Hi everyone, still working on this since I'm stuck at home due to the coronavirus #jiayouwuhan

I have a question, I'm a few chapters in and a few to finish and this is done! But, do you think I should write a little more explicitly or just allude to it?

TFG

Chapter Twenty-Four

It took several years before Ellie finally worked her way down to minimum security. At every point, there was some block made by the District Attorney. It wasn't until he lost his re-election campaign that Ellie's request was finally processed.

Normally, such requests were handled within the correctional facilities with very little blockage from any other government department. It was purely because Eleanor L'Orange was a special case. She had been sentenced to maximum security in an adult prison as an adult, rather than as a child. The District Attorney's office was very adamant that they keep to this sentencing.

It took the Warden appealing the decision to begin the process. He had to go to the upper courts to plead the case, taking a few witnesses with him to act as character witnesses. It was a closed court session and was overseen by the Judge who took over from Judge Noose after he retired.

"So, what you're asking for, is that this detainee be treated as any other detainee," Judge Xue asked, almost sceptical of how simple the request was.

"Yes, Your Honour," replied the Warden, almost to immediate rebuttal of the District Attorney.

Judge Xue let the two drakes argue loudly for a total of six minutes before calling a time out and threatening to bench both of them. With pouting faces, both sat down and listened to what the judge was about to declare.

"It is my understanding that Judge Noose, my predecessor had a vendetta against anyone connected to the Brotherhood of the Blade. And though, it was never proven that this girl was part of that organisation, due to her crime it was highly likely that she was involved in some organised crime. Though, she was really young when she was imprisoned, it is unlikely that she could have escaped it."

"It is my belief that Judge Noose did not act in due conscious. I am aware that she has not served her full term, and will have to be transferred to an adult prison in three years. But, as she has an exemplary record from Allenview I will allow her to be de-escalated through medium and minimum security, provided that she meets the criteria. Though, when she is transferred to Miltaka Penitentiary to serve out the remainder of her sentence I will allow her to be brought into maximum once again and begin the process over."

"I would, however, like to be kept up to date on this prisoner. This case is adjourned, you are both dismissed," Judge Xue concluded, with a tap of her gavel, dismissing the two drakes from her chambers.

With a glare to the Warden, District Attorney Ruddy, who had taken over from Haut-Volant when he lost his re-election campaign, stormed down the corridor in a flurry of a designer jacket. His poor assistant barely keeping pace as he stomped away.

"A word, Belty," came the voice of Judge Xue from within her chambers.

The large drake grabbed his briefcase again, walking back into the modern chambers and sitting down across from his friend. Judge Xue and Warden Belty Contour had known each other for several years, and though they looked and acted as polar opposites, they were very respectful of each other.

Judge Xue offered her friend a drink and a seat as she took out her electronic notepad. She gestured forward and asked for her friend to fill her in on everything about the girl who had been the centre of a two hour argument between two well-respected law enforcement representatives. Both of whom had aspirations for higher office.

Warden Contour tried to be as brief as possible, keeping only to the facts of what had transpired in the detention centre over the last five years of Eleanor's stay. He told his friend about how she had not caused a single instance of trouble, and had actually stopped a few fights from breaking out. How the girl had tired to access a few facilities within the centre only to come up against several blocks, yet she never acted out. He provided her responses to the requests for visitors and how she had point blank refused to see anyone who could possibly be connected with the Brotherhood of the Blade or accept any mail.

"So, what you're telling me is, this girl is a normal girl, who just happened to be a master thief?" Judge Xue asked after letting her friend finish.

"Essentially," Warden Contour answer with a small smile.

"What has the arresting officer had to say about all of this?" Judge Xue asked, taking a few notes on Eleanor.

"Well, I've had a few calls about her from two officers in the last few years. One was Captain Matthew Abacot, who was the detective in charge of her case. He calls every once in a while, to see how she's doing and if she is willing to speak to him yet about her brother."

"Has she? Spoken about the Brotherhood? Because that could reduce her sentence by a lot," Judge Xue asked.

"Nothing, sorry. She hasn't really spoke to anyone to be honest. She really keeps to herself."

"And the other officer?"

"Oh, that was Detective Flashblade. He just called to check up on her. Well, he did, before he died. He was actually trying to arrange a visit a few years back. It's a shame he died; I was sure that she would have spoken to him."

"Alright, well, you should keep trying to get her to talk about the Brotherhood. Anything we can get on that cursed group will help. And be sure to start de-escalating soon. Has she got representation?"

"She declined the lawyer sent by her brother and has not requested a public defender," Warden Contour answered simply.

"Try to get her to see one of the public defenders, one who specialises in parole. And, it might be better to get someone who is used to working with adults rather than children, as she's still going to treated as an adult for a while. Keep me up to date though, I want to know everyone who is coming or going in connection to this case. It might also be a good idea to keep Detective Abacot involved as well. In case she does decide to hand over evidence, but I doubt she'll hand it over to the D.A.'s department."

After chatting for a little while longer, Warden Contour left to begin the process of de-escalating his detainee and to inform the staff of this change. He found the girl in question sitting by her desk, writing and reading a book, something that she always seemed to be doing.

"Good afternoon, L'Orange," Warden Contour said as he came up to the cell door.

"Good afternoon, Sir," Ellie said, turning around and facing the older drake. She didn't like talking to the Warden, but knew that she had to at least be polite to the drake as he was the one in charge of everything in the Detention centre.

"So, L'Orange, I have spoken to the High Court Judge, who does agree that we should begin to de-escalate you. But that does mean that once you transfer over to the adult prison, you will have to start back in maximum security. It should make the next few years here a little more comfortable though. How does that sound, L'Orange?" the Warden asked to which Ellie only shrugged.

The drake didn't read too much into her dismissive attitude though. He had learned that the girl didn't trust anyone in the Detention centre, if she trusts anyone at all. He would need to prove to her that this was really happening before he could see any emotion from her.

The next day Ellie was transferred over to a medium security wing. It was larger than the maximum security wing, as it contained more girls. These girls weren't as dangerous as the girls that Ellie had been dealing with for the last few years, but they were still rather violent. They were mostly all in for assault or drug charges, rather than murder.

Once Ellie had been settled into her cell, which could house two girls rather than one, one of the new guards came up to her to let her know that she had a visitor. The guard had been briefed that no one was permitted to visit Ellie as she had never signed off on any of the visitor requests. But, this older female duck didn't seem to understand this and had visited every three months for the last few years.

"I don't take visitors," Ellie had said simply to the guard.

"Come on, kid, she's been waiting here for the last four hours to see you," the guard replied.

This threw Ellie off a little, as she couldn't think of any female who would visit her. All her previous acquaintances were drakes. The only female who had been part of her life, that was still alive, was her brother's housekeeper.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Ellie agreed to see the duck that was waiting for her. But, as she had never accepted a visitor before, she had to be told the process which took a while. By the time she was escorted into the visitors room, most of the other detainees had finished.

Though, it did make spotting her visitor a lot easier. As she was the only one waiting on the other side of the thick glass partition. The older female was dressed in a very simple outfit, just the same as she had worn when she was working. Her light brown plumage was still well kept and her mane was still up in its bun. It seemed that the years had not changed Madam Isa much.

Sitting down in the booth, Ellie was surprised to see how happy the middle-aged duck looked. It was as if she had been given a wonderful gift. She picked up the receiver on her side of the booth and gestured for Ellie to do the same.

"Mademoiselle Eleanor, it is wonderful to see you! You look well, I was so worried about you. But my, how you've grown! I do believe you are almost as tall as I am now! And look at that lovely face, you are the spitting image of your mother now," Madam Isa exclaimed in Rouenin as soon as Ellie held the receiver to her ear.

"Madam Isa, what are you doing here?" Ellie asked, still shocked at seeing her in the detention centre.

"Why, I'm here to visit you, young miss. I have come to visit every few months since you were incarcerated. And, each time they turned me away. But I was not going to give up on you, I knew eventually you would let me see you," Madam Isa exclaimed as she began to pull things out from her large bag, obviously intending to show Ellie.

"Um, Madam Isa, does my brother know you're here?" Ellie asked uncertainly, causing the older duck to stop what she was doing.

"I don't believe he does, Mademoiselle Eleanor, you see, today is my day off from your home. I have not told Monsieur L'Orange that this is what I do on my day off. He told me somewhat of your desire to not see him again, so I suspected that you would not want me to tell him," Madam Isa replied cautiously. She obviously was not supposed to know as much as she knew, as was the case with household staff the world over. You often forget that they are there and will say things that should be kept in private without noticing their presence.

"I would appreciate it if he continues to be unaware about these visits," Ellie said carefully, her eyes downcast as she spoke. She really didn't want anything to do with anyone from her brother's world. But she didn't want to turn away someone who had tried to see her every few months for several years. It had gotten rather lonely with no one to speak to at all.

"As you wish Mademoiselle Eleanor," Madam Isa replied with a small smile, before she began to pull many things out of her bag to show Ellie.

It seemed the old hen had years worth of things to talk about with the young girl. She took her on a guided tour of her entire family, showing photos from birthday parties and Yuletide gatherings. She explained who everyone in the photos were and who they were related to, as well as small anecdotes to go with each name and face.

The only thing she pointedly did not speak about was Duke. That seemed to be a topic to be avoided at all costs. Which Ellie appreciated, as she did not want to think about her brother let alone be confronted with evidence of what he was doing now.

When their two hours were up, Madam Isa promised to be back in three months times. As that had become her routine now. She would bring the baked goods that she had baked, which were often taken by the guards. She also asked her young mistress if there was anything else that she wanted.

"Madam Isa, I am no longer your employer. You do not need to go to such trouble for someone who really means nothing to you," Ellie said sadly. It had been nice speaking to Madam Isa, but she didn't think that it would happen again. Nor did she expect Madam Isa to devote her time to her.

"I understand that young Miss, but I want to do this. I have come every three months for the last five years with no expectation of seeing you, yet I still come. Everyone needs to have someone. So, young miss, I will see you again in three months time," Madam Isa replied with such a note of finality that Ellie could not argue.

It took a great deal of strength not to let herself cry as she watched the older duck leave. It was nice to have someone come to see her, who wasn't after something. She still got phone calls from Detective Abacot from the ninth precinct every once in a while. Most likely when her brother had committed some crime and they were desperate for information. But, over the years, the only people she had had regular contact with was Mr Trill and Guard Danders.

It struck Ellie that the only people who she had ever spoken to over the course of her life had been adults, or people so much older than her. She realised that it might be a good thing that she was never going to be released during her formative years, as she would not be able to relate to another person her age.

Not that she would have much opportunity to while she was locked up. The majority of the girls in the Detention centre were too scared to speak to her, as they all knew that she had been both imprisoned as an adult and had spent the majority of her five years in the Detention centre in maximum security. Even the girls who made up maximum security never wanted to speak to her. Both because she was incredibly introverted and they were afraid of annoying someone who was in the Brotherhood.

It had been no secret that Ellie was part of that elusive and notorious gang. Several of the detainees were actually paid to try to carry messages to Ellie, as well as some of the guards. Each one was met with a swift and deadly glare from the girl as soon as they tried to speak to her.

That was probably why Ellie had such a hard time trying to bond with anyone. She was afraid they would merely be passing information back to her brother or to another member of his gang. And, she would rather her brother knew nothing about her anymore. She didn't want someone to report back to him when she was at her weakest so that he could once again worm his way into her life.

Once Ellie began to see Madam Isa, time began to move a lot quicker. Having something to look forward to seemed to help her spirits. Especially when Madam Isa was allowed to give her some of the items that she brought with her. Though, they were often confiscated as she was still in medium security and they had to pass the guards.

Every once in a while she would even get a visit from Guard Danders, who had transferred across to the minimum security wing. She would even still bring her some simple things, such as the books that were still being sent by Mr Trill and sheet music.

So, it was a real surprise that she was once again de-escalated after serving nine months in medium security. The time had flown by so quickly that Ellie was sure that a mistake had been made.

"No mistake, L'Orange. You really should have only been in medium for three months, but the D.A. is still trying to put his foot down. Now, get your things so we can get moving," Guard Danders said matter-of-factly as she stood waiting.

It was nice to know that once again Danders was going to be put in charge of her. She had missed the strait-laced hen while she was in medium security. She actually felt like she was looking out for her well-being at times, rather than just waiting for her to age out into the adult prison.

That would be something that was going to happen very soon, thought Ellie. She had been in Allenview for over six years and only had a year and a half yet before she was transferred across to Miltaka. Guard Danders had begun to suggest that she gets a new lawyer for that process, so that she didn't languish in maximum for as long as she did this time. Or, to at least get her sentence shortened and have her exemplary behaviour in Allenview taken into account since her records were going to stay open instead of being sealed like every other young offender.

Walking towards minimum security was strange for both Ellie and Millie Dander. As, the last time they had walked this corridor together was when Ellie was brought into Allenview when she was ten years-old. Now, she was over sixteen years old and almost as tall as Millie. She would most likely keep growing for a while yet and be a lot taller than Millie by the time she left Allenview.

As they walked, Millie could see some of the male guards looking Ellie up and down. This made her feel very uncomfortable, though she doubted that Ellie noticed their leering looks. Her only interaction with the opposite sex had been when she was a child and would most likely not realise what these drakes were all looking at.

She hoped none of them tried anything with the girl, as she felt rather protective of the young girl she had watched grow up for the last six years. She also knew that her brother's lawyer bribed some of the staff for information on how Ellie was doing. If it got back to him that a male guard had done anything to Ellie, then those guards would most likely be drawn and quartered. Not that that was a bad thing, drakes who took advantage of young girls, but it was the principle of the thing.

The cell that Dander took Ellie to was to house two girls. They tried to keep girls of around the same age in the same cells, same as in medium security. It was only through sheer luck that Ellie had had her cell to herself while in medium security. But there were a lot more ducks in minimum security than in every other part of the prison.

There were two desks in this cell, as well as two chairs. There were actually cabinets with locks on them, rather than the clear plastic boxes that Ellie had so far used. There was a bunk bed, with a ladder to access the top. And a few shelves near the head of the beds and above the desks. There was even a window that looked out into the frozen and bleak yard.

All together, it was the nicest cell that Ellie had been in so far. But that was not what drew her attention. The young duck lying across the top bunk, reading was what she was focusing on.

The girl seemed to be around Ellie's age, she was guessing about fifteen or sixteen. She had a long, violet mane against her tan plumage. She seemed quite tall as well as quite thin. Her tired face was looking at Ellie curiously as Dander pulled back the cell door and escorted Ellie into her new cell to meet her new cellmate.

"Afternoon, Guard Dander," the other young duck said, as she sat up and put her notepad down.

"Good afternoon, I'd like to introduce you to your new cellmate. Tia Plume this is Eleanor L'Orange. She was just de-escalated from medium security. I expect not to have any trouble from either of you during your stay on minimum, or else you, Plume, will be escalated up to medium and you, L'Orange, will be escalated back up to maximum and we'll need to start this whole process all over again. I will leave you two to get better acquainted. Plume, how about showing L'Orange around the facilities?" Dander asked, not expecting any other answer expect a positive one.

Once she had her positive answer, she nodded and left the two young hens to their own devices. She didn't expect Eleanor to say anything to Tia, but she hoped that she might start to open up a little in the next few months. Walking back to the offices, Millie placed another call to her younger cousin who worked in the public defender's office. She had started to give her information about Eleanor in the hope that the young girl would accept the counsel.

Back in the cell, Ellie had not moved a muscle. She was just standing in the middle cell, staring after Guard Dander and the open door to the cell. In the six years that she had been in Allenview, she had never been left in a room with an open door. Every place she went, she either had a guard present or a locked door. The idea that she was now free to come and go, was very unnerving for her.

"Hey, you okay there?" came an unsure voice from somewhere else in the cell.

Ellie had almost forgotten that she was not alone in the cell. She would be sharing this space with another person, which was something that she had not done, ever. She had always had her own room, her brother almost insisting on having the space. And though she would often crawl into bed with him, she still had her own space to retreat into.

Being very unsure how to feel at the moment, all Eleanor could do was nod. Though she didn't move from the space the occupied in the centre of the cell. She merely clutched her clear plastic box of her meagre belongings, trying to figure out what to do next.

"Why don't you put your stuff down there, then I can show you around the place. There's not really that much, but it's something, I guess," the other girl, Tia Plume, said as she began to climb down from the top bunk.

Not knowing what else to do, Eleanor placed her box down on the bottom bunk. She could see a lot of things doted around the cell, pictures of the girl who was sharing her cell with another older duck. There were books and magazines as well, and a few trinkets and snacks. The place looked lived in by someone who had had a life before they were sent to the Detention centre.

"So, um, I'm Tiana Plume, Tia is fine," the other girl, Tia said, holding out her hand for Eleanor to shake.

"Eleanor L'Orange," Eleanor replied, taking her hand cautiously.

"Eleanor? You can't be serious, that sounds like an old lady name," Tia replied with a half-amused smile on her beak.

"It was my grandmother's name," Eleanor replied, pulling her hand back in indignation. That was possibly the first time she had ever spoken to someone her own age and the first thing they did was insult her.

"You ever meet her?" Tia said asked a shrug.

"What, no, she died before I was born," Eleanor answered incredulously. She hadn't interacted much with other ducks, but this seemed to her to be a little rude.

"Then you don't really owe her anything, do you? You got a nickname or something?" Tia asked, tilting her head and smiling again.

"I, um, I guess my brother called me Ellie, but I do prefer Eleanor," Eleanor replied.

It looked for a moment as if the other girl was going to accept Eleanor's wishes. But then she shrugged and continued.

"You know, Ellie sounds like such a little girls' name. But Eleanor sounds like an old lady. I know, I'm gonna call you Ella. That'll suit you."

"You know, you can call me that if you wish, but I'm probably not going to ever answer to it," Eleanor replied with ice in her voice, already annoyed by her new cellmate.

"I don't know about that, Ella, I can be pretty persuasive. Plus, Ella, I'm like a canine with a bone. I'll just keep calling you Ella, Ella," Tia said with a smile on her beak as she began to saunter out of the cell, as if she had just won a great victory.

After a few moments, where the other girl disappeared from sight, she popped her head back into the cell to ask if 'Ella' was coming. With a deep breath to control her growing irritation, Eleanor followed the other girl out of the cell and down the hallway.

It didn't take long for Eleanor to catch up with Tia, as she seemed to be walking at a very leisurely pace, as if she knew that Eleanor would follow. When they were walking next to each other Tia began to point out various things in the minimum-security wing.

This part of the detention centre seemed to be a lot livelier and a little more cared for. There were posters on the walls of the hallways, either with motivational messages or information about various programmes. Eleanor also noticed that there were several bulletin boards with handwritten notes, typed up notes or handmade posters and pictures.

"There's quite a few younger kids here, who couldn't go to foster care, so they got sent here. And, to keep them from coming back they make them do all this shit. But kids our age tend to be forgotten, like we're too old to change our ways or something. What are you in for anyway, Ella?" Tia asked, while she angrily gestured towards the walls.

"Grand larceny," Eleanor replied, without missing a beat.

"I'm not exactly sure what that is," Tia replied with a confused smile.

"I stole the Mallar Emerald," Eleanor said simply causing her companion to stop dead in disbelief.

"Were you caught? Ella," Tia asked, adding her new nickname as an afterthought.

"Well, obviously, or I wouldn't be here, would I?"

"I guess that's true. Why did you try to steal it, Ella?"

"You talk a lot."

"That I do, Ella. That I do," Tia replied with a big smile on her beak. They then continued down the hallways poking into different rooms, with Tia explaining what each room was for and who usually uses it.

All the while Ella refused to speak or to acknowledge anything that was said to her. She felt uncomfortable with the girl who already took too many liberties for Eleanor's liking. She didn't like how she had given her a nickname and had commented on different parts of her life.

When the tour had finished, it was time to eat, so Tia showed Eleanor to the lunchroom. And, on the way, introduced her to everyone as Ella. She gave up correcting Tia after the first twelve introductions. She just tried to ignore it, knowing that none of these girls would probably ever talk to her anyway.

During her first few months in minimum security, Eleanor tried to keep to herself. Much as she did when she was in the maximum and medium security wings. She also mostly kept in her cell, as she had become so used to being in a cell that she felt uncomfortable going into the larger communal areas. When she went to get her meals, she almost felt like having a panic attack.

She couldn't process all the people around her, all trying to speak over each other. Luckily, no one really spoke to her after the first few days. The only exception was Tia, who seemed to attach herself to Eleanor. She would always pop up somewhere, speaking to her, often not requiring Eleanor to respond.

After a few months, where Eleanor tried to distance herself and shut herself off as much as possible, she arrived back in her cell after a visit from Madam Isa. It always made her feel quite emotional, seeing her old housekeeper, and she didn't always know how to act afterwards.

"So, who was that?" Tia asked from the top bunk almost as soon as she entered the cell.

Eleanor didn't want to answer, but she knew that if she didn't then the girl would just keep asking until she did. So, she explained that every three months her old housekeeper came to visit her for a few hours.

"So, the only person who visits you is someone who used to work for you? And you've only had, what, four visits in the six years that you've been here? Gotta say, Ella, that is really sad. My aunt comes to visit me every week, and I've only been in for a year and a half," Tia said.

"My name is Eleanor, not Ella, how many times do I have to tell you!" Eleanor finally yelled. She had asked Tia many times not to call her Ella, but the other girl still persisted.

With a deep breath, Tia jumped down from the top bunk to stand in front of Eleanor. Almost as soon as the other girl was in front of her Eleanor went into a very subtle defensive stance. She had not had to use it since she arrived, as her reputation as a hardened criminal proceeded her, but she still kept up her practice. Years of training would not be wasted while her formative years slipped from her.

"Eleanor is the name of the prisoner who has no one. Ellie is the little girl who was made into an adult instead of being able to be a kid. Look, I know you've had a really fucked up life, we all have, but I'm guessing yours was even more so, if the only person who you are willing to talk to is someone who you once paid to clean your house. And I've tried, I've really tried to get you to talk, but these walls you've built around yourself are so thick that they're almost impossible to crack! But, you know what, we're both stuck in this cell together, until we both age out into adults, so how about we try to make the most of it, okay?"

With that final statement, Tia turned away, obviously emotional as well, while Eleanor just stood in the middle of the cell. She had relaxed her stance but she still felt on guard. She knew all those things about herself, she knew that she had been messed up completely and would most likely never recover unless she got some professional help. Or maybe, if she just started talking and interacting.

"What are you in for? You said you were going to age out, so what are you in for?" Eleanor asked, she had been curious for a while, but didn't want to ask.

The sharp turn that Tia made as she was about to climb back up onto her bunk showed how surprised she was to have Eleanor initiate a conversation. But she recovered quickly enough. She then slowly sat down on Eleanor's bed, while she went to sit down at her desk.

"Dealing. My father was a dealer, and he needed me to 'start pulling my weight since my whore mother left'. So, I started dealing at school, I wasn't making good grades anyway, so I thought I might as well try to make some money. I got caught a few times, and my aunt and grandma tried to help, as I was sampling as well, you know. I was trying to get clean, then my dad, well, he persuaded me to help him again. It was a big score and I got five to ten."

The story sounded so similar to Eleanor's, that she thought that this girl might be a plant from the D.A. to try and get her to talk. That there was no other reason for this girl to be talking to her other than to try and lull her into a false sense of security and build a confidence to exploit.

"I told my brother I didn't want to do it. That I had a bad feeling about it, but he didn't listen. And then I got twenty-five years to life," Eleanor said after a few minutes of silence. She still didn't know if this girl was a plant, but it might be worth trying some interaction with another person her age.

"And then you got twenty-five to life. How old were you when they brought you in?"

"Almost ten. I've spent almost half my life in here. And I am expecting to spend the other half of my life in the adult prison. By the time I get out, I will have only spent a tiny proportion of my life outside," Eleanor said gloomily.

"Does your brother not come and visit, I mean, it is his fault?"

"Does your father?"

"Touché," Tia said with a smile, "Is that why you're nervous talking to people?"

Eleanor didn't really want to give an answer, she was beginning to feel very vulnerable. But she nodded her head anyway and began to explain a little bit about what her childhood had been like. And Tia just sat and listened, occasionally asking questions or making comments.

"Gotta say, Ella, you've had a pretty fucked up life," Tia said before getting up and climbing back up to the top bunk.

"You know, I think Ella is starting to grow on me," Ella said with a small smile.

"Good, cause I'm not going to stop calling you it. Ella," Tia said with a cheeky grin, causing them both to burst out laughing.

thanks for reading and sticking with this

Palacegirl: thank you for your prayers! Send them to Wuhan too, which was ground zero and has had the majority of the deaths.

Rocky704: thanks, people need to remember that this is effecting people not numbers and we're all dealing with it as best as we can.

TFG