Title- Trust and Friendship
Author- Bev_and_David_Fan aka Theresa Disclaimer- I don't own any of the 7th Heaven characters, please don't sue cause you won't get much!!! Timeframe- This is set between Episode 99 and One Hundred, after Robbie moved in and Mary went to Buffalo.
Characters- This mainly a Lucy/Simon fic. With lots of Annie, Eric and Ruthie. And of course Jennifer!
Chapter Sixteen- When She Can't Trust Her
Lucy stood in front of the school, scanning the crowd for Jennifer. She knew it was possible that Jen would not be there that day, or if she was, that she would try and avoid her, but Lucy didn't care. She had to talk to Jen, and make her see that she needed help. Lucy waited as long as she could for Jen to walk towards the school. The first bell had rang and the tardy bell was about to when she saw her. Jennifer was running up to the school and stopped when she saw Lucy standing there. It was an awkward, eerie silence that fell between them. Like everything they knew about one another was somehow distorted. Jen looked at Lucy, staring her straight in the face, then she turned and began to walk away. This is it, Jen thought to herself, my quick get-away.
"Jennifer." She stopped when Lucy spoke, but didn't turn around.
"You're late for class Luce. Go to class." Her voice was shaky and she was blinking back tears, yet she didn't face Lucy.
"I'm sorry Jennifer. Please, you have to go to Sgt. Michaels. I know you promised my dad that you would, but I know you. You have to go, we can go right now.
"No Lucy, I can't. They found me, they know I'm here." Jen turned around and faced Lucy, then continued, "I might have been able to stay here, you know that? I could have had a normal, stable life...."
"Jen, I..." Jen became angry, walking closer to her ex-best friend.
"No Lucy. You've done enough talking all right? Let me talk. Ever since my dad died my life has been a living hell. You can say you understand Luce, but you don't. You couldn't. Your dad's not dead, he's far from it. And your mom doesn't bounce from trashy trailer to run down apartment, sleeping with anything that moves. I know your mom has never stabbed you with an eight-inch long carving knife. There is no way you could tell how that felt. It hurt Lucy. But it's not the worst pain I've ever felt. Do you want to know what was? When I found out my best friend in the world stabbed me in the back. Goodbye Lucy." She turned and began to run as fast as she could, away from the school, away from the best friend she had ever had.
"Jennifer, Jennifer wait...I'm sorry, please come back!" Lucy yelled, but Jen kept going. She was so upset she didn't hear the school doors open and shut, or the sound of her principal as she walked up behind her.
"Ms. Camden? Late to class I see. Very late." Mrs. Russell said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"No, I'm not even going to class. I need to go home, its a family emergency." She ran down the steps, and to her car, leaving Mrs. Russell standing there, shaking her head.
Lucy raced out of the school parking lot and back home. Annie was surprised to see her daughter pull up at 9:00 in the morning. She met Lucy at the door.
"Luce, what's going on..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jennifer stood alone in her room. She already had her school bag and duffel bag packed. She looked around and tears streamed down her face. She had loved it here in Glen Oak, ever since the very first day when Simon picked up her books in the hallway. It was the first time she had been happy since her dad died. She looked at the picture frames still sitting on the table beside her bed. One of them held a picture of her and her dad. It was taken about 3 weeks before his death, and he was on his way home from developing it when he had the accident. It was the only picture that didn't get destroyed. The other frame held a picture Lucy and given her. It was of Jen, Luce and Simon on the night of Mrs. Camden's birthday. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she put the picture of her dad in the duffel and zipped it up. Then she sat down with a piece of paper and began to write, trying not to let the tears hit the paper.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I tried to talk to Jennifer, but she did listen. She said goodbye Mom. I hurt her so bad Mom, and she hates me. I'm afraid if we don't help now we'll lose her. I won't let her keep running like this. She deserves better. I want to go to the police station with you and Dad. Where is he?" Lucy said quickly.
"He has that conference today, in Talbrook. We won't be able to reach him in time. Let's go down and talk to Sgt. Michaels. I'm sure he'll be able to help us." Annie answered, grabbing her coat. Ruthie walked downstairs just then.
"Ruthie, Lucy and I are going to get Jen some help. Tell Simon we went grocery shopping, and keep an eye on the twins."
"Sure Mom, whatever you want. Good Luck."
"Thank you Ruthie." They walked out the door. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She folded it up neatly, propping it up on the light. You could see "The Camdens" clearly on it and she was sure the Mr. Fredrickson had enough decency to give it to them. She took one last look around the room and turned the light off, but she just couldn't do it. She grabbed the picture of her and her two best friends and shoved it into her duffel. Wiping her eyes again she left, closing the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Annie and Lucy arrived at the police station it was hectic, as usual. They told a police officer that they needed Sgt. Michaels, and fast. The officer could tell it was an emergency and lead them both into the Sergeant's office.
"Mrs. Camden, Lucy, what brings you two here? Is something wrong?"
"Yes, my best friend is in danger and she won't get help herself. I'm afraid she's going to run away if I don't stop her." Lucy said, looking him dead in the eye. Sgt. Michaels looked at Annie, then back at Lucy.
"Who is it Lucy? Tell me everything."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jen got out of the Diner without being noticed too much. She made sure Mr. Fredrickson didn't see her leave. She walked down the block. I don't know where I'm going, she said aloud to herself, but it's going to be as far away from here as 100 dollars will take me. Jennifer had saved this money out of the tips she got, all of her small paycheck and been used for room and board. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she never heard a car door shut behind her. She didn't hear the footsteps coming up the sidewalk. All she heard was her own scream as someone grabbed her, then silence as she passed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I can't believe the officers in Talbrook were that stupid! Thinking this poor girl who was so obviously being abused was a prostitute! I have that on file here, and if she would have came to me I wouldn't have believed her. Mrs. Camden, I'll do everything I can to..."
"Sgt. Michaels, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a serious call you should attend." an officer said, stepping in.
"I'll be right out David." He said, standing up.
"I don't want you ladies to worry. As soon as I get this situation settled I'm going to go to the Diner. I'll let you know what happens. Have a good night." He walked out. Lucy hugged her mom.
"I hope she's not already gone."
"Me too. Let's go home." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sgt. Michaels got the details on the way over, but he knew them all already. Fifteen year old girl, runaway, living at Mr. Fredrickson's Dinner and working for him. Had planned to leave the town but was grabbed by an unknown assailant. But he knew who it was. Her mom's boyfriend, who they had come to find out was Henry "Duke" Prater, who had been arrested for aggravated assault numerous times, and once for attempted rape. He was afraid for this girl; after all she'd been through. Sgt. Michael's just hoped for the chance to see her alive.
He noticed a car pull up and realized it was Reverend Camden. He walked over to him.
"Sgt. Michaels, what's going on? I mean, I think I know..."
"It's all right Eric, you don't have to explain. Jennifer ran out of school today after she talked to Lucy, so Annie brought Lucy here. I got called out of our meeting so I sent them home. I never thought that the call would be that Jennifer had been kidnapped."
"My God. Did anyone see anything?"
"Mr. Fredrickson heard her scream, and ran outside to see the car speeding away." As he was speaking, a deputy walked toward them.
"Excuse me sir. They found this in the girl's room. It's addressed to the Camdens. She was planning to leave before she was kidnapped."
"Hurry and make a copy of it and give it to Reverend Camden to take home." Sgt. Michaels said, looking at his worried friend."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Annie and Lucy arrived home and were surprised that Eric wasn't home yet. Ruthie was sitting in the living room with the twins. Simon was upstairs in his room studying, and Matt and Robbie were playing cards in the kitchen. As soon as Lucy and Annie walking into the kitchen the phone rang. Annie answered it.
"Hello. Camden Residence."
"Annie, its Eric. I was on my way home and saw a bunch of police cars around the Diner."
"Oh no. It's not her is it? We talked to Sgt. Michaels today and..."
"I know. It is Jennifer, Annie. She was running away and then she got kidnapped."
"God, no. Eric how could we have let this happen?"
"Shh. Don't get upset now. She left a letter behind for us. Get everyone in the living room so I can read it out loud."
"Should I tell them?"
"Wait till I get there. The letter explains everything."
"Hurry home. I love you."
"I love you too."
Author- Bev_and_David_Fan aka Theresa Disclaimer- I don't own any of the 7th Heaven characters, please don't sue cause you won't get much!!! Timeframe- This is set between Episode 99 and One Hundred, after Robbie moved in and Mary went to Buffalo.
Characters- This mainly a Lucy/Simon fic. With lots of Annie, Eric and Ruthie. And of course Jennifer!
Chapter Sixteen- When She Can't Trust Her
Lucy stood in front of the school, scanning the crowd for Jennifer. She knew it was possible that Jen would not be there that day, or if she was, that she would try and avoid her, but Lucy didn't care. She had to talk to Jen, and make her see that she needed help. Lucy waited as long as she could for Jen to walk towards the school. The first bell had rang and the tardy bell was about to when she saw her. Jennifer was running up to the school and stopped when she saw Lucy standing there. It was an awkward, eerie silence that fell between them. Like everything they knew about one another was somehow distorted. Jen looked at Lucy, staring her straight in the face, then she turned and began to walk away. This is it, Jen thought to herself, my quick get-away.
"Jennifer." She stopped when Lucy spoke, but didn't turn around.
"You're late for class Luce. Go to class." Her voice was shaky and she was blinking back tears, yet she didn't face Lucy.
"I'm sorry Jennifer. Please, you have to go to Sgt. Michaels. I know you promised my dad that you would, but I know you. You have to go, we can go right now.
"No Lucy, I can't. They found me, they know I'm here." Jen turned around and faced Lucy, then continued, "I might have been able to stay here, you know that? I could have had a normal, stable life...."
"Jen, I..." Jen became angry, walking closer to her ex-best friend.
"No Lucy. You've done enough talking all right? Let me talk. Ever since my dad died my life has been a living hell. You can say you understand Luce, but you don't. You couldn't. Your dad's not dead, he's far from it. And your mom doesn't bounce from trashy trailer to run down apartment, sleeping with anything that moves. I know your mom has never stabbed you with an eight-inch long carving knife. There is no way you could tell how that felt. It hurt Lucy. But it's not the worst pain I've ever felt. Do you want to know what was? When I found out my best friend in the world stabbed me in the back. Goodbye Lucy." She turned and began to run as fast as she could, away from the school, away from the best friend she had ever had.
"Jennifer, Jennifer wait...I'm sorry, please come back!" Lucy yelled, but Jen kept going. She was so upset she didn't hear the school doors open and shut, or the sound of her principal as she walked up behind her.
"Ms. Camden? Late to class I see. Very late." Mrs. Russell said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"No, I'm not even going to class. I need to go home, its a family emergency." She ran down the steps, and to her car, leaving Mrs. Russell standing there, shaking her head.
Lucy raced out of the school parking lot and back home. Annie was surprised to see her daughter pull up at 9:00 in the morning. She met Lucy at the door.
"Luce, what's going on..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jennifer stood alone in her room. She already had her school bag and duffel bag packed. She looked around and tears streamed down her face. She had loved it here in Glen Oak, ever since the very first day when Simon picked up her books in the hallway. It was the first time she had been happy since her dad died. She looked at the picture frames still sitting on the table beside her bed. One of them held a picture of her and her dad. It was taken about 3 weeks before his death, and he was on his way home from developing it when he had the accident. It was the only picture that didn't get destroyed. The other frame held a picture Lucy and given her. It was of Jen, Luce and Simon on the night of Mrs. Camden's birthday. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she put the picture of her dad in the duffel and zipped it up. Then she sat down with a piece of paper and began to write, trying not to let the tears hit the paper.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I tried to talk to Jennifer, but she did listen. She said goodbye Mom. I hurt her so bad Mom, and she hates me. I'm afraid if we don't help now we'll lose her. I won't let her keep running like this. She deserves better. I want to go to the police station with you and Dad. Where is he?" Lucy said quickly.
"He has that conference today, in Talbrook. We won't be able to reach him in time. Let's go down and talk to Sgt. Michaels. I'm sure he'll be able to help us." Annie answered, grabbing her coat. Ruthie walked downstairs just then.
"Ruthie, Lucy and I are going to get Jen some help. Tell Simon we went grocery shopping, and keep an eye on the twins."
"Sure Mom, whatever you want. Good Luck."
"Thank you Ruthie." They walked out the door. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She folded it up neatly, propping it up on the light. You could see "The Camdens" clearly on it and she was sure the Mr. Fredrickson had enough decency to give it to them. She took one last look around the room and turned the light off, but she just couldn't do it. She grabbed the picture of her and her two best friends and shoved it into her duffel. Wiping her eyes again she left, closing the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Annie and Lucy arrived at the police station it was hectic, as usual. They told a police officer that they needed Sgt. Michaels, and fast. The officer could tell it was an emergency and lead them both into the Sergeant's office.
"Mrs. Camden, Lucy, what brings you two here? Is something wrong?"
"Yes, my best friend is in danger and she won't get help herself. I'm afraid she's going to run away if I don't stop her." Lucy said, looking him dead in the eye. Sgt. Michaels looked at Annie, then back at Lucy.
"Who is it Lucy? Tell me everything."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jen got out of the Diner without being noticed too much. She made sure Mr. Fredrickson didn't see her leave. She walked down the block. I don't know where I'm going, she said aloud to herself, but it's going to be as far away from here as 100 dollars will take me. Jennifer had saved this money out of the tips she got, all of her small paycheck and been used for room and board. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she never heard a car door shut behind her. She didn't hear the footsteps coming up the sidewalk. All she heard was her own scream as someone grabbed her, then silence as she passed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I can't believe the officers in Talbrook were that stupid! Thinking this poor girl who was so obviously being abused was a prostitute! I have that on file here, and if she would have came to me I wouldn't have believed her. Mrs. Camden, I'll do everything I can to..."
"Sgt. Michaels, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a serious call you should attend." an officer said, stepping in.
"I'll be right out David." He said, standing up.
"I don't want you ladies to worry. As soon as I get this situation settled I'm going to go to the Diner. I'll let you know what happens. Have a good night." He walked out. Lucy hugged her mom.
"I hope she's not already gone."
"Me too. Let's go home." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sgt. Michaels got the details on the way over, but he knew them all already. Fifteen year old girl, runaway, living at Mr. Fredrickson's Dinner and working for him. Had planned to leave the town but was grabbed by an unknown assailant. But he knew who it was. Her mom's boyfriend, who they had come to find out was Henry "Duke" Prater, who had been arrested for aggravated assault numerous times, and once for attempted rape. He was afraid for this girl; after all she'd been through. Sgt. Michael's just hoped for the chance to see her alive.
He noticed a car pull up and realized it was Reverend Camden. He walked over to him.
"Sgt. Michaels, what's going on? I mean, I think I know..."
"It's all right Eric, you don't have to explain. Jennifer ran out of school today after she talked to Lucy, so Annie brought Lucy here. I got called out of our meeting so I sent them home. I never thought that the call would be that Jennifer had been kidnapped."
"My God. Did anyone see anything?"
"Mr. Fredrickson heard her scream, and ran outside to see the car speeding away." As he was speaking, a deputy walked toward them.
"Excuse me sir. They found this in the girl's room. It's addressed to the Camdens. She was planning to leave before she was kidnapped."
"Hurry and make a copy of it and give it to Reverend Camden to take home." Sgt. Michaels said, looking at his worried friend."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Annie and Lucy arrived home and were surprised that Eric wasn't home yet. Ruthie was sitting in the living room with the twins. Simon was upstairs in his room studying, and Matt and Robbie were playing cards in the kitchen. As soon as Lucy and Annie walking into the kitchen the phone rang. Annie answered it.
"Hello. Camden Residence."
"Annie, its Eric. I was on my way home and saw a bunch of police cars around the Diner."
"Oh no. It's not her is it? We talked to Sgt. Michaels today and..."
"I know. It is Jennifer, Annie. She was running away and then she got kidnapped."
"God, no. Eric how could we have let this happen?"
"Shh. Don't get upset now. She left a letter behind for us. Get everyone in the living room so I can read it out loud."
"Should I tell them?"
"Wait till I get there. The letter explains everything."
"Hurry home. I love you."
"I love you too."
