Keeping You Safe
Dylan looked up from the sofa as he heard the door open, and looked back at Nico who had fallen asleep on him part way through the film they were watching, and he gently nudged her awake.
"You two haven't been in here all day?" Grace spoke, seeing the two as Nico woke up.
Dylan shook his head. "No." He looked at Nico, checking she was ok.
Nico gave a small smile and checked her phone. "Better get back." she spoke as she saw the time, obviously not realising how late in the evening it had got. As if on cue, her phone started to ring and the word 'Grandad' popped up. She sighed and answered it, standing up and she walked to the door.
"Everything alright with you two?" Grace looked as the young girl left.
Dylan nodded. "Yeah, she just had an argument with Peri earlier and.. I dunno I guess it sort of got to her." he shrugged. "Brought her back here to cheer her up next thing I know she's asleep."
Grace smiled. "Well as long as that 'cheering up' doesn't turn out like your friends."
"Can we not go into that?"
"Aw, getting embarrassed are you?" she laughed, messing with his hair.
"Get off!" he swatted her hand away, smiling and then proceeded to put it right. "I'm not that stupid, and even if we were, I wouldn't be talking to the evil stepmother about it." He got up and went to the kitchen to get a drink.
"Keep talkin' Cinders." Grace smirked.
He rolled his eyes.
Nico walked into the flat, seeing Patrick and Maxine.
"Patrick go easy on her."
He ignored Maxine's words. "Where have you been?"
Nico looked up, trying to hide the fear in her eyes. There was no use in lying. "I was with Dylan..."
"I thought I told you to stay away from him!" He grabbed her arm.
Maxine saw the young girl's expression change to almost the mirror image of her own not so long ago. "Patrick you're scaring her!"
"He's my friend!" Nico snapped, trying to pull her arm away. "You're hurting me, get off!"
"Maxine, take Minnie out." Patrick spoke, not taking his eyes off the teenager.
Nico looked at her, pleading with her not to leave her.
"I'm not leaving her. Patrick you don't have to do this."
"She needs to be taught a few lessons in obedience. I won't tell you again. Take Minnie and go for a walk."
Eventually the teenager nodded. "She doesn't need to hear this..." she looked at the floor.
Maxine looked at her for a few more moments, then she took the baby and left the flat. Within seconds of her closing the door she could hear the young girl crying. Shakily wiping away her own tears, Maxine forced a smile at her daughter. "Come on, let's go see aunty Nancy." She walked out.
A few hours and several cups of coffee later, Maxine returned to the flat, Minnie asleep in the pram. "Sorry, I lost track of time with Nancy." Maxine spoke, seeing Patrick. She picked Minnie up and walked over to him when she didn't get a usual response. "Everything alright?"
Patrick nodded. "Fine. Nico's asleep."
"Patrick she's a child... She doesn't deserve that." Maxine sat down beside him. "You promised after Minnie was born and I got back with you that this would stop."
"She needed to learn."
Nico could hear the conversation through the closed door of her bedroom. She tried not to move, tried not to aggravate the pain in her stomach and her ribs, knowing if she did, she would cry out again. Her phone vibrated on the bed beside her as a message came through from Dylan; 'Hope everything is ok x'. She sighed heavily, wanting to tell him everything. She wiped her eyes and typed back a response; 'Yeah all ok, gonna get to sleep now though x' she hit send, but sleep was a long way off. Slowly and carefully, she turned on her side, gritting her teeth to stop herself from making a noise and she screwed her eyes shut until the pain subsided and she was rested again. She opened her eyes, seeing a photo of herself, her mum and Dodger. She hugged the pillow. "I want my mum..." she muttered, not taking her eyes off the photo until she eventually fell asleep.