ruins {marvel/family}

[grace]

A broken wrist, bruised collarbone, two broken ribs, cracked pelvis. Those things meant nothing to Grace, they had been patched up without any problem. The pain of losing her child was unbearable. Grace had failed in the worst way possible, Caleb had ended the life that he had forcibly created, and she hadn't done anything to stop him. She was disgusted with herself, but for now Grace could only feel a crippling agony deep within her heart, and utter exhaustion. The nurse had put her on strict bed rest, and while normally an active soul, she was fine with being confined. Spending her hours in fitful sleep or crying. Trying to cope.

Grace had not been faring well. The schoolwork brought to her each day was beginning to pile up on her bedside table, completely untouched. She had rejected visitors, or otherwise pretended to be asleep when she heard people talking in the infirmary. Grace hadn't even spoken, nobody knew exactly what had happened. They may have their suspicions, but they weren't getting anything from her, Caleb sure as hell wouldn't rat himself out. The only person who would be able to connect the dots would probably be Marvel, she had only told him of her boyfriend's abuse. But she hadn't been to work in the past week she had been in the hospital, hadn't written him, surely he wouldn't know either.

Unless of course things hadn't stayed as private as she intended. Grace had needed to owl her boss and explain her condition so she could miss that week's shifts, if he had let something slip... Grace didn't know why she was still so concerned with protecting Caleb, really at that point she hated him. Perhaps it was because she knew he would hurt her even more if he were to get any comeuppance. Her hatred for him was nowhere near the prevalence of her fear. Truly, she was pathetic. Biting her trembling lip, Grace turned onto her side, pulling her knees up as far as her still sore pelvis would allow.

There was another conversation going on in the infirmary- their voices were low, she couldn't hear any specifics, though just to be safe, she decided to again feign sleep. She allowed her pale blonde hair to fall into her face as she adopted a slow, rhythmic manner of breathing as footsteps approached her curtain-quarantined bed. Though it seemed this visitor would not be fooled as she heard her name called ever so softly...

[marvel]

"Grace?" Marvel called softly, stepping inside the hospital wing. He had arrived in a frenzy, something that he normally would never do. The boy was never in a rush, never in a hurry, and never, ever late. However, today was different. He'd gotten a notification about Grace. Being her superior at work, they called him in. However, it wasn't the fact that it was his duty to be there for her. It was something that he needed to do. He cared dearly for the beautiful blonde girl, and felt the need to protect her. One could even say... no. Marvel had never felt love. This couldn't be love.

Marvel was stopped by some of the hospital officials. "Yes?" he asked, impatience already creeping into his voice. The nurse wasn't phased. "May I ask who's calling, and for whom?" she asked politely, watching him with tired eyes. Marvel took a deep breath, calming himself before looking anxiously around the room, playing absently with the hem of his shirt. "Marvel Snow, for Grace Forest," he replied softly, eyes darting between the curtains, attempting to determine which was Grace's. The nurse looked at him curiously, then pointed to the curtained-off bed the closest to the door. Marvel nodded his thanks, then rushed to the bed.

"Grace?" he called again, gently parting the curtain. The small blonde angel lay asleep in her bed. He closed the curtain, pulling up a chair and sitting by her bedside. Without much thought, he took one of her cold, limp hands and held it between his, trying to warm them while comfort the sleeping girl. "I'm here now, Grace. I'm so, so sorry..." he whispered, trailing off. Marvel wasn't one for strong emotions, but tears and heartache were welling up in him. He cleared his throat, attempting to remove the shakiness from his voice.

"It was Caleb, wasn't it?" Marvel asked her quietly, knowing full well she wouldn't answer. "It was. He hurt you. Dammit, Grace, I should've been here. I should've been at your side, protecting you from that... that... thing," he continued, exasperated. "I should have known better than to leave you alone. Grace... I'm so sorry I wasn't here. I'm so sorry. Please, Grace, forgive me... please, forgive me..." With that, Marvel felt a few tears trickle down his face. He leaned forward, brushing Grace's hair out of her face gently before kissing her forehead lightly, then returning both of his hands to her tiny one. He watched her in silence, guilt washing over him.

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[grace]

Grace kept her eyes closed, it was the standby she was employing during her stay to keep the questions at bay, though she knew she wasn't much an actress, people generally fell for her ploys. She listened carefully, a chair being dragged across the floor, somebody sitting down... She tried not to flinch as a warm hand enveloped her own, listening to the voice as it spoke again... Marvel. Part of her was almost happy that he was here, his presence comforted her. Though the other side of her was dreadfully afraid, he would be the only one that would know. Not specifically about the miscarriage, but he would know who had put her in the hospital bed.

Though he was... Apologizing? Grace was puzzled, none of this was his fault, it was all on her, she had been so stupid, so foolish. She had thought that Caleb would change when the hitting began, thought that there might have been a bit of good still in him after he had raped her. She had honestly thought he would have been supportive when she told him about the baby... But now, Grace knew. The remaining sliver of her innocence had been shattered, and it was all her own fault for being such a stupid little girl, continually crawling back to the boyfriend who beat her...

Grace only listened as Marvel continued to speak, not allowing herself to give any signs that she was awake. Yes, it had been Caleb, and yes he had hurt her, but just how badly... Marvel probably didn't have any idea. It took more than the usual beatings to cause her to lose her child, Caleb had broken bones before the last time, but it had been smaller, more trivial things- her arm, a few fingers, a couple toes. But this one had been rougher, her pelvis, two broken ribs, more vital bones than her extremities. Her throat tightened as Marvel begged for forgiveness, his tone laden with emotion.

She was so very touched by his words, she could almost start crying again, though these days it didn't take much. The final straw, however, was when she felt him so gently brush the hair from her face and pressed his lips to her forehead. Grace felt tears building up behind her closed eyelids, Marvel shouldn't have to feel that way, it was her fault she had wound up like this, she was the reason her baby had died. She should have known better, that people like Caleb didn't change. Grace slowly opened her eyes, guilt surging through her when she saw the tears on Marvel's cheeks, this was all her fault...

[marvel]

Marvel felt Grace stir, and he leaned forward towards her, watching her eyes flutter open. He smiled ever so slightly, not bothering to wipe the tears from his cheeks. There would be hell to pay when Grace was well again. The Caleb kid, that monster, deserved to get his ass kicked. Marvel was scrawny and skinny, but he was no doubt smarter than the asshole who had damaged his Grace. He wanted to know the extent of her damage, then inflict it right back to the monster who'd broken her. It was only fair. An eye for an eye, as they said.

"Grace," he breathed, reaching forward to lightly brush her hair behind her ears. He brought her hand to his lips and lightly kissed it, bravery taking a hold of his heart. She needed to know, more than ever, that someone cared for her, loved her. Do you love her, Marvel? his conscience asked him, catching him off-guard. He pondered the question. That was such a heavy word, something so strong and dangerous. He'd learned not to trust love. This was the perfect example. Grace had truly believed that she loved Caleb, and look at what it got her.

Yes, he thought. I guess I do love her. That's what she needs right now. Love. That was that. Whatever it cost him, fine. He'd pay anything just to make Grace feel safe. He needed to see her smile, needed to see her happy and safe. That was the main priority. It would be much better if the reason for her happiness was him. Sure, he was a bit older. It didn't matter to him. Grace was lovely, and deserved someone who cared for her, someone who wanted to put her on a pedestal.

"How did he hurt you? What happened?" Marvel whispered, holding her hands and stroking the soft skin of her hand with his thumb. He watched her with concerned eyes, wanting to know every detail.

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[grace]

Grace shifted a little in her bed, attempting to find a more comfortable position, though she made no movement to draw her hand away from Marvel's. He comforted her when no one else could, made her feel like an almost normal teenager. But beyond that, he made her feel something that Caleb had never given to her. What that something was, Grace didn't know, but there was something about being "woken up" by Marvel that was infinitely better than being greeted by Caleb. Cautiously, she reached with her free hand to wipe away his tears with the side of her finger, wincing as she did so, her ribs may no longer be broken, but they still ached.

She laid back down, holding a grimace for a few seconds until the pain subsided. Never before had Grace felt so weak, and honestly, the bed rest was needed. She had lost a great deal of blood, and as such she didn't blush when Marvel tucked her hair behind her ears, or even when he so lightly kissed her hand, though the gestures might have ordinarily made her go very red indeed. Though the question she had been dreading was soon to follow, her throat instinctively tightened and her eyes stung.

Of course Marvel would know whom, but he didn't know what. Grace didn't even know if she could say it, she hadn't spoken a word to anyone since Caleb had ruined her, not even to her family. Some of it could be blamed on the environment, Grace knew there were people beyond her curtain- people she didn't trust. And yet some part of her, however small, was seeking to protect Caleb. She had seen what he was capable of, if what he did ever got out, even as a rumour, he might kill her. Honestly, Grace was afraid to tell.

That and there was where Marvel fit into all of this- Grace had heard the anger in his voice all those months ago when she had told him of the abuse, she didn't want him going after Caleb. Grace wouldn't be able to live with herself if Marvel got hurt on her behalf. Her inward panic was showing through her tearful eyes, she didn't know what to do... She motioned for him to come closer, she would whisper it, so only the boy she cared so much for would hear. "If I tell, you have to promise you won't go after him," Grace said, hoping the desperation in her tone and expression would convince Marvel to not do anything stupid.

[marvel]

Marvel watched Grace think things through. The fear was obvious in her tear-filled eyes. His heart surged, and he leaned forward slightly, waiting for her response. He tried to focus solely on her, but the thought of beating Caleb to a bloody-pulp was distracting him.. there was so much that the boy needed to be punished for. He was a sorry excuse for a man. Marvel was more of a man than he was, and that was a fact. He would never hurt someone for pleasure... though he'd make a special case for the scumbag who'd hurt Grace.

Grace beckoned him closer. He knelt by her bedside so he could lean in as close as possible. The close proximity was bothering him. He was vaguely reminded of his drunken one-night stand, nearly a year ago, with a girl he hadn't heard from again. Things like lust and love weren't something he was well-versed in. Still, he couldn't ignore the fact his pulse raced when he got close to Grace. It felt wrong, yet oh-so-right, all at the same time. Marvel pushed those thoughts away, focusing in on Grace.

"If I tell you, you have to promise you won't go after him."

Marvel opened his mouth to argue, but shut it once again. As much as he wanted to, he had to be true to Grace. Even if protecting him was wrong of her to do, he needed to stay faithful and honest. Reluctantly, Marvel nodded. "I don't like it," he said, frowning. "But, if that's what you want, I won't. He deserves it. But, I won't. For you," Marvel finished, looking at Grace. He watched her, holding her hand gently and waiting for her reply, dreading all the cruel information he was about to receive. Still, he had to know.

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[grace]

Grace's heart was racing, she wasn't sure if it was such a good idea, for someone to know the full story. The nurse knew what, but not whom, and Marvel knew whom, but not what. Even if she made him promise not to go after Caleb, she wasn't sure if he would uphold that once she told him what Caleb had done to her... Though as she requested he had come closer, kneeling beside her bed. Her heart leaped again, though this time not from fear... She waited for him to give her his word, her gaze locked with his, she needed to know he wouldn't try anything.

She felt a small tinge of relief when Marvel said that although Caleb deserved it, he wouldn't do anything to him if that was what she wanted. "We'll both be better off if you don't," Grace whispered, subconsciously returning the light grip he still had on her hand. If she were honest, Grace wanted to be in Marvel's arms, as if him holding her would make everything better, but she needed to get the story out before she dissolved into tears like she wanted to do so badly, then he might not be able to get another word out of her.

Grace fought to get her words to cooperate as her tears threatened to fall. "He got me pregnant," she said, dropping eye contact, she couldn't look at Marvel when she spoke, "I told him and he flew into a rage, worse than normal. He..." Grace trailed off, her voice was wanting to quit on her. "He told me to get rid of the baby, and when I refused he took matters into his own hands. He beat the hell out of me, he k-killed my b-baby," her voice was getting increasingly softer and beginning to shake, "and I just l-let him do it, I d-didn't fight back!" She hated herself, she should have seen it coming, should have been able to do something...

[marvel]

"We'll both be better off if you don't."

Marvel bit his lip, but nodded all the same. "I know," he replied softly, lightly squeezing Grace's hand. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He couldn't go off hurting Caleb for what he'd done. Still, by the way she was trembling and the fact that there were tears in her eyes, told him that she still feared him breaking his word. He didn't blame her, necessarily. Still, he pushed thoughts of a horrific revenge from his mind, focusing in on Grace. He promised her that he would be rational. The least he could do was honor that.

"He got me pregnant."

Time seemed to freeze. Pregnant? She hadn't slept with him more, had she? Marvel hoped and prayed that the baby had been a product of the rape, and that Grace hadn't been roped into sleeping with him more than once. All possibilities were harsh, but could easily have happened. Either the baby had been from the initial rape, or it had been the product of another. That, or Grace had willingly slept with Caleb, had done as he had asked... the thought of Grace being completely submissive made Marvel sick.

"I told him and he flew into a rage, worse than normal. He... He told me to get rid of the baby, and when I refused he took matters into his own hands. He beat the hell out of me, he k-killed my b-baby..."

Marvel watched her, heart breaking. She had wanted to keep the life that had been growing inside of her, despite the fact that the father was a heartless soul. That in itself was a beautiful thing. It didn't matter to the blonde angel who had given the child the ability to exist. A life was a life, and she cherished it. He'd seen her love animals, but to know that she had the capability to love a human child that was, to everyone else, an abomination... it broke his heart. He held her hand tightly, throat tightening as she told him about her baby's cruel death, it's murder, by the hands of it's own father.

"... and I just l-let him do it, I d-didn't fight back!"

Marvel watched her. "Grace, don't say that. Grace, look at me," he whispered. He reached forward, very gently touching her chin with his hand and turning her face so he could look into her eyes. "Grace, there was nothing you could have done. He would have killed you if you would have. It's not right, what he did, but it's better than you're here, than you and the baby both being dead." He gently reached forward, resting his hand gently on her stomach, where her unborn child had been. "You can live on, and some day you'll be a wonderful mother to a child, like that one, a child that will have a chance in this world. I promise you, Grace, this isn't your fault."

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[grace]

Grace could no longer fight back her tears, they poured forth rapidly as her vision blurred further. Somehow admitting aloud what had happened had crushed her fully- her heart and spirit as broken as her body had been. That was something no healer in the world would be able to fix, there wasn't a single potion in existence that would cure the emotional pain. Normally, Grace possessed a silent strength, an ability to press on even when life dealt her its worst, but this time she had been knocked fully down, been inwardly crippled by her grief. She didn't even care about being confined when her soul usually longed to be free.

Her voice, for the time being, extinguished, Grace continued to look away, her watery, blurred gaze falling upon their hands, her small one wrapped in both his. If she were to be honest, if this moment needed to be faced at all, she would rather Marvel be at her side than anyone else. He provided something for her that nobody else ever had before, she cared for him deeply, as more than just a friend. It almost scared her, given all that Caleb had done, and before him how her father had treated her, she had lived through a great deal of abuse at the hands of men she had thought she could trust.

Grace had been able to put up with it before, when it was strictly physical and verbal abuse, had been able to go on as if nothing had ever happened, but this... She would have been lying if she said she hadn't thought about giving up in the most permanent way possible. All she need do was down a bottle of the potion she was only supposed to have a cup of, or use her sheet to hang herself... Grace was brought out of these morbid thoughts by Marvel softly turning her face so she was looking him in the eye, she wanted to turn away, hide the shame she felt at her failure.

Grace listened as Marvel spoke, tears continually cascading down her face. Was it really for the best that she had survived at the cost of her child? If it were even possible she would have preferred to give up her own life if the baby could have his. Marvel placing his hand on her stomach, where a child had used to be, brought on the sobbing. Grace did fight those back, however, they caught in her throat and she pressed her free hand to her mouth, visibly shaking. How could she be a good mother? Not when she had so terribly failed a child that had relied on her to survive. "Then why does it feel like it?" Grace whispered hoarsely. She had had her wand, she could have hexed Caleb and fled, but she was too weak to stand up to him...

[marvel]

Marvel watched Grace silently process everything, her tears turning into sobs that she stopped by bringing her hand to her lips. He wanted so badly to just crawl up next to her, to hold her in his arms and let her cry into his shirt, wanted badly to take the fragile girl and keep her forever safe and warm in his embrace. He envisioned smoothing back her hair, wiping her tears away, kissing her soft skin and telling her that everything would be alright, that she never had to be afraid of anything ever again. She always have a protector in him.

Still, Marvel knew how unrealistic that was. The mere thought of being that close to her made him anxious. She had a rough track record with men, why would she think that he would be any different. Still, as she began to sob, he withdrew his hand and held one of hers with both of his. He watched her in silence, wanting her to speak. When she said nothing, he was frightened. Of course, he dreaded what she was going to say as well. The girl had essentially given up on life, and that wasn't something Marvel was okay with.

"Then why does it feel like it?"

Marvel's throat closed up, and he looked down, trying to come up with the right words. If she didn't believe that it wasn't her fault, then there wasn't much more he could say on the matter. She was wrong, dead wrong. This wasn't her fault. It all had happened so fast, she hadn't gotten the time to run, to use magic to fight him, and she certainly wasn't large enough to hold him off all on her own. He took a deep breath, looking up at her. He straightened up so he was mere centimeters from her face, his nose brushing slightly against hers, before he spoke.

"You're wrong, Grace. You're dead wrong. None of this is your fault. It's his. You did not do this, you did not deserve this. This horror is on him, not you. Grace, please know that. Trust me when I say that the reason that this happened was because of him, because of how selfish he was. He wanted you in the worst ways possible. You... you deserve someone who will treat you like the beautiful, delicate flower you are... someone who'll treat you right and love you unconditionally. Someone who'll wipe away your tears, chase away your nightmares, kiss away your pain..." Marvel paused, taking the chance to wipe some tears away with his thumbs. "You deserve the best," he concluded, watching her. You deserve me, he thought, heart beating wildly. It wouldn't take much to kiss her, but he wouldn't, not unless she leaned in first. He'd wait all his life for that kiss, if he had to.

[/size]

[grace]

Grace continued to fight back her sobs, what she really wanted, was to be someplace else- where nobody else was so she could release the sounds of her wounded heart, rather than choke on them. But she didn't want to be alone, either... She wasn't sure if she trusted herself alone, not after the thoughts that had gone through her head, the ideas of dying. It was more pain than what Grace knew how to handle, she wouldn't wish what had happened to her unto anyone, nobody should have to live through that. A part of her mind, a foreign one she hadn't encountered before, told her that perhaps it was for the best.

Maybe it was her purpose, being the one that people hurt so they wouldn't harm anyone else. Maybe Grace needed to be the one to live through these nightmares. That didn't mean it was any less painful, that she hated herself any less, but it was some sort of feeble explanation as to why... She feebly squeezed Marvel's hand, attempting to quiet that portion of her brain. No, she hadn't deserved it, but neither did anybody else, regardless of the wrongs that they had done, regardless of how good or bad they were, no woman should have to live through the death of their unborn child at the hands of another.

Marvel was quiet a long while, but he adjusted his position so he was leaning over her, their noses touching. She at first wasn't sure about the close proximity, she hadn't ever experienced much good from close contact, always keeping her distance. Though she wasn't exactly nervous, Marvel's presence soothed her, made her feel safe. Grace listened as he spoke, his words touching her heart. He insisted that it was on Caleb, not her, that it ought to be his shame. He went on to say she deserved someone who would treat her right, the best.

Her tears at that point had returned to silent, her sobs having quieted for the time being, they no longer caught in the back of her throat, no longer made her feel as if she were choking. Marvel was so close... Grace had cared for him such a long time, it was obvious he cared for her... Without even thinking, Grace leaned in and kissed him lightly. Her guilt was still in her heart, but her brain was beginning to listen to reason. She had never done anything to deserve what had happened to her... Grace pulled away after a moment, but stayed close, hardly able to believe she had done that, it was wrong of her, but why did it feel right? "Please," Grace whispered, "hold me."

[marvel]

Marvel watched Grace curiously, wondering what was going on her head. It was obvious she was thinking something through, but he couldn't tell. He wished that he could see into her mind, to figure things through and to understand life the way that Grace did. Maybe it would be easier to communicate with her, easier to teach her to listen to reason... Marvel looked into her eyes, noting now how close she had leaned, how quite she had become. Before Marvel had the chance to comment, Grace's lips were on his.

His eyes widened in shock as she kissed him, lips light and weightless. His heart pounded wildly, dropping leaping into his throat. This certainly was surprise. However, he couldn't help but feel elated. She cared for him too, at least a little. Maybe she knew that she had nothing to fear, that she wasn't to blame for anything that had happened. Marvel reached up, caressing her face, eyes closing as he kissed her back softly, attempting to hide a triumphant smile as his face flushed from the contact. His heart nearly broke when she pulled away.

"Please. Hold me."

Marvel stood without hesitation, lightly crawling into the bed with her. Taking the time to readjust her, he held her in his arms, lightly smoothing back her hair and kissing the top of her head. "I'm here, Grace. It's okay. Everything will be okay," he murmured to her, over and over again, wanting nothing more than for the beautiful girl in his arms to be happy again.

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[grace]

Marvel's touch was so gentle, so loving, Grace wasn't used to it. Even before Caleb had started with the hitting he had been rough- he would hold her hand so tightly she felt her fingers were being crushed, put his arm around her waist and yank her closer to him, even his kisses had lacked the tenderness that Marvel's had. If only Grace had known what that had meant all those months ago when everything had started... It had been just shy of a year, they had been together since June. The thought made her almost sick to her stomach, she had put up with it for so long...

Though through all of it, she was terribly confused. Was this what love was supposed to be like? Grace had thought that she loved Caleb, hence why she had spent so long forgiving him when he had never even asked for it. No, she had been the one doing the apologizing, she brought the hitting on herself for making him angry... But if that had been love, what was this, and why did it feel so much better? Grace noted how flushed Marvel was, she probably would have coloured herself had she not lost so much blood. She had been white as chalk to begin with, but the life was slowly beginning to return to her skin.

Her racing thoughts quieted as Marvel did as she requested, getting onto the bed with her, and taking her into his arms. Grace tried her best not to wince as she was moved, her newly-healed bones were still weak, still very sore. She was sure the pain had shown in her eyes, but once she came to her new resting spot it faded. Grace buried her eyes in his shirt, finally beginning to feel warmth, and an indescribable sense of comfort. Caleb had never been able to do this. "I hope you're right," Grace whispered.