Chapter Four:

"It wasn't really anything. Got locked out in Winter."

"Who locked you out?"

"Mom."

"Why?"

Flashback Begin

"Mama," the eleven year old child called. No response was heard, yet Olivia knew her mother was home.

"Mama, where are you?" she called again, wondering out of the kitchen and into the living area of their home.

"Mama, are you home?" Olivia called again, still walking cautiously, not wanting her mother's drunken anger to be hurled at her again.

"Mama, are you hurt? Are you here? Where are you, Mama?" the small girl called through the house again. She paused in front of her mother's bedroom, not wanting to enter but afraid for her mother's safety.

Gathering her courage, she tentatively opened the door and called, "Mama," softly. Her mother, previously asleep on the bed, woke and began to yell.

"What are you doing? Get away! Stop doing this to me, GO AWAY!" her mother yelled, staring at the girl through wild eyes. Olivia quietly exited the room, apologizing profusely.

A few minutes later her mother joined her on the couch in the living room.

"Why did you do that you stupid girl?"

"I couldn't find you," the girl stated softly.

"So you decided to stick your nose where it doesn't belong?"

The girl had enough, the constant criticism, anger, beatings and insults that had been thrown at her had gone too far. She answered nastily.

"Why not?"

Serena looked astonished. Her obedient little girl was not so obedient any longer. She grew angry.

"Get out, you slut," she yelled at the girl.

"I'm not going anywhere," the girl stated, "It's Winter and it's snowing."

"You get outside this instant," she roared, waving her fists, attempting to hit the girl.

"But Mama," Olivia began.

"NOW!"

Quietly Olivia left the room and went to her bedroom, packing a few warm pieces of clothing and some fruit in a backpack. She walked through the living area and exited.

As soon as she was outside, Olivia snuck through the side and settled herself under a shrub that she thought would provide some shelter. Covering herself with the blankets she had packed, Olivia fell asleep.

Flashback End

"I was out there for three days. I missed Christmas and almost missed New Year as well. Mom never came to check on me, but after the third day I think she got tired of making her own meals so she came to look for me."

Flashback Begin

"Olivia," her mother called softly.

"Mama," came the small, horse reply, followed by bone chilling coughs.

The mother walked over the soft snow to the shrub that Olivia had taken shelter when her mother had told her to leave. When she saw the small girl, she gasped in surprise.

Olivia was covered in blankets from head to foot. She was extremely pale and her bones protruded sharply under her skin. She was shivering harshly and every few seconds gave a wheezing, dry couch that shook her frail body.

Looking in shock at the child that lay before her, almost dead, Serena was overcome with remorse and guilt. Gently she picked up the girl and carried her into the warm living area.

Gently, Serena covered her daughter in blankets and placed a cool cloth on her forehead. Coughs still shook her body every couple of minutes but she seemed better. Olivia had more color in her cheeks, but her fever had not yet broken.

For the first time since having her daughter, Serena was worried. Other injuries could be explained but this could not. For once, putting her daughters' needs before her own, she brought the sick girl to the hospital.

'Acute Hypothermia' the doctors had diagnosed her with. For a few weeks Olivia stayed in the hospital, without abuse or assault from her mother as she never visited. She made friends with the nurses, who fell in love with her kind and compassionate nature and by the end of her stay, she was sad to leave and go back to her vile lifestyle.

For two weeks after arriving home, Serena was kind, caring, attentive; everything a mother should be, but Olivia should have known that the behavior would not last. In the third week, her mother became demanding again, ordering breakfast, dinner, clothing set out, washing, dusting and cleaning to be done. Almost everything was back to normal except the beatings. They had not returned, but Olivia figured it was only a matter of time.

A month after arriving back from the hospital, Olivia was woken up once more from fists punching, pinching and bruising her still weak body. Not able to fight back, Olivia lay in the bed and accepted the many blows being rained upon her. After the pain had reached an almost impossible level, the fists stopped and the door banged shut behind her mother. Olivia thought quietly, ' the drunk is back.'

Flashback End

"She left you for three days," Elliot asked shocked, hating her mother more by the minute.

"Yeah, wasn't the first time nor the last. It's just the only time I had to go to the hospital for it."

"I'm sorry, I'm really so sorry that you had to go through that."

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's in the past. You get past it and move on," she shrugged.

Changing the subject, he asked, "You want some dinner?"

"Yeah, Chinese would be great."

"Come on," he stated, as she got off his lap, leaving his embrace. After he got up, he held his band waiting for her to come with him. Placing her hand in his, he understood that she placed more than her hand in his. She placed her heart, trust, soul and bring with him and if he betrayed her, she wouldn't survive.

"Thank you," he whispered in her ear as they left the room together, hand in hand.