Little Girl Lost
by Laura Davies aka. Bratling aka. BrightFeather brightfeather1.geo@yahoo.com
Rated: PG-13
Submitted:
Disclaimer: I don't own Lois, Clark, Perry, Jimmy, or any of the related DC Comics and WB characters. g All other characters not seen in the series are a figment of my chocolate and PEZ high imagination and belong to me. ;) Other bouts of weirdness can be attributed to sleep-deprivation. Any resemblance to any other work of fiction is strictly coincidental.
Author's Note: There is a strong content warning on this piece. Some readers may find the subject matter disturbing as it involves child abuse. It also starts with a major WHAM, but just remember, I always write happy endings. I must thank my amazing beta readers, Jenni, Wanda, Avia, Pat, and SQD. g Without their encouragement, this would never have seen the light of day. Also many thanks to Barb Pillsbury for technical support and information on the workings of the foster care system. Many thanks to my GE, Carol Malo, for editing this for the Lois and Clark archives. If you know of a child who is being abused, visit for your local reporting hotline (US only), or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD in North America. In the UK, call Childline at 0800 1111.
"Monday's child is fair of face.
Tuesday's child is full of grace.
Wednesday's child is full of woe.
Thursday's child has far to go.
Friday's child is loving and giving.
Saturday's child works hard for a living.
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay"
--Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1:
Monday's Child
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 20, 1998, 9:00 pm
Somewhere in the suburbs of Metropolis
Rachel huddled in the corner of her bedroom, praying that Papa Gary wouldn't come looking for her. She could hear loud shouting coming from downstairs followed by crashes that meant he was breaking things again… and she was most likely next on the list. She didn't understand why he hurt her; after all, he was nice to Timmy, her half-brother. Then again, Papa Gary wasn't really her daddy--he had told her so often enough.
"Rachel!" she heard. The child shivered and tried to curl herself into a smaller ball, praying not to be noticed.
A man walked into the room and smiled cruelly when he saw her. "Hello Rachel," he said, the sweetness of his tone belying the sadistic look in his eyes. He slowly pulled his leather belt out of his pants and advanced towards the small child. "You were bad today," he said menacingly, "And because I love you, it means that you have to be punished."
He smacked the belt lightly against his hand before reaching out to pull the five-year old out of the corner. "Your mother left you on my hands when she died, so it's up to me to make sure that you don't turn out bad like her," he said as he threw her towards the bed. He smiled as her head cracked against the wall behind the bed and pulled back the belt.
Rachel closed her eyes, dizzily waiting for the blow to fall and wished that her mother had taken her along to Heaven. She barely remembered her and the happy times before Papa Gary had begun to hurt her. She gritted her teeth against the pain she knew was coming, not daring to cry out--the last time she cried, he had locked her in a dark closet for three days.
He smacked the piece of leather against his palm once more. "You have to learn your place, brat," the soft voice continued as he loomed over the little girl. "You were an accident. Your real father left your mother because he hated you. Rachel, you should have never been born." He pulled back the belt and hit her as hard as he could. It wasn't long before the child lapsed into unconsciousness.
He stared at the girl with contempt and threw her over his shoulder, flinching as the warm, sticky blood from her lacerations rubbed onto his favorite cashmere sweater. He carried her small form downstairs and threw her into his SUV, ignoring the fact that it was October and the child lacked both a coat and shoes to protect her from the freezing temperatures.
Gary drove into a deserted alley on the other side of town from where he lived and dumped the child on a street corner. He stared at the unconscious form for a moment and prodded her with the tip of his cowboy boot. When Rachel didn't move, he kicked her viciously, provoking a slight moan. Satisfied that he hadn't killed her, he got into his SUV and drove away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
October 20, 1998, 10:00 pm
348 Hyperion Avenue, Metropolis
Lois snuggled into Clark's warm bulk, twining her legs in his. They had gotten off of work early since it was a slow news week, and had spent the evening in a more pleasurable pursuit; trying to make a baby. She knew that the possibility of her being pregnant was slim. After all, they had been trying for well over a year now with no results.
She wanted a baby more than anything, but they had been turned down as candidates for adoption, and the baby that had appeared in their house last year had been returned to his rightful parents. She sighed quietly, wishing that this time, their dreams would come true.
Clark rolled over to face her. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" he asked softly, brushing a strand of sweat-soaked hair back from her face.
"I'm okay," she replied, bringing her hand to rest on her stomach. "Do you think?" she asked quietly, her face filled with hope.
"Lois, honey," Clark began, "as much as we want a baby we both know what Dr. Klein and your father said..."
"I know," she said quietly. Lois leaned over and kissed him fiercely. Clark brought his hand up to thread it through her hair and kissed her back, tangling his tongue with hers. They broke off the kiss, breathless. She looked up at him and smiled a bit sadly. "I know there isn't much chance," she said, "but I want your baby, our baby, more than anything." A smile stole over her face as her hand came to rest on his abdomen and began to slide lower. "Besides," she added mischievously, "it sure is fun trying."
Clark chuckled and flipped her over, coming to rest on his side next to her. "Why, Ms. Lane," he teased, "are you trying to seduce me?"
Lois looked at him with an expression of wide-eyed innocence. "Trying, sweetheart?" she questioned, "I thought I already had!"
Clark laughed again and leaned over to kiss her. She licked her lips in anticipation as his mouth hovered over hers, then sighed in pleasure as his tongue brushed past her lips and began a thorough exploration of her mouth.
She moaned softly and ran her fingers over his back and sides, finding several erogenous zones that she had discovered long before.
Clark broke off the kiss and traced her face with one finger. "I love you," he said quietly. He pulled the blankets up over them to block out the chilly air and leaned down to capture her lips with his. They once again began to rediscover each other in the calm October night, trying for the child they wanted so desperately.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
October 20, 1998, 11:30 pm
An alleyway in uptown Metropolis
Cynthia quickened her pace as she cut through the alleyway on her way back to her upscale apartment building. The movie had gotten out late, and it was long past time that she should be home. She shivered against the chill night air and wished now that she'd taken a cab despite the short distance. At least with Superman residing in Metropolis, she didn't have to worry about getting mugged.
Cynthia looked down at her feet, carefully picking her way through the small piles of dirty snow that lay in clumps on the street. She reached the end of the alley and stepped out on to the slick sidewalk. She frowned slightly as she noticed a small crumpled form lying on the sidewalk a short distance away, and wondered if some poor, homeless person had frozen to death in the bitter cold. She walked closer to investigate and gasped when she realized it was a child. Crouching down, she felt for a pulse with a trembling hand and breathed a sigh of relief as she found a faint heartbeat.
Without a second thought, she shrugged off her heavy cranberry-colored wool coat and spread it over the little girl. She pulled her cellphone out of her purse and quickly punched in 911. "Hello? My name is Cynthia Kirby and I just found a little girl lying on the sidewalk at the corner Knowlton Street and Mitchell Avenue. It looks like she's been beaten pretty badly and she's unconscious." She paused for a moment. "Yes, I'll stay with her. Please, hurry!"
Cynthia began to carefully smooth the little girl's tangled hair away from her face, hoping that the ambulance would arrive in time. She longed to cradle the small child in her arms, but realized she might have internal injuries and didn't want to risk hurting her even further. "It'll be all right, little one," she said quietly. "I promise."
The ambulance and the police arrived a few minutes later. As the paramedics wrapped the child in blankets, put an oxygen mask over her face, and loaded her into the vehicle, Cynthia gave her statement to the police. She stopped momentarily to watch the ambulance speed off into the night before she finished telling her story. After promising to come down to the precinct in the morning, Cynthia walked off into the night and headed towards home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
October 20, 1998, 11:40 pm
348 Hyperion Avenue, Metropolis
Clark heard the sound of a siren and slipped quietly out from underneath Lois. He sighed as he grabbed a fresh Suit and spun into it. He really didn't like leaving her like this, but as quiet as things had been lately, perhaps he could finish quickly and return home. He sped out the window toward the sound of the sirens.
Superman landed beside the police officer. "Excuse me, officer, but is there anything I can help with?" he asked politely.
The policeman turned to face him. "I'm afraid not, Superman. It's just another tragic case--a young woman was coming home from the movie theatre and found a little girl out here," he said, stopping to rub his eyes. "Someone beat her up pretty badly and left her out here to die."
Superman frowned. "Any idea who did this?"
"No, but considering that the girl looks to be only about four or five, it was either a relative, or she's possibly a kidnap victim," he sighed. "They took her to Metropolis General."
"Thank you, officer," Superman said as he took off. He hovered over the crime scene and scanned the area. Finding nothing, he shook his head sadly and flew back to the brownstone. He could check on the child in the morning; there was nothing he could do that night.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
October 21, 1998 12:01 am
Metropolis General Hospital
The paramedics quickly wheeled the gurney into the ER, checking to make sure that their precious burden was still breathing. Dr. Steven Kendall rushed over and began to treat the child as soon as they wheeled her into one of the examination rooms. "Tell me everything you know," he demanded gruffly from the paramedics.
"She was found lying in a patch of snow in an alley, obviously she's been beaten. Her heartbeat is strong, her respiration is good, but she hasn't regained consciousness yet," the paramedic replied.
"I need x-rays immediately," Dr. Kendall said, turning to the technician. "We'll also be battling hypothermia; heaven knows how long she was out there." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He hated it when small children were brought in like this. "Let's get some thermal wraps in here and get her temp up," he instructed one of the emergency room nurses, "and get an I.V. drip of glucose started. I don't want to put her on any antibiotics until we can get some history on her."
A little while later, Dr. Kendall smiled in relief. His little Jane Doe had escaped relatively unscathed--she was covered in bruises, but she had only one cracked rib and a concussion. Thank goodness, she hadn't been raped as he'd originally feared. He frowned as he took a closer look at the x-rays and observed several older fractures--one along her skull, now healed.
Dr. Kendall shook his head. Family and Children Services would be getting this case... if she ever woke up. He sighed again before paging the pediatrician on call. The child needed a complete physical exam to find out exactly what had happened to her just in case they caught the SOB responsible for her condition.
Dr. Jennifer Craine hurried into the room. "You rang, Dr. Kendall?"
"I've got a miniature Jane Doe here," he said quietly. "A cracked rib, slight concussion, bruises, numerous cuts and welts, and exposure. Her x-rays show quite a collection of old breaks, and I need you to check her over a little more thoroughly."
Dr. Craine nodded slowly. "Do you expect to find evidence of sexual abuse?" she asked quietly.
"I don't know," he said with a sigh. "I did check for rape, but I want a second opinion to make sure." He ran his hand through what little hair he had left. "But she *was* thrown outside in the cold and left to die after being beaten unconscious. It's more than possible."
"I'll collect evidence just in case," she said quietly. "Which room is she in?"
"Room three," he answered bleakly. "Jennifer, she can't be more than six years old," he muttered, shaking his head.
Jennifer laid her hand on his arm comfortingly. "It's okay, Steve," she said softly. "It's not like she'll ever be going back to the people who hurt her."
Dr. Kendall nodded slowly, agreeing with her. Jennifer released his arm and hurried from the room, intent on her new little patient. After thoroughly examining the child, she rejoined Dr. Kendall.
"Was she?" he asked quietly, hardly able to voice his worst fear.
Wordlessly, Jennifer shook her head, relief on her face.
"Thank goodness," he said softly. "We need to keep her overnight for observation and then I'm going to find out if Beth is on duty so she can see about getting the child placed--at least temporarily, over at Coates Orphanage," he grimaced. "I've heard her talking lately about the foster home shortage, so that's where the little one will end up. Then I can see about getting her admitted. Even if she wakes up, it's too late to send her over to Coates Orphanage in any case."
Jennifer nodded and went back to Exam room three. She stroked the child's hair gently. "It will be okay, little one," she said softly. "I promise."
October 21, 1998 10:00 am
Daily Planet
Perry consulted his notes and looked out over his assembled reporters. "Lane, Kent. What do you have for me?" he asked gruffly.
"Not much, Chief," Clark admitted. "We've got the story on the little girl they found at the corner of Knowlton Street and Mitchell Avenue. She's awake, but she refuses to talk to anybody. She either doesn't remember, or she's too terrified to say anything. They're sending her over to Coates Orphanage from Metropolis General today until they can find a family to place her with."
"That'll make a good human interest piece. Does anyone know what her name is, yet?" Perry asked.
"I'm afraid not, Perry," Lois answered. "She isn't talking, so until she tells someone, we've got a five year old Jane Doe on our hands. The police are hoping that the Planet will help find her family because they don't have any reported missing children that match her description."
Perry nodded. "That shouldn't be a problem," he said and motioned to Jimmy. "Jimmy, I want you to get over to Metropolis General and get some pictures of the child for the paper."
"On my way, Chief," Jimmy said, grabbing his camera. He hurried out of the room.
"Okay, that's it everybody. Y'all get out there and find me some news, people!" Perry smacked his fist into his hand and released his staff from the meeting. "Lois, Clark, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure, Chief," Clark answered.
"Are you sure that no one knows anything about this child," he asked softly. "It's not front page, but..." he shook his head. "I've seen a lot in my years working for this paper..." he trailed off.
Clark sighed. "Superman went over to try and talk to her this morning, but she wouldn't say anything," his face clouded over. "She seemed... afraid of him."
"We're going to head over there and see if she's said anything yet," Lois said softly, taking Clark's hand and squeezing it gently. "It doesn't look like the other papers are very interested, so we have the exclusive."
"Well, you two get on it," he said gruffly. "I want the story by deadline."
"Yes, Chief," they chorused and turned to leave.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
October 21, 1998, 10:45 am
Metropolis General Hospital
Lois and Clark walked up to the front desk and patiently waited for the nurse to finish her telephone call. She waved, acknowledging that she had noticed them and finished quickly. "How may I help you?" she asked pleasantly.
"I'm Lois Lane and this is my partner, Clark Kent and we're from the Daily Planet. We're here about the little girl that was brought in last night and we were wondering if we might be able to speak to the child or the hospital social worker." Lois smiled sweetly at the nurse. Years of working with Clark had taught her that she could often get through easier when she was nice to the little people.
The nurse smiled. "Ms. Grey's office is down the right-hand corridor on the second floor. It's the fourth door to your left."
"Thank you, ma'am," Clark said with a charming smile. They set off towards the elevator and soon arrived at the office. Clark knocked on the door.
"Come in," a pleasant voice said.
Lois and Clark walked into the room. "Ms. Grey," Clark began, "I'm Clark Kent and this is Lois Lane. We're from the Daily Planet. We're here to find out about the Jane Doe that was brought in last night, and we wondered if there is any information you could share with us."
"Please, have a seat," Ms. Grey gestured to the chairs in front of her desk. "Normally, we wouldn't release this kind of information on a patient, but since we have yet to identify her and the police have asked for cooperation, I'll tell you everything we know, which really isn't much. The child is around four or five years old with blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She was found by a young woman leaving a movie theatre last night around 11:30."
Ms. Grey wound a strand of short hair around her finger. "She has a cracked rib, a concussion, lacerations, layers of bruises, and a narrow escape from hypothermia. I'm afraid that there's not much more that I can tell you--since she regained consciousness, she's refused to speak."
"What will happen to her from here?" Lois asked softly, her heart aching for this small scrap of mistreated humanity.
Ms. Grey sighed. "There's no help for it," she began quietly. "She has to go to Coates Orphanage for the time being. They usually don't take children her age, but they do have a wing for young children in case of emergency." She ran her hand through her cropped locks. "Right now, there simply aren't enough foster homes to go around in Metropolis, so the Orphanage will do for short-term care until we can find her a foster home placement."
"And if we never find out anything about her?" Clark asked.
"We're running her description and picture through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's database. If she was kidnapped, something will show up. After that, we're going to check school records--at her approximate age, she would at least be in kindergarten, and they've already taken school pictures." She looked at them seriously. "We're going to find out who she is and how she got on that street corner."
"Can we talk to her?" Lois asked hesitantly.
"Follow me," Beth Grey motioned to them and strode from the room. "It's possible that she will talk to you, but there are a few things you need to know," she said glancing at Clark. "The child flinches away from any male that enters the room, including the photographer that your editor sent over... and it's also important if you ask her any questions that they be open-ended ones."
She turned down a hallway and led them into pediatrics. "If we ever catch the person who did this to her, there's a good chance that she'll have to testify so that we can put him away. The only way we can get a conviction to stick is if she wasn't questioned inappropriately."
Beth stopped in front of a door and regarded them seriously. "Mr. Kent, you should probably stay here with me and let your partner question the child. She's more likely to talk to your partner alone than she is to talk to you."
Lois exchanged a look with Clark before entering the room. She looked at the small child curled up in the hospital bed and smiled softly. "Hello, little one," she murmured. The little girl looked up and waved hesitantly, her eyes wide with fear.
"What's your name, sweetie?" Lois asked quietly.
The child shook her head, terror sufficing her features.
"Sweetheart, we just want to know what to call you. Later on today, after the doctor says it's okay, you're going to go live in a place where there are lots of other children to play with. Would you like that?"
"Yes," the little girl whispered.
"What's your name, honey?" Lois asked patiently.
The child reached out her hand and touched a strand of Lois's hair. "Pretty," she said quietly.
"So is yours, sweetie," Lois said, smiling.
The child shook her head vigorously. "Papa Gary cut it off, 'cause I was bad. It's not pretty no more. It looks like Timmy cut it."
Lois smiled and held out her hand. "It will get better," she said softly. "Can you tell me what your name is, little one?"
The little girl looked at her measuringly. There was something about this lady that told her that she didn't need to be afraid to tell what her name was. She didn't really trust her, but the pretty lady reminded her of her mommy... or her teacher. "R-r-r-rachel," she said hesitantly, "Rachel Pierce."
Lois smiled. "Where do you live, Rachel?"
Terror flashed across Rachel's face. She started to shake and curled up into a ball, withdrawing from the conversation.
Lois sighed and gently stroked Rachel's hair back from her face. "It's okay, Rachel," she said quietly. "Things are going to get better, you'll see." she walked slowly out of the room, stopping to glance back at the child, before joining Clark and Ms. Grey.
"What did she say?" Beth asked quietly.
Lois smiled, a trace of sadness on her face. "She told me that her 'Papa Gary' cut her hair off because she was bad, she knows someone named Timmy, and that her name is Rachel Pierce... then she curled up in a ball like she is now and refused to answer me when I asked where she was from."
Beth sighed. "Thank you, Ms. Lane," she pulled a card out of her pocket and handed it over. "I can reach you at the Planet if there are any new developments, right?"
Clark nodded and pulled out a business card of his own. "Please keep in touch, Ms. Grey. We'd like to know how Rachel is doing, if that's possible."
"I can't promise anything, Mr. Kent... that will be up to her social worker, Samantha Parker, but I'll pass the information along." She shook Clark's hand quickly and turned to leave.
Clark put his arm around Lois and began to lead her away from Rachel's room. "Why is it," she said quietly, "that some people have children that they abuse and throw away while some of us are denied them? She's only a little girl, it's not fair!"
Clark stopped, pulled her into an embrace, and kissed her on the forehead. "I know honey," he said softly. "Right now we're a family of two... and that's enough. If we never have a baby, then we'll be fine just like we are."
Lois nodded against his chest before pulling back slightly. She could tell that he had said that as much to reassure himself as to comfort her. With visible effort, she pulled herself together. "Let's go back to the Planet," she said. "We've got a story to write."