Disclaimer for the whole story: I do not own anything or any of the characters from the Indiana Jones series. However, Faye and the original characters are mine.
Chapter One
The rain was pounding the windshield as Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr., or Indiana as he was known outside of his classroom, pulled up to his Connecticut home after a day of teaching. He would be due back at Marshall College later that evening for a dinner honoring those who would be graduating in the days to come. He only hoped the rain would stop long enough so that he and Marion would be able to arrive with their formal clothes in a relatively dry state.
Running for the door, he was slightly surprised to find it locked. His son's classes had ended nearly two hours ago, and Marion had indicated that morning she would be home most of the day. Unlocking the door and stepping inside, it didn't take long for him to find a note from Marion on the hall table telling him she and Mutt would return within the hour with his suit from the cleaners. The smile that had played at the corners of his lips faded though when he heard the sound of someone moving within the formal sitting room down the end of a long hall.
Opening the drawer of the table he pulled a small pistol from within, holding it steady as he moved down the hall. Rarely had his adventures abroad touched his quiet life in Connecticut. The house was supposed to be empty, and his mind quickly went through a list of all the possibly enemies he had made along the way who might go so far as to invade the peace he had managed to create and maintain.
Pushing the door open, he nearly dropped the pistol in surprise at the sight that greeted him. He new her instantly, despite the bright purple bruises that seemed to cover every inch of her exposed skin, and quickly set the gun down as he crossed the room towards his former student and assistant.
"Faye," he said softly, starting to reach out to her, but unsure if there was an inch of her that was unharmed.
He couldn't be sure what had happened, but she looked as if someone had used her as a human punching bag. He said a silent prayer as he reached her side that whoever had done this to her had not raped her in addition to beating her somewhat fragile body.
"I didn't know where else to go, Dr. Jones," she said softly, the tears welling up in her eyes causing her voice to shake slightly.
"I told you when you left for Egypt that you would always be welcome here, no questions asked," he said, motioning for her to sit on the coach to her right, "and you don't need to use formalities."
They had dispersed with formalities off campus when he had taken her in after her mother died. She had been his brightest pupil, but at the end of her junior year she had quickly found herself without a home as her mother's house and possessions were quickly auctioned off to pay old debts. He had hired her as his assistant in return for room and board while she finished her post-graduate studies.
"What happened to you?" he asked softly. "Last I heard you were in Ireland with that idiot Blakeshire."
"We were in New York for the weekend," she said softly. "There was a conference and he asked me to go with him as his partner. Apparently that meant he thought that entitled him to treat me like his property."
He saw a tear escape down her cheek, and quickly reached up to wipe it away. He had warned her about Maxwell Blakeshire when she called to tell him she was joining the younger man's team. His reputation for hiring women similar to Faye, women who were young and beautiful and hungry for experience, was well known. As was his reputation for then using and throwing away woman after woman.
Faye was quickly becoming upset, and he sensed she was holding something back. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to ask her just yet what it was, thinking perhaps they both needed time before she confessed too much. Seeing her in such a state both upset and angered him, and he thought perhaps it would be more beneficial if they both gave explanations some time.
"You don't have to tell me everything now," he said to her gently. "I haven't changed anything in your room, so why don't you go get cleaned up and I can make sure you're just bruised."
She nodded slightly and they both stood. However, he noticed her knees start to buckle and caught her as she began to slip to the floor. He heard her hiss in pain, but she didn't pull away.
"Easy, kiddo," he said gently. "Let me help you to your room."
She said nothing as she moved so they could walk together down the hall. They slowly climbed up the steps, stopping every now and again so she could catch her breath as she leaned on him. In his mind Indiana made a quick mental note to try to make sure her ribs weren't broken. Reaching the room he had designated as hers years earlier, he opened the door and stepped back once he was sure she was steady on her feet.
"Will you be alright?" he asked softly, and saw her nod. "Just yell down for me when you're ready."
"Thank you, Dr. Jones," she said, her voice just above a whisper.
"I told you enough with the formalities," he replied, taking on his teacher tone for a moment. "It's good to have you home, Faye, despite the circumstances."
With as much of a smile as she could manage she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before closing the door. In the year between when she had left and when Marion had burst back into his life with Mutt the house had been too quiet. He had come to think of her like a daughter and suddenly realized just how much he had missed her steady, calming presence.
Turning and moving down the steps he stopped when he saw Marion waiting at the bottom, an eyebrow raised slightly. Mutt was standing next to her, holding his freshly cleaned and pressed suit.
"So, who is she, Indy?" she asked. "She seems to know you rather well."
"Marion, please, it's not what you think," he told her, walking down the last few steps and taking the suit from Mutt.
"Then what is it?" she asked, following him as he moved into the kitchen and laid the suit across a counter. "Who is that woman?"
He sighed slightly, running a hand over his face. He hadn't told them about Faye, thinking she would hardly return from her adventures overseas to visit sleepy Marshall College. Thankfully Marion had never asked much about her room either, despite the girlish decor in a home that before his wedding looked very much like an old bachelor inhabited it. Yet, here Faye was again after finding herself in quiet a difficult situation.
"Her name is Faye Morris," he told them both. "She's a former student and one of the best assistants I've ever had. She used to stay here, in that room at the top of the stairs. She moved out about a year before Peru and the Crystal Skulls."
"What is she doing back here then?" Mutt asked, leaning against the doorframe watching the scene unfold.
"She's been working with Maxwell Blakeshire," Indiana replied, looking out the window.
"That womanizing pig?" Marion said in disbelief. "Didn't you warn her?"
"Of course I did," he said a little more forcefully then he intended. "Faye's stubborn though and I suppose she thought she would be able to handle herself. I taught her to protect herself, but apparently he still got the better of her. She's in rough shape at the moment."
He felt a surge of suppressed anger course through his body as he gripped the counter a little tighter. He was glad Blakeshire wasn't nearby or the man might have been dead by the end of the evening. Slowly he felt the anger fade through as Marion placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"She's getting herself cleaned up?" she asked softly and he could only nod. "I'll go up and check on her, have a seat and try to calm yourself a bit before we have to get ready to go."
"Thank you," he said softly. "When Dad passed she was the closest thing to family I had."
"I figured," she told him. "She's welcome here as long as she needs, and I'll tell her that as well."
He watched as Marion disappeared towards the stairs and then decided to sit at the table. A moment later Mutt placed a glass filled with what he assumed was whiskey in front of him and Indiana felt a slight smirk form on his lips as he picked up the glass. Taking the first sip, he mused for a moment at how in just a short time it seemed they had all slipped so easily into being a family. He wondered how Faye's presence might change their established dynamic.
"I should probably call Charles and try to get out of this dinner," he told his son, leaning back in the chair. "I probably shouldn't leave her."
"I can stay home tonight," Mutt said with a slight shrug. "You and Mom should go. She'll probably spend most of the evening sleeping and I can look after her."
"Thanks," he told him, giving him a slight smile.
"She's the woman in the picture you keep in the study, right?" the younger man asked, sitting across from Indiana.
Indiana raised an eyebrow slightly and replied, "You've actually noticed?"
Mutt shrugged in way that Indy had come to expect when he was feeling shy or embarrassed. It always seemed it was his way of over compensating when he was feeling something his mind deemed as less than 'cool.'
"Well, she's the only womanother then mom and my grandmother who you keep a picture of," was his slightly defensive answer.
Finishing off the drink he checked the time and realized he and Marion would have to be on their way shortly or miss the first part of the dinner. Grabbing the suit from the counter he walked up stairs to change.
A short time later he emerged in his dress suit, fixing his tie as he moved towards Faye's room. Raising his hand he knocked softly and heard Marion call for him to enter. Moving slowly inside, he found Faye sitting in the bed with Marion in the chair next to it.
"I should get changed," Marion said, rising from the chair. "I'll just be a minute."
When she was out of the room Faye finally broke the silence and said, "She's lovely. I always thought she was beautiful in the picture you kept, but having met her I can see why she's held your heart all these years."
Indiana sat on the edge of the bed, gently placing a hand on her chin and turning her face slightly towards the light so he could better examine the bruise under her eye. It wasn't swelling yet which was a good sign.
"We have to go to the end of the year dinner at the college," he told her and she nodded slightly. "Did Marion tell you about my son?"
"Yes, he goes by Mutt, right?" she asked in reply and he nodded back. "She said he lives here as well."
"He does and he said he'll stay in tonight since Marion and I have to go out," he told her. "If you need anything he'll be just downstairs and he'll keep an eye on you."
"Thank you," she said, looking away from him. "I should be fine in a few days and I'll be out of your way again."
Indiana felt a frown form on his lips as the thought of letting her go back into the world alone again so soon made him feel all the more protective of her. She was a grown woman, and had been fending for herself for sometime. Yet the thought of watching her pack her belongings and leave a second time filled him with sadness he couldn't describe. Having a family to come home to had changed his whole perspective on the people in his life.
"Don't be silly, kiddo," he told her using the nickname that always earned an eye roll from her. "You can always consider this your home and I hope you'll stay longer then a few days. Do you need anything before we go?"
"I think I'll just try to get some sleep," she told him. "Once my head stops swimming perhaps I'll try eating a bit."
"Just yell if you need something," he told her.
She managed a small smile as Marion appeared in the doorway again. Rising, he moved towards the doorway and he heard Faye finish settling herself in. He tried to ignore the urge to scold her, to hover all night and protect her from the outside world.
"We'll see you in a couple hours," he told her, stopping in the doorway for a moment.
She nodded slightly and he closed the door slightly, leaving it open a crack so Mutt would be able to hear her from down stairs. Marion took his arm as they walked down the stairs in silence. Mutt was in the kitchen shuffling ingredients about for a sandwich and they stopped for a moment.
"Is she resting?" he asked, moving around the counter.
"For the moment," Marion told him. "We should only be a few hours. You have the number at the college should you need us?"
"Try not to worry about us for a couple hours," Mutt told them, and Indiana knew he was speaking more to him then Marion. "I'll make sure Faye's alright."
Bidding their son goodbye, the couple made their way out the door to the car. The rain had thankfully stopped and they started off on their short drive to the college. Indiana's mind however seemed unable to join them on the journey.
"She'll be alright for a few hours," Marion said softly, drawing him from his thoughts.
"I know," he said, trying to convince himself.
"How did she end up staying with you?" she asked, and he smiled slightly at the memory.
"She was one of those children you hear about, but rarely meet," he began softly. "She joined my freshman elective class when she was just fourteen years old. She had flown through her private studies and her mother wished to challenge her more academically. She kept signing up for my classes, eventually joining the degree program."
He could still see the timid teen walking into his room on the first day of class. She was shy and sat in the back slumping down in her chair so no one would be able to see her, as if she wanted to become invisible. Over the weeks of class though, as he shared more anecdotes and stories she became more interested and on the last official day surprised him when he saw her hand in the air.
"Her mother died just weeks after my dad," he continued. "I had watched her grow into a confident young woman for three years, and she was faced with withdrawing and moving to some sleepy Midwest town with no university within a reasonable distance if she didn't find another option. After weeks of silence in the house, I was happy to have the presence of another person and she was thrilled to stay.
"She stayed with me for almost four years finishing her studies and we settled into relying on each other. It didn't take long for me to think of her as my own, she's got that sort of endearing way about her. She was my assistant for the last two years she was with me, but I wasn't planning any expeditions or digs, so I encouraged her to branch out a bit. She took a position outside of Cairo and other then letters and an occasional phone call I haven't had any contact with her until today."
He pulled the car into a parking space as they arrived at the college and he took a deep breath before getting out. Walking around, he opened the door for his wife, helping her out of the car. Reaching up, she ran her hand across his cheek, giving him a slight smile.
"She'll be alright," she told him again. "She had a good teacher."
Taking his arm they walked together to the building. Marion's presence calmed him a bit, and he was able to smile as they reached the door and moved towards their table. His thoughts of Faye were not forgotten, but merely set aside for a few, brief moments.