Duck Drama

Chapter 9 - Athena

"Shhh. Shhh." Said a female voice.

I was trying to block everything out. The recent rape, Theo, flashbacks of my step-mom's abuse, Matt, the horrible things I said to Zehra (the only other person besides Dad who actually cares about me), Theo.

I feel my teeth chatter at the image of him still in my mind. My spy instincts take over and  I wanna scream, hit, slice someones throat out... 

I try and wiggling myself free from this person's grip on me, thinking it was still Theo, though, I know I seen Louie pound him into dust just minutes ago... 

"It's okay, dear. It's me..." Said the voice again. 

I slowly open my eyes and stare up at a familiar face and blinked. 

"Auntie Beakley?" I choke out. 

She smiled warmly at me. 

Bentina Beakley, a S.H.U.S.H agent that left and never came back for some reason I have yet to understand. She left right after Mom died, so my Dad tells me. 

"Hello, dear." She whispers. 

"How -? When -?" I asked, as I pulled away from her. 

"I work for Scrooge McDuck, now, dear." Auntie Beakley informed me, giving me a warm smile. 

"You -. Work for -?" I repeated. 

I stared at her. 

"Why?"  I asked. 

"I shall tell you the story once you are well enough." Auntie Beakley told me. 

"It was because of me, wasn't it?" I said, in a soft whisper. Auntie Beakley stared at me, confused, and I looked down at the blanket that had been wrapped around my shoulders. 

"What makes you think that?" Auntie Beakley asked. 

"Dad..." I whispered, and flinched at the memory of the night Mom died. "I -. You left soon after -." I tried to form the words, but I couldn't. 

"No, dear. I didn't leave because of you." Auntie Beakley assured me. 

I shake my head and pulled my knees up to my chest, and winced at the pain that came from between my thighs. 

"It wouldn't matter if you did or didn't," I said, "everything bad happens because of me. i'm weak, pathetic, a disappointment..." I say, repeating my step-mother's words out loud. "So, I wouldn't have blamed you if -." 

"YOU ARE NOT!" Bellowed a voice from the doorway. 

I jumped, and Auntie Beakley turned her head and opened her mouth to snap at whoever it was that shouted, but the voice kept on and didn't stop. 

"ATHENA, YOU ARE NOT WEAK, OR PATHETIC!" 

I blinked and finally looked towards the voice. 

Louie had barged in, face fuming, and eyes glaring. Auntie Beakley who's face had turned angry at the interruption, quickly turned to admiration. 

"How would you know?" I spat at him. "You hardly know me!" 

Louie stared back at me in disbelief. 

"I don't need to know you well enough to know you aren't that!" Louie shot back at her. "Anyone else who says other wise I'd do to them what I did to that -." He stopped. 

I knew he was about to mention Theo. 

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before asking what I needed to ask... 

"W- What's going to happen to him?" 

I looked at Auntie Beakley who's face switched from admiration to a look of hatred. 

"He'll be taken into custody, questions, then sentenced after all the evidence has been accounted for." She told me. "He'll never harm you again, Athena, I will not allow it, even if he happens to get off Scott free..." Auntie Beakley told me. 

I blinked and nodded. 

"What? You mean there's a chance he might?" Louie asked, outraged. 

"Theo Cartwright, his entire family founded S.H.U.S.H, Louie." Auntie Beakley informed him. "He's family is very well respected in this line of work, it will be difficult to go against someone like Theo, even though we all know it is indeed Theo who caused all this. I'm sure he will stop at nothing to try and get off, and..." She stopped and glanced over at me. 

"Get revenge." I whispered, looking back down, avoiding both their pity looks on their faces I'm sure they had on their faces. 

I hated being pitied. 

One of the reasons I keep quiet about the abuse. If I could, I would have kept quiet about the rape. But... 

You know the rest. 

Silence followed. 

"I'm not about to let that happen." Louie stated. 

I glanced back up at him and was surprised to see not pity, but sheer determination on his face. 

"Louie - I -" I began, shaking my head. 

I didn't want anyone involved in my problems. I was a big girl. I could take care of myself! 

Weak. Pathetic. A disappointment. Just like your mother was. 

Those words kept rushing at me whenever I started to feel a teeny tiny bit brave. Those words would wash that way, and I would believe them, no matter who told me different. Those words seem to hurt me worse then anything else. 

The rape. 

The abuse. 

Matt. 

Zehra. 

Damn, and Theo. 

I sighed tiredly. 

"Permission to do what I need to do, Mrs. Beakley." Louie said, ignoring my attempt to keep him out of this. 

They looked at each other and I could practically hear the silent conversation between them. 

 Beakley: "Do I even wanna know?"   

Louie: "No. No you don't." 

Mrs. Beakley sighed, then waved her hand motioning Louie to carry on. A smirk slowly spread across Louie's face at that, he took one last look at me before he marched himself out of the room and quietly shutting the door behind him. 

"Now, first things, first." Auntie Beakley said, changing the subject, and the mood that had followed after Louie left. "How is it that you," She began, and I look at her confused, "managed to win over Louie's heart in a matter of two days?" 

I blush at that.