The Story of a Family © BjdIII® ( ( ( ? ^_^-V BjdIII: well...i got chapter 2!!! (I've written up to chapter 4 in one day! And these chaps are LONG!!! Compared to what it looked like when I was typing it with size 11 Times New Roman font...) Well...onto the ficcy! Happy reading and vena ci!!

Chapter 2: Reunions "DADDY!!!!!" a little girl shrieked. (This, is none other, than Helen Maxwell.) Most would think it natural for her to call for her father when she's being shaken like a rag doll by a man, but it isn't to the ones who live in that household (John Russinger, Helen, and a few butlers; mother was murdered my John Russinger). It was actually very bad because...that man that was shaking her was Helen's father. "Stop crying you little brat," he snarled. Suddenly, he brought back his hand and punched her across the face, which made her fall, her eye surrounded by purple already. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm sorry!" she squeaked. "You better be. I'm leaving now, and I want this house spotless by the time I get back, got it?" Helen nodded weakly. "Good. Norman," he called to the butler, "I'm leaving now. Make sure this gremlin doesn't destroy my car." "Yessir." The gray-haired butler shut the door and turned to Helen. "Well, Helen, are you sure you want to leave?" he asked. "Yes," she whimpered, wincing every time she blinked because of her eye. "I'm just going to drop you off at your father's home, okay? Master Russinger might come back early. So come on. I've got your bag." She nodded. "Thank you, Norman," she said meekly and followed him into the black, stretch limo. "Your welcome, Helen," he responded and they drove off. A few hours later.... "Helen, wake up," Norman said, shaking the five-year-old girl gently as to wake her. Helen opened her clear, cobalt eyes. "Yes, Norman?" "We're here," he said. "R-really?" "Really. Now, open the door. I'll get your bags." Helen did as told, retrieved her bag, and walked up the walkway to the front door of a large house after giving Norman a quick hug. Then she watched as Norman sped away. Helen took a deep breath and put her hand on the doorknob to see the door was unlocked. She opened it slowly and heard voices coming a little farther within the house. She entered and quietly tiptoed to the room. But she tripped over a rug, but managed to catch her balance without anything besides a small gasp. But that gasp caught the attention of a man with short brown hair. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice cold. She took a step backwards. That wasn't her father. He strode over and grabbed her arm. Her eyes opened wide in fear and she started trembling. The man took no notice but literally had to drag Helen into the next room where four other men were stationed. Her eye quickly spotted a man with a brown braid that went past his waist. Then she realized... That braided-man was her father! "DADDY!!!" she exclaimed. She got out of the man's grip and grabbed onto Duo's legs as if she would never let go. Duo looked confused. He had never seen this girl before. But then his brain began registering her features: dark, purple/black hair in a braid to her shoulder blades; cobalt blue eyes; a face he loved; and... A cross around her neck? 'Wait,' his mind said, 'that's my cross....and she's-' "Helen?" he said. The girl nodded. Duo's eyes opened wide in shock and he knelt down to get a better look at her. Her beret and hair was covering her eye with the bruise, so he couldn't see it. "Helen...my little girl..." he murmured. She nodded, trying to ignore the stares of the other ex-pilots that were starting to scare her. Duo suddenly enveloped her in his arms, and she gave a loud cry of pain. He stopped. "What's wrong?" he asked. She didn't respond. The man with the shorter brown hair-Heero-who was not as gentle as Duo, poked her in the back and she gave another cry of pain. She backed into Duo's arms and tried hiding herself from the other pilots as much as she could. "Make him stop hurting me, Daddy," she whimpered into his jacket. Duo looked confused, but motioned for Heero to move away. "Duo..." It was Quatre. Helen felt someone else's hands on her arm and she turned her head ever-so slightly, trembling. She looked into the face of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, man. "Are you hurt?" he asked her with a voice so gentle it reminded her of her mother, Leah, singing her to sleep before her father killed her. Helen meekly nodded to answer his question. "Let me see your injuries then...please?" he said. She shook her head. "No...you'll hurt me," she said in a voice that made even Heero's stomach drop. "I promise I won't hurt you," he said. "Please come with me, alright?" She nodded without thinking, and he gently pulled her to the hallway leading to the pilots' rooms. "Daddy!" she yelped as soon as she realized what was happening. "Daddy's here, Helen. He won't hurt you. I promise." He looked as if he were going to break into tears, the reason why he didn't want to go with Quatre. With that said, they disappeared from sight and Quatre shut the door to his room. "Lie on the bed on your stomach, please," he said. She'd done this before. "No. You're going to hurt me!" She sunk to the ground. "I want my daddy..." "I promise I won't hurt you, Helen. I want to see if you're hurt badly. Trust me, alright?" Her 'father' had never called her by her name. It was either brat, gremlin, or scum. Helen meekly nodded and lied on the bed. Quatre sat behind her. Slowly, he lifted the back of her shirt, which made her whimper for Duo. "I promise I won't hurt you," Quatre said soothingly. She nodded. He lifted it all the way, and gasped from what he saw. Red and purple lines, fresh bruises, and scars were running all the way down her back, ending in jagged points. There were also the unmistakable markings of a whip on the backs of her shoulders and at the base of her back. "Helen..." he breathed. "Who did this to you?" "My old daddy," she whispered, as if afraid to speak his name. She felt his hand come near her back, and she tensed. Her father had done this many times before, but he wasn't as gentle as Quatre. And she knew what her father did to her, she didn't know what Quatre would do. "Why?" he asked. "Because I'm a bad little gremlin and act like scum from the devil," she whimpered, quoting her father. "No you aren't," he said. "Yes I am. Old Daddy said so," she said. Quatre rested his hand on her back, and she gave a cry of pain. "You're hurting me!" she yelped. "I'm sorry, Helen. I'm sorry," Quatre said and lowered her shirt. She got up and sat at the edge of the bed, trembling from head to foot. Helen rubbed her eye, and he saw the bruise. "Oh Allah..." Quatre breathed. Suddenly, the door burst open and Duo ran in, his eyes blazing with anger. "QUATRE!!! What did you DO!?!?!" he growled. Trowa and Heero joined him in the doorway. Helen looked at Duo with sad eyes. "He didn't do anything, Daddy," she whispered. Duo doubted that. "I heard you say he was hurting you," he accused. "Duo...I have to tell you this alone," Quatre said. Duo looked at Helen, her shiner still invisible behind her hair. 'Hilde...' he thought. But he shook his head. "Helen, go outside with Trowa and Heero." "Will they hurt me?" she asked. "No. I promise. I'll be there in a bit, okay?" She nodded weakly and walked-shaking-to the door. "Uh...come on, Helen," Heero said uncertainly. Then they closed the door and they heard nothing else. "Well?" Duo asked sternly, looking at Quatre. Quatre was looking at Duo with aggrieved eyes. "Duo, Helen...she...she..." He stopped. "She what!?" Duo demanded. "She's been...been...abused." Duo's eyes opened wide. "By who?" "Her other father." Duo swallowed a stream of blasphemy that was just about to come out. "Are you sure?" he demanded. "Helen told me that..." Quatre replied. "How do you know?" Duo asked, trying to find a flaw in Quatre' words (which is not that often). "Her back...Duo, just look at her back!" Quatre cried. Duo looked uncertain but called Helen back in. She walked in, rubbing her eye, tears managing to squeeze out. "Helen...what's wrong?" Duo asked her, kneeling down. Heero then burst in. "Duo...someone gave her a black-eye!" he exclaimed. "What?" Duo asked. Helen started walking backwards from him, both hands on her eye. "Helen, come back here," he said. She reluctantly walked back to him. "Take your hands off your eye." Helen shook her head. "Helen...please," Duo said. She bit her lip to stop a sob from escaping her lips and uncovered her eye. "Oh God..." Duo murmured. The black-eye was swollen now, and was starting to turn a greenish-purple color. Duo's insides started writhing. "Oh God...Helen, does it hurt?" he asked. She nodded weakly. "Daddy...please don't be mad at me!" she cried and ran into his arms. She started bawling, her sobs racking her small body. "Why would I be mad at you?" "Because I'm hurting!! Old Daddy hit me if I started hurting..." she sobbed. "Please don't make me go back!! I promise I'll be good...I promise!" "I'm not going to, Helen. I'm not going to.." he said, being careful not to press on her back. 'What else did he do to you Helen?' But he had the sickening feeling he didn't want to know.