Realistic or Modern Family Ties

[PunkPrince]

Eva smiled as Andrew apologized. "It's all right," she assured him. "I'm glad you came to check up on her. I'm Eva and this is Kennedy" Taking the file from him, she led the man out into the living room and gestured for him to take a seat on the couch. Eva sat down across from him and Kennedy glanced toward the kitchen and then back towards Andrew.

"Would you like something to drink?" she questioned. "I can get you something. Kat actually fell asleep just a couple of minutes ago. I can wake her and tell her you're here if you want. I'm sure she'd be delighted to see you." She was a bit hesitant to wake Kat up now, especially since she'd practically just worn herself out, but if she really had been as close to Andrew as the man suggested, then perhaps she wouldn't mind it.

"She's doing well," Eva told him. "She's nervous and seems to mostly want to be in her room, but she's started letting us come in and out. I had breakfast with her in her room this morning and one of our sons had dinner with her. She came out once earlier to ask for medicine, and she let Kennedy clean her back again. We've been letting her come and go on her own terms--we didn't want to force her into a busier situation and overwhelm her. She's in good hands, I can promise you that."

 

[half-blood prince]

Andrew was glad to see that he had not arrived at a bad time. He really was technically off duty, but after Michaels forgot to give them the essentials, he had to make a point to come down. He had been with Kat the longest and he understood her fears, doubts and worries probably better than anyone. It was for that reason, he had taken the long drive to make sure that his search was over. He knew the couple had other children and while he had been hesitant, given Kat's history, they seemed to know what they were doing. At least, they've had no red flags in their files thus far. No alarm bells far as he could tell as his apology was waved off. If anything the woman was pleased that he had come to check on her. A smile appeared on his face as he nodded politely while she introduced herself to him. Allowing Eva to take the file from him as she offered the couch for him to sit.

"Yes...well Kat has a special place in my heart admittedly. I would have seen her off, but for the family emergency. Rather than have her spend another night alone...I asked my colleague to see her off. An error in judgement it seems. I have already failed her long enough," he said as he attempted to push the thoughts of guilt out of his head.

There would be time to feel blame for the hardships he had put Kathleen through later. A hand ran through his brown hair as he took a seat on the couch. Two mothers. Perhaps, this was what Kat needed rather than the typical family dynamic. It had to work as he wasn't sure Kat could handle the stress of another move. She'd already been moved more than any other case file he'd dealt with. His head lifted when Kennedy asked if he should like a drink. That she had just put Kat down for a nap, but would retrieve her if it was necessary.

"Water please. No, it's not necessary. Kat sleeps very little as it is already. I will come back perhaps tomorrow to see her if you would permit me. Off the books. She's had a rough go of it. That folder contains her medical reports and some notes from my working with Kat. I admit she is to be a challenge, but I assure you that Kat will surprise you. There is strength in her yet," he said to the two ladies as he glanced around the place.

The home seemed livelier than some of the others he had seen in some time. He had a good feeling about this match even if he had his reservations that had nothing to do with the family and all to do with Kathleen. Torn once more from his thoughts as Eva said that she had been coping well. That while nervous and room bound, they had seemed to make some progress with her. That was certainly more than he expected from Kat at this time. His head nodded in understanding as they explained how they had been handling her. Probably the best way to deal with Kat sometimes.

"Yes, I admit I was lax in informing you about her latest injuries. Her last home was left to be desired. I am hoping to bring charges to them if I can. But I am impressed that she has made progress with you. If however, small though I'm sure you're both familiar with the hardships of abuse given the rest of your charges. I should mention, she is very reluctant to bring up anything concerning her health. I've tried to get her comfortable with asking for things, but I fear those monsters have sank their claws too deep. Admittedly, I have gone for the positive enforcement trick many times to get certain details out of her. I don't necessarily advise it, but I find it does work. Her wrists are another thing I want to bring up. Unfortunately....a few homes back...well...she was found tied to a bed. We don't know how long they mistreated her. But ever since, she has been quite insistent nobody touch her wrists," he said as he wet his lips still unable to get those visions from his mind. He quickly tried to shake them away as he ran a hand through his hair again.

"I should also mention, Kat is leery around the bathtub. I have my suspicions, but she has never told me what has occurred when she was in one. I have managed to get an inch of water in the tub and she tolerates that well enough...but you may have your struggles there. A wet cloth has done wonders just the same, but perhaps you will have better luck than me. Is there anything I can perhaps shed some light on for you both to help better your chance at making progress with her?" asked Andrew after a moment or two to let the news be digested by the two women.

 

[PunkPrince]

Returning from the kitchen, Kennedy passed Andrew the water and nodded. "You can come back tomorrow," she told him. "We'll be here." She settled down beside Eva to listen in as the man spoke. She was glad that, despite the multitude of terrible foster families, Kat had at least had a social worker that cared about her. And now she had an entire family that cared about her. Her progress would be slow, and at times difficult, but it was better to make just a bit of progress than none at all.

Andrew apologized for not informing them of her injuries, and Eva gave a small nod. "It's all right," she said. "We've cleaned up worse. As long as they're kept clean and bandaged they should heal up just fine. She did have a hard time asking for painkillers earlier today. Has a hard time asking for most things, it seems. We've just been offering things she might need to her intermittently and after a while she'll hopefully realize that she can ask for them. She doesn't believe us when we tell her she can. Which is fair, considering everything she's already been through."

Eva's gaze dropped when Andrew spoke of Kat having been tied to a bed. She recalled Kat's earlier panic upon having her hands touched, and Eva immediately felt guilty. Nobody ever would have tried to touch her wrists if they'd known about it before. Not having known had pulled them further backwards instead of moving them forwards and getting Kathleen to trust them more.

As Andrew mentioned the bathtub, Kennedy's mind flitted back to the times she'd had to clean Kat's back. The girl had always eyed the bathtub with suspicion, though Kennedy had never questioned her. "I understand," she said after a moment. "We hadn't even tried yet. She doesn't want to be anywhere near the tub. We'll give the wet cloth a try; see if that works."

The pair fell silent again, pondering Andrew's final question for several moments. Was there anything else they should ask him? Probably, but all evaded both of them for now. It was Eva who finally spoke up again. "I don't think so," she answered finally. "Thank you for what you've told us. It really helps."

 

[half-blood prince]

Andrew seemed pleased by the reception he had received by the two ladies. He hoped that a home with two mothers might be a little easier on Kat. She was still very weary around men, but he hoped that she'd grow out of it. She just needed to get a good stable home and the rest would sort itself out. She deserved that much after everything that she had been through. Too much in his opinion as he accepted the glass of water from one of the ladies. Glad that they were so willing to allow him into their home. Although, he was sure that this wasn't the first time a social worker had showed up. It was standard when a kid was placed with a new home. However, this truly was an off the books visit as he'd grown awfully fond of the young girl. Perhaps, in another circumstance he'd have adopted her in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, she needed more than he could give her right now. The love of a family for one.

He worked long hours and sometimes only came home long enough to eat and sleep. Kat needed someone that could dedicate their every hour to her. Who could help her overcome the abuse that she had been subjected to. These ladies would be a good fit for her and while he'd been a bit wary to throw her in a family with siblings, they seemed ideal. They had children that were in very similar boats to Kathleen and it was that which had made him agree. They already seemed to have made some progress at least. That she was asleep was something as she didn't get near enough sleep in his opinion. Taking a sip of the water as they agreed that a visit with them tomorrow would be fine. A nod of his head in appreciation as he really didn't want to disturb the little girl. Not just to see him though he was sure she'd be happy to see him. He didn't want to stay too long as he did want her to attach to her new mothers.

His eyes cast their gaze around the room as they waved off his apology. That they had dealt with worse messes than what she'd had. Even if that mess should never have been there to begin with. That they would just need to be thoroughly cleaned and dressed, but should heal nicely. Something he was glad to hear as the girl didn't need any further complications. He wasn't surprised when they told him that Kat had trouble asking for painkillers. For anything in general actually as he nodded his head. Yes, he knew the girl had a deep habit of keeping things to herself. Not wanting to ask for anything for fear of being a burden. Agreeing that they seemed to have a decent approach going for them.

"I'm not surprised. I've had similar struggle in that regard with her. One can only be patient I suppose. Give her time. Although I would keep an eye on her. She's not very good at admitting when she's sick. Or something is wrong. Just something to be aware of," replied Andrew politely as he set the glass down on his knee. A hand ran through his hair glad at least they have her files now. Glad that he had taken the long drive down to see her for himself.

He really disliked telling them about some of the more horrific injuries. It was never pleasant and he felt almost like he was breaking the girl's trust. However, he knew that it was vital for them to be aware of such things. Although again, he hoped that they could get her past that. It was in their best interest to know as much about Kathleen as they possibly could. To make the transition as smooth as possible. Glad that he was able to give them the heads up at least about bath tub. He knew it was bound to come up eventually as he took another sip of his water. He did nod his head as he decided he had stayed long enough as he downed the rest of the water. Glad that they had found the information useful as he excused himself to head out.

"Glad I could be of help. If you do think of anything. You have my card now and I can offer you my help best I can. I'll probably come around noon tomorrow. Just to see how she's doing. I'm glad that she's in good hands. Oh, I should mention that Kat has run away a few times. I'm hoping that won't be the case, but it's something to keep in mind. I have every confident you two can care for her. And I'm sure with time and patience, she will start to open up. Thank you for your time. Ladies," replied Andrew with a nod of his head before he took his leave to head back to his car.

 

[PunkPrince]

Kennedy nodded when Andrew suggested they keep an eye on her. Hugo too, had had trouble admitting when he needed something, and at one point Jupiter had been so hard an resistant to any offerings of help that they too, had avoided telling them when something was wrong. It was part of why they had been the last to move into the house. They had already been hurt, but kept up the facade that it wasn't all that bad until something happened to really break them.

It wasn't screaming, or yelling, or being hit that did it. It wasn't being caught sneaking out, either, though all those things had led up to it. Their aunt and uncle had found every bit and piece of feminine wear they owned, after Jupiter had so carefully stashed it where they were sure it couldn't be found, took it out to the backyard, and burnt it while Jupiter watched. That had been the last straw.

"We'll keep an eye on her," Eva promised. Kat had already fled the house once, so the possibility that she might attempt to run away again wasn't surprising. And then the man turned to leave, getting back into his car and driving off. Eva turned to watch him leave and then settled back down on the couch beside Kennedy, letting out a long sigh as she began to flip through the file in her lap.

 

[half-blood prince]

It was a little while before Kathleen stirred from her relatively peaceful slumber in her bedroom. Her green eyes slowly stirred to light as she suddenly found herself in her bed. Her body shot up almost immediately having not realized how she had managed to be back in bed. Her memory foggy at best after crying into Miss Kennedy's arms. Oh god, she had cried into her foster mother like a baby. Like a silly little baby. How humiliating. She was almost thirteen years old for goodness sakes. She lay back down with a groan not sure how she felt about this fact. Would she be punished for acting like a baby? She hoped that wasn't the case, but when did anything ever turn out right for the young girl? Even with all these worries, she couldn't help feeling secretly pleased as well. How long had it been since someone had comforted her like that? Years she imagined as she played with the fabric of the blankets tucked in around her. It all felt so foreign to her, but at least her head felt a bit better.

She slowly turned her gaze around the simple room that still didn't quite seem like hers. Granted, she hadn't had the opportunity to decorate it, but even still she felt like she was a guest more than a permanent resident. What time was it even? She didn't really know not that she could really understand the time that well. She rubbed a hand over her face as she slowly attempted to sit herself back up once more. Her stomach gave a low grumble, but she paid very little attention to it. She was used to ignoring such alerts from her own body by this point. Though her bladder was another thing altogether as she slowly shifted her legs to the edge of the bed. It took a moment to get used to the slight cool touch of the carpeted flooring. Her feet padded quietly over to the second level bathroom. Careful to keep her gaze other than the bathtub as she relieved herself and washed her hands. She was still admittedly a little drowsy from the medication but didn't want to be a burden either.

Should she do some chores perhaps? Eva didn't exactly seem happy the last that she had done them. She pursed her lips as she debated what there was to do. She could read quietly in her room or color maybe. That would keep her out of the way, right? Truthfully, she wanted to go to sleep again but didn't want to be alone either. Maybe she would get some water to take up with her. That shouldn't be too much to ask for she hoped. A small yawn escaped her lips as hesitated by the top of the stairs. Was she even allowed water when it wasn't earned? She chewed her bottom lip once or twice before taking a cautious step forward down the first step. Her hand on the railing as she braced against the sudden creak of the stair.

"Mi....Miss Kennedy?" asked Kathleen hesitantly from where she stood her uneasily.

 

[PunkPrince]

Eva and Kennedy had both gone to bed shortly after Andrew's departure. Kennedy had awoken some time ago, but made little effort to stir from where she lay. Eva was still sound asleep beside her, and Kennedy made no move to disturb her, simply burying her face into the other woman's chest as she dozed, her eyes still half closed. Her ears picked up on the sounds of Kat's bedroom door creaking and the bathroom door closing, though she didn't acknowledge them. The top stair creaked, and then came a voice so soft Kennedy almost didn't hear it.

Kennedy blinked a few times and slowly sat up, a small groan escaping her lips as she stretched. She slowly got to her feet and shuffled over to the doorway, leaning up against the door frame as she caught sight of Kat looking down the staircase. She must have expected them to be up already. Ordinarily, she would be, but the events of the previous day had left them both tired and uncertain after poring over the information they had been given.

"Yes?" Kennedy asked, a small, tired smile on her face as she answered the girl. She heard Eva stir as she spoke, the other woman sitting up in bed and pushing her tangled hair away from her face. "What's going on?" Eva questioned drowsily, leaning forward slightly as she spoke. "Is everything all right?"

 

[half-blood prince]

Kathleen was silent as she stared down the long narrow staircase for what seemed like the longest time. Her lips pressed tightly together as she debated whether she could get herself a glass of water herself or not. She had heard Miss Kennedy insist that she didn't need to fear such things, but what if it was? This was really messing up her understanding of adults as he shifted a few times on the stairs. Her voice calling out nervously though she hated how weak it sounded against the echo. She disliked it very much so as she sounded like such a baby compared to her twelve years of age. Then again, one could easily mistake her for a child of 9 given the lack of proper nutrition. Had she known both women had gone to bed she would have never called upon them she just didn't know what to do. Should she have stayed in bed? Waited for someone to get her like normal? She wasn't entirely sure in honesty as she debated just taking a step downstairs.

Surely getting water wouldn't be too much trouble, right? It wasn't like it was good food to feed the family. Nobody could argue that certainly? She didn't know as she rarely had the option some times to leave her room at all. She flinched back a little when she heard a door shift open a little more and the woman in question came out. Shit. Kat immediately backed up a little as she found herself stuttering over an apology. She hadn't meant to wake her. She just thought she'd be downstairs already. She only realized now that she hadn't exactly looked at a clock. Although, she found the normal ones hard to read at times even still. She shifted uneasily only to wince even more when she heard the other woman stirr as she swallowed thickly. Her breathing picking up a little more. Shoot. It was bad enough to take one of them up, but both of them? This was not a good start to her day as far as Kat was concerned as she dropped her gaze.

"I'm sorry....I didn't...mean to wake you up. I just....wanted some water and...didn't want to be alone. Please don't punish me. I'll be good I promise. I shouldn't have bothered you," replied Kathleen as she found herself shaking over the words that poured from her heart.

Even though Kat had cried into Kennedy's arms earlier, it didn't mean the woman was pleased about it. She had been such a baby. Her head shifted down to the floor once more. A position she was much more familiar with as she fidged a little more. She was now out of touching distance as she debated going back to her bedroom right there and then. She wasn't sure she could make it to the stairs quick enough and even then she remembered the scolding she got for running out of the house last time. So she wouldn't be doing that as she felt fresh tears which just made her frustrated with herself. She kept messing up and now they were never going to keep her.