A/N: there is mention of sexual assault in this chapter. You have been warned.
Stephanie hears the rumours in town that Joseph Morelli is taking girls' virginity and bragging to the other Burg boys. She thinks it's ridiculous, yet curious how sex feels. Stephanie is working at the Tasty Pastry to fill in some time.
Staying at her mother's house for the month is driving her crazy, which is partially the reason Stephanie is working at the Tasty Pastry. Stephanie's anxious to visit Point Pleasant with Mary Lou and her family for the following week. She only has to endure the tacky wedding on Saturday.
Caroline Richardson owns the Tasty Pastry. Her sister, Faith, is Stephanie's stepmom. Whenever Stephanie visits Trenton over the summer, she helps at the bakery to give her older step-cousins time to spend with their friends. Faith often takes over the baking to give Caroline and Timothy time away from responsibilities. Stephanie's stepmom is sleeping at Caroline's house. Baking for Tasty Pastry starts in the early hours of the morning.
Stephanie smiles when she thinks about Faith and her younger brothers, Cal and Cody. Cal is Stephanie's step-brother, while Cody is her half-brother. The boys are fourteen and eight, respectively.
Frank and Faith have known each other since they were children. Both of them grew up outside the Burg and its negative influences. Faith married her high school boyfriend but didn't have their child until he established his career in the military. Her husband, Trevor, was fatally injured during his last special operatives mission. Faith was three months pregnant with Cal. After Trevor's death, she lived with her sister and brother-in-law and encouraged Caroline to open the bakery. While Caroline worked, Faith babysat her niece and nephews. Their arrangement changed when Faith and Frank started dating after he left and divorced Helen Mazur.
Stephanie sees her dad, Frank Plum, walk past the front of the bakery and smiles. It isn't like him to stroll around at night. Stephanie furrows her brows as she's thinking about why her father would be roaming the streets instead of waiting inside his car out back.
The door suddenly opens, ringing the bell. Stephanie expectantly glances at the door, hoping to see her father, but it's Joseph Morelli. "Hi, what can I get for you?" Stephanie politely asks, pointing to the case containing the eclairs and cannolis.
Joe struts toward Stephanie. "A chocolate chip cannoli," Joe huskily replies.
He reaches out to tuck the loose hair behind her ear. Stephanie takes a step backwards, bumping into the counter. She's stuck, trapped between Joe and the counter where she packages the treats for customers. Her eyes open wide in shock as Joe steps closer. "I thought you wanted a cannoli. What are you doing?" Stephanie asks. Her spidey sense is in overdrive. Where are you, Dad? Stephanie mentally asks herself. What is taking him so long?
"I'm here to see you," Joe replies. He grabs Stephanie, pulling her against his chest when Stephanie tries to sidestep. No, no, no. This can't be happening. She wills Morelli to stop his actions. Stephanie doesn't want to lose her virginity on the bakery floor.
"No, Joe. Don't do this," Stephanie begs. She hears the door at the back open, praying it's her dad about to save her. A man whispers, but she's too busy fighting off Joe Morelli to catch his words.
"I know you want me," Joe says, joining her wrists and holding them above her head. Stephanie can't raise her knee to hit him in the crotch. Joe presses her against the counter, eliminating the space between them.
The counter digs into her back as she cries, "Stop, Joe. Please don't do this to me." He pops the button on Stephanie's pants, ignoring her words. Joe roughly shoved his hand into Stephanie's pants. She freezes. He gropes, trying to reach her crotch, but her pants are too tight.
She disappears in her mind, thinking of the day her life changed. Morelli forced the change ten years ago. Her own mother didn't believe the truth. Helen was too far in denial land to acknowledge that Joseph Morelli violated Stephanie a few days earlier. But that fateful day was also when Helen Plum raised hell after Joe played the same game with Valerie.
Frank listened as Helen consoled Valerie while admonishing Stephanie for entering Morelli's garage. Unable to tolerate one more minute of living with Helen, Frank packed his and Stephanie's bags. After loading his vehicle with the luggage, he entered the house to remove his youngest daughter from Helen's care. Frank filed for divorce and requested custody of Stephanie. A six-year-old should never be called a whore or slut.
The sudden falling motion had Stephanie realizing she was free from Morelli's grip. Frank catches Stephanie before she lands on the floor. She opens her eyes when something bumps into the pastry's display case. Stephanie's Uncle Joe Juniak had Joe Morelli pressed and cuffed against the front counter. "Where are you taking me?" Morelli screams. "I have to report to the Navy in the morning."
"Get the fucker out of here before I kill him," Frank snaps.
"Not another word, Morelli," Uncle Joe orders. Joseph Morelli wisely remains quiet.
Frank holds his daughter as she cries, "Daddy, I want to go home. Florida, not Mom's house."
"Valerie's wedding is Saturday," Frank reminds her. They watch Juniak escort Morelli from the premises. "You can stay with us at Caroline's house until then. Are you pressing charges against Morelli?"
Stephanie shakes her head. "Let him go to the Navy. Maybe the rigid rules and discipline will make him a better person."
"Pumpkin, you should charge him with assault and attempted rape," Frank insists. Stephanie shakes her head.
"I'll give Uncle Joe my statement, but I think Joe will escalate if I charge him for attacking me," Stephanie argues. She wants to go home and leave Trenton in her past. "Dad, how did Joe know I was here alone?"
"Did you call your mother for a ride?" Frank asks. Stephanie furrows her brows and growls.
"No. I asked Valerie. She was supposed to pick me up tonight. I told her to arrive fifteen minutes late because I was alone," Stephanie explains. She angrily wipes the tears from her cheek. Why would her sister do that to her?
Frank removes his mobile phone from his pocket to call Valerie. She answers on the third ring. "Are you picking up your sister tonight?" he immediately asks, getting to the point.
"Hello, Daddy," Valerie giggles. Frank hears her shushing someone in the background. "I had plans with Steve, so I asked Mom to pick up Stephanie. Isn't she there?"
After checking the street at the front and the parking lot at the back, Frank replies, "No."
"Oh. Mom mentioned something about having Joe Morelli pick up Stephanie," Valerie replies. "I have to go. The movie's about to start." Frank hangs up without saying goodbye.
"Dad?" Stephanie asks.
"Your mother," he replies without offering more information.
Frank helps Stephanie clean and close the bakery. Stephanie's hands stopped shaking after she locked the doors and set the alarm. Joe Juniak waits by Frank's car to collect Stephanie's statement. He asks, "Are you pressing assault and attempted rape charges?"
"No," Stephanie replies, rubbing her arms to remove the goosebumps. "Deliver him to the Navy in the morning. I want him as far away from me as possible."
"I think you're making a mistake," Joe says. Stephanie shrugs but agrees to have a nurse examine her for injuries. Joe promises to keep everything on file to press charges if Joe Morelli repeats his actions.
"I can live with that," Stephanie replies.
Frank drives Stephanie to Helen Fuld Hospital, preferring to be away from the Burg gossipers. Stephanie twists her fingers as she waits for the nurse to examine the bruises on her wrists, back, hips and pelvis. Nurse Susan Fischer arrives to examine and photograph Stephanie's injuries. Frank leaves Stephanie alone with the nurse.
Stephanie lays on the bed after changing into the hospital gown. A female forensics officer, Janna Reath, arrives to help Susan find trace evidence on Stephanie. Maintaining the chain of evidence is vital if Stephanie decides to press charges at a later date. Susan finds saliva in Stephanie's hair. She takes a photograph before collecting the sample. Janna takes pictures of Stephanie's wrists. They find bruises on Stephanie's breasts. "When was the start of your last period?" Susan asks.
"Two weeks ago," Stephanie replies.
"Sweetie, did he penetrate you?" Susan kindly asks.
"No. He shoved his hands into my pants. I felt him scratching at my privates before I disappeared in my head," Stephanie confesses. "I'm sorry, but I don't know if he raped me."
"We need to do a rape kit. Do you consent?" Janna asks. Stephanie nods. "You need to say the word. I'm recording your responses." Janna points to the voice recorder on the side table.
"Yes. I consent to the rape kit," Stephanie replies. Janna took the photographs as Susan pulled something from Stephanie's pubic hair. "Did he rape me?" Stephanie quietly asks.
"No. There isn't tearing around your vagina, but you have scratches on your pelvis. He left a piece of his fingernail behind," Susan replies. She drops the nail into the evidence bag for Janna to label. Stephanie relaxes despite the invasive methods of collecting evidence to use against Joe Morelli if he bothers her again.
"My team is collecting evidence from the suspect," Janna offers. Stephanie stares at her hands. She wants the nurse to finish collecting evidence. "Stephanie, I need to take your panties and pants for evidence."
"I touched the button," Stephanie replies.
"Okay," Janna says. She takes Stephanie's fingerprints. Susan cleaned Stephanie's hands using cotton balls and rubbed alcohol to remove the ink. Janna examines Stephanie's discarded shirt. She finds something on the hem. After photographing it, Janna uses a swab to collect a sample. Janna recognizes it as pre-cum. She hopes there's enough trace evidence in the ejaculate to confirm the assailant's identity. Things could have been worse for the young woman lying on the bed. Stephanie cries as Janna places the shirt in an evidence bag.
"I have clothes for you," Susan tells Stephanie. "I hope you don't mind wearing scrubs."
"That's fine. What about panties?" Stephanie asks. Susan frowns and shakes her head. Stephanie will need to forgo underwear.
Once Janna and Susan collect the evidence, Susan asks a coworker to bring the spare scrubs for Stephanie to wear. Janna leaves with the bags while Susan holds Stephanie's hand. "How are you feeling?" Susan asks.
"Like I've been violated twice," Stephanie replies honestly.
"I understand, dear. Are you telling Helen about this incident? I know how judgmental your mother can be," Susan says.
"Helen doesn't deserve to know."
Susan sighs. She knows how Helen will react. Helen will blame Stephanie for the Morelli boy attacking her. Without Stephanie saying the man's name, Susan knows Joseph Morelli is responsible for attacking Stephanie. Helen wants her youngest daughter to marry the youngest Morelli man. Susan can't understand why Helen wants an abusive man to marry her daughter. It's a good thing Stephanie isn't Susan's daughter. Susan would kill the man for harming her child. She prays Frank and Faith will help Stephanie navigate the angst and self-deprecation which will inevitably follow during the next few days.
A commotion outside the room made Stephanie hide behind the curtain. "Where's my daughter?" Faith demands.
"You're not her mother," another woman shouts. Stephanie recognizes her mother's voice. It's hard to miss that annoying high-pitched shrill when Helen is angry.
"I'm more of a mother to that sweet girl than you ever were," Faith defends.
Stephanie hears someone getting slapped before her dad's voice booms, "Helen! Enough. You have done enough damage for one day. Go home before we charge you with assault."
"The whore put Joseph in jail," Helen shrieks.
"So much for nobody knowing," Stephanie mumbles.
Susan excuses herself to update Frank and Faith. "Stephanie will be ready to leave once Nora returns with some clothes for her to wear."
"I brought clothes for Stephanie," Faith announces, passing Susan the duffle. Susan peeks inside, smiling, when she sees underwear in the bag. She leaves the women arguing in the hall to give Stephanie her clothes.
"Thanks," Stephanie replies. She climbs off the bed to dress. Faith brought Stephanie's comfortable pyjamas and cotton underwear. She smiles while pulling on the socks with the donut pattern. Her brother, Cal, gave them to her for Christmas.
Stephanie leaves the hospital with her new family. Helen could rot in hell as far as Stephanie is concerned.