Broken

Summary: Based on spoilers about Macca and Cassie that I read on Back to the Bay. Won't say too much here, see inside for full summary. One shot.
Rating: T
Notes: This is such an important topic and I don't know if I'm doing it justice, but I just have to write something. This plot bunny in my head just won't go away. This isn't solely based on the spoiler, I've added my own stuff in too.
Full Summary: Based on Macca abusing Cassie. You think you know someone, everything about them. But then something happens to realize you never knew them at all.
Disclaimer: I don't own Home and Away. Things would be a lot different if I did ;)

Broken

She sits there; broken, bruised, emotionally scarred, in the corner of the room, curled up in a ball, head buried in her knees. Her black eyes are red with tears, and though she can't see him, she can still hear him – abusing her, threatening her and if she concentrated hard enough she can still see the blurred image of him throwing out his fist and slamming into her face. That was one of only many to come.

He promised.

The first time he ever hit her he promised it would never happen again, that he was tired – worn out from work, going on withdrawals from the drugs he had been taking. She believed him. He told her how much he loved her, took her in his arms, kissed her and said how sorry he was. How he wishes it had never happened. She just nodded, still in shock, but it was just a one off, and he was stressed. It'll be fine – it wouldn't happen again.

But it did.

Again and again.

She couldn't hide the bruises anymore, and soon her friends started noticing something was up. Matilda was first, questioning her what happened. She made up some story about walking into a wall, said how clumsy she was. The look on Matilda's face gave her the impression that she didn't believe a word she was saying, but she let it go.

Ric was a different story though. He wouldn't let it go. He looked at her and knew straight away what was going on, he told her that he knew Macca was never good enough for her, after he found the drugs on him that night at Colleen's party. He told her that he knew what it was like, and that not saying anything and ignoring the problem would just make it so much worse. She needed to tell someone, she needed leave. She denied everything, told him he had no idea what he was talking about, but then the tears came, and before she knew it was crying into his shoulder telling him everything. She was an emotional wreck and it scared her, it scared the both of them.

They spent a lot more time together after that, and she avoided Macca as much as possible. Her and Ric were becoming closer, Belle was jealous, but that had nothing on what Macca was feeling.

She went over to see him one night, maybe he had changed? He had promised it after all. As soon as she walked in the door and switched on the light, she saw him standing in the kitchen, arms folded across his chest, looking at her with pure hatred.

He then started going on about what a skank she was. How could she still be with him, but be off with Ric at the same time? He told her he knew that her and Ric weren't 'just friends' and what he really thought of his 'so called girlfriend'. Started verbally abusing her, saying how awful she was. Horrible. The worst person in the world, and when she let the tears fall and tried to deny everything all he did was slam her into the wall and tell her that he never wanted to see her face again, told her that she wasn't good enough for anyone.

That hadn't been the worse though. What had happened now had been the worse. He had caught her with Ric again – they weren't being so innocent this time – they kissed. She quickly rushed off, leaving Ric to stand there, but Macca had grabbed her, and dragged her all the way back to Jack's house.

He hit her, not once, but three times. Repeatedly straight after one another and all she could do was try to cover her face whilst he continued slamming his fists into her face. She begged him to stop, pleaded with him, said how sorry she was, how it was all her fault. He ignored her, and kept on yelling in her face, asking what he'd done to deserve this?

He storms out the house, leaving her there. Cut up. Just crying, and crying until the tears won't come anymore. She's too afraid to look in a mirror, call anyone for help, so she just waits. Waits for someone to come home and find her there, she waits to be rescued.

Soon enough Jack and Martha show up, back from wedding plans, smiles on their faces, evident to how happy they are. They suddenly stop smiling when they see her, in the corner.

Martha rushed over first, and helped her up, and asked her what had happened.

How could she tell her? How could she tell Martha that it was her brother that had did this to her? She couldn't. She didn't answer.

Jack had asked her what happened, if she wanted to come down to the station.

She ignored him too. Nothing seemed real. It was just too surreal, and nothing made sense, nothing. The words he yelled at her before he left the house swirled around her head; "I thought you loved me, Cassie?" and she did.

She thought she knew everything about him, and she had loved him. But then he changed, just like that, no warning signs no anything. And just then she realized that she knew nothing about him all along.

He had always been a complete stranger to her.

Author's Note: I didn't know how to end it… I didn't want it to seem too change pace sort of. Like through out the whole story Cassie's believing everything Macca said, but towards the end she starts to realize he hasn't been honest at all, but I didn't want to make it change so Cassie's all happy, and she's reported Macca, it takes away the angst of it :P Let me know what you think!

Lozzy