1. The Secret by LenniluvsBrian
They were at A.J.’s Beach House, as he’d wanted her to be somewhere fun while he was away. She had even gotten to go to Disneyland, though she had wished her brother had been there with her. But, oh, well, maybe next time. And Marcus had taken lots of video and pictures of her and her friends for him. Kara and Tonya were the daughters of Ashley Madison, A.J.’s house keeper. Kara was eight, and Tonya twelve – leaving Tesia smack dab in the middle, at ten.
She eyed her room warily, listening to Kara snore softly. She smiled a bit, upon spotting her dachshund puppy, Snoopy, lying on the pillow space between her and Kara. A.J. had gotten him for her as a surprise last week, and she loved him to death! Snoopy and her brother both.
She whimpered softly, upon hearing someone walking in the hallway. She felt scared, though she knew deep down she was safe from harm. But part of her didn’t know that, though it should have.
“J…” She whined pitifully, as she heard her door start to creak open, and her eyes filled with tears. She just about jumped out of her skin when the door opened all the way to reveal the security guard who’d come to check on them.
“Marcus!” She exclaimed breathlessly, never having felt so relieved in her whole life.
“Yes, it’s me,” Marcus replied. “Who’d you think it was?”
“Nobody,” Tesia whispered quietly.
“You alright?” Marcus asked. “It’s pretty late, and you should be asleep.”
Tesia swallowed nervously. “No,” she answered softly. “Had a nightmare…”
Marcus went over and sat on the edge of the bed, not saying a word as she immediately crawled into his lap. “What about, Hunny?”
Tesia looked down at their laps, as she sat straddling him, like she always did her brother. “I can’t tells you…”
“Why not?” Marcus wanted to know. “You know you can tell me anything.”
“I’ll gets in trouble…”
“Over a dream?”
Tesia nodded wordlessly.
“Tesia, nobody’s gonna be mad at your because of a dream, I promise.”
“You don’ts even know what the dream was,” Tesia argued. “An’ somebody will be really mad ifs I tells you.”
“I won’t let them be mad at you,” Marcus assured her.
“But they’ll hurt Teddy…” Tesia whines tearfully.
“Hunny, nobody is going to hurt your Teddy Bear. I’ll protect him myself if I have too.”
Tesia glances up at him, then looks back down again, after having had made sure that Kara was indeed still fast asleep. “I gots a secret…a big one…”
“Well, I’m listening,” Marcus said, watching her closely.
She takes a deep breath, then speaks again. “Yanno Nicky’s security guard?”
“Raul?”
Tesia shudders, but nods. “Uh-huh.”
“What about him?”
“He – He…” Tesia gulps, her eyes filling with tears. “He hurts me, Marcus…”
“Hurts you? How?” Marcus asks, needing to be sure.
“He – He…” Tesia’s lower lip began to quaver as lone tears started to fall. “He touches me…”
“Where’s he touch you, Hunny?” Marcus demands gently, trying not to upset her anymore than she already was.
Tesia points to show him. “There an’ there an’…an’ everywhere…” She pauses. “An’…An’ he makes…makes me…touches him…too…”
Marcus wrapped his arms around the little girl, as she broke down into fierce sobs, which he hoped wouldn’t wake Kara up. He stood, carrying her over to the rocking chair in the room, and sitting down with her in his lap once more. He rocked her, hugging her close and rubbing her back softly, in hopes of calming her down.
“Makes him stop! Pleeease!”
“Shh….” Marcus soothed, rocking her still. “I won’t let him hurt you. I promise.”
“J…J. dunno…” Tesia hiccups. “I-I gots to – to tells him…”
“You can tell him when you’re ready, okay? And I’ll keep you safe until then.”
Tesia nodded, snuggling into him as best and as much as she possibly could. She needed to feel safe and loved, and Marcus was giving her that just by holding her and rocking her. “Loves you…”
“I love you too, Hunny,” Marcus whispered back. “Shh…”
They sat there rocking, until Tesia had fallen asleep once more and Marcus was able to pry her from him and put her back into bed.
Tesia was swimming about with her friends in the pool, giggling and laughing away. She was trying to forget about how she had spilled her secret to Marcus, and that her Teddy was now in grave danger.
“This is fun!” Kara giggled, as she floated by on an air mattress.
Tonya laughed at her sister. “Of course it is! You’re just floatin’ away, Silly!”
Tesia smiled, glad her and Tonya were getting along again. Last night had been crazy, and words had been exchanged between them, that had gotten them both in a great deal of trouble.
Tonya saw Tesia staring at them, and splashed her. “You’re it!”
Tesia giggled. “No, I’m nots. Kara’s it, ‘cause she’s on the floatie!”
“Heeey…” Kara whines. “No fair!”
“Shark!” Tonya yelled playfully, quickly swimming away from her sister.
Tesia shrieked and dove under, quickly swimming away as well.
“Meanies!” Kara called after them. “Sharks are s’pose to be in water! Not on floaties!”
Marcus shook his head, as he sat listening to them, while Ashley and her boyfriend, Derrick, got the barbecue going. He knew A.J. was due home soon, and hoped Tesia was ready to talk to her brother – because even if she didn’t, he’d still have to tell him. He’d be in a great deal of trouble if he did otherwise, and A.J. had a right to know.
“I hear a car!” Kara suddenly screamed, as a car door slammed.
Tesia and Tonya both froze, then glanced at one another, as if challenging the other to a race of some sort. Once their gazes had been broken, they both quickly jumped out of the pool and took off running for the house.
“You’re wet!” Marcus called after them, knowing they were still going to run through the house anyway – it was the quickest way to the driveway after all.
“Wait for me!” Kara yelled, quickly scrambling to catch up to the older two.
Tesia and Tonya both ran through the house, trying to beat the other to A.J.
A.J. and Erin had just gotten out of the car and were getting their bags out of the trunk, when the girls came flying out the front door.
“J.!...Alex!” They shrieked, all running for him, dripping wet form head-to-toe.
A.J. laughed and scooped Tesia and Tonya up, as they reached him first. He spun them about, then set the giggling girls back down again, to scoop Kara up.
Kara giggled as A.J. spun her about, then set her back down.
“We missed yah J.!” Tesia informed him, as though he hadn’t noticed with the way they’d all come charging for him.
“I missed you ladies too,” A.J. smiled. “But, don’t you think it’d be polite to say hello to Erin too.”
“Hi, Erin!” They chorused, before going back to bugging A.J.
Erin gave a soft laugh, grabbing her bag and following A.J. and the excited girls back into the house. She hadn’t expected a hello of any sort, so to have even gotten one as quick as the one they’d given, it was a bit of a surprise to her. She had known they would all be anxious to see A.J., and she couldn’t blame them – he was a sweetheart.
A.J. ushered the three soaking wet girls inside, as he listened to them all chatter at once. “Ladies, ladies. One at a time, please.”
“We’re playin’ in the pool!” Kara told him. “Come play with us!”
“I hafta change first, Silly,” A.J. chuckled.
“J.! I painted my wall! You hafta comes see!” Tesia insisted.
Tonya just blushed when he looked at her, suddenly remembering her crush on him. “I’ma go see if Derrick’s got the burgers done.”
A.J. smiled and nodded. “Alright. Kara, why don’t you run on out too? Tesia can show me her wall, then we’ll be out there, alright?”
Kara nodded and quickly hurried off after her sister. “Tonya! Wait up!”
Tesia grinned widely. “C’mon J.!”
A.J. smiled and followed her up, also figuring this might be a good time to discuss her behaviour, as Marcus had told him all about it – as had Tesia herself earlier that morning over the phone.
Tesia excitedly dragged her brother on upstairs, to show him the wall she had painted. The girls shared a room, and had all gotten to paint a wall and call it their own. Tesia had painted Super Heroes on hers, while Kara’s had kittens and puppies, and Tonya’s had a horse ranch and a bunch of horses.
A.J. nodded his approval. “It’s very nice, Baby. Did Marcus help you?”
Tesia beamed proudly, noticing her brother’s smirk. “Uh-huh! He helped lots!”
A.J. nodded again, and decided he’d best get it over with. “Tesia…”
Tesia cocked her head to the side, noticing he was now serious. “We gots to talk, J.”
“Yes, that we do,” A.J. agreed, though he assumed she was referring to what he had to talk to her about. “It seems you were quite naughty while I was away.”
“Nots that naughty,” Tesia said softly, looking down at the floor. “I was goods at Disneyland.”
“Yes, I know that you were,” A.J. agreed. “But you were extra naughty yesterday. Lying, screaming, cussing, shoving, stealing the studio key and going into the studio alone.”
“I’m sorry, J…” Tesia whispered quietly. “I ain’t been too bad today…”
“If you don’t behave Tesia, you’ll be grounded when we go to New York,” A.J. told her firmly. “In fact, you’re supposed to be grounded right now, aren’t you?”
Tesia nodded her head silently.
“But I’ve been nice and let you do things with the girls anyway. Don’t make me have to be mean, Tesia. I won’t be very happy with you, if you make me have to be mean.”
“I’ll be goods, J. Promise.”
“You’ve promised me that plenty,” A.J. reminded her, “Don’t make me regret it, alright?”
“Kay,” Tesia answered.
A.J. smiled at her then. “Now, how about we head on out back and jump in the pool.”
Tesia looked up at him and spoke seriously. “We gots more to talks ‘bout J.”
“We do?” A.J. said, looking and sounding confused. “What else do we have to talk about? What don’t I already know, Tesia?”
Tesia bit her lip nervously as she stared down at her bare toes.
A.J. sat on the edge of her bed, watching her. “What’s wrong, Hunny?”
Tesia went over to him, and crawled into his lap, so that she was straddling him like always. “I-I gots a secret…Nots s’pose to tells. Buts I told Marcus, an’ I know I gots to tell you.”
“Tell me what, Baby?” A.J. asked, gently moving a few strands of wet hair from her face. “You know you can tell me anything.”
“Don’ts wanna be in trouble.”
“Trouble for what, T.? You know I can’t stay mad at you very long. Nobody can.”
“Tonya can.”
“Yes, well, Tonya’s twelve, Baby. She’s allowed to stay mad as long as she likes.”
Tesia sighed heavily, as she sat staring down at their laps, midst fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “J…’member when I said I don’ts like Raul?”
“Nobody likes him, Hunny. Nick don’t even like him all that much, but management won’t let him get a new guard,” A.J. says, looking at her. “But go on.”
Tesia pauses, trying her hardest not to cry. “An’ ‘member when I asked, you said nobody should touch me where my bathing suit goes?” She still keeps her head down, as she fiddles with his shirt hem still.
“Yeah…and…?”
Tesia looks up at him, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “Makes him stop,” she whimpers. “Please??? I’ll be good forever an’ ever an’ ever! I promise! Just – makes him stop! Pleeease!” She looks back down again, as her tears start to fall against her will. “It hurts J….It hurts!”
“I always figured Raul for that kind of man…” A.J. muttered, hugging her close to him. “He’ll stop. He may not touch anything else once I get through with him.”
“Wasn’t s’pose to tells,” Tesia sniffles, whimpering some more. “He gonna be really mad J.! He gonna hurts Teddy!”
“He’s gonna be a dead man, so it don’t matter how mad he gets.”
“Buts Teddy!”
“He won’t hurt your Teddy,” A.J. assured her, kissing her head softly. “Because I’m going to hurt him first.”
Tesia snuggled into her brother as much as she possibly could. “He won’t hurt you, will he?” She asks in a whisper, as her tears still stream down her face. “Keeps dreamin’ her hurts you an’ then he comes for me…again.”
“No. He won’t hurt me. He’s scared of people his own age.”
Tesia sniffles. “Even Nicky?” She asks, a tad cheekily, sniffling. “‘Cause nobody’s afraid of Nicky…Or Howie.”
Howie…People don’t think he’d be mean, but he can be if you make him angry enough. And Nick…Raul should be scared of.”
Tesia pulls back a bit and looks up at him. “I’m only ‘fraid of Raul an’ Daddy an’ Mommy. An’ everybody else backs home.” She pauses, then speaks again. “J…if you tells somebody what I told you, are they s’pose to helps you even ifs they don’t believe you?”
“Why wouldn’t they believe you, Hunny?”
“‘Cause they say I lie lots an’ dunno how to tells the truth,” Tesia answers softly, looking down once more and fiddling with his shirt yet again. “I told somebody an’ they didn’t believe me. Gots mad ‘stead of sad. An’ I gots spanked an’ stuff. Gots in lots of trouble for tellin’ lies…Buts I’m nots lyin’ J.!”
“Well, I think I know who that was. No one around here is gonna call you a liar, Tesia. So don’t worry, okay?” A.J. told her.
Tesia hugged her brother tightly then. “Thanks J.,” She says softly. “Glad I gots you an’ Marcus.” She snuggles into him, not wanting to ever have to let go again.
A.J. rubbed her back as they sat there quietly. He knew he’d be discussing this with Marcus later on, so they could figure out a way to protect his baby sister. He was not going to let her get hurt again. Not if he could help it!
“Loves you J.,” Tesia whispered.
“I love you too, T.,” A.J. whispered back, kissing her head and hugging her even closer to him – if that was even possible. “Nobody’s going to hurt you again. I promise.”
“Or Teddy?”
“Or Teddy,” A.J. replied. “Baby, why would he even threaten Teddy?”
Tesia buries her face into him in response. “You’re gonna be mad ifs I tells you.”
“Baby, do I look mad?”
Tesia shook her head against his chest. “No. Buts you will be.”
“Why? How long has he been hurting you, Tesia?”
Tesia whimpers, biting her lip as she tries to keep from crying again. “Long…”
“Hunny, please?”
“’Member when I kept askin’ ‘bout monsters?”
A.J. thought a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. But you were little and didn’t like Gremlins or anything.”
“Monster came after you lefts me, J. You called an’ I wasn’t sleepin’. I was stuck with an icky hand over my mouth. An’ monsters don’t gots popsicles J. He said it was a popsicle, but it didn’t looks like one…or tastes like one.”
A.J. closed his eyes, feeling like a fool. He still remembered that night. He’d had a bad feeling something was wrong, and couldn’t shake it. And when they’d come back to find her running down the hall in tears, he’d assumed the worst of it had been the spanking she’d gotten. Though, later on, he’d suspected something else had got her quite scared. But he had stupidly never followed his gut – maybe if he had, she wouldn’t have suffered all these years.
Tesia looked up at him then, cupping his face with her small hands. “Nots your fault J. I didn’t tells you likes I wanted. Had to protects Teddy. An’ you protects me best you can. I’ma always loves you J.” She kissed his nose, giving him a small smile.
A.J. couldn’t help but return the smile as he kissed her nose. “I’ll always love you too, T. No matter how mad you make me sometimes.”
Tesia giggled. “Or often.”
A.J. laughed. “Or often.”
“Wanna goes play in the pool now, J.? Kara’s waitin’ for me. An’ I bet Tonya’s waitin’ on you. She likes yah, yanno.”
“Does she?” A.J. asked, blushing a bit. “I didn’t know that.”
“Uh-huh. She loves you like I loves Kevy,” Tesia told him. “Buts shh….I never told you that.”
A.J. chuckles. “Alright. I haven’t a clue. Though, I’ve a plan – if you can get Tonya out and away from the pool.”
Tesia nodded. “Uh-huh. I c’n do that!”
“Go on then, Kid. I’ll catch up.”
Tesia gave him a lopsided grin and a kiss, giggling more when she got the same in return. “Don’ts be long!”
“I won’t,” A.J. nodded. “Go on.”
“Going!” Tesia laughed, running out and back downstairs, quickly heading outside once more.
A.J. sat there for a few moments, letting all that she had told him sink in, before getting up and heading on out. He smiled when he saw that Tesia had Tonya looking at something – a snail so it seemed.
Tesia tried not to giggle as she saw her brother sneak up behind Tonya as they looked at the snail.
A.J. quietly snuck up and grabbed Tonya from behind, kissing her neck before picking her up. “What’re you doin’ hunny?”
Tonya’s eyes went wide, as a mortified expression came across her face. He knew! She just knew it! Somebody had told her secret!
A.J. set her back down, chuckling.
Tonya turned and ran for the picnic table, sitting down and burying her face into her arms as she tried not to cry.
A.J. frowned some as Tesia jumped onto his back. “You think she’s mad?” He asks his little sister.
“I dunno,” Tesia shrugged, hanging off him. “She gets mad if you cuss at her, but I dunno ‘bout this.”
“Why don’t you go ask her, Baby?” A.J. suggested. “I’m going to talk to Erin for a little bit.”
“Kay,” Tesia sighed, sliding down off his back. She runs over to her friends, to see if Tonya’s okay.
A.J. went over to where Erin sat in her bikini, smiling. “Tanning now are we?”
Erin nodded, returning his smile. “Having fun?”
“Well, doing that to Tonya was fun, though I think she’s mad at me now,” A.J. replied. “But Tesia told me something upstairs, and that wasn’t so fun.”
“Everything okay?” Erin asked.
“It will be, now that I know,” A.J. nodded. “Think they’ll cheer up if I jump in the pool?”
“Long as you take ‘em with you,” Erin laughed.
“Love you,” A.J. grinned.
“Love you too,” Erin smiled.
A.J. turn and ran for the pool, jumping in.
Kara sees him do so, and quickly runs and jumps in herself, laughing when she resurfaces.
Tesia turned to see what was so funny, and grinned upon seeing her brother in the pool. “C’mon Tonya!”
Tonya sighed, and though still extremely embarrassed, went and jumped into the pool with them anyway.
Tesia called for Marcus and soon everybody was in the pool. Well, almost everybody. Erin and Ashley sat in lounge chairs talking, while A.J., Marcus, and Derrick helped the girls play a game of Chicken. None of them were worried about anything right then, and little did they know it would be one of the last times where they didn’t have to worry.