Okay you guys/girls. I re-wrote this like five times. I hope I did okay. I know a lot of you already know what's going on with Maureen…well this is the chapter that confirms it. I hope it's not to choppy…I was having a hard time writing something like this…I felt so icky…but it's just a story…so now go and read it…

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Chapter 5

Maureen ran into the apartment and slammed the door. Tears were once again spilling from her eyes for what seemed like the thousandth time that week.

"I hate this!" Maureen shouted, totally unaware that Joanne was sitting on the couch in the living room witnessing her breakdown. "Why the fuck did he have to come back here!"

Joanne slowly stood up from the couch, taking a few steps towards her distressed lover. "Maureen?"

Maureen turned around to face Joanne. Out of reflex Joanne reached out wanting to comfort her, but Maureen pulled back and shook her head.

"Don't touch me!" Maureen yelled.

"Maureen please…I just want to help. Tell me want's wrong baby, we can get through this together."

"You won't understand." Maureen sobbed. "You won't believe me, no one did back than, why would they now?"

"Maureen I'm here for you." Joanne softly said, now able to walk a little closer. "I love you, you can tell me anything."

"I can't." Maureen cried. "You can't make me! Nobody can make me do anything I don't want!"

"Well…" Joanne began in a comforting tone. "When you can…just let me know I'll be here to listen."

Joanne stood and waited for Maureen to start talking, but when she didn't the lawyer let out a sigh and turned towards the living room to wait for Maureen.

"I was only ten…" Maureen finally spoke, her voice raw from crying, but powerful enough to capture Joanne's attention.

Joanne slowly turned back around. Maureen was looking towards the ground ashamed to make eye contact, but when she felt Joanne's eyes on her she continued.

"I was only ten and he…" Maureen started, but another round of tears fled from her eyes. "He…" unable to finish she looked up at Joanne. Joanne quickly moved forward and reached out taking one of Maureen's hands in hers.

"Go on Maureen, it's okay." Joanne soothed.

"I was only ten…" Maureen sobbed.

To Joanne's surprise Maureen flung forward and clung to her for dear life, a new round of heavy tears escaping the diva.

"I'm not ready to talk yet." Maureen cried against Joanne's shoulder.

Joanne wrapped her arms around Maureen, pulling her in close, letting Maureen let out all her emotion. "It's okay Maureen, just take your time."

Maureen wrapped her arms more firmly around Joanne's neck, her tear covered face buried in the lawyer's chest. Even though she was overwhelmed with emotion, she felt content in Joanne's arms, almost like there was a blanket of protection wrapped around her, causing her to utter the words, "Don't let me go."

"Never." Joanne whispered, her fingers running gently through Maureen's hair.

Joanne managed to make it over to the couch while still holding Maureen. Carefully she laid down, pulling Maureen down with her. Maureen curled up as close as possible to Joanne still unable to stop sobbing, while Joanne simply stroked Maureen's hair and whispered words of comfort into her ear.

It took Maureen a couple of hours to calm down, but once she did she slowly sat up and kissed Joanne on the cheek.

"I'm ready." Maureen quietly said.

Joanne sat up with Maureen, taking her trembling hand in her own. "Okay go as slow as you want, we have all the time in the world."

Maureen nodded and took a deep breath. "I was just a little girl…" She began her voice cracking a little. "I don't even know why he started…but one night he came into my room, kissed me on the forehead and said goodnight. But before he left, he trailed his kisses down my face, and stopped on my lips. Then before I knew what was going on…I was pinned underneath him…and…and…I tried to tell him he was hurting me…but it only made him rougher…I cried for him to stop…but he wouldn't listen…he just kept going…"

"Oh God…" Joanne whispered, tears now stinging her eyes.

"It went on for about a month, until I finally told my mom." Maureen said, a small smile hitting her lips, but for some reason Joanne knew it wasn't good. "I thought I was home free…but she didn't believe me…my own mother didn't believe me. She didn't want to believe that her family wasn't perfect…so she would send me to bed…sending me to that monster…"

Maureen paused and sniffled a little bit. Joanne took that time to wipe her own face clear of tears. She then took in a deep breath, and carried on with her story.

"After my own mother didn't believe me, I gave up telling anyone…if she didn't believe me who could I trust? So it went on for almost a year, until my grandma saw some welt marks on my back, and she asked me what it was from. So I told her, I told her everything, how his hands would invade my body, how he would threaten me and beat me with his belt…I didn't think she would believe me, but she did. She wrapped me in her arms and rocked me back and forth, protecting me. I fell asleep like that…I was eleven years old, sleeping in my grandma's arms like a baby…she made me feel safe." That's when Maureen looked up and locked eyes with Joanne. "Exactly how you make me feel."

Joanne smirked and kissed the back of Maureen's hand, giving her the strength to finish the rest of her story.

"I ended up living with my grandma for a couple of weeks. She told me I wasn't allowed to go back with my mom until she figured out what was right. Then one day I was playing in the yard, while my grandma, aunt and uncle were all inside and my dad showed up…I screamed at the top of my lungs, but he knocked me out. When I woke up I was curled up in my grandma's lap, watching as my dad was being taken away in an ambulance, and my uncle was being taken away in handcuffs. My uncle was sent to prison for almost killing a man, while my dad was released from the hospital with out any charges. I didn't understand…I still don't understand how a man could get away with something like that. A grown man who took advantage of his own ten year old daughter, and the only thing he got was a warning. Thankfully my mother finally got some sense knocked into her, so my grandma gave us some money, and we moved to Queens. I was twelve by than, and I had to deal with the after effect all on my own…my mother wouldn't even let me talk about, she just acted as if nothing ever happened. I would cry in the middle of the night, and my mom would shut her door and block me out. So I learnt how to hide my feelings…keep them to myself…and I survived fifteen years in doing so…and now he's back…"

"Oh Mo…" Joanne breathed.

"That's why I was acting so weird…" Maureen confessed. "After I saw him…and than every time you would place your hands on me it would just bring back those memories…those nightmares…I'm sorry I pushed you away Joanne…"

"Don't apologize Maureen." Joanne said while grabbing the diva's face with her hands. "You've been through so much…and you were alone through most of it."

"It took me forever to forget the past…and now that he's back…"

"I'm not going to let that bastard come near you." Joanne assured. "Okay?"

Maureen nodded tears once again in her eyes. "I saw him today…"

"You did?" Joanne asked. "Did he do anything to you? I can put him in jail…I swear to god if he touches you again Maureen…"

"It's okay…" Maureen said with a small smirk. "I'm fine. I just…it was weird I felt so weak around him."

"It's okay; he's not going to get you again." Joanne said while pulling her into a hug.

Maureen relaxed into Joanne's body, letting that sense of safety surround her. They stayed in a comfortable silence for a few moments, until Maureen broke it.

"Joanne? Can we keep this a secret from everyone else? You're the only person who knows…I'm just…I'm embarrassed."

"Sure Maureen." Joanne said while kissing the top of her head. "But you have nothing to be embarrassed about…you were only a little girl. That sick asshole, if I ever seem him again, I'm going to rip his dick off and shove it up-"

"Joanne!" Maureen shouted towards the surprise rant. Her face however softened, she loved how protective Joanne was being right now, so she gave her a small peck on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." Joanne replied and pulled Maureen closer, swearing under her breath that she was going to make Mr. Johnson pay for being a sick pervert.

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Sick asshole! Anyone who does that kind of shit to children, should be tortured! I hated writing this chapter...poor Maureen!