Thank you to Harliquinn for beta reading and editing

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The next day Skye got home with Pepper and Morgan, and Jennifer Walters was there.

"Jen," Pepper said with a smile. "What bring you by?"

"I came to talk to Skye," Jen said.

Skye let out a breath. Her dad had told her that he was going to ask Jen to represent her in the case against her former foster father.

"About what?" Pepper asked.

Jen looked at Skye.

"Case to do with a foster parent," Skye said.

Pepper nodded. "Steve isn't here right now."

Jen nodded, "Skye, are you okay talking to me without your dad?"

"Yes," Skye said. "I think it will be easier for me to talk about it without him there."

"Okay," Jen said.

Skye led Jen to the office and sat on the couch. Jen sat on a chair across from her.

"Who knows what happened to you?" Jen asked.

"My dad and a couple of others who live here. I know others know some things but don't know any details," Skye said. "There is a girl I go to school with who I didn't recognize, but she recognized me. She lives or lived across the street from that home and came over to play while I was there until her parents stopped her coming. When she mentioned it to me, I guess my face gave away the fact that I knew why, and she basically said that she could tell I knew why. So, I don't know exactly what she knows, but I'm guessing she might have put two and two together. There were also others who lived there that I know were abused the same way," Skye said.

Jen nodded. "Okay. So, you are aware that moving forward you will have to tell in detail what happened to you? Maybe multiple times."

Skye nodded.

"So, start with me," Jen said.

Skye started to tell Jen in detail about the abuse she went through in that home, tearing up as she told her.

Jen picked up a box of tissues on the table next to her and held it out to Skye.

Skye took a tissue and wiped her eyes a little before taking a breath and continuing to tell Jen everything. When she was finally done, she wiped her eyes again.

Jen gave her a minute before asking. "Anything else I should know?"

Skye nodded. "Do you need the names of the others in that home at the time?"

"It might help," Jen said.

Skye let out a breath.

"I won't force anyone to talk about it if they don't want to," Jen said.

Skye got up and went over to grab a pen and a piece of paper from the top of the desk. She sat back down and wrote down the names before handing Jen the piece of paper.

"Thank you," Jen said. "Are you okay?"

Skye shrugged. "I'll be fine."

"Anything else I should know?" Jen asked.

"I don't think so," Skye said. "Is this going to end up a public case because of who I am?"

"I'm going to fight to have it be a closed case, if it even ends up in court. I will try to get a plea deal so you don't have to go to court," Jen said. "But you should make sure the people you want to know about it from you know before this gets much further, just in case."

Skye nodded.

"Who are you worried about finding out?" Jen asked.

"The only friend I still have from foster care," Skye said.

Jen nodded. "You're worried about her reaction?"

"His, and yes," Skye said. "He is very protective of the people he cares about."

"Boyfriend?" Jen asked, tilting her head.

"No, I'm not allowed to have a boyfriend," Skye said with a small smile.

"You want him to be though," Jen said.

"We both recently admitted feelings for each other, but we are just friends until I'm sixteen," Skye said.

"You should tell him. Any good relationship needs a foundation of honesty and trust," Jen said.

Skye nodded.

The two got up, left the office, and went into the kitchen, where Pepper was making dinner.

"Will you be joining us for dinner?" Pepper asked Jen.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have to get back to the office," Jen said.

Skye walked her out before going back into the kitchen.

"Do you want to talk about what's going on?" Pepper asked Skye.

"I have decided to press charges against a former foster father for abusing me," Skye said.

"Oh," Pepper said.

"I don't really want to go into detail about it right now as I just had to, but it was the worst foster home I was in. I was really young. It wasn't until I was older that I even comprehended that what had happened to me was abuse," Skye said.

Pepper nodded. "Are you going to be okay?"

Skye shrugged. "I'll be fine. I'll get through it like I have everything else. I'm ready to put my past behind me, and the only way I can truly do that is to get closure on this."

"Okay, anything I can do to help at this moment?" Pepper asked.

Skye shook her head.

"Okay, I'm here if you need to talk about anything," Pepper said.

"I know, thank you," Skye said before she went to her room, changed out of her school uniform, and flopped on her bed. She curled up, cuddling a stuffed animal her dad had gotten her after the custody hearing and silently letting tears fall.

Morgan knocked on her door shortly after, telling her dinner was ready.

"I'm not hungry," Skye told her.

Morgan closed the door and went back to the kitchen, telling her mom what Skye had said.

Pepper sat with her daughter and ate. She would talk to Skye after.

About half an hour later there was a knock on Skye's door.

"Yeah?" Skye said. She had since moved to her desk, where she was working on her homework.

Pepper went in. "You should come to eat."

"I'm really not hungry," Skye said.

"Okay," Pepper said. "You will eat when you need to?"

Skye nodded.

"And you're sure you don't want to talk about anything?" Pepper asked.

Skye shrugged. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you more than I have for you to figure it out."

"Maybe, but doesn't mean I won't listen," Pepper said.

Skye shook her head. "I'm too tired tonight. And I still have to finish my homework."

"Okay," Pepper said. "I'll leave you to it."

"Thank you," Skye said as Pepper left her room.

Skye finished her homework before she got ready for bed. When she was ready she went to the kitchen and grabbed an apple from the basket on the counter and sat at the table to eat it while scrolling social media on her phone.

Pepper came into the kitchen having just put Morgan to bed. "You sure an apple is going to be enough? There are leftovers in the fridge."

"I'm sure," Skye said. "My appetite lately has been weird, even before today."

"You're not getting sick are you?" Pepper asked.

"Not sick like the flu or anything. I think it's got something to do with my diabetes. I have an appointment next week with the specialist," Skye said.

"Good," Pepper said.

Skye finished the apple and threw the core in the compost before grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "I'm going to bed, good night."

"Good night," Pepper said.

Skye went and plugged in her phone and crawled into bed for the night.