Haven't Forgotten My Way Home (Camren)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Notes

Triggers: Violence; abuse; descriptions of violence; intense descriptions of D/s.

I cannot stress enough that if you are triggered by any of the above, you may want to skip this chapter. None of it is graphic, but this is an intense as all hell chapter.

Normani had found Miss Camila in the courthouse, as she and Lauren sat in the office after an even more productive meeting with Spencer and Toby.

Lauren was slowly warming to Spencer, due in part to seeing how much Miss Camila cared for her as a friend, and also how much Spencer cared for Toby. Toby was unlike any other submissive Lauren had ever known – and she hadn't really known that many. Toby was loud and brash, bratty and smart-assed. And Spencer was completely, hopelessly devoted to him. She accompanied Toby to all of the sessions with Lauren – as did Miss Camila. Ordinarily Lauren would have been annoyed at the lack of privacy, but during the harder conversations it was nice to sink into the warmth of Miss Camila, to feel her steadying hand against her back. Not to mention that it was nice to see her fear justified in the angry face of Toby, the harsh whispers from his lips as Spencer calmed him down, even as a storm also raged in her brown eyes.

But as well as being her advocate, Toby was fast becoming a friend to Lauren as well. It had been two weeks since their first meeting, two weeks of tension and wariness on Lauren's part, and patient questions and offers of coffee from Toby. Lauren had answered the questions, quirked an eyebrow, and made sure the barista gave Toby decaf. Toby had rolled his eyes one afternoon, but emptied the cup in nearly one gulp. Then he  grinned and thought of Spencer and their baby.

"I hope it's a girl," he'd said. "Maybe tough like me, but gentle like Madam."

"Why do you call her Madam?"

"What do you want to call Camila when she claims you?"

Lauren's mouth dropped open a little and Toby grinned. "Come on, kid, anyone with eyes can see that coming from a mile away. I've never seen anybody look at a girl the way she looks at you."

"Why do you call me kid? We're the same age, or at least close?"

Toby shrugged. "You remind me of a kid." When Lauren huffed – she'd learned that from Miss Camila – Toby held up his hand. "It's not a bad thing. You just haven't learned it's okay to have fun even if it means you get in trouble. To, I don't know, spoil your dinner, ask to stay up ten more minutes so you can finish this chapter, miss your curfew, get caught with your hand in the cookie jar."

Lauren wasn't sure she knew what that meant, so she changed the subject. "I'd love to call her My Lady..." she said softly.

"But?" Toby prompted.

"But it's old-fashioned?" Lauren said. "It's.. fairy tales, stories for children."

"And you think Camila won't like it."

Lauren nodded.

Toby shrugged again. "Never know if you don't ask." Checking his watch, he looked up at Lauren and his eyes glinted. "Come on, kid, let's go raid the cookie jar."

Lauren had gotten "caught with her hand in the cookie jar" three times in the last week, causing Camila to call (while Lauren was knelt in the corner with her nose to the wall for the FIFTH time that week) and ask Spencer just what the hell Toby was teaching her girl. They weren't major offenses, really: once for smarting off to Miss Camila, once for failing to call and let her know she'd be late, and for doing what currently had her sitting in the office at Miss Camila's laptop, scrolling through images.