A/N: Ok, so this is my first AU fic so tell me what you think, ks? Read and
Review! That's what your supposed to do when you read one of these things,
remember? Plus, it's alliterative like Fan Fiction! And that's always a
good thing, isn't it?
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Title: A Place Of Her Own.
Chapter: Foundations
Author: Aman'mai
Rating: PG-13, for some violence. A warning for some, I was in a black mood when I wrote this but it will get a bit more happier (Whoa! Grammar check goes crazy on that one) in the next few chapters.
Summary: Natalie wants to get away from it all. She hates the city life. She hates the way people look at her and her brother. She wants a place of her own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nat faced the constable in front of her.
"We just want to help you, Nat. That's all. Now tell me. Where do you live?"
"I don't live," answered Nat simply.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was 13. Her father came into the house swearing and holding a bundle of cloth.
"The damn woman died, just like your own mother did. Here," he thrust the bundle into her arms, "you take care of it. I'm off to the pub. They want a bloody funeral, they want to give me the body, and they want the world! They want to give me the kid and I won't bloody well have it. You take it. Go chuck it in the river for all I care."
Her father slammed the door behind him and Natalie looked down at her new baby brother.
"Thomas," she whispered. "You can be called Thomas."
She held him close to her body and sat down in the armchair by the window, watching the rain gently fall, and listening to the incessant pit-patter of it hitting the badly made tin roof. The baby began to cry in her embrace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where are your parents, girl?" asked the constable, "You aren't helping us."
"Dead . . ." she told them, then snorted, "for all I care."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
15.
She was fifteen and she had horrors brought to life in front of her eyes.
How could he have . . .? She shook her head. You did not question why he had done what he had done. No more than you questioned where he went or what he wanted or how he did anything at all. She shivered as she looked down at lifeless body. The lifeless, soaking body.
Her body started to rack slowly with the smallest of trembles that soon brought her shaking with grief.
He had . . . she had followed him. Carefully, she had followed. Silently. For two nights he had been away and by chance she saw him in the street, with a bundle of cloth. A very familiar bundle of cloth and her heart had skipped when she had seen it.
He had . . . she had followed him to the riverbed.
He had . . . she had heard the wailing sound of the newborn.
He had . . . she had heard the wailing become muffled by the drunken fingers of her father close over the tiny rosebud lips.
He had . . . she heard a shriek that was silenced by the lapping water as those drunken fingers pushed the bundle of cloth into the river.
He had gone.
And she had come to see what damage had been done.
Two years ago, that might have been her brother. She felt sorry for the woman who had been stupid enough to thin her father had been decent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's been hard for you, hasn't it?" asked the cop, trying to go with the friendly, open attitude, "It's been tough over the years, hasn't it?"
She glowered silently at him.
"Living rough, living the tough life. It's not easy, eh?"
"How would you know?" she said quietly, staring intently between his eyes. Right where the bullet would . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coming home, she didn't think of being late. All that consumed her mind was that fragile, newborn body of her sister.
She had come out of her hiding place as soon as it was safe and had pulled the body from the bottom of the river. Vainly, trying to pump life into her sibling. Puffing and crying and trying so hard to bring life into the little body once more she gave out. Three hours she stayed, pouring her heart into this little girl she would never know.
From the start, she had known it was useless. From the start, she had known there was nothing she could do. And ever since the start, she had known her father would always get his own way.
"What are you doing home so late?" yelled her father from inside the house as she opened the door.
A soft sobbing could be heard from the kitchen and her heart leapt into her throat..
Her father strode in dragging along Thomas.
His legs were wrong. They were twisted the wrong way and Thomas had silent streams of tears falling down his face, his face a multitude of colours from trying not to cry in front of his father and from his father's blows.
"I told you I didn't know, pa. I told you . . ." whispered the boy.
"Shut up!" yelled the man throwing the boy against the wall like a ragdoll, "You come here!"
Nat walked to her father and had bruises that covered her for weeks.
Thomas never walked again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I wouldn't know anything at all but for a four-five year old boy . . ." the constable trailed off and looked her in the eye. "He needs a good, secure home to grow up in with a good, solid education."
She imagined the look on his face as he saw, in the last instant, his death coming at him at over 100 k's an hour. She sneered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was 16 with a three year old clinging onto her back.
"Nat! Nat! Where dad, Nat?" the boy asked.
"Somewhere else, ok? No, no, don't cry." She comforted her brother, "Shhh, it's going to be alright."
They caught a bus around to the other side of the city and found a park, where they slept fitfully.
The next few years were living hell, where their daily fights to survive consisted of begging, church shelters and soup vans.
The young boy that she carried on her back in a heavy duty garbage bag earned her dirty looks from those ever so proper businessmen and women who hurried from place to place. From home to work and back again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Natalie, you can't just avoid us like this. Your brother needs to go to school in a few months. You can't ignore the law."
"And what is the law doing about me?" she exploded, "It's not helping! I can't even afford to walk into a shop let alone buy something! Have you seen the looks people give me? I have had to fight and fight and fight and fight . . . you don't know the half of it! Why don't you leave us to live our own lives? We've done well enough for the last five years without you interfering and we'll carry on like this," she screamed until her lungs were fit to bursting. How dare this man assume that he could help her? How dare he assume that he knew what was best for her brother? How dare he?
"Natalie . . ."
"No! I won't hear another word from your slimy, disgusting mouth! I don't have to be here!" she stormed out, picking up Thomas in his bag and left the station.
The constable shook his head.
"That girl . . ." he said to the deputy, "she's got a lot of things coming her way. But she's a strong one. I only wish I could help her."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nat staggered slowly to the outskirts of the city. She would hitchhike out of here if she had too. She wouldn't let those snobby pigs come and take her brother away. Never would she let her Thomas go.
Stumbling, she continued on her way to the safety of the woods.
Her life would never be there for the taking and moulding of those who think they could do better. Never! This was her life. And her brother. She would care for him. She would . . .
Her thoughts turned to the future as she continued on, her brother slipping further into her back as he got used to her methodical gait and snuggling so tight she felt as if she were choking.
"Love you, Nat." he said.
"Love you too, Tom." She whispered as he fell asleep.
She continued on working her pace up a bit. They would not find them if they looked, she hoped. She wanted to get as far from the city and it's precious civilised lifestyles as soon as possible.
**Four hours later**
Tramping along the edge of the woods, she felt a bit of nervousness rise in her throat but soon turned onto an animal track, following it deeper into the forest until they could no longer see the city or it's lights.
Slinging Thomas down on to a pile of leaves next to her, Nat dragged her coat around the two of them. Hugging him, she fell asleep there breathing synchronised with the harmonious whistling of the wind though the trees.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Title: A Place Of Her Own.
Chapter: Foundations
Author: Aman'mai
Rating: PG-13, for some violence. A warning for some, I was in a black mood when I wrote this but it will get a bit more happier (Whoa! Grammar check goes crazy on that one) in the next few chapters.
Summary: Natalie wants to get away from it all. She hates the city life. She hates the way people look at her and her brother. She wants a place of her own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nat faced the constable in front of her.
"We just want to help you, Nat. That's all. Now tell me. Where do you live?"
"I don't live," answered Nat simply.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was 13. Her father came into the house swearing and holding a bundle of cloth.
"The damn woman died, just like your own mother did. Here," he thrust the bundle into her arms, "you take care of it. I'm off to the pub. They want a bloody funeral, they want to give me the body, and they want the world! They want to give me the kid and I won't bloody well have it. You take it. Go chuck it in the river for all I care."
Her father slammed the door behind him and Natalie looked down at her new baby brother.
"Thomas," she whispered. "You can be called Thomas."
She held him close to her body and sat down in the armchair by the window, watching the rain gently fall, and listening to the incessant pit-patter of it hitting the badly made tin roof. The baby began to cry in her embrace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where are your parents, girl?" asked the constable, "You aren't helping us."
"Dead . . ." she told them, then snorted, "for all I care."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
15.
She was fifteen and she had horrors brought to life in front of her eyes.
How could he have . . .? She shook her head. You did not question why he had done what he had done. No more than you questioned where he went or what he wanted or how he did anything at all. She shivered as she looked down at lifeless body. The lifeless, soaking body.
Her body started to rack slowly with the smallest of trembles that soon brought her shaking with grief.
He had . . . she had followed him. Carefully, she had followed. Silently. For two nights he had been away and by chance she saw him in the street, with a bundle of cloth. A very familiar bundle of cloth and her heart had skipped when she had seen it.
He had . . . she had followed him to the riverbed.
He had . . . she had heard the wailing sound of the newborn.
He had . . . she had heard the wailing become muffled by the drunken fingers of her father close over the tiny rosebud lips.
He had . . . she heard a shriek that was silenced by the lapping water as those drunken fingers pushed the bundle of cloth into the river.
He had gone.
And she had come to see what damage had been done.
Two years ago, that might have been her brother. She felt sorry for the woman who had been stupid enough to thin her father had been decent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's been hard for you, hasn't it?" asked the cop, trying to go with the friendly, open attitude, "It's been tough over the years, hasn't it?"
She glowered silently at him.
"Living rough, living the tough life. It's not easy, eh?"
"How would you know?" she said quietly, staring intently between his eyes. Right where the bullet would . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coming home, she didn't think of being late. All that consumed her mind was that fragile, newborn body of her sister.
She had come out of her hiding place as soon as it was safe and had pulled the body from the bottom of the river. Vainly, trying to pump life into her sibling. Puffing and crying and trying so hard to bring life into the little body once more she gave out. Three hours she stayed, pouring her heart into this little girl she would never know.
From the start, she had known it was useless. From the start, she had known there was nothing she could do. And ever since the start, she had known her father would always get his own way.
"What are you doing home so late?" yelled her father from inside the house as she opened the door.
A soft sobbing could be heard from the kitchen and her heart leapt into her throat..
Her father strode in dragging along Thomas.
His legs were wrong. They were twisted the wrong way and Thomas had silent streams of tears falling down his face, his face a multitude of colours from trying not to cry in front of his father and from his father's blows.
"I told you I didn't know, pa. I told you . . ." whispered the boy.
"Shut up!" yelled the man throwing the boy against the wall like a ragdoll, "You come here!"
Nat walked to her father and had bruises that covered her for weeks.
Thomas never walked again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I wouldn't know anything at all but for a four-five year old boy . . ." the constable trailed off and looked her in the eye. "He needs a good, secure home to grow up in with a good, solid education."
She imagined the look on his face as he saw, in the last instant, his death coming at him at over 100 k's an hour. She sneered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was 16 with a three year old clinging onto her back.
"Nat! Nat! Where dad, Nat?" the boy asked.
"Somewhere else, ok? No, no, don't cry." She comforted her brother, "Shhh, it's going to be alright."
They caught a bus around to the other side of the city and found a park, where they slept fitfully.
The next few years were living hell, where their daily fights to survive consisted of begging, church shelters and soup vans.
The young boy that she carried on her back in a heavy duty garbage bag earned her dirty looks from those ever so proper businessmen and women who hurried from place to place. From home to work and back again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Natalie, you can't just avoid us like this. Your brother needs to go to school in a few months. You can't ignore the law."
"And what is the law doing about me?" she exploded, "It's not helping! I can't even afford to walk into a shop let alone buy something! Have you seen the looks people give me? I have had to fight and fight and fight and fight . . . you don't know the half of it! Why don't you leave us to live our own lives? We've done well enough for the last five years without you interfering and we'll carry on like this," she screamed until her lungs were fit to bursting. How dare this man assume that he could help her? How dare he assume that he knew what was best for her brother? How dare he?
"Natalie . . ."
"No! I won't hear another word from your slimy, disgusting mouth! I don't have to be here!" she stormed out, picking up Thomas in his bag and left the station.
The constable shook his head.
"That girl . . ." he said to the deputy, "she's got a lot of things coming her way. But she's a strong one. I only wish I could help her."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nat staggered slowly to the outskirts of the city. She would hitchhike out of here if she had too. She wouldn't let those snobby pigs come and take her brother away. Never would she let her Thomas go.
Stumbling, she continued on her way to the safety of the woods.
Her life would never be there for the taking and moulding of those who think they could do better. Never! This was her life. And her brother. She would care for him. She would . . .
Her thoughts turned to the future as she continued on, her brother slipping further into her back as he got used to her methodical gait and snuggling so tight she felt as if she were choking.
"Love you, Nat." he said.
"Love you too, Tom." She whispered as he fell asleep.
She continued on working her pace up a bit. They would not find them if they looked, she hoped. She wanted to get as far from the city and it's precious civilised lifestyles as soon as possible.
**Four hours later**
Tramping along the edge of the woods, she felt a bit of nervousness rise in her throat but soon turned onto an animal track, following it deeper into the forest until they could no longer see the city or it's lights.
Slinging Thomas down on to a pile of leaves next to her, Nat dragged her coat around the two of them. Hugging him, she fell asleep there breathing synchronised with the harmonious whistling of the wind though the trees.