A/N I watched the movie Play Dead (not a great movie, the only good thing about it is Sasha) and it inspired this.

Trigger warning for domestic violence. Please let me know if you would like to read more of this! It was meant to be a (somewhat long) oneshot, but the story gets to me so I might continue it.

The ground is cold and hard. My back hurts, my muscles are stiff and I haven't felt my feet in days because they are so cold. The only source of light is the small opening in the planking just above my head, but the wind seems to get through every single crack of the small shed.

I should have never talked back to him. I should've agreed with him, like I always do. I did this to myself. I knew this is what would happen. It's what always happens. I pull my knees up to my chest, wrapping the small blanket tighter around myself. It has lost all its warmth. I can't stop myself from shivering. I know shivering is my body's way to keep me warm, but it's useless. Every single inch of me is freezing.

This is where he puts me when I disobey him. This is what I knew would happen if I told him to stop yelling at Abby. My Abby. My beautiful little Abby. I feel tears burning in my eyes when I think about her, her strawberry blond hair just like mine, her always sparkling green eyes and her sweet smile. I don't allow my tears to fall. I can't. If I do, I'll never stop. I can't think about how she is with him right now. If I do, I'll break. I used to believe he would never hurt her. But I'm not so sure anymore. The older she gets, the more she gets her own opinion. She realizes what's happening and she speaks her mind. He doesn't like that. She's ten years old and slowly becoming a young girl that makes up her own mind. He doesn't like it when his girls make up their own minds. He wants to be the one that makes the rules.

I used to be successful. I used to be someone. I used to have a career, a passion and a future. All of that is gone. My medical degree is worth nothing anymore. My experience as a trauma surgeon seems gone. There's nothing left of the classy, put-together, professional woman I once was. All I am is a hollow shell that belongs to him.

"Mom…"

I hear Abby's clear voice calling me and I quickly stand up to see her moving the lid away from the hole in the locked door. I look into her green eyes and I see sadness in them. "Hi, baby."

"When are you gonna come out?"

I manage a small smile. I wish I knew. "I don't know, baby. Soon."

"Daddy's mad," she whispers quietly.

My heart drops to my stomach. That's a terribly bad sign. "What happened? Did he hurt you?"

"No. There was a police officer."

I swallow hard as fear burns in my chest. "The police?"

Abby nods. "She's gonna get you out."

"She? Who?"

"The police. Her name's Jane. She's gonna get you out."

I smile a sad smile. I've heard this before. Many, many times. But I know that Jane, whoever she is, won't get me out of the mess that is my life. No one can. He's too smart. He's too good at lying. "Go back inside, baby. Go get warm."

Abby pulls her purple scarf higher around her neck. She shakes her head. "You don't believe me," she whispers so softly I can barely hear her.

"Of course I do, honey." I smile at my daughter but my bones are freezing and I'm in pain. I know she can tell I am. She knows I don't believe her. She's too smart to fool.

"She's gonna get you out, Mommy."

I nod. "Okay."

She smiles at me and turns around, but I stop her. "Abby."

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

She looks at me with those sparkling green eyes I love so much and she smiles. "Love you too."

I watch her walk away and I feel my knees buckling beneath me as I slide back onto the floor. I feel myself curling up in a ball while my cheeks are suddenly warm with my tears. It's too late. I'm crying and I can't stop. I cry myself to sleep and I'm grateful for the delicious state of unconsciousness. I welcome it with open arms.

"No! You have to get her out! You're CRAZY!"

I wake up from the sound of loud screams coming from outside and I immediately feel my senses turning into overdrive. I shoot up, feeling the pain in my muscles and bones from the hard ground I've been sleeping on. I ignore it. Abby.

"Get Mom out!" Abby yells, sounding furious. "The police are gonna find you! I know it!"

I cringe when I hear his voice. "You don't know shit."

"Let her out!"

"Shut up!" His voice is soft but urgent.

I stand up and try to look through the cracks in the shed, but all I can see is some shadows in the late afternoon light. I want to tell Abby to stop yelling. I want to tell her to keep quiet; otherwise he'll hurt her. But I stay silent. If I do, he'll take his anger out on Abby.

"LET HER OUT!" Abby's shrieks pierce right through my heart. "I WANT MOM!"

"Shut up, little bitch!" he growls at her. "The whole neighborhood can hear you!"

I hear a slap and I can't help myself. "No!" I scream, crawling at the wood of the door that I know is tightly locked. "Don't touch her!"

"Shut up!"

Another slap.

"No!" I cry out, tears streaming down my face. "Just take me! Don't hurt her, please! Please!"

"Y'know what?" he says, his voice dangerously calm. It's the worst when he's calm. He knows exactly what he's doing. He's completely rational. "You want your mommy, you can get your mommy."

I hear the lock clanking against the door and before I know it, I'm blinded by the light outside of the shed. I feel his foot landing in my stomach, pushing all the air out of my lungs while I hear a whimper coming from my daughter.

In a flash, the door is closed and locked and Abby sits on her knees in front of me. I regain my breath and crawl towards my little girl, cupping her face in my hands. She looks up at me and I meet with large green eyes that are shimmering with tears of fear. The left side of her face is bruised and I see a scratch on her forehead that is bleeding slightly.

I take her into my arms and I feel a little more complete. I feel her arms wrapping around my neck where she clings tightly and I squeeze her as close as humanly possible. "You shouldn't have done that, baby," I whisper into her now messy golden hair. "You should've listened to him."

"He locked you up, Mommy," Abby answers quietly. "I wanted you."

I fail to hold back my tears. "Oh baby, I want you too. But you still shouldn't talk back to him. You know that. Now you'll be in here for who knows how long."

Abby shrugs. "I'm with you."

A tiny sob escapes my body as I pull my girl even closer. She has such a fear of being away from me. She hates school because I'm too far away for her. When he locks me in here, life is hell for her. She can't be without me and I know that's not how things are supposed to be. But then again, nothing is. Abby is supposed to be a happy ten-year old, doing well in school, making friends and growing up. Instead she is shy, quiet and she keeps to herself. She's failing at most classes and she's lonely because the kids don't want to play with her. Yes, I'm sad that I'm not the woman I was before him. But this is way worse. I want everything for my daughter and I can't give her anything. All I want for her is to be happy and safe. She is neither of those. She's not happy. She's not safe. Not with him.

Sometimes I dream of a different life. A life where I'm not afraid, where I'm not a coward. A life where I have the courage to leave him. Where I run away with Abby and start a new life far, far away from here. Where Abby can be happy and carefree. Where she can make friends, play outside and be away from her mother like a normal child. But I always cut my dreams short. They're just dreams.

"Mommy," Abby says softly, shaking against me in just a thin sweater, a skirt and leggings, "I'm cold."

I don't think about it and take off my sweater, leaving me shivering in a thin long-sleeved shirt. I pull the sweater over Abby's head and take the girl back into my arms, sitting uncomfortably against the wall of the shed. I'm shivering uncontrollably but Abby is more important.

"Why can't you kick the door in, Mom?" Abby asks me while she shifts in my lap to snuggle her small body into my arms. "Or knock something out?"

"I'm not strong enough for that, baby," I whisper quietly. "And if I were, he would be very angry."

Abby sighs and I see on her young face that she understands. "You're a fast runner, Mommy. And I am too."

I don't want to tell her about the guns he has. Or the motorcycle he has, the bike or the ability to run way faster than me. She's already too afraid. "It's too risky," I reply in a soft whisper. "I'm sorry, honey."

She nods. I look at her and trace her freckled cheek with my fingers. She's a splitting image of me. Except that she's way more beautiful. She has his nose and slightly sharper cheekbones, but other than that, I see myself when I look at her. I smile when she looks up into my eyes and I press a kiss to her forehead. She's my everything. I would give my life for her. Everything I have, and everything I am is hers. Forever. I stroke her freckled nose with the back of my finger and she smiles a sad smile.

"Mom," she asks softly, "why can't we run away?"

I sigh deeply, gently stroking her cold cheek. "He'll find us," I whisper. That's not the real answer. The real answer is that I'm afraid. I'm too scared of what he'll do to me. To us.

"We can go really far." Abby looks up at me with innocent eyes as tears continue to tickle down my cheeks.

I brush her hair back and press my lips to her forehead without answering at first. When I pull back, I sigh deeply. "I wish I could. I would take you to the most beautiful places on earth, far away from here."

"Where?"

I smile at my beautiful girl and brush my hand through her hair. "Paris. Rome. Or even just the beach where I used to come often. I'd take you anywhere, baby."

"Have I ever been to the beach, Mom?" Abby asks as she rests her head back against my chest.

"Yes, when you were very little. We went there in the summer. You loved it."

"How old was I?"

I purse my lips and think back to that time when everything was still like it was supposed to be. Abby was a cheerful three-year old and we were happily married. He was a good husband. It wasn't until Abby was five and he lost is job that it all went wrong. "You were three, I think."

"I don't remember…" Abby's small hands play with my sweater that she is wearing and I see that her lips are blue from the cold. I pull her closer to try and get her warm, but I am so cold myself it's no use.

"You had a great time," I whisper, "it was a very warm day and we went swimming together. You found a dried-up seahorse. You took it with you and kept in in your room."

"Really?" Abby's face lights up. In these moments, she's my little girl again. She loves animals and she loves learning new things about them. "Where is it now? It's not there anymore…"

I sigh deeply and rest my chin on top of her head. "He threw it away when he was mad at you."

"Oh… When?"

"It was two days after your sixth birthday," I whisper, not wanting to tell this story but knowing she has the right to know. "You had to clean your room but you didn't because you got caught up in playing in the yard. He got mad at you."

Suddenly Abby's eyes widen. "I remember," she says quietly. "He threw lots of my toys out and then you got angry for that and then he hit you."

I nod, tears burning in my eyes. It was the first time she ever saw him hurting me. I know she will never forget it. "Yes."

"Mom," Abby lifts her head and looks at me, "that police officer… She's gonna help us. I know it."

I gently cup her cheek. "I hope so, baby."

"She is, Mommy!" Abby's voice turns to desperation and I see tears in her eyes. "She pinky promised."

"She did?" A tear trickles down my cheek as I gently wipe hers. "Who is she? How did you meet her?"

"Mr. Gerard called the police when he put you in here," Addy explained quietly. "She came and he got mad at her, but she took me outside to talk and I liked her so I told her everything."

I smile at my brave little girl. "What did she say?"

"She said she's gonna help us. She pinky promised."

"Well, that's a promise she can't break." I smile a sad smile. She's so hopeful. Maybe, just maybe…. This time will be different.

"Shh, keep quiet, baby," I whisper into golden blond hair.

Abby looks at me with fearful, sleepy eyes, having just woken up from a restless sleep. "What's happening?"

"The police are here."

"They're gonna save us!"

"Shh!" I place my hand over Abby's mouth. Tears burn in my eyes as I scoot towards the very right corner of the small shed. "We have to keep quiet, baby."

"Mommy, please," Abby cries as she looks into my eyes, "they're gonna help us."

I shake my head, crying softly. "No, honey. They're going to talk to him and he'll say everything is fine and they'll go away. And if we make a sound, he's going to be so mad at us."

Abby shakes her head, her blond hair waving around her face. "I know it, Mommy. Please. She pinky promised. Jane promised!"

I pull her to me as tears continue to trickle down my cheeks. She won't save us. So many people have tried. So many people have failed. "I'm sorry, honey. I'm sorry."

Abby just sniffles and hides her face into my chest. "Please, Mommy."

I press my lips against her head and close my eyes. "I love you so much, baby. So, so very much. You're my everything. I have to keep you safe. I'll do anything to keep you safe."

"Even…" Abby sighs. "Even run away?"

I don't answer. I can't answer. I just trace her freckled cheek with my hand and kiss the top of her head.

Suddenly we hear the voices from inside getting closer and I put my hand over Abby's mouth as we hear people getting into a car, the car driving away. It's too late.

My daughter is shaking in my arms as everything slowly goes quiet, except for heavy footsteps. I hold my breath and I know what's coming. He unlocks the heavy lock and opens the door. It's completely dark outside and I can barely see his face but I know what's there. He's mad. Beyond mad.

"Get out, you little bitches!" He grabs Abby and I squeal.

"NO! Not her!"

He takes me instead, roughly pulling me up by my hair, out of the shed. Abby follows quickly, afraid to be alone. He shoves me onto the ground and kicks my stomach. I feel my ribs bruising and I curl up into a ball, looking at Abby through all of it.

"HEY!" A low, husky, female voice calls through the night. "Let her go!"

No, no, no. What did you do? Whoever you are. You're so stupid. Didn't you see the gun attached to his belt? Don't you see the way he's lost control? He'll kill you! It's too late. He lets go of me and reaches for his gun.

In a flash, I hear a loud thumb and I feel his body landing next to me on the ground, a lean female body on top of him. I crawl towards Abby and quickly pull her to me. My heart is banging in my ears, my chest is burning with fear.

"GO!" the woman yells at us. "Run!"

I can't move. I'm paralyzed. I'm stuck to the ground. My muscles are stiff, my bones are aching. I feel Abby tugging on my arm but I can't move. I don't have anywhere to go. Run? Where? How?

"Mom…"

I see them engaged in a hard fight, he is trying to get away but the woman seems strong. He's kicking her but she punches him in the face and shoves him to the ground. She's strong. She doesn't back away.

"Mom!"

I look at my girl and make up my mind. I somehow manage to get off the ground, take her hand and start running. I don't know in which direction, I don't know where. I just run. Abby's short legs have trouble keeping up and I feel her crying next to me.

"Come on, baby," I'm panting. "Come on!"

My muscles are burning. My legs are giving out. I haven't moved in days. My heart is beating in my chest, cold sweat is making my shirt stick to my back. We run into the night and I don't see where we're going but I know we're going away from him. That's all that matters.

After a while, Abby's legs give out. She falls onto her knees and cries out for me. "Mommy!"

I pull her up from the ground, trying to carry her in my arms but I'm too weak. I sink to the ground and just pull her into my arms at the side of the road. She clings to me, panting, crying and whimpering. "W-what if h-he comes?"

"We'll run," I whisper into her hair. "We'll run." Finally we'll run. I say it and I mean it. I want to get out of here, I want to get away. I need to keep Abby safe. I need to keep us safe.

There are no cars on this road. I don't know what time it is, but I know it's somewhere after midnight, probably. I feel Abby's exhaustion as her body goes completely limp in my arms. I look over her head for a way to go, but I can't figure out anything. I don't have anywhere to go. My parents stopped looking after me when I went to college. They're somewhere in Europe, probably. I don't have any brothers or sisters. I don't have any friends. All I have is Abby.

"I'm scared, Mommy," Abby whispers into my chest. "Where's the police?"

"I don't know, baby. I don't know."

Suddenly we hear a car coming and I unconsciously hide into the bushes on the side of the road, but the car slows down when it approaches us. They've seen us. It's over.

The car stops. I pull Abby even closer into my arms, trying to hide her behind my body. A door opens. Footsteps. They slow down. I back away, trying to hide. It's too late to run. I search the ground for something sharp, something to hurt him. My hand finds some kind of heavy stone. I grab it, ready to defend my little girl.

When I expect his harsh voice and rough hands, I hear that same raspy, female voice. "Abby?" she calls out and I feel Abby stirring in my arms.

"No, baby," I whisper, barely audible. "Keep quiet."

Abby shakes her head. "Jane?"

I cringe. It's too late. She gave us away.

The woman walks into the bushes and sees us. She carefully approaches us, kneeling to get to our eyelevel. "My name's Jane Rizzoli, I'm with the police," she says quietly, her voice soft and caring. "You're safe with me."

I can only stare at her in fear. In the dark of the night, I see a mane of dark, unruly curls framing a face with sharp features and deep, brown eyes. She reaches out her hand for me but I back away. I can't trust her. Can I? I clutch the stone in my hand, unsure of what to do.

"You're safe with me, I promise," she continues quietly. "He can't hurt you anymore."

I can't speak or move. I feel Abby hesitating in my arms, waiting to follow me in whatever I will do.

"You seem so cold," Jane whispers, looking at the two of us shivering on the cold ground. She takes off her warm coat, revealing a dark blazer with a light T-shirt underneath. She carefully hands the coat to me.

I hesitate at first, but when I feel a violent shiver run down my spine, I drop the stone and take the coat. My hand briefly brushes hers. She's warm. I pull the coat around my shoulders and immediately wrap my arms back around Abby, any loss of contact making me feel unsafe and vulnerable.

"It's okay," Jane says softly. "Remember how I promised I was gonna help you, Abby?"

Abby nods.

"That promise still counts. I'm gonna help you and your mom. You can trust me."

Suddenly I find my voice again. "How did you find us?"

Jane smiles slightly at hearing the sound of my voice for the first time. "Not my first time in these kind of cases."

I don't like that answer. We're just a number in the stack of cases she's working on. She doesn't care. She's just doing her job. "Leave us alone," I say to her. "We can take care of ourselves."

"I just want to help." Jane holds up her hands and I faintly see an angry, red scar in her palm, lit up by the headlights of her car. "That's all. You just need to get warm and eat something."

She is right about that. We haven't eaten more than a few pieces of bread in the past few days and we're starved, cold and exhausted. "Where will you take us?" I'm not going to the police department. I'm not going there again.

"My place. It's not too far from here."

"I don't know you."

Jane shrugs and smiles a warm smile. "I don't know you either."

"You could be a serial killer."

"I like to believe in people." Jane tilts her head. "And besides, what are the chances we're both serial killers?"

That makes Abby chuckle and I feel tears in my eyes at the sound of it. I press my lips against the side of her head, keeping my eyes on the stranger in front of us. "Mommy," Abby lifts her head and I feel her nuzzling her nose into my hair while she whispers in my ear, "let's go with her."

"I don't know, baby." I look at the police officer that is still smiling friendly at us.

"I'm so cold, Mom," she cries into my hair and strengthens her tight grip on me.

I don't have a choice. We can't keep on walking in the middle of the night, with nowhere to go. I don't want to go with this woman I don't know, but we don't have a choice. I sigh deeply and nod. "Okay."

Jane smiles and reaches out her hand for us, but I refuse. I help Abby up from the ground, taking her hand in mine as we follow Jane to her car. She holds open the front door for me after she opens the back door for Abby, but I shake my head when I feel Abby tensing up next to me. "We stay together."

"Okay." Jane nods in understanding and closes the passenger door, guiding us into the backseat.

I hesitate for a moment but when I feel the warmth of the heat in the car, I make up my mind and slide into the backseat, taking Abby with me to sit closely next to me. Jane gets behind the wheel and pulls the car into drive.

"Is this part of your job?" I ask her.

"Not really." Jane shakes her head and takes a turn left. "Technically, my job's over."

"What uhm…" I don't want to, but I have to ask these questions. I stroke my hand through Abby's soft hair as I pull her to me. "What happened to him?"

Jane sighs deeply and I see her hesitating, but she answers after a few moments of silence. "He took a shot at me, so I shot him in the leg. Arrested him after that. They're taking him to jail."

"They?"

"My partner and a few other colleagues."

He's in jail. He's gone. Somehow, I don't believe it. He'll talk his way out of it. He'll make bail with my money. He'll get a good lawyer and he'll get out. I know he will.

"Is Dad in prison?" Abby asks, her small hand resting on my leg.

"Yes, he is."

"And he'll be in there for a while," Jane adds quietly as she turns the car into a quiet neighborhood. The world is sleeping and everything is dark.

"So he can't hurt us anymore…" Abby whispers.

"No, he can't." Jane looks at us in the rearview mirror and she smiles. It's the first time I notice that her smile is quite beautiful.

She stops the car in front of a small but cozy looking apartment and she offers a hand to help us out, but I refuse again. I help Abby out of the backseat before stepping out myself, tightly holding Abby's hand as she shivers in the cold winter air.

Jane's apartment is nice. It feels like a home. Not my home, but a home. We walk into the door and stand awkwardly by the door as Jane hurries to turn on the lights and clear up some stuff. "Let me turn up the heat."

I feel Abby standing closely to my side and her head rests against my side as I wrap my arm around her skinny shoulders. I smile a reassuring smile. "It's going to be okay, baby," I whisper to her. "We're safe here."

I don't know if I'm trying to convince her or myself. But, if Jane wanted to hurt us, she probably already would have. Maybe we are safe with her. "You want something to drink? I have coke, uhm… Beer… Coffee…" she roams through her cabinet, looking flustered and hasted. "Tea? You seem like someone that likes tea."

"Tea would be lovely, thank you."

Jane nods. "Tea it is. Abby?"

Abby stays quiet and shifts closer to me. I thread my hand into her hair, pulling her comfortingly close. "Do you have any milk, maybe?" I ask.

"Yeah!" Jane hurries towards her fridge, seeming happy to help out in any way she can. "Should I warm it up?"

I look at my daughter and stroke her cheek. "Warm milk?"

Abby nods. "Yes, please."

I smile and pull her tighter to me, wanting her as close as possible in this unfamiliar and possibly unsafe world.

Jane starts to boil some water and heats up a cup of milk in the microwave before she turns back to us. "Let me get you some warm clothes."

"Oh, that's okay."

"You're freezing, I have something warm. Hold on."

Before I can protest, she's out of the room. I kneel in front of my daughter and look into her eyes, smiling nervously when I cup her cheek. "You were right about her, baby. She got us out."

Abby shrugs. "She's a good police officer."

"Yes, she is." I lean forward and press my lips against the girl's sweaty, cold forehead.

"I don't think I have something that will fit Abby, but it's warm." Jane enters the room and hands us two warm sweaters, a pair of sweatpants and two pairs of woolen socks.

I smile politely as I take the clothes. I can't wait to get out of my sweaty, freezing cold outfit. She points us to a bedroom next to the kitchen and I take Abby there with me, hearing the microwave beeping as we enter the room.

"Let's get you out of these, baby." I pull my sweater over Abby's head. It has lost all its warmth, cold with sweat. I pull her shirt off and quickly pick the smallest sweater Jane gave us. I help her put it on and roll up the sleeves since it's way too big.

"It's so big," Abby chuckles.

I smile at her. "It is. But it's warm." I unbutton her skirt and help her take it off, leaving her in dark leggings and the big sweater. I hand her a pair of warm socks to put on and get changed myself, putting on the sweatpants, sweater and a pair of socks as well. I shiver from the warmth it gets me, goose bumps raising on my entire body.

"I like her, Mom," Abby say softly.

I sigh and brush my hand through Abby's strawberry blond hair. I don't like to admit it, but I like her too. I feel safe with her. "Me too."

"Are we gonna stay here?"

"I don't know, baby." I cup her face and place a kiss on her cheek. "Let's get started on that warm milk, okay?"

She smiles at me. I know how much she loves to drink it before she goes to sleep, before we go upstairs to brush her teeth and read a bedtime story. Some days, it was still like that. Some days he was quiet and at ease and we were allowed to have our bedtime ritual. But most days, things were rushed and hurried. She doesn't get the love and attention she deserves.

I kiss Abby's forehead and take her hand, leading her out of the room and back into the living room. Jane is waiting for us and I see her fumbling with the hem of the hoodie she put on. We make her nervous too. It makes me feel more at ease.

She smiles at us when we enter the living room and for the first time I notice how beautiful she really is. I look into her eyes and smile when she hands me a steaming mug of hot tea. Those eyes. They seem to run endlessly deep, that's how dark they are. Yet they are loving and caring.

I pull my eyes away from her. My feelings make me uncomfortable. "Thank you."

Jane hands Abby the milk and Abby eagerly takes it, immediately wrapping her cold hands around the warm cup. She sips the liquid and looks up at Jane with those sparkling green eyes that make my eyes water. "What do you say, baby?" I ask her softly.

"Thank you."

Jane chuckles. "You're welcome." She gestures towards the couch. "Have a seat."

I take Abby with me as we sit down on the old couch, still a little uncomfortable. Abby notices a dog bed in the corner of the room. "Do you have a dog?"

"Yeah." Jane smiles and sits down on a chair opposite of the couch. "Her name's Joe Friday."

Abby's face lights up. "I love dogs," she says softly.

"I wish she was here but my brother's watching her right now."

Abby shrugs and shifts back on the couch, closer against my side. "'S okay."

I'm still sitting up straight, scanning my surroundings every second. Jane senses my discomfort and tries to start a conversation. "So uhm… I know your name's Maura Isles but… that's pretty much it."

I just look at her. She didn't ask me a question. So I don't have to answer.

"Would you tell me some more about yourself?" Jane asks carefully. When I don't reply negatively, she continues quietly. "How long were you in there?"

"Four days." I barely recognize my own voice as I reply. "Abby for one and a half." Before she can ask more questions, I ask my own. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"This." I gesture towards Jane's house and the milk in Abby's hands. "You said it isn't part of your job. So why are you doing it?"

Jane shrugs and the genuineness of her smile makes my stomach flutter. It's been a long time since someone smiled at me like that. "You wanna know the truth?"

"Well, that's why I asked."

"Her, right there." Jane nods her head at Abby and I look at the beautiful girl next to me. She's not paying attention to us, completely focused on her deliciously warm milk. "Something about her…" she whispers, looking at my daughter with a slight smile, "you can't say no to a pair of eyes like that, can you?"

I smile and stroke Abby's cheek with the back of my hand. "No, you can't."

"She asked me if I could help you and I promised I would." Jane shrugs. "I don't break promises."

I feel myself relaxing more as she speaks. I feel the exhaustion and pain creeping up to me. I think I have a bruised rib, maybe even more than one. My muscles are stiff, my bones are aching and my head hurts. Besides that, I'm completely, utterly exhausted. I take a sip of my tea and sigh contently when I feel the warm liquid running down my throat. It's like my body slowly melts from being made from ice.

"How long has this been going on?" Jane asks quietly, her husky voice almost a whisper.

I'm hesitant to answer, but something about this woman makes me want to open up. "A little over four years."

"Have you ever…" Jane sighs and fumbles with her hands.

"Gone to the police?" I finish for her.

She nods.

"Yes. Many times." I look at my daughter and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's not as easy as it sounds."

"I know." Jane looks at me and I know for a fact that she really does know.

"He'll get out," I whisper to her. "He has money. My money."

Jane shakes her head. "He can't make bail. I'll make sure of it. I promise."

I smile a sad smile. "You don't know him."

"I don't need to know him." Jane stands up and carefully walks over to us, sitting on the edge of the coffee table in front of me. "He won't get a chance to hurt you anymore. I promise."

The sincerity in her voice makes my eyes fill with tears. I can only nod.

"I promise, Maura."

The way she speaks my name makes my tears spill onto my cheeks. I don't realize what I'm doing until I feel myself reaching out my pinky finger to her. She smiles at me, looking into my eyes when she hooks hers with mine. Her touch is warm and loving and it makes my whole body tingle as I look into deep, brown eyes that show trust and safety. The childish gesture makes me feel safe. I don't know why. I don't know how. But this woman is special. She cares. I don't know why she cares, but she does. I smile the first genuine smile in weeks when her raspy voice makes the promise I know she will never, ever break.

"Pinky promise."