Janine

"Stop, Abe!" I yelled at the man I loved. The father of my child. The man I would love forever even if it caused me heart ache. "I know you're angry that I left you-"

"Your right!" He yelled slamming a hand down on the table. "I am angry you left. I'm furious that you kept my daughter from me!" I sucked in a breath and grabbed the chain Abe bought me so many years ago.

"You know why I had to." He did. When I was pregnant, well before I knew I was pregnant, Abe was getting threats, people were showing up to the house trying to hurt us. I couldn't stay not after I found out I was having a baby and I couldn't get rid of it. My heart was in the right place – I was twenty, no family other than Abe – I didn't know what was going to happen and I didn't want anything to happen to the baby.

"You didn't have to!" Abe was in hysterics. He was being calm when Rose was around but now that she had gone out with some of her friends.

"I had to protect her Abe." I said quietly as I allowed myself to sit down in the chair instead of continuously pacing the floor.

"I could have done that here!" He yelled back. "What kind of protecting her could you have done? You left her!"

"And don't you think I regret that every day! Especially after everything you told me about Tony?!" I yelled back, jumping from my chair as he slowly settled into his.

"If you left me to protect her – there was no reason for you to leave her."

"Do you think I wanted to leave her?" I yelled back, now I'm turning hysterical. "I had no choice! I had to move five times before we were able to settle. I had to leave so Rose could go to school and have a normal life. They knew who I was – I had to stay away." Abe let out a breath as I started to calm down and sit back down in a chair. "I really had no choice." I whispered resting my elbows on my knees and putting my face in my hands.

"Were you hurt?" I shook my head.

"I hired Tony to keep Rose safe – I looked into his past and everything, there was nothing!" I closed my eyes. "It's all my fault." I felt my hand being pulled from my face. I didn't fight them but I kept my eyes closed.

"Look at me." Abe voice was soft and gentle as he spoke. I kept my eyes closed as I felt his soft fingers graze my cheek. I leaned into his touch. "Look at me." I slowly opened my eyes.

"You're only human, you couldn't know." I pulled away from him.

"She was in hospital multiple times, sometimes for weeks – I didn't do anything! She couldn't even talk to me, Abe!"

"That's the funny thing about our daughter – she was trying to protect you." Trying to protect you."

"She's the child – she shouldn't be trying to protect me." Abe cupped my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him.

"She's just like you, you know." I gave him a small smile.

"At least you don't have to worry – You know her more than I do."

"Give her a chance – she'll speak to you." Abe leaned forwards and kissed me slow and steady. I hesitated before kissing him back when the door opened suddenly. Abe turned and looked towards the door.

"It's Rose-" Abe and I rushed towards Rose's bedroom. The curtains were being pulled by the two boys that became Rose's friends when I wasn't around. Rose was lying in the bed tucking into some ice cream. There was a laptop on the bed with a movie playing on volume.

"I'm fine." Rose said in a soft voice. I took a step forward and opened my mouth about to say something but I didn't. Instead I turned away and closed my eyes. "I'm just going to sleep. Mason, Adrian, Tatiana will go crazy if you don't go home."

"We'll look after her." Abe said quietly. I turned to him.

"You we believe. Her-" The red-haired boy pointed towards me. "not so much."

"Stop yelling." Rose whispered pulling the covers under her chin some more. Adrian walked over towards the bed and stroked Rose's hair. "I'm fine."

"That was twice in one week, Rose. You are not fine."

"You really are headaches." Mason rolled his eyes and turned to Abe.

"If it happens again and there's blood – she needs to go to the hospital." I turned to Abe. He was nodding as he was watching Rose. The two boys left leaving and Abe alone with Rose.

"Are you okay, Kiz?" Rose nodded her eyes closed.

"I'm fine." Rose replied. I stood back and let Abe talk to Rose. I watched as the two interacted, the relationship between the two blossoming into a beautiful thing. Abe turned around and looked at me.

"I've to get something." He turned and walked out of the room.

"Abe-"

"Maybe you should talk to her – while I get that something." I narrowed my eyes at him as he walked away. I turned and looked at Rose. Her back to turned to me, the covered pulled up high. I took in a breath and took a step forward.

"Rose-" She didn't turn when I spoke, but there was a slight movement under the covers. "Rose, I'm so sorry."

"For what? You don't even know what to be sorry for." I sucked in a breath. At least she was speaking to me.

"I do – Tony-"

"I'm not angry about Tony." She grumbled. "You left me alone for years." I sighed and walked towards her bed, sitting on the edge.

"Rose-"

"Yeah, you've said it was to protect me. Point is, you still did it." I sighed.

"I know but I thought it was the right thing to do."

"You thought it was right to leave me? To allow me to raise myself and fend for myself?" I sucked in a breath and winced at her words.

"I didn't. I sent money, I paid for everything you needed-"

"What I needed was my mom around." She shot back quietly. Her back still turned. "I needed my mom when I got 100 on a test, when I won first place in a math tournament and debates. I needed my mom when girls in school were talking about me. I just needed you to be there for me."

I leaned over and rested my hand on her head, a feeling so unfamiliar I moved it away as soon as she moved. I sighed and looked away into the dark room.

"I thought I was doing the right thing." I said. "I'm sorry about everything especially Tony-" I cut myself off. "Did he ever touch you?" I stayed silent waiting for her answer. I would never forgive myself if he did. Hitting her - abusing her was one thing, something he was going to be dreadfully for but if he touched her in any way – I would be in jail for such a long time.

"Not like that." I let out a breath. "He would hit me, push me down stairs and everything but he never touched me like that."

"And these attacks-"

"I can control most of them just not all." She started to turn around and look at me.

"I'm so sorry, Rose-"

"Can you just hug me?"

I did. I held her as tightly as I could.