Cassie Blake took the steps in a sluggish stomp. The police officer to her right had one hand gripping her upper bicep and the other holding her shoes. The haze of her crossfade was beginning to lift and she knew just what has happened.
Flashes of her night were screeching by in ninety miles per hour wind speeds. The blunt between her flavor of the weeks lips as he unbuttoned her jean shorts and sang the latest 'Kanye' song into her ear. Another rush of adrenalin leaked through her as she remembered the girl who did lines of cocaine with her off the bar top. Another raging party followed by another police escort home. It wasn't her fault she was just too short to jump the back yard fence.
They made it to the front door. Cassie glanced up at the police man dressed in black. He was a friend of her step father, just like everyone on the police force was. Victor Smitten was always punishing her some how.
"This is the fourth time this month, Cassie." Officer Alan said, his tone more of a plea than a statement.
"You're right," The blonde teenager sighed dropping her head. "I should move faster next time."
And with that the front door was nearly ripped from it's hinges. "Cassandra Elizabeth Blake!" Amelia shouted still dressed in her pajamas of that night. Cassie glazed at her mother. Maybe if she would have cared when she slipped out the front door just five hours ago they wouldn't be in the problem.
"Amelia Gwendoline Blake hyphen Smitten." Cassie smiled back at her, putting her hands on her hips as she mocked her stance. It wasn't the first or last time Cassie was brought to the front door of her house drunk and disorderly. But, she noticed a movement behind her mother, it was the first time Victor had been home when she returned.
Suddenly Cassie wasn't feeling like mocking or teasing anymore.
In a deeply embedded instinct she took a step back as her step-father came into sight. Officer Alan noticed her squirming.
"I found her running from a party a few blocks over. If you would like, Captain, I can come in and we can disgust–"
"That will be enough Grant." Victor nodded toward the other. "I think I can discipline my daughter well enough."
Cassie snorted out a short laugh. His daughter. Hilarious.
"Sir, I've picked her up four times this last month. I'd like to talk to you about treatment–"
"Treatment? What type of treatment?"
"She obviously has a dr–"
Victor laughed hitting the other officer's arm playfully. "Grant. The only thing Cassie needs is some education and a stricter curfew. I'll take it from here, now, go back to the station. I'll be there early tomorrow."
And after a few moment of silence, the officer left knowing it was better for his career than to argue with the Captain of the police force. Cassie was thankful, even through her haze of party drugs and tequila shots. No one else seemed to notice, or care, that a thirteen year old girl was struggling this harshly. Victor stared at her, maybe Amelia couldn't see it. But there was a fire in him, anger that it seemed only Cassie really did get to see or feel the wrath of. She feared what would come of it. Considering her mother took the night shift at her nursing job and her step father only worked mornings. They would have more time together than she would ever want.
Victor pulled her through the door and into the kitchen. Amelia followed, the tears had already began falling down her cheeks. But Cassie had become immune to their power. Her ignorance blew a hole in their trust and relationship many years ago.
"What the Hell were you thinking?" Victor screamed holding Cassie's wrist with enough pressure to break it. Which, she rolled her eyes, he's done before.
"I wanted to see–"
"You wanted to ruin my career? You wanted to worry your mother." She flinched at the power of his shouts.
"I didn't want to–"
"Amelia, I need you to go get my pills, I'm getting a migraine because of your daughter."
Cassie looked to her mother, really stared at to, begging her to stay. Trying to explain what was going on. How could she not know? How could she be so uncaring and stupid? Cassie has a longer hospital record than most of the active officers on duty. Everyone knew. But no one could speak against him. Cassie was helpless.
"Sure, honey." And her mother had once again turned her back on the teenager. Not that she expected this night to be any different than the rest. Not that she would ever choose Cassie over Victor.
"You really have it out for me, don't you?" Victor hissed grabbing Cassie by the arm and pulling her close to him. "You must not get any of the lessons I teach you."
Cassie bit her lip. She knew better than to respond to the man who she had lived with for the last four years of her life.
"Do I have to remind you what happens to bratty teenagers like you when they fuck up?"
The blonde shook her head. But biting her tongue was beginning to become too much. She wasn't weak. She wasn't tame. She was stronger than Victor had ever known. "Do I have to remind you what happens to naughty men who hit bratty teenagers. It rhymes with crison."
And the impact of his hand against her jaw sent a sickening crack through the kitchen. Cassie gasped the numbness of her drugged out state was shocked by the force of the hit. Blood leaked from where she had bitten her lip.
"You think you're funny?" Victor laughed reaching out to grab her face in his hand pulling her closer to him. "I'll see you after work tomorrow, Kid. We'll have a nice long talk about what respect means."
"Is that code for, beating up little girls? I get it now, you get off on it, don't you?"
The second hit was backhanded and sent her off balance, her hands struggling to find the counter in fear that she might fall down onto the tile flooring.
The screaming began there, her mother entered the room.
Victor had tried to fight for her.
But Amelia did something Cassie never expected.
She chose her.
Victor Smitten was removed from the house. No police records were filed, only the resignation from the force that Victor promise. Everyday life ensued. Or at least it would have, if Amelia hadn't signed Cassie up for therapy and called in a friend for help. A man who had once saved her life when she rented a poltergeist ridden home back in Pennsylvania. Amelia felt lost, she had all but destroyed her family. Calling John Winchester seemed liked the only sane thing to do.
Cassie wasn't impressed with her mother's need to bring in a new man into her life.
