The prison loomed before her gray and bleak. The place where her father was. She wanted to run and hide as the phantom pain shot down her spine but she knew she couldn't she had to talk with her father regardless of how she hated his very being. She needed to know for sure. Parking her car as far away from the forboding building as she possibly could, Melissa took a deep shuddering breath as she readied herself for what she was about to do.
…...
John was surprised when they informed him he had a visitor. He never got visitors, not since Robert's arrest and Abigail's death. When he got to the visitors' window he snarled. There stood Carly a scowl on her face as she sat down to speak with him.
"Oh, it's YOU. What do you want? I'm already rotting in here. Come to gloat like your mother would?"
"Shut up, Dad!", she snarled. "I'm here for the truth, NOT one of your vicious rants! You were always spouting of the worst kind of bile about my mother, but you never once told who she was, or why she wasn't with us. Tell me!"
"She was just a deceitful bit...!"
"DON'T LIE TO ME! DID YOU STEAL ME FROM HER?! DID SHE REALLY WANT ME?!"
"You wouldn't be here asking these questions if you didn't already know the truth", he chuckled wickedly. "Found out on your own, did you? Or did Carmen finally find you? Oh, the look on your face is PRICELESS! You didn't want to believe it, did you? How are you gonna live your new, perfect little life now, knowing that your birth-mother is the greatest thief in the world? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Melissa stood and ran. She shouldn't have come but she had and now, she knew the truth.
She wished she didn't.
I need a distraction.
Off to Riley's she went for an afternoon of board games, soda, and music.
…...
"Melissa where have you been?" Jenny asked when she stepped through the door.
"Gotham,"
"Well, come on we've got to go!"
"Do I have a session today that I forgot about?"
"No, there's someone special I want you to meet,"
"You're dating again," Melissa asked, sliding into the passenger seat of Jenny's car.
"Heavens no!"
"I'm officially lost,"
"It's okay, Melissa,"
From then on, they rode in silence which Melissa promptly broke when she saw where they were.
"The adoption agency? Her voice cracked, "Are you taking me back?"
Jenny was appalled by the very idea of doing such a thing and was quick to reassure Melissa before guiding her inside.
Melissa found herself in the same generic office she had ended up in before meeting Jenny for the first time. Begie walls, dark blinds, smooth black furniture. The only exception seemed to be a small bin full of toys Melissa took a seat next to Jenny eyeing the frazzled gray haired woman before her.
"They'll be here shortly," she said.
They who?
Melissa soon received an answer as another woman walked in carrying a baby who was sleeping soundly.
"Melissa, this is going to be your brother, Timothy," Jenny quietly explained.
"I'm not good enough?" Melissa asked shakily.
"Don't be silly. You're perfect but I've always wanted to have a little baby. Go on and say hello,"
Melissa curiously peered at the baby strapped into the carrier. He was cute.
"I wanted you to meet him before I bring him home next week," Jenny added.
"He is reallly-"
"I WANNA SEE BUBBA,"
Jenny and Melissa poked their heads out of the office to see a three-year-old girl kicking and screaming on the floor, hitting anyone who got to close.
"That's Timothy's sister," the woman explained.
"They're being seperated?" Melissa asked.
"It happens,"
Melissa looked at the girl noticing something right away.
"Jenny, she has scars,"
"So, she does."
A disgruntled man nearby was explaining why he was returning the little devil as he called her.
Jenny looked at Melissa.
"I'll take her. I'll adopt her too. We have the room,"
…...
Arriving at the prison, Carmen stepped out of the car pleased at her disguise. Anyone who looked her way would see a sharply dressed blonde in business attire, NOT a world-famous thief. She wasn't even wearing red to be safe. They let her through after seeing her press pass.
Way too easy she thought to herself as she sat in front of the glass and waited for John's arrival. His eyes widened when he saw her. He had always been able to see through her disguises.
"YOU!" he hissed through clenched teeth.
"Hello, John," she greeted with cold, hard anger that was downright chilling.
"Pffft! I knew you'd be here sooner or later after our 'precious' daughter came here demanding answers about you."
"Don't even pretend, Johnny", Carmen told him coldly. "You are NOT the wronged party here. You stole her from me while I was recovering from a childbirth that nearly killed me. You hid her from me for years. That was bad enough. But you abused her, brutally. Why?"
"Hah! Why do you think? You betrayed me, Carmen. I thought you loved me, that we were going to be partners. You lied to me! You just wanted me in your bed long enough to give you an heir! Someone to pass your empire on to one day!" John seethed. "I punished her to punish YOU! She looked like you! Talked like you! As I beat her, I saw YOUR face full of pain and anguish! But it was more, too", he smirked. "I knew you might find us or her one day, so I made sure to BREAK her, make her USELESS to you as an heir! 'The Great Carmen Sandiego! Most Brilliant Thief in the World!' But I stole your LEGACY! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"And yet, you DIDN'T break her, did you?", she smirked darkly. "She not only proved stronger than you and put in here, but she's made a new life for herself."
"I still stole her from YOU!", he hissed. "She'll NEVER follow in your footsteps now!"
"Perhaps", she smiled. "We'll see."
"And what's to stop me from just telling the guards who you are right now?", he smirked.
"Oh, Dr. Bellum has already arranged for my safe passage out of here", Carmen grinned wickedly. "You remember Sarah, don't you? Brilliant scientist, hacker, and my personal doctor? The one you knocked out to steal our daughter that night? She remotely opened all the cells in the cell-block furthest from here, and now there's a riot down there. That's where all the guards are right now. While my exit from here is wide open and unguarded. Good-bye, John."
She stood to leave. She turned to look back with her customary smirk from the door.
"As you remember, I have friends in nearly every Prison in the world. Including this one", she said, her smile widening as he paled. "I'll be sure to have them take 'good care' of you for your entire, long stay. I'm sure Sarah can arrange for plenty of 'social visits' for you with them."
…...
It would take a week for Jenny to set up a proper nursery for the baby but they brought his sister home right away converting the guest room to her room. The young girl stayed quiet during it all, pouting.
"She reminds me of you," Jenny told Melissa.
"I know,"
Jenny stepped into the kitchen to make dinner leaving Melissa to watch her future sister.
"I hate you," she spat.
"I know,"
"I wanna see my bubba,"
"I know,"
Melissa took off her jacket exposing the scars that still danced across her upper arm. The girl looked at them, coal eyes full of a sudden curiosity.
"She hit you?"
"My dad did when I was your age then I was rescued and adopted just like you are,"
"What's your name?"
"Melissa, what's yours?"
"I don't have one,"
"I'll call you Anya then,"
"I like that,"
"Me too,"
Important thing to note is I know very little of the foster care system only learning from the TV so excuse my lacking knowledge.
My younger brother though is actually adopted which is why this theme keeps popping back up. I love Monkey to pieces and wouldn't trade him if my life depended on it.
