A Saviour

Chapter Forty Five

*TRIGGER WARNING*

"Mable, this is.." Kate swallowed nervously. This was the first time she would ever introduce Johnny as her husband. "This is Johnny, Johnny Depp. My husband." She said nervously smiling at the woman perched in the arm chair opposite. Kate and Johnny were perched on the couch, whilst Lily had Belle in her lap on an old arm chair and Jack sat on a nearby foot stall. "Your husband?" Mable asked surprised. "And these are his children. Lily-Rose. Jack..." and Kate began to introduce Belle before the toddler jumped up and squealed "Me BBelle." She had begun to say her name but struggled, it made the Depp family smile at how proud she was to try though. "Goodness. What a beautiful family you have Mr Depp." Mable said smiling as she stood and hugged each of the people she had been introduced to before stopping in front of Kate. The latter looked up at the woman as she cupped her face. "Your parents would be so proud to know that they are grandparents Kate. Especially to three wonderful children like this." Kate blushed. "Oh umm.. well yes, I'm a very proud mother and step mother now, I guess" she looked at the older two children fondly who smiled back. Mable seemed to have missed the last part of her sentence as she returned to her chair. Belle had got comfortable on the floor and was now chatting animatedly to her rag doll. "I remember when you were that age, you would play for hours with your dolls. You were destined to be a mother." Mable said making Kate smile. "You remember me at that age?" The woman questioned, "Goodness of course. You were a little Ray of sunshine to this dull street. I have to say she's all you Kathrine. I don't see any of Mr Depp in her..... let me get that tea I promised you all." Mable left the room and Kate closed her eyes taking a deep breath. Of course nobody could see Johnny's physical resemblance to Belle. He didn't have any. Would she have to hear that over and over in years to come? Johnny squeezed his wife's hand before the elderly woman returned with a large tray of tea, cake and biscuits, which the children all eyed excitedly. "I baked this especially. It used to be Katie's favourite." She said with a smile cutting generously large portions for everyone. "You remembered?" Kate said emotionally. "Lemon Drizzle. Always, every Sunday remember." Kate giggled "Apart from the weeks I hadn't done my homework yes."

"So tell me, have you two been married long?" Mable asked sitting back in her arm chair after handing everyone some tea. Johnny looked a picture in his usual attire but holding a dainty teacup and saucer. "About twenty four hours Mam." He replied before sipping his tea. "Oh?" Mable asked. "We eloped." Kate added. "Oh goodness, I always thought you would go and marry on your grandparents ranch, like they did, like your parents did." "Maybe one day I thought I wanted that but not anymore." Kate smiled. "We had the perfect day." "We've got photos!" Jack said excitedly holding his phone up and showing Mable who gushed. "Goodness. You look radiant my love. So beautiful." "So why the elopement? Are you with child?" She asked before continuing "Not that there is anything wrong with that these days. I mean look you've got perfectly happy and healthy children already and clearly Johnny has been down that road before." She said nudging her head towards the elder children. Kate's eyes widened. "Ummm Aunt Mable, is it ok if Lily and Jack take Belle into the garden. I promised them they could see your roses." "Oh gosh of course. Just through there, please treat it as if it's your own home." Lily hesitated before Johnny nodded and encouraged her and then Jack and Lottie followed hand in hand.

Soon the three adults were left in the sitting room alone. "Mable, Belle technically isn't Johnny's. Well I mean she is in every way I believe, but biologically she isn't." "She's not?" Mable asked shocked. "But she calls him Dada, and I saw how close they are." "And if I could change it I would Mam, I would give anything to be her rightful father. Hence the elopement." "When I left San Diego. I went to New York..." "Yes I remember, a New chapter." "Well I met somebody. I thought I had fallen in love. Now I know I was so desperate to not be alone after Mum and Dad had gone that I settled for the worst thing a person can settle for. To be somebody's plaything, their property. I met a man called Ryan Freeman. He abused me, he controlled me and repeatedly assaulted me." She said with a nervous swallow. By the tone of her voice, both Mable and Johnny knew exactly the way the man assaulted Katie. "After 5 years it got so bad I thought I would die if I stayed in his company. As I planned to leave, he came home from work, he was high and drunk. He wanted to remind me that I would always be his.... He raped me. That was the night Belle was conceived." Mable closed her eyes bringing her hand to her mouth in shock. Kate composed herself before continuing. "After that I planned to escape once more. I tricked him and used friends before fleeing to Los Angeles. That's where I met Johnny, and that's where we've lived ever since." "And the man?" "He found us. Once my relationship with Johnny went public, he soon found me. He tried to sue for custody. He attempted to kidnap Belle after drugging me, and now he's disappeared. Johnny, is the best man I have ever known, and he not only asked me to marry him, but also if he could adopt Belle. In order to push through with that we had to marry as soon as possible." Mable sat in shock for a few moments. "Oh my darling." She got up and rushed across the room wrapping Kate into a large hug. The latter broke down crying at the reassuring figure as Johnny slowly got up and left the room to check on the children and give the two women privacy.

A while later Katie had composed herself and was sharing photographs from her phone of her last few years and of Belle growing up with Mable. The elderly woman was touched at how open Kate was being. "I really am sorry for losing touch. It was just too painful, and I was too scared and ashamed to ever come home." "Darling, you will always have a home here. I just wish I could have done more for you." "You've always been there, you've done so much, thank you." "What say we go get that husband and children of yours and show them your home. Fill it with more happy memories and laughter?" Kate nodded smiling.