Within six months, Amelia had proven her place within the industry, and within a year she had begun to rise through the ranks, achieving a promotion to a Higher Internship by the time she had turned seventeen.
Unfortunately, just because her work life was close to perfect, that didn't mean her home life was the same. Her mother worked evenings in a Hospital, while her stepfather worked short hours from home during the day - this meant that once her mother left at five-thirty sharp, Amelia's life turned into a living hell as her worst nightmares came to life.
She let out a pained gasp as she reached under her table for a pen she had dropped, tears springing to her eyes as her bruised ribs protested painfully. It was fortunate that the other Lab occupants had yet to arrive at such an early hour, as that was when she finally broke down after working through half the night with only an hour of sleep. With a choked sob, the girl allowed herself to slide down to the ground, mostly hiding herself from view through the glass windows, as she let the tears escape.
She couldn't seem to find a single part of her body that didn't ache or burn. Her ribs and jaw were bruised to the point where the dark marks were noticeable despite the copious layers of concealer she was wearing. Her lip was busted and kept splitting back open every time she moved her mouth (something she had had to do repeatedly to get to Stark Industries). Her right eye was swollen, and a dark shade of purple that still showed through the makeup she was wearing.
Her stepfather had been mad last night - he had just lost his job, and had decided that it was due to Amelia. He had never usually touched her face, not wanting her mother to be suspicious, but last night he had lost any will to keep everything hidden.
The second he had finished with her - over an hour after beginning - he had stumbled away, his belt still laying innocently beside her, Amelia had forced herself up onto her feet and left, nothing but her notebook, a jacket and her purse in her hands.
She had stumbled into the building at three in the morning, given a dazed wave to Harry, the security guard who had seen her enter like this way too many times for him not to be unnerved, and had made her way up to the Lab where she had begun working and not stopped since. Well, until she had dropped her pen and had a breakdown.
The sound of the door whirring as it opened didn't distract the girl from her panic.
"'Melia?" Jared kneeled down beside her, having noticed her curled beside her desk the moment he had entered.
When she didn't look up, he knew there was something seriously wrong - never before had he seen this girl so inconsolable. He sat down beside her and slowly wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders, noting how he could easily feel the bones jutting out of her skin through the thin sweater she was wearing.
With a little more coaxing, Amelia calmed down enough to look up and instantly regretted it.
"Who did this to you?"
Jared's face was devoid of colour and his eyes were wide as he took in the dark colours that stretched across her face.
He could guess the answer.
Though he had never before walked in on the girl sobbing with such ferocity, he had seen the faint bruises around her wrists when her sleeves rode up, had seen the way she flinched when someone raised their hands, had seen the way she came in later than usual some mornings with a slight limp as if the very act of walking caused her immeasurable agony.
Her silence gave him an answer, and he pulled her back into his arms, slowly enough to show her what he was doing, gently enough not to hurt any hidden injuries, tight enough to show that he was there.
"It was your stepdad, wasn't it, Kid?"
A moment of silence passed before another cry escaped the girl's trembling lips and she nodded her head.
The man had to fight not to let the anger show in his expression as he sighed and pulled away from her, still keeping his hand on her arm, "alright, 'Melia, here's what we're gonna do. You're gonna go change your shirt - there's blood on the side, then you're gonna come somewhere with me. I'm going to get this sorted."
He tried not to think of what had happened to cause that injury, "I've got a sweater in my bag, you can have that."
When the girl left, a grateful expression on her face and tears in her eyes.