Sorry, I know my chapters are a tad short, but I just keep finding logical places to end. It felt to weird to lump this and the last chap together. But I hope you're still enjoying it
-E
"You ready?" Cameron asked, exiting her room to see Remy sitting on the couch flipping through a book.
Remy nodded, and walked over to Cameron.
"Let me zip you up." Cameron said, as Remy turned around. She was getting better at getting herself dressed, but she still couldn't do a lot of things. Remy had been back in school for a few days, and to Cameron it seemed like she was doing a bit better. She still wasn't really eating normally or talking all that much, but she no longer broke into crying fits twice a day.
"Okay, lets go." Cameron said, grabbing her keys. Today was Anne's funeral, and Remy had yet to say a word.
"You don't have to go to school tomorrow if you aren't ready," Cameron said to Remy. Remy didn't respond. She simply got into the car, and stared down at the hem of her new black dress.
"You can talk to me if you want." Cameron sighed, "about anything."
"I'm sorry," Remy mumbled, still not looking directly at Cameron, "I just don't know what to say."
"Well, that's a start." Cameron shrugged. He rest of the car ride was spent in silence. They got to the funeral home quickly and walked into a fairly empty room. Anne's turn out wasn't embarrassing, but the room was by no means packed. Most of the guests didn't bat an eye at Remy.
"Dr. Cameron," Someone approached them. Remy wandered from Cameron's side to look at the casket.
"Hi," Cameron turned around. It was Remy's social worker. They had spoke on the phone and she'd seen her once over the past few days, but she hadn't been expecting her here.
"Checking up on us?" Cameron asked.
"I have good news," the social worker smiled lightly.
"You found her father?" Cameron asked, surprised by the twinge of disappointment in her own voice.
"Well, yes, but that's not my good news," she sighed, "He has no interest in custody. We did find Anne's last boyfriend. He says they were engaged."
"Oh?" Cameron asked, surprised.
"Yeah, Maxwell Green," she continued, "he's interested in custody of Remy."
"Where was he the past week?" Cameron asked skeptically.
"He and Anne had a falling out a few months ago, but he's always thought of Remy as family. Look, he's found her." The social worker pointed to Remy across the room.
Cameron couldn't see his face, but a tall blonde man had his arm around Remy. Remy was standing completely still, not saying a word. The man leaned in for a hug making his face viewable for Cameron. Cameron also noticed that the hug lasted a little too long in her opinion.
"He's so charming," the social worker gushed. Cameron couldn't take her eyes off of him. There was something very familiar about him.
He looked like Chase. Fuck.
"She can't be with him," Cameron said before abruptly leaving their conversation. Cameron marched over to Remy and Maxwell. Cameron put an arm around Remy, and she clung onto Cameron.
"You must be Dr. Cameron," Maxwell extended an arm. Cameron noticed Remy's grasp on her tighten.
"Maxwell," Cameron said, shaking his hand.
"I've told Remy that she'll be coming home with me." Maxwell smiled.
"Perhaps this is something we shouldn't discuss in front of Remy." The social worker said, approaching. Remy wouldn't budge from Cameron's side though.
"Can you give us a minute, Rem? I promise I wont let you go home with him." Cameron whispered into the girl's ear. Remy let go slowly and walked away. Cameron noticed tears in her eyes. She looked scared to death.
"Dr. Cameron here has as much of a legal right to Remy as you do." The social worker explained.
"We were engaged," Maxwell glared at her.
"Not the same as married, and she's scared to death of you. I don't know what you did to her, but I'm keeping her away from you." Cameron glared.
"Are you saying you want to file for custody, Dr. Cameron?" The social worker asked.
"Yes," Cameron surprised herself. Maxwell looked furious.
"I'll fight you," Maxwell answered.
"You may have scared her, but she'll talk eventually." Cameron hissed.
"Are you making allegations?" Maxwell smirked.
"Yes," Cameron responded.
"Perhaps, we should take this outside." The social worker said touching both of their arms. Cameron thought she was proposing a fight for a moment before realizing the service was starting.
She nodded quietly and left the room behind Maxwell and the social worker.
"Why don't we let Remy decide?" Cameron proposed.
"The poor girl doesn't know what she wants." Maxwell crossed his arms.
"If you were part of her family why didn't you notice she was being abused?" Cameron suddenly asked.
"She wasn't being abused." Maxwell responded.
"Look at her. She's pale, underweight, and coated in bruises and scars." Cameron said furiously.
"I left almost a year ago, Dr. Cameron." Maxwell responded dryly.
"For tonight I'm going to recommend that Remy goes home with Dr. Cameron, Max." the social worker said.
"You'll hear from my lawyers." Maxwell groaned before turning to leave.
"Not even going to stay for the funeral of your former fiancé?" Cameron asked his retreating figure. He stopped for a moment before proceeding to leave.
"Cameron, you'll need to get Remy to tell you why she doesn't want to be in his custody if you intend on filing." The social worker said touching her arm.
"I'll try," Cameron shrugged before heading inside. Cameron slipped in the back for the remainder of the ceremony. When it was over he watched people file out before seeing Remy in the center of the room looking confused.
"I wont go home with him." She said staring at Cameron.
"You don't have to." Cameron said trying to take Remy's hand. Remy brought her hands up to her face and rubbed her eyes. She was crying within moments, and sobbing seconds later. Cameron ushered her over to a seat and sat next to her.
"Can you tell me what he did to you?" Cameron asked. Remy shook her head.
"Remy, I need to know why you don't want to go home with him?" Cameron said taking Remy's arms and getting eye contact.
"H-he used to," Remy said between sobs, "he would make me take ice baths when I was bad," Remy tried to explain, but then she kept sobbing. Cameron rubbed her back.
"I would come home from school and he'd say I was dirty, and I tried so hard to keep clean, and he'd yell," she sobbed, "and I'd have to have ice baths as punishment and he'd watch to make sure I didn't get out early."
Cameron shuddered.
"-and then he'd make me stay cold when I did my chores. He said I didn't deserve the warmth of love." She kept crying.
"What do you mean stay cold?" Cameron asked.
"I'd have to get out of the bath and I didn't get a towel or clothes before I finished my work." Remy cried, "and it was too cold and I couldn't do everything fast enough so he'd spank me. Then my mom came home once and she said I was coming on to him, and I didn't know what that meant and I said no, but she didn't believe me. She said I was trying to take him from her."
"Oh, Remy," Cameron said trying not to tear.
"That's when she said I was being slut, and she made him leave. I ruined everything."
"None of that was your fault." Cameron said, still rubbing Remy's back.
"They were going to get married, but I ruined everything. I couldn't stay clean, and if I could have he wouldn't have had to punish me and then I wouldn't have been a slut and then we could have been a family." Remy sobbed.
"Remy, what he did was wrong." Cameron said making Remy look at her. She hoped Remy understood.
"Some men like young girl in a way that they shouldn't, and he was abusing you. You deserve all the love in the world." Cameron said hugging her.
"He did love me. He said he was doing it from love." Remy said.
"Remy, he enjoyed seeing you naked, and it was unfair of him to make you do that stuff. Your mom knew what he was doing was wrong. That's why she made him leave. But she was wrong in saying it was your fault. It was never your fault." Cameron said, wondering if she was being too blunt. Remy began crying harder, but she pulled away from the hug.
Remy glanced over at her mother's open casket.
"I want to get out of here." Remy cried before clinging back to Cameron. Cameron picked her up and carried her out and back to her car. Cameron wondered how long it would be until Remy was too big to be carried. For health's sake she hoped it was soon, but she could tell Remy enjoyed the comfort of being held and she enjoyed the feeling of being needed by someone.
"I don't want to live with him," Remy cried, "and I hate her."
"You will never have to live with him," Cameron said, addressing the first part of Remy's statement.
"How do you know?' Remy cried as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"How would you feel about living with me?" Cameron asked.
"I do," Remy mumbled.
"I mean forever." Cameron asked.
"Forever?" Remy asked.
"Well, until you go to college or move out or whatever you want." Cameron shrugged.
"I would like that." Remy said still crying.
"Me too," Cameron said as she headed back to her place. She wondered if she should address the 'I hate her comment', but she knew it was normal to feel angered by death. Or better yet, maybe Remy was realizing that some of the things her mother did were wrong.