Chapter 21: The Trick is to Keep Breathing

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, Garbage or these lyrics.

"She knows …/ …fall apart" – The Trick is to Keep Breathing, Garbage

"Mr. Wilson?" asked a female voice on the other end of the phone.

"Yes?" Slade thought he recognized the voice. If he was right about who it was, why would she call him?

"Would you please meet me at the rest stop near Collinsville?"

"Why should I do that?" He was right about who it was. Why did Laura De Mille want him to meet her there, at a rest stop of all places? Collinsville was in the next county. Why couldn't they meet somewhere in Jump City?

"Don't worry, I'll make it worth your time."

Slade knew he should probably say no, but his curiosity was too great. He wanted to know what Laura was up to. "Fine. When do you want me there?"

"Leave now. I'll meet you there tonight."

Slade grabbed his keys. The night just got interesting.

Angela stared at the phone. A part of her willed for the phone to ring. She wanted to know if the police found anything. Another part of her, hoped they wouldn't call. She didn't want them to have horrible news. Most of all, Angela wished her daughter would call saying she was all right and safe. Angela could only focus on Rachel. Nothing else mattered.

"Angela? Ange?"

"What? Oh sorry," Startled out of her thoughts, Angela blinked a few times. When had Raúl come home? How late was it? When did it get dark out? "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was so late. Have you eaten? I didn't make any dinner. You must be starving. I'll get something as quick as I can." She hurried to the kitchen.

"Don't worry about it." Raúl followed.

Angela stopped with her hand on the cupboard knob. "But you're …"

"I'm okay." Raúl tried to reassure her. "I'll make something or we can order in. Heard anything from Rachel?"

"No, nothing." It had been about twenty-four hours since Rachel left that message. Hoping for some news, Angela has stayed by the phone all day. "That's why I'm so worried. Can't the police do anything?"

"They said they'd do what they could but it'd be hard. I'm sure it's not easy tracing a cell phone from voice-mail, especially if that phone was a pay-as-you-go phone."

The fact that Rachel had a temporary phone worried Angela. Nearly every teenager had a cell phone these days. It seemed that it was practically required. Wouldn't Trigon allow Rachel to have a phone? Was that the reason why she had a temporary one? Did Rachel buy it and kept it from her father? Wouldn't an action like that anger her ex? Thoughts like those kept running through Angela's mind. "If only I'd been here, I could have answered the phone. I could've helped Rachel."

"How? You don't know where she lives."

"I feel horrible for not knowing where my own daughter lives. I think she might have mentioned where they moved to but I don't remember. And we tried looking up any Roths in the state but didn't have any luck. I should be a to find my daughter." Angela slumped her shoulders and bowed her head. "Guess I'm not very good at being a mother."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that about knowing where Rachel lives. I was there too but I don't remember if she said anything. And you are a good mother, you just weren't given a chance." Raúl hesitated a moment before he asked, "But how could you have helped her when you don't know where she was? Maybe she wasn't calling from home?"

Angela shrugged her shoulders as she glared at him. "I don't know." Why didn't he understand? "I could've found out where she was."

"And then what? Would you have gone to her? What if she wasn't in the state?"

Angela narrowed her eyes. Why didn't he see how important this was? Maybe he didn't care as much as she did? Why should he care? Rachel was her daughter, not his. Raúl didn't know Rachel. Then again, neither did she. The fact that she didn't know anything about her own daughter upset Angela. "Yes. I would have gone to her, if she needed me. It wouldn't matter if she was on the other side of the country or half way around the world. I would've found a way. I haven't been there for Rachel but if I can help her now, I will."

He hated that Angela was so upset. He wanted to help her. "Somehow, we will find out how to help her."

Angela stood with her arms crossed. She couldn't believe it. Now he was talking we when moments ago it was what are you going to do. Whatever. "She's my daughter," Angela tapped her chest possessively, "I will do what I have to do. I shouldn't have been out having fun while my daughter was in trouble." If he didn't care, she'd do everything on her own.

Raúl didn't like how she sounded like she was blaming herself for what happened. He couldn't believe how possessive Angela was being. True, he didn't know Rachel. They'd never met except for that one time they met in the park. But he felt like he knew her, based on what Angela's said about her. Even if he hadn't met Rachel that one time, he would've wanted Angela's daughter to be safe. "There's no way you could've known she was going to call."

"I should've been here." Angela jabbed her finger at herself, then jabbed her finger at the floor. "I shouldn't have been out having fun while my daughter was in trouble. I didn't even want to go out."

That wasn't true. Angela was exited about having a date night. Was she blaming him now? Neither one could've known Rachel was going to call. Raúl understood Angela was scared and frustrated. He wanted to help her but couldn't do that if she blocked him out. He didn't know what he could say to make her understand.

Angela misunderstood his silence. "If you don't care or don't want to help me? Fine." Exasperated, she threw her hands in the air. "I'll do everything myself. It's obvious, you don't want to help."

"I …" What could he say? Frustrated, Raúl ran his hand through his hair. He didn't want to say something that would make things worse. The woman he cared for was glaring at him. Angela was so enraged that her whole body shook. Raúl understood it was probably easier to lash out at him, especially since Angela could never do that to her ex. But it didn't make it easier for him. They needed some time to calm down. "I … I'm going for a run. I'll be back in a while."

Angela crossed her arms again. With clenched teeth, her chin jut out in anger. Why couldn't he see how important this was to her? Her daughter was in some kind of trouble. Rachel called because she needed help. Her help and she couldn't do that. Why did Raúl have to make it sound like that message was no big deal? Angela couldn't shake how afraid Rachel sounded.

Hearing the front door close, Angela's shoulders dropped. She uncrossed her arms and leaned against the wall. She then covered her face with her hands. Why? Why did she say those things to Raúl? She knew he was concerned about Rachel.

Angela felt bad for getting into an argument with Raúl. He wasn't to blame for whatever was happening with Rachel. Even though she felt guilty for what Rachel was going through, deep down she knew it wasn't her fault.

Ever since Rachel had contacted her, Angela had been tense, stressed. She was expecting something to happen. Angela knew that her ex-husband wasn't the type who'd just let things drop. Trigon kept grudges and if someone went against him, he retaliated.

What was she going to do? Angela knew Raúl loved her but a part of was afraid he'd leave her. Why shouldn't he? She just accused him of not caring about her daughter's safety. How could she say that?

Angela knew Raúl had had a hard upbringing. She knew that he'd had trouble with his own father. She knew that his father questioned Raúl's paternity and he favored Raúl's brother. His father took his anger out on young Raúl. She knew that things got worse between the two after Raúl's mother died. She knew that when Raúl was in high school, his father walked out on him, taking his brother. That could've made Raúl bitter and angry, but he got passed all of that. It wasn't easy but he was now a very caring and loving man. Angela wept. She wouldn't be surprised if Raúl did run from her. He deserved someone without all her baggage.

Suddenly, Angela remembered something. She hurried to their bedroom. She hoped she hadn't thrown it out. Digging through her nightstand, she franticly searched. Finding what she was looking for, Angela left it in the drawer. She hadn't thrown it out, even though she told herself she should.

Sitting on the bed and taking a deep breath, Angela pulled out a small zipper-top baggie. It was only an inch or two wide. It was the type of baggie that held the extra buttons for a new shirt or sweater. Biting both her top and bottom lips at the same time, Angela stared at the contents of the baggie. It was only one pill. The pill almost looked like candy. It looked like it was made of the same stuff as those chalky heart candies or those tart and sweet candies, but it wasn't. What was in that baggie wasn't that innocent. It wasn't innocent at all.

Angela couldn't believe she still had it. Over the summer, a co-worker gave it to her, telling her it'd help her loosen up. At the time, Angela was offended. How dare that co-worker, who was barely in her twenties, suggest that Angela was too uptight. Angela stuffed it in her pocket because she didn't want to be seen throwing it away at work. But at the moment, she had mixed feelings about still having the pill. Could this pill help her?

Since she was so worried, so anxious about Trigon and now Rachel, Angela had trouble sleeping. That lack of sleep and her anxiety were wreaking havoc with her and Raúl's relationship. Tonight wasn't the first argument they'd had in the past few weeks. Although, the others weren't as bad as this one had been.

Studying the pill in the baggie, Angela didn't know if she should take it. That co-worker who gave it to her, said it would make Angela feel more at ease and trusting. She'd feel carefree. She also said Angela would feel a greater sense of intimacy with her guy. That pill would give her a high that would last a few hours. Enough time for the two of them to get back on track.

Angela's dark blue eyes darted back and forth. She couldn't make up her mind. She didn't like the idea of taking a drug to help her feel better. She'd had to do that in the hospital. She didn't know if she'd have a bad reaction or if there'd be side effects. She also didn't want to get hooked on that stuff. Was that even a possibility? Her co-worker only gave Angela one so she could try it. She could get more if she wanted more. Angela couldn't decide.

Slade entered the fast food restaurant at the rest stop in Collinsville. He sat down across from a short-haired brunette. "What do you want, Laura?"

"Hello. Nice to see you, too. I just want to talk."

Slade ignored the greetings. He didn't have time for games. "If that's all you wanted to do, we could have stayed in Jump City. What do you want?"

Laura raised a well defined eyebrow. "You are very observant. And it appears you are a man with questionable scruples."

Slade narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't mean for that to sound like a bad thing. I've seen the way you look at Trigon's daughter. You know, she is too young for you to have such thoughts."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He pushed his chair back and stood to leave. He didn't need to be accused of being inappropriate even if it was true.

"Sit down. Relax. I wasn't accusing you of doing anything wrong. That is, unless you've …?" Laura eyed him suggestively.

"I haven't touched the girl."

Laura grinned. They both knew that wasn't true. She saw him kiss or at least try to kiss Rachel. And Rachel had said nothing happened that night at Slade's place but Laura had her suspicions that Slade wanted things to be different. "Don't worry, it wouldn't matter if you have. It's not any of my business. Although, I'm sure Trigon would be furious if he knew you wanted to screw his perfect daughter."

The way she said "perfect" sounded like an insult. "Sounds like you're not a fan of Rachel."

Laura pressed her lips together and rolled her eyes. "She's too headstrong. I don't know, it seems like no matter what Trigon puts her through, she's unbreakable. She's too prideful, I guess. Never mind that. We should get down to why I asked you here." She looked around the restaurant. No one was paying attention to them. That was good because the conversation they'd just had would've alerted someone's suspicions. Laura leaned towards Slade. She lowered her voice. "Can you break into a place without being caught?"

"You want me to break into someplace and steal something?"

"I'm don't want you to take something. I want you to leave something. Can you do that or do I need to get someone else?"

"I can do what you want. What do you want me to leave?"

"This," she said as she pulled a photograph from her purse.

Slade studied the picture. It was obviously a mother and daughter. Both females had long, dark hair and dark eyes. He thought they looked familiar. Upon further examination, He realized the girl was a younger version of the teenaged version he knew now. The girl would probably look like her mother when she became that age. Slade glanced at Laura then the picture again. He grinned. He thought he had an idea of what Laura was up to.

"I can do this, easily."

"Wonderful, I'll call you with the details." With that, Laura glanced around the restaurant and wrinkled her nose in disgust. She left without saying another word.

Angela heard Raúl come back from his run. He did that to clear his head and to work off energy after they argued. Angela was glad they didn't argue often, until recently. She feared that Raúl might want to run from her. She hated that she was such a mess. All thanks to Trigon.

Angela's co-worker was right about how she'd feel. Although, she went through a short time when she was a little lightheaded and confused. But now, she had an overwhelming urge to do something wild.

Hearing Raúl turn on the shower, Angela had an idea, some way to make up for the argument. She got up from bed and removed her shirt and jeans. She quietly went to the bathroom, wearing only her underwear. She knew he'd never expect that.

Entering the steam filled room, Angela felt incredible. Her nerves tingled with excitement. And her heart raced as she thought about what she was about to do. She was going to make Raúl a very happy man. Removing her remaining articles, Angela slipped into the shower.

"Ange?" Raúl was surprised to see Angela standing there. "What are you doing?"

"I want to apologize for picking a fight with you. I know you're trying to help me. I know you want what's best for Rachel. I want to make it up to you."

The steam from the shower peaked their desires. Raúl studied his girlfriend's eyes. He wanted her but he had to be certain she was okay. This wasn't like her. "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel like you're pressured."

She gave him a sultry smile. "I want you."

With no clothes to remove, things got heated very fast. It had been a while they'd been together. It wasn't anyone's fault, just bad scheduling. They never seemed to find the time. When they did find time, one or both of them were too tired. Those weren't good excuses. They loved one another and they needed to take time to show how their love.

Despite the pill and Raúl's touch, Angela's mind started to wander. Why did Rachel call? Was it something to do with her father? Was Trigon as controlling as he was when they were married? She remembered Trigon demanding things his way. She remembered if he felt threatened, if he thought she was gaining some independence, then he'd strike out. Because Rachel was growing up, did she challenge her father and he ended up threatening her?

Angela mentally shook her head. She shouldn't think about her ex when she was with the man she wanted, the man she loved. It wasn't fair to Raúl. It wasn't fair to her. She needed to focus on right now.

Angela forced herself to be in the moment. Doing so, she felt the magic between them. Lightening surged through her body. As Raúl intimately touched her, a brief thought of her ex-husband entered her mind. No. She would not think of him. Not when she was with a man who truly loved her. Angela wrapped arms around Raúl. She couldn't get enough of him. She needed him as if her sanity depended on their being together.

Angela's breath caught in her throat when he shoved her against the tile wall. They couldn't get enough of one another. She moaned as his lips trailed down her body. Her nerves were on fire. Every touch seemed to be magnified. But she wanted more, she needed more. She wanted to do the kinds of things her parents used to tell her good girls didn't do.

Angela pushed against Raúl's chest, making him step away from her. Their eyes locked as she slowly dropped to her knees. A sultry smile crossed her lips. They'd never done this. The truth was, she'd never done this, any of this. She was always too shy but not tonight.

When Angela once more stood before him, Raúl pushed her back against the wall again. They kissed passionately as he touched her body. His lips trailed down to her neck. She ran her fingers through his wet hair. Again, her breath caught in her throat when his hand reached her between her legs. He teased her delicate flesh. The more intense he was, the more she tangled her fingers in his hair. Angela breathed his name with a raspy voice as Raúl teased her. She struggled for her breath the more he did.

With all of that happening to her plus that pill, Angela felt like fireworks were about to go off inside her. She threw her head back and moaned loudly. Angela arced her back, pressing her body closer to his hand.

Her legs trembled as she cried out. She was afraid her legs would give out. He told her to put her arms around his neck. Raúl held her by her waist once he removed his hands from her body.

Raúl surprised Angela by lifting her up. He held her back against the wall. They had a burning, insatiable desire to be together. If they were going to do this, they'd have to be quick. She was more than ready. Wrapping her legs around his waist, He didn't give her any time to adjust, he was hard and fast. What they were doing felt raunchy but it was also so titillating. Angela tightly gripped Raúl's shoulders. She was so close to the edge, she panted for air. He loved hearing her cry out his name.

Raúl carried Angela to their bedroom after they were done in the shower. He thought she was in a rare mood. She seemed to have let go of her anxieties and her inhibitions. She was so much more intimate with him. That much was obvious by the things they just did in the shower. Raúl didn't know why Angela was so sensual tonight. She surprised him when she said she wanted to continue their night of passion. This wasn't like Angela. She wasn't usually so reckless and carefree.

Raúl questioned if she was sure. He liked the idea of being more adventurous but he had to be sure she'd be okay. He didn't want to hurt her. He knew that her ex-husband had been controlling. Raúl didn't know if her ex took his control issues to the bedroom. Raúl remembered when he and Angela decided it was time to be together, she was timid and still shied away from him. He understood that it'd been a while since she'd been with a man. He also understood that the only man she'd been with, had hurt her psychologically, emotionally and physically. Raúl was gentle and patient with Angela. Even that seemed to be too much at first. Eventually, Angela trusted both herself and Raúl enough to be intimate with him. However, they never did any more than the basics. Any time he'd hint at doing something more adventurous, Angela would shut things down. There were times, Raúl couldn't help wondering if that bastard had forced himself on his wife.

However, tonight was different. Angela had pushed aside all her inhibitions. What she suggested they do, was far beyond the basics. She wanted to be salacious. It was almost as if Angela was a different person. She was both seductress and submissive.

After a night of making love, they fell asleep in each other's arms. By early morning, Raúl was on his side, asleep. Angela held the sheet to her naked form and stared at the ceiling. The pill she'd taken had worn off. She didn't feel carefree anymore. Instead, Angela felt alone and anxious about what they did.

They'd never done anything like that before. They'd never had multiple rounds of wild, passionate sex. They'd never made love without protection. Angela knew she was on the pill so that shouldn't be a problem. She was only in her early thirties, so she was young enough to still have a child. But Angela wasn't sure if she wanted that. Of course, she'd love to have Raúl's child but …should she? So far, Angela thought she'd been a disaster of a mother.

Thinking of children, her thoughts turned to her daughter. Angela felt guilty getting so much pleasure when Rachel could be scared or worse, hurt. What kind of mother was consumed in her own desires while her daughter was in trouble? Maybe she didn't deserve having Rachel in her life? Angela hoped tonight wouldn't lead to her being pregnant. If she shouldn't have Rachel, then she didn't deserve another child.

A few days later, after that wild night, Angela was still troubled by what she did. Had she really let Raúl do those things to her? She couldn't imagine herself wanting to do some of that, most of that if she hadn't taken that pill. Maybe it was a mistake taking that pill?

The phone rang and Angela jumped. She was still on edge and she told herself she had to calm down.

"Ms. Angela Madsen?" asked a woman's voice on the other end of the phone.

"Yes?" The number looked familiar but Angela didn't know what it belonged to.

"Ms. Madsen, I'm Joan Franklin from Liberty State Bank." That was Angela's bank. What was wrong? They'd never called her before. "There seems to be an issue with your account. Would you be able to come down to the bank so we could straighten it out?"

"What's wrong with my account? Did someone hack into it?" Angela feared that Trigon might be behind the problem. He seemed to be behind all her recent problems.

"No, it's nothing like that. It would just be easier and get resolved quicker if you came down here."

"Um, okay, I, uh, I can be there within the hour. Do I need to bring anything?"

"Great, just ask for Joan when you get here. And yes, bring your bank statements for the last six months." Smiling, woman hung up the phone. She pulled on a blonde wig over her short dark hair. She looked like a different person with the wig. When the woman spoke to herself, she had a slight French accent. Moments ago, she didn't have such an accent. She had disguised her voice and now she was disguised. "Angela Madsen, I am going to mess with your head."

Slade watched the dark-haired woman get in her car. He didn't know what Laura did to get the woman to leave but it worked. He waited a moment to be sure she didn't forget anything. With the coast clear, Slade went to the back door. It was a simple lock and didn't take much to get it opened.

He carefully walked around the modest bungalow. So, this was where Trigon's ex-wife lived with this Surillo guy? It was obvious they didn't have much but they'd made their place homey.

Slade wandered through the house searching for just the right spot. He needed to leave that photograph where Angela was sure to see it.

After finding the right spot for that picture, Slade slipped out of the house. He was undetected just as he had been when he entered Angela's house. Not a thing was out of place. No one would know he was there, except for the gift that he'd left.

Many thoughts ran through Angela's mind as she drove downtown to the bank. What was wrong with her account? The woman said no one had hacked into it but what if Trigon did something. What could she do? Did he somehow find out that she saw Rachel? Why wouldn't he leave her alone?

Entering the bank, Angela saw it wasn't too busy. She went up to the counter and asked for Joan. The lady behind the counter directed Angela to an office across from the counter. Angela hesitated and took a deep breath before knocking on the door. The voice that was on the phone with her earlier, granted her entrance.

Angela saw a red-headed older women sitting behind the desk. There was a blonde woman sitting on the other side of the desk. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were still with someone," said Angela as she started to back out of the office.

"Ms. Madsen?" Angela nodded. "No, don't go. I'm Joan Franklin and I need to see both you and Mrs. Camden. Please, have a seat." Angela sat in the chair next to the blonde woman. "Did you bring your bank statements?"

"Yes. What's going on? Why do you have to see both of us, at the same time? What's wrong with my account? You said it wasn't hacked into but …"

"I'm sorry if I alarmed you," interrupted Joan. "That wasn't my intention. And no, your account wasn't hacked into. Unfortunately, a mistake was made. However, it wasn't something either of you did. I'm afraid the mistake was on our part." Joan gave the two women a friendly smile. "Your two accounts got switched for a few weeks. I'm not sure how it happened though. I suppose it's because your account numbers are so similar. May I have your statements?" Both women looked at one another before handing over their paperwork. Joan quickly studied the papers before her. "Yes, that must be what happened. Mrs. Camden's …"

"Please call me, Heather," she said with a definite southern accent.

"Okay, well, Heather's account ends with 5179 and Angela's, may I call you Angela?" The brunette nodded. "Well, yours, Angela, ends with 5719. It was an honest mistake but it shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry. We'll have to be more careful in the future. We will make things right. And thank you, Heather, for noticing the problem."

"You're welcome, but what if, by fixing our accounts, one of us will now have an overdraft? This mistake wasn't our fault. I don't think we should be penalized for something your bank did," said Heather. Angela nodded in agreement.

"I understand why you'd be upset. Again, I'm sorry." Joan gathered the papers. "First, let's see where things are once we get this straightened out. If it turns out one of you will be in that position, we'll do something to make up for it. But, like I said, let me first see were things stand once your accounts are righted."

Heather sighed, then nodded. That would have to do for now.

"Good, "Joan stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go make this right."

The two women were left alone in the office. Angela looked around the office. While she did that, she didn't notice the other women looking at her.

Angela chuckled nervously, "Well, I've never been through anything like this. I was afraid someone had hacked into my account. I mean, on the news, you hear about that happening. It seems like it's happening all the time. You know, if those people would use their computer skills at an honest job and didn't scam people, things would be better for everyone."

Heather had to agree. "There's too many people looking for the easy way. It's shameful that anyone would think of scamming an elderly couple from their hard earned money or scamming storm victims. People don't seem to have morals anymore."

"I think most people are good. They just don't have news stories about them."

Heather smiled, "I'm sorry for getting so worked up a this. But your probably right. There are probably more good people than bad."

"I hope they can fix this. And I hope it doesn't happen again," said Angela as she slightly leaned over the desk to see the pictures of Joan's children. "I wonder if something like this has happened to anyone else."

Heather smiled, "I'm sure this has happened to before." She sighed as she turned to look at the door. "I wonder how long this will take."

Angela glanced at her watch. It was almost three. Schools would let out soon. "Do you have any children you have to pick up from school?"

"No, my …son's in college."

"Oh, where does he go?"

"Texas State. I'm originally from Texas but moved here because of my husband's job." Angela smiled, that explained Heather's accent. "Speaking of children," continued Heather, "I think I must have meet your daughter."

What! "What? No, I'm sorry, but you couldn't have. I ...don't have a daughter. I don't have any children. I've never been married."

"Well, you know it's not strange anymore to have kids but not be married. So, I wouldn't think anything of it if you were. But, I'm sorry." Heather frowned as she thought about things. "I was sure the girl I met must have been your daughter. She was a teenager and looked just like you. Ya know, they say everyone has a "twin" out there. Guess your so called twin must have had a daughter. Wouldn't it be interesting if y'all met sometime?"

This woman's comments startled Angela. Could she have actually met Rachel? If so, when? How? Did this woman know where her daughter was? "Um, where did you met this girl?"

"Oh, it was a few days ago," said Heather, nonchalantly. "Ya know, she had long dark hair, like yours. And her eyes were an amazing dark blue. I'd never seen eyes that color until you walked in. That's why I assumed she was your daughter. Anyway, I saw her at a hospital …"

What! "Was she hurt badly?"

"What? No, oh, I'm sorry. I should've made myself clear." Heather shook her head. "I met her in a waiting room at a hospital. I think she said she was waiting for her father. He was having some tests run. Ya know that when men get to a certain age, they need to have things tested. If he's anything like most men, like my husband," Heather rolled her eyes, "then his daughter probably had to drag him there."

Angela wanted to ask more questions but she didn't know how without raising this woman's suspicions. She'd already said she didn't have a daughter, so why would she aske so many questions about this girl? It didn't matter anyway, there wasn't any time, Joan came back.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." She smiled to them as she took her seat at her desk. "Well, it seems I was right about how the mistake happened. And as luck would have it, the difference was a little under five dollars. That shouldn't be enough to throw off things, but in case it does, we'll wave the overdraft fee."

Everyone stood and shook hands. Heather said friendly, "Nice to meet, Angela, even though this was a strange circumstances."

Angela returned the smile but she was distracted. Could that girl that Heather described, be Rachel?

Angela thought about what that woman said. That woman thought she'd met her daughter. No one who was in town now knew she had a daughter. Those who would know, didn't live in Hamilton anymore. Apparently Rachel and her father moved away years ago. So why would this woman assume Angela was the mother of a teenaged girl? And why didn't she ask where she saw her?

The more Angela thought about it, the more she got worked up about it. Did that mean someone's been watching them? That thought horrified her. The only person who would watch her was Trigon. Why, after all these years, would her ex-husband have her watched? She did what he wanted. She gave up Rachel.

Angela was working herself into a paranoid state. She was certain Trigon had people spying on her. That, somehow, he found out that she met with Rachel. She was afraid he'd take his anger out on her.

Needing to calm down, Angela got herself a cup of tea. She knew she was being ridiculous. There was no reason for Trigon to come after her. She'd done everything he wanted. She wasn't the one who contacted Rachel. It was the other way around. She just had to be careful.

She had Raúl in her life, he'd protect her. Angela put a hand on her flat stomach. She didn't know for certain but she had a strange feeling she might be pregnant. It was too early to take a pregnancy test, but she thought she felt the same way with Rachel. If Angela was right, there was another reason to keep Trigon out of her life.

Angela dropped her cup when she saw the photograph. Where did that come from? No one knew she had it, not even Raúl. She kept it hidden. Why would it be on the kitchen table? Why didn't she see it before now? Did Raúl put it there? Why would he do that? Was Raúl more like Trigon than she realized?

She put her hand on her stomach again. How did he know she was possibly carrying his child if she didn't know? Before and while Angela was carrying Rachel, Trigon was caring and sweet. He was just as a husband should be but soon after their daughter's birth, he became more possessive. He wanted Angela to focus only on him but that was impossible with a newborn.

Eventually, he'd calmed down. But years later, Trigon had used their daughter to control her. Would Raúl do the same thing with this child? Would Raúl try to take her child away from her? Angela couldn't let that happen. She couldn't put herself or possible unborn child in danger.

Raúl came home and was startled to see the broken cup on the kitchen floor. What happened? Where was Angela? That was the only thing that looked alarming. Still, he was worried about Angela. Was she right to be paranoid about her ex-husband?

He heard rustling in their bedroom. Carefully, he went through the house to the bedroom. What Raúl saw in the room, surprised him. Angela was packing clothes, her clothes. She already had one bag packed. Why was she doing that?

"Angela? Angela?" Angela cried out and jumped. "What's wrong? Why are you packing up your things?"

"What are you doing here? Why are you home so early?" She had hoped to be out of there before Raúl came home. She wanted more time and distance between them before he realized she was gone.

For a moment, Raúl thought he saw sheer panic cross Angela's face before she quickly hid it. What was going on? "It's after five, I'm home from work. What's wrong?"

Angela looked at her watch then back at Raúl. It was five-twenty. So he wasn't sneaking home early but that didn't mean he wouldn't hurt her. She tried to calm herself. She knew she couldn't let on that she was leaving him. "N-nothing's wrong."

"Then why are you packing your stuff?" repeated Raúl.

"I, um, I'm going to visit my sister. You remember, I told you about Maureen?"

Raúl remembered Angela telling him about her older sister. But also he remembered that Angela said they didn't get along. "I didn't think got along so well that you'd go visit her."

Angela busied herself with folding clothes. She wanted to avoid making eye contact with Raúl. She was afraid he'd see that she was lying. "Well, she, um ,uh, she broke her leg. I, uh, I have to go help her."

Raúl knew something was wrong but what was it?

Angela quickly zipped her bag. "Sorry about the short notice but I have to go." She gave him a quick kiss goodbye on the cheek. She didn't want to raise his suspicions. "I'll, um, call you when I can because, you know, I'll be busy at Maureen's."

Watching the woman he loved practically run from him, worried Raúl. Had Trigon contacted her? If he did, what did he say? Did he threaten Angela, threaten Rachel?

"Hey, Ange, wait. How are you getting there?" Angela's sister lived about four or five hours away.

"I was, uh, going to take the train."

"Let me drive you to the station. That way we can figure out your schedule."

Angela silently cursed. Why did she say she'd take the train? Of course, that was what she was going to do but she wasn't going to her sister's. Angela had planned to go so far then switch trains. She even considered flying across the country but she couldn't leave Rachel behind, not again. "That's okay. I know your busy. Don't you have that committee meeting tonight?"

"I can miss that. It doesn't matter."

"Like I said, I'm sorry for the late notice. And sorry about dinner, I'm sure there's something in the fridge."

Raúl touched Angela's elbow and she recoiled from him. "Ange, what's wrong? You're not just upset about your sister. What is it?"

"It's nothing. Nothing's wrong."

Raúl sighed. He could sense something was going on with Angela but didn't know what. "Here," He reached for the bag's handle, "at least let me carry your bags to the car."

Angela didn't want him to know how heavy the bags were. She didn't want to tip him off that she wasn't coming back. "No, I'll carry them myself."

"But …" Raúl tried to take the bag, but Angela held tight to it. Her actions confused him. "Ange? Did I do something to make you mad? I thought we were good after that night." He blushed slightly as he thought back to what they did that night. "I didn't hurt you, did I? I didn't mean to, if I did. We were kind of wild. I've never seen you like that. I mean, you started things but we were both into it, at least I thought you were. It was like we were living out some of our fantasies. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry, you didn't hurt me, but I have to go. Now." She pulled the bag's handle from his hand. Doing so, knocked the bag against the door jam. That force was enough to open the overstuffed bag. It looked like half of Angela's wardrobe was scattered on the bedroom floor.

Angela didn't know whether she should just leave it or repack. She wanted to get out of there. She had to get out of there. Seeing that photograph made Angela stop. She couldn't leave without that.

Raúl also saw the picture. He picked it up. "Is this you and Rachel? You two looked so much alike. I didn't know you had this."

Angela rolled her eyes in disbelief and grabbed for the picture, "Give me that." In the process of grabbing the photograph, Angela tripped over some clothes. Trying to keep her from falling, Raúl grabbed her elbow.

"Don't hurt me." Angela shielded herself from any blows that might come. "Please, don't hurt me. If you've ever cared for me, you'll let me go."

Raúl stared wide-eyed as his girlfriend cowering from him. He would never hurt her, especially after he knew what she'd been through. He would never hurt a woman. "Angela?"

"I'm sorry, I have to go. Please, just let me go."

"Why would you think I'd hurt you? Is this because of Trigon? Did he contact you?"

Angela shook her head, "No, I …I have to go."

"What is this all about?" She'd held her composer until her bag opened and he picked up that photograph of Angela and Rachel. What did that have to do with things? "What does this picture have to do with this?"

She glanced sideways at him, "As if you don't know?" Angela spun around to confront her boyfriend. She was tired of running. "You left it there for me to find."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've never seen this picture before."

"Right." Angela glared at him through narrowed eyes. She hurried over to some artwork hanging on the wall. "Somehow, you found it and like I said, you left it for me to find. But why? Was it your subtle way of threatening me?"

"Threaten you? I love you. Why would I do that?"

"Trigon said he loved me too and we know how that turned out. I'm not crazy and I don't need you or anyone else making me think I am." Angela took the painting off the wall and took it over to him. Removing the protective backing, she gasped. An identical photograph floated to the floor. She stared, her eyes were wide and her mouth open. How could there be two of them? She had one and Rachel had the other. Why were both of them here?

With furrowed brows and mouth still open, Angela looked at Raúl. Had she just made a huge mistake?

"Angela?" Raúl picked up both pictures. They were identical.

Running trembling hands through her hair, Angela's eyes darted around the room. Her shallow breathing gave away how panicked she was.

"Angela?"

She sank to her knees. Covering her eyes, Angela cried, "No, no, no, no, no."

Raúl cautiously knelt beside her. "Ange, what's going on?"

She pressed her fist to her forehead then ran a trembling hand through her hair. "I got it all wrong. But that's what he wanted." She seemed to forget that Raúl was still with her.

"What? Who are you talking about?" He tenderly touched her shoulder. She jumped and stared at him. She covered her mouth. Angela shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "Angela, what's wrong?"

"He's been here. He's been here." Wide-eyed, Angela looked around the room. "We can't stay here." She started gathering her clothes off the floor. She hastily stuffed them back into the bag. "He's been here."

"What? Who? Who's been here? How do you know?" Raúl was trying to understand but she wasn't making any sense. "Angela, what's going on?"

"Trigon! He's been here. He's never going to leave me alone."

"I won't let him near you. I won't let him hurt you."

Angela frantically shook her head. "You can't stop him. He's been here."

"How do you know?"

With trembling hands, she held up both pictures. "These! I have one and Rachel has the other. How else could they both be here? He had to be here!"

"Angela …"

"Rachel contacted me, I didn't but now I'm in danger. He brought this picture here to show me that he can get to me. He's sending a warning."

Raúl tenderly held Angela. "Why won't he leave you alone, after all these years?"

"He can't give up control. He craves control …and fear. He thrives on fear. He always apologized for hurting me. He promised he'd never hurt me again. In the beginning, I was so stupid, I believed him. But as the abuse got worse, I was terrified of my own husband.

I tried to get away from him and he tried to kill me. He made it look like suicide so he couldn't be blamed. He forced me to swallow a bottle of sleeping pills."

"How could he force you to do that?"

This was the first time Raúl had heard the details of what happened all those years ago. Angela had been slow to open up to him but she eventually shared some of what she'd been through. She never shared specific details but Raúl could read between the lines. He knew she'd been abused.

"Remember I mentioned that he had a gun?"

"He held a gun on you, making you take those sleeping pills?" Angela nodded as she struggled to control her crying. "That bastard! I won't let him anywhere near you."

"He also threatened to use it on Rachel." Raúl's eyes widened. Who would threaten their own daughter like that? Angela must have been tormented by the decision he forced her to make. "I didn't believe he'd really shoot his own daughter but I couldn't risk it. I had to do what he wanted. I had to do what he wanted. I'm a horrible mother. I didn't want to, I wouldn't willingly leave my daughter with that monster. But I did that in the end." Angela broke down sobbing. "I left Rachel with him."

Suddenly, Angela stopped crying. She once again stared wide-eyed at Raúl. Her eyes were filled with fear. "He's going after Rachel now. She's trying to break free and he won't let that happen. We have to find her before Trigon seriously hurts her."

Raúl held Angela as she cried. They sat on the floor with Angela's clothes scattered around them. "We will find your daughter. We'll make sure she's safe."

With furrowed brows, Rachel wondered if she should, if she could call for help. But who should she call? Should she try contacting her mother again? What would she say? Would her mother come for her? If she did call for help, what would her father do? He'd always said that he'd kill her if the secret got out. Would he really do that? Could Rachel risk it?

A car pulled into the driveway, terrifying the bruised teen. She didn't know if it was her father or Laura, but she didn't care. Rachel hurried as fast as she could back to her room. Deciding now wasn't the time to seek help, she silently cried. She knew she needed some time to heal before she went against her father. She might not only be fighting for her freedom but for her life.

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