Mon Amour

Ellie sighed, tightening her scarf around her neck as she hit the IGNORE button her phone. She winced seeing the little VOICEMAIL icon pop up shortly after.
Brady was going to be furious she was ignoring him. She could only imagine how much trouble she would be in when she ran out of places to go, and had to go home.
It hadn't always been this way. He used to be sweet, the perfect boyfriend, attentive and someone she fell totally head over heels for. But over the past year or so something had changed. Brady had developed one hell of a drinking problem, and one hell of an anger problem. Ellie bit her lip as her phone began to ring again. She already had, what she was sure was 7 very angry voicemails waiting for her and frowned as number 8 appeared on the screen.
No one was quite sure why Ellie stayed. She was too smart for that. Ellie had worked far too hard to get where she was in life to be putting up with what she was putting up with. Ellie had gone to school for physical therapy after her mother had been paralyzed in a car accident that claimed the life of her father, aunt and older sister. Baby Ellie herself had lived to tell the tale, after her mother had thrown herself over her. She had graduated top of her class, and a year early.
She sighed sipping her coffee as her phone rang once more. This time however it wasn't Brady.
"Roo! Hello darling."
"Hello love." His soft voice put her at ease instantly.
She and Claude Giroux had been bestfriends and neighbors since they were babies. Her father and mother had met in school, fell in love and moved into the home next to claudes parents. Ellie and Claude became fast friends and spent every moment attached at the hip. Their bond had not been broken even when Ellie moved to Philly for school. She had been ecstatic when Claude was drafted by the Flyers and moved his redisence to Philadelphia with her. She didn't get to see him much, as he and Brady didn't exactly see eye to eye. But Ellie refused to give up either one of them, insisting that they could both be a part of her life.
"Where are you?" He asked.
"A coffee shop."
Claude was silent.
"What was it this time?" She sighed, biting her lip. Claude would have loved to kill Brady 900 different painful ways, and Ellie knew if Claude knew the half of it he would have done it and there would be no stopping him.
"You know what nevermind, I'm coming to get you. See you in ten." Claude hung up the phone. Ellie leaned back in her chair, the weight of her current situation with Brady coming back to her. If he found out she was with Claude she would be in even more trouble. But before she could think about it any further she saw Claude's shiny black SUV pull into the parking lot of the coffee shop. She stood, and hurried out the door as he exited his vehicle. He smiled, that crooked smile she loved so much as he swept her into his arms. He was so warm as he held her tightly, his chin resting on the top of her head. Ellie squeezed him tightly never wanting to let him go.
"Mon amour." He spoke softly in her ear, fingers stroking her long caramel colored hair softly "you okay?"
Ellie couldn't help the hot tears that sprang to her eyes and spilled over her lids. He held her face in his hands, frowning at the tears that rolled down her cheeks. His eyes clouded with anger as he took in the bruise under her eye,that had bloomed under her skin.
"El. Did he hit you?" She choked out an unintelligible word and nodded, tears spilling out as she covered her mouth and closed her eyes. Claude stiffened and grabbed her hands forcing her to look at him.
"Is this the first time?" When she didn't answer he gripped her wrists gently "Ellie! Is. This. The. First. Time.?!"
She shook her head "no." He turned, releasing her and punched the side of the car, growling.
"Why didn't you tell me? Ellie. Love. Come here. I could have helped you." He held her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. She couldn't look at Claude. He was so angry, so hurt that she hadn't told him what was happening to her. He kissed her forehead and led her to the passenger seat of his car.
" where are we going?"
"Home." She brightened, knowing exactly what that meant. He held her hand the entire drive to the house, and opened her door for her when they arrived. The front door burst open and a flurry of people hurried towards her. She grinned opening her arms wide as Caelan, Carson and Cameron Briere flew towards her, knocking her backwards into Claude. She laughed, large green eyes dancing as she squeezed the boys tightly. Sometimes Danny thought his sons liked Ellie more than him. They each grabbed a hand and pulled her inside where there father was waiting, Claude following suit. Danny smiled as he embraced her, and then frowned when he noticed the bruise. Ellie shook her head once and gave him a pleading look that plainly said "well talk later" and was pulled into the living room by the boys. Danny turned on Claude.
"What the hell?" Claude shook his head, running his hands frustratedly through his rusty colored curls.
"This isn't the first time this has happened Danny. I had no idea." Danny ran a hand tiredly over his face. Ellie had become like a daughter to him, as she was only some 7 or so years older than Caelan.
"We've got to get her out of there Danny. I would never be able to live with myself if he...if something-if she-"
Danny held his hands up "okay. This is what were going to do."
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Ellie was curled on the couch, Caelan's head on her lap, Cameron's head on her shoulder, and Carson's curled on the other side of her as the opening credits of the movie played. She loved the warmth of Danny's home, especially now that Sylvie was long gone. After the divorce the Briere boys had clung to her like glue, and she had become somewhat of an older sister/mother figure to them. She ran her fingers through Caelan's dark hair, and before the movie even started all four of them were asleep
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Ellie woke, and blinked several times eyes adjusting to the dark. She looked blearily around, and realized she was still at Danny's. It was very dark, and a pair of very warm arms were carrying her down a dimly lit set of stairs.
"Claude?" She yawned, eyes closing again.
"Shhh. Tired?" His voice was soft in her ear, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Mmmhmmmm." Claude toed his bedroom door open and set her gently on the bed, helping her remove her shoes, jacket, sweater and scarf. She was down to a tank top and leggings, as she laid down, eyes closing again. Claude sat next to her stroking her hair. She looked so small, curled next to him arms wrapped around her knees. He sighed, and stood moving towards the door.
"Claude?" He half turned, and saw her propped on an elbow.
"Where are you going?" He leaned against the door frame, hands in his pockets.
"The couch." He said, raising one eyebrow.
She but her lip and fiddled with the hem of her tank top.
"Will you stay? Please?"
He nodded, shut the door and stepped out of his jeans and shirt. He crawled in next to her and they reached for each other in the dark. She was asleep almost instantly. Her deep even breathing lulling him to sleep soon after.