Hello everyone! I just want to give a big thank you to everyone who has viewed my story! 300+ of you! I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but I am just so happy you guys are stopping by and sticking with the story, so again THANK YOU!

This chapter is another heartbreaker. I get a little teary eyed when I reread it. Josie makes her decision and finally does something about Roderick. Also, again this a chapter with physical abuse in it. I hope you guys are enjoying the story, and soon we will be meeting… Mother Miranda.

Chapter 13:

That night:

Helena was stirred awake by the bed shifting. She turned and saw Josie cozily snuggling into the blankets, her back turned to Helena.

"Too cold in your room?" Helena said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Hmph," was Josie's reply.

Helena rolled her eyes, flipping herself on her back.

"You seem much better. At peace."

"I suppose so," Josie murmured.

Helena then chuckled at a thought.

"What?"

"Do you remember when we were at the pond back at the manor, and you saw this giant bull frog and wanted to catch it?"

"I think so…" Josie said. "How old was I?"

"Six, I believe. Anyway you were so determined to catch the thing, you recruited Aresian to help us."

"Yes!" Josie sat up, grinning. "He got that net and managed to capture the bugger. I always found Aresian to be very charming."

Helena blushed, not verbally expressing her agreement. She had no idea what had become of him. Like many of the servants, they had been let go while a few—like Phoebe—had been hired by Roderick to work for him.

"I managed to hide it away for a few weeks…, until it got loose."

"Loose and managed to find its way into Mother's chambers."

The two girls' were now laughing.

"She screamed. Ordering for the guards to kill it. Father was just laughing and laughing as you and Mother argued," Helena wiped the tears from her eyes. "Imagine a six-year old standing up to someone like Mother. Grown men would never dream of doing such an act, but there you were."

The two started to fall silent, both laying on their backs now and staring up at the ceiling. All of it seemed so long ago. A part of their life that felt more like a dream than reality.

Soon the two sisters fell asleep for a few hours when Helena was suddenly awoken by a scream. She sat right up in bed, reaching over to touch Josie, but her sister was nowhere to be found…

{-}

Alcina had been sleeping peacefully in her room when she had been violently awakened by Roderick. Pulling her out of bed and half dragging her into his billiard room, where he tossed her to the floor and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

"Apologizes for the rude awakening, Alcina, but my butler told me he observed Josie leave the manor today. Where did she go?"

"I sent her out for a light stroll, my lord," Alcina replied quickly, keeping her composure as best as she could. "I felt fresh air would do her some good."

"A light stroll?" he turned, his green eyes flashing. "A light stroll that took her a full hour and forty minutes?!"

"It was not that-"

Roderick was upon her in two strides, slapping her across the face and then wrapping his fingers around her neck, pushing her up against the wall.

"My patience has worn out, Alcina. Perhaps it is time I send Josie away. One of my closest friends, Baron Albescu, is looking for a young wife to marry. I have mentioned Josie on numerous occasions and he has taken quite a liking to her. She will make a fine wife for him, I think. And…," Roderick started to reach down and lift up Alcina's nightgown. "She will be able to produce many heirs, well, that is if it doesn't kill her. I did not mention her blood disease to him, for it would make her far less desirable. A woman who cannot produce is as worthless as a lame horse. Might as well put them down."

Alcina closed her eyes, feeling his fingers sliding up and down her thighs.

"Yet there is hope. After all you were able to reproduce, though they should have been my heirs, not Fredric's."

The mention of Fredric made Alcina open her eyes. To hear him say her beloved's name! Without even thinking, Alcina kneed him straight in the groin and watched with satisfaction as he yelped in pain, collapsing to the floor.

"You will not utter his name! Never! Nor will you threaten my daughters," Alcina roared, grabbing the poker from the fire and hitting him in the back over and over until Roderick grabbed it.

Alcina startled by his quick reaction lost her grip on the weapon and stumbled back as he rose to his full height.

"You will pay for that bitch!"

Alcina had no chance of escaping. She just got to the door when he grabbed her and threw her back into the room, slamming the door shut to ensure she could not escape.

He had her pinned down on the floor, laughing as he once again started to raise her nightgown when the door suddenly burst open.

"What the—" He turned at the sound of a gun cocking.

"Get the /fuck/ off my mother…"

{-}

Helena sprinted down the hallway, checking in her mother's room to find she was not there, she continued to check rooms until she finally found them. Her uncle, Josie and her mother in the billiard room.

"Are you really going to shoot me girl?"

"Josie?" Helena whispered, wondering – no— praying this was just a nightmare. Her sister had the gun, or could it be she had two guns all along? It didn't matter now.

"Josie!"

Helena looked at her mother, noting how she was favoring her ribs.

"Well?" Roderick jabbed again. "Do you really think you can pull that trigger? Come on!"

"Shut up!" Josie snarled, her finger closing around the trigger. "I will not allow you to hurt my mother anymore! Never again!"

"Josie!" Alcina said. "Lower the gun and give it to me."

"I-I cannot," Josie said, her chin quivering. "He deserves this, does he not?"

"Jos." Alcina took a step forward. "I will see to it he is punished for everything he has done, but not this way. Not by you. Come to me, and give me the gun."

Josie glanced over her shoulder at her mother, tears spilling down her cheeks. Seeing her mother's loving smile, but also seeing the bruises on her face. The torment in her eyes. And it was in that moment did Roderick spring himself on her. The two now wrestling over the gun, he backhanded Josie across the face, but Josie maintained her hold and refused to let go.

BANG!

Smoke billowed up from the muzzle.

BANG!

Roderick remaining where he stood, watched Josie take a step back and then look down at her belly. The front of her white nightgown was red. The stain growing larger.

She gasped, turning back to her mother and then she started to fall.

"NO!" Alcina ran straight to Josie, managing to catch her and ease her down. "Josie." She clasped her hand over the wound, desperately searching the room for anything, or anyone to help. It was then did she spot Helena standing in a daze. "Helena!"

Her mother's voice broke her out of her shock, spurring her over to where her mother was knelt with Josie tucked in her arms.

"Helena?" Alcina said, removing her now bloody hand so Helena could look.

"She is l-losing too m-much blood," Helena said, shakily. "Keep pressure on it, I will call the doctor…"

"You will do no such thing," Roderick then spoke up, cocking the hammer back and pointing it at her. "Just you, Helena. Let's see if all your studying can save your sister's life, hmm?"

Alcina shot him a murderous look, turned her attention back to Helena who was staring at her sister, paralyzed.

"Helena…"

"Mama…" Josie gasped, blood dripping from out her mouth and making her already wan complexion pastier. "I'm sorry."

"Hush," Alcina soothed. "You will be just fine, sweetheart."

"F-Father made m-me promise to protect you…"

"Did he?" Alcina said, her voice cracking. "He loved you, Jos. He loved you so very much."

Josie tried to smile as a wave of pain swept through her. Her body beginning to convulse, her mouth agape as she tried to breathe.

"J-Josie," Alcina held her closer, taking hold of her daughter's outstretched hand.

"Mother," Josie whispered. "I was h-hoping tom-tomorrow we could all go out to the peach tr-tree to pick peaches f-for father. H-he always loved peach pie." She shut her eyes, taking in another deep breath. "And some jam… we could ha-have a picnic by the pond." She coughed, more blood trickling out of her mouth. "I wonder if t-the ducks h-have had their du-ducklings yet?"

"We can do all of that, my pretty girl," Alcina croaked, kissing the top of her hand.

"Mama…," Josie opened her eyes, a stray tear running down her cheek. Green eyes focused straight up at her mother. "W-will I go to heaven?"

Alcina's chin quivered violently, stroking her child's cheek with her thumb.

"Yes, Jos. Yes, my pretty girl."

Knowing there was nothing to be done to save her. All Alcina could do was watch the light leave Josie's eyes. Those beautiful green eyes. The sound of her exhaling her final breath. The familiar numbness. The crack that had been created after Fredric's death, expanding. She remained where she knelt with her daughter's body in her arms, blood staining her own nightgown. She did not notice.

Her soul seeming to leave her body and now she was looking down at a scene.

'I am going to get you.'

A memory played out in front of her of she, Helena, and Josie playing hide and seek. Running about outside, the two bolting as soon as Alcina had gotten too close to their hiding spot.

'Got you!' she had grabbed Josie, picking her up into her arms and swinging her around.

The little five-year old squealing with delight.

'Spin faster, Mama!'

'I am going to get too dizzy!'

'Faster! Faster!'

She stopped spinning after a while, taking a seat on the grass with Josie seated in-between her legs, exhausted; that smile never once left her face. Helena had soon joined them. The three admiring the view. Enjoying the warm sun on their skin.

'Mama?'

'Hmm?'

'I love you.'

'Josie…,' she placed a kiss on the top of her head. 'I love you, too.'

"Stupid girl…"

Alcina blinked, staring up at Roderick through tears.

"You may call the doctor now, Helena, though I fear nothing can be done for our poor Josie," he snickered, leaving the room.

Helena getting up to her feet, grabbed hold of a phone situated near the billiard table and did her best to dial the number. Urgently speaking in rapid fire to the person at the other end.

"Please hurry." Helena did not hang up the phone right away, all the while Alcina was watching her. Hearing a sniffle escape her eldest. "Damn it." She hissed, slamming the phone down on the receiver and then raising it again. "Damn it! Damn it! GOD DAMN IT!" over and over she slammed the phone down until she felt fingers wrap around her wrist.

Her mother's arms snaking around her and that was when she sank to the floor, weeping.