jeu d’esprit
chapter eighteen:


"'Brad Vernon?'" Skye questioned, "Who's that?"

"Sweetie -- " Rae paused momentarily, "can we talk in private?" Rae asked Skye then, without answer, turned to Mac, "Would that be possible?"

"Uh, sure, Rae. The interrogation room, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," Rae smiled at him then started to lead Skye

"No," Skye backed away from Rae, "no, I'm not going anywhere with you. You don't believe me, y-you think I'm a liar. If you have something to say just say it," Skye stopped to catch her breath and glared at Rae in confusion, "Who's this Brad Vernon guy?"

"Skye -- " Rae stepped nearer.

"Just say it!" Skye exclaimed demandingly.

"W-well, when I lived in Llanview --" Rae began, "before you were born --" Rae stopped lost in deep thought on how exactly to phrase her words.

"Before I was born?" Skye's voice sounded of impatience and pure annoyance.

Rae was jolted back into the present by Skye's voice. "Before you were born," Rae continued, "honey, before you were born, back in 1978 Brad Vernon tried to force himself on me."

"So what are you saying, exactly?"

"He tried to rape me, Skye, but fortunately for me I was able to fight him off."

"That's exactly what I meant! Are you saying that I could have stopped this, what happened to me? What -- if I were stronger, tougher? Is that what you were saying?"

"No," Rae's head shook fiercely, "no, I-I was just -- well, I just trying to show you that I know, okay? I understand."

"You understand?" Skye's voice became a mere whisper as her hand rose to her forehead and she walked a half circle around Rae, forcing Rae to turn, "you understand?" she mused, "So from your perspective if say an attempt were made on your life you'd understand what a person who was actually murdered went though?"

"I'd know the terror"

"But you wouldn't be dead, Mom, you wouldn't know what it was like to be killed."

"No, I wouldn't," Rae tilted her head forward and to the side, then lifted it up to face Skye, "but don't you see? That's just the point, Sweetie, your not dead."

"I know that"

"And you are going to get through this -- with the help of your family," Rae looked pointedly at Jax, "please let's just go home, I'm sure Adam's very worried by now."

"He didn't leave?" Skye looked up surprised.

"No, Sweetie, they're all still there, Adam, Dixie, Junior, Stuart. They are all so worried about you. Please, your father and I just want you to come home with us -- so we know your safe, please," Rae's eyes seemed to plead with Skye as Skye turned from her to face Jax.

"I've got to go, Jax, are you going to be okay?" Rae resisted the urge to intervene. "You didn't get in any trouble with your parents did you?" Skye asked fearful of the answer.

"No, I was only charged with wreaking the hospital and I talked to them about that they understand and I've a lawyer on the way with bail money."

"Okay," Skye forced a smile on her face, "then you'll be okay?"

"Listen to you," Jax smiled back full of guilt, not being able to resist the urge that there had been something he could have done and not being able to shake the feeling he knew who was responsible, "I'm the one that should be asking you that."

"I'm fine Jax, really I am," Skye seemed to be trying to convince herself of that statement more than anyone else.

"Lets go," Alan led Skye out of the PCPD with Rae lagging behind.

"You two go ahead home. I'll be there in a minute, okay?" Rae yelled out to father and daughter while looking directly at Jax, "Listen to me, you lay one hand on my daughter, come anywhere near her, and I swear I'll kill you"

"I did not rape your daughter, I love her"

"You love her? Then why did you break her heart?"

"It was the only way," Jax deflected looking squarely at the ground

"The only way to what -- get what you wanted from her? So you could rape her?" Rae started to become hysterical.

"Hey, Rae," Mac intervened between the two, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"What is it, Mac?" Rae wiped her eyes and turned to him

"Um, well, I've got your daughters things from the night of the assault."

"Don't you need that for the investigation?"

"We've kept what's of any use to us and I'm sorry to say that isn't much."

"I don't think she wants any remembrance of that night"

"Yeah, but still there's some stuff in here that she may want -- a few pretty expensive items."

"Okay, okay, thank you," Rae took the bag from him, "I'll see if she wants to keep anything," Rae headed out of the PCPD and to the Q Estate.

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"Skye?" Rae knocked on her bedroom door

"Come in," Skye called out sprawled on her bed, "yes?" she asked looking up at Rae.

"After you left Mac gave me some of your things from the night of the assault. Did you want anything?"

"No"

"Are you sure?" Rae pulled out a charm-bracelet, "I went though it and found this."

Skye took the bracelet in her hand and studied it, "I've never seen this in my life"

"On the back," Rae turned it around to show Skye, "it has an engraving, 'to Skye, love Will'"

"Omigod," Skye uttered as her mind went into flashback mode.

"I don't ever want to see your slimy face again" Skye unhooked the bracelet around her wrist in horror, "how could you?" she threw the bracelet at him and ran away

"What is it?" Rae asked concerned.

"I did not wear this that night," Skye couldn't take her eyes off the bracelet, "I haven't had this bracelet since the day before Will died."

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"We will do no such thing!" Adam yelled silently but pointedly.

"I just don't think that we should allow her to go on with her illusions. She deserves more than that. I loved him, he was my brother for heaven's sake, but Will was farfrom perfect. Skye deserves the truth."

"It will only hurt her"

"And you think that lies we've told her are better than the truth?"

"She doesn't remember a thing from that night and that's the way it will stay"



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Lauren:)