Princess & the Player

twenty eight: taking the hit

a/n: this chapter ends in violence.

Maggie's POV:

We were kissing on the new couch when my phone started ringing and buzzing. A lot. 

Jeb's instant message: they arrested Dad. 

JJ's text: My father has been arrested for the Britty thing. 

The ringing? Was Mom. 

I answered. Which was probably a major mistake. Marco immediately winced from the sound of her screeching. 

"Where are you? Get your ass home immediately!!!"

"Mom, calm down. What's going on?"

"They took him! That little whore's parents just couldn't stand that their little precious flower was no better than a bitch in heat. Had to punish him. Stupid, f*cking...GET HOME. I gotta go to the station."

"Mom, go on. Jeb can handle Laurie."

"Oh, no, you just setting me up for those damn social workers!!!"

"OK, Mom, I'll think of something."

"Get your skinny ass home now. See what happens if you don't!!"

I hung up and took a deep breath. 

Marco leaned over and took my hand. 

I glanced at him and then hit JJ's speed dial number. He answered on the 2nd ring like he'd been waiting for me. 

"Where are you?"

"West Virginia."

"What the...? West Virginia?"

"Can you get the kids? You ARE back in school, right?" It was a guess that his vacation was over, but I was pretty confident. I knew his medical school program was year-round. 

"Jesus, Maggie."

"It's just for the night, JJ. They have summer school in the morning and I'll be there when they get out."

"I'm supposed to be at the clinic at 6AM."

"There's before-care. It opens at 6:30 with breakfast - just get them on the bus and they'll be fine. JJ, just this once, please. Borrow Shay's car and go get them? Mom's lost it." 

"My father needs a lawyer. He and Ma make too much to get a public defender."

"Yeah, that's always the problem," I groaned. We never qualified for things because, on paper, mom and Jacob did OK. Low end of the spectrum, but above the poverty line. Of course, the truth was that we never had enough. "I will talk to Nana Scott about that tomorrow. There's a legal clinic that helped mom with her last arrest."

"OK."

"OK? For real?"

"Yeah. Look, I got my own car now. I'll pick them up in about 30 - tell them to be waiting."

"Thank you. Thank you so much, JJ. I owe you."

"You're with him, aren't you?"

"With Marco, you mean? Yes."

"So you're still together?"

"Yes, JJ."

"Jesus, Maggie."

"Just get the kids, JJ."

"Fine. It's your funeral."

I hung up and glanced at Marco. He'd obviously heard. "You OK?"