mommy's little monster.

Matt nodded his head. He stood up and followed her outside. He shut the door and sighed softly. "I was just trying to help," he said. "I have no idea what's wrong with her."

Athena looked over at her classroom door and slowly closed it before she spoke. "Prue's extremely delicate," she explained. "Her home life is horrible but she refuses any outside help." She ran her hands through her dark locks, moving her bangs out of her face. "At the point in her life all that girl wants is freedom on her own terms even if it means that bastard her mother is dating is involved in her life until then." She took a good look at her fellow teacher and frowned. "You have about the same build as the prick. I think that's why she's having an even harder time around you than she normally does around older men."

Prue peeked her head out of Ms.P's classroom, hesitating before she walked out and stood behind the other woman. "Please don't tell anyone I slapped you," she pleaded. "If my mom finds out she won't be happy." Athena frowned as she wiped away the tears that fell from the teenager's blue eyes. "It's gonna be okay Prue. Mr. Sanders isn't going to say anything." The blonde looked up at Matt, hoping he would confirm what her other teacher had said.

Matt shook his head. "No, of course not," he said. "If anything, you woke me up a bit more." He offered Prue a kind smile before looking back at Athena. "Prue, can I talk to Mrs. Portacollo alone?" he asked.

Prue looked over at Ms. P and waited for her approval before she walked back into the teacher's empty classroom. She sat down at the desk she would usually sit at and began reading the Tell Tale Heart from the text book she had. For some reason reading about violence never bothered her but seeing it always upset her.

Athena waited until she heard her classroom door close and looked at Matt. "I have free period this hour," she spoke. "I can just teach her whatever you're doing in class and have her just hand over the assignments to you. It would probably be better for you both in the long run anyways."

Mat nodded his head. "That's what I was going to ask," he said. "I can get you my weekly plans for September by Thursday and then we can see where it takes us."

Athena let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you for not fighting me on this Matt," she said. "I know you're a good teacher but with just how similar your body type is to Caine's I don't think she'd ever be productive in your class." She looked into her classroom, smiling slightly when she saw the blonde teenager reading from the school text book. Athena knew she was probably reading the Tell Tale Heart again. "I also need you to do one more thing for me," she mumbled. "Keep what I've told you to yourself. Caine and Prue's mom always get away with her hurting her and last time someone tried to help her she ended up with three cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder."

"Jesus Christ," Matt muttered. "Excuse my French." He shook his head and then his brows furrowed. "Wait. Caine? What's the last name?"

"I think his last name is Richards," Athena answered. "Why? Do you know him?" If the other teacher did, Athena would have to be careful depending on if Matt still knew Caine or not. Her top priority was keeping Prue safe since she thought of the blonde like a daughter.

"Yeah, we went to school together," Matt said. "At least, he was a senior when I went in as a freshman, but he was one of the biggest bullies. God, I'd thought he'd changed."

Athena frowned. "She said you live near her," she mumbled. "If I reassure her she'll be safe with you can you do me a favor and take her home with you until I can pick her up?" She adjusted her glasses onto her nose again and chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "With the way she's acting I need to get her out of there for a little while and if I usually toss some money that scumbag's way he doesn't care if Prue's gone."

"Uh, sure, I guess," Matt said. "Should I tell her that I know Caine or not?"

Athena shook her head. "If she ever found out you even went to school with him she'd jump to conclusions that would make everything a million times worse," she stated. The older woman walked back into her classroom, making sure Matt was following her before she stood in front of Prue. "Prue, Matt is worried about you so until I can get off work you'll stay with him. After I promise I'll pick you up and you can sleep over at my place." Prue looked at Matt and then Athena. "You promise he isn't like him," she mumbled. Athena nodded. "I swear sweetie. You'll be safe."

Matt looked at Prue, understanding now why she was so grouchy all the time. He turned to Athena. "I have to get back to my kids," he said. "But I'll talk to you at lunch."

Athena nodded, watching Matt leave before she turned to Prue and explained that she would be teaching the blonde during Mr. Sanders class. Prue was beyond relieved when she heard the news, glad to be away from the man as much as possible. She wouldn't admit it out loud but for some reason Matt scared her.

Matt didn't like the fact that a teenager was scared of him. He would assume that teenagers would be far from the age group that would be scared by him. He used to be a cool teenager too, and deep down, he still was. It was just different when you became a teacher.

When lunch came around Prue sat by herself and just read a book like she usually did. She didn't have lunch money and Caine wasn't letting her eat because of the whole trying to get a job issue. She leaned against the tree she was under sighing softly as she read of Count Dracula and his arrival to London that was filled with death.

Athena sat in the teacher's longue eating a Cobb salad as she waited for Matt to show up. She was curious what more he wanted to talk about. A part of assumed it would probably be a out how he was probably uncomfortable taking a female student in. It was only for a couple hours so Athena knew it wouldn't be a big deal.

Matt got to the teacher's lounge and sat across from Athena, sighing softly. "Don't you think we should talk to child services or something?" he asked.

"I've called them anonymously several times since Caine started beating her when she was eleven," Athena replied. "Each time they come up as fit parents and several weeks later Prue ends up in the hospital from sports related accidents that aren't really sports related." She wiped her mouth on her napkin and looked into Matt's eyes. "The worst hospital visit was last year actually. Those three fractured ribs and dislocated shoulder I told you about," she started. "Got written off as her playing rugby with her adult male cousins even though it was obvious to everyone but CPS Caine had done all the damage."

Matt shook his head. "There's no way nobody has noticed by now that it's her parents," he said. "What about her mom?"

"Her mom is so in love with Caine that she cares more about him than her own daughter," Athena stated. "It's really pathetic especially since Prue's real father was such an amazing man. Poor thing died over seas in Iraq." She took a sip of her bottled water and sighed softly. "You may not understand why I'm so protective of Prue and sometimes it baffles me too but that girl has a huge potential for greatness and I've had to work hard the past five years just to prove to her just how smart she is."