jeu d’esprit
chapter sixteen:


Skye said nothing, she felt too many emotions to verbalize, too many things to actually hear what Rae was saying. All Rae did from the second they got in the car was tell her this and tell her that. Statistics, how she should be feeling, what she'd feel in the days, weeks, months, years that would follow. How she knew what was going through Skye's mind. How she felt the exact same way. When Skye knew, surely, no one knew what she was experiencing, no one and no one would, ever. Skye followed Rae up to the front doors of the Q Estate as Rae kept jabbering, "God, Mom, would you just shut-up?" Skye's mouth shot out falling silent from regret at her choice of words, her head pounding.

"What?" Rae's anguish over Skye's situation evident.

"Just be quiet, please," Skye cupped her forehead in her hands, "I've listened to you nag at me the entire way home. I don't think I can take any more of it."

"I'm only trying to help."

"Yeah," Skye paused in deep thought, "yeah, I know. I'm sorry. But -- it's like my head is pounding so hard that if I had to listen to one more second I'd die. Can you understand that?"

"It's just that . . . " Rae's voice trailed off.

"Wha -- What do you want? What would that make you happy?" Skye demanded filled with emotion then added an almost inaudible, "Hmm?"

"You know what I want"

"Uh-huh," Skye shook her head, "you want me to tell everyone."

"Not everyone -- not if you don't want to. But I do think you should tell your father."

"My father?" Skye laughed crudely, "Which one?"

"If you don't tell him, Skye, . . . "

"What... you will?" Skye finished for her, "Fine," Skye said angrily, "fine, I'll tell him, in fact I'll tell everyone but don't expect me to ever forgive you. Ever."

"Forgive you for what?" Alan's presence finally being noticed.

"I've something to tell you -- In fact I've got something to tell everyone," Skye entered the house.

"What were you two talking about outside the door, Rae?" Alan questioned receiving no response. "Skye, we're just so thrilled that you're all right."

"Yes, yes we are," Adam voiced, trying not to become enraged, "Where the hell were you? You scared us half to death," Adam embraced Skye, "I swear if anything ever happened to you..." he looked as if he were about to cry.

"Come here, honey," Alan pulled Skye towards him, "it's just we all love you so much, you can't ever do that to us again, okay?" Alan kissed her on the forehead.

"I, uh, I've got something to tell all of you. But not here, let's go into the den," Skye looked dead straight into Rae's eyes.

"Skye," Rae called out before she could enter the living area, "no, you don't have to do this."

"Ohh, yes I do"

"What's this about, honey" Myrtle asked.

"Whatever it is, Toni, you know you can tell us," Stuart added compassionately.

"Thank you, Uncle Stuart"

"Why don't we start with were you've been?" Adam's voice a tad bitter.

"I, uh -- " Skye became quiet, her face stressed, her voice shaky "I can't do this," she headed for the stairs, "I'm gonna take a shower and go to bed, o-okay?" she waited for no response, only shot up the stairswanting to wipe the filth she felt away.

"What happened, Rae," Alan asked what everyone was wondering.

"I have to go see about my daughter," Rae evaded eye contact and went up the stairs to find Skye.

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Skye let the hot water hit her skin, standing there, staring blankly, she let the water engulf her. It scalded her skin, leaving her cuts and bruises on fire as she scrubbed the feeling of helplessness off of her aching body. Her mind in no real one place but jumping around from one thought to the next an interruption came in form of a knock at the bathroom door.

"Skye" a worried Rae called as she continued to knock, "Skye, sweetheart, you've been in there for almost an hour. Honey, are you okay?" Rae fell silent at her last inquiry as she realized the answer to that question, "Baby -- " Rae's voice broke, "please just open the door, please."

The water turned off and Skye opened the door a towel around her as Rae sighed relief, "Oh, sweetie, your arms," she mentioned the bruises.

"Would you hand me my clothes?" Skye pointed to her bed and the clothes laid out, "I wasn't expecting an audience." Rae gave her the clothes and Skye shut herself away in the bathroom to change, coming out a few minutes later. "What did you want?"

"To make sure you're okay," Rae shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"Well, what can I say? I'm still alive. Really, Mom, I'm fine, I'm okay. I just wanna be alone," Skye went to her bed and pulling the covers back got in and lay down, snuggling with her pillow and sobbing slightly as Rae lay beside her and held her protectively.

"Shh," Rae whispered, "shh, it's okay, it's okay, you're safe. I won't let anyone hurt you again, okay, sweetie, baby, I swear he'll have to go through me. The police probably have him right now."

"You still think it was Jax. Don't you?" Skye's sobbing became louder

"Shh," Rae quieted her, "shh"

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"You can't do this!" Jax yelled after Mac, in a jail cell.

"The hell I can't --" Mac turned around to face him, "you were tearing apart the hospital and it's seems there's another complaint against you..."

"What?" Jax asked confused, "Wha -- what for?"

"Rape"



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xLauren:)