A/N: TRIGGER WARNING for reference to sexual assault/rape.
I know I haven't posted in awhile and I'm sorry about that. I am open to giving this story up for adoption, so if you'd like it I will look at your other stories/ask you where you want to take it, and if I like your ideas or I just think you're just plainly a better writer than me, you can have this story. -boots
Disclaimer: I don't own Madam Secretary.
…
"Mom."
Elizabeth blinked her eyes open, suppressing a yawn as she pressed down her ever-present exhaustion in favor of her daughter. Stevie was standing in the doorway, feet bare and arms crossed, one hand rubbing her own shoulder in a way that screamed self-comfort. It had been a while since she had seen her oldest look like the baby she had raised. But here, standing before her, was the teary eyes and small voice of the little girl who didn't want to go to school because her teacher yelled at her and called her names. Just remembering the man that had made her little girl feel so small, those many years ago, made Elizabeth's blood boil.
"Mom?" Stevie called out again, louder and more desperate this time.
That's when Elizabeth noticed her clothes. Her little girl's skirt had a long rip down one side and the stockings she had left the house with were gone. The arms crossed across her chest were holding together her light tea pink blouse… Elizabeth gasped. All the buttons on the blouse were gone, threads poking out. "Stevie?!"
"Mom." She whispered it this time, stumbling forward.
Elizabeth pushed herself off the couch, hurrying forward, arms outstretched. "What happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Stevie just shook her head. "I… I… Mommy." The word came out smothered in a sob.
"Mom, when's-"
Elizabeth looked up to see her youngest, frozen on the last step of the stairs. Jason looked puzzled almost, and if it was any other moment, Elizabeth could have laughed at how adorable her baby boy looked right now, but this moment made the look on his face another blow to her stomach.
"Stevie?" He called out.
Elizabeth looked at the barely standing girl in front of her, watching as she flinched at the deepening voice of her little brother.
"Don't!" She gasped out. "Don't say my name!"
Jason looked to his mother. "Mom?" He said, in a whisper.
"Sweetie, I need you to go upstairs. Call your father for me okay." She looked back down at her daughter, eyes squeezed shut, and spoke softly. "Stevie, honey. We need to go to the hospital; make sure you're not… hurt." Elizabeth bit back the tears welling up. Of course, she was hurt. It was written all over her.
"It hurts. Mom, it hurts." Stevie bit out.
"Mom?" Jason called gently from the top of the stairs. "Dad's outside." The sound of a key jangling in the front door sparked something in Elizabeth. She quickly took the soft blanket from the couch and gently wrapped it around her twenty year old. Stevie shrunk against her at the sound of Henry shuffling through the doorway.
"Elizabeth! Jason called is every-" He paused in the kitchen, staring at his eldest sobbing in fright against his wife.
"Henry." Elizabeth breathed out.
"Stevie, what-"
"Don't!" She cried out. "Don't say my name please!"
Henry stepped back, pain evident on his face.
Elizabeth spoke softly. "Henry. Henry we need to go to the hospital. You need to tell the detail to get ready. And we need a woman driver." No response. "Henry," she said louder, "you need to go tell the detail we need to go now."
He nodded. "Yeah, okay."
…