Black And Blue-E.Buckley (9-1-1)

Six

Face down in the dirt

She said, "this doesn't hurt"

She said, "I finally had enough"

Victoria sat across the table from Eleanor, glaring at her. Eleanor tried her best to avoid Victoria's stare but it burned holes in her skin. Whenever Michael wasn't torturing her his mother was. They had never gotten along. The first time they had met Victoria told her to her face that she was a worthless whore that only wanted Michael's success. Then Eleanor looked her in the face and bit back. She told Victoria she'd be more successful if she stayed off her knees and left other people's husbands alone. After that Victoria accepted her, she didn't like her but she allowed her to stay.

"Do you even love my son?"

"What?" Eleanor was caught off guard by the question.

"Do you love Michael?"

"Of course I do." Lie. "Why would you ask me that?"

"All you do is cause trouble for him. People at the firm are talking."

"Oh, god forbid people talk," Eleanor's mouth dropped open in a fake shocked expression. 

"I bet that's the same reason your father left. You're just like your whore mother. Always causing trouble."

"You would know why he left. Or were you the only one using your mouth?" There were rare occasions where Eleanor would bite back and tonight she was feeling feisty.

"Ladies," Michael looked between the two as he took his seat at the head of the table. "Everything okay?"

"Of course dear. Just bonding with mommy dearest," Eleanor's fake smile grew.

"Couldn't have asked for a better daughter-in-law," Victoria raised her glass to Eleanor. The two smiled murderously at each other.

**Two Weeks Later**

Eleanor had finally decided that she was done. She wanted out, she wanted to leave Michael for good. Michael had just left for work and she saw this as her best opportunity. Eleanor ran to their room, digging through a basket for the piece of paper that Maddie had given her. She found it at the bottom of the basket and quickly dialed the number. As she listened to it ring she thought she heard footsteps. You're just paranoid, she thought to herself. Maddie picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Maddie?"

"Yes. Eleanor?" Her voice was hopeful. It seemed like she was just waiting by the phone for this.

A few tears slipped from her eyes. "I'm ready.. I wanna leave." She could hear the relief in Maddie's voice as she spoke.

"My brother and I will be there to get you, I promise." Eleanor could hear Maddie shuffling around in the background.

"I just need a couple of hours. I won't change my mind, I promise. I just need to tie up some stuff here." Maddie hesitantly agreed and they made a plan. Eleanor felt relieved like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She had carried this weight for so long, it was a nice feeling.

Eleanor quickly set her phone on the nightstand and went to grab a suitcase out of the closet. She set it on the bed and opened it. As she was grabbing clothes out of the dresser she heard what sounded like footsteps again. She stopped for a moment, listening carefully. She walked over and set the stack of clothes in the suitcase before walking over to the doorway. She peered her head out, looking around but she didn't see anyone. 

After a few moments, she went back to the task at hand. She grabbed more clothes and brought them to the suitcase. As she was rearranging things in the suitcase, making sure she had everything that she needed, she heard it again, only closer this time. When she turned around Michael was standing in the doorway, she screamed. The look on his face told her he knew everything. He had heard her on the phone and knew exactly what she was planning. She wasn't crazy, she had been hearing footsteps this whole time. She should have listened to her gut earlier. She should have known it wouldn't be that easy to leave.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He walked closer to her. She backed up a little but didn't have much room to move. He blocked the door and there wasn't enough room for her to go around him, he'd catch her. She couldn't escape, there was nowhere for her to go. He came within inches of her, hand raised, and swung. Eleanor felt a sharp. stinging pain across her face before everything went black.

****

When Maddie and Buck arrived they pulled into the driveway behind Eleanor's car, it was eerily quiet. Buck walked ahead of Maddie. When they reached the door it was slightly ajar. Maddie instantly panicked, pushing past Buck. She pushed the door the rest of the way open and rushed into the house, frantically looking around.

"Eleanor," she called out. No answer. She looked at Buck, worry covering both of their faces. "Eleanor!" They both called out as they looked around the house. Maddie walked toward the back of the house, toward the bedroom. When she reached the doorway she saw Eleanor, lying very still on the floor. "Buck!"

Buck ran down the hall toward his sister. When he reached the room Maddie was kneeling beside the girl, tears in her eyes as she looked up at her brother. Buck rushed over, kneeling beside Maddie as he checked for a pulse. "It's kind of weak but it's there. Call 911, now."

Maddie pulled out her phone and dialed 911. Buck brushed Eleanor's hair out of her face. He gasped in shock as he took in all her injuries. The amount of blood made them look worse than they were but it was still bad.