𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐀𝐦 ✶ 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐲'𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐲

𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS
OF RAPE

"I was only 15... I followed Meredith to some party. I thought it would be fun you know? But no, oh, no, no, no." Maddie laughed bitterly. "He was in Meredith's year at school so he was a few years older than me."

She swallowed hard and her eyes watered.

"They teach you in school that you need to give consent, that all you need to do is say no, I said no... but it wasn't enough.. I said no."

Her voice cracked.

"I said no, but it didn't matter." She whispered. Tears streamed down her face.

Derek pulled Maddie into his arms tightly, where he knew she was safe. "It's okay, you're okay Maddie, you're safe now." He whispered, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

Maddie stupidly went to a bar that wasn't Joe's, she wanted to be alone. But when a man wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, she called the man she looked at as an older brother.

Luckily Derek got there quickly, before any real harm had been done, but it did bring back a lot of painful memories for Maddie.

Currently the pair were sat on a bench in a park, the nights sky surrounding them. Maddie spilling her secrets, sober: she'd only had one drink.

"Is it my fault?" Derek's heart broke at the question, his friends tear stained face looking up at him. "Did I lead him on? Was it something I wore maybe?"

"No, Maddie... no." Derek said, his voice hard and firm. "This is not your fault, you hear me? Did you report it to the police?"

"My own Mother didn't believe me, why would the police." She sniffled.

Derek pulled Maddie towards him again and within a few minutes, exhaustion took over her and she fell asleep against his chest.

"Thank you, for bringing her home." Meredith said quietly to Derek who nodded, draping a blanket over Maddie who now lay asleep in her bed.

"Anytime."

"It's today." Meredith said looking at her watch and seeing it was after midnight. "The date that my Mom came home with pills she stole from the hospital. She forced Maddie to have them, she couldn't have a teenage daughter who was pregnant." Meredith glared at the floor in anger at what her sister went through.

"I held her hand for hours, I tried to help her, I gave her pain meds but she was in so much pain. And then nothing. She was empty. I need you to act normal with her after this Derek. Please."

Derek nodded in response again, not sure what to say. He sat next to Maddie on the bed and took her hand. He couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt her.

"You know it's kinda ironic. She's sunshine, she's happy. The happiest person everyone knows. But I know she's so broken at the same time."

"You paged." Maddie timidly said, the next morning, entering the on call room where Izzie was. She looked nervous.

"Maddie, I'm so sorry." Izzie said whispered. She caught sight of the fading bruise she put on her face. "I really don't know what came over me, I know you." She sighed.

"I know you'd never sleep with Alex behind my back, I know you're a good person, I was dealing with my own issues and took them out on you and I know that's no excuse but I'm so so sorry." Tears streamed down the blonde's face.

"Izzie, it's okay." Maddie said, giving her a small smile. "I've never had a real boyfriend." Izzie looked shocked. "So I can only try imagine why you were jealous but I do get it, really. Plus we live together and you can't keep sleeping here."