A/N: Thank you so much for all your reviews and comments. They are greatly appreciated! hugs
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Lila opened her bedroom door with a bang to find Madison curled up on the chaise lounge, oblivious to the wrinkles she was putting in her dress.
"What'd he do?" Lila demanded.
When Madison started to deny that Flack had done anything, Lila shook her head. "No, don't you dare try and protect him. I've known you too long to think that anyone other than my brother could put such a look on your face!"
Sighing Madison gave in, too tired to argue. "He kissed me."
Lila's entire countenance changed, as she practically bounced across the room to settle next to Madison. "Tell me everything! Well…not everything," she amended. "After all he is my brother, so just tell me how it happened."
Giving a brittle laugh, Madison toyed with the hem of her dress. "It's not what you think. He kissed me. Cursed me. Stormed out of the room and found some blonde to drape across him. That's it. Not exactly a romantic dream."
It took Lila a few minutes before she was able to speak, but then she let her feelings fly. "My brother threw you over for another woman! How dare he! I know he's considered somewhat of a player, but I never believed he'd ever do something this cold. You just wait Madison, when I finish with him…."
Her friend's laughter stopped her tirade. "Why are you laughing," Lila asked uncertainly, which only made Madison chuckle harder.
"Oh Lila, I do love you so! You have to be the most wonderful friend a girl could ask for!"
With a shrug Lila dropped onto the side of her bed. "Thanks, but I meant every word. How could he do this to you?"
Now Madison stood to pace around the room. "Look Lila it's not like there were any words spoken, promises or what-not. The kiss just…happened like a moment suspended in time. It was wonderful, splendid. Wishful thinking led me to hope it was at least the slightest acknowledgement of something more, but I was wrong. It was simply…hormones, or maybe pheromones. I'm not quite sure the difference, but I'm sure either could be held accountable for that kiss." She offered up a wistful smile.
Lila got up to hug Madison hard. "I'm sorry. If it makes a difference I don't think he would've kissed you if it was simply hormones or pheromones. Not you Madison, not with all the history between us. I think it's something else that made him do it, although what, I can't exactly pinpoint."
"It doesn't matter. It happened, he regrets it, it won't happen again." Resolutely Madison walked to the mirror dabbing on a bit of Lila's perfume. "Now let's go back to enjoy the rest of the evening. I won't have your brother destroy the entire night!"
Lila grinned. "Atta girl! Come on; let's go grab some crab puffs because I'm starving." Arm in arm the two girls headed down the front stairs, heads bent together, laughing at some absurd joke Lila told.
"Oh ugh," Lila commented with a distasteful glance to the far corner of the foyer. Madison frowned. "What is it?"
Lila surreptitiously gestured towards a large, beefy man with a red, round face. "That is Charles Yolles, he's some distant relation to the mayor. He's an animal when it comes to the ladies, especially when he drinks. He's gotten himself kicked out of several parties while you've been away. He's got a knack for always weaseling his way into events, invited or not, and with his behavior the invites are in short supply. Give him a wide berth Madison, he's trouble."
"Thanks for the warning." Madison caught Yolles eyeing her. He flashed a wink that made her skin crawl. Grabbing Lila's arm she hurried them both into the throng of party goers.
It wasn't long before Madison was engaged in conversation with several friends she hadn't seen in months. She quickly forgot about Yolles. She was having such a good time; she even stopped looking for any glimpses of Flack, who seemed to have disappeared.
The champagne flowed, toasts were made, hors d'ouevers circulate through the crowd, until the clock struck midnight. Then people slowly began trickling out until only the catering staff remained.
Stifling a yawn, Madison headed to use the powder room, before her drive home. She had almost completely shut the door behind her, when a man forced his way in behind her.
"Excuse me, but I believe I was here first," Madison informed the gentleman. He turned to her with wild eyes. She recognized Yolles instantly.
"I've been waiting for you; seeing those signs you've sent me all night baby," he began.
Madison backed away. "I beg your pardon? Mr. Yolles there must be some mistake. I barely even saw you all evening."
He advanced on her his large hands grabbing her arm, pulling her against him. "Sometimes words aren't needed; are they sweet thing? You wanted me. I could see it, smell it. Now be a good girl, don't tease me now."
Frantically Madison shoved against his chest. Yolles ran a hand up, squeezing her breast painfully. "Ouch you're hurting me!" Glancing around for a weapon she realized there was nothing she could reach. Knowing the only option she had, Madison let out a scream.
Yolles backhanded her across the face, sending her sprawling into the vanity. Her head hit the mirror with a resounding crack. She could feel blood. "You bitch!" Yolles grabbed Madison shoving her to the floor. He hefted the skirt of her dress up around her waist, unzipping his pants a moment later.
Madison's head throbbed. She could barely see straight. She told herself to scream, but nothing came out of her mouth. Yolles' hands closed around her throat. "Now we're going to play a game. You'll like it I promise." His finger tightened around her neck, while Madison let out a helpless gurgling sound.
Suddenly the door flew open. Flack ripped Yolles off of Madison, slamming him against the wall. Before the man could even blink, Flack landed two solid punches to his stomach, followed by a swift upper-cut. The sound of knuckles hitting flesh echoed in the room.
Yolles uttered a groan, sinking to the floor. "You bastard," Flack spat. He wanted to haul him up again to repeat the process, but instead turned to Madison. She still lay on the floor conscious, but barely. Scooping her up as gently as possible, he cradled her against his chest.
Her eyes fluttered and she struggled frantically for a moment. "No…please…"
"Shhhh," Flack soothed pressing a kiss to her temple. "It's alright. I've got you. You're safe."
Madison's eyes remained shut as he placed her on the sofa. "He..he…hurt me…"
He closed his eyes on a wave of anger so strong it threatened to overwhelm him. "I know, but you're safe now. You hear me, Madison, you're safe."
Madison sighed. "Safe…with you…Flack…always." Flack's heart constricted in his chest.
Lila came around the corner. Seeing her brother she demanded answers. "Okay big brother, you kissed Madison today and I…" Lila stared at Madison, pale, bloodied and bruised, while Flack dialed a friend.
The phone ran twice before a man picked up. "Taylor."
"Mac! It's Flack. Look I need a favor. I was at a party over at my parent's place. There's been an…" Flack couldn't manage the words 'attempted rape', not when he was talking about Madison. "…There's been a sexual assault on one of the guests. There's blood, probably some other evidence too. I want your team on this Mac, please."
Mac heard the fury in Flack's voice. Without having to ask he knew that whoever had been attacked Flack knew personally. "We'll be there soon, with the paramedics. Is the suspect still there?"
"He's not a suspect Mac, I walked in on him pinning her to the fucking floor- -he's a guilty son-of-a-bitch, who I knocked out cold."
"Understood. Give me the address and we'll be there soon," Mac replied.
Flack rattled off his parent's street information closing his phone with a snap. He turned to see Lila kneeling beside Madison, clinging to her hand. He came over kneeling beside his sister with an arm around her shoulder.
"What…oh god Donny what happened?" Lila looked at her brother with wide, confused eyes.
"She was cornered in the bathroom, got beat up pretty badly, and I think her head is going to need stitches. It was Yolles, Lila. He wanted to…." Flack trailed off not wanting to upset his sister any more than she already was. Even without the words Lila understood the implied point.
"On my god. I've got to call her parents…I have to…to…," Lila's voice wobbled. Instinctively she gripped Madison's hand tighter. "Please be alright Madie, please."
Sirens could be heard in the distance, steadily growing louder. Flack's parents came downstairs wondering about the noise to find paramedics and police in their front yard. Mac, Danny and Lindsay climbed out of a big, black SUV, kits in hand, heading straight for Flack.
Danny reached him first. "Nice penguin suit. What's the deal with our vic?" The three CSIs listened intently as Flack told them what he knew.
"Madison Allexander is the victim; the 'suspect' is Charles Yolles. She's hurt pretty badly. I'm going to the hospital as soon as she's ready to be transported. She'll probably need…" Flack swallowed hard. "She'll probably need a…" possible rape kit. It hurt to even think about what had been done to Madison; much less discuss it like any other normal case.
Lindsay stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm in sympathy. "I'll go to the hospital and take care of whatever evidence needs to be collected."
Flack nodded, moving away to watch as the paramedics checked Madison's vitals, preparing her for transport. His parent and Lila hurried into their car so they could follow the ambulance to the hospital. Flack promised to meet them there.
A few seconds after they all left, Yolles was hauled unceremoniously out of the house, moaning about his bruises, threatening to get everyone fired, and proclaiming his innocence. No one believed him or his threats.
Satisfied that Yolles was in custody, Flack headed out to his car. He knew that staying around while Danny and Mac processed the house was a bad idea, conflict of interest and whatnot. Besides he desperately needed to get to the hospital to make sure that at least physically, Madison would be alright.
It wasn't until he pulled into a visitor's parking space at NY General Hospital, that Flack's hands began to shake. He balled them into fists. The idea that Madison had been sexually assaulted, bordering on attempted rape, stung his consciousness like a swarm of bees.
The dark side of sexual assault victims, he knew from job experience, was that some never learned to trust again. Even with counseling the scars could be debilitating and lifelong. He thought of gentle, sweet Madison. The way she'd hesitantly kissed him back in the library. He let out a growl of distress as he realized that unquestioning, innocent nature could now be shattered because of that monster Yolles.
She mattered; he realized with a start. Madison mattered to him despite her being a socialite. Thinking back he tried to remember a time she hadn't been around for the important moments between their families. He couldn't. She'd been a part of his life for so long, he'd almost overlooked her, but now the realization that he'd be miserable without ever seeing her smile again crashed over him.
Stepping out of his car, he headed towards the hospital entrance. He didn't know what to make of these new emotions swirling inside. He couldn't even label what he felt; it was so foreign. The only thing he knew for sure, as he asked the receptionist for Madison Allexander's room, was that he definitely didn't despise her anymore. Other than that, he only knew that in the space of thirty minutes his life had just turned upside down.