Chapter 5: The Costly Mistakes

"If everyone cared and nobody cried

If everyone loved and nobody lied

If everyone shared and swallowed their pride

Then we'd see the day when nobody died"

"Your son told me he didn't want to go home. Why could that be when he's only… eight?" Stella asks.

"Does he know his brother is dead?"

"Yes."

"Maybe home reminds him of his brother and that makes him sad."

"Okay," she nods, "but why would he tell me his mother is mean?"

"He got grounded last week for not doing his chores; he might still be upset about that."

"I saw the bruises on his arms. He said he fell down the stairs, but the bruise looked more like it was made by someone grabbing him."

"You think I abuse my son?"

"He started to say yes when I asked him that."

"He's under a lot of stress right now; his brother was just shot at school by some lunatic."

"Did his brother stand up for him?" Mitchell's mother says nothing, just stares at Stella. "You see, before he knew his brother was dead, he had no problem going home. Now that his brother isn't here to protect him, he's afraid to go home."

"I have a question for you now, Detective. If you think I abuse my son and my other son stood up against me for him, how did Mitchell still get hurt then?"

"To be at the same school, your other son could only be one, maybe two, years older than Mitchell. He couldn't stop you from hurting his brother all the time."

"There are definitely times when it's hard to be a single parent, but I don't take my anger out on Mitchell."

"What happened to their father?" she questions.

"They have different fathers. Both of them were results of… one night stands."

"To have it happen once is bad enough; how'd you let it happen again?"

"I needed the money to take care of my son. No one would hire a high school drop out."

"There was no on else to take your anger out on but Mitchell. Ever since he was born, he's been neglected and abused because of the mistakes you made," Stella explains.

"I'm out of here; get me my son."

"Your son is being taken in by child services."

"You can't; what proof do you have?"

"Plenty."

Mac opens the door to the interrogation room. "Detective Bonasera, we need to have a talk. My office now." As she stalks off, he apologizes, "I'm sorry for her behavior. You and your son are free to go. We'll contact you if we have further questions or information about your son's death."

"How can you let her take Mitchell home? You're sending him to his death," she yells when he enters.

"You're off the case."

"What?"

"You will no longer be working with the rest of us on this case. Tomorrow I will have a different assignment for you."

"So you're just going to forget that he's being abused?"

"You're lucky I'm not suspending you." She continues to stare at him as he stares at her, determined not to lose. He looks away first. "You're dismissed, Stella. You can go home for today."

"I'm not leaving until you have that lady arrested."

"You'll be sitting there an awfully long time." She shrugs. "Get out of my office."

"No."

"One week on suspension. Don't make me add more."

"Fine." On her way out, she slams the door shut.

A/N: Mac's messed everything up again. And of course he'll have to try to make it right. But something has to get in the way. So my dog ran away yesterday. My brother let her out when he went out to throw the baseball against the garage door and she never came in. We think this one kid up the street's dog came down and she chased him out of the yard. We walked all along this major road looking for her. The neighbor saw her and tried to get her in the car to take her home, but she just ran away. While my mom went to drive around the block looking for her, she came back. She was all wet and muddy and smelly. She still smells gross, so I guess she'll have to get a bath soon. Anyway... school starts tomorrow. I don't want to go back. Don't make me. I need to go pack my bookbag with pencils and paper since I don't know what I need yet. So I guess I'll update either tomorrow or Thursday and tell you all about school. It's been raining like the past three days so we can't paint at band. And we only have like nine more dots to go. Well... please review for me.