Love in the Minor Key

Chapter Nine: Hope

A month passed and everything was seemingly okay. Phil practically lived with Dan, and Dan was learning how to raise a baby. Dan began to actually feel guilty for keeping Hope as a prisoner, so with the help of Victoria, Dan made the torture room into a little apartment. When Phil was gone to work, Dan went downstairs, letting Hope into the room. When Hope saw what Dan had done, she gasped, her heart warming like she did.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Hope asked. "I've done nothing but been mean to you."

"I don't think you're all that bad deep down," Dan shrugged. "I am not who I once was and I don't think you are either. I'm keeping you down here, but you'll be unchained completely. I minored in psychology and I want you to open up to me. From the beginning, I felt some kind of connection to you, and I want to figure out why. I'm keeping you down here as a 'patient' until I find the reason for your actions. If you open up completely, I will trust you enough to let you go. I will even let you live here in this apartment until you can find a job."

"Are you serious?" Hope's eyes grew wide. "You'll seriously let me go?"

"On my grandmums grave," he put his hand up solemnly. "Let's go in and sit down. You can tell me anything."

"Okay," Hope nodded, following Dan to a table. "Who are your parents?"

"My mother was a wonderful woman, but she got pregnant very young," she explained. "She had been an intern at this law company. She was in college, and she was only seventeen. My dad, he had seen her and convinced her to stay late. My mom told me that he forced himself upon her. It caused her PTSD and psychosis, and postpartum depression when I was born. She was going to go to everyone and take him to court, but he paid her off. He paid her regularly to keep quiet. Then, when I was eleven, she came home, bloody and completely naked. She said that my dad had heard her again, and nine months later, my baby brother, Gabriel. The depression became worse, and then she went to expose my dad once and for all, but she came back bloody once more. She told me she killed the family but left one, because he was the only one who treated her like a human. Then, a month later, she disappeared and they found her in an alleyway, clinging to a suicide note."

"Wait!" Dan gasped, "What are your parent's names?"

"Jasmine Bright and Damien Howell," Hope answered.

"Nonononononono!" Dan yelled out. "She died in my arms! I remember now! Oh my God! I... What happened to you and... Gabriel?"

"My aunt took us in," Hope continued. "She was so strict! We couldn't do anything at all, so when I turned sixteen and was on my own, I rebelled like crazy during college. Then I met Phil and everything was okay, then the PTSD started and I started sleeping around, eventually getting into the abusive relationship. I lost my baby because of it, and I fully blame my dad. Gabriel lives in a hospital now. My aunt didn't give him proper care, and he's been in the hospital, living with cancer, and psychological issues, for about three years now."

"If you promise me you won't tell anyone about any of this," Dan spoke in shock, "then I will take you to the hospital."

"I promise!" she nodded honestly.

"Before we leave," Dan sighed, "there's a few things I need to tell you."

"What is it?" she asked, looking at the distraught man.

"Damien Howell is my dad too," Dan finally said. "I believed your mom from the beginning, and I am so sorry that she died the way she did. He was a terrible man. You need to be lucky that you weren't raised by that man. He was abusive, my mom was an alcoholic, and Liam was just Dad's mini me. I'm happy my family is dead, honestly. I had been walking through the alleyway, cleaning at the restaurant I worked at, when I found her. I tried to keep her stable. I did. I called an ambulance, because she was the only person I had ever had an actual connection to, and she died in my arms. I became cold and emotionless. I am so sorry I couldn't save her. I am so sorry you had to go through that. I'm so sorry..."

"You're the one that helped my mom?!" she gasped, him nodding and actually crying. "You don't have to be sorry. You really don't. I need to be thankful for you. You bringing money to my mom at the age of ten was an amazing thing to do. You were there for us until she died. Thank you, Dan."

"Come with me," Dan smiled, wiping away the tears. "We need to help you make up enough with Phil to let him see Olivine. Then, we will take a ride so I can meet my brother."

"Thank you so much," She smiled, him letting her completely out of her restraints.

They both took a deep breath and went up the stairs, Hope smiling bigger when she saw the light. They walked throughout the house, him letting her eat and change. When he knew she was ready, he took her to the nursery. Dan cleared his throat, causing Phil to look up at the two.

"What the hell is Hope doing here?" Phil asked, "and why the hell are you okay with this, Dan?"