Chapter 12

Jessica felt her blood freeze and her body tense.

"What do you want?" she asked quietly.

"Not so good being on the back foot, is it, sis?" Mary smirked, thoroughly enjoying having the upper hand.

"Mary – "

Mary waved a dismissive hand, "Don't try to deny it. I've got photo's. Videos – "

"You've been spying on us?" Jessica asked incredulously.

Mary rolled her eyes, "Somehow I think yours is the bigger crime and you do know it's a crime, right?" she quirked an eyebrow, "One word in the right ear and it could be you all locked up."

Jessica ground her teeth, "Just tell me what you want."

"What I want," Mary growled, "is what was rightfully mine. I was their real daughter, you were just… a sympathy case, so why the hell would they leave everything to you?"

"This is about money?" Jessica sounded exasperated, "God, Mary I'll give you what they left me, I don't care about the money."

"I wonder what they'd think of you if they knew what your relationship with my daughter has become," Mary said, "Their perfect daughter."

Jessica shook her head, "I said I'd give you the money – "

"And anything else I want," Mary said smugly, "I control your freedom now, sis," she smirked, "Speaking of which, I think Charlotte should come and live with her real mother, don't you?"

Jessica watched her sister step closer, crossing her arms, "What if that's not what she wants?"

"You seem to have some… influence over her," Mary pointed out, "Convince her, Jessica. That girl belongs with me."

"Mary… please, reconsider this – "

"You're not in a position to bargain," Mary retorted.

"Mary, please," Jessica spoke louder, "Don't you want her to be happy?"

Mary's eyes narrowed, "Of course I do," she snapped, "And a few months with me and she'll realise she doesn't need you."

"And what, that she needs you?" Jessica asked incredulously, "Mary, she barely knows you. I understand you want to build a relationship with her but this is too far."

"Too far?" Mary laughed bitterly, "I hardly think you can use that term, Jess. You were meant to raise her, not groom her to be your little – "

"Don't," Jessica growled, "You don't understand. It was never like that, I wouldn't do that."

"Not how the cops will see it," Mary shrugged.

Unbeknown to the arguing sisters, Charlotte and Alison had entered the house quietly, listening to every word.

"No," Charlotte emerged from the hallway, fists clenched, "You're not using me to blackmail mom," she growled, "I can't believe I thought you actually wanted to get to know me. You just wanted to use me – "

"No, Charlotte," Mary stepped towards her daughter, "That's not true."

"Bullshit," Charlotte walked past her to stand by Jessica, "You just tell lies. We don't do secrets in this family anymore. And if you ever want to see me again, then you're not going to tell anyone about mom and mine's relationship."

"There's a reason this…" Mary gestured between mother and daughter, "is against the law, Charlotte. Don't you – "

"We don't have to justify anything to you," Charlotte said, "What about my dad, huh? You killed him and I know he wasn't a nice guy but I forgive you for it. You don't know the first thing about me and mom. You think you can know from some stupid photo's your PI took? They don't tell anything."

Jessica squeezed her daughters hand before letting it go, resisting the urge to jump in. She knew her sister was more likely to listen to Charlotte than to her.

"Charlotte," Mary took a step forward, putting her hands up in a peacemaking gesture, "This isn't about you, I promise," her eyes were wide, "I do want to know you. You are my daughter. That's why I want you to live with me. Your real mother."

"No way," Charlotte shook her head, "I live with mom. I barely even know you, you can't force me to love you. If you ever want anything to do with me, you have to realise that. It's your revenge or me. You can't have both."

Mary looked at the determination in her daughters' eyes, "Fine," she ground her teeth, backed into an emotional corner once again, "Charlotte… you are my daughter. I only did what I did because I was scared of him hurting you… "

Charlotte didn't know what to believe, "So you won't tell anyone?"

Mary's eyes flicked to Jessica and back to her daughter, "I won't," she said, still grinding her teeth and fighting her urges for revenge, "But if I ever think that she," she glared at Jessica, "is taking advantage of you, I will."

Charlotte nodded, "Okay," she took a deep breath, "Now I think you should leave."

Mary shrugged, "It was nice to have the upper hand for just a moment," she muttered before walking towards the door.

Jessica hesitated before stepping forward, "Mary," she called.

Mary turned around warily.

"I'll give you half of what they gave me," she said firmly, "And not as some kind of pay off. Because… you're right. You were their daughter… they hung you out to dry at that trial. I never… " she sighed, "I never blamed you for what you did."

Mary watched her sister silently. Finally, she simply nodded and walked out of the front door.

"Mom, are you… okay?" Charlotte asked, sinking down onto the couch beside her mom.

Jessica nodded, "I am," she paused, "I just… I understand where she's coming from."

Charlotte bit into her lip, "You didn't have to offer her the money."

"It was the right thing to do," Jessica offered a small smile.

"What happened at the trial, mom?" Charlotte asked.

Jessica sighed heavily, "Our parents were called up, of course. They spoke about all the bad things Mary had done, stupid stuff though, really. She'd acted out a lot at a young age, broken into a few places, stolen a couple of cars, things like that. Mom and dad always bailed her out. But at the trial, it all got dredged up. It wasn't just that… it was the way they spoke. They'd already distanced themselves from her completely."

"That's why she's so jealous of you," Charlotte guessed.

Jessica shrugged, "That started when we were teenagers. I didn't act out much, or I didn't get caught when I did. Mary wasn't quite as good at getting away with things and she went deeper than I ever did. Drugs and drinking. Nothing serious, just teenage stuff. So mom and dad, I guess they doted on me. Spoilt me," she frowned, "I was so mad at her for the way she'd left just you there… and then she had the audacity to accuse me of stealing you from her… I held onto all that for so long," she sighed, "It's all very exhausting. I don't want to be mad anymore."

Charlotte took her mom's hand and squeezed it, "Then don't be, mom. It's okay to be the first person to say sorry."

Jessica smiled at her and kissed her daughters hand, "You're very wise," she murmured, "Just… honey, please don't think that things between Mary and I will just get better overnight. Or at all. She may want nothing to do with me – "

"But do you want something to do with her?"

Jessica thought for a moment, "I suppose I do… I really do care about her. She was… is… family."

Charlotte leant against her mom's shoulder, "Okay. Just don't do it for me, okay?"

"Mm, everything I do is for you," Jessica murmured, running her fingers through blonde hair, "But don't worry. It's for me too."

Charlotte pecked her mom's cheek, "I'm proud of you, mom."

Jessica smiled, "Thank you," she whispered, kissing the tip of Charlotte's nose and then giggling.

Charlotte chuckled, "You're cute."

"You're beautiful," Jessica said laying back on the couch and pulling Charlotte's head into her chest, "Okay if we just lay here a while?"

Charlotte turned her head into her mother's chest, "As long as you want. I love you."

Jessica closed her eyes contentedly, "I love you too."