Author's Note - I know this fic has been focused on Annie lately but that's about to stop. We're going back to Abby and Carter after this chapter.

"Hello, Annie. My name is Dr. Gibson. How are you?" We were in a comfortable office talking to a woman in her mid-thirties with auburn hair.

Annie shrugged. "OK, I guess."

Carter and I were sitting together on a sofa and Annie was sitting in a tiny armchair. Dr. Gibson held up Annie's drawing. "Your parents said you feel black," she said. "Why?"

"Because of the bad man," Annie said. "What the bad man did. He made me dirty."

I clenched my fists and bit my lower lip to keep from crying. "The bad man?" Dr. Gibson asked.

Annie nodded. "The one who took me away from Daddy and Mim."

"Annie, why don't you go into the next room for a few minutes and you can play with all the toys in there, OK?"

Annie didn't need to be told twice. She had very little interest in talking to some strange woman about Jake. "Is this some dream she had or something she made up?" Dr. Gibson asked once Annie was gone.

Carter shook his head. "No. She was kidnapped about a month ago. She was gone for 24 hours."

"Had she been raped?"

This question clearly upset Carter but he composed himself and said, "there was no evidence of rape. But that doesn't mean that . . .he didn't do other things."

"Have you asked her what happened?"

"No," I said. "Should we? Would she be able to tell us? I mean she doesn't understand . . ."

Dr. Gibson nodded patiently. "She'll be able to tell you somehow. And I assume you've told her that it wasn't her fault?"

Something inside me burst. How could we have not told her that? We were so concerned about not blaming ourselves that we didn't even think that Annie would be blaming herself too. "No," I said quietly.

"You both need to tell her that. But I think it would be best if she hears it from one of you first, instead of both at once. Who do you think it would mean more for Annie to hear you say it?"

I looked at Carter. "You?" I said. "You're her daddy." Then I smiled. "And she's a daddy's girl."

Dr. Gibson stood up and called Annie back into the room. Carter held out his arms to her and placed her on his knee. "Annie, what that bad man did to you . . .it's not your fault. You are a very good little girl and Mim and I love you so much. Do you understand? You didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault."

Annie nodded and tears filled her eyes. "He said I was naughty. He said I was bad and he had to punish me. He said Mim was bad too."

Carter lifted Annie's chin so that she was looking at him. "He's wrong," he said. "You weren't bad. Mim wasn't bad. He was the only bad one."

"If I'm not bad, why did he make me dirty?"

"Annie," Dr. Gibson said. Annie turned to look at her. "What do you mean, 'made you dirty?' What did he do?"

Annie hung her head. "He took of my clothes," she said.

I put my hand to my face and turned away so Annie wouldn't see me cry. "Then what, Annie?" Dr. Gibson asked.

I stood up. "I have to go," I said. I couldn't stand to listen to this. It broke my heart.

"Mim, don't leave!" Annie cried. "Mim, please."

I looked at her, the tears on her face matching mine. "All right," I said. "I won't leave."

"Then what?" Dr. Gibson prompted.

"He touched my pee-pee," Annie whispered. I swallowed a sob. "He kissed my face and licked the inside of my mouth."

I couldn't even look at Annie. I knew if I looked at her I'd see shame in her eyes and I couldn't bear that. She didn't deserve this. And worst of all, Jake had made her feel that it was her fault. "That made you feel dirty?" Dr. Gibson asked.

"Yeah," Annie said.

"But Annie," she said. "He's the dirty one. He hurt you and he touched you in a bad way. He's dirty, you're not."

I felt a small hand on my arm. "Mim?" I looked over at Annie. "Don't cry."

This, of course, made me cry even harder.

*********************************

We made another appointment with Dr. Gibson for Annie and then walked back to Carter's apartment. Carter took my hand and Annie skipped in front of us. "She'll be OK, right?" I asked. "I mean, her life isn't ruined because of this, is it?"

Carter shook his head. "I hope not. Annie! Don't go in the street, please!"

Annie skipped back to us. "Can we go to the park?"

"Not right now, butter bean. It's almost dinner time and I think Abby and I are gonna go out." Carter looked at me. "Dinner and a movie?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Dinner and dancing."

Response to reviews -

Board-monkey - Longer chapters? I'll try.

Carbylobsterandavrilfan - Annie will be all right.

Hyperpiper91 - Thanks! I do my best.

Aaron - WOW! What a compliment. Thank you so much!

Vkh218 - It helped me too.