jacket. They sped off amid a squeal of tires. Even at such a low speed, I hit the ground hard enough to have the wind knocked out of me. I didn't move- hoping maybe I'd freeze to death.
~~~~~
Miss Parker was sitting in front of the tv, which was on but wasn't holding her attention. She was thinking about the past, something her father would have disapproved of, had he known. She was interrupted by the slam of a car door and the sound of someone hurrying away.
She reached for her gun- it was never far from reach- and headed to the front door of the cottage normally lived in only during the summer (but her father had allowed her to stay there to get her out of the house).
"Probably some trick of Jarod's," She muttered as she neared the door. She had learnt early in her search for Jarod to expect anything and everything from him.
With the gun aimed in front of her, she descended the steps leading to the front door. At first she saw nothing of interest on the snow covered landscape but then noticed a dark form near the side of the road.
"Great!" She said, wondering what it could be this time. What new thing had Jarod decided to torture her with now? Possibly another animal, she thought, remembering the bunny he gave her only a few weeks ago. Miss Parker made a mental note to feed him and clean his cage after she cleared this up. Could be a DSA containing yet another clue to her past...
Miss Parker crept toward what she was now sure to be courtesy of Jarod. She had the gun ready to shoot if it turned out to be Jarod himself. Whatever it was, it wasn't moving. Now standing directly over it, Miss Parker could see that it was a woman.
"Hey." Miss Parker said to get her attention. She hadn't loosened her grip on the gun.
The woman slowly rose to see who had addressed her. Miss Parker quickly hid her surprise when she saw the girl's bruised, bloody face. And it was a girl, hardly more than a teenager.
"Who are you?" Miss Parker growled.
"Madeline."
"Madeline what?"
"Stanley."
"Did Jarod send you here?"
A pause and then a , "I don't think I know anyone named Jarod."
~~~~~
I had just made up my mind to stay where I was and hopefully die when a voice made me look up. I painfully got into a sitting position to see a tall, brown haired woman holding a gun in my face. Behind her a house was lit up. When she asked me if Jarod had sent me, I tried to think if I even knew anyone named Jarod.
"I don't think I know anyone named Jarod." I said.
~~~~~
Miss Parker, who was getting cold, said, "Well, I don't know who you are but come inside so I can find out."
Madeline slowly, every movement hurting, got up and headed into the house. Miss Parker ushered her into the room where the tv was still on.
"Who are you?" Miss Parker asked again.
"Madeline Stanley. Who are you?"
"Now, about Jarod." Miss Parker didn't answer the question, "Where is he and why did he send you here?"
Madeline looked at the gun with no fear in her eyes. Miss Parker saw this and was shocked to find someone who wasn't quaking around her.
"I don't think I know any guys named Jarod and if I do he didn't send me here." Madeline's voice was flat.
"Then who did? Did they do that to you?" Miss Parker didn't like looking at this girl's bruised face, it reminded her of her mother. It entered her mind that Raines could have sent this girl, a little warning not to get too nosy. But she dismissed the thought almost as soon as it entered her mind, knowing Mr. Raines wasn't the kind of person to play games. If he had any idea what she, Sydney, and Broots have been doing lately, they'd all be pushing up daisies.
"Steve and Jack did most of it and dumped me out here. He wants me to walk home but I'm not going to this time. I'd rather lay out there and die."
Miss Parker blinked at the statement, spoken so matter-of-factly. She relaxed her grip on the gun, sure by now the girl was harmless but not willing to take any chances.
"Who are Steve and Jack and why would they want to hurt you?"
"Steve's my stepfather and Jack sells him most of his crack. The governor likes young prostitutes and they wanted me to kill him. When I said no they thought if they beat me up a little I might change my mind. I didn't so they dumped me." It was like she had shut off all feeling and given up.
"You're a prostitute?" Miss Parker had a hard time believing it. Minus the bruises, the girl was the poster child for the all-American, perfect life, typical popular teenager.
"Yeah. But Steve didn't ask first- he just took the money and left." Miss Parker detected bitterness and betrayal in her voice now.
"And your mother lets him do this?" Miss Parker regretted it the second she saw the effect it had on the girl. Madeline looked hurt as a tear rolled down her left cheek and made a trail through the blood from her nose and lip.
"Mom died two years ago."
"Your father doesn't care?" A picture of her own father came to mind but she pushed it away.
"He died in a car accident when I was ten."
"I should probably take you to the hospital, huh?"
"No, I'll be okay." Seeing the skeptical look on the woman's face caused her to add, "It's been worse. Just, do you have any aspirin?"
Miss Parker left to get it. She took the gun even though at this point she was sure the girl was harmless. Old habits die hard. Returning with the aspirin and a glass of water, she found Madeline hadn't moved. After Madeline had swallowed them, she looked at Miss Parker with panic in her eyes.
"You're not going to make me go back, are you?" She reminded Miss Parker of Bunny when he got scared, eyes wide and darting, ready to bolt.
"No." Miss Parker paused for a moment, then continued, "You can stay in the guest room for the night and I'll figure out what to do with you tomorrow."
She showed Madeline the bathroom and found one of her old nightgowns. When Madeline came out, the blood was gone from her face, making the bruises even more visible than before. Miss Parker handed her the nightgown and led her to the guest room.
Once there, she examined Madeline's face more closely. Both eyes were bruised, the right one nearly swollen shut. Her cheeks were both huge bruises and her lips were split and swollen. Her neck was also bruised as if someone had tried to strangle her.
"The gun's on the nightstand by the bed. Don't try anything." The girl was obviously harmless and Miss Parker wondered what her mother would think of her if she knew how she was treating the poor girl.
"Who are you afraid I'm gonna shoot? You or me?" Madeline got into bed slowly and moaned under her breath as she lowered her head to the pillow. Miss Parker went to her own room and put the gun next to the phone.
Remembering her promise to Bunny, she went to his cage. Taking him out, she cuddled him under her chin. She sat for a few minutes with no real thoughts going through her head. Finally she got up and gave him more food.
"I'll do the rest tomorrow after I figure out what to do with Madeline." She said as she put him back in his cage.
After checking on Madeline and finding her fast asleep, Miss Parker went to bed herself. She didn't, however, sleep as well as the girl in the next room. Every time she fell asleep, she'd wake up minutes later after having a nightmare, the same one over and over. Sometimes it was her mother getting beat up by Mr Raines and sometimes Madeline was getting beat up by a man who's face Miss Parker couldn't see.
One nightmare around 4 am had Mr Raines beating Madeline up. Her mother tried to stop him from hurting the girl, saying she was innocent and hadn't done anything to deserve it. He stopped but then turned on her mother. Miss Parker could see her father standing motionless in the shadows.
She knew she'd never fall back asleep after that one so with shaking hands she grabbed and managed to light a cigarette.
In the next room, Madeline awoke with a start. For a moment, she tried to figure out who's house she was at. Then she relaxed when she remembered that she was safe and that a man wasn't going to walk in and start hitting her.
Then she thought of Miss Parker, although she didn't know her name yet. Madeline wondered if the demons chasing her were similar to the ones she hoped to now be able to put behind her. People don't keep guns within reach at all times without a good reason.
Wondering what the future held in store for her and knowing for the first time in years that she really had a future, Madeline drifted back to sleep.
Two hours later, Miss Parker decided to get up. She took a shower to try to shake off the bad feelings her nightmares had left. Then she dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. The Centre would have to live without her for the next few hours. The gun was unmoved on the nightstand and Miss Parker decided to leave it that way. On the way to the kitchen she checked on Madeline and found her still asleep.
In the kitchen, Miss Parker searched for something to make for breakfast. There wasn't much. They would have to settle for Corn Flakes. Checking to see if she had milk, she found some bacon but it had expired a month ago.
Miss Parker closed her eyes and remembered standing in this kitchen on an already hot summer morning watching her mother cooking bacon and eggs, or better yet, pancakes. No one made pancakes like Mama did.
"Hi." Miss Parker turned around to see Madeline standing in the doorway as if afraid or unsure about entering.
"Corn flakes is all there is." She said without apology.
Madeline sat at the table. After Miss Parker poured two bowls full of cereal and added milk, she brought them to the table and turned around to get them glasses of orange juice- which expired a few days ago, but how bad can orange juice go? When she turned to put them on the table, Madeline's bowl was almost empty.
"Could I have some more, please?"
Once seated again, Miss Parker asked, "When was the last time you ate?"
"What day is it?"
"Thursday."
"Tuesday I had some fries."
"All you've eaten in two days is some French fries?"
"Yeah, Steve's crack is more important than my dinner. I just have to hope someone gives me a little more money than Steve expects so I can stop by McDonald's or something." A good night's rest had helped bring some expression back to Madeline's face. Now on her third bowl of cereal, Madeline still hadn't slowed down. Miss Parker watched the girl eat and still didn't know what she was going to do with her. She wasn't about to keep her, that's for sure. Maybe Sydney will know what to do. Aloud she said,
"What am I going to do with you?"
Madeline shrugged.
"Do you have any other family?"
"No. All my grandparents are dead and mom and dad were both only kids."
Noticing the empty bowl Miss Parker asked if she wanted any more.
"No thanks." Again Miss Parker had a hard time believing this polite, obviously well-mannered girl was a prostitute.
"Okay," Miss Parker said in her usual clipped manner, "let's go."
"Where?" Madeline immediately got nervous, still afraid she'd be returned to her stepfather.
"To see a friend of mine who will help me figure out what to do with you." Miss Parker knew Sydney would have more ideas than her. Besides, the kid could probably use a shrink.
"Who and where?" Madeline was still somewhat wary, not completely trusting the woman standing in front of her puffing on a cigarette. The past few years have made me so untrusting. Steve made me so untrusting. Her train of self-pity was put on hold by the answer to her question.
"My friend Sydney is a psychiatrist and we work together." Miss Parker was about to leave when she remembered Madeline didn't have a coat. She got two, an old one for the girl and her regular long black leather one.
They drove in silence for maybe ten minutes, each thinking about all they'd lost in their lives. When they pulled into view of the Centre, Madeline gasped in shock at the immense stone building.
"Is this where you work?"
"Yeah." Miss Parker remembered when she was younger and her mother was still alive how she had had the same reaction every time she saw the Centre. Now she just hates it.
"What's it called?" Sometimes curiosity is a stronger emotion than pain.
"The Centre."
"I've never heard of it, what does it do?"
"Stuff." Miss Parker answered, not about to tell the girl the truth- that it steals children and locks them away for years and probably tortures them, too.
Madeline was silent as they parked close to the entrance- Daddy had seen to that. They headed inside to the elevator and Miss Parker tried not to think about the significance this elevator had in her life. Once in, she pushed a button and they started going down.
"What's SL mean?" Madeline asked, having noticed most of the floor buttons said SL and then a number.
"Sub Level. There are 26 Sub Levels in the Centre." She pulled out a cigarette and noticed Madeline watching her, "Do you have a problem with cigarettes?" Not that the answer mattered, no one could stop her from smoking, not Sydney's warnings about cancer, not Broots' constant coughing when she's around, and certainly nothing this girl could say.
"Not really." Madeline knew she didn't sound convincing, "Regular cigarette smoke is better than what Steve smokes, I guess. But my grandmother died of lung cancer."
In answer, Miss Parker pulled out her lighter. They reached their destination and Miss Parker led the way to Sydney's office. It was empty but she knew Sydney. He was around somewhere and Broots would know where.
"Broots." As always, he sounded nervous.
"Do you know where Sydney is?" From the tone of her voice, Madeline figured whoever she had called was someone she didn't like very much. She hadn't been around long enough to know she always sounded like that. Miss Parker was silent as he answered.
"Miss Parker, um, yeah, he just left my office."
"Jarod?" Miss Parker sounded more interested, alert, making Madeline wonder if this was last night's Jarod and who he was.
"Yeah. He left Sydney an e-mail and we were trying to figure it out."
"Was he going back to his office?"
"I think so." He expected her to say something more but all he got was the dial tone. With a sigh he turned back to the computer and Jarod's puzzling message.
"He's coming." Miss Parker told Madeline, "Let's just hope he doesn't make any detours." For if Syd decided to stop by the sim lab or something, it could be hours before he showed. "How old are you?" She asked, since Sydney would probably want to know.
"Seventeen."
Before either woman could say more, Sydney walked in.
"Miss Parker." He said as his gaze went from her to the injured girl standing next to her. Then he settled his questioning gaze back on her. She walked over to where he still stood in the doorway.
"Her name's Madeline, her bastard of a stepfather dumped her in front of my place last night. He's been prostituting her. I figured you'd know what to do with her more than I would."
"Hello, Madeline. You can sit down." He had assumed that quiet, reassuring voice Miss Parker knew he used with children performing simulations.
The girl sat down, never taking her eyes off of him, as if afraid he was going to attack her. Miss Parker leaned against the filing cabinet by his desk.
"What were you doing by the lake last night?"
"My stepfather left me there."
Realizing she had already heard this, Miss Parker decided not to waste the whole day and go see about Jarod's e-mail, "I'm going down to see the e-mail, Syd."
As soon as Madeline realized she was leaving, she rose from her chair in alarm. Miss Parker walked over to her and displayed a rarely seen kindness.
"Don't worry, he's harmless. I'll be back in ten minutes."
Madeline knew she'd have to start trusting people again sometime and like her dad always said, there's no time like the present.
"Why did your stepfather leave you there?" Sydney continued once they were alone.
"Because I wouldn't kill the governor for him and Jack."
Even Sydney, the psychiatrist who's heard it all, couldn't hid his surprise, "Excuse me?"
"For some reason- probably a really stupid one- Jack hates the governor. The governor has a thing for young prostitutes so they wanted to send me to him and then have me kill him. I refused 'cause I'm not about to add murder to my list of sins and they thought if they hit me around a little I'd change my mind. I guess they were afraid I'd make a lot of noise so they took me for a ride and got fed up with me refusing so Steve dumped me in front of her house."
"Did he expect you to go back?"
"Yeah. I've always gone back before because no one else ever helped me, not even the police."
"You've gone to the police and they didn't do anything?" He didn't find that as hard to believe as one might expect. Sydney didn't believe for a second that the Blue Cove PD could be completely oblivious to all the illegal happenings at the Centre.
"Yup. Once after I got beat up really bad, I went and they didn't believe me. They just laughed in my face. And all those times I had to go to the emergency room, no one did anything."
"Is there no one you can go to?"
"If I did, do you think I'd be here right now?"
"There has to be someone."
"Nope. When it started I looked for Mom's address book but it was gone."
Before Sydney could answer, the phone rang. He listened for ten seconds, said "I'll be right there" and hung up.
"I have to see to something. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Okay." Madeline said with a tired sigh.
Miss Parker headed back to Sydney's office. She was upset about Jarod's seemingly impossible e-mail. Upon entering the office, she saw Madeline staring off into space and the chair behind Sydney's desk empty.
"Where's Sydney?"
"He got a phone call, an emergency or something, I guess."
With a sigh Miss Parker leaned up against the wall, "With Syd we could be waiting here for hours."
As if to prove her wrong, Sydney walked in and sat down without an explanation.
"So what's the verdict?" Miss Parker wanted to know.
"None has yet been reached, Parker."
"Well, I don't have all day!" She snapped.
"We could bring you," He spoke to Madeline and ignored his foul tempered colleague, "to Dover, to the DSS. They'd probably put you in a foster home until you turn 18. How old are you?"
"Seventeen since October."
"But, I believe foster care should only be used as a last resort."
"Why?"
"As a psychiatrist, I've heard horror stories about abused children being put into foster homes where they only receive more abuse."
"I don't even think that should be used as a last resort." Madeline told him firmly, "I'm not escaping Steve only to have someone else take his place."
"Of course not. We'll forget that one." After a pause he continued, "If only we could find a family member or friend! What about godparents?"
"Mom's best friends all through school. He moved to Russia or someplace after she died. I told you, I have no one!"
Sydney guessed why she was snappish and wanted to calm her fears, "No matter what, we are not going to send you back to Steve. We could also find someone who'd be willing to take you in and become your legal guardian. You would have to got court to legalize it and probably again to try Steve because they'll ask why you want your guardian changed."
"So they'd arrest him?" Madeline was beginning to get upset again.
"Yes, you would be the prosecution's key witness."
"No! He knows too many people, he'd send someone to kill me."
"Madeline, we'd get you protection. We--"
"NO!! You don't get it, he knows drug dealers, hit men, mobsters! They'd find and kill me!"
"Okay, I'm sure we can get around that." Seeing how agitated she was, he continued against his better judgment, "We could not even take it to court, once we found the person, we could forge the legal guardianship papers."
Miss Parker almost dropped her cigarette, she was so shocked at the words coming out of the mouth of someone she thought she knew so well. She managed to get out a "We could?"
"Broots could probably do it. If not, Jarod might once I tell him why it's needed."
"Jarod!" Miss Parker scoffed.
"Yes, Miss Parker, Jarod." Sydney repeated calmly.
"But who's going to want me? What if Steve sends someone to bring me back? Most of them would kill their own twin for a gram of crack. Who'd want to take a risk like that?"
Madeline looked so sad that without even thinking Miss Parker said, "I would."
Sydney looked ready to have a heart attack. Miss Parker couldn't believe she'd said it but had some idea when she saw the look on Madeline's face.
"Really?" Madeline couldn't believe the woman who'd held a gun on her last night and had seemed so eager to be rid of her this morning would be willing to do this.
"Well, until other arrangements can be made." God, what had she done? What would her father say? She didn't want to look at Sydney but she had to know what he was thinking. He was looking at her, no longer in amazement, but rather smugly, like he had known all along this was what she was going to do. Sometimes it bugged her how he seemed to know her better than she knew herself.
"Come on, let's go home." Miss Parker breezed out of the room without so much as a good-bye to Sydney, who sat smiling behind his desk. Madeline gave him a grateful smile before following.
Synopsis- An abused teenager finds unlikely refuge with a Centre employee. Part I of the Madeline series.
Author's Note: This story jumps back a while-- to January of the first season, not too long after Jarod gives Miss Parker the white rabbit, who, since he hasn't been mentioned since (tsk, tsk), I've named Bunny. It might take a while for you to get the connection between the beginning of the fic and The Pretender but I promise there is one!
Disclaimer: Miss Parker, Jarod, Sydney, and Broots belong to NBC.. Everyone else belongs to me.
~~~~~
"Oh!" I moaned in pain. I couldn't have told you an exact location of the pain- my whole body was literally covered with bruises. Last time I looked I wasn't able to find even the smallest area of skin that wasn't bruise, cut, or caked with dry blood.
I looked up at the person responsible for the majority of the most recent pain- my stepfather, Steve.
"Is that enough? You ready to do it yet?" He asked, looking at Jack, who'd hit me more than his fair share.
"No matter how much you hurt me, I'm not going to kill anyone." Proceeded a gasp as Steve kicked me in the ribs.
"Look you little whore, if you don't agree with my plan to kill the governor we're going to kill you." Jack went to the small kitchen of our rathole for another beer.
"Kill me, I want you to kill me." I meant it, too, but I knew Steve wouldn't want to get rid of all the money I brought in. I wanted them, anyone, to put me out of this misery I've been in for two years. Jack was right calling me a whore. I am, not because I want to but because Steve makes me. He uses all the money to buy drugs. I wish one of them would kill me! That'd be okay. I could never kill myself. Mom raised me too well in our Catholic religion to commit suicide. But I can't remember how many times I've held a knife to my wrist wanting to slash it or a gun to my temple wishing I could pull the trigger.
"Come on." Steve pulled me to my feet and dragged me to the door, afraid I'd cry out really loud and cause a neighbor to call the police (as if that would happen in this neighborhood). Jack got behind the wheel of his brand-new Mustang convertible. Steve shoved me in the back and then got in as Jack sped away.
I knew he'd really let me have it now that no witnesses were around. I rarely scream or cry out. I found out early on that responding to the abuse will only spark more.
Steve continued to hit me while Jack drove around aimlessly. After a while, Steve stopped to catch his breath. I took the opportunity to see where we were. Jack had taken us to the lake. Since it's the middle of January all the summer cottages were dark.
We slowed down as Jack slapped me as hard as he could. When I still wouldn't agree, he told Steve to push me out of the car and let me walk home. Steve did just that and pushed me out into the snow without a jacket. They sped off amid a squeal of tires. Even at such a low speed, I hit the ground hard enough to have the wind knocked out of me. I didn't move- hoping maybe I'd freeze to death.
~~~~~
Miss Parker was sitting in front of the tv, which was on but wasn't holding her attention. She was thinking about the past, something her father would have disapproved of, had he known. She was interrupted by the slam of a car door and the sound of someone hurrying away.
She reached for her gun- it was never far from reach- and headed to the front door of the cottage normally lived in only during the summer (but her father had allowed her to stay there to get her out of the house).
"Probably some trick of Jarod's," She muttered as she neared the door. She had learnt early in her search for Jarod to expect anything and everything from him.
With the gun aimed in front of her, she descended the steps leading to the front door. At first she saw nothing of interest on the snow covered landscape but then noticed a dark form near the side of the road.
"Great!" She said, wondering what it could be this time. What new thing had Jarod decided to torture her with now? Possibly another animal, she thought, remembering the bunny he gave her only a few weeks ago. Miss Parker made a mental note to feed him and clean his cage after she cleared this up. Could be a DSA containing yet another clue to her past...
Miss Parker crept toward what she was now sure to be courtesy of Jarod. She had the gun ready to shoot if it turned out to be Jarod himself. Whatever it was, it wasn't moving. Now standing directly over it, Miss Parker could see that it was a woman.
"Hey." Miss Parker said to get her attention. She hadn't loosened her grip on the gun.
The woman slowly rose to see who had addressed her. Miss Parker quickly hid her surprise when she saw the girl's bruised, bloody face. And it was a girl, hardly more than a teenager.
"Who are you?" Miss Parker growled.
"Madeline."
"Madeline what?"
"Stanley."
"Did Jarod send you here?"
A pause and then a , "I don't think I know anyone named Jarod."
~~~~~
I had just made up my mind to stay where I was and hopefully die when a voice made me look up. I painfully got into a sitting position to see a tall, brown haired woman holding a gun in my face. Behind her a house was lit up. When she asked me if Jarod had sent me, I tried to think if I even knew anyone named Jarod.
"I don't think I know anyone named Jarod." I said.
~~~~~
Miss Parker, who was getting cold, said, "Well, I don't know who you are but come inside so I can find out."
Madeline slowly, every movement hurting, got up and headed into the house. Miss Parker ushered her into the room where the tv was still on.
"Who are you?" Miss Parker asked again.
"Madeline Stanley. Who are you?"
"Now, about Jarod." Miss Parker didn't answer the question, "Where is he and why did he send you here?"
Madeline looked at the gun with no fear in her eyes. Miss Parker saw this and was shocked to find someone who wasn't quaking around her.
"I don't think I know any guys named Jarod and if I do he didn't send me here." Madeline's voice was flat.
"Then who did? Did they do that to you?" Miss Parker didn't like looking at this girl's bruised face, it reminded her of her mother. It entered her mind that Raines could have sent this girl, a little warning not to get too nosy. But she dismissed the thought almost as soon as it entered her mind, knowing Mr. Raines wasn't the kind of person to play games. If he had any idea what she, Sydney, and Broots have been doing lately, they'd all be pushing up daisies.
"Steve and Jack did most of it and dumped me out here. He wants me to walk home but I'm not going to this time. I'd rather lay out there and die."
Miss Parker blinked at the statement, spoken so matter-of-factly. She relaxed her grip on the gun, sure by now the girl was harmless but not willing to take any chances.
"Who are Steve and Jack and why would they want to hurt you?"
"Steve's my stepfather and Jack sells him most of his crack. The governor likes young prostitutes and they wanted me to kill him. When I said no they thought if they beat me up a little I might change my mind. I didn't so they dumped me." It was like she had shut off all feeling and given up.
"You're a prostitute?" Miss Parker had a hard time believing it. Minus the bruises, the girl was the poster child for the all-American, perfect life, typical popular teenager.
"Yeah. But Steve didn't ask first- he just took the money and left." Miss Parker detected bitterness and betrayal in her voice now.
"And your mother lets him do this?" Miss Parker regretted it the second she saw the effect it had on the girl. Madeline looked hurt as a tear rolled down her left cheek and made a trail through the blood from her nose and lip.
"Mom died two years ago."
"Your father doesn't care?" A picture of her own father came to mind but she pushed it away.
"He died in a car accident when I was ten."
"I should probably take you to the hospital, huh?"
"No, I'll be okay." Seeing the skeptical look on the woman's face caused her to add, "It's been worse. Just, do you have any aspirin?"
Miss Parker left to get it. She took the gun even though at this point she was sure the girl was harmless. Old habits die hard. Returning with the aspirin and a glass of water, she found Madeline hadn't moved. After Madeline had swallowed them, she looked at Miss Parker with panic in her eyes.
"You're not going to make me go back, are you?" She reminded Miss Parker of Bunny when he got scared, eyes wide and darting, ready to bolt.
"No." Miss Parker paused for a moment, then continued, "You can stay in the guest room for the night and I'll figure out what to do with you tomorrow."
She showed Madeline the bathroom and found one of her old nightgowns. When Madeline came out, the blood was gone from her face, making the bruises even more visible than before. Miss Parker handed her the nightgown and led her to the guest room.
Once there, she examined Madeline's face more closely. Both eyes were bruised, the right one nearly swollen shut. Her cheeks were both huge bruises and her lips were split and swollen. Her neck was also bruised as if someone had tried to strangle her.
"The gun's on the nightstand by the bed. Don't try anything." The girl was obviously harmless and Miss Parker wondered what her mother would think of her if she knew how she was treating the poor girl.
"Who are you afraid I'm gonna shoot? You or me?" Madeline got into bed slowly and moaned under her breath as she lowered her head to the pillow. Miss Parker went to her own room and put the gun next to the phone.
Remembering her promise to Bunny, she went to his cage. Taking him out, she cuddled him under her chin. She sat for a few minutes with no real thoughts going through her head. Finally she got up and gave him more food.
"I'll do the rest tomorrow after I figure out what to do with Madeline." She said as she put him back in his cage.
After checking on Madeline and finding her fast asleep, Miss Parker went to bed herself. She didn't, however, sleep as well as the girl in the next room. Every time she fell asleep, she'd wake up minutes later after having a nightmare, the same one over and over. Sometimes it was her mother getting beat up by Mr Raines and sometimes Madeline was getting beat up by a man who's face Miss Parker couldn't see.
One nightmare around 4 am had Mr Raines beating Madeline up. Her mother tried to stop him from hurting the girl, saying she was innocent and hadn't done anything to deserve it. He stopped but then turned on her mother. Miss Parker could see her father standing motionless in the shadows.
She knew she'd never fall back asleep after that one so with shaking hands she grabbed and managed to light a cigarette.
In the next room, Madeline awoke with a start. For a moment, she tried to figure out who's house she was at. Then she relaxed when she remembered that she was safe and that a man wasn't going to walk in and start hitting her.
Then she thought of Miss Parker, although she didn't know her name yet. Madeline wondered if the demons chasing her were similar to the ones she hoped to now be able to put behind her. People don't keep guns within reach at all times without a good reason.
Wondering what the future held in store for her and knowing for the first time in years that she really had a future, Madeline drifted back to sleep.
Two hours later, Miss Parker decided to get up. She took a shower to try to shake off the bad feelings her nightmares had left. Then she dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. The Centre would have to live without her for the next few hours. The gun was unmoved on the nightstand and Miss Parker decided to leave it that way. On the way to the kitchen she checked on Madeline and found her still asleep.
In the kitchen, Miss Parker searched for something to make for breakfast. There wasn't much. They would have to settle for Corn Flakes. Checking to see if she had milk, she found some bacon but it had expired a month ago.
Miss Parker closed her eyes and remembered standing in this kitchen on an already hot summer morning watching her mother cooking bacon and eggs, or better yet, pancakes. No one made pancakes like Mama did.
"Hi." Miss Parker turned around to see Madeline standing in the doorway as if afraid or unsure about entering.
"Corn flakes is all there is." She said without apology.
Madeline sat at the table. After Miss Parker poured two bowls full of cereal and added milk, she brought them to the table and turned around to get them glasses of orange juice- which expired a few days ago, but how bad can orange juice go? When she turned to put them on the table, Madeline's bowl was almost empty.
"Could I have some more, please?"
Once seated again, Miss Parker asked, "When was the last time you ate?"
"What day is it?"
"Thursday."
"Tuesday I had some fries."
"All you've eaten in two days is some French fries?"
"Yeah, Steve's crack is more important than my dinner. I just have to hope someone gives me a little more money than Steve expects so I can stop by McDonald's or something." A good night's rest had helped bring some expression back to Madeline's face. Now on her third bowl of cereal, Madeline still hadn't slowed down. Miss Parker watched the girl eat and still didn't know what she was going to do with her. She wasn't about to keep her, that's for sure. Maybe Sydney will know what to do. Aloud she said,
"What am I going to do with you?"
Madeline shrugged.
"Do you have any other family?"
"No. All my grandparents are dead and mom and dad were both only kids."
Noticing the empty bowl Miss Parker asked if she wanted any more.
"No thanks." Again Miss Parker had a hard time believing this polite, obviously well-mannered girl was a prostitute.
"Okay," Miss Parker said in her usual clipped manner, "let's go."
"Where?" Madeline immediately got nervous, still afraid she'd be returned to her stepfather.
"To see a friend of mine who will help me figure out what to do with you." Miss Parker knew Sydney would have more ideas than her. Besides, the kid could probably use a shrink.
"Who and where?" Madeline was still somewhat wary, not completely trusting the woman standing in front of her puffing on a cigarette. The past few years have made me so untrusting. Steve made me so untrusting. Her train of self-pity was put on hold by the answer to her question.
"My friend Sydney is a psychiatrist and we work together." Miss Parker was about to leave when she remembered Madeline didn't have a coat. She got two, an old one for the girl and her regular long black leather one.
They drove in silence for maybe ten minutes, each thinking about all they'd lost in their lives. When they pulled into view of the Centre, Madeline gasped in shock at the immense stone building.
"Is this where you work?"
"Yeah." Miss Parker remembered when she was younger and her mother was still alive how she had had the same reaction every time she saw the Centre. Now she just hates it.
"What's it called?" Sometimes curiosity is a stronger emotion than pain.
"The Centre."
"I've never heard of it, what does it do?"
"Stuff." Miss Parker answered, not about to tell the girl the truth- that it steals children and locks them away for years and probably tortures them, too.
Madeline was silent as they parked close to the entrance- Daddy had seen to that. They headed inside to the elevator and Miss Parker tried not to think about the significance this elevator had in her life. Once in, she pushed a button and they started going down.
"What's SL mean?" Madeline asked, having noticed most of the floor buttons said SL and then a number.
"Sub Level. There are 26 Sub Levels in the Centre." She pulled out a cigarette and noticed Madeline watching her, "Do you have a problem with cigarettes?" Not that the answer mattered, no one could stop her from smoking, not Sydney's warnings about cancer, not Broots' constant coughing when she's around, and certainly nothing this girl could say.
"Not really." Madeline knew she didn't sound convincing, "Regular cigarette smoke is better than what Steve smokes, I guess. But my grandmother died of lung cancer."
In answer, Miss Parker pulled out her lighter. They reached their destination and Miss Parker led the way to Sydney's office. It was empty but she knew Sydney. He was around somewhere and Broots would know where.
"Broots." As always, he sounded nervous.
"Do you know where Sydney is?" From the tone of her voice, Madeline figured whoever she had called was someone she didn't like very much. She hadn't been around long enough to know she always sounded like that. Miss Parker was silent as he answered.
"Miss Parker, um, yeah, he just left my office."
"Jarod?" Miss Parker sounded more interested, alert, making Madeline wonder if this was last night's Jarod and who he was.
"Yeah. He left Sydney an e-mail and we were trying to figure it out."
"Was he going back to his office?"
"I think so." He expected her to say something more but all he got was the dial tone. With a sigh he turned back to the computer and Jarod's puzzling message.
"He's coming." Miss Parker told Madeline, "Let's just hope he doesn't make any detours." For if Syd decided to stop by the sim lab or something, it could be hours before he showed. "How old are you?" She asked, since Sydney would probably want to know.
"Seventeen."
Before either woman could say more, Sydney walked in.
"Miss Parker." He said as his gaze went from her to the injured girl standing next to her. Then he settled his questioning gaze back on her. She walked over to where he still stood in the doorway.
"Her name's Madeline, her bastard of a stepfather dumped her in front of my place last night. He's been prostituting her. I figured you'd know what to do with her more than I would."
"Hello, Madeline. You can sit down." He had assumed that quiet, reassuring voice Miss Parker knew he used with children performing simulations.
The girl sat down, never taking her eyes off of him, as if afraid he was going to attack her. Miss Parker leaned against the filing cabinet by his desk.
"What were you doing by the lake last night?"
"My stepfather left me there."
Realizing she had already heard this, Miss Parker decided not to waste the whole day and go see about Jarod's e-mail, "I'm going down to see the e-mail, Syd."
As soon as Madeline realized she was leaving, she rose from her chair in alarm. Miss Parker walked over to her and displayed a rarely seen kindness.
"Don't worry, he's harmless. I'll be back in ten minutes."
Madeline knew she'd have to start trusting people again sometime and like her dad always said, there's no time like the present.
"Why did your stepfather leave you there?" Sydney continued once they were alone.
"Because I wouldn't kill the governor for him and Jack."
Even Sydney, the psychiatrist who's heard it all, couldn't hid his surprise, "Excuse me?"
"For some reason- probably a really stupid one- Jack hates the governor. The governor has a thing for young prostitutes so they wanted to send me to him and then have me kill him. I refused 'cause I'm not about to add murder to my list of sins and they thought if they hit me around a little I'd change my mind. I guess they were afraid I'd make a lot of noise so they took me for a ride and got fed up with me refusing so Steve dumped me in front of her house."
"Did he expect you to go back?"
"Yeah. I've always gone back before because no one else ever helped me, not even the police."
"You've gone to the police and they didn't do anything?" He didn't find that as hard to believe as one might expect. Sydney didn't believe for a second that the Blue Cove PD could be completely oblivious to all the illegal happenings at the Centre.
"Yup. Once after I got beat up really bad, I went and they didn't believe me. They just laughed in my face. And all those times I had to go to the emergency room, no one did anything."
"Is there no one you can go to?"
"If I did, do you think I'd be here right now?"
"There has to be someone."
"Nope. When it started I looked for Mom's address book but it was gone."
Before Sydney could answer, the phone rang. He listened for ten seconds, said "I'll be right there" and hung up.
"I have to see to something. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Okay." Madeline said with a tired sigh.
Miss Parker headed back to Sydney's office. She was upset about Jarod's seemingly impossible e-mail. Upon entering the office, she saw Madeline staring off into space and the chair behind Sydney's desk empty.
"Where's Sydney?"
"He got a phone call, an emergency or something, I guess."
With a sigh Miss Parker leaned up against the wall, "With Syd we could be waiting here for hours."
As if to prove her wrong, Sydney walked in and sat down without an explanation.
"So what's the verdict?" Miss Parker wanted to know.
"None has yet been reached, Parker."
"Well, I don't have all day!" She snapped.
"We could bring you," He spoke to Madeline and ignored his foul tempered colleague, "to Dover, to the DSS. They'd probably put you in a foster home until you turn 18. How old are you?"
"Seventeen since October."
"But, I believe foster care should only be used as a last resort."
"Why?"
"As a psychiatrist, I've heard horror stories about abused children being put into foster homes where they only receive more abuse."
"I don't even think that should be used as a last resort." Madeline told him firmly, "I'm not escaping Steve only to have someone else take his place."
"Of course not. We'll forget that one." After a pause he continued, "If only we could find a family member or friend! What about godparents?"
"Mom's best friends all through school. He moved to Russia or someplace after she died. I told you, I have no one!"
Sydney guessed why she was snappish and wanted to calm her fears, "No matter what, we are not going to send you back to Steve. We could also find someone who'd be willing to take you in and become your legal guardian. You would have to got court to legalize it and probably again to try Steve because they'll ask why you want your guardian changed."
"So they'd arrest him?" Madeline was beginning to get upset again.
"Yes, you would be the prosecution's key witness."
"No! He knows too many people, he'd send someone to kill me."
"Madeline, we'd get you protection. We--"
"NO!! You don't get it, he knows drug dealers, hit men, mobsters! They'd find and kill me!"
"Okay, I'm sure we can get around that." Seeing how agitated she was, he continued against his better judgment, "We could not even take it to court, once we found the person, we could forge the legal guardianship papers."
Miss Parker almost dropped her cigarette, she was so shocked at the words coming out of the mouth of someone she thought she knew so well. She managed to get out a "We could?"
"Broots could probably do it. If not, Jarod might once I tell him why it's needed."
"Jarod!" Miss Parker scoffed.
"Yes, Miss Parker, Jarod." Sydney repeated calmly.
"But who's going to want me? What if Steve sends someone to bring me back? Most of them would kill their own twin for a gram of crack. Who'd want to take a risk like that?"
Madeline looked so sad that without even thinking Miss Parker said, "I would."
Sydney looked ready to have a heart attack. Miss Parker couldn't believe she'd said it but had some idea when she saw the look on Madeline's face.
"Really?" Madeline couldn't believe the woman who'd held a gun on her last night and had seemed so eager to be rid of her this morning would be willing to do this.
"Well, until other arrangements can be made." God, what had she done? What would her father say? She didn't want to look at Sydney but she had to know what he was thinking. He was looking at her, no longer in amazement, but rather smugly, like he had known all along this was what she was going to do. Sometimes it bugged her how he seemed to know her better than she knew herself.
"Come on, let's go home." Miss Parker breezed out of the room without so much as a good-bye to Sydney, who sat smiling behind his desk. Madeline gave him a grateful smile before following.