TITLE: Behind This Façade – Chapter 19
AUTHOR: Kerry
RATING: PG-17
CONTENT: Attempted rape in later chapters
CATEGORY: Angst/Adult
SPOILERS: None
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, no one.
DISTRIBUTION: yahoo groups. Please ask
CHARACTERS: Vince, Linda, Shane, Stephanie, Paul, Marissa, Declan. David is my own creation.
Chapter 19
They eventually got back to Vince's house at 5:00am in the morning; Stephanie was there, standing on the front doorstep, anxiously awaiting their return when Shane pulled into the driveway.
Shane cut the engine off and he and Vince both got out of the car. Linda didn't move.
"What's going on?" Stephanie demanded. "What's wrong with Mom?" Vince hadn't told her what had happened, he just asked her to go over to his house and wait until they come back. Stephanie craned her neck, trying to look in the car to get a look at Linda.
"Steph, stop it." Vince said quietly. "We've been at the police station…"
A confused look crossed Steph's face.
"Did you know your Mom had been seeing someone called David?"
Stephanie shrugged. "She said she'd been on a couple of dates with her next door neighbour. Why?"
"I went round to your Mom's earlier tonight… He was trying to rape her."
Stephanie gasped, her hand went to her mouth and tears filled her eyes.
"I got there just in time; I hit him a few times and then phoned the police. They've arrested David and remanded him in custody for attempted rape. I've been charged with actual bodily harm and released on bail, that Shane posted and your Mom gave her statement, they did some tests on her…"
"Tests?"Stephanie questioned.
"For evidence against him."Shane said.
"She's in a bad way Steph, she hasn't spoken to anyone since the police interviewed her. That's why we want you to stay with her while we go back to her apartment and get some clothes; she's not staying there by herself anymore. I think she'll be more comfortable if you stay with her rather than one of us, she hasn't even spoken to us." Vince finished.
"That's why we didn't want you to bring Paul, if she can't even stand us touching her; god knows what she'll be like with any other male." Shane said. "The laugh of it is that they've charged Dad, I mean can you believe that?! He was only trying to protect her; our justice system is a joke!" Shane's voice rose, unintentionally.
"Shane, keep it down." Vince shook his head, "look at her, she hasn't moved." All of them turned their heads towards Linda who was still sitting in the car.
"I'll get her," Stephanie said quietly, wiping away her tears and trying to put on a brave face. She walked round to her mother's side of the car and gently opened the door; she knelt down and took her Mom's hands in hers.
"Mom, it's me Steph. Shall we get you inside? It's freezing out here." Stephanie said gently.
Linda nodded slowly and Stephanie helped her out of the car and put her arm around her, unlike with Shane and Vince, she didn't stiffen. Stephanie hugged her close; "It's okay now Mom, you're home."
Linda looked up and the big house and said nothing. She slowly walked with Stephanie into the house, looking bewildered. Vince and Shane watched them disappear into the house and Stephanie shut the door behind them.
"Dad, I've never seen her like this." Shane said.
Vince looked at Shane, "neither have I son, but then again she's never had a man nearly rape her before." Vince sighed. "Come on, we better get going, I want to get there and back as quickly as we can."
Shane nodded, "Let's go."