My Father's Daughter

Sixteen

Vic's POV

I laid in my bed, trying to fall asleep. The air was thick and I felt like it was suffocating me. Audrey had fallen asleep hours ago. It was a restless sleep, but it was sleep. The guys had stayed out and gone to a bar somewhere. I stared that the bottom of the bunk above mine which I couldn't actually see, but knew was there.

I pushed back the curtain and tried to make out Audrey's form. She shifted around again and groaned. Her breathing was heavy and labored. She let out a muffled whimper and gasped. She shot up in bed and her eyes snapped open.

"Ahh!" She screamed. She covered her head with her hands and kicked at the covers.

"Audrey!?" I asked in a panic. I slid out of bed and sat next to her. "Hey, shhh, it's just me. Audrey it was a dream, shhh, you're okay." I pulled her into my arms and brushed her hair back. "Audrey?" She finally stopped crying and looked up at me.

"Daddy?"

"Audrey, talk to me. Tell me so I can help you." She curled up closer to me. She felt so tiny, like the first time I ever held her when she was a baby. She buried her face in my chest and held onto my shirt.

"It was horrible..." I nodded and kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, I know baby."

"I-I thought I was going to die."

"But you didn't."

"B-But now...I have to live with it..." I sighed. How could anyone ever do this to such a sweet girl?

"Audrey, I'm going to help you, okay? Everyone has to live with knowing that you were hurt...you know if I could, I would do anything to take that away, right?" She shrugged and leaned on me.

"Does anyone else know?" I shook my head.

"No, only Alex and I. I told Alex to keep it to himself."

"Mike i-is going to a-ask." She sniffed again.

"Do want me to tell him? Or Tony and Jaime?" She nodded into my chest. I kissed her forehead and rubbed her shoulder. She slowly fell asleep in my arms and I held her all night. A little while later, I fell asleep too.

"Victuuuurrrr!?" I heard. I groaned and opened my eyes. "Viiiiictuuuuurrrr!" It was Jaime being stupid. I tried to get up but felt a weight on me. I carefully slid out from under Audrey, trying not to wake her.

"What!?" I spat at the guys who had just walked in. Jaime and Tony looked taken aback, but Mike looked concerned.

"Well, Mr. Grumpy Pants!" Jaime groaned.

"Hey, Vic, where'd you and Audrey run off to last night? And Alex too, for that matter." Mike asked. I glanced back to the bunks to see that Audrey was still asleep. She hadn't moved and I shooed them all out of the bus. We were in the parking lot of the today's venue. The guys had followed us here this morning I guess. They all stared at me, expecting me to go on. I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed.

"Um, so Audrey got hurt at the restaurant last night..." I started.

"Oh my gosh!"

"Is she okay?" I shook my head.

"She...got raped in the bathroom..." I said, trying to not break down again. No one responded. I looked up at them and their mouths were wide open. "I...took her to the hospital...Alex told me about some tests they could do to...ID the guy who did it." Mike swallowed.

"Oh god...is she okay?" I shrugged.

"Physically, I think. She was having nightmares last night."

"That's horrible..." Tony mumbled. I nodded.

"She's so fragile and broken and I don't know what to do." I said. I leaned against the side of the bus.

"Vic, she's going to be okay, we'll help her." I nodded. I needed help with this. I turned and climbed back onto the bus with the guys trailing behind me.

"Oh, shit!" Mike said urgently. I spun towards him. "We have to get ready for the show." He explained. I sighed in relief. I was starting to get jumpy. I looked around, realizing that Audrey still wasn't up. I really didn't want to wake her, but after something so traumatic, I would rather that than have her wake up alone.

"Okay, I'm going to talk to Audrey." I went into the bunk room leaving the guys to get ready. I sat down in her bed and rubbed her back. "Audrey?" She groaned and shifted. "Audrey, wake up Hun'." Her eyes slowly opened and she looked up at me. I smiled at her. "I have to get ready for our show, do you want to come in with us or stay here?"

"Go in with you." She said softly. I nodded and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"I told the guys, they'll be here for you, okay?" She nodded. I gave her another tentative smile before getting up to get ready.

Inside the venue, Audrey wouldn't leave my side. I tried to keep the loud noises to a minimum, but that didn't work out so well with everyone testing instruments. I noticed All Time Low sneaking glances at Audrey and they weren't being their normal high-strung selves. Audrey noticed it too and dropped her head.

"He told them..." She sighed. I took her hand and tilted her chin up.

"I think you might be right." I tried brushing it off like now big deal but she was too smart for that.

"They know now...now they're all going to think I'm a sl--"

"Don't you dare say that, Audrey." I demanded. She looked up at me with tears in her eye. I dragged her over to a bench and sat her down while I kneeled in front of her. "Look at me, Audrey." She slowly shifted her gaze to meet mine. "None of this is your fault. None of it. You have nothing to do with what happened any more, okay? Now you just need to focus on feeling better. No one blames you and they have no reason to. You didn't do anything wrong." She didn't respond for a moment but eventually nodded. I smiled. "Okay? Can you smile for me?" The tiniest smile played across her lips, but I would take it. "There we go!" I stood up and hugged her. "I love you."

"Love you too." When she let go Alex had walked up to us. I turned to him and Audrey shrunk back.

"Alex, didn't I ask you not to tell them?" I asked. He looked confused and then held up his hands in defense.

"No! I didn't! No, I would never do that. I just want to see if you're feeling any better." He nodded to Audrey who shrugged. I crossed my arms.

"Then why is your band acting so weird?" Alex blushed.

"Oh, I uh, I gave them a different excuse to, uh, calm down a little..." He got out.

"Which was?" Audrey stood up next to me.

"That you were on your...period." Audrey scoffed and I chuckled. "You know, and just kind of upset and moody." Audrey scowled.

"That is an insult to girls everywhere." She said. Alex rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Sorry..." Audrey rolled her eyes and I put an arm around her shoulder.

"You guys are going on soon right?" I asked Alex. He nodded and went back to his band to prep. Audrey and I turned and went back to the PTV dressing room.

"I'm so mad..." Audrey muttered. I chuckled again.

"Oh, come on." She shook her head.

"I hate him. I hate him so much." I nudged her.

"Yeah but you still love him!" I mocked. She blushed and I hugged her. "Crazy kids..."