Touched by an Angel, Though I Fall Out of Grace

*November 5, 2011*

Brittany's POV

Six years. I've been in this hell hole for six fucking years. Since I've been here, I've become Lucas' personal sex doll and I hated it. At first, I tried to fight it and stop him from doing those awful things to me, but that resulted in him getting angry and bating me; eventually, I just went along with his every command. This, along with names that he calls me, led to depression and I dealt with it in the worst way; my forearms and thighs were covered in long scars. When Lucas found out, he took away my razor blades and insists on watching me when I shave. Under his supervision, I was now two months clean.

Right now, I'm locked away in the same room I was put in when I was brought here, sitting on the bed with my knees pulled up to my chest. I glanced out the window and noticed that the sky was dark, which meant that Lucas would be here soon. Just like he was every day, three times a day. But I was determined to make this time different. I was determined to get out of here tonight.

On cue, the door opened and in walked Lucas, smelling of alcohol. He always smelled like alcohol, so I was used to it by now. I couldn't hear any noise coming from anywhere in the house, so I asked, "Where are the guys?" In my six years of being here, I hadn't learned their names.

"It's the weekend, you know I let them go drinking on the weekend," Lucas answered as he took his shirt off. Of course I knew, but it never hurts to make sure.

I smiled at him and said, "Oh, yeah. I forgot."

"You're cute," he told me, leaning down to kiss me and I turned away. "What's the matter?" he wondered.

"Umm, your breath smells like alcohol," I told him truthfully.

Lucas flashed a lopsided smile. "I'll go brush my teeth."

"No!" I said, maybe a little too quickly. "I've got Tic Tacs."

"What? You don't want me to go?" he asked, smirking at me.

"Something like that," I mumbled as I walked over to the dresser on the other side of the room. I grabbed too Unisom pills that Lucas had bought me because my depression had made it hard for me to sleep. Pouring a couple of mints in my hand, I thanked my lucky stars that I had the blue Tic Tacs and not any other color. I gave Lucas his "mints" and he took them without question and I smiled to myself, satisfied.

"I want you so bad, darling," Lucas said as he placed his hands on my waist and it took all of my self-control to not cringe or back away. He pulled me close and leaned in to kiss my lips.

His hands traveled down to the hem of my shirt and he began to lift it up, tugging it over my head. I shuddered and he took it as a positive response because he moaned and grinded against me, pushing me onto the bed. Lucas undone the button on my jeans and pulled them down before removing his own pants and climbing on top of me. With the both of us only in our underwear, he began rocking against me and I could feel his hardened length poking my thigh.

"Finish undressing," he ordered as he kicked off his boxers. I pushed down my panties and unhooked my bra, unwillingly exposing myself to him. I heard him growl as his eyes scanned my body and I felt dirty.

"You're beautiful, darling," Lucas drawled, leaning in to place his lips on my neck and suck on it. While doing that, he took ahold of my breasts, cupping one in each hand and it hurt; he was pushing on them as if he was trying to juice an orange or something.

"Fuck," I hissed, but he only chuckled and squeezed harder, thinking that I was enjoying it. I was pushed back against the pillows and he entered me quickly, not bothering to wonder if I was ready or it was painful. Gerard had done everything to make sure that I felt good at all times. I smiled at the only memory I had of Gerard and I making love. God, I missed him along with my mom and Damon and Steven and the guys. I sometimes wondered if they still missed me and if they were still looking for me or had given up. Without warning, I felt tears come to my eyes that were oblivious to Lucas as he closed his eyes and thrusted into me at a quick pace.

"Oh, darling, you feel so amazing," he groaned and I rolled my eyes, keeping quiet as always. He never cared if I moaned his name or held him close, all he wanted was to get off. The feeling of disgust returned as he became more vocal and began twitching inside me. Once he had come, he collapsed next to me and wrapped his arms around me. Within minutes, I heard his breathing even out and thanks to the Unisom pills and the alcohol he had consumed earlier, he was out like a light.

I wriggled out his grasp and stood up to put my clothes back on. I slipped on the only shoes I had and then put on my old coat. I reached under the bed and retrieved my old messenger bag. I had been able to keep everything in it, including my sketchbook which I was grateful for. Quietly, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway for the first time ever without wearing a blindfold. I navigated my way through the one story house and reached the front door. Tentatively, I twisted the door knob and braced myself for an alarm to go off, but nothing happened and a squeal of happiness escaped my mouth. I crossed the threshold and stepped outside; before anything could go wrong, I silently shut the door behind me and took off running. I had no idea where I was going, but I could hear cars on the road nearby. As I ran, I kept getting hit by tree branches and the cold wind stung my cheeks, but the pain was better than the pain I had felt every day in the past six years.

When I reached the road, I was almost hit by a car but it came to a screeching halt. The driver's side door opened and out stepped a woman who kind of resembled Tyra Banks, but older.

"Why are you on the road, dear?" she wondered and I heard the motherly tone in her voice.

"Help me, please," I begged, not answering her question. "Where am I?"

"Newark," she replied. "Get in."

I went around to the passenger side and opened the door. "Thank you," I said as I got in.

"Now tell me, what on earth are you doing hitchhiking in New Jersey of all places?"

"I'm not hitchhiking, I'm escaping. I was kidnapped six years ago and tonight, I was finally able to get away."

Six years ago," she muttered as she turned on the lights in her car. She studied my face and then realization crossed her features. "You're the girl from Belleville," she told me and I nodded. "You were on the news for weeks."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes, they searched for you for a long time, but eventually the police shut the case and ruled it as unsolved. Some said you had simply runaway and others claimed that you were dead," she said and I felt a few teas roll down my cheeks. Everyone I loved thought I was dead... Gerard thought I was dead.

"Where do you want me to take you?" she asked after I was silent for a while.

"The police station," I whispered as I put on my seatbelt. "By the way, I'm Brittany Davis."

"Barbara McHenry," she said. "Your parents are going to be so glad to have you back, you know. As a mother, I don't what I'd do if one of my children went missing."

"It's just my mom. My father passed away when I was sixteen."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"How many children do you have?" I asked, trying to take the subject off of myself.

"Four. Two sets of twins; three boys and one girl."

"Oh, wow," I said, not even being able to imagine raising three boys.

"Yes," she said. "They can be a handful, but I wouldn't change it for anything."

I smiled at her answer as we rolled into town and soon, Barbara was parking outside the police station. "Will you come in with me?" I asked.

"Sure thing, hun," she said, killing her car's engine. The two of us got out and walked up the concrete steps to the main entrance. Together, we approached the desk and were greeted by a male police officer. His name tag identified him as Hale.

"How may I help you?" he asked.

"I'd like to file a police report for a kidnapping from six years ago. My name is Brittany Davis and I was kidnapped by three men at the orders of Lucas Richards. I'd also like to file a report for sexual assault."

"Brittany Davis? Are you the missing girl from Belleville?" he wondered.

"Yes sir. I was finally able to get away tonight and this kind woman, Mrs. McHenry, offered to bring me here."

"Call the news stations!" Hale screamed, then to me he added, "Do you think you can take us to where you've been held hostage?"

"I don't know my way around Newark," I said.

"I can show you where I found her," Barbara added.

"Alright, let's go," Hale agreed before yelling, "I'm gonna need backup!"

As we raced outside, Hale said, "Just get in your car and we'll follow!"

Barbara and I got into her car and she rushed out of the parking lot. The cars behind us had their sirens on as Barbara sped down the highway. When we reached the spot where Barbara had almost ran me over, she parked on the side of the road and I hopped out.

Officer Hale and three others came over to me holding flashlights with guns sitting in their holsters. "Lead the way," he said. I nodded and began making my way back through the dark forest. When we approached the house, Officer Hale instructed me to stay outside with Barbara and I obeyed. I glanced over and saw the same white van that I had been brought here in sitting in the driveway and I glared at it. I watched as the police knocked on the door and when they got no reply, they kicked it in and invaded the house. I heard indistinct yelling and a few crashes before the cops were dragging the four men out of the house.

Through his struggling, Lucas noticed me and called, "Brittany, darling, this is your fault? We're supposed to be together!"

I shrank away as he passed me and we all began trekking back through the woods. A few news vans had arrived and reporters were well, reporting. I watched as Lucas and the others were put into the back of the squad cars. Officer Hale came over to me and said, "I can take you home or Mrs. McHenry can take you home along with a police escort."

"I'd like to ride with Barbara," I said before looking at her and adding, "if that's okay with you."

"It's no problem, dear," she told me as we turned to get back into her car. When she pulled away from the shoulder of the road, Officer Hale's police car turned on the sirens as it began following us, as did a few of the news fans.

It didn't take long until I recognized the familiar streets of Belleville and I smiled as I started giving Barbara directions to my house. That's when the realization hit me: I was going home. I never thought this day would come; I was overjoyed.

We pulled up to my house and Barbara parked in the driveway and I was quick to unbuckle my seatbelt and jump out of the car. "Wait a second, Brittany," Officer Hale instructed as he went to knock on my front door. As I waited, I watched the news crews quickly position their cameras toward my house, capturing the moment. While Officer Hale explained what was going on to my mother, her eyes found mine and she ran past him, coming my way. I met her in the middle and wrapped my arms around her. We fell to the ground, both of our bodies shaking as we cried.

"Oh, my little girl, thank God," she wailed into my ear as she stroked my hair. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too, Mom," I whispered, thinking of how I never thought I'd be able to say that again.

After giving a few statements to the news reporters and police, then thanking Barbara tremendously, my mom and I went inside, making sure to lock the door behind us.

"You're so thin," my mom observed, which was true. I didn't eat much while I was locked in that room, only enough to keep me alive. "I just put dinner in the refrigerator; do you want me to warm something up?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind," I answered.

"Of course I don't mind," she said, disappearing into the kitchen. I heard her shuffle around, open the fridge and a few cabinets, and then the low hum of the microwave. When it beeped, my mother came back into the living room, holding a plate of chicken Alfredo topped with parmesan cheese.

"Thank you," I said looking around. "Where's Ares?"

A look of sadness crossed my mom's face. "Ares had to be put down; he suffered a fracture which got infected and he just wasn't healing properly. I did everything I could, but he was suffering and I couldn't let that continue."

"Oh," I said, my heart breaking. I had gotten Ares after my dad had died as a coping mechanism and now, he was gone.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," my mom said, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay, not your fault," I whispered and started eating my food. It was quiet as I ate and she watched me intently, as if she couldn't believe I was actually back. I don't blame her, I didn't either.

"The police officer informed me on what happened to you," my mom stated. "If you ever want to talk--"

"I don't want to talk about it," I said quickly, cutting her off. I looked up at her and she wore a concerned expression. "It's over, we don't need to talk about it.," I added.

"It's not good to hold something like that in, Brittany."

"Mom," I started, "I know you mean well, but I'm just not comfortable with talking about it. Not yet."

"Okay," she said, defeated.

I placed my plate on the coffee table with not even one-fourth of my food gone. "I'm gonna shower and head to bed," I informed her and then made my way to the stairs. I went into my bedroom and noticed that nothing had changed. I grabbed a pair of teal plaid pajama pants and a black, tight-fitting tank top and a pair of underwear before hitting the shower.

I scrubbed away all traces of tonight and stayed under the running water until it got cold. I stepped out and dried off before putting on my clean clothes. I brushed out my wet, tangled hair before towel-drying it and putting it into a ponytail. I made my way back to my room and threw back the covers on my bed and crawled in just as my mom opened the door. She came over and tucked me in, just like she used to when I was younger.

"Goodnight, Britt, I love you," she said, kissing my forehead.

"I love you, too, Mom," I said, stifling a yawn. "Goodnight," I added as she turned off the light and closed the door. I got comfortable under the covers and shut my eyes, falling asleep for the first time in years without having to swallow a pill.

Gerard's POV

I awoke with a start as my phone rang loudly. I glanced at the clock on the wall; it was only five minutes to ten o'clock. Bandit was curled up on the couch with her head in my lap, fast asleep. We had been watching Wall-E, but the TV now displayed the main menu. I searched for my phone before the noise woke up Bandit; I found it under the blankets we had thrown over us, but it stopped ringing as soon as I picked it up. I had one missed call from Mikey and two texts, one from Frank and one from Ray.

Frank's message read: 'Catch the news at 10, you'll wanna see this.'

Ray's message said about the same thing. 'Make sure to watch the 10:00 news. It'll be worth it.'

They sure were persistent on me catching the news, weren't they? I frowned in confusion as my phone started ringing again. It was Mikey.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey, turn to the news on channel six," instructed.

"Umm, okay." What was with everyone's obsession with the news tonight? I thought as I picked up the remote. I flipped through the channels, landing on channel six just as the news was coming on.

"Good evening," said the anchorwoman. "I'm Tracy Wilson."

"And I'm Jim Meyers," said the co-host. "Tonight's top story is the discovery of a missing teen. Marsha Tucker has the story. Marsha?"

The screen cut to a woman standing in front of a small house, surrounded by trees. "Yes, Jim, earlier this evening a young woman walked into the Newark police station and identified herself as Brittany Davis..."

"Oh my God," I whispered into the phone, becoming more alert.

"Davis, now twenty-three, was reported missing on the afternoon of January 3, 2005 at the age of seventeen when she didn't return home from school. She was abducted by Solomon Brewer, William Jensen and Lawrence Merritt at the orders of Lucas Richards and was kept locked away in this house. Davis also filed a sexual assault report on Richards, saying that he raped her multiple times every day in the six years that she was held captive..."

"Oh my God," I said again, feeling anger, sadness and relief all at once. I could feel tears falling from my eyes as I watched the TV closely.

"Davis told us that tonight she finally gathered up the courage to escape. She knew that the other three men weren't in the house when she came up with her plan. Before having forced intercourse with Richards, Brittany admits that she slipped him a few Unisom sleep aid tablets and was able to leave the house once Richards was asleep.

"Once having escape, Davis met a woman by the name of Barbara McHenry who gladly helped her by taking her to police station. After police made the arrests, Davis was driven home by police escort and reunited with her mother, Melissa Davis." The screen cut to a shot of Brittany's house and then the police speaking to her mom before showing Brittany and her mom hugging and crying.

I shut the television off once the story was over. "Wow," I breathed out.

"Crazy, right?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah, no kidding," I agreed. "The things, I would do if I could get my hands on Lucas Richards right now."

"Hey, Brittany's back now, you can't go to prison," Mikey warned.

"Right," I said, upset that I couldn't do physical harm to Lucas. "Anyway, it's late and I've got to get Bandit to bed. Thanks for informing me, I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, no problem; later," Mikey said.

"Bye," I replied as the call ended. Sighing, I picked up Bandit and carried her to her room. I endured the task of trying to change a sleeping two-year-old into pajamas and it was so fucking difficult. Once I had her safely tucked away in bed, I double checked to make sure the door was locked and everything was turned off before shuffling to my bedroom. I stripped down to my boxers and got into bed. Still feeling overwhelmed with all of the information I had just learned, I sighed and closed my eyes, falling asleep.