-Maria's POV-

I enjoy my time at the store with George and Peggy - calling them my "friends" feels so weird - while I can. I've still got to hurry back home to my baby girl and James, though. Sometimes it's like I can pretend I'm free, even though I know I'll never be until the day one of us dies. Luckily, now is one of those times. I watch Pegs and George ride around on the shopping cart, grabbing copious portions of the items we need comically, making me laugh almost the entire time. It feels good, laughing does. I don't do it as often as I should, but then again, I don't have many reasons to.

Thoughts like these fly through my head on the way home, numbly hearing Pegs talk but not listening. I do this a lot, zone out. She doesn't mind, thankfully. She understands I have a lot on my mind and leaves me to my thoughts when I want her to, and talks to me when I need her to. I could really never ask for a better friend.

We pull up to my house and she hugs me, kissing my cheek.

"Stay safe, Maria." She tells me, even though she knows it's of no use. I hope it doesn't hurt her too much, dropping me off to meet my tormentor frequently. Surely it doesn't.

I raise my knuckles and gently tap on the door. "H-Hello...?" I call, already a little scared of what sort of mood James is in. He comes to the door and I notice a visible bulge in his pants. He grins a feral grin down to me, and my insides go cold. I know too well what this means.

"Maria, come in. I've been waiting~" He smirks, and I step in, having no other choice. He circles me like he's the predator and I'm the prey, and I can already feel the soreness building up.

"J-James, please..." I beg shakily, even though I know he won't listen. He grabs me by my hair and drags me to the bedroom, despite my wincing.

And he closes the door.

"What happens behind this door, stays behind this door." He told me once, long long ago. "You will never utter a word of it to anyone else. Understand?" That was one of the first times he had ever, well... taken what I wasn't so willing to give a cursed being like him.

The next several minutes, anywhere from five to fifteen, are filled with animalistic grunts from him and small whines of pain from me. I keep telling myself I'm used to it, but it seems he gets rougher as I grow more accustomed. It's always painful, full of slaps, bites, clawing, choking, ruthless pounding and endless movement. I can never bring myself to enjoy it this way, never have.

Finally, he's finished, discarding me useless and half-lifeless on the bed. I don't know where Susan is, so I don't get dressed. It hurts to much to move. My neck is far more bruised than it had been any other time, and I'm still coughing a little from all the suffocating. I lay there from several minutes, immobile, waiting for Susan, when I hear her cries from outside the door. With a desperate, painful cry, I leap to my feet, throwing on a tattered bathrobe and rushing to the door and struggling to unlock it.

"Father...!" She cries out as I hear the telltale sign of fist connecting with substance. "Father, please...!" She begs.

"Susan!!" I yell, partly to get her attention and partly to get James's.

"Maria..." He growls, but I ignore him.

"Susan, stay strong..." I cry as i finally unlock the door. I begin to run to her, but James backhands me and with the momentum i had already built up, my feet go flying in front on me, sending me onto my butt.

"I'm already done with you, bitch." He snarled, and I stood up with some sort of previously unfound motherly bravery.

"You do what you want to me. You can beat me until I'm on the brink of death, hell...! you can beat me until I'm dead!" I spit and snarl, scaring myself, getting up in his face. "But you don't lay a FINGER on my daughter...!"

"Our daughter." He reminds me, pushing me back down and across the room. I scream, coming back at his turned back as he approaches Susan. She watches with wide, horrified eyes.

"Stay away from her!" I don't have much strength, and therefore can't throw him around like he does me, so I latch myself onto his back, screaming like an animal. He gets me off easily. I know this is a losing fight, and I know I'll pay for it, but my little Susan... Suddenly, he throws me out the door before grabbing me roughly by my arm, in a way I know will leave a bruise, and hissing to me:

"Not a word, bitch."

I glare into his eyes, using every bit of strength I have left to kick him in the shin before he slams the door in my face. I run off to Peggy's, needing someone to distract me. I'm still only in my bathrobe, and I know I'm getting weird looks. But at this point, I don't care.

By the time I reach Peggy's door, I'm shaking with tears, sobbing in hysterics. She opens the door and I collapse into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Maria...?" She says tentatively. I'm trying to explain what happened, but my words are constantly interuppted by another loud sob. "Ssshhh..." She holds me a moment before whispering, dragging me by my hand to her car. I let her guide me gently into the car, wincing even though theseat is cushioned. Peggy takes one look at my bathrobe, and runs inside to get something else for me to wear. I wait patiently, trying to get most of my tears out before she comes back.

She comes back with a red sundress and a brush, with some makeup. I don't normally wear makeup - I don't have any - but I suppose I'll need some, because I can feel the bruises growing on my face. Without a word, she gets in the drivers side and gets us to a small park. There, getting out, she grabs my hand and leads me to a park bench. There, she helps me change and fixes my hair, also doing my makeup. I smile gently, my breath hitching with post-crying half-sobs.

"Thanks Pegs."

She smiles back at me, a soft smile that makes me feel like everything will be alright. "No problem, Maria... you really need to get away from him."

I sniffle and nod, and she hugs me. I've never really been a hugger, in fact, I've never been a very touchy-feely person at all. James certainly didn't help that fact, but for some reason, this hug was different. Comforting, soothing, gentle and firm. Everything a hug should be. It had been quite awhile since I had a hug like this... I had hugged George maybe once or twice, but that was different. There was less emotion, less... meaning. But this hug- this hug was everything I needed at that moment.

"You're an amazing girl, Maria. You can get anyone you want, you don't need James." She assures me, and I smile at her.

"I could say the same about you, Pegs." She lets out a little disbelieving laugh.

"That's not true..." She looks away.

"Yes, it is...! Pegs, you're generous, and you're kind, and you're understanding, but you're also light and fun! I doubt there's any guy who wouldn't be into you!" She inhales shakily and stares at the ground. Her next words come out barely a whisper.

"What if I don't want a guy?" She doesn't look at me, and I'm confused for a few moments. Peggy was always talking abiut growing old with someone, surely she hasn't shanged her mind that fast. But then it clicks.

"Oh... oh... ohhhhh... OOOOHHH..." I look down at her, in complete shock. "You're a...?" I leave the sentence hanging. She sighs.

"Yeah." I just stare at her. Of course I was surprised, but should I really have been? Probably not. Peggy did give off that kind of vibe, actually.

"Well, that's okay!" I tell her. "I still love and accept you for who you are!"

"Really? Really?" There's doubt in her voice, so I reply, somewhat hesitant now.

"Really..."

"And what if I told you I liked you?" She asks, her tone almost harsh. "Would you still love me then? Accept me then? Would you stay even then?" She looks at me, and all the words I was about to say flew straight out of my mind. They disappeared, scared away by the look she gave me. At my speechlessness, she stands up.

"Didn't think so." She begins to walk off, and my insides feel like theyre collapsing in on thenselves, but I can't say a word. "I'll be back in a couple minutes..." I hear her strong voice break slightly, and it hurts. Was she crying because of me? Had I done this? Could I stop it? Maybe...

But as she walked off, I had never felt more helpless...

WELP THERE'S SOME DRAMA FOR YOU

STAY TUNED FOR MORE.

AUTHOR OUT

(don't worry I'm coming back with more later)