Rose

I slept in late. There was no alarm to wake me up, there was just a warm log sleeping on the top of my duvet wrapped in a blanket. I opened my eyes slowly to see Adrian sleeping soundly. I leaned on my shoulders and found Mason sleeping at the bottom of the bed. This was a common occurrence – I would have a bad panic attack; Adrian would take me to his place and both Adrian and Mason would stay with me.

I tried to get out of the bed without waking them both up. My migraine was gone, I was just feeling groggy and hungry. Before I made it to the door, bot Mason and Adrian stirred.

"You're awake!" I gave Adrian a small smile. He got up, out of bed and gave me a hug. Mason followed suit. "We'll be here you know?" I nodded.

"Shouldn't I be in school?" Mason shook his head.

"You dad said to let you sleep – he called in sick for you." I nodded and yawned. "Are you going to be okay? Adrian's aunt is having a fit because we didn't go back to hers last night." I nodded.

"I'll be fine. It was just a shock, you know." Both guys nodded and pulled on their shoes.

"We'll come back later tonight." I walked them down the stairs, out the door, accepted the hugs and kisses on the cheeks as I waved them off before entering the kitchen. I grabbed a bowl and cereal.

"Are you feeling better?" I jumped at Abe's sudden voice and nodded.

"I'm sorry – I'm a mess." He gave me a small smile.

"Nah, I think I'll keep you around for a while." I gave him a smile and sat down next to him. "I still haven't called your mom."

"She's on her way." I replied shoveling the food into my mouth.

"I can make you something." He offered. I shook my head.

"I'm not really hungry, I just need to eat something." He gave me a smile and put a hand on the back of my neck.

"You are alright – Adrian said-"

"That hasn't happened in a long time. I can handle the attacks and sort them out before they get that far. Yesterday was a shock." He gave me a smile.

"Would therapy help?" I looked over at him.

"I talk to Mason and Adrian and they help me out." He kissed my forehead and smiled.

"You can talk to me too." I gave him a smile. "She wasn't around much, always working. Tony was the one around."

"And he was the one to hurt you?" I nodded. "Did you tell your mom? Did she know?"

"I guess so. I tried to tell her once but Tony turned it around on me. She thought I was making it up because all he did was push me. He would hit me where the bruises wouldn't show."

"Can I see?" I nodded and lifted up my shirt. My whole body underneath the light material was black and blue, turning a horrible yellow. Abe sucked in a breath. "He did this to you?" I nodded. Abe looked furious. Then he wrapped me in a tight hug. I hugged him back. "Nothing like that will happen again. I promise."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It was a couple hours later when Mikhail came in saying Abe had a visitor. Abe and I had spent the hours talking, getting to know each other better. Our relationship was growing – it was easy, relaxed and natural. We were in his office; I was looking at the books he had stored there when Mikhail knocked on the door.

"Abe-"

"Oh, get out of my way Mikhail." The familiar non-familiar voice came from behind him. Mikhail moved out of the way and Abe stiffened as my mom walked through the door. I stiffened when Tony walked in the door.

"Janine." I swallowed as Abe stood staring in shock.

"There you are!" She exclaimed. "I knew them two boys would come to you eventually."

"You know about Mason and Adrian?"

"Of course I do. When Tony called and said you were gone, he mentioned the two of them." I swallowed. Abe stiffened at the name I just told him not too long ago. "Thank god I hired him to keep an eye on you."

"More like fists." Abe snorted out. I looked up at him terrified. Tony glared down at me from behind my mother. I swallowed, my hands sweating, my heart beating painfully fast.

"Oh, don't believe a word she says. Tony caught her drinking a number of times and she would say things to deflect." Janine waved the comment off. Tony's eyes kept on me as I tried to step back and away.

"Have you actually seen what he's done to her? Mikhail, get him out of here before I'm arrested." Mikhail came back in, nodding and forcefully grabbed Tony and took him out. There was a struggle but Mikhail ultimately won.

"What is he talking about?" Janine looked at me as I looked away. "Rose?" She sounded concerned. I rolled my eyes. "Rosemarie?" I winced at the use of my full name.

"Thank you for using my mother's name." Abe answered. Janine looked up at him before looking away.

"You always said if you had a daughter you would call her that." Janine gave Abe a small smile before she looked at me again. "What is he talking about Rose?"

"Why do you care? You were never around." I shot back, angry now.

"Rose, I did it to prote did it to protect you. I left to protect you." She looked up at Abe. "You remember what was going on before I left, I couldn't bring a child into it." Abe pinched the bridge of his nose. "I left, stayed away so noone really knew who her parents were so she would be safe."

"And Tony?" Abe asked.

"He was supposed to look after her, keep her safe."

"Safe? She's black and blue!" I looked between my parents as both argued back and forth, trying to stay out of it.

"Rose?" I looked back at my mother as her face softened. I wrapped my arms around my chest.

"I tried telling you and then it just made it worse." I looked away. "Sometimes you wouldn't answer."

"Show her Rose." I looked at my father. He gave me an encouraging smile. I swallowed and rolled up my shirt again. Janine looked away. "That's what he's been doing to her."

"When you were in the hospital-"

"Tony pushed me down the stairs and stood on my knee until it dislocated." Janine let out a breath, sucked on in again before putting her hands on her hips.

"And that time when you were fifteen-"

"I suffer from bad panic attacks. That was my worst attack."

"Rose. I'm so sorry." I looked up at my mother. I shook my head. "Rose, if I knew-"

"If you were around, you would have."

"Can we call just sit down and talk?" Abe asked. He was torn, I could tell. He loved Janine, still does. He was hurt she left, hurt she never told him about me, sad because she was never around. Janine sighed but sat down in one of the chairs. Abe sat in another, I remained standing.

"I left because there were some people after your father." Janine started. "It wasn't the right time to bring a baby into that life." Abe sucked in a breath.

"I would have protected her and you." Janine gave him a small smile.

"I know but it wasn't the right time. I had to leave." Janine continued. "I needed to protect her Abe. That's why I hired Tony – his background was clean, he came recommended. I didn't know what he was doing."

"You were never around." I said again for the second time. That's the part that hurt the most.

"People knew I was with your father; it was easier to stay away so people wouldn't think you were his."

"I would have protected her." Abe said.

"I know, I just needed to leave. Then I came back the day after you left and Tony said you were getting high and drinking with two boys – I didn't know what to think." She gave me a sad smile. "I didn't know you knew about your father-"

"I found your old diaries-"

"Rose, if I'd known what was going on-"

"I can't so this." I swallowed and walked out. I walked towards the door, slipped on shoes and walked out.

"Rose!"

I ran.