~CHAPTER ONE~

She walked into the cafe, and the smell of stale grease and burnt food filled her nostrils. Sighing, she sat down at a table and rubbed her forehead.

"What can I get ya, sweetie?" A waitress, in a badly stained uniform, asked.

"Uh.........a cup of coffee and some toast, please." The young woman said.

The young woman's name was Alison Stevens. 32 years old, dark brown hair, and big, brown eyes that had gotten her compliments from more then one man. She wasn't very comfortable with her body, however. She wasn't that tall, and she was a little heavier then she would have liked, but her friend Kimberly told her that she really didn't have anything to worry about. She was beautiful. But, Alison didn't really believe that.

She closed her eyes and rolled her head around on her shoulders, cringing at the stiffness. She rubbed the back of her neck, and sucked in a sharp hiss. The black and blue hand prints were still visible, and that's why she wore her hair down tonight, as opposed to her usual upsweep.

Just then, the waitress walked up with her coffee, and Alison jumped, startled.

"Sorry, honey. Here's your coffee. The toast will be right out." The waitress said, eyeing her strangely.

Alison nodded, produced a strained smile, and lifted the coffee cup to her lips, her hands shaking horribly. She took a big sip, and then sat the cup back down, because she was afraid that she was going to drop it. She inhaled deeply, and covered her face with her hands.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark got out of his truck, slamming the door hard as he did.

"Stupid, lying, bitch!" He said, under his breath, as he stormed into the cafe.

"Hey, handsome. How are you..........what's wrong?" The waitress asked Mark as he sat down at the bar.

"Oh, it's Asia. What else is usually wrong when I come in here. Goddamn little..........." Mark started, but then he shook his head. "Forget it. All you need to know is that last night was the VERY LAST time you'll see us together. I've had it with her bullshit."

"Well, whatever happened, I'm sorry. I never thought she was good enough for you, anyway." The waitress said, and smiled.

Mark couldn't help but smile in return. "Thanks, Kathy. Hey, could I get a beer, please?" He asked.

"Yep. Just a minute." Kathy said.

Mark turned around on the barstool, and that's when he saw the dark haired woman sitting in the booth across from him. He could see her hands shaking, and it looked like she was crying. He watched her move her hands from her face and take a sip of her coffee, and then she stared out the window, a blank, lost expression on her face.

"Here ya go, babe." Kathy said, handing Mark the bottle of beer.

"Thanks. Hey, Kathy? Who is that?" Mark asked, pointing at the woman.

"Couldn't say. But, she's as jumpy as hell though. She came in here about twenty minutes ago." Kathy said.

"You haven't seen her before?" Mark asked.

"Nope. And, that's really strange, because I practically know everyone in this town." Kathy said.

Mark nodded slowly, and took a sip of his beer. "Interesting." He said, softly.

Alison rubbed her eyes and looked down at the table. Her coffee was cold, and the toast she had ordered was horribly stale. Besides, her mouth hurt too bad to really enjoy it, anyway. She looked up and got the attention of the waitress.

"Excuse me?" She said, softly.

Kathy raised her eyebrows at Mark and she maid her way over to Alison's table. "You need something else, hun?" She asked.

"No, thank you. I just want the check, please." Alison said.

Kathy reached into her pocket and took out her order pad. She tore off the sheet with Alison's order on it, and placed it on the table.

"There ya go." She said, and walked away.

"Thanks." Alison said. She grabbed her purse off the seat, and moved out of the booth. As she stood up straight, she noticed Mark for the first time.

"Hi." Mark said, and smiled.

"Hello." Alison said, looking down at her shoes.

"You just move into town?" Mark asked.

"Yes. About two months ago." Alison said.

"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Mark." Mark said, extending his hand to her.

Alison stared at his hand, and then looked up at his face. She placed her hand in his carefully, and shook it quickly.

"I'm Alison. Excuse me. I have to go now." She said, and turned to leave.

Mark couldn't help but notice how scared she was. "You okay?" He asked, not only because he was concerned, but also because he really wanted to keep her talking to him.

"Yes. I'm fine." Alison said, walking up to the cash register. As she did, she accidentally bumped her stomach into the edge of the counter, and a horrible look of pain covered her face. She doubled over, held her breath, and cringed.

This whole scene wasn't lost on Mark. He stood up, and walked over to her. "Damn. That looked like it hurt." He said, helping her stand up straight.

Alison flinched as his hands touched her arms. "Don't touch me." She hissed.

Mark backed off, raising his hands to his chest. "All right. Sorry." He said, and sat back down.

Alison glared at him as she paid her check. Kathy gave her her change, and Alison quickly walked out the front door.

"Well, what do you think of that?" Kathy asked, walking back over to Mark.

Mark shook his head, thoughtfully. "I don't know. But, if she ever comes in here again, I want you to call me." He said, wrote down his phone number on a piece of paper.

~CHAPTER TWO~
Alison slowly slipped her key into the dead bolt, and as quickly as she could, she opened the front door. She could see the bedroom light shining down the stairs, and she knew she had to be very careful.

She hung her purse and her jacket on the coat rack by the front door, and slowly made her way up the carpeted stairs. She tip toed down the hallway, and slowly walked into the bathroom. After relieving herself, she stopped at the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. She knew she couldn't run the risk of starting the faucet to wash her hands, because she knew he would hear her.

Alison peeked out of the bathroom doorway, down the hall, and slowly made her way to the nearest bedroom. She opened the door and slipped inside. She smiled as she walked over and sat down on the edge of the small bed.

"Wake up, humming bird." She whispered.

The little girl in the bed slowly opened her eyes and smiled sweetly. "Hi, mommy." She said.

"Shhhhh, Madison. Talk soft." Alison whispered. "Are you all right? Do you need anything?"

"Daddy didn't cook dinner again. I'm hungry." Madison said.

Alison looked over her shoulder at her daughter's closed bedroom door. "I'm sorry. I'll go downstairs in a few minutes and I'll make you a sandwich. Okay?" She asked.

Madison nodded. "Okay. Mommy.........are you all right?" She asked.

"I'm fine, humming bird. Don't you worry about me." Alison said, stroking her daughter's hair.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to come home." A voice said behind Alison.

Alison stiffened and turned around. She stood up and locked her eyes on her husband's. "Sorry I'm late, Michael. We had some extra accounts to go over today." She said.

"Mmmm, hmmm. Sure. Uh, Alison, sweetie, could we talk for a minute?" Michael asked.

Alison stared at her husband, trying to control her instinct to run. She turned back to Madison and smiled. "I'll be right back. And, I'll bring you that sandwich, all right?" She asked.

Madison nodded, eyeing her father carefully.

Alison walked out of the bedroom, with Michael following close behind. He followed her into their own bedroom and he shut the door behind them. When Alison turned around to face her husband, Michael hit her hard across the left side of her face.

"Bitch! I thought I told you to be home by 11:00! It's 12:15!" He yelled.

Alison fell to the floor, crying. "Michael, please!" She said.

"Shut up!" Michael said, and kicked her in the stomach.

Alison groaned and curled up in the fetal position on the floor, gasping for air. Michael knelt down next to her, and grabbed a handful of her hair.

"See.......if you would just mind me, we wouldn't have to go through this night after night. I hate it as much as you do." He said.

Alison started to cry, her body in incredible pain, as her bruised flesh took another blow. "I'm sorry. I........I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." She stuttered.

Michael stood up, grabbed her forcefully by her arm, and yanked her to her feet. "Yeah, yeah, you're sorry. You always say you're sorry, but you never seem to learn, do you, bitch?" He asked, and threw her onto the bed.

Alison crawled up toward the headboard, trying to put some distance between her and Michael, but her husband was too fast. Michael grabbed her by the ankles, and pulled her closer to him.

"Just relax, princess. It'll be over before you know it." He said, and took off his shirt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two hour later, Michael finally fell asleep, and Alison slipped out of the bed as quietly as she could. Struggling to walk, she made her way down into her daughter's bedroom.
,br> "Madison........Madison........come on, baby. Wake up." She whispered.
,br> Madison rolled over, and seeing her mother's rapidly bruising face, started to cry. "Mommy?!?! You're hurt! What happened? Did he hurt you, mommy?" She asked.

"Shhhhh, baby. Shhhhhhh. Mommy's fine. Come on. Get up. We've got to go." Alison said, pulling the covers back.

"Where are we going?" Madison asked.

"We're going to Auntie Kim's house. You remember her, right?" Alison asked, cringing as she bent down and retrieved the backpack from underneath Madison's bed that they had packed weeks ago.

"Yes. She has a really pretty kitty." Madison said, happily.

"That's right. Now, come on. We have to hurry." Alison said, moving her daughter toward the bedroom door. When they stepped into the hallway, Alison put her hand over her daughter's mouth. "Shhhhhhh. Don't make a sound. We're going to play the quiet game for a minute." She whispered.

Madison nodded and stood very still.

Alison listened very carefully for any sound of her husband moving. Finally, she heard his loud snore echo through the bedroom, and she let out the breath she'd been holding.

"All right. Let's go." She whispered, and took Madison's hand.

They made their way out the front door and into the car. Alison put Madison into her car seat, and then ran around to the drivers side of the car. Her hands were shaking so badly, she almost didn't get the key into the ignition, but she finally managed. She started the engine, and quietly backed out of the driveway.

"Mommy........aren't we going to take Daddy with us to Auntie Kim's?" Madison asked.

Alison looked over into her daughter's brown eyes, mirror images of her own, and shook her head.

"No, baby. Not today." She said, and pressed her foot to the gas pedal.

~CHAPTER THREE~

Alison drove as quickly as she could over to her friend's house. She felt like she was in a panic, always checking over her shoulder, watching the rearview mirror. After what seemed like hours, she pulled into Kim's driveway.

"All righty. Come with me, baby." She said, taking Madison out of her car seat.

Mother and daughter walked up to the darkened house, and Alison knocked frantically on the front door. After a few minutes, she saw a light come on and she heard the locks on the door turning.

"What in the BLUE HELL is........Alison??? Oh my God, honey! Get in here!" Kim said, ushering them into the house. "What happened?"

"Michael happened." Alison said.

Kim studied her friend carefully, looking at the dark bruises that had formed on Alison's face, neck, and arms. "Jesus. Okay, come on. Let's go sit in the living room." She said.

Kim led Alison and Madison into her living room, and turned on the light. "So, what was his excuse this time?" She asked, her hands on her hips.

"I was, uh, a little bit late getting home tonight. He wasn't happy about it, so he beat me up. And, he........." Alison said, looking down at her daughter, and lowering her voice to just above a whisper said, "He raped me, Kim."

Kim's eyes filled with tears as she wrapped her arms around her friend. "Oh, Aly. I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so very sorry." She said.

Madison started tugging on Kim's pajama top. "Auntie Kim? Auntie Kim?' She asked.

Kim let go of Alison and turned to the little girl. "Yes?" She asked, and smiled.

"Where's your kitty?" Madison asked.

"He's upstairs, sleeping on my bed. You want to go wake him up?" Kim asked.

"Yeah!" Madison said, happily.

"Well, then go for it." Kim said.

Kim watched Madison bound up the stairs, and she turned back to Alison. "Do you need me to take you the hospital?" She asked.

"No. I know he'll be looking for me, and I know that's the first place he'll try. I'm fine. Just a little bit sore." Alison said, the pain clearly etched on her face.

"You're fine. Yeah, fucked up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional. Well, if you don't want to go, I guess I can't force you. But, at least let me get you some ice for your face." Kim said.

"All right. Thank you." Alison said, and followed her into the kitchen.

Madison came downstairs and walked into the kitchen, carrying Kim's cat. "Look, mommy. He woke up, and he let me pet him. I think he really likes me." She said, smiling.

"It sure looks that way." Alison said, trying to be pleasant.

Madison nodded, and walked into the living room. Once she was out of sight, Kim turned to Alison.

"Show me all your bruises, Aly. And, don't try to hide any of them, cause I'll find them all, I swear." She said.

"Well, I don't really want to get naked in your kitchen, Kim, but I'll show you what I can." Alison said, and lifted her shirt up to her shoulders.

Kim gasped at the ugly, angry, welts that Michael's shoes and fists had left on her best friend's stomach. She felt sick as her gaze moved upward to Alison's breasts where there were old and new bruises, and scars from his teeth where he had repeatedly bit her.

"God, I can't even imagine how much pain you are in." She whispered, as she touched Alison's stomach.

"I'm a survivor, Kim. I have to be." Alison said, quietly, and walked into the living room to sit with her daughter.

Kim followed her and handed her two bags of ice; one for her head, and the other for her stomach. "I see you found Oreo." She said to Madison.

"Yep! Mommy? I'm really hungry. Can I have a bowel of cereal, please?" Madison asked, looking between Kim and her mother.

"Dammnit. I forgot. I was going to make her a sandwich before we left. Michael didn't feed her tonight." Alison said, holding her head.

"Well, unfortunately, all I have in the house right now is left over Chinese food, so........what do ya say we head down to the cafe and get a hamburger?" Kim asked, standing up off the couch to look for her keys.

Alison watched Kim moving through the living room, softly calling Michael many different things; some beginning with "Fucking" and some ending with "Bastard." She smiled to herself as she listened to her friend's colorful expressions.
"Can we go the cafe, mommy? Please?" Madison pleaded.

Alison looked at her daughter, and then at Kim. "Well, I guess so. She does need to eat something, and she really isn't a big Chinese food fan yet. I think it'll be okay." She said.

"All right. It's settled then. Just let me go get dressed and we'll get out of here." Kim said, handing Alison her keys so she wouldn't misplace them again, and then ran up the stairs.

Alison cupped the car keys in her hand, and laid her head back on the couch, letting out a shaky sigh. She touched the ice pack to her forehead, and she groaned. Madison let Kim's cat go, and moved closer to her mother.

"Mommy? Do you hurt?" She asked.

"Yeah, baby. Mommy has a really bad headache." Alison said, softly.

Madison carefully crawled onto her mother's lap, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I kissed it better. Did it help?" She asked.

Alison smiled as tears filled her swollen eyes. "Yes. It did. Thank you, humming bird." She said, ignoring the shooting pains throughout her body.

"Okay! Let's go. I'm getting pretty hungry myself." Kim said, coming back to the living room.

The three of them got into Kim's Mustang Convertible, and headed out for the cafe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael, who had parked his dark blue Sedan down the street; far enough that he wouldn't be noticed, but close enough that he could see Kim's house, saw Kim pull her car out of the driveway, and head north. He started the engine of his car, turned off his headlights, and followed the black Mustang.

He watched as they stopped at a convenience store for a couple of minutes, and then started to head north again. He thought for a brief second that they had spotted him when they pulled over to the side of the road, but all Kim was doing was checking Madison's car seat.

They finally stopped at the town cafe, and they got out of the car. Michael parked his car in the alley behind the cafe, and then walked up to the front where he could see through the windows. He hid between two cars, and watched his wife, as she and the other two were seated in a booth directly in front of the window.

"Stupid bitch." He whispered under his breath, as he got a bit more comfortable in his cramped position, and waited to see what would happen.

~CHAPTER FOUR~

Kim, Alison, and Madison walked into the cafe and Kim waved at Kathy. "Hey, girl. How ya been?" She asked.

Kathy smiled. "Not too bad." She said, watching Alison carefully, noticing a stark difference in her face. "I'll bring your menus."

Kathy walked over to their booth, and laid four menus down on the table. There, she got a better look at Alison's bruises. She smiled softly at them as she put four ice waters down, and told them she would come back in a moment to take their orders. She walked back into the kitchen, and made her way for the telephone that was located in the cafe's office. She pulled out the slip of paper from her pocket and dialed the number that was written there.

"Yeah?" Mark answered.

"She's here. And, let me tell you something, she looks like she's been in the ring with you AND three of your closest friends." Kathy said.

"Who hit her?" Mark asked.

"Well, I could just read her mind and tell you that, but I left my crystal ball at home today." Kathy said, rolling her eyes.

"All right, you got me there, smart ass. I'll be right there." Mark said, and hung up the phone. He grabbed his car keys off the hook by the door, and made his way outside.

Glenn followed him minutes later. "You aren't going to say for the rest of the movie?" He asked, studying him carefully. "What? You gotta a insta-date or something?"

Mark smiled at his friend, slyly. "Maybe." He said.

"Do you really need to make me jealous every single time I come here to visit?" Glenn asked.

Mark nodded. "Yep." He said, and laughed as he put the truck in reverse.

"Man, do you really think I like hearing you make women scream? Please! It's torture to my ears. I just pray they leave in one piece AND that they leave that night so I don't have to see them in the after math of your affections. Seriously, man." Glenn said, shaking his head.
Mark laughed loudly at Glenn's disgust and backed the truck out of the driveway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, what do you think you want to eat?" Kim asked Madison.
"I don't know. I know I want a great big hamburger. But, I can't decide between French Fries or Onion rings." Madison said, scratching her head, and swinging her feet on her booster chair.

"Well, I can give you a little of both." Kathy said, walking up to their table.

"Really? Do you have great big hamburgers?" Madison asked.

"The very best you can find in Kempner, Texas, darlin." Kathy said, winking at the beautiful child.

Madison smiled and laughed. "Okay, then. I want a big hamburger, with lots of Ketchup, and cheese, and no onions. And, I want some French Fries and some onion rings." She said, nodding her head eagerly.

Alison smiled at her daughter. "Hope you can eat all that." She said.

"Oh, I can. Don't worry." Madison said.

"I think I'll have some coffee and a BLT." Kim said.

Kathy nodded, wrote down Kim's order, and then looked at Alison. "Anything for you, sweetie?" She asked.

Alison looked up at her. "Um.........I'll have some tomato soup and some chocolate pudding, please." She said, softly.

Kathy smiled and wrote down the order. "Sure thing. Be back in a few." She said, and walked away.

"You're just going to have soup and pudding?" Kim asked.

"I can't eat anything else. My mouth hurts too bad." Alison said.

Kim looked at her sadly, and nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark pulled into the cafe's parking lot, and got out of his truck. He could see Alison through the window, her back turned to him. He ran a hand through his hair, and walked inside.

He and Kathy exchanged a glance as he sat down in the booth in front of Alison. There, he was able to get a really good look at her.

Both her eyes were black, and her right one was almost swollen shut. There were dark blue bruises on her cheeks, on her forehead, and on her neck. Mark could see hand prints on her bare arms, and he could see her entire body trembling. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes.

"Damn." He said to himself.

Kathy came back about fifteen minutes with their food, and sat the tray down on the table. "Here ya go. If you need anything else, just holler." She said, and walked away.

"Yummy, yummy!" Madison said, digging into her French Fries eagerly.

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing." Kim said, and swiped one of Madison's onion rings.

"Hey!" Madison said, glaring at her as she grabbed for the stolen onion ring.

"Steeling from a child? Really, Kim, you've sunken to a new low." Alison said, and tried to laugh.

Kim just shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, I never said I was a saint." She said.

Madison looked at Kim out of the corner of her eye, and then reached over and stole a piece of bacon of her sandwich. "Turn about is fair play, Auntie. Mama says so." She said, and stuffed the bacon into her mouth before Kim could take it back.

Right then, Mark stood up from his booth and walked over to their table. "Alison, right?" He asked, with a soft, southern accent.

Alison looked up at him, startled. "Yes. Hi again." She said. She was surprised she hadn't noticed him before now.

Mark looked over at Kim. "And, you are?" He asked.

Kim studied him carefully, and felt like saying, "All yours", but she changed her mind. "My name's Kim." She said, biting her lower lip.

Mark knelt down and looked at Madison. "And, who might you be, little lady?" He asked, and smiled.

"My name's Madison, and you're really tall." Madison said and giggled.

"Madison!" Alison said, and then looked over at Mark, embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"Hell, it's all right. I've heard worse." Mark said, and smiled. He stood up again, and looked over at Kim. "Mind if I sit down for a minute?"

"No, by all means. Have a seat." Kim said, scooting over a little too eagerly.

Mark sat down and looked into Alison's eyes. "Thanks." He said, softly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside in the parking lot, Michael watched this whole scene unfold before his eyes, and he felt his blood start to boil. Alison hadn't been working late tonight like she had claimed. She had been here..........WITH HIM!

"The little slut! Oh, this is gonna stop right now!" He said, angrily.

Michael walked over to his vehicle, and took his handgun out of the glove compartment. He made sure it was loaded, stuck it into the waistband of his jeans, and walked into the cafe.

Alison didn't see him, but Kim did. Suddenly, she gasped and slid out of the booth, which caused Alison to turn around. She shuddered and put her arms around her daughter.

"Daddy!" Madison said, happily.

"Hi there, princess. Come to daddy, baby." Michael said.

"Madison, no!" Alison said, standing up, and struggling to hold onto her squirming daughter.

"Mommy, I want my daddy! Let me go! I want to see daddy!" Madison said, crying.

"No, Madison. You can't see your daddy." Alison said, moving her daughter behind her back.
,br> Michael quickly walked forward, and backhanded Alison, knocking her to the floor, causing Madison to burst into tears.

"Shut up! You're sounding just like your mother." He said, as he grabbed Madison and headed for the entrance. Suddenly, he felt a large, heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Mark asked.

"Stay out of this. This isn't any of your business." Michael said.

"It is now. Let the girl go." Mark said.

"And, who's gonna make me? You?" Michael scoffed.

"Oh, I though you would never ask." Mark said, and punched Michael in the jaw.

Michael stumbled backwards, and as he did, he let Madison go. "Madison! Come here!" Kim yelled.

Madison ran over to Kim as Mark punched Michael again. Alison struggled to stand, holding onto the table for support. Kim helped her up, and she took her daughter into her arms. Michael moved out of the way before Mark could hit him again, and he pulled the gun out of his waist band. He aimed it right at Mark's chest, and started to squeeze the trigger. Just then, Kathy ran over and grabbed Michael's arm and pulled it upward, causing him to fire two bullets into the ceiling.

Alison screamed and covered her daughter with her own body. "Get down, Madison!" She yelled.

Kathy kicked Michael in the crotch, and then kneed him in the chin. Michael fell to the floor, holding himself and crying out in pain. Mark grabbed him up by the back of his shirt, and carried him over to the door.

"I don't think you're welcome here anymore, buddy." He said, and threw Michael out the door. Kathy used her keys to lock the door, just as Michael was trying to get back in.

Michael aimed the gun at the door, hoping to shoot and break the glass, but thankfully, the gun jammed and wouldn't fire. He threw the gun to the asphalt, and stared through the glass at his wife and daughter. He pointed his finger at Alison, and shook his head as he walked away.

"Watch the door." Mark told Kathy, and walked over to Alison and Madison. He helped them both stand up, sent Madison over to Kim, and put his hands on Alison's face. He studied her mouth, where her lip was bleeding, and gently touched it with a napkin. Alison cringed and whimpered slightly.

"So, who was that?" Mark asked, wiping the blood from her lips.

"My husband." Alison said, softly as she avoided his gaze.

~CHAPTER FIVE~

Mark finished wiping the blood off of Alison's lips, and looked into her eyes. Alison forced a smile and ran over to her daughter.

"I'm going to call the sheriff." Kathy said, and started to walk to the phone.

Upon hearing this, Alison's head snapped up. "NO! YOU CAN'T!" She yelled.

Everyone turned around to look at her. "Why not?" Kathy asked, confused.

Alison started to shake her head vigorously. She suddenly grabbed her stomach, and ran into the bathroom.

"What was that all about?" Mark asked.

Kim looked at him. "Don't you know who she is?" She asked.

"Uh, actually, no." Mark said.

"Alison Stevens. Her husband is Michael Stevens." Kim said, waiting for it to sink in.

Kathy's eyes suddenly brightened. "Oh my God! I thought I recognized him!" She said.

"What?" Mark asked.

"Alison's husband is Sheriff Stevens." Kathy said.

Mark looked at her and then rolled his eyes. "Great." He said, his voice exasperated.

Alison came back out of the bathroom, wiping her flushed face with a wet paper towel. "Sorry about that." She said, embarrassed.

Kim put her arm around her. "So, now what?" She asked.

"Mommy? Can we go home now? I'm tired and I want my dolly." Madison said, rubbing her eyes.

Alison stared down at her daughter. "Yes, honey. We can go home now." She said, and started to put her daughter's jacket on.

"Are you out of your mind?!?!? You can't go back there!" Kim exclaimed.

"I have to, Kim. Michael is mad enough as it is. Maybe if I can go home now and try to work things out, it won't be so bad. The longer I stay gone, the worse it's going to get." Alison said.

Mark stepped up next to her. "Darlin, if he hits you like this again, you're gonna end up hooked up to a machine in a hospital somewhere, or worse, end up pushing up daisies. You can't go back to that house." He said.

"Well, then, what do you suggest? I have no money, I have no vehicle because I left it at Kim's house, and we have no where else to go. My daughter is tired, I'm tired, and we both need to sleep." Alison said, staring up at Mark with tears in her eyes.

"You can stay at my house. Simple as that." Kim said.

Mark shook his head. "Does her husband know where you live?" He asked Kim.

"Well, yeah." Kim said.

"Well, that's not going to work either." Mark said.

"What about if they came and stayed with me?" Kathy asked

. Mark laughed softly. "Kathy, please. You've got a house full already. Your two good for nothing kids are sleeping in your living room, your mother is in the guest room, and your corpse of a husband is there, too. Where exactly are you going to put them?" He asked.

Kathy nodded. "All right. Bad idea." She said.

Mark looked up at the ceiling, thoughtfully. "Well, it looks like you're just gonna have to come and stay with me." He said.

Alison looked up at him, her eyes wide. "You're joking, right?" She asked.

"No. I've got plenty of room, and your husband has no idea who I am or where I live, so it works out perfectly. Where else are you gonna go?" Mark asked.

Alison looked over at Kim, who just shrugged her shoulders. "It's worth a shot. I mean, he's right, you know. This really is your only option. Unless, of course, you want to go find a big box and you and Madison can camp out behind The Piggly Wiggly." She said.

"Well, you're coming with us, too." Mark said.

"I am? No way. I have to go home. I have a cat. He needs me." Kim said.

"Listen, if Alison's husband knows where you live, then your in danger of him coming looking for you." Mark said.

Kim nodded, slowly. "Yeah, I didn't think about that." She said.

Just then, Mark felt a light tugging on his pant leg. He looked down and saw Madison staring up at him, her brown eyes wide.

"Do you have a kitty?" She asked.

Mark knelt down as close to her height as possible. "No, but I have a dog named Muffins. Do you like dogs, Maddi?" He asked.

Madison's eyes glowed with delight. "Oh, yes! I love doggies. Is he a little doggie?" She asked.

"Well, not exactly. He used to be, but he's growing up now. He's still a puppy in his own mind, though." Mark said.

Madison giggled. "Grown up doggies acting like puppies. That's silly." She said.

Mark nodded and smiled. "Yeah, well, sometimes grown up people can act like kids, too. Wait till you meet my friend. He still thinks he's a kid." He said.

Kathy looked over at Mark. "Isn't that dog of yours a Rottwieler? Why in the hell did you name him Muffins?" She asked.

"You're gonna have to ask Glenn that the next time you see him. When he got the dog and he took him to the vet to get licensed and all that other stuff, he named him the first thing that popped into his head." Mark said, shaking his head.

Kathy and Kim both burst out laughing. "But, I'm not sure I want Madison around a big dog like that." Alison said.

"Don't worry. He wont hurt her. He's a big dog, but he's truly worthless when it comes to protection. I'm ashamed to say I've spoiled him rotten." Mark said.

Alison nodded, still a little unsure, but she decided to trust him.

"So, are we ready to go, then?" Kim asked.

"Yeah. You and Madison take your car, and I'll take Alison with me." Mark said.

"But, I want to go with my mommy." Madison said.

Alison bent down to her daughter and ran her fingers through her hair. "Humming bird, I don't think Mark has a car seat like Auntie Kim does in her car, and you know you can't ride in a car with out one. You'll be right behind us, and you'll see us through the entire trip, okay?" She asked.
"Okay, mommy." Madison said, softly.

The four of them said goodbye to Kathy, Kim took Madison to her car, and Alison got into Mark's truck. Mark looked over at her, as she stared out the window, wringing her hands in her lap.

"Everything is going to be okay now, Alison. I promise. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Madison." He said.

Alison looked over at him as she did up her seatbelt. She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't. She just nodded, and turned back to the window.

~CHAPTER SIX~

About twenty minutes later, the four of them arrived at Mark's house.

"Stay in the truck. I'm just gonna go check things out real quick." Mark said to Alison.

Alison nodded as Mark got out of the truck. He motioned for Kim to stay in her car, and he walked around the entire expanse of his property. He came back around from the back of the house, and walked up to his truck.

"All right. We're good." He said.

Alison got out of the truck, and Madison jumped out of Kim's car. "Mommy, this house is so big!" She said, looking around.

"Yes, it is." Alison said, smiling at Kim.

"Well, come on in, Ladies." Mark said, and walked up to the front door.

He unlocked it, and ushered Kim, Madison, and Alison inside. As he entered himself, he saw Glenn coming down the stairs. Glenn looked at the two women, looked down at Madison, and then looked up at Mark, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, well. Maybe I should go stay in a hotel for the night." He said.

Mark flipped him off. "Shut up, man. This is Kim, Alison, and the little one is Madison. Ladies, this is the brainiac that named my dog Muffins." He said.

"Nice to meet you all, and actually, my name is Glenn." Glenn said, shoving Mark in the chest.

Kim stared up at him, her eyes sparkling. "I guess everything really IS bigger in Texas." She said, looking him up and down.

Glenn looked over at Mark, and then looked back at Kim. "Well, that's true, but I'm from Tennessee." He said.

"Even better." Kim said, and smiled.

Mark led the ladies into the living room, and then went back and locked the front door. He then motioned for Glenn to come talk to him in the hallway.

"What's up, man?" Glenn asked.

"Well, Alison and her daughter are in a lot of trouble, and I'm going to let them stay here for a while." Mark said.

"What kind of trouble?" Glenn asked.

"The abusive dick of a husband kind." Mark said.

Glenn looked into the living room at Alison, and shook his head, sadly. "That's too bad. So, just what exactly got you involved in this situation?" He asked.

"I was at the cafe tonight when he came in, hit her across the face, and tried to walk out with his daughter. Then, he tried to shoot up the place." Mark said.

Just then, Madison came running into the hallway. "Can I see the doggie now?" She asked, jumping from one foot to the other.

"Sure thing, baby. Glenn here will take you to see him, okay?" Mark said.

Madison nodded and placed her hand in Glenn's. As they walked away, Mark went into the living room. He saw Alison staring out the window, her eyes darting back and forth nervously, and her whole body trembling. He walked over and sat down next to her on the couch.

"Alison, is there anything you need?" He asked, softly.

Alison sighed deeply, and turned to look at him. "Maybe some closed for Madison, clothes for me........I don't know." She said.

"Well, we've already established that you can't go back to your house. So, how about you and I go shopping tomorrow for whatever you need?" Mark asked.

"No. I can't let you do that." Alison said.

"Why not?" Mark asked.

"Well, for one thing, you don't even know me. And, second, I have no way to pay you back." Alison said.

"I'm not worried about that. And, I know all I need to know to help you and Madison. We don't have to be life long friends for me to do that, right?" Mark asked.

Alison looked at him. "What are you getting out of this? What do you want from me?" She asked.

Mark shook his head. "Nothing. I don't want anything from you. I just don't want you and Madison to get hurt." He said.

Alison stared at him as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You're too late." She whispered.

Madison came into the living room then, with Mark's dog following close behind. "Look, mommy! Isn't he pretty?" She asked, laughing. Suddenly, she saw her mother crying, and she turned and glared at Mark with all the fire a four year old could muster. "Why is she crying? What did you do to her?"

Alison smiled. "My little hero. He didn't do anything to me, humming bird. Mommy's just sad. He really is a pretty doggy." She said, pulling Madison into her lap.

"Um, sorry to be a pain in the ass, but.........I really have to go home and feed my cat." Kim said, walking into the living room.

"Okay, but answer me a question before you go. If Alison's husband shows up while you're there, you think you're going to be able to handle him?" Mark asked.

Kim looked at him, and then looked down at her shoes. "Probably not." She said, embarrassed.

"Right." Mark said, and stood up. "Glenn? Could you do me a favor?"

"Yeah, sure." Glenn said.

"Could you go over to Kim's house and get her cat and whatever else she needs?" Mark asked.

"You're gonna move a cat in here?" Glenn asked.

"Just temporarily. Can you do it or not?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, all right." Glenn said, and turned to Kim. "What else do you want to me get?"

"Pajamas and a change of clothes for tomorrow, I guess." Kim said.

"Okay. Give me your keys and tell me how to get there." Glenn said.

Kim wrote her address and directions to her house down on a piece of paper, and Glenn left for her house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael sat in his car outside of Kim's apartment, chewing on his fingernails. He knew that Alison has to come back here sometime. He knew she would have to come back here to get car, at least, but so far, there had been no sign of her.

Suddenly, Michael saw headlights coming down the street, and he slumped down in his seat. The car pulled into Kim's driveway, and the driver got out. He watched the man as he headed for the front door, and then walked inside.

Michael didn't recognize him, but he figured he was just one of Kim's many boyfriends. He decided to wait outside the apartment until he left though, just to make sure. Several minutes later, the man came back out of the house, carrying a duffel bag, and an animal crate.

Michael smiled to himself, realizing that this guy was more then likely taking these items to Kim. He also realized that wherever Kim was, his loving wife was probably there, also. As the man pulled his car out of the driveway, Michael turned on his engine, and pulled into the street behind the other car.

Glenn looked in his rearview mirror, and saw the blue Sedan following behind him, the headlights off. Trying not to look obvious, Glenn drove around Kempner's downtown area, watched the phantom car follow him at every turn. He drove over by the high school, and pulled his car in between the main building, and the building that housed the swimming pool.. He shut his headlights off, and waited. He saw the Sedan drive right past where he was sitting, but he decided to wait a few more minutes just to be safe.

When the Sedan didn't come back, Glenn pulled out of his hiding spot, and drove as quickly as he could back to Mark's house. He walked into the house, shut the door quickly, and locked it. "Man, I think her husband was following me." He said.

Mark stood up. "Did he follow you over here?" He asked.

"No. I lost him over by the high school." Glenn said.

"Good job, buddy. Do you know what he was driving?" Mark asked.

"He drives a dark blue Sedan." Alison said, softly.

Mark and Glenn both turned and looked at her. "Yeah. That's the car that was following me." Glenn said.

"All right. Well, at least he didn't get over here, and we now know what he's driving so we can keep an eye out." Mark said.

"There's my Oreo!" Kim said, walking up to Glenn.

Glenn took the cat out of the animal crate, and handed him to Kim. "I really hate to tell you this, but your cat is the LAZIEST animal I have ever seen. He didn't even move when I picked him up and put him in this crate." He said.

"Yeah, I know. But, I love him anyway." Kim said, and put the cat in Glenn's arms. "Say hello, Oreo."

Glenn held the cat and raised his eyebrows at Kim. "I don't like cats." He said.

Just then, Madison came running into the hallway, with Muffins hot on her heals. The Rottwieler stopped short when he saw Oreo. The cat turned and arched his back, hissing loudly at the dog. Muffins started barking, and Oreo suddenly panicked. He scratched his way up Glenn's arms, over his shoulders, and down his back. When he hit the floor, he slid on the wood tile, and skidded into the kitchen.

"FUCK! Damnit, that really hurt!" Glenn said, the scratches on his arms starting to bleed.

"That is the fastest I have EVER seen Oreo move in my ENTIRE LIFE!" Kim said, laughing heartily.

"Oh, I'm so glad you find this funny." Glenn said, angrily.

That just caused Kim to laugh even harder. Glenn shook his head at her, and stormed into the kitchen. Kim rolled her eyes and went after him.

"You big baby. I'm sure you're gonna survive." She said.
"Bite me, all right?" Glenn asked.

Kim walked over to him and took his arm in her hand. She studied the scratches, and then called to Mark. "Hey, Mark? You got any peroxide?" She yelled.

"Yeah. It's in the cupboard above the microwave." Mark called back.

Kim found the bottle, opened it, poured some onto a cotton ball she had in her purse, and touched it the scratches on Glenn's arms.

"That hurts!" Glenn said, glaring at her, and yanking his arm away.

"I know." Kim said, and grabbed his arm again.

Kim cleaned each scratch with the peroxide, checked Glenn's shoulders for any other cuts, and then put the peroxide back in the cupboard. "All better?" She asked.

"Yeah." Glenn said, frowning. "Thanks.

"You're welcome." Kim said, and walked back into the living room.

Glenn cursed under his breath, and was making his way back into the living room, when Oreo came around the corner into the kitchen at warp speed, being chased my Muffins. The cat slid easily between Glenn's legs, but Muffins, needing desperately to have a taste of the interloping cat, crashed right into Glenn, knocking him to the floor.

Mark, Alison, and Kim ran into the kitchen to see what happened, and all three of them burst out laughing at the site of Glenn on the floor.

"That damn cat of yours if a freaking menace!" Glenn yelled, standing back up.

"You okay, bro?" Mark asked, laughing so hard his ribs hurt.

"Yes. I'm fine. Thanks so much for your concern." Glenn said, glaring at his so-called friend as he retreated into the living room.

"I'm gonna go take Muffins outside before anything else happens around here." Mark said, and went to retrieve his dog.

Once he had the Rottwieler outside, Oreo finally calmed down and had curled up in his owner's lap. Glenn kept glaring at the animal, which sent Kim into fits of laughter. Madison sat on the couch next to her mother, her eyes growing heavy.

"Mommy, I'm tired." She said, softly.

"Let me go upstairs and get the guest room ready, and then you two can go to bed." Mark said, and walked up the stairs.

"You can go to bed soon, humming bird." Alison said, moving her daughter's head down to her lap.

Several minutes later, Mark came back downstairs and told them to go ahead and go up to bed. Madison had fallen asleep while he was preparing the room, and as Alison started to pick her up to carry to bed, the pain in her back was just too much, and she almost dropped the little girl.

"Whoa! Hold on. Let me carry her." Mark said, taking Madison into his arms.

Alison looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you." She said.

Mark carried Madison up to the guest room, and deposited her onto the large bed. "I hope this is okay. I know you don't have any pajamas with you, but I brought you a T-shirt of mine to sleep in. It's probably way too big for you, but hopefully it'll be comfortable." He said.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Alison said.

"Well, I'll give you some privacy. My room is just two doors down on the right. If you need anything, just come and get me, all right." Mark said.

Alison nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her daughter. She turned and moved Madison's hair out of her face, kissing her cheek lightly. She sighed and went into the adjoining bathroom to change. When she removed her clothing, she could see the deep purple bruising on her stomach and thighs. Hand prints tattooed her upper arms, her back was dotted with various black and blue welts, and her muscles ached horribly.

She slipped on Mark's T-shirt, and let her hair out of the rubber band that had been holding it back. She brushed it out with the hairbrush that was on the sink, and then splashed water on her face. She looked at herself one last time in the mirror, turned off the bathroom and bedroom lights, and slipped into bed next to her daughter.

"Goodnight, my little humming bird." She whispered.

~CHAPTER SEVEN~

Alison woke up several hours later to find Oreo sitting on her chest, and Madison smiling at her.

"Well, good morning you two." She said, and smiled.

"Oreo came in to say hi." Madison said.

"And, I'm glad he did. Are you okay?" Alison asked.

"Yep." Madison said, stroking the cat.

There was a knock on the bedroom door just then, and Kim stuck her head in. "You decent?" She asked.

"I think so." Alison said, sitting up in the bed.

Kim noticed her cringing in pain as she did. "How ya doing?" She asked.

"Well, I've definitely been better." Alison said.

"I came in to tell you that breakfast is waiting for us all downstairs if you feel up to eating something." Kim said.

"Actually, I am pretty hungry." Alison said, and smiled, eager to go and eat.

"Good. I'll see you downstairs in a few minutes then. Maddy, do you and Oreo wanna come with me and get some pancakes?' Kim asked, and smiled.

"Yeah! Can Oreo eat pancakes?" Madison asked.

"He'll sure as hell try. But, I think he should eat the food that's in his dish first." Kim said, and helped the little girl off the bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee, when Alison came into the room. He looked up and saw her, and if he hadn't sat the cup down when he did, he knew he would have dropped it.

Seeing her walk in, in nothing but his T-shirt, her long, dark, disheveled hair hanging loosely over her shoulders, caused his body to react in a way he wasn't prepared for. He swallowed hard, the hot coffee burning his throat on the way down, and cleared his throat.

"Mornin'." He choked.

"Good morning." Alison said, suddenly feeling self conscious under his gaze. She wished right then she put her jeans back on.

"You hungry?" Mark asked.

"Yes." Alison said, and smiled.

"So are we." Kim said, bringing Madison into the kitchen.

Mark prepared plates of food for Madison, Kim, and Alison, and then sat back down at the table. "Now, if it sucks, just let me know." He said, and smiled.

Alison couldn't help but smile in return, as she cut up the pancakes for Madison. Glenn came into the kitchen then, scratching his head and not paying a whole lot of attention to where he was walking. He almost tripped over Oreo, and backed up quickly.

"Awwww, that damn cat! Back off, spawn of Satan!" He said, glaring at the animal. "Where's the food? I'm starving."

Kim stared at Glenn as he walked past here in nothing but a pair of blue boxer shorts. Her eyes traveled from the top of his head all the way down to his feet. Alison saw her staring, and she gently elbowed her in the ribs.

"You can put your eyes back in your head anytime now, sweetie." She whispered, loud enough that Mark could hear her, but soft enough that Glenn was oblivious to it all.

Kim cleared her throat and looked down at her food. "Right. Thanks." She said.

A couple hours later, after everyone had finished breakfast, Glenn was preparing to go back home.

"Glenn, I need you to do something for me." Mark said.

"Uh, the last time I did something for you, I almost got my eyes scratched out." Glenn said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, and I feel really bad about that, too. Listen, I need you to take Kim home with you." Mark said.

"Excuse me? No way! I don't think so. I am not having that woman and her demon beast living in my house." Glenn said, shaking his head.

"Glenn, please. She can't go home, and I don't want her to have to sleep on my couch. What is your problem with this?" Mark asked, as Kim walked into the room.

"My problem is that her cat nearly killed me last night. And, besides, Kim and I don't know each other. Why would I want to have a stranger move into my house? No offense, Kim. Really." Glenn said.

"None taken, cat hater." Kim said, smiling, and walked out to the back yard.

"Glenn, you and Kim can get to know each other while she's staying with you. It could be fun." Mark said.

"I'm not doing it, Mark. No." Glenn said, shaking his head.

"Look, all kidding aside. These women are in real danger. You didn't see Alison's husband last night. He's fucking insane." Mark said.

"So, call the cops, man." Glenn said.

"Can't do that, bro. Her husband is the town sheriff." Mark said.

"Jesus." Glenn said, and rubbed his forehead. "All right. I'll take her home with me, but I am ABSOLUTELY, under NO circumstances taking that hell cat with me."

"Okay, okay. The cat can stay here, as long as Kim doesn't mind. If she wants to take her cat with her, you'll just have to eat it, buddy." Mark said.

Mark walked outside to his back yard, where Kim and Alison we're playing with Madison. "Kim?" He asked.

Kim got up off the grass and walked over to him. "Yeah?" She asked.

"Well, I've got a place for you to stay until we figure out what to do about Alison's husband." Mark said.

"Okay." Kim said.

"You're gonna have to go and stay with Glenn." Mark said.

Kim smiled. "So, I guess that means he's not scared of me anymore?" She asked.

"Yeah, but there is one thing. He won't let the cat come with you." Mark said.

"I figured as much. Big baby. Well, do you mind if he stays here? He isn't the demon Glenn thinks he is." Kim said.

"No, the cat can stay here. I think it'll make Madison happy." Mark said.

"Oh, I guarantee you it will. So, when are we leaving?" Kim asked.

"Glenn is leaving for the airport in an hour." Mark said.

"Okay. I'll get my stuff ready." Kim said, and went into the house.

Mark walked across the lawn and knelt down next to Alison. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. I think so." Alison said.

"Kim is going to go stay with Glenn for a while." Mark said.

"God, I really hate putting her in this situation." Alison said, sadly.

"Hey, she's your friend. She cares about you and loves you. She just wants to make sure you're gonna be okay." Mark said.

"Yeah, I know. But, what about Oreo?" Alison asked.

"He's gonna stay here until Glenn gets over his fear. The weather is warm enough outside that Muffins can be chained up out here." Mark said, and smiled. "Well, whenever you're ready, we'll go downtown and get you whatever you need, all right?"

"Okay. I'm need to give Madison a bath first. She doesn't have any clean clothes to wear, but at least her body can be clean." Alison said.

Mark nodded and walked back in the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Madison had her bath, Alison and Kim said their goodbyes.

"You be safe, and don't do anything stupid." Kim said, holding Alison tightly.

"I will. You behave yourself and remember your advice to me." Alison said.

"I'll try." Kim said and laughed.

"Call me soon, okay? I'll make sure Madison takes good care of Oreo." Alison said.

Kim hugged her again and nodded. She kissed Madison's cheek and followed Glenn out to his car.

"Well, you ready to go?" Mark asked her after Kim and Glenn had left.

"Yeah. Let's go." Alison said, and took Madison's hand.

They situated Madison's car seat in the back of Mark's truck, put her into it, Alison climbed inside, and they left the house.

As they were nearing the part of town Kim lived in, Alison suddenly remembered that she had left the bag she took from her house when she left the day before in Kim's house.

"Hey, Mark? I just remembered I left some clothes in Kim's house. I've got her spare key, so if we could stop by there, I could pick them up, and we wont have to go shopping." She said.

"No. Your husband will be waiting for us to do something like that, and we can't take that chance. You have to keep away from any place you would have frequented before yesterday." Mark said.

"Yeah, I know, but it'll only take a moment." Alison said.

"Yeah, and it would only take a moment for your husband to be able to get a hold of you, and I don't want to see that happen." Mark said.

Alison decided to drop the subject then. She thought it better not to argue with him.

~CHAPTER EIGHT~

Mark, Alison, and Madison arrived at the mall downtown and went shopping. Alison was conservative with her purchases, because she felt horribly guilty about not having her own money, even though Mark constantly told her to not worry about it.

She picked out six outfits and three pairs of shoes for Madison, and picked out three causal outfits, and two business outfits for herself. Her only splurge was choosing a short, red dress with spaghetti straps, and a pair of black heels. She knew that in the upcoming month, she had a company dinner that she had to attend, and she wanted something special to wear.

When she took everything up to the counter, the total came to almost $400.00 dollars. Alison looked over at Mark, eyes wide, and started trying to put things back. Mark stopped her by taking her hand in his.

"Will you stop? It's all right." He said.

"No, it's not. I can't expect you to pay for all of this." Alison said.

"Be right back." Mark said to the sales person, and then pulled Alison aside. "Look. These are things that you need for yourself and your daughter. If you were expecting me to buy junk, that would be a different story. Just relax and let me do this for you, okay?"

Alison looked up at him frowning. "Fine. But, you listen to me. Eventually, although right now I can't say when, I WILL pay you back for all of this. And, I'm not taking no for an answer." She said.

Mark smiled at her. "All right." He said, and they walked back up to the counter.

After paying for the clothing, the three of them walked through the mall, window shopping. Madison was especially ecstatic. Michael had never allowed Alison to spend time with Madison like this. He didn't see any point to it. And, the one time Alison had tried, he had beaten her badly.

"Mommy, look! Look over there!" Madison said, pointing.

Alison looked over to where her daughter was pointing, and saw a miniature train running on a track that ran throughout the entire expanse of the mall.

"Can I ride it, mommy? Please?" Madison asked, jumping up and down.

"Well, I........."

"Sure you can. Come on, I'll take you over there." Mark said, interrupting Alison.

Mark walked Madison over to the train, and sat her down in one of the cars. "Have a nice ride." He said, as the train began moving.

"Madison! I...........make sure you stay in your seat, baby." Alison said, nervously.

"I will, mommy!" Madison yelled.

Alison inhaled nervously, and sat down on a nearby bench. Mark sat down next to her and smiled. "She looked pretty excited, huh?" He said.

Alison nodded as she chewed on her fingernail. "I suppose so. I'm just nervous, because.....well..........what if Michael is here?" She asked.

"She's going to be fine, Alison. There are security guards at every entrance, and no one is going to let some strange man walk away with a little girl that he didn't have before. Trying not to worry, okay? So, tell me. How long has your husband been beating you up?" Mark asked.

Alison took her eyes off her departing daughter for a moment, and looked at Mark. "We've been married for six years this July. He stated ordering me around about a month after our honeymoon, but he never hit me. Then, two months before I got pregnant with Madison, he started beating me. I'm very lucky that Madison is even here." She said, softly.

"He hit you while you were pregnant, too?" Mark asked.

"Yes. All the time. He never wanted me to have a child. He tried once, unsuccessfully thank God, to cause me to have a miscarriage. I spent the last four months of my pregnancy in the hospital because he had beaten me so badly one night that my water broke. I think that's why I cherish my daughter so very much. She's my miracle baby." Alison said, and smiled slightly.

"Why didn't you just walk away? Take your daughter and leave his ass?" Mark asked.

"It's not that simple. Everyone thinks it's so easy to just leave a relationship like that. It's not. He was all I had. And, he controlled everything." Alison said.

"But, you left him this time. What changed?" Mark asked.

"I don't know. Maybe because this time he............" Alison said, and trailed off.

"He, what?" Mark asked.

"He raped me. Viciously raped me." Alison whispered.

Mark looked at her for a long time before speaking. "I'm sorry, Alison. I know that doesn't make up for anything, but.......I am sorry." He said.

"Thank you. And, thank you for everything you've done for Madison and me. You kindness means so very much to me." Alison said.

Mark looked deeply into her eyes and spoke softly. "You're welcome." He said.

"Mommy, did you see me?! I got to ride the train!" Madison yelled running up to her mother.

"Yeah, I did! Did you have fun?" Alison asked.

"Yes! A lot of fun." Madison said.

"I'm so glad! Well, you ready to go now?" Alison asked.

"Yep. I think we all need a nap now." Alison said.

Mark smiled at her, picked her up, and placed her on the his shoulders. Madison squealed with delight as they walked threw the mall to the exit.

When the three of them got back to Mark's house, Alison took Madison upstairs to their room, and laid her down on the bed.

"Are you going to be okay up here by yourself?" She asked.

"Yes. Don't worry." Madison said.

Alison kissed her daughter's cheek softly. "Sweet dreams, humming bird." She whispered and left the bedroom.

When she got downstairs, she saw Mark outside with Muffins. She walked out onto the porch and cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Everything okay?" Mark asked.

"Yes. Um.......could I use your phone? I need to call my office." Alison said.

"Sure. And, by the way, you don't have to ask me to use anything while you're here. Just make yourself at home, all right?" Mark asked.

Alison shook her head. I can't do that." She said, and walked back into the house.

Mark stood up, tied Muffins back to his chain, and followed her into the house. When he found her, she was standing in the hallway, the phone held up to her ear. He smiled at her, went and sat in the living room, and listened to her conversation.

"Eric, you should know me better then this. I've been working for you for eight years. I would never do such a thing." Alison said. She was quiet as she listened to the person on the other end, and then she sighed. "All right. Fine. Yes, I understand."

Alison hung up the phone and ran her fingers through her hair. She walked into the living room, and sat down in the chair by the window. She stared outside, a blank expression on her face.

"Alison? What happened?" Mark asked.

"I've been fired." Alison said, softly.

"Why?" Mark asked.

"My boss said he found $5000 dollars in my desk drawer. $5000 dollars that he says was stolen out of the petty cash account. He said he also found a crack pipe in my desk." Alison said.

"Well, if you didn't steel that money, and you don't smoke crack, how did all that stuff get there?" Mark asked.

"Take a wild guess." Alison said, and turned back to the window.

"Your HUSBAND has the resources to do something like this?" Mark asked, amazed.

Alison laughed, sadly. "He's the town sheriff. He has the resources to do anything he wants." She said.

"All right then. Let's call your boss back and tell him all of this." Mark said.

"It won't do any good. My husband is a saint in this town. No one is going to believe me." Alison said.

"You have to do something, Alison. Otherwise, you're never going to get away from him." Mark said.

Alison stood up out of her chair and looked at Mark. "You don't understand. Michael never loses. I'll never get away from him." She said, and walked upstairs.

~CHAPTER NINE~

~ONE WEEK LATER~

Mark cooked dinner for the three of them that night, and then they went out and rented a couple movies for Madison to watch. Alison was surprised to find that she was actually enjoying herself, watching her daughter react to the cartoons.

When the movies were over, Alison took Madison upstairs to bed and read her a story. Whens he was finished, she brushed her hair, and tucked her into bed.

"Are you comfortable?" She asked.

"Yes. Um, mommy?" Madison asked.

"What is it, honey?" Alison asked.

"I really want my dolly. I've missed her so much." Madison said, sadly.

"Oh, I know, baby. But, we can't go and get her right now." Alison said.

"But, mommy, I miss her." Madison said, and started to cry.

Alison wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her tightly, not knowing how to comfort her. Eventually, Madison fell asleep, and Alison went back downstairs. She walked out onto the back porch, and put her face in her hands. She racked her brain, trying to think of what to do for Madison. Finally, she came to a decision. She looked up at the darkened skies, steeling herself for what she knew she had to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning at breakfast, Mark told Alison that he had to leave that day to run some errands, and he would be gone for a couple of hours.

"I'm hoping it won't take that long, but you can never tell. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?" He asked.

"Sure. We'll spend the day keeping Muffins company." Alison said.

"All right. Well, I'm gonna leave you the keys to my other car, just in case of an emergency." Mark said.

"Okay. I'm sure everything will be fine." Alison said, and smiled.

An hour later, Mark left the house. When Alison was sure he was gone, she ran upstairs to get Madison.

"Madison, come on. Come with mommy." She said.

"Where are we going, mommy?" Madison asked, climbing into her mother's arms.

"We're gonna go get your dolly." Alison said, and left Mark's house.

Alison drove over to her and Michael's home, and parked the car in the driveway. "Stay in the car, baby." She said.

"No! I want to go in and get my toys!" Madison said.

"No, Madison. I'll get your toys. You stay here. Roll up your window and lock your door." Alison said, and walked up to the front door.

Looking over her shoulder one more time, she slipped her key into the lock and walked inside. She walked through the living room into the kitchen, checking all the closets. Finding no sign of her husband downstairs, she slowly made her way up to the second level of the house. When she got to the landing, she stopped and listened. She held her breath, and stood as still as she could. She didn't hear anything, so she moved slowly down the hallway toward Madison's bedroom.

Once there, she rushed inside, and put as many toys as would fit inside of Madison's mesh toy bag. She looked around the room, trying to think of anything else she would need, and then grabbed her doll of her bed.

As she was making her way down the hall toward the stairs, she thought she heard a door open and close. Alison froze, and started to panic. She peeked over the railing and saw one of the shutters in the living room slowly moving back and forth with the breeze coming through the open window.

Alison closed her eyes, said a silent prayer, and sprinted down the stairs and out the front door. She ran over to the car and put Madison's toys in the back seat.

"My dolly!" Madison cried happily, reaching for it.

Alison handed her the doll, and got behind the wheel of Mark's car. Suddenly, she remembered she had forgotten to lock the door back up. She checked her watch, and saw that it was almost 8:55. She knew that Michael spent two hours at the gym in the morning before he went to work, and he always got home at 9:00. Her husband was very strict when it came to schedules.

She jumped out of the car, ran up to the front door, and took her keys out of her pocket. As she went to lock the door, she dropped the keys, and they fell off the porch, onto the lawn below. Gasping, she rushed off the steps, picked up the keys, and hurriedly locked the door. Shoving her keys back into her jeans, she ran off the porch and got back into Mark's car. She started the engine and skidded out of the driveway.

Just as she had passed the house that was next door from her and Michael's, she saw Michael's car turning the corner behind her. She took a deep breath and continued on to Mark's house, knowing she had just barely escaped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, Mark arrived back at his house, and saw Alison sleeping soundly on the couch, and Madison playing on the carpet.

"Hey, little one." He said, as he walked in.

"Hello." Madison said, and went back to playing.

Hearing Mark's voice, Alison awoke with a start. She sat up on the couch and looked at him.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." Mark said.

"It's all right. I shouldn't have fallen asleep anyway." Alison said, yawning.

"Mark, look. Mommy and me went over to our house today and we got my toys." Madison said, happily.

Mark looked at Alison. "You went back to your house?" He asked.

Alison looked back at him, defiantly. "Yes. Madison wanted her doll." She said.

"What in THE HELL did you do that for? Do you have ANY idea how much danger you were in?!" Mark asked, angrily.

"What was I supposed to do? I'm trying to keep my daughter happy." Alison yelled.

"Well, getting yourself killed isn't going to do that." Mark said.

"He didn't recognize your car. He didn't have any clue who we were." Alison said.

"He saw you?!?!?!" Mark asked.

"Yes. He was coming down the road as we were leaving." Alison said.

"Alison, I can't believe you would risk your life and your child's life for a doll! What if you were in the house when he came in? Did you even think about that?" Mark said, his voice raising with every word.

Madison looked between her mother and Mark. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get mommy in trouble." She said, sadly.

"No, humming bird. You didn't get mommy in trouble. Let's pick up your toys and take them upstairs now, okay?" Alison said, glaring at Mark, and kneeling down on the floor.

Mark was about to say something else when he heard his doorbell ring. "This isn't over, Alison." He said, and went to the door.

"Hey, baby!" Asia said, walking into the house.

"Asia, there better be a damn good reason why you're here." Mark said, aggravated.

"Well, of course there is. I have a reason for everything I do. I came to......." Asia stopped, mid- sentence, and looked at Alison. "Who are you?"

Alison started to answer her, but Mark raised his hand to stop her. "You don't need to worry about it." He said.

"I'm barely out of here a few days and you've moved someone else in? Oh, and I see she has a kid, too. Isn't that a little too much for you, babe? Or, is the brat yours?" Asia asked.

Mark glared at her. "Shut up, Asia. Just tell me what you want and leave." He said.

"I came to get the stereo." Asia said, starting to make her way towards it.

"Like hell you are! You took everything that was yours when you left. And, some of my things if I remember correctly." Mark said.

"You bought that stereo for me. Therefore, it's rightfully mine." Asia said.

"Tony didn't steel the bike. I gave it to him. Besides, he doesn't have it anymore. He sold it because he needed some money." Asia said, smirking. "Now, if you would be so kind as to give me my stereo."

Mark moved in front of it, and folded his arms across his chest. "Why don't you come over here and try to take it." He said.

Asia took off her shoes, and threw her purse down on the couch. As she started moving towards Mark, her fists clenched at her sides, Alison suddenly jumped to her feet.

"Don't you hit her! Do you hear me?!? If you hit her, I will kill you!" She yelled at Mark.

Madison started to cry as both Mark and Asia turned to look at Alison. "Get out of my house, Asia." Mark said, never taking his eyes of Alison's.

Asia gave Alison a wary glance as she picked up her belongings and ran out of the house. Alison glared at Mark, her eyes blazing.

"Alison, calm down. I wasn't going to hit her." Mark said, softly.

Alison was breathing so rapidly, she was almost panting. She backed away from him, picked Madison up in her arms, and ran up the stairs. Mark watched her go, and then sat down on the couch, confused as to what just happened.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alison didn't come downstairs that night for dinner. When Mark came to the door to let them know it was ready, she sent Madison out to eat, but told her that as soon as she was finished, she was too come straight back to the room.

Later on, after Madison was in bed, Alison finally ventured from her room. She walked downstairs, and saw Mark sitting in the living room, watching television. She walked into the kitchen, got her a can of Coke from the fridge, and then sat down on the couch next to him.

Mark was watching a tape that Glenn had sent him of a previous episode of Smack Down, and he could see Alison, out of the corner of his eye, occasionally shake her head.

"You don't like this, I take it?" He asked.

"It's just so violent. I don't know how anyone could enjoy it." Alison said. "Why do you like it?"

"Oh, I have a couple of reasons." Mark said, stood up, and took the tape out of the VCR. He replaced it with another one, and sat back down on the couch. He pushed the play button on the remote, and looked at Alison.

Alison looked at the TV screen, and she gasped. There, before her very eyes, was Mark. She stared at the TV for a few minutes, and then turned to him. "That's..........that's you." She said, a shocked _expression on her face.

Mark nodded. "Yep." He said.

Alison watched the images on the screen, not saying anything. After about ten minutes, she turned around on the couch to look at Mark.

"Well, I have to be honest. I'm really surprised." She said.

"Surprised about what?" Mark asked.

"That someone as kind and as seemingly gentle can do something like that for a living. You really hurt that man." Alison said.

Mark smiled at her. "Yeah, I know it looks bad, but for the most part, it's all scripted to happen that way." He said.

"So, how come you don't act like that all the time?" Alison asked.

"It's acting. Simple as that. It's like...........flipping on a light switch and flipping it off again, I guess." Mark said.

Alison smiled at him. "Mark, I have to apologize to you. I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier. I shouldn't have accused you of wanting to hit the woman. Unfortunately, it's a habit with me. I'm so used to the men around me being violent and abusive.........I guess I automatically assume that everyone one is that way." She said, feeling guilty. "I spent my childhood being beaten up and sexually abused by my father and two older brothers."

Mark studied her, feeling a sudden sense of empathy for the woman seated next to him. But, along with empathy, came a strong, undeniable urge to protect her and her daughter. Without really thinking about it, he reached for Alison's hand and took it into his own.

"Alison, everything that you've been through in your life up to this point, has made you stronger and will continue to do so. You've made is this far in one piece, and you've manages to keep Madison safe in the process. That's pretty impressive." He said.

Alison looked down at her hand as it rested in his, and then looked up and met his eyes. She smiled softly as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you so much."

Mark leaned into her and hugged her tightly. Alison closed her eyes as she laid her head on his shoulder, feeling a tenderness she wasn't used to. She inhaled his scent and held onto him tightly. After what seemed like hours, he let her go.

"You all right?" Mark asked.

"Yes. I think so." Alison said, and looked down at her lap. She raised her eyes slowly, and forced herself to say what was on her mind. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah. Go ahead." Mark said.

"What would you do if I kissed you?" Alison asked.

Mark looked into her eyes. "Well, why don't you give it a try and see for yourself." He said, softly.

Alison moved closer to him, and pressed her lips to his, feeling an immediate electric shock. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and deepened their kiss. Mark slowly slipped his arms around her waist, and pulled her against him.

Alison sighed softly, but thens he suddenly pulled away from him. "God! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I'm a married woman." She said.

"Don't be sorry. Please, Alison. It's okay for you to want this." Mark said.

Alison shook her head. "NO!" She said, and ran quickly up the stairs.

Mark watched her leave, and then flopped his head back on the couch.

Part 2

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