Mo: Yay. You're finally back; I was starting to think that you were going to neglect this story like an unwanted child. You've been updating your other story relentlessly.

Blackfly: Well those chapters had been sitting on my computer for a while….blame it on my beta for not proofreading them until now.

Roger: That's a likely excuse.

Blackfly: Shut up you. Need I remind you about the bunnies?

Roger: (Sits down quietly at corner opposite of everyone else)

Blackfly: That is exactly what I thought.

Angel: I do not understand what is so evil about the bunnies. I find them pretty cute.

Collins: That is because you are special and Roger is an idiot that can not act is age so the bunnies act on instinct to make him act his age and not his I.Q.

Roger: I resent that.

Mimi: Ok, enough with the bashing of my boyfriend. On with the latest edition!

XXX

Enrique, Angel, and I made comfortable conversation about everything and nothing until it was time for me to get the dressings on my back changed. While that was being done, my father entered the hospital and walked up to my room. Enrique tried to stop him from barging in, but dad pushed right by him. Bursting into my room, he stopped when he saw the criss-crossed slashes, gashes, and bruises on my back.

Nurse Valerie was going to kick him out, but I told her not to. "It's ok, he's my papi."

"Alright then, but sir please stay out of my way. I need to finish sterilizing her back.

"I will. I will." My father was five foot seven, tan skinned, with silver highlights of his age in his hair. His eyes were the same brown as mine, but they looked tired and exasperated as he looked at me. "Ay mija, what happened to you?"

"What did ricky tell you?" I asked him, my voice muffled from my face down position on the bed. Every now and then I would slightly shudder at the stinging pain that felt like needles in my back, due to the medicine she was putting on my back.

"He told me that you were in the hospital and that you really needed me." He said caressing my hand, trying, though he knew he could not, to take the pain away from me.

"All done. You can turn back around now Marcela." Valerie stated as she removed the rubber gloved from her hands and collected the empty tubes of ointment, opened packages of gauze, and old dressings from the table in front of her. "I'll be back to check on you later. " She said as she opened the curtain from around my bed and exited the room. Ricky returned and sat on the opposite side of my father when she left.

"How is it going tiger?"

"I'm doing much better now that you two are here." I tell my brother, turning my head to peek at my father. Looking into his eyes, I see that he is desperate to find out what has happened that we haven't told him. "Papi" I say, finally finding my voice and the words to speak. "I want you to sit down and promise me that you will not get exceptionally angry."

He complies with my wishes and sits down in the chair. "And do not freak out because my roommate is asleep." After a nod from my brother, I take a deep breath and tell daddy the truth. "I have been getting abused by Gonzalo for the past two years. And…" I have to pause and take another deep breath, trying to control my irregular breathing. "…And he's been raping me regularly for the past year and a half." The dam finally breaks loose and the silent tears stream down my cheeks.

For the next few minutes, no one says a word. The room is almost completely silent, except for the beeping heart monitors of Angel and mine. 'What is going on inside of his head? I did not expect it to be this hard to digest. Why won't he say anything?' "Papi?"

"How could he? Let alone, how could your good-for-nothing-mother not find out? Well I guess that explains it. She is good for nothing. I don't fucking believe this!" My father said, exploding whilst turning a deep shade of crimson from his neck to his eye line. "She let's her own daughter get exploited by her mooching boyfriend, excuse me, new husband. HER OWN DAUGHTER...Not fucking fit to have children!. Damn it!"

"Daddy you are not making any sense." 'And you are starting to really scare me.'

Without listening to what I was saying, he got up from his chair and furiously paced back and forth in front of my bed. I pondered what was going on inside of my father; he mumbled to himself every now and then, letting a harsh curse word out of his lips.

When he mumbled the curses in his deep voice I was thrown into far away memories of another baritone voice.

XXX

"MIMI!" I knew whose voice that was without even raising my head from my desk. 'No, she has not left for work yet; he has to leave me alone until then at least.' "Girl did you or did you not hear me calling you?" Looking up I am face to face with my step-father Gonzalo.

"Yes."

"Yes, what?" He says anxiously.

"Yes, I heard you sir."

Smack, a hand came across my face. "Then why didn't you answer me? I called you to tell you that you needed to get on with dinner, your mother will be out of the shower soon and you need to fix us something to eat."

"I was doing my homework; I really have to study for tomorrow." I said as I closed my book, putting it into my book bag. "Why don't you do it yourself?"

"How many times have I told you, household chores are women's duties? I don't cook."

"You don't do much of anything."

He did not hit me, but grabbed me by the back of my hair, yanking me out of my seat. "Get in that damn kitchen if you know what is good for you!"

There was nothing I could do nothing but comply with his request. I knew what the consequences would be for my rebellion. 'He can do things to you Mimi. You know you are not strong enough to fight back against him. Just maybe it won't go on tonight if you don't make anymore mistakes.'

Fifteen minutes later dinner was done, the table was set, and the three of us sat around the small kitchen table, eating. I remained silent, pushing the small portions around my plate, as the two adults talked about the meticulous things going on in their lives. I tried to pay attention, but I was so tired it was to hold on to the real world. Before I had even finished half of my plate, I excused myself from the table and kissed my mother on the head and went to my bedroom.

After what felt like an eternity of slumber I was harshly awaken and thrown out of bed. "Wake up. You left a mess in the kitchen; you need to go clean it up." I groggily get up from the floor and rub the part of my arm that will probably have a fresh bruise forming on it in the morning.

He watched me clean all of the dishes from his seat at the table. Effortlessly he pointed out every single spot I missed and demanded that I did not leave the room until inspected by him. Oh how I longed to spit in his face, but nagging fear and previous experience prevented me from doing so.

Once I was finished and had put everything away, I tried to make my way back to my bedroom. A hand on my hip stopped me from making it that far. "Where do you think you're going? I need you to do something for me." He said as he pulled me with him to his and mami's bedroom. 'No. No. Not tonight.'

"Please don't make me. Not today. Not tonight." I begged to no result.

"You know you like it. Now get on the bed." I was told as he closed and locked the door behind him. "And make yourself decent for me."

'Decent' His view of my being decent was me stripping of everything but my underwear and lying with my legs spread on top of the sheets. It absolutely sickened me that he would do this to me on the same bed that he and mami slept in together. At the same time I remember, he's not exactly a man of ethics.

"You ready for me?" A shift in the bed's mattress as his weight is added next to me. His hands are cold as he puts them on my chest grasping my breasts through the thin fabric of my bra.

XXX

Ricky glanced over at me and noticed that I was uneasily grabbing at the blanket around my waist and rocking. "Dad," he interjected. "Don't you see…you're frightening her? For shit's sake you're in a hospital; contain yourself. What you're doing is not helping your daughter at all!" My brother's harsh words to my father brought me back to reality. I had never heard Ricky use such language in front of our father. Also, I had never seen such a compassionate look in my father's eyes as the one he had when he snapped out of his reverie and looked at me.

"I'm so sorry mija. I didn't mean to scare you; I'm just overrun with emotions right now. It's hard for me to comprehend everything. I can't fathom how this has been going on for years now and your mother hasn't noticed it."

"Well, she hasn't been around the house long enough to be able to notice it. When she is home she's either asleep or with Gonzalo, which leaves no time to notice what is going on with me." I decided to leave out the fact that her drinking problem had worsened which kept her from being conscious long enough to see the obvious signs of abuse. Every other day I sported a new bruise on a different part of my body that looked either like a fist or a large hand. It was obvious by the over-sized clothing and massive amounts of make-up that I wore that I was trying to hide something.

But why hasn't she noticed? 'You want to know the truth Mimi…you already know it. She doesn't care about you.' And deep down in my heart I did know, my sub-conscience was right.

XXX

Joanne: Aww Meems. I can't believe that she never noticed.

Mimi: Well believe it, she didn't. Or if she did, she was really good at ignoring it.

Mark: It's a shame that you had to go through it for so long, before you went to the hospital.

Mimi: If you had been in my position, you would have seen that there really was no other way.

Joanne: There were other ways; you could have spoken out sooner.

Mimi: When you are a scared 15-16 year old girl you don't have much self-esteem or courage to begin with. It's amazing I ever said anything. I could have let it go on for longer.

Roger: I'm proud of you baby. You were very brave for your age. Gives her a hug

Collins: Look, you finally acted your age. Golf claps

Angel: (Smacks Collins over the head with her purse) They were having a wonderful hallmark-like moment and then you had to mess it up. Good job smart-ass.

Collins: Yes my ass is smart. So is the rest of me.

Maureen: Oh grow up yourself Collins.

Collins: Make me. If Roger doesn't have to act his age then I'm making a stand that I don't have to either.

Blackfly: You know I was hoping that it didn't have to come to this but you've left me with no other choice. (Sics bunny-patrol on Collins)

( o )( o )
( o . o )
(")(uu)(")

Collins: ARRGGHH!!!

Mo: Oy vey. We'll be back soon hopefully.

XXX

A/N: Please review. (Rummages in random drawers.) Reviews rewarded with….leftover lasagna!!