April had passed through the living room a number of times throughout the first day Athena arrived at the lair. Each short moment she spent there was a snapshot, a moment between Leo and Athena that wasn't stagnant, but moving. At the beginning of the day, he stayed at least five feet away from her at all times, the barrier between them was her dark eyes, radiating rabid, unfiltered fear. But she had relaxed, relaxed so much that the two were sitting on the same couch, a few feet still settled firmly. between them as they watched the Travel Channel's annual marathon, all about France. Athena's eyes sparkled with an almost childlike sense of interest.
This girl, wherever she had come from, had been locked up, barred from the real world, and hurt by someone. The splotchy bruises on her neck were practically imprinted in the woman's mind. She simply shuddered at the thought of the girl, cowering in the corner of a tight, cramped apartment. A shadow loomed over her, before swooping down and swallowing her innocence whole.
Who would ever think to hurt a young woman like this, she thought to herself as she mulled through the racks and racks of clothes that filled the Salvation Army. The sounds of grumpy old men, grunting at the prices written on tags tangoed with the pleas of bored children that had been dragged there by their mothers, which was starting to give the red-haired woman a migraine.
"How 'bout this?" Casey reached a thick, muscular arm into the rack, and from it pulled a soft-looking, lilac colored crewneck. "You told me she likes loose stuff."
April lightly brushed her fingertips across the fabric. Yes, it was soft, really soft, but it was pilled.
"Keep that." She told Casey gently. "I wanna see if we can find something newer."
Casey's cerulean blue eyes crinkled at the corners. He let out a little sigh, let his head drop back, and threaded the fingers of his free hand through his long, dark locks. "Apes," He said. "This is the Salvation Army. This is the newest thing ya gonna find 'round here."
"I know." The words came out sharper than she intended for them to. People turned to glance at her. Casey reared back, just a little. Hurt flickered across his face.
"Okay, then..let's get it. She's already got pants 'n shoes and stuff, right?"
"Right. I..I bought her those tennis sneakers, but she..she prefers to walk around barefoot, like the boys." April twisted the plain, golden band that encircled her ring finger, and looked up at the fluorescent lights that lined the sagging ceiling. "And pants. I got her those cargo ones..no jeans, they're too tight, and I don't want her going out and some guy.."
"April." Casey's firm hand came down onto her shoulder, bringing her back down to Earth. "Relax. Nothing's gonna happen to Athena, not wit the guys around her. It's been weeks, and everythin's been goin' fine."
Tears burned at the corners of her eyes. "You're right. I..I.." Her vision became blurry, but she could still make out the blinking, red exit sign. "Pay..for the sweater, please. How much is it?"
"April, c'mon-"
"How much is it, Casey?"
There was a sigh, and the sound of a tag being flipped over. "Three dollars."
"I'll pay you back, I promise, I..I just..gotta go."
She worked her way through the maze of racks, and nearly let out a little noise of joy when she pushed open the exit doors. The cold, sweet autumn breeze filled her lungs, and dried the tears that had threatened to spill down her cheeks.
She hated that she was being ravaged, tortured by an experience that wasn't her own. It was selfish, and stupid, and totally crazy. But the hurt, it was tattooed upon her soul, and it couldn't be erased.
She closed her eyes, and the thought of the delicate figure, pushed up against the wall by that looming, threatening force played over, and over, and over again.
"..April?" Athena's soft, lilting voice broke through the bubble April had closed herself off in. The girl stood in front of her, a backpack slung over her shoulder. She was wearing a plain pink cardigan over a white turtleneck, a pair of black sweatpants with cuffs that rode just above her pale, freckled ankles, and on her feet were thick-soled hiking boots.
Her hair was pulled back into a tightly wound chignon. Baby hairs flew about her face like loose strands of straw.
"..Athena, what..what are you doing out?" April forced a smile, though it was clear to the girl that she probably wanted to do anything but that. Athena blinked, reached up and tapped her backpack strap. "Library day. Donnie doesn't like when there are fees on his card."
"Oh, I know that well." A throaty, nervous chuckle escaped from April's lips. "I used to do library runs all the time."
One corner of Athena's own lips pulled up. "I heard. It was Mikey's turn to check some things out. He's in.." Her brows wrinkled as she pondered her next words. "A Batman phase."
"Seems like he's always in a new one, or somethin'." Casey's voice melted into conversation as he joined his wife and the young girl on the pavement, in the spot where time seemed to stop. The floods
of busy people didn't seem to mind the roadblock that stood in their way, they made a detour or two.
"Huh, that's funny. Last week he said his new favorite thing was the Green Lantern." April said, with a roll of her eyes. A wry smirk shot up onto Casey's thin lips. "Cripes. Mikey.." He shook his head lightly. "He's something else." He held out a plastic bag towards April, the wrinkled Salvation Army logo facing towards her.
"Oh..I.." April reached into her purse, fingers feeling for the smooth crispness of a one-dollar bill, at least one. A five would be nice.
"You don't gotta pay, jeez. We're married, for chrissakes." Casey wrapped his thick fingers around her wrist and carefully pulled it out of the tiny leather cavity. "It's alright."
Athena was watching them, carefulness in her eyes. She shifted from one foot to the other, not sure of whether to say goodbye, or fall into the crowds of people that ebbed and flowed around the three of them. She did both. With a quick little 'see you later', she turned on her heel, and walked away. April watched as she melted into the crowd, no different than the people that came before her or went after her.
Casey started to lead his wife in the opposite direction, arm looped in hers. "What's wrong?" He asked, keeping his voice low. "What's with that girl? It's like, I dunno, I've never seen ya act like this before, Apes."
She started to unravel right then and there. "It's..just..that I think she was hurt, Casey, by a parent..a caretaker, someone!" She set a hand on her neck, not used to the cold tips of her own fingers. She tried her best to soothe the urge to flinch. "Those bruises on her neck, the ones she calls..lovebites,"
"..They didn't come outta love, is what you're saying." The man finished. He looped his arm out from within hers, and shoved it into the pocket of his jeans.
"Yes, exactly."
The silence was nearly deafening, and only got louder during the walk back to the manhole.