Anytime You need a friend:
Chapter 2
Author's Note:
Hi guys! I thought the story was finished in only one chapter but a couple people who reviewed said they hoped that I would continue it. So I am going to continue it! And the more I write, the more I fall in love with Spike. Thank you for the reviews so far. Enjoy
When they got to SRU Headquarters, Callie was still asleep, So Spike had Wordy help him slide her out of the truck, and he picked her up, and carried her inside. Once inside, Spike carried her straight into the Boss' office and laid her down on the couch, covering her with a blanket. He stood there looking at her for a moment, before asking Greg keep an eye on her. After Greg agreed, Spike nodded and turned to go take a shower, and get dressed for work.
Spike wanted to get to the locker room and into the shower before anyone stopped him because he desperately wanted to be alone. He was feeling weird, and slightly emotional. He wasn't sure what was going on with him that he felt so weird, but he wanted to get a grip on it before he faced everyone in the briefing room. He had like an hour before he had to be in the briefing room. He was lost in his thoughts when he ran smack into Ed.
"Whoa there! Just a minute Spike. What's your hurry? The shower isn't going to run away." Ed said, steadying him and then blocking him from taking another step. Spike stopped short and looked up at Ed.
"What Ed? Come on. I want to go take a shower. I stink, I have been sitting on a ledge for at least 3 hours, In the heat and my sweat from running. Callie is sleeping, and I'd like to get cleaned up before she wakes up. I know you guys are going to want to talk to her. I want to be there. You can't deny me that." Ed put his hands up.
"That's not why I stopped you Spike." Spike looked confused. He leaned against the wall, and noticed the whole team had come to surround him. Spike's first thought was that they had seen what was going on, and had come to start asking questions. Spike tried to play it cool in order to throw them off. He hoped he wasn't being too obvious.
"Then why did you stop me Ed?" Ed saluted him, the others following suit. Spike continued to look confused.
"You did a hell of a job out there today Spike. This was your first negotiation. And you had a save. I am- We all are so very proud of you Spike. You did good." Ed hugged him tightly. Spike looked embarressed and pushed Ed away.
"Come on knock it off you guys. I want to go shower. Beat it! Enough already." They all broke up laughing and Spike hurried into the lockerroom and grabbed a fresh towel. He hopped into the shower, setting a new record for getting cleaned up. He had just put on his boxers and his tshirt when Ed came into the locker.
"Hey Ed. What's up? Don't tell me that you had to go to the bathroom. You just did when we first
got back here. You want to tell me the real reason you just HAD to come in here. And don't use the old ' Oh, I forgot something' excuse' Sam used it the other day." Ed held his hands up in placation.
"No. I came in here to see how you were doing. You looked a little rough around the edges earlier and I remembered what it was like when I negotiated for the first time. It was nerve-wracking and scary as hell. When I finished the negotiation and was by myself in the lockerroom, I panicked. I had the worst panic attack that I had ever had in my life." Spike nodded for him to go on. Ed leaned against the locker while Spike finished getting dressed.
"I just want to make sure that you are ok. You look like you got the chance and did some heavy duty bawling in the shower. I respect that. I'm not going to say a thing to anyone so you don't have to worry." Spike nodded and tied his boots.
"Spike. Talk to me. I've been there, we've all been there. We can help. That girl, Callie. She's still alive because you opted out of drinks with the team and because you tried talking her down. You succeeded. You have such a haunted look in your eyes, It's got me a little concerned, because I recognize it and We want to help you." Spike nodded. Ed waited patiently.
"I'm ok. I just, I didn't know what I was doing. I was hoping so badly that you would come over and tell me to go back to the truck or something and take over the negotiation. Anything to get me out of there. I was so afraid that I was going to say the wrong thing and that she was going to jump and her life be over before it even really began." Ed remained silent. Spike continued, with barely taking a breath.
"But you didn't. You allowed me to make mistakes. You kept telling me that I was doing a good job. I didn't even know you guys had arrived until you said so over the phone. You know. I don't think that girl really wanted to kill herself. She wasn't looking for attention, but she was in pain, but not suicidal. Most people who are suicidal, don't want to be saved, they keep telling you to shut up, to leave them alone. I think once I showed her that I was harmless, she settled down and started talking. She reminds me of someone." Ed Laughed. Spike smiled.
"I know where you are coming from Spike. We all do. You could have ignored her and then where would she be? Probably dead. You were needed, and you stepped up. That's a true negotiator. Oh Greg wanted me to tell you that the girl is awake and that you are late. Actually we both are. Oops."
Spike and Ed finished talking for the time being and then hurried down the hall to the briefing room. When they got there, they didn't see Callie anywhere. The team was standing around. Greg saw them, and pointed to the window. Spike looked up.
Callie was standing at the window looking out with a wistful look on her face. Spike knew that look well. It was the look of wanting to be on the outside and enjoying life, but not being able to because you had messed up in some way. He remembered looking that way many times when he was younger.
"How long ago did she wake up Sarge? Did she eat anything yet." Sarge turned from watching Callie and addressed his younger team member.
"She woke up about 20 minutes ago. Seemed freaked when she saw all of us. She walked over to the window and stayed over there. She didn't appear to be a threat so we let her have her space. She hasn't eaten. Pizza is on it's way. I figured we could all have pizza while we talk. I'm actually glad you want to be such a big part of this. She sees you as the only safe person in this room. She doesn't trust us. But we will talk after the pizza gets here. How are you doing?" They had a quick conversation, and then Spike walked over to the window.
"Hey. How was your nap?" Callie looked over at him.
"Hi. It was ok. I'm kinda hungry though. I don't know these people. They make me nervous especially the bald one. " Spike threw his head back and laughed. The team looked on in amazement. Spike hadn't laughed like that since Lou had died. It was good to hear him laugh, they'd missed the sound. Spike took her hand.
"I will introduce you to them. They are my team. They are harmless. They won't hurt you, and they don't bite. But they will stand up for you if you're being hurt in any way, shape or form. You can count on them and trust them." Callie nodded, staying behind Spike.
"This is the team, This is Greg, He's our boss. nice guy. This is Sam, Ex military also a nice person. This is Jules. The only woman on our team. Lots of guts being on a team as the only girl. This is Kevin, but everyone calls him Wordy. He sat on the other side of you in the truck. and this is Ed. nice guy. Has a son about your age. Team this is Callie." Everyone said hi. Callie looked at Spike, fear and panic evident on her face. Everyone could see it. Greg took command.
"Ok, pizza is here. We got several different kinds Callie, Spike said that you liked extra cheese and sausage. I wasn't sure what you liked or didn't like in drinks either. So we got a couple different kinds. Ladies first. Jules, Callie you get yours and get settled." Everyone got their food and settled in their seats. As they ate, they talked about a variety of things.
Ed was telling him about this girl that his son Clark was interested in and Callie revealed that she knew Clark. That put her age at 14. Callie was warming up a little to Ed. Spike was glad. He was chewing on a pizza crust when Greg caught his eye. He knew it was time to talk. He just hoped that it didn't set Callie off and freak her out. He scooted closer to Callie.
"Callie. We need to talk now. You know that right? We need to talk about a lot of different things. Is that ok with you?" Callie nodded. Spike nodded and poured himself another glass of coke. Callie tucked her feet up underneath her.
"Callie where did the bruises and cuts come from? Please tell us." Callie shrugged. Spike leaned back and folded his arms. His brow furrowed in thought.
"That is bull Callie. I told you on that ledge that I was not going to lie to you. You told me some stuff when I was carrying you to the truck. I need you to tell all of us where the cuts and bruises came from. Please. You don't have to be alone any longer." Callie shook her head stubbornly. Spike nodded.
"I expected a little bit of resistance. I expected you to not want to talk to us. Just tell me why you don't want our help." Callie didn't answer. Spike frowned and looked at the other members of the team.
"You know, When I was a little bit younger than you Callie, I had the same problem. I seriously hated my parents. I was tired of them always pushing me around, telling me that I didn't know what was best for myself, telling me that I wasn't old old enough to do things. But what I really hated, was the fact that my father used to hit me." Jules said scooting her chair closer to Callie's chair. The team looked at Jules in Shock.
"That's right Callie. He never abused me. And by that I mean he never molested me. But he used to drink. He used to get so angry when he would drink that any excuse was good enough for him raise a hand, use a belt." Callie looked at Jules. Jules smiled.
"How did you get free? I assume that you got free because you're still here living." Jules smiled again and scooted closer.
"He got so drunk one night. And he was so angry. He had hit my mother and knocked her to the floor. I jumped on him and yelled and screamed at him. He threw me off and came at me with his belt. I jumped up and grabbed the bat I had been using for softball. I told him, that if he touched me again, if he hit or whipped me again, I would report him." Callie was about to fall off of her chair in anticipation. The guys too for that matter.
"He left that night. And came back six months later. Sober and clean. It took a lot of talking but he finally apologized to me and my mother. We have a much better relationship now." Jules reached for another slice of pizza and nibbled on it.
"Oh. Sounds great." Callie withdrew into herself nibbling on another slice of pizza. Spike sighed in quiet frustration. Greg signaled to Jules, Spike and Ed to stay and the others to go." As they got up to leave, They stopped.
"He hits me. He kicks me alot too. That's where the bruises came from. At least the ones you see. He also hurts me other ways too. Alot. I don't like it when he does." Spike nodded. He sat down and took Callie's hand.
"Would you feel better talking to Jules since she's a girl too?" Callie shrugged. Spike rubbed his head in irritation.
"I'm sorry ok? I am really sorry. I was told that if I ever told, he would send me back to the orphanage. I never want to go back there. But I guess I'm going to have to now, especially since they aren't going to want me anymore after this." No one said a word.
"If I go home today, he's going to hurt me more. I know. He promised that he would hurt me very badly. I don't want to hurt very badly. I don't want to hurt anymore." Spike nodded.
"Callie. This is very important. If you talk to us and tell us what your father does, We can arrest him if need be. But we need to know what he did." Callie stood up and yanked her shirt off. She was covered all over with bruises. She walked away from the table, and put her shirt back on, crying. Wordy slammed a fist on the table. Ed and Sam Swore. Jules covered her mouth in shock. Greg closed his eyes. Spike got up and went to Callie, and put his arms around her. Callie tried to push him away but he held on.
"WHY did you have to rescue me? Why couldn't you have just let me be? My life serves no purpose now damn you." She started hitting him in the chest, Spike held up a hand when the rest of the team started to come over to help get her off of him.
After a few minutes, Callie was exhausted. She just dropped to the floor and sat against the wall. Spike sat next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Just as she was about to speak, the was shouting at the front desk.
"We want to know where our daughter is. RIGHT NOW!"
Winnie the receptionist was trying to get them to sit down. "Sir, Ma'am, you will have to sit down and wait until I can get in touch with my Boss. He can help you. I can't give out information that I don't have. Nor am I allowed to even if I did have the information." The man stomped around while his wife sat, primly with her hands in her lap.
"Yes Winnie, what is it? We're kinda in the middle of a situation right now. You know that." Winnie pointed to the man and woman.
"Sorry Sir. These two people came in just a moment ago. Said they want to know where their daughter is immediately. I think they are Callie's parents." Greg nodded, thanked Winnie and walked over to them, offering his hand for a handshake to the father.
"Hi. I'm sergeant Greg parker. Please come this way." The wife stood up and followed her husband. They went into one of the other briefing rooms, shutting the door behind them, the team looking on in irritation at the father. Jules put her arm through the arms of the rest of the team trying to keep them from going in there and demanding answers.
"Please. Sit down." The husband remained standing. Greg raised an eyebrow and filed that information away.
"I want to know where Callesandra is, and I want to know right now." Just as Greg was about to speak, Spike buzzed in.
"Boss, Can I have a word with you please. I know you are in the middle of something, but it's important. It's about the case that we were just discussing." Greg excused himself.
"What is it Spike?" Spike was about to explain, when Callie walked right past them and into the room. They tried to stop her, but she slipped right past.
"Callie! What are you doing? Get back here!" Spike made another grab for her. Ed came running up to them.
"Slippery little thing. I tried to stop her. What is she doing?" The team gathered at the doorway watching. They were all armed and watching anxiously.
Callie strode in the room and just watched them for a minute. They looked so old. They were the only family she had ever truly known. Being given up the day she was born by her parents, Never knowing that she had been adpoted until she was 13. How could she do what she was about to do to them? She shook her head, getting a grip on herself.
"Hi." Her parents looked up. Her mother stood up and came over to her and embraced her. Callie hugged her back. Her father came over. Callie held up a hand.
"Do not come near me." Her father looked at her with a look of feigned surprise. He maintained his distance.
"Why Sweetie? Your mother and I only came here to get you and take you home. We want to stop for ice cream on the way home. What do you say." Callie poured herself another glass of pop. Spike could see her hand shaking badly.
"I don't want to go for Ice Cream, and I don't want to go home. At least not with you. No more of this, let's lead this perfect facade of how we are a perfect family but let's not let the neighbors know that I beat my daughter at night. Or that I molest her, and tell her it's her fault. No more." Her father take a step towards her, laughing nervously.
"Callie, please. What are you saying. I would never do that to you. I love you." Callie laughed at him, and noticed he was taking a couple steps closer.
"I'd rather you not come any closer, I'd really hate to punch you." Her father recoiled.
"I beg your pardon young lady? Just who do you think you are talking to here. I am not one of those hoodlum friends that you started running around with." He stopped nonetheless and Callie relaxed a bit. She sat in a chair and looked at him.
"Here are my demands, Dad. Listen carefully. You are not going to hit me again. You are not going to kick me again. You are not going to touch me innapropriately again. You are going to get out of my life. You are going to leave me alone. And you are going to jail. Consider this me reporting you. I'm done with you. If you were a father, you would have never touched me in the first place. If you were a father, you wouldn't have been raping me in my bedroom, while your wife lay sleeping in your bed thinking we were the perfect little family." Her father laughed.
"You see, this is what happens when you start to run wild. You start making up stories, you start being disrespectful, you start being a whore. Enough. do you understand me? Enough. You are coming home where we are going to discuss this in private. Do you understand me?" Callie started laughing.
"No. I'm not. You are going to jail. I am done with you. I am going to start looking for my birth family."She walked out of the room as team one swept in to arrest him.
