AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello wonderful people. I was thinking about how much longer
this story's gonna go on and I've come to the conclusion that it should end
up being between 16 and 18 chapters. Next chapter will probably be when it
starts to really take off, which should be a BIG clue to some of you. Well
I'd like to thank you all for the reviews on last chapter, they were very
encouraging. On with the story.... Don't forget to review!!!!
Skye was instantly horrified with herself. She gasped and covered her mouth as if to push the words back inside, as if to make it so they'd never been said. But it was too late, her most guarded secret was out.
The courtroom was completely silent for a full fifteen seconds. You could've heard a pin drop. It was as if the room was suddenly on pause, and then in a split second it was on play again with the volume turned all the way up.
Alan, Edward, AJ, and Ned found themselves yelling uproariously at Trystan Bryant. Hurling insults and death threats every which way.
Courtney and Carly stared wide-eyed at each other as they discussed the latest news in not quite hushed voices.
Jason and Collin looked as if they weren't sure what to do, as if they wanted to get up and run away as fast as they possibly could.
Jax and Alexis sat in stunned silence.
Judge Miller banged his gavel several times yelling out 'Order in my courtroom!' and 'Quiet! Quiet I say!' over and over to no avail.
Skye ran her hands through her hair and leaned on the stand for support. She happened a glance a Trystan and met his fiery gaze. His lawyer was bent over the table talking to him, demanding answers and getting nothing from his client for his client was solely focused on her. She suddenly felt extremely ill.
Under Trystan's piercing gaze the edges of her vision went black and washed inward until all there was for her to see was darkness. She felt herself wobble dangerously and fought to right herself. She heard someone that sounded like Collin yell her name, but she couldn't be sure. All the sounds in the room melted into one sound: ocean waves. She could no longer see, nor hear and her legs had suddenly gone limp. There was nothing except blackness and the sound of crashing waves.
* * * * *
Jason watched as Collin jumped over the guardrail and ran over to his sister. He'd seen her face, watched her eyes roll back into her head, seen her wobble dangerously then right herself, then again, not catching herself this time. He could see her hand on the other side of the witness stand, but that was all.
Collin pulled her out into the open as his father, his brother and Jax crowded around Skye. They all called her name, shook her and even slapped her a few times in an effort to revive her. But his sister remained out cold.
"We should do something," he heard Carly say as she started to head over to the growing crowd.
Jason grabbed Carly's arm and stopped her when he saw Trystan Bryant and his lawyer pushing their way through the crowd towards the door where they stood. He stepped around his fiancée and soon-to-be sister-in-law, blocking Trystan's path.
"Get out of the way," the man in front of him demanded in superior disgust.
Jason said nothing as he grabbed the man that had raped his sister by the collar of his shirt and turned him around pushing him into the wall. "If you ever touch my sister or my niece again I will kill you," he told Trystan in his most threatening tone.
"Unhand my client or I'll be forced to charge you with assault," Mark Griffin demanded.
Jason kept Bryant hanging against the wall a moment longer, staring him dead in the eyes with the cold hard stare he saved for people he hated. It unnerved him a bit when Trystan didn't react to his stare, but he continued the lethal stare as he set the man down on his feet again slowly.
Trystan straightened his suit coat and brushed the wrinkles out, all the while matching Jason's steady stare. "You must be Jason Morgan," he said. He paused, waiting for Jason to say something but Jason remained silent. "Huh. Well, Mr. Morgan, your mob connections don't scare me. I have connections of my own, bigger ones. I could take you out and make it look as though you never existed, so don't threaten me."
As he said all this he smiled as if he were thoroughly enjoying it. They stared at each other for a moment longer, Jason with his cold threatening stare and Trystan with his everything's-funny-to-me smile.
"Jason," Courtney took his hand and pulled him. "Jason let's go."
Jason remained with his eyes locked on Trystan's and waited. He wouldn't back down first; it just wasn't his nature. Trystan seemed to sense this, for he and his lawyer turned and walked out of the room.
* * * * *
She was running. She didn't know where or why, but she kept on running. She ran through thick darkness. Darkness so thick she couldn't have seen her hand if she'd held it directly in front of her face. So thick she could feel it clinging to her body. It was like running through water, sluggishly slow.
She was tired, so completely tired, but she kept on running, trying to reach something just beyond her fingertips. She wanted to lay down and sleep. Just for a moment, she promised herself. But somehow she knew if she lay down, even for a moment, she'd never wake up, so she kept on running.
She felt her hand brush something and she cried out in hope, but as soon as she did, it was gone. She slowed down and stood with her hands on her knees panting for a moment. She'd almost given up hope when a faint sound gathered her attention.
"Mommy!" a little voice called. "Mommy help me!"
Skye recognized that voice "Dawne?" she called back.
"Mommy!" Dawne's voice answered.
Skye struggled to see through the darkness, to find the direction in which the voice came, but it was impossible. It was as if the voice was echoing, bouncing off walls making it impossible to pinpoint the exact direction. "Where are you?" Skye yelled into the black void.
"I'm over here!" the voice replied.
"Where?" Skye called back. "I-I can't see you!"
All was silent for a moment, then a sharp scream broke the silence. "Mommy!"
"Dawne!" Skye screamed back matching the fear in her daughter's voice and began to run again in no particular direction. "I'm coming Baby!" The screaming stopped abruptly and it was dead silent for a moment. "Dawne?" Skye called once more, a bit softer this time.
It was silent again except for another faint sound. She stopped and strained to hear it. Slowly it grew louder as if it were coming closer. Suddenly she knew what the sound was. Laughing. The laughter of an evil man enjoying himself immensely.
It grew louder and louder until she had to cover her ears and slowly she sank to the ground and began to scream. The laughter... she couldn't explain it, but it hurt. It was as if the laughter was killing her slowly from the inside out.
* * * * *
"Skye! Skye wake up!" Jax yelled over her screaming. He grabbed her hands and pulled them away from her face before she scratched herself bloody and pinned them at her sides. "Skye! Skye, Baby wake up!" he yelled again and shook her violently.
It seemed to work for Skye sprang up in the hospital bed without warning, still screaming. "Whoa, whoa! It's okay," he told her stroking her hair gently as she slowly came to and stopped screaming. "You're okay. It was just a dream. Just a nightmare."
She was panting heavily as if she'd never catch her breath and Jax continued to gently stroke her hair and reassure her that everything was perfectly fine. Slowly she began to remember and everything fell into place. She'd been in the courtroom, testifying..... Oh God.... She'd told them that Trystan had raped her.... He was going to kill her now, he'd promised her he would if she ever told. "Oh God," she whispered as she trembled in Jax's tight embrace.
"Shhhh," Jax cooed and continued to stoke her hair. "It's okay. You're okay now."
"What happened?" she asked.
"You passed out," he replied.
The door opened and Alan stepped in. "You're awake," he nodded. "Good." There was something in his eyes that hadn't been there before. He was trying to hide it and failing miserably. Skye pulled herself out of Jax's arms and looked at him, he too was hiding something, but it was different than what Alan was hiding.
Alan walked over to her and lifted her wrist, checking her pulse. "How do you feel?"
"Like shit," Skye answered truthfully.
"That's to be expected," he nodded.
Skye continued to search Alan's gaze, trying to find a clue as to what he was hiding. "Jax, can we be alone for a few moments?" she asked him, not taking her eyes from her father's.
Jax nodded silently and slipped out of the room. Skye waited until the door clicked shut softly behind him before speaking. "Daddy-" she began watching him closely. Alan turned slightly away from his daughter and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. "Daddy what's wrong?"
::She isn't even my biological daughter:: he argued with himself. ::I shouldn't feel this way about her:: Alan turned back to Skye and studied her. She looked nothing like him, nothing whatsoever. She was tall, that he could give her, but she was limber whereas he was stalky. Her hair was red when his was dark and going gray. Her eyes were a golden honey brown and his were a soft green.
He had no true daughters. He had two sons, two sons who hated each other and hated him as well. He had Emily, and though he loved her dearly, she was adopted. He let out a little laugh. "My family..... we're not much of a family now are we? Four children, and not a one of you is in good with all the others. Jason and Emily, they're close, just as you and AJ are... but AJ and Jason.... They hate each other. I suppose you and Emily are all right with each other, but you and Jason haven't really spoken until recently, huh?"
"No, we haven't," Skye nodded and watched her father curiously as she listened to him ramble on.
He laughed again. "My children.... You're all so completely different and yet I love you all...." he trailed off.
Skye was surprised. She definitely wasn't used to people telling her they loved her.... She realized something with a start, what Alan had been trying to hide. He loved her. He didn't want her to know he loved her. "Daddy?" she cut him off mid sentence. He looked up at her curiously, "I love you too."
He seemed surprised for a few seconds as he stared at her. Then slowly he bent down and hugged her. "I don't think I realized how important you are to me until I found out that bastard raped you," he told her.
Skye stiffened slightly. "Yeah, about that.... I didn't mean to say it. I didn't want anyone to know."
"Why not?" Alan asked her as he pulled out of her embrace and sat on her bed where Jax had been sitting.
"I-I just didn't," she lied.
"Come on Skye, you don't expect me to believe that, do you?" he gave her a small smile of encouragement. She bit her lip and looked away. "Skye, tell me," he said a bit softer.
"Tell you what?" she asked, still trying to pull off the lie.
"Everything, tell me everything," he answered. "It'll help to get everything off your chest."
She seemed to consider it and he congratulated himself for getting that far. "It's a long story," she said finally.
"I've got hours," he replied and slipped his beeper out of his belt and turned it off. "See, all yours."
She couldn't help smiling. "Thank you Daddy," she said. She took a deep breath and proceeded to tell him everything she'd told Jax and more.
"A month or two after I broke up with him he came crawling back. Begging me to forgive him, he tried to convince me he'd changed, but I knew different. He got angry and started hitting me.....God I can still remember...." she trailed off.
"You don't have to go on," Alan told her.
She shook her head. "No, I wanna say it. I've never told anyone but Collin." Alan nodded, he wasn't so sure he wanted to hear the rest, but he'd listen because Skye wanted him to.
"I tried to get away. I tried so hard, but he was so much stronger. He grabbed a chair and threw it at me when I tried to run.... It knocked me out for a while.... When I- when I woke up-" she stopped, her voice breaking. "He was raping me." Tears streamed down her face freely, she'd given up trying to hold them back.
"Oh honey," Alan said as he gathered his daughter in his arms and held her close. She cried into his shoulder for a few moments.
She sniffled as she pulled away. She had to continue. "I, um, I didn't find out I was pregnant until a few months later.... Trystan was graduating early, in December instead of May with all the other seniors, so he never knew. I never really showed either.... She was due in early June, but in April Trystan came back for one of his friend's 21st birthday. He found me and really upset me. I went into premature labor.... Collin threw him out before he figured out what was going on..... That's it really, that's everything."
Alan was silent for a moment as he digested all that he'd heard. He sighed after a few moments. "You don't know how badly I want to kill him right now," he told her.
"Don't," she shook her head violently. "Don't even say it... You don't know what he's capable of..... If you threaten him he'll make sure you're not around to carry it out."
"Jason threatened him," Alan replied after a few seconds.
"Jason?" Skye repeated.
Alan nodded. "He picked him up and shoved him into the wall. Said if he ever came near you or Dawne again he'd kill him."
"Oh God," Skye breathed. "You have to warn him! He-he can't stay here anymore, he's got to leave..... Trystan will hunt him down!"
"Calm down Skye," Alan placed his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "Jason's a big boy, he can take care of himself."
"I'd feel better if he knew," Skye answered.
"I'll let him know," Alan nodded.
A knock on the door cut him off from saying anything more. The person didn't wait, they just opened the door and walked in. "Alexis," Skye said when she saw who it was.
"Jax told me you were awake," she replied. "How do you feel?"
"Do you really care or are you simply working up to whatever you want to say?" Skye asked her.
"You're right, I don't really care, but since you're paying me to defend you I have to at least pretend I do," Alexis answered and dragged a chair over to the bedside. "We need to talk."
"Can it wait, my father and I were discussing something," she asked.
Alexis looked irritated. "No Skye, I don't believe it can."
Skye bit her tongue. "All right fine, what?"
"The Judge called a recess," Alexis replied. "If you're released by tonight court will continue in the morning."
Skye looked to her dad for answers. "I can go draw up the release papers now."
"Thanks," Skye nodded. Alan hugged her and kissed her on the top of the head, then picked up his beeper and walked out of the room.
"Since you lied to me and told me I knew all there was that I needed to know we've got to work up a new angle-" Alexis told her snottily.
"I did tell you all you needed to know," Skye replied. "I didn't think ::you:: needed to know that he'd raped me."
"If you'd told me this in the beginning it would've been and open and shut case," Alexis persisted. "We wouldn't have to be going back again tomorrow because you decided you couldn't handle it and fainted!"
"I did ::not:: pass out because I couldn't handle it!" Skye exclaimed and hoped to God that she was right. "I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday and I barely got any sleep because I was so worried about this damn case!"
"You, worried? I don't believe it, does the wicked witch in fact have a heart?" Alexis asked sarcastically.
"I could fire you so fast it'd make your head spin!" she threatened.
"And if you did, you'd loose this case! I'm the best Skye! Now if you expect to win you'd damn well better cooperate with me!" Alexis nearly yelled.
The door opened and her favorite person stepped in, Collin. "What's goin' on in here?" Collin asked with a smile.
"We're fighting!" Skye replied angrily because Alexis had gotten the last word in.
"Hummm," he nodded and smiled wider. "You didn't get the last word in, did you?"
Skye glared at him, but it didn't last very long at all. His goofy grin always made her smile. She relaxed and began to laugh, "I hate you, you know that?" she asked as he came over and sat on the bed next to her.
"I know," he answered, still smiling. He leaned down and hugged her tightly. "So you fainted, how 'bout that?"
"I didn't faint," she protested. "I passed out."
"Oh, right, I forgot you don't faint," he nodded seriously.
"Ahem!" Alexis cleared her throat. "We were talking, privately."
"Collin knows everything there is to know about me, anything we say can be said in front of him," Skye answered.
"All right, fine," Alexis answered still angry with Skye. "Do you have proof that Trystan Bryant raped you?"
"I've got the file," Collin answered.
"You?" Alexis repeated.
"I gave it to him," Skye replied. "I didn't want to have it as a reminder anymore."
"Great," she nodded but didn't sound very happy. "Well if you can get it to me by tonight so I can look over it then Bryant won't have a chance."
"I'll drop it by your house," Collin answered.
Alexis nodded. "Okay, well that's it. We're done here, I'll see you tomorrow morning," Alexis said to Skye as she gathered her briefcase and left the room.
"I so don't like that woman," Skye said as soon as she was gone.
"She's Kristina's mother, right?" Collin asked.
"That's the one," Skye nodded.
"Hummm," he nodded. "So, how you feelin' Babe?"
Skye wrinkled her nose. "I'm okay but I wanna' get outta' here."
"I know, you hate hospitals," he nodded understanding completely. "I passed your dad in the hall, said he was workin' on gettin' you outta' here."
Skye nodded. "Yeah, I talked to him earlier."
"Is that why you've been crying?" he asked.
She smiled and wiped her eyes even though they didn't need wiping. "Yeah, I told him."
"Everything?"
She nodded.
"It's about time you started talking to other people about it," he replied. She nodded but didn't say anything. "So, you and Jax.... Anything I should know about?"
"What do you mean?" she asked knowing full well he was asking if they'd slept together.
"He seemed pretty worried about you. For a while he wouldn't let anyone in the room to see you," Collin explained. "I was simply wondering if something had happened between you two to make him so protective of you."
Skye sighed. He knew, but he wouldn't say anything until she confirmed it. "All right, all right, we slept together yesterday afternoon after you took Dawne to the airport."
"I figured, that's why I offered to take her," he answered with a knowing nod.
"How do you do that?" she asked with a smile.
"Do what?"
"Just know things like that," she answered.
"Family gift," he replied. "So what happened afterwards?"
She sighed again. "He said it was a mistake."
"Really?" Collin seemed genuinely surprised. "If I'd seen that coming I wouldn't have left you two alone."
"Yeah well..." she trailed off with a shrug. "So, have you talked to Dawne yet?"
Collin shook his head. "I called but it was after bedtime."
Skye frowned but nodded.
Collin stood. "I guess I'll let you get some sleep then, you look bushed."
"Thanks for coming," she said and kissed him briefly on the cheek before he left.
The door had barely shut before it was opened again, this time by Jax. "Hey," he smiled.
"Hey," she returned.
"You still mad at me?" he asked pausing in the doorway.
"That depends," she replied. "Do you still think sleeping together was a mistake?"
"Only if you do," he answered slowly.
"Then no, I'm not mad at you," she answered.
"Good," he smiled and walked into the room the rest of the way and sat down on the bed next to her. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I was so afraid for you," he whispered.
"Why?" she asked.
"We couldn't wake you up," he replied. "You hit your head on the corner of the stand, the doctors said you may have a concussion."
Skye reached back and touched her head. She hadn't noticed the numb feeling until now. They'd shaved a small patch of her hair off and stitched a small cut closed. She was appalled. "They shaved my hair!" she exclaimed.
Jax grinned. "For some reason I knew that would be the first thing you thought of."
"I can't believe they shaved my hair!" she exclaimed again.
"It's underneath, it won't show," he replied.
"But still! They shaved my hair!" she exclaimed again.
He laughed. "You look so cute when you're angry," he said and leaned down and kissed her fully on the lips.
She smiled as he pulled away. "I'm glad you think so Mr. Jacks 'cuz I'll be angry about this for a while."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay so nothing ::really:: major happened in this chapter but once I started the hospital stuff I just kept going. I probably could've gone on a bit longer with other people visiting her and all but that would've gotten a bit boring. So anyway, that's chapter 11. I hoped y'all enjoyed it, the next chapter will be out soon enough. Don't forget to review!!!! Until next time..... PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!
Skye was instantly horrified with herself. She gasped and covered her mouth as if to push the words back inside, as if to make it so they'd never been said. But it was too late, her most guarded secret was out.
The courtroom was completely silent for a full fifteen seconds. You could've heard a pin drop. It was as if the room was suddenly on pause, and then in a split second it was on play again with the volume turned all the way up.
Alan, Edward, AJ, and Ned found themselves yelling uproariously at Trystan Bryant. Hurling insults and death threats every which way.
Courtney and Carly stared wide-eyed at each other as they discussed the latest news in not quite hushed voices.
Jason and Collin looked as if they weren't sure what to do, as if they wanted to get up and run away as fast as they possibly could.
Jax and Alexis sat in stunned silence.
Judge Miller banged his gavel several times yelling out 'Order in my courtroom!' and 'Quiet! Quiet I say!' over and over to no avail.
Skye ran her hands through her hair and leaned on the stand for support. She happened a glance a Trystan and met his fiery gaze. His lawyer was bent over the table talking to him, demanding answers and getting nothing from his client for his client was solely focused on her. She suddenly felt extremely ill.
Under Trystan's piercing gaze the edges of her vision went black and washed inward until all there was for her to see was darkness. She felt herself wobble dangerously and fought to right herself. She heard someone that sounded like Collin yell her name, but she couldn't be sure. All the sounds in the room melted into one sound: ocean waves. She could no longer see, nor hear and her legs had suddenly gone limp. There was nothing except blackness and the sound of crashing waves.
* * * * *
Jason watched as Collin jumped over the guardrail and ran over to his sister. He'd seen her face, watched her eyes roll back into her head, seen her wobble dangerously then right herself, then again, not catching herself this time. He could see her hand on the other side of the witness stand, but that was all.
Collin pulled her out into the open as his father, his brother and Jax crowded around Skye. They all called her name, shook her and even slapped her a few times in an effort to revive her. But his sister remained out cold.
"We should do something," he heard Carly say as she started to head over to the growing crowd.
Jason grabbed Carly's arm and stopped her when he saw Trystan Bryant and his lawyer pushing their way through the crowd towards the door where they stood. He stepped around his fiancée and soon-to-be sister-in-law, blocking Trystan's path.
"Get out of the way," the man in front of him demanded in superior disgust.
Jason said nothing as he grabbed the man that had raped his sister by the collar of his shirt and turned him around pushing him into the wall. "If you ever touch my sister or my niece again I will kill you," he told Trystan in his most threatening tone.
"Unhand my client or I'll be forced to charge you with assault," Mark Griffin demanded.
Jason kept Bryant hanging against the wall a moment longer, staring him dead in the eyes with the cold hard stare he saved for people he hated. It unnerved him a bit when Trystan didn't react to his stare, but he continued the lethal stare as he set the man down on his feet again slowly.
Trystan straightened his suit coat and brushed the wrinkles out, all the while matching Jason's steady stare. "You must be Jason Morgan," he said. He paused, waiting for Jason to say something but Jason remained silent. "Huh. Well, Mr. Morgan, your mob connections don't scare me. I have connections of my own, bigger ones. I could take you out and make it look as though you never existed, so don't threaten me."
As he said all this he smiled as if he were thoroughly enjoying it. They stared at each other for a moment longer, Jason with his cold threatening stare and Trystan with his everything's-funny-to-me smile.
"Jason," Courtney took his hand and pulled him. "Jason let's go."
Jason remained with his eyes locked on Trystan's and waited. He wouldn't back down first; it just wasn't his nature. Trystan seemed to sense this, for he and his lawyer turned and walked out of the room.
* * * * *
She was running. She didn't know where or why, but she kept on running. She ran through thick darkness. Darkness so thick she couldn't have seen her hand if she'd held it directly in front of her face. So thick she could feel it clinging to her body. It was like running through water, sluggishly slow.
She was tired, so completely tired, but she kept on running, trying to reach something just beyond her fingertips. She wanted to lay down and sleep. Just for a moment, she promised herself. But somehow she knew if she lay down, even for a moment, she'd never wake up, so she kept on running.
She felt her hand brush something and she cried out in hope, but as soon as she did, it was gone. She slowed down and stood with her hands on her knees panting for a moment. She'd almost given up hope when a faint sound gathered her attention.
"Mommy!" a little voice called. "Mommy help me!"
Skye recognized that voice "Dawne?" she called back.
"Mommy!" Dawne's voice answered.
Skye struggled to see through the darkness, to find the direction in which the voice came, but it was impossible. It was as if the voice was echoing, bouncing off walls making it impossible to pinpoint the exact direction. "Where are you?" Skye yelled into the black void.
"I'm over here!" the voice replied.
"Where?" Skye called back. "I-I can't see you!"
All was silent for a moment, then a sharp scream broke the silence. "Mommy!"
"Dawne!" Skye screamed back matching the fear in her daughter's voice and began to run again in no particular direction. "I'm coming Baby!" The screaming stopped abruptly and it was dead silent for a moment. "Dawne?" Skye called once more, a bit softer this time.
It was silent again except for another faint sound. She stopped and strained to hear it. Slowly it grew louder as if it were coming closer. Suddenly she knew what the sound was. Laughing. The laughter of an evil man enjoying himself immensely.
It grew louder and louder until she had to cover her ears and slowly she sank to the ground and began to scream. The laughter... she couldn't explain it, but it hurt. It was as if the laughter was killing her slowly from the inside out.
* * * * *
"Skye! Skye wake up!" Jax yelled over her screaming. He grabbed her hands and pulled them away from her face before she scratched herself bloody and pinned them at her sides. "Skye! Skye, Baby wake up!" he yelled again and shook her violently.
It seemed to work for Skye sprang up in the hospital bed without warning, still screaming. "Whoa, whoa! It's okay," he told her stroking her hair gently as she slowly came to and stopped screaming. "You're okay. It was just a dream. Just a nightmare."
She was panting heavily as if she'd never catch her breath and Jax continued to gently stroke her hair and reassure her that everything was perfectly fine. Slowly she began to remember and everything fell into place. She'd been in the courtroom, testifying..... Oh God.... She'd told them that Trystan had raped her.... He was going to kill her now, he'd promised her he would if she ever told. "Oh God," she whispered as she trembled in Jax's tight embrace.
"Shhhh," Jax cooed and continued to stoke her hair. "It's okay. You're okay now."
"What happened?" she asked.
"You passed out," he replied.
The door opened and Alan stepped in. "You're awake," he nodded. "Good." There was something in his eyes that hadn't been there before. He was trying to hide it and failing miserably. Skye pulled herself out of Jax's arms and looked at him, he too was hiding something, but it was different than what Alan was hiding.
Alan walked over to her and lifted her wrist, checking her pulse. "How do you feel?"
"Like shit," Skye answered truthfully.
"That's to be expected," he nodded.
Skye continued to search Alan's gaze, trying to find a clue as to what he was hiding. "Jax, can we be alone for a few moments?" she asked him, not taking her eyes from her father's.
Jax nodded silently and slipped out of the room. Skye waited until the door clicked shut softly behind him before speaking. "Daddy-" she began watching him closely. Alan turned slightly away from his daughter and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. "Daddy what's wrong?"
::She isn't even my biological daughter:: he argued with himself. ::I shouldn't feel this way about her:: Alan turned back to Skye and studied her. She looked nothing like him, nothing whatsoever. She was tall, that he could give her, but she was limber whereas he was stalky. Her hair was red when his was dark and going gray. Her eyes were a golden honey brown and his were a soft green.
He had no true daughters. He had two sons, two sons who hated each other and hated him as well. He had Emily, and though he loved her dearly, she was adopted. He let out a little laugh. "My family..... we're not much of a family now are we? Four children, and not a one of you is in good with all the others. Jason and Emily, they're close, just as you and AJ are... but AJ and Jason.... They hate each other. I suppose you and Emily are all right with each other, but you and Jason haven't really spoken until recently, huh?"
"No, we haven't," Skye nodded and watched her father curiously as she listened to him ramble on.
He laughed again. "My children.... You're all so completely different and yet I love you all...." he trailed off.
Skye was surprised. She definitely wasn't used to people telling her they loved her.... She realized something with a start, what Alan had been trying to hide. He loved her. He didn't want her to know he loved her. "Daddy?" she cut him off mid sentence. He looked up at her curiously, "I love you too."
He seemed surprised for a few seconds as he stared at her. Then slowly he bent down and hugged her. "I don't think I realized how important you are to me until I found out that bastard raped you," he told her.
Skye stiffened slightly. "Yeah, about that.... I didn't mean to say it. I didn't want anyone to know."
"Why not?" Alan asked her as he pulled out of her embrace and sat on her bed where Jax had been sitting.
"I-I just didn't," she lied.
"Come on Skye, you don't expect me to believe that, do you?" he gave her a small smile of encouragement. She bit her lip and looked away. "Skye, tell me," he said a bit softer.
"Tell you what?" she asked, still trying to pull off the lie.
"Everything, tell me everything," he answered. "It'll help to get everything off your chest."
She seemed to consider it and he congratulated himself for getting that far. "It's a long story," she said finally.
"I've got hours," he replied and slipped his beeper out of his belt and turned it off. "See, all yours."
She couldn't help smiling. "Thank you Daddy," she said. She took a deep breath and proceeded to tell him everything she'd told Jax and more.
"A month or two after I broke up with him he came crawling back. Begging me to forgive him, he tried to convince me he'd changed, but I knew different. He got angry and started hitting me.....God I can still remember...." she trailed off.
"You don't have to go on," Alan told her.
She shook her head. "No, I wanna say it. I've never told anyone but Collin." Alan nodded, he wasn't so sure he wanted to hear the rest, but he'd listen because Skye wanted him to.
"I tried to get away. I tried so hard, but he was so much stronger. He grabbed a chair and threw it at me when I tried to run.... It knocked me out for a while.... When I- when I woke up-" she stopped, her voice breaking. "He was raping me." Tears streamed down her face freely, she'd given up trying to hold them back.
"Oh honey," Alan said as he gathered his daughter in his arms and held her close. She cried into his shoulder for a few moments.
She sniffled as she pulled away. She had to continue. "I, um, I didn't find out I was pregnant until a few months later.... Trystan was graduating early, in December instead of May with all the other seniors, so he never knew. I never really showed either.... She was due in early June, but in April Trystan came back for one of his friend's 21st birthday. He found me and really upset me. I went into premature labor.... Collin threw him out before he figured out what was going on..... That's it really, that's everything."
Alan was silent for a moment as he digested all that he'd heard. He sighed after a few moments. "You don't know how badly I want to kill him right now," he told her.
"Don't," she shook her head violently. "Don't even say it... You don't know what he's capable of..... If you threaten him he'll make sure you're not around to carry it out."
"Jason threatened him," Alan replied after a few seconds.
"Jason?" Skye repeated.
Alan nodded. "He picked him up and shoved him into the wall. Said if he ever came near you or Dawne again he'd kill him."
"Oh God," Skye breathed. "You have to warn him! He-he can't stay here anymore, he's got to leave..... Trystan will hunt him down!"
"Calm down Skye," Alan placed his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "Jason's a big boy, he can take care of himself."
"I'd feel better if he knew," Skye answered.
"I'll let him know," Alan nodded.
A knock on the door cut him off from saying anything more. The person didn't wait, they just opened the door and walked in. "Alexis," Skye said when she saw who it was.
"Jax told me you were awake," she replied. "How do you feel?"
"Do you really care or are you simply working up to whatever you want to say?" Skye asked her.
"You're right, I don't really care, but since you're paying me to defend you I have to at least pretend I do," Alexis answered and dragged a chair over to the bedside. "We need to talk."
"Can it wait, my father and I were discussing something," she asked.
Alexis looked irritated. "No Skye, I don't believe it can."
Skye bit her tongue. "All right fine, what?"
"The Judge called a recess," Alexis replied. "If you're released by tonight court will continue in the morning."
Skye looked to her dad for answers. "I can go draw up the release papers now."
"Thanks," Skye nodded. Alan hugged her and kissed her on the top of the head, then picked up his beeper and walked out of the room.
"Since you lied to me and told me I knew all there was that I needed to know we've got to work up a new angle-" Alexis told her snottily.
"I did tell you all you needed to know," Skye replied. "I didn't think ::you:: needed to know that he'd raped me."
"If you'd told me this in the beginning it would've been and open and shut case," Alexis persisted. "We wouldn't have to be going back again tomorrow because you decided you couldn't handle it and fainted!"
"I did ::not:: pass out because I couldn't handle it!" Skye exclaimed and hoped to God that she was right. "I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday and I barely got any sleep because I was so worried about this damn case!"
"You, worried? I don't believe it, does the wicked witch in fact have a heart?" Alexis asked sarcastically.
"I could fire you so fast it'd make your head spin!" she threatened.
"And if you did, you'd loose this case! I'm the best Skye! Now if you expect to win you'd damn well better cooperate with me!" Alexis nearly yelled.
The door opened and her favorite person stepped in, Collin. "What's goin' on in here?" Collin asked with a smile.
"We're fighting!" Skye replied angrily because Alexis had gotten the last word in.
"Hummm," he nodded and smiled wider. "You didn't get the last word in, did you?"
Skye glared at him, but it didn't last very long at all. His goofy grin always made her smile. She relaxed and began to laugh, "I hate you, you know that?" she asked as he came over and sat on the bed next to her.
"I know," he answered, still smiling. He leaned down and hugged her tightly. "So you fainted, how 'bout that?"
"I didn't faint," she protested. "I passed out."
"Oh, right, I forgot you don't faint," he nodded seriously.
"Ahem!" Alexis cleared her throat. "We were talking, privately."
"Collin knows everything there is to know about me, anything we say can be said in front of him," Skye answered.
"All right, fine," Alexis answered still angry with Skye. "Do you have proof that Trystan Bryant raped you?"
"I've got the file," Collin answered.
"You?" Alexis repeated.
"I gave it to him," Skye replied. "I didn't want to have it as a reminder anymore."
"Great," she nodded but didn't sound very happy. "Well if you can get it to me by tonight so I can look over it then Bryant won't have a chance."
"I'll drop it by your house," Collin answered.
Alexis nodded. "Okay, well that's it. We're done here, I'll see you tomorrow morning," Alexis said to Skye as she gathered her briefcase and left the room.
"I so don't like that woman," Skye said as soon as she was gone.
"She's Kristina's mother, right?" Collin asked.
"That's the one," Skye nodded.
"Hummm," he nodded. "So, how you feelin' Babe?"
Skye wrinkled her nose. "I'm okay but I wanna' get outta' here."
"I know, you hate hospitals," he nodded understanding completely. "I passed your dad in the hall, said he was workin' on gettin' you outta' here."
Skye nodded. "Yeah, I talked to him earlier."
"Is that why you've been crying?" he asked.
She smiled and wiped her eyes even though they didn't need wiping. "Yeah, I told him."
"Everything?"
She nodded.
"It's about time you started talking to other people about it," he replied. She nodded but didn't say anything. "So, you and Jax.... Anything I should know about?"
"What do you mean?" she asked knowing full well he was asking if they'd slept together.
"He seemed pretty worried about you. For a while he wouldn't let anyone in the room to see you," Collin explained. "I was simply wondering if something had happened between you two to make him so protective of you."
Skye sighed. He knew, but he wouldn't say anything until she confirmed it. "All right, all right, we slept together yesterday afternoon after you took Dawne to the airport."
"I figured, that's why I offered to take her," he answered with a knowing nod.
"How do you do that?" she asked with a smile.
"Do what?"
"Just know things like that," she answered.
"Family gift," he replied. "So what happened afterwards?"
She sighed again. "He said it was a mistake."
"Really?" Collin seemed genuinely surprised. "If I'd seen that coming I wouldn't have left you two alone."
"Yeah well..." she trailed off with a shrug. "So, have you talked to Dawne yet?"
Collin shook his head. "I called but it was after bedtime."
Skye frowned but nodded.
Collin stood. "I guess I'll let you get some sleep then, you look bushed."
"Thanks for coming," she said and kissed him briefly on the cheek before he left.
The door had barely shut before it was opened again, this time by Jax. "Hey," he smiled.
"Hey," she returned.
"You still mad at me?" he asked pausing in the doorway.
"That depends," she replied. "Do you still think sleeping together was a mistake?"
"Only if you do," he answered slowly.
"Then no, I'm not mad at you," she answered.
"Good," he smiled and walked into the room the rest of the way and sat down on the bed next to her. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I was so afraid for you," he whispered.
"Why?" she asked.
"We couldn't wake you up," he replied. "You hit your head on the corner of the stand, the doctors said you may have a concussion."
Skye reached back and touched her head. She hadn't noticed the numb feeling until now. They'd shaved a small patch of her hair off and stitched a small cut closed. She was appalled. "They shaved my hair!" she exclaimed.
Jax grinned. "For some reason I knew that would be the first thing you thought of."
"I can't believe they shaved my hair!" she exclaimed again.
"It's underneath, it won't show," he replied.
"But still! They shaved my hair!" she exclaimed again.
He laughed. "You look so cute when you're angry," he said and leaned down and kissed her fully on the lips.
She smiled as he pulled away. "I'm glad you think so Mr. Jacks 'cuz I'll be angry about this for a while."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay so nothing ::really:: major happened in this chapter but once I started the hospital stuff I just kept going. I probably could've gone on a bit longer with other people visiting her and all but that would've gotten a bit boring. So anyway, that's chapter 11. I hoped y'all enjoyed it, the next chapter will be out soon enough. Don't forget to review!!!! Until next time..... PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!
