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January 2018
Stevie had sat on the floor and sobbed, Smithy hadn't spoken, he had just sat and held her tight into his body. He kissed the top of her head "Stevie, tell me what you need me to do". She had thought about escaping many times, ran plans through her head, trying to figure out how she would do it, where she would go, what she would do. "Stevie". She made her eyes meet his "You won't be able to be out of CID long before he comes looking"
"I don't know Smithy, I can't do it, I have no money, no where to live, how can I leave him?"
"Stevie, do you want to leave him?" she simply nodded "Okay, I have planned out how we are going to do it". She looked confused and he smiled "Stevie I told you I would be here when you were ready, you are coming to live with me for as long as you need, I'll support you with everything until we can sort your money out and I have an email ready to send to Neil saying you need personal time" she sat slightly dumbstruck and he smiled "Do you have anything you need to get from home or can we just replace everything?"
"I erm, I don't know" suddenly thinking of Houdini, she knew she had to go home "Yes, I need to go home, but he tracks me, he'll know, I can't" she stood up and moved to the chair behind his desk "Why do I think I can do this?"
"Because you can, you are amazing Stevie and besides I have a plan, send him a text and tell him you are going out on a case with Jo"
"Jo won't help me, she hates me"
"No she doesn't" he pulled the blind up and tapped on the window before waving Jo over. Jo knocked and entered the room, she briefly smiled at Stevie but it was fake, anyone could see that. "Jo I need a favour, Stevie is in a difficult situation and we need your help"
"No" Jo replied
"What?" Smithy looked confused "She is your friend Jo"
"No, she stopped being my friend a long time ago"
"She has a name" Stevie interrupted, before she stood up "Jo, I'm so sorry. I missed your birthday and haven't supported you with your dad, that is unforgivable but" she glanced at Smithy and he gave her a reassuring smile "Do you remember the day you asked me to the pub for your birthday?" she asked, Jo nodded. "Smithy made a comment, about my arse" Smithy looked like a piece of him had been torn away as he realised his words were responsible for whatever had happened to Stevie that night. "Dec overheard and when we got home, he beat me"
"What?" Jo looked shocked, Stevie had decided against the whole truth of what had happened that night, to save Smithy tearing himself apart anymore.
"He beat me Jo, he beats me regularly, he rapes me, he controls every little bit of my life and if he knew I am in here telling you this, he will kill me. I know I let you down but please help me and hate me after, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate".
"I'm so sorry" Jo spoke before pulling Stevie into a hug "What do I have to do?".
Stevie had sent a text to Declan telling him she was out on a case with Jo. She had seen him watch her leave with Jo from his office window. They had driven for ten minutes in the opposite direction of her home, where she had got out of the car, leaving everything except her front door key and she watched Jo carry on in the direction she had told Declan they were going before she crossed the road and climbed into the waiting car. Smithy took her hand in his and pressed his lips to it "You're going to be okay, you are safe now Stevie". They had arrived at the house and Smithy had gone into the bedroom and began to put clothes into bin bags. This was what her life had come too, her life being stuffed into rubbish bags. "Stevie, do you know where your passport is?" she heard him behind her "What are you doing?" he asked as she dug about under the sofa
"I'm getting Houdini" she stated "And Declan took my passport, bank cards, driving licence, everything"
Smithy nodded "We will cancel it all and replace it. Who's Houdini?" he asked.
"Smithy, meet Houdini" she smiled as she stood from where she had sat on the floor, the small kitten in her arms
"It's a cat"
"It's Houdini"
"I don't really do cats Stevie"
"Please Smithy, I'll find him a new home, I just, I can't leave him here"
"You love him?" Smithy asked, Stevie cuddled him into her body and kissed his fur as she nodded. "Then he is moving in with us but I do not change litter boxes or clean up shit" he smiled.
"Thank you Smithy, for everything" he pulled her into a hug and sighed as he stroked the cats fur. "See, you will be the best of friends".
"Right, what else do you need?"
"There is only one other thing". She moved through the flat and into the bathroom, she passed the cat to him and he watched as she moved the boarding behind the toilet. She grabbed a small carrier bag out and he looked confused. "My mum got me a dress before she died, Dec didn't like me wearing it, he cut it up and covered it in food and threw it away" she took it out the bag "I got it out the rubbish, I cleaned it as best I could, it's still ruined but I can't leave it behind"
"I'm so sorry Stevie"
"For what?"
"Letting this happen to you" he moved and pulled her into a hug "I should of been a better friend"
"Smithy, you have saved me, I owe you everything" she took Houdini from his arms and smiled "Let's go, I never want to see this place again".
Stevie was in her new bedroom unpacking her things into the drawers. She couldn't quite get her head round what she had done today. She had escaped. Declan would know now, Jo had returned to the station and left her phone in her desk draw in CID. Smithy had sent the email to Neil, who had agreed to Stevie having time off. Smithy had spent the afternoon securing his flat, so if Declan did figure out where she was, she could lock herself in. Smithy had invested in a camera doorbell, so they could both see who was at the door at any time, he had gone out of his way to make her feel safe. She heard Smithy talking as he headed towards her bedroom "No one is getting through that Stevie" he stopped in the door way as she sat on the bed, floods of tears streaming down her face "What's wrong?" he asked as he moved to her, sitting on the edge of the bed
"I have made such a mess of my life" she sobbed "I'm so sorry I have caught you up in this"
"Stevie, you haven't done anything wrong, this is not your fault. You are here because I want you here, I want you safe" he moved up the bed and kissed her forehead "You are safe Stevie". He took her hand in his "Do you want to make it official Stevie, report Declan?"
"I don't think I can Smithy, I'm not ready"
"That's fine Stevie, you have to do what is right for you"
"I'm so frightened Smithy" she cried. He moved next to her, pulling her into his arms, she rested her head onto his chest and sobbed. He held her tight, until sleep eventually found her.
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