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Pilot

Numbness had crept up your arms as you gripped them to your chest, folded in an uncomfortably stiff manner. The coffee that had been placed in front of you long forgotten and cold, although you still occasionally took sips out of courtesy now completely abandoned on the worn oak desk in front of you. Your eyes had fallen onto a bird perched on the branch of a tree settled into the lawn of the precinct you had been escorted to, the small feathery bundle hopping around cautiously as it collected twigs and bark before flying away.

"-ss (l/n)?... Miss (l/n)." Your eyes snap up and you smile as politely as you can muster, attempting to blink the haze away from your eyes that were heavy from the past days events.

"Is everything alright ma'am?" the social worker in front of you inquires, gently resting the paper folder that she had recently been reading allowed onto the desk between the two of you.

"Yes sorry... I'm just tired... could you repeat that last part?" You pivot your body slightly so that you're facing him a bit more.

He sighs sympathetically, smiling kindly before dialing in to look directly at you, "I asked if you had a place to stay prior to the events that took place. If not, I am more than happy to help you arrange something to help get you back onto your feet."

"It's alright... a coworker of mine offered me a place when she found out what was going on. I'm actually planning on leaving once all of this questioning has slowed down..."

Another sigh escapes his lips as he leans back into his chair, "Miss (y/n), please don't think of this as questioning... The last thing we want you to feel is as if you're being interrogated. You're free to leave any time you'd like." He stands from his spot, collecting his paperwork before reaching across the table, between the fingers of his extended arm is a business card.

Hesitantly, you reach out and grab it, glancing your eyes down at the stiff white parchment with blue font.

Daniel Jacking it read, and you smiled, also standing and grabbing your purse from the floor.

"Please, (f/n)... if you need anything, give me a call, alright?" and with that, you give a brief nod, smiling, and follow him from the room. Your feet carry you out the glass doors of the old brick building, down the sidewalk towards the parking lot, and to your old silver Toyota. Climbing into the car, you feel you resolve beginning to crumble, the numbness clawing it way back up your arms, as you face heats up and your eyes sting with tears. You let your head fall forward onto your steering wheel before a choked sob escapes your lips.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Thank you, again kate. You have no idea how much I appreciate this..." You relay, following your coworker and friends of 6 years to your car, each of you with a cardboard box in your arms.

"I told you (f/n) its absolutely no problem. My family takes in people that have been in similar situations before. We have a safe house, of sorts, and it'd be a waste if I didn't offer it up to you." She nestles the box into your trunk, and you place yours in the backseat. You didn't have many belongings, considering your situation. You smile, and she flips the trunk shut before leaning against your car, "Not to mention when you said you had nowhere else to go, I had to speak up... especially after what that bastard put you though..." She trails off, her voice angry and bitter. You sigh, placing a hand on her arm.

"It's okay Kate. He can't hurt me anymore," you smile at your friend kindly, hoping that speaking these words out loud would somehow make you feel safer yourself but you knew they wouldn't.

You hadn't ever expected that you of all people would end up in an abusive relationship. Abusive. Such a foreign word. You had only recently learned that what was happening to you was abuse. It had become so normal. The mocking, the degrading, the violence... You felt glad that you had gotten out when you did. At least that's what everyone around you kept saying. How lucky you were. But really, there was nothing lucky about your situation. No. The entire thing was shit. None of it made any sense.