Lily watched in horror as the mean man yelled horrible words at her Mommy, who was slumped on the concrete in front of her. She had promised she would stay in the car, but she didn't know what to do. She saw the man shaking Alex, trying to wake her up, but she didn't move.
And then Lily spotted Alex's phone on the front seat of the car. Just that week, Alex had been showing her how to use it in an emergency, so she knew all about 911. But, she realized, as she scrambled into the front seat, her Mama was just upstairs, and her Mama always knew what to do.
Olivia flew out of the apartment, her gun in hand, and her heart thudding. This was her worst nightmare. She sprinted for the stairwell, praying she could get there in time to prevent Alex or Lily being seriously hurt.
Lily watched aghast as Alex finally stirred; she couldn't hear what she was saying, but it unleashed a torrent of fury from the man, who started pounding on her, screaming and kicking. He leant down and yanked, causing Alex to scream in agony. Lily could bear it no longer.
As she ran into the parking garage, Olivia saw Charlie immediately, and knew she could take him out from that distance. One shot to the head would be all that she needed. She leveled her gun, and was about to fire when she heard Lily screaming. "Leave my Mommy alone!" She saw the plucky five-year-old launch herself at Charlie's leg, and sink her teeth in, causing him to howl in pain and surprise.
Olivia immediately lowered her gun. She couldn't risk a shot from that distance with Lily so close to him. Fortunately, Charlie was yelling so loud, and shaking his leg trying to dislodge the intrepid Lily, that he didn't hear Olivia approach. Lily was yelling too, as she clung on for dear life, ignoring his attempts to shove her roughly away.
Olivia took advantage of the noise, running up unnoticed behind him. She hit him as hard as she could on the skull with the butt of her gun, and he dropped like a stone.
Lily was surprised when he hit the ground, and then she saw Olivia. "Go to Mommy," Olivia instructed curtly, as she knelt on Charlie's prone back and forced his hands behind him. She reached for her handcuffs, and forced his wrists into them, none too gently.
Lily ran to Alex, who by that time had managed to half-sit against the cold, concrete wall. She was gasping in pain, and when she put a hand to her eye, it came away covered in blood. "It's okay, Lily," she managed to say, though she didn't even believe that herself.
Lily moved to take Alex's uninjured left hand. She saw her right hand, and couldn't understand why her Mommy's thumb was sticking out at such a weird angle, but she knew it must hurt. She would later learn that the mean man had dislocated it, causing her blonde mother unimaginable agonies. "It's okay, Mommy," she said, knowing that Alex was in horrible pain. "Mama's here. She's stopped him."
After reassuring herself that Charlie was going nowhere, and resisting the strong temptation to beat him to a bloody pulp, Olivia rushed to Alex's side, as she dialed 911. "It's okay, baby," she whispered to Alex, who was barely holding on to consciousness. "Bus is on its way. It's over," with one arm she pulled Lily close to her, using the other hand to caress Alex gently.
"M'okay," Alex said, though nobody believed her.
Within minutes, the parking garage was overrun with police and ambulances, and almost before they knew what was happening, the three of them were in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Once she was safely on the gurney, Alex gave herself up to unconsciousness, knowing that Olivia would fix everything.
Olivia held the very subdued Lily tight, rocking her gently, and whispering lovingly to her. "You're such a brave girl," she told her. "I'm so proud of you. It's okay, now, baby. It's over. Your Mommy's going to be fine, thanks to you. And this is never going to happen again. There, sweet baby," she whispered. "You've been such a good girl."
She could feel Lily starting to shake violently, and realized she was, belatedly, going into shock. She touched her face; cold and clammy. Her breathing came in short gasps. "She's in shock," Olivia said in a low whisper to one of the EMTs, who immediately wrapped a warm blanket around the child. Lily began to whimper. "It's okay, sweetie, I know you don't feel good. It'll be all better soon."
"Sick, Mama," Lily gasped, and Olivia was grateful for the swift actions of the EMT who positioned a cardboard bowl under Lily's chin just in time as she vomited violently, her whole body heaving.
Olivia held her close, soothing her as the convulsions finally stopped. "That's it, there you go. That's better, huh? We're nearly at the hospital, they're going to get Mommy all fixed up, and we're all going to be alright, aren't we Lily-bean?" she tightened her grip on her as she started to sob.
With one hand, Olivia reached out and stroked Alex's face.
"She's doing well," the other EMT said. "She has a strong heartbeat, and her respirations are good. As far as we can tell, she's just a bit banged up, but nothing to worry about."
"Hear that, munchkin?" Olivia whispered to Lily. "Your Mommy's going to be just fine. And it's all thanks to you. You were such a brave girl. There, baby, that's it."
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Olivia refused to let anyone take Lily from her arms, as she followed Alex's gurney down the corridor. "We need to stay with her," she said, her tone firm. So she and Lily stayed with Alex as she was poked and probed, only staying outside the room while she had x-rays taken.
A second doctor came in to examine Lily, but he understood instinctively her and Olivia's need to be with Alex. So he checked her out in the same room, wincing as he saw the bruising on her side. He palpated the flesh, and was pleased to allay Olivia's concerns. "Just bruising," he said. Lily hardly even noticed when he gave her a light sedative.
Olivia held Lily close as the trauma of the day overwhelmed her and the sedative took hold. Even in her sleep, she clutched on to Olivia's shirt, not wanting her Mama to leave her for even a second. By now, Alex had come round, and was trying to reassure Olivia that she was okay, despite the evidence to the contrary. She held it together well until the doctor maneuvered her dislocated thumb back into place; despite the local anaesthetic, this was still agonizing, and she cried out involuntarily. She felt Olivia's hand in her hair as she lay back on the pillow, and she felt marginally better.
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"So, Tommy, you ready for your bath?" Sarah asked the young boy, who had been their son for just over four days.
"Will you come with me?" he was still nervously finding his way in this new environment. So far, everything had been great, but that made him almost more scared that it would all be taken away from him.
"Of course," Sarah lifted him into her arms and gave him a hug. "Both of us, if that's okay. I know Jay wants to play with the new bath whale she picked up today."
Jay grinned, watching her wife holding their child. "He's not just any whale," she defended herself. "He's a clockwork whale. So he can swim around the tub. How great is that?"
Tommy laughed. "Does he have a name?"
Jay shook her head. "You should pick his name. He's your whale now."
"Stephen!" Tommy said.
Jay had to turn away, as she tried not to laugh. Tommy had played in the park earlier, and had made friends with a boy named Stephen, so that was clearly where the name came from.
"Perfect," Sarah said. "C'mon. Jay, you bring Stephen, and Tommy and I will run the tub."
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Once all the doctors and nurses had left the room, Olivia looked over at Alex, trying not to cry. Alex had a busted eye, a dislocated thumb, fractured ribs, and more bruises than she cared to count.
"I'm okay," Alex said softly, reaching out with her left hand to grasp Olivia's hand. Even that movement made her wince. She gave a small, rueful smile. "I will be okay," she amended.
Olivia nodded, trying to keep a hold of herself. The last thing Alex needed right now was for her to lose control. "Rosie and Melinda are keeping Maisie overnight," she said softly, unconsciously caressing Alex's fingers with her thumb. "They say she's fine. Though I'm not sure what we're gonna say to her."
"We'll just tell her I had an accident," Alex said.
Olivia nodded. Lily stirred in her arms. "Shh, baby girl," she pressed a kiss to her forehead. Lily whimpered.
"You'll be stiff as hell in the morning, if you stay like that," Alex pointed out. "Can I hold her? She can snuggle in here," she indicated her uninjured left side.
"Mommy," Lily sobbed quietly, half-waking.
"I'm here, baby girl," Alex touched her back lovingly. "Please, Liv?" her eyes pleaded with her wife. "I wanna hold her."
Olivia nodded, and got cautiously to her feet, the young child still in her arms. Very carefully, she laid Lily along Alex's side, and then pulled up the side of the bed, so that there was no risk of her falling out.
Lily snuggled into Alex unconsciously, and was soon lulled back to a deep sleep.
"She was so brave," it was Alex's turn to blink back the tears. "He could have hurt her so bad."
"It's just bruising," Olivia said softly.
"But it could...," Alex couldn't get the words out.
"I know. I know," Olivia allowed a tear to fall. "But she's okay. And you will be. And Maisie's good. We've been lucky."
"This time," Alex allowed the dark thoughts to filter through her brain.
"Every time," Olivia said firmly. "I know you had a terrible shock, Alex. But he's locked up now."
"Oh God," Alex gasped, realization hitting her. "Casey. How are we going to tell her?"
"I'll call Wheels in a few. She's been so great with her. This is awful, but at least it's over now, or it will be once the court case is done. Casey can start to get her life back."
"This isn't going to help," Alex was fading fast, pain and exhaustion combining, making it hard to keep her eyes open.
"Just sleep, sweetheart, if you can," Olivia kissed her very softly on the lips. "I'll be right here if you need me. I love you baby."
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Wheels came back into the living room, her expression grave. Casey immediately knew that something was wrong, and she could tell by Wheels' demeanor that it related to her.
"Did they find him?" she demanded anxiously.
Wheels nodded, guiding Casey gently to the couch. She sat next to her, and took both of her hands. "He thought Alex was hiding you. So," Wheels swallowed, trying to find words that would make it sound less awful, "he's been following her for a few days, it seems."
"Oh God," Casey paled. She could feel nausea rising. "Alex, is she...?"
"Everyone's going to be fine," Wheels squeezed her fingers.
"Going to be?" Casey asked thickly, dreading what she would hear.
"He caught up with Alex in the parking garage. He roughed her up a little. But she's okay. Olivia was upstairs, and Lily called her, and she got there in time."
"Lily was there?"
Wheels nodded. "She went for him. He was pounding on Alex, and she went for him. Like a wildcat."
Sweat broke out on Casey's upper lip.
"She's okay, just a little bruised," Wheels tried to keep her voice soft and undramatic. She saw Casey turn white, and heard her moan. She reached for the trashcan, but wasn't quick enough.
Casey's stomach twisted, and she tried to catch the torrent of vomit in her hands as she lost her battle for control. The next thing she knew, Wheels had put the trashcan in her lap, and was pulling back her hair, whispering soothing sounds as she heaved.
Wheels was distraught. She knew that Casey would benefit from a sedative, but she also knew how resistant the redhead was to doctors, and she was concerned that if she called the doctor, that would traumatize her more. So she decided that she wouldn't call, at least for the moment, and would do all that she could to comfort her young friend.
For 20 minutes, Casey gasped and gagged; every time she thought she had gotten herself under control, the nausea started up again. She was aware of Wheels comforting her, swapping the trashcan for a plastic basin, and then swapping out that basin for another, so that Casey didn't have to deal with the acidic stench.
When her stomach finally calmed, Wheels wrapped her in the warm comforter. She then disappeared into the bathroom, returning a few minutes later. "I'm just running the tub for you," she said quietly.
Casey just stared at her. "I … it's … oh God," she felt the nausea bubbling up again, and clung to the basin once more.
"It's okay," Wheels whispered. "Whenever you're ready. Want me to come with you?" she knew that Casey was a very private person, but she was concerned about her ability to do anything right now.
Casey stared again. Eventually, she nodded. She allowed Wheels to support her to the bathroom, where she bathed her like a baby, finally washing and rinsing her hair. Before she knew what was happening, Casey was in her bedroom, being helped into warm pajamas.
Wheels guided her down into the bed, pulling up the covers to her neck. She kissed her softly on the forehead. "It'll all look better in the morning," she promised.
Casey nodded. She was starting to feel better. And she was so grateful to her elderly friend. "You never had kids? You and May?" she asked.
Wheels shook her head sadly. "It was hard then... People were so much more judgemental. May would have been a wonderful mother."
"You too," Casey said, reaching out to touch her arm. "You've been more of a mother to me than my mom ever has."
Wheels sat on the edge of the bed, and smoothed damp hair from Casey's forehead. "Wanna talk about it?"
"Long story," Casey said softly. "Another day. Wheels … Helen," she used Wheels' rarely-used real name. "I'm so very grateful."
"It'll all be better, from now on," Wheels promised. "I'm going to get my book; I'll just sit in the chair until you fall to sleep."
"Read to me?"
Wheels smiled. "Of course."
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Olivia glanced into the back seat, where a subdued Lily sat next to the pale and battered Alex. It was going to take a while for them all to get back to normal, Olivia realized. She was just going to have to be gentle, with them both. While Lily had already seen more trauma than anyone of her age should have to see, this had been her first exposure to violence up-close, and it had scared her terribly. And the violence she had seen was against her adored mother. Olivia knew only too well what sorts of feelings an attack like that caused; she was battling with her own thoughts that had resulted from Charlie's attack.
"Nearly back, Bean," she said quietly to Lily.
"Where are we going to park?" Lily tried to keep her fear in check.
Olivia realized that the last time Lily had been driven home, Charlie had launched his attack. "It's okay, sweetheart. We'll park out the front today, and we'll ask Jack if he'll move the car to the parking lot once we're out," Olivia said, knowing that their friendly doorman would be delighted to help.
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"You sure you're okay?" Olivia peered anxiously at Alex, who was seated on the couch.
"I'm fine. Go get our baby girl," Alex tried to sound strong. "And Wiggle. We want Wiggle home, don't we Lily?"
Lily smiled.
"Lily and I are going to snuggle, while you go and get them," Alex said, patting the couch next to her, pleased at Lily's eagerness to settle beside her.
Ten minutes after Olivia left, there was a knock at the door. "Shall I answer it, Mommy?" Lily wanted to know.
"No. I should get up anyway. The doctor said it would help my ribs if I moved a little," Alex tried not to wince as she got gingerly to her feet. She moved slowly to the door, not realizing that Lily was shadowing her. She peered through the peep-hole, and smiled. She felt Lily cling to her leg.
She looked down at her daughter. "We have a visitor," she said. "It's your Evil Auntie Caryn!"
"Vilanti!" Lily said, as the door opened.
Caryn looked at Alex, and tried not to gasp. Her friend had a thoroughly blackened eye, three stitches on her cheek, and her arm was in a sling. "Teflon," she said gently. She touched the uninjured side of her face. "Oh Christ. I am so sorry," she squeezed her hand.
Alex tried to smile. "We're okay," she looked down at her daughter, and her heart contracted once more. She didn't care what had happened to her; she just hated what might have happened to Lily.
Caryn knelt awkwardly on the floor, hampered by her baby bump. She pulled Lily into a tight hug. "I only just heard. I had to come check you were alright," she held the child tight.
After a minute, she struggled to her feet, Lily's hand still in her own. "Go sit, Teflon," she instructed. "Miss Benson and I will make you some tea, right Lily?"
Lily nodded. She loved Caryn.
Five minutes later, Caryn settled on the couch with her own mug of hot tea, smiling approvingly as Alex sipped at her own. Caryn patted the couch next to her. "Come sit with me," she said to Lily. "I want to check you over. Elliot said you got some bruises?"
Lily nodded solemnly, as she scrambled up next to her.
"Can I see?"
Lily lifted the side of her shirt, and Caryn saw the bruising on her side, which was really starting to come out. Alex wiped surreptitiously at her tears when she saw again what had happened to her precious child.
Caryn swallowed. She pulled Lily into another hug. "You were so brave. You're such a brave little girl."
Lily started to cry. "I'm not brave, Vilanti. I was real scared," she admitted, for the first time. "He was being so mean to Mommy. But I was real frightened. I'm not brave at all."
"Oh sweet baby," Caryn blinked away her own tears. "That's what makes you so brave. You were scared, but you went to help Mommy anyway. That's real courage." She held her close.
After a while, Lily touched Caryn's stomach. "You're having a baby," she sniffed.
Caryn smiled. "I'm gonna have two babies. And I gotta tell you something, Lily. If either one of them turns out to be half as brave, and wonderful as you are, I'll know that I'm a real lucky girl."
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3am
Alex turned over painfully, and realized the bed was empty. Then she noticed the strip of light under the bathroom door, and heard retching noises.
She levered herself carefully out of bed, and opened the door to the bathroom just as Olivia rocked back on her heels and leant against the cool tile of the bathroom wall.
"Liv? Shit, sweetie, are you sick?" she touched the back of her hand to Olivia's pale forehead, relieved to feel no fever.
Olivia looked up at her and gave her a half smile. "I'm fine," her voice was rougher than she had expected. "Truly," she reached out, and touched Alex's hand. She got to her feet, and closed the lid on the toilet, guiding Alex to sit down. She quickly brushed her teeth, and rinsed with mouthwash.
"You're not fine," Alex insisted.
Olivia perched on the edge of the bathtub, facing Alex. She smiled. "I am. I really am. Well," and she couldn't suppress a grin. "My boobs are kinda tender."
Alex stared. Slowly, she began to realize the reason for Olivia's smile. "Oh my God. No? Are you sure? With all this, I'd forgotten all about the clinic."
"I'm pretty sure," Olivia watched the smile spread across her wife's face. "I've been feeling kinda off the last couple of days, I thought it was just all the stress. But I got sick this morning at the hospital, and again now."
"Did you do a test?"
"Not yet. I've only just connected the dots."
"Have we got any tests?" Alex could barely contain her excitement.
"I've got a couple in the closet in the bedroom."
"Well go get one. Now!" Alex commanded.
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"I known that was hard for you," Dr Lindstrom said to Amy, who sat on his couch, tears streaming down her face. Robyn sat next to her, wanting nothing more than to pull her into her arms.
"It's just … so …," Amy gulped.
"Amy, I'm gonna be straight with you. You've got a lot going on in here," he tapped the side of his head. "I think maybe much more than you realize. So I'd like you to see a colleague of mine. She's real nice, and she specializes in repressed memories. I'm concerned that you have some unresolved issues that you've buried so deep you don't even know they're there. But you're starting to suffer, and I think it's time you worked on this. How would you feel about me recommending you to Dr Baker?"
"If you think it would help. Can Rob come with me?" Amy looked panic-stricken.
"You can do this any way you need to," Dr Lindstrom reassured her.
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Robyn slid an arm around Amy's waist as they left the office, taking much of her girlfriend's weight. So she wasn't paying any attention when she heard her voice being called.
She looked over, and saw Wheels, sitting on a chair in the waiting room, holding Casey Novak's hand. She smiled at her elderly friend.
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Alex and Olivia just stared; two blue lines. Olivia was the first to react, letting out a huge guffaw of laughter. "Too late to change our minds now," she said, looking at Alex's awe-struck face.
Alex rested her uninjured hand on Olivia's cheek. She kissed her slowly, deeply, trying to convey the love that she felt for this exquisite woman.
When they finally broke apart, Olivia smiled again. "Here we go again," she said, lightly.
"Yup," Alex agreed happily. "Here we go again."