Chapter 9

"Yeah…" Roger nodded. "How does Maureen know who her attacker is?"

"Ow…" Maureen quietly whimper as she shifted in Joanne's arms, her back, and stomach hurting from getting pushed up against the brick wall in the alley.

"Are you hurt?" Joanne worriedly asked, ignoring Roger and all the questioning eyes.

Maureen sniffled and nodded.

Joanne turned her attention towards her friends, her face full of concern. "I promise I'll explain everything, but can we just take care of Maureen for right now?"

"Of course." Angel said fully understanding what needed to be taken care of first. "Roger that first aid kit?"

Roger nodded and handed it over to the cross dresser.

"Okay Maureen, you're going to have to let go of me for a second." Joanne soothingly said, her hand gently running through her hair.

"No." Maureen whined, and hid her face on Joanne's neck.

"Come on sweetie." Mimi said. "You're hurt we need to take care of you."

Slowly Maureen pulled away from Joanne, but kept a firm grip on the lawyer's hands, her eyes locked onto the lawyers, tears threatening to spill over.

"It's okay…" Joanne said and took in her girlfriend's wounded and scared face, trying her best to hold back her own tears. "Where else are you hurt?"

"My back and stomach." Maureen quietly answered.

"Can I see?" Joanne asked.

Maureen nodded, and let her eyes shift to the ground as Joanne reached out and pulled her shirt up. Joanne however couldn't see anything since Maureen once again attached herself to the lawyer, and began to sob.

"That son of a bitch." Collins breathed as he took in the damage done to Maureen.

"What is it?" Joanne asked, trying to hide the fret in her voice.

Mimi gently traced Maureen's back. "Bruises, and a small cut, it isn't that deep though."

"I don't see anything on her stomach." Angel replied and gently pressed her hand over the toned belly, causing Maureen to whimper. "Does that hurt chica?"

"Yes." Maureen answered, and pulled Joanne close so she could hide her stomach. "He punched me there…"

"Okay, well lets get you cleaned up alright?" Joanne stated, and earned a nod from Maureen.

Joanne held Maureen, while Angel and Mimi helped take care of her wounds. Once Maureen's face was all cleaned up, Joanne looked in her eyes. "Maureen sweetie, can you please tell me what happened?"

Maureen sighed, her body still shaking from what had occurred. " I was walking to the loft, and he pulled me into the alley and forced himself on me…and threatened me like he used to do, but he only got as far as kissing me, and that's when Benny showed up and scared him away."

"So he didn't…do anything sexual?" Joanne asked to confirm the events.

"Not really, he hit me and pushed me around a little bit." Maureen answered with a tremble. "And then he kissed me on the lips, and trailed them down my neck…and then Benny showed up."

Joanne eyed Benny, her eyes full of thanks, Benny nodded in return, and Joanne turned her attention back to her girlfriend.

"Okay, you're done." Angel declared after wrapping the final bandage around Maureen's back.

Maureen quickly pulled her shirt down, and Joanne led her to the couch, where Maureen rapidly cuddled up against her girlfriend for protection.

"So who was it?" Collins tried again. "If you two know the guy, I want to know so I can go find him, and kick the living shit out of him."

Joanne eyed Maureen, wanting to make sure it was okay to tell her curious and concerned friends. Maureen's lips quivered at the thought. She hid the past for a reason; she didn't want her friends to know what had happened to her fifteen years ago. It wasn't exactly a happy memory, and she was already mortified enough after almost getting raped, and having to have Benny save her. But she had to tell them something, they already knew too much to leave them in the dark.

"You can tell us Maureen." Mark said reassuringly. "We're all here for you."

"Yeah Mo." Roger added. "That guy doesn't deserve to be running loose on the streets."

Maureen eyed Joanne again. "You tell them." She quickly said, and then buried her face on the lawyer's chest.

"Okay…" Joanne said while taking a deep breath, her hand tenderly running up and down Maureen's back, her eyes now focusing on all her friends who anxiously awaited an answer. "When Maureen was ten she was…sexually abused by her father."

Mimi let out a gasp and wrapped her arms around Roger for comfort.

"The one we all know?" Mark asked.

"No." Joanne answered. "Her real one, you guys never met him before."

"So that bastard in the alley who was trying to…do those things to Maureen, was Maureen's real father?" Benny asked.

"Yes." Joanne answered, and pulled Maureen a little closer as her lover began to cry.

"I'll kill him!" Collins said with balled fists. "What kind of a sick pervert does that to their own daughter! Or to any child at all!"

"That sick fuck!" Roger said.

Angel sat down next to Maureen, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, her eyes shifting towards Joanne. "Can you put him in jail?"

"I've been working on it for a week, but it's really hard since it happened fifteen years ago. Although he did try and strike again, so I may be able to come up with something." Joanne answered.

"Well if you need anything, let us know." Angel said.

"I will." Joanne replied.

"Joanne?" Maureen said through her tears. "I want to go home."

"Okay." Joanne said.

"Do you need a ride?" Benny asked.

"No I have my car." Joanne answered.

"I'll walk you two down." Benny stated, and everyone said their goodbyes.

After Benny helped Joanne detached Maureen from herself, he went to head for his Range Rover, but Joanne stopped him before he could go anywhere.

"Uh Benny." Joanne quietly said. "I want to thank you."

Benny slowly turned around. "No problem." He then reached into his pocket, and handed her a number. "Here, call me if you need me to be a witness for court, I'd love to help put that asshole behind bars."

Joanne took the number and faintly smiled. "Thank you."

Benny nodded, and the two went their separate ways. Joanne jumped in the driver seat of the car, the slamming door causing Maureen to jolt up.

"Joanne!" Maureen shouted with fear, her face full of panic.

"It's okay." Joanne soothed, her hand interlacing with hers. "It's just me."

"I thought it was him…" Maureen sobbed, and moved closer to Joanne, trying the best she could to snuggle into her, while also allowing Joanne to drive.

"I'm not going to let him get you again." Joanne said. "That's a promise."

Maureen simply nodded, and relaxed against Joanne, letting her body surrender to sleep once she felt Joanne's protective arm wrap around her shoulders.