Anne

Xavier, Anne, and little baby Kate huddled under the microscopic kitchen table, waiting for the shouting to end. Anne had just gotten home after running away when she found out she was pregnant because she had been raped. When she walked in the front door her her mother and her step father were already fighting. Instinctively, she took Kate and crawled under the table.
She had always done this in the past when there was fighting, but this was different, she had never had to protect a younger child, that was what Xavier did, protect her. She was startled to see her sixteen year old brother already under there. Cradling Kate, she slid into Xavier's eager arms. Some how Kate had slept through the war, we crawled out as soon as we heard Mike (our step father) take his leave.
"Mom are you okay?" Xavier called, usually Mike left her bleeding on kitchen floor but she wasn't there. This time we found her at the bottom of the basement stairs. Xavier went down to carry her up and while Anne called the police and an ambulance. The police were used to coming to this address.
After the third time they started to ask her why she kept coming back. Truth be told, he supported her. Xavier and Anne had gotten a job and were saving up to get the three -now four- of them an apartment.
 
When Katey became conscious Xavier was to her left and Anne and the baby were to her right.
"Mommy? Mommy, this is Anne. Would you like to hold your Grandbaby? Her name is Katey- Lee, after you. Kate for short." I babbled on until she answered.
"Of course. Xavier, please help me sit up so I can hold my Grandbaby." After she was sitting up, Anne put Kate into her Granny's arms. "You're only nineteen; you're too young to be a Mommy." She said as she rocked Kate to sleep. 
"You were thirteen when Xavier was conceived." Anne reminded her, "and I didn't ask to be raped." I said.
"Sorry Baby-Doll," She had called Anne her Baby-Doll since she was a baby because she had always been so small. "I don't mean to be so harsh. I just thought I'd be at least thirty-five before I became a Grammy. Your four years early." She sighed.
Kate started to cry then. "I'm Sorry, Mommy, but it looks like I'd better get Kate home. We'll come back first thing in the morning.” I gently took Kate from her arms.
"Of course, Baby-Doll." She said.
"Can I stay at the apartment? I'm afraid to go back to that house alone." Xavier asked.
"Of course. Momma? Can we get your clothes and take them to the apartment? I don't want you at that house again." Anne asked.
"Of course." Then she slopped back into unconsciousness.
The house was empty when they got there; we they through the house getting clothes. Neither of them wanted to be there when Mike returned.
As soon as they got to the apartment, Anne fed and changed Kate, then put her to bed. Anne went to fix up her and Kate's bedroom, and when she finished she went to work on Katey's room.
The apartment was small but was a heck of a lot bigger than the house Katey had lived in for so long, her room was slightly larger than the living room. Katie would love working on the house when was recovered from the hell that she had managed to escape from. Anne sat in the corner with tears running down face. It was probably a good thing she had sat down because she felt oddly weak.
She was barely able to pull herself up to get Kate, who had started crying… In fact she had to use the bed that would soon belong to Katey to pull herself to her feet.
Kate was screaming when Anne had finally gotten to her, absent mindedly Kate lifted her out of the crib and started rubbing her back… Anne’s mind was in the past, six years in the past to be exact…

SIX YEARS EARLIER:
Okay… So standing in front of Mommy hadn’t been the smartest move…  Anne had thought to her self as she felt the sharp sting of a hand across her face. The hand that had delivered the slap had moved to the back of her head, gripping her long, beautiful, black curls. Mike had lifted her, using those curls, and thrown her across her the room calling her dirty names and saying she would grow to be just like her mother if she wouldn’t quit trying to be such a pain.
         Of course that only made her be even more pain, she didn’t want to end up being pushed around by any asshole who tried to pass him self off as a man. She couldn’t imagine living in a world where she was ever not afraid of a boy who wasn’t her brother…
Her fear for guys had only increased when she was alone at the house one night nine months ago. She was just about to hit the sack when Mike and his friends burst through the door, drunk of course. Mike hadn’t touched her but he didn’t do any thing to stop them as two of them held her down while the other ripped her clothes of and shoved himself inside of her… They took turns with her until Mike said that Katey would be home soon. Then they unwilling got themselves dressed while Mike dragged Anne by the hair to the bathroom and told her to take a shower so she could go clean up her mess… A week later she discovered that she was pregnant and she had no other choice but to run… Mike had made it clear that she was not to tell any one about the rape. Fear of her life kept her from saying anything until after she had given birth.

She shook her head mechanically, trying to shake the memory away. Kate had fallen back asleep. After placing Kate back into her crib, Anne made her way down to the kitchen. She was completely out of it while she made dinner, tonight Katey would be coming home. With any luck Anne would be able to take a second job if Katey would watch Kate.
A sharp pain stopped what ever train of thought she was on. She fell to my knees while the pain pulsed through my body like the throb of blood running through her veins. Something had gone wrong while she had been giving birth and now and then she had those wretched pains that stopped after a minute or so but this one seemed to drag on and on.
About an hour later Kate was crying again. Xavier walked into the kitchen, about to inform her on her daughters crying but paused when he seen her curled up into a tight ball. There was a pool of blood around her and tears were racing down her face. 
“R-r-r-run up s-s-s-st-st-stairs and g-grab K-k-k-ate! Then c-c-c-all 911.”  She stuttered in pain.
He nodded and did as she said, preparing Kate to leave then wrapping Anne in a few blankets. Then Anne blacked out

She woke up with a man right in her face, staring at her with striking blue eyes. She cringed; she didn’t like being so close to men. He took a step back. She could see that he was dressed much like Xavier usually dresses, and he didn’t look much older than her.
         “Where’s Xavier?” She asked quietly.
         “Right behind you.” Xavier’s voice said, quietly comforting. She turned onto my other side, Xavier was trying to feed Kate, but she wouldn’t eat.
         “Hand her to me… she doesn’t like to be fed like that.”  He handed her over to Anne, and right away Kate started eating.
“So, care to explain the stranger in my room?” Anne asked.
“He was at the house when you passed out and he was worried.” Xavier shrugged, “I’ve known him since kindergarten so I can trust him and I know that when I trust some one you do the same, he won’t hurt you or Kate or Mom or anyone.”
“As long as you say so… Hey Uncle Xavier! I really hope you brought her diaper bag, Kate made a stinky…” Anne laughed.
“Ugh! Kate I really hope you won’t be doing this for very long!” Xavier said as he lifted Kate out of Anne’s arms. He grabbed the diaper bag on the way to the bathroom.
“So, what’s your name?” Anne asked, feeling awkward she had been left in a room alone, with a guy she didn’t know.
“My name is Austin, and your name is Anne right?”
“Yes, it’s nice to meet you Austin.” Anne said politely.
“I’m sorry, I know this must feel very weird but Xavier asked me to come with, he didn’t want to sit in here alone while you slept, and Kate’s to young to talk to and actually get words back.” Austin apologized.
“Oh, well that’s fine, as Xavier said if he trusts you then I trust you.” She said, tired again.
Xavier came out of the bathroom carrying Kate. After he sat her in her car seat he turned to us with a disgusted look on his face. “Remind me never to have kids!” He told us.
Anne laughed, “Will do.”

         A week or so later Anne was released from the hospital, soon after Katey-Lee was shot and killed in a drive way, Mike was arrested and convicted of murder. Anne and Austin started dating and got married when Anne found out she was pregnant with her second child. He came out strong and healthy.