Chapter 7: Everybody Knows

A/N: I own a large stack of bills. This doesn't help them.

Story for this chapter is Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen, performed by Concrete Blonde.

They'd eaten and settled down to watch a movie before bed. Audrey wasn't paying much attention to it. She was getting anxious.

She should just do it now. The boys were here. They were watching the movie, so she had relative privacy.

'Mara?'

Nothing.

She felt stupid. She was trying to get a voice in her head to talk to her. Frustrated, she tried again.

'Mara!' she thought. How do you yell in your own head?

'What?' The voice was angry.

She hadn't planned what to say. She went into every Trouble call with just her wits; no script. She knew how to talk to Troubled people. Who could be more troubled than their creator?

'I'm sorry you're hurting.'

'No you aren't. You love having me stuck here. You want to hurt me.'

'That isn't true.'

'You stole my life. My body. My baby.'

'You were hurting people. I came back to help you.'

'Liar! She told you she was going to trick me, didn't she? All that shit about wanting me to feel safe was a joke. I fell for it.'

Mara's grief was palpable to Audrey for an unguarded moment, and her eyes filled with tears.

'I honestly believed she was putting me back inside you. I was okay with that.'

'Well, you learned lesson number one then. Never trust Momma.'

'What did she do to you?' Audrey asked, curious.

'What everyone does. Took. She never wanted me. My father was the only one who loved me, and she made sure I lost him. You're so naive. You really believe people are basically good. They aren't.'

'Then why did you save Duke?'

She'd hit a nerve, and she felt the tremor of truth before Mara had her guard up again.

'I think ahead. I figured he'd be useful.'

'Why are you lying? You didn't want him to die. That's not something to be ashamed of.'

'Stop playing psychoanalyst. You suck at it. Why are you even bothering me? You think I'll tell you about William's plans? No.'

'I'm trying to talk to you, because I know how it feels to be forced silent.'

'Yes, because Sweet Saint Audrey is so much better than me.'

'No. Because I think you're hurt. The Barn, the lives. 500 years. It doesn't seem like punishment, it seems like torture.'

Her gamble at honesty had an affect. She could feel Mara's surprise.

'It was. Is. You got mad about Duke sleeping with me. I had to feel each man you ever took, under any name. I got no say. Violated by new personalities, violated by their lovers. It made me sick. I'd only ever been with William.'

'How old were you when it started?'

'Momma's punishment? In your years- 13 or 14.'

Audrey was stunned. That was very young.

Mara's laughter sounded forced. 'I don't want your pity. You're nothing to me, any of you.'

Audrey forced her eyes to Duke's face, staring at his lovely profile, softened with relaxation. She put her hand to her belly. She stayed silent as she watched him, feeling Mara study him with her. They were quiet for a moment.

'Stop.' Mara hissed.

Audrey turned to the television, having made her point.

'It doesn't matter. He'd have hurt me too, eventually. It's what people do. Everybody knows that.'

'He didn't.'

'I didn't give him the chance.'

'More's the pity.'

'Leave me alone. And if you're going to hurt my face, take the damn pain pills.'

'Goodnight, Mara.'

There was no answer.

Audrey stretched. "Well, that was interesting."

"What are you talking about? It's got another 20 minutes, and absolutely nothing interesting has happened yet. Nate is never picking the movie again." Duke groused.

"Not the movie, I was talking to Mara."

"What!?" Nathan's head twisted comically, looking all around for the invisible intruder. "I thought you were going to wait!"

"You were both right here. Don't be silly. I said you could be here, not that I was going to do it under a microscope."

"Nevermind that, what'd she say?" Duke cut in.

She thought about it.

"I don't think we're getting a full story. But... she truly doesn't trust Charlotte. Until we know more, I think we should be careful around her."

'Smarter than I thought.' Mara snarked.

"So, that's a no on her offer of prenatal care, eh?" Duke asked.

'No! I swear if you let her near the baby I'll stab her in the eye next time!'

"Absolutely not. We're not letting her near the baby." Audrey assured them both.

"Why would she hurt the baby, Parker?"

"I don't know if she would, Nathan, but Mara thinks so, and that's enough."

Duke gave her a cautious look. "You trust Mara?" he asked, voice neutral.

Mara seemed to share their surprise. Audrey could feel her there, listening.

"I believe Charlotte hurt Mara. Badly."

'Thank you.' Mara whispered fervently, sounding near tears, and Audrey felt her sleep.