Disclaimer:
I don't own the name Jetta. See pt. 1 for the extensive Disclaimer/Claimer.
ETC:
Gio = Geo
-*-*-
Have Faith
Part Two:
Questions and Answers
-*-*-
Harmony Elizabeth Jewel Parker sat in the back seat of Gwendolyn O'Connell's red Jetta. At fourteen, she was a quiet young girl. Her mid-back length golden-brown hair was half-up, half-down and her curls were returning even though she'd had her hair straightened. Her eyes, the same aquamarine-blue as her godfather, stared straight ahead of her. Her 5'0" frame seemed smaller from her slumped posture and sullen look. Even her lightly tanned skin – which would convey that she spent time outdoors – betrayed her emotions.
Gen Patrick O'Connell, Beth's best friend since they were six, always seemed to know what she was thinking – even when her thoughts were darkest. She and Gen's twin sister, Giovanna Padraigin, loved to tease him, especially since Gio realized her brother's real feelings for Beth. But for the Irish-Asian young man, he doubted she'd ever go out with him or even like him that way. Her past, complex and painful, forced her into a state of perpetual fear of men – all except two. But his being one of the two made no difference to her. She was still fearful.
Sighing through the silence, Gio spoke, "So what's this Harm person like? He cute?"
Beth replied, "Is that all you think of?"
"Yep." She turned around in the passenger seat to look at her friend, "Would you prefer I think of girls?"
"Nah, but my uncle? Are you psychotic?"
Gio grinned, "Hey. Guys are guys." She paused, "So ya' gonna tell us what he's like or what?"
Beth looked down at her hands then at Gen and Gio, "He's sweet. Really funny at times. He had this 'vette, crimson red, but it got stolen and stripped."
"That bites." Gen interrupted.
"The big one, I know. He complained for two hours straight. He had this identity crisis. Davy was threatening to slap him through the phone."
"How's his smile?" Wendy asked. (A/N: Here on in, Gwendolyn is known as Wendy.)
"What does that matter?" Beth asked back, looking at her strangely.
"If he has a good smile, he has a good heart."
Beth flashed a momentary smile of her own, but it disappeared before it could be noticed, "His smile is like the sun. When I see Uncle Harm smile, everything is right in the world and I know I'm safe." She replied, comforted by memories of her beloved uncle.
Wendy smiled at her in the rear-view mirror, "Alright, girls and boy, keep an eye out for the Falls Church exit."
"You mean the one you just passed?" Beth shot back.
Wendy smirked at the three teens, who were hysterically laughing, "Funny. Yeah, yeah, keep laughin'. I hope your uncle is a patient man." She said, as she got off the next exit.
-*-*-
Davy finished her salad and quickly noticed that everyone else at the table was watching her. She wiped her lips with her napkin before speaking, "Sorry. I guess I was really hungry."
"I've never seen anyone devour a salad that fast." Harm teased, "Meat, Pizza – that I could see eating faster then lightening, but salad?"
"Well, at least I'm not gonna have a heart-attack anytime soon!" She teased back, punching him lightly on the shoulder.
Mac and Harriet had tagged along, since Bud and Chegwidden were doing something they weren't allowed to see. Harriet was amazed at the woman across from her. Since the Annie & Dar-Lin Lewis case, she'd come to the conclusion that most abused children are reclusive, depressed. But Davy was the opposite – she was smart and funny and open to any question asked. The only thing she was sensitive to was where everyone's hands were.
"Ma'am?" Davy looked at Harriet.
"Sorry, I was just thinking."
"Penny for your thoughts." Davy smiled.
"It's just…I thought you'd be different. You know…"
"Quieter? More depressed?"
"Yes." She replied meekly.
Davy looked up at the sky, "I used to be." She brought her gaze back to the people, "When I went off to the academy, I was a wreck. The instructors scared the life out of me. They all looked like my father. I used to start crying at anything and you know how empathic they are. Finally I took a semester off and just drove off. Left a letter for my roommate to give to who ever it concerned, got in my car, and drove away. I called Beth everyday to check on her since she had to stay with friends while mom and dad were off on a tour and I was off getting my sanity.
"I drove everywhere. Grand Canyon, Golden Gate Bridge, Hudson Bay. I would just drive and think until I reached a place. Didn't even know where I was going until I got there. At the last place before I had to return to school, I just sat in my car and stared across the Rio Grande. The sun was setting and suddenly it dawned on me that my parents are the ones who did what they did. Not me. I didn't make them do what they did, I wasn't guilty of anything. I got back to school and my roommate nearly killed me, but I had everything in order." She sighed, "At least, I thought I did."
Harm looked at her, "So that's where you went."
"Yup. By the way, that car is really well built."
"I'll bet."
The playful banter between the two people continued for a few minutes until Davy looked at her watch, "Where is Wendy?"
"I thought she was going to JAG. Is she supposed to met us here?" Mac asked.
"Yeah. When I went to the bathroom before I called her cell, she said she'd meet us here. And I know how she drives – Seventy in a Fifty-Five."
"Did you give her directions?"
"Yep." Davy looked around.
Mac decided to see if she couldn't hold a conversation with Davy, "So how old are you?"
"Twenty-Five. Bethie's fourteen."
"So there's eleven years between you and her. Wow. I'd think you'd be closer in age…I mean because…"
"We're so close? A lot of people think that actually. It's never made a difference for me. When I was younger, it was hard because she was so sick and it was hard to go out with her, but when she was two, it was great. She was such a cute baby. Adorable in every way. Smart as hell too. But she's always been the one person I could lean on. I can't count how many times we've cried together."
Mac and Harriet nodded, as did Harm.
Davy looked around again, and finally saw the Jetta pull into the parking lot. Wendy got out first and waved at Davy, who waved back. Wendy ducked her head back into the car, and two of the three teens got out. Finally, Beth reluctantly vacated her seat in the back. She slowly walked toward the patio table where the four adults were sitting, and the look shared between Gen and Gio was one of tiredness. The twins noticed a group of ducks off by a pond, and took off to annoy them.
Harm noticed the small smile Beth allowed herself, before she continued her prison trek to the table. After another moment, she and Wendy stopped at the fence surrounding the patio of the building.
"Hello, my wonderful. How was the trip?" Davy asked her best friend.
"It was good, up until Gio decided to openly mock Gen. And then she moved on to how cute older guys were. So it was basically the usual."
Davy looked at her sister, "Hey, girlie. How're ya' feeling?"
Beth was silent.
"So you're not talking to me now."
"I'm going to play with Gen and Gio, okay, Wendy?"
"Well, I think Davy wants you talk to her."
"Oh, you
mean my big sister who goes off crying to our uncle because she thinks I'm five
and can't take care of myself?"
"Beth…" Davy growled.
"I think I hear a fly."
"Harmony Elizabeth Jewel Parker…Don't do this. We talked about this."
Beth looked coldly at her sister, "And I told you – I. Am. Fine."
"Really? How come you can't sleep on your back then?"
"I told you. I fell down the stairs."
"Liar." Davy replied.
Beth finally gave in and hopped the fence. She pulled a chair over and sat down between Harm and Davy. Wendy did the same, sitting between Davy and Mac.
Harm finally managed to look at his goddaughter. Since the last vacation he'd seen her, she'd apparently lost weight and her eyes had lost the sparkle they once held.
"Uncle Harm? You okay?" Beth asked.
"Yes. I'm fine. You just look different from when I saw you last."
"Surprise, surprise." Beth commented, sarcasm dripping from her tongue.
"Beth. Come on. Just chill."
The teenager sat back in her chair, and closed her eyes, 'Beth, get with the program, girl. Davy isn't going to let this slide and neither is Uncle Harm. Just do this. Maybe if you ask you can live with him instead of with Davy.' "Alright, I'll be nice."
"Thank you." Davy smiled, and rubbed her sister's cheek, "So did you bring clothes?"
"Yep."
"Good." She took Wendy's car keys, "I'll meet you guys back at JAG."
"Where are you going?" Wendy asked, as Davy threw money onto the table.
"Gotta go find a hotel room. I really don't want to fight traffic everyday and I'd prefer to stay away from the house."
"Why don't you just stay with me? I could sleep on the couch, and you two could share the bed."
Davy shook her head, "We don't want to be a problem."
"I'd rather have you guys at my place. Neither of you have ever seen it. It'd be fun."
Davy looked at Beth, "You wanna stay with the weirdo or get a room?"
"Stay with Uncle Harm."
"Alright." She handed the keys back to Wendy.
-*-*-
After another half hour of talking, the group of people – which still included Wendy and the twins – strolled into JAG Headquarters. Harriet went off to find her husband, while Mac and Harm went off to their offices, but both returned to the barrage of people after a few moments of putting things down.
Wendy looked at the man as he approached, "I assume you'll want to talk to me?"
"I do. And I know you're already late getting home so I guess we should do it now."
"If it's not a problem."
"It's not. Umm, I know Davy will want to stay; maybe Mac will be a sport and take the kids on a tour of the place. I know Beth is a judge in the youth court at the school, so they could go down to the library."
Mac smiled, "No problem. Come on, guys. I'll sneak you into a trial." She told them, as they walked out of the bullpen.
"Come on, we'll talk in my office." Harm said to the two enlistees. They followed him, and sat in the chairs he had as he closed the door behind them. "So where do we start…" He murmured to himself. A knock on the door moved his attention and he moved from his desk to see who was interrupting.
Bud stood outside the door. He held two files in his hand, and he handed it to Harm, "I thought you might like this, sir. It's the files on Ens. Carli Parkington and Lt. Jacob Parks."
"Thanks, Bud." He sighed and shut the door again. He looked back at Wendy and Davy. "Davy, I know how much you want to be here, but I really would prefer if you weren't."
Davy nodded, "I thought you would. I'll go find the others." She got up and walked out, leaving Wendy and Harm.
"So ask away."
Harm nodded, "Did you ever witness any abuse of Beth or Davy?"
"Twice."
"What happened?"
"I was hanging out in the living room with Davy one morning after a sleep-over. Davy was still asleep so I thought I'd just sit on the couch and think. Beth came in from Youth Court, because she was the prosecute that day. She was being as quiet as possible, but Carli still woke up. She got pretty mad and slapped Beth across the face. Then she realized I was looking and walked away. That was about a year ago."
"What about the second time?"
"I was at the park with Gen and Gio. Beth was having lots of fun jumping off the swings but Jacob wasn't happy. When he thought no one was looking he kicked her a couple of times and then slapped her in the face. Yelled at her too."
"When did that happen?"
"Sorry, I told you them in the wrong order." She paused, "She was eight."
Harm nodded, "That's alright." He wrote down some notes, "If you saw this, why didn't you report it?"
"I come from a family with the same background as Beth and Davy's. I know the thoughts that run through your mind when it happens and the thoughts afterward. I was afraid that Beth would hurt herself if I said something. Which is why I'd advise you to make sure she's not alone for the next few days."
He nodded again, "I will. Has Beth or Davadita ever talked about the abuse?"
"No. Well, Davy used to talk to her fiancé, Gary Gene Crenshaw, about it, but he passed away two weeks ago. And Beth has, over the last few months, become very quiet and withdrawn. I work at the school as a special ed teacher. I see her in the hallway at her locker. She doesn't really talk, and the kids talk and push her around, but she doesn't defend herself."
And the questioning continued from there.
-*-*-
Cassie Jamie
If you review, Part 3 will come…