Chapter Thirty Two

“Dad?”

Dan glanced up from the doorway of his home office to see his oldest son standing in it. He was struck for a moment as he studied the young man in front him. The skinny boy he had sent away was now almost as tall as himself, broad shouldered, and solidly built. He walked with confidence and pride. Dan couldn’t help but feel a heavy twinge of regret, that he had missed these last few crucial years of his son becoming a man.

“Come on in, Tim. Something on your mind?” Dan asked.

“Yes sir.” Tim entered and took a seat across from Dan. “Dad, what’s the easiest way to get an abused child out of the house? Can you put her in protective custody?”

Dan blinked twice. That was not what he was expecting.

“Well, it’s not that easy, Tim. The courts have to be involved, along with social services. Besides that, we can’t just step in and whisk them out. Our primary concern is dangerous criminals. What’s this about?”

“I have a friend,” Tim started. “A girl. A girl I really like. Her dad is beating her because he’s a dick. He sent her off to school, kinda like me, and she’s trying to start over, like me also.”

Dan studied his son. “Start at the beginning Tim, and stop leaving out details.”

Tim ducked his head, hiding his smile. He should have known his dad would see through him. He started with the plane ride, and the camping trip, leaving out exactly what they did, but he knew Dan knew anyway.

Dan thought for a moment, his dark eyes intense.

“I hate to say it Tim, but there’s just not anything I can do, other than call Social Services to start an investigation. I would have to witness him attacking her to have legal right to try and remove her from the house. And from the sound of it, he’s well connected and could tie it up in courts. We can start the process, but the chance of her being removed before she turns eighteen is slim. Plus, she’d have to be willing to come forward, and from what you’re telling me, she isn’t.”

Tim nodded. “She wants to try and stick it out. She said as much about it taking too long.”

Dan sighed. “Unfortunately our system is pretty screwed up and tangled up in red tape. If she was removed, she’d be placed in a foster home.”

“I was—kind of hoping she might be able stay here.”

Dan raised one dark eyebrow.

“Not in my room or anything, but maybe in the den, or in Dana’s room while she’s at camp. Just till she’s eighteen, in August.”

Dan thought long and hard, weighing options.

“Well, first, we’d have to get her out of the house. And a connected man like her father won’t let her go easily. Your mom would be delighted I bet, but we’re looking at a lot of red tape.”

“Can you look into it?” Tim asked.

Dan leaned forward, hands clasped and resting on the desk.

“You seem pretty into this girl, for someone you just met a couple weeks ago.”

Tim nodded. “Yes sir. I know it sounds hokey but I feel like…like I’ve known her all my life.”

Dan kept his eyes on his son. He hadn’t been much older when he met Daisy, and he was smitten from the get go.

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll see what I can do,” Dan answered. “I have some contacts on the local PD, let me put in a call to them and see what I can find out. But, son, try not to get your hopes up. I don’t know how this is going to play out, and starting an investigation could just make the situation worse for her.”

Tim nodded and rose. “Thanks, Dad.”

***

Several days went by without an email or any contact. Tim went through his interviews, and was offered all three jobs, and Jim was keen for him to come work at the school.

It was the middle of night when his phone rang, jarring him from his light sleep. He didn’t know the number but he knew who it was.

Lyris?” he asked sleepily.

“Tim! Tim, can you come get me? Father was furious when a social worker showed up and he laid into me and I finally got away—”

“Where are you?” Tim demanded, sitting up. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Stay out of sight.”

Throwing on his clothes and boots, he realized he didn’t have a car. He’d have to slip into Jesse’s room and snag his keys, or wake his dad.

After about twenty seconds of thinking, he decided he wanted backup, and that meant waking the Marshal. Tim knocked lightly on the door, and opening it a crack.

“Dad?” he called softly. “Dad?”

“Tim? What is it, sugar?” came Daisy’s sleepy voice.

“Is Dad awake?”

“I am now.” Dan's voice resonated in the darkness.

“Dad, my friend just called. Her father beat her again because a social worker came to the house. She’s run away and I need to go get her.”

“Give me two minutes.” Dan answered.

Five minutes later Dan, Daisy and Tim were speeding towards Croton. Dan had dressed and made sure he had his gun and badge with him. Both men knew this could go badly if the girl’s father followed her. Daisy had insisted on going along. The girl would be terrified, she pointed out, and her presence might help calm her.

Dan knew the late night place she was at, and the Mangans reached it in record time. Dan was willing to use his blue light if need be, but traffic wasn’t heavy and he didn’t get pulled over for speeding. Tim had his seatbelt undone and was out of the car before Dan had to come to a complete stop. Dan followed his son into the diner, neither Mangan disturbed by the shady and sleazy characters hanging out. Dan asked Daisy to stay in the car. He full expected the girl’s father to track her down, and Dan wanted his wife out of harm’s way. Daisy reluctantly agreed.

Tim walked up to the cashier. “I’m looking for a girl who should be here somewhere. Almost my height, blonde hair, green eyes?”

“Probably the girl hidin’ in the bathroom. She came in about forty minutes ago, quivering like a newborn colt. Someone took somethin’ out on her. Hey, it wasn’t you, was it?”

Tim was halfway to the bathroom before the cashier was finished speaking.

“Lyris?” he pushed the door open, not caring that everyone in the diner was watching. She stepped out of a stall timidly. “Lyris, you in here?”

“Tim?”

His jaw dropped when he saw her. Her mouth was bruised and he could see dried blood. Her left eye was almost swollen shut. She had her jacket around her tightly. She was wearing pajamas and slippers.

“Dear God,” he muttered, holding his arms out to her. She ran to him, crying hysterically. He held her gently, stroking her hair and murmuring, “Shh. It’s okay, I’m here, I’m here.”

They stood for a while, Tim rubbing her back while she clung to him, sobbing. When her crying slowed into muffled hiccups, he led her out of the bathroom. Dan stood near the cashier, waiting.

The door burst open then, and Dan knew it had to be her father storming in, eyes bloodshot, his cheek scraped and bloody. She fought back, Dan noted. Good girl.

“You little slut!” he screamed. “I knew you’d run to him!”

He made a move towards Tim, who instantly shoved Lyris behind him, but Dan moved faster, blocking his son from the man and flashing his badge.

“US Marshal, sir. This young woman is now in federal custody. I advise you to step back immediately while I escort her off of these premises.”

“You can flash that badge all you want, but that bitch is my daughter and I’m going to finish the lesson I started to teach her earlier!”

He advanced again and found himself staring into Dan’s chest, with Dan’s right hand on his gun, ready to pull.

Tim kept Lyris behind him. Dan wouldn’t let the man get part him, but Tim wasn’t taking any chances. He glanced out the window to see his mother standing beside the SUV, watching.

“Sir, your daughter is in my protective custody right now and unless you want to find yourself in jail tonight for assault and battery of a minor, threatening bodily harm and whatever else I think applies, you will step back immediately.”

Mr. Crocken stared at Dan’s unflinching gaze and stepped backwards. Never taking his eyes off of the girl’s father or his right hand off of his gun, Dan reached for his cell phone with his left hand and dialed three numbers.

“This is US Marshal Dan Mangan, I need a black and a white to the All Nite Diner on Old Post Road. I have a child abuser in custody, with the victim present.”

He snapped his phone shut. “Turn around and put your hands on your head.”

Cracken obeyed, and Dan snapped the cuffs on his wrists. “Tim, take the girl out to the car and stay put.”

“Yes, sir,” Tim answered, shielding Lyris with his body as he escorted her outside. Pride swelled up in Tim. He hadn’t realized Dan had his gun and cuffs on him, and he had never seen his dad in action before—other than the night Dan had had to tackle and cuff Tim himself.

He helped Lyris into the back of the SUV, into Daisy’s waiting arms, who held the girl while she cried. Within four minutes he saw red and blue flashing lights and two police cruisers pulled in. The uniformed officers got out and hurried inside. Tim could see Dan talking with them, as Lyris’ father was led out to one of the cars. Dan was motioning to his SUV, and the officer agreed. A moment later, Dan was getting into the car.

“I’m bound by law to take you to the hospital, young lady. And even if you don’t give a statement, because you are a minor, charges will be filed. The state is going to intervene from here on out. Social Services will be meeting us at the hospital to act as your representation. Do you understand?”

She nodded, wiping her eyes.

Dan kept a tenuous hold his temper. The girl was about Tiffany’s height and Aralyn’s frame, and terrified. He personally wanted to pummel the bastard for raising his hand to the girl. Dan had struck Tim once, and only once, and it was to subdue the strung out boy. He wondered how many times this man had hit the girl.

Dan and Tim waited with a uniformed officer while she was examined by a female doctor and criminalist. Lyris denied a rape, but sat while they treated her face and scraped her nails for DNA evidence and utilized the rape kit. She knew better than to clean herself or wash her hands because of evidence and had simply hid in the bathroom stall. The uniformed officer took her statement and Dan placed a phone call to a juvenile court judge who remanded Lyris to his custody for forty- eight hours.

It was almost dawn by the time they reached the Mangan house. Lyris had fallen asleep in Tim’s arms, but he woke her gently.

Daisy showed Lyris to Dana’s room, while Dan started breakfast. Tim lent her a pair of clean sweatpants and a sweatshirt, since she didn’t have any clothes with her adnw as taller than Tim’s sister or mother. Lyris picked at her food, and asked to be excused. Daisy made sure she was settled in Dana’s room, and left her to sleep.

“That poor girl,” she commented, returning to the kitchen.

Tim nodded, pushing his pancakes around.

“She’s really nice, and really cool. She’s a lot like me, trying to make a new start, but he won’t give her a chance,” he said morosely.

“A lot of people don’t want to believe someone can change, sugar,” Daisy said gently. “It sounds like her daddy is one of them.”

“Do you think the court will let her stay here?” Tim asked his father. “Would that be all right with you two?”

Daisy smiled and ran her hand over her son’s shaved down hair as Dan sipped his coffee.

“Of course it’s okay with us, Tim. But it’s up to the court,” Daisy answered. “They may place her in foster care until she turns eighteen.”

“Bo and Luke are doing some research right now,” Dan added, “trying to determine her dad’s situation. There’s more going on here than just a control freak, and I’m calling in some favors to see if we can’t keep her for a few days, at least.”

***

Dan attended the arraignment for Mr. Crocken, but bail was refused, at the prosecution’s request. The social worker who had visited his house testified that she had seen Lyris’ bruises, her father was hostile and displayed a temper that led her to believe he was indeed abusive to his daughter.

Custody was extended to Dan for two weeks, at which point there would be another hearing to decide where Lyris should stay until she was eighteen, which was another month away. Mr. Crocken was finally released, with a restraining order against him. He wasn’t to come within 500 yards of his daughter.

Dan and two uniformed police officers escorted Lyris to her parents’ house where she collected her clothes. Her mother stood stiffly, watching without a word.

Jesse welcomed her warmly. He was used to a crowd with the family, and Lyris immediately felt at home. Daisy was the kind of mother she had always wanted, warm, loving, successful. Daisy admired the girl’s sense of fashion, and let Lyris go to the design company with her several time to see if the girl would enjoy working there.

Dan sat the pair down in his office after he and Daisy were granted temporary custody.

“I want to lay out some ground rules,” he said sternly. “Tim, you are eighteen, Lyris, you’re seventeen. That means you’re a minor.”

Tim knew what coming next.

“Your well being has been put in mine and Daisy’s care, and we have a few rules you both need to agree too.”

Lyris nodded. Her face was slowly healing.

“First and foremost, there’s to be no sexual activity as long as you’re underage. I know how things can get, but as long as you’re in my custody, you two will behave honorably and honestly. There can’t be any reason for our custody to be revoked. You two understand?”

“Agreed,” Lyris said quickly. Tim nodded.

“If you two are together in a room, I want the door open. I understand this seems old fashioned but there’s no telling when the social worker will arrive, and this is a precarious situation. You two need to be ready at any moment to talk with a social worker.”

The pair agreed. Tim knew better than to try sneaking out of his room at night and into hers. He had only managed to sneak out twice in his entire life.

She stayed in Dana’s room while the girl was at soccer camp overseas, and Tim couldn’t slip in without having to pass by his parents’ room. He had given his word to Dan there would be no sexual activity in the house, Lyris was still seventeen and Tim was eighteen. She was still a minor. There was plenty of kiss stealing, and cuddling but it was agony for him to not be intimate with her, and he spent a lot of time in cold showers.

The social worker visited every few days and the whole family was being studied.

Tim took the job with Jim, but declined the boarding option. He liked seeing Lyris every day and being able to cuddle with her on the sofa, or in one of their rooms, as long as the door was open.

Tim was still debating on what career to pursue, and was even eying the US Marshals as an option. He knew he wanted to end up in some sort of law enforcement, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to go Navy. He could enlist, or with the Academy in his background, might be able to fast track at college. Annapolis would be pretty cool, and it wasn’t too far from the family.

Daisy was delighted to realize Lyris had a talent and eye for design and quickly encouraged the girl to start sketching. While she had no desire to see her oldest son marry at such a young age, she would be thrilled to have Lyris in the family.

***

The two weeks flew by, too fast for Lyris, who was enjoying her new life.

Soon enough, she found herself back in court with Dan and Daisy at her side.

The hearing went quickly enough. The worst that Mr. Crocken’s lawyer could come up with Daisy’s family had ran moonshine over twenty years before, Dan had been a member of a gang as a teenager, and had a sealed record, and Tim’s brief encounters with drugs, which he was clearly done with, and had a sterling reputation at school.

The judge was dismissive towards most of it, pointing out the twenty plus years Dan had put in as a Marshal, and that pretty much every family in the South had run moonshine at some point. Because Tim had been a minor when he was in trouble, it was also a sealed record, and his Naval Academy records were presented to show his awards and recognition.

The social worker assigned testified that Lyris had been very happy on every visit; she went to work with Daisy and seemed to love studying fashion. The Mangans were a happy family, all pleasant to be around, and there was plenty of family time. The social worker wished more families were that loving.

Within the hour, the judge announced that Lyris would stay in the custody of Daniel and Daisy Mangan until she reached eighteen. If Lyris wanted to see her parents, she could, but there was no mandatory visitation. Lyris wasn’t surprised. Her mother couldn’t care less and her father was probably now glad she was out of his hair.

Lyris really didn’t mind. She adored the Mangan family more than she ever had her own parents, and the entire family made her feel like one of them. She knew she was falling in love with Tim more everyday, and wondered if they had a chance at making it work. They were both so young she knew, but she couldn’t imagine herself with anyone else right now.

***

Daisy poked her head out of the kitchen. Lyris hadn’t answered when she called.

She spotted the girl in the window seat of the bay window, writing intently.

“Lyris, you all right?” Daisy asked as she walked up to her.

Lyris looked up, startled. “Oh, yes, I’m fine. Did you call me?”

“I have some cookie dough that needs sampling,” Daisy’s green eyes sparkled at her. “What are you writing?”

“Oh, I’m not writing,” Lyris blushed and held out her sketchpad.

Daisy took it with interest, and for a brief moment, was flung back in time as she looked at the sketches.

“What are you doing?” Honey peered over Daisy’s shoulder, who blushed.

Honey’s brain was racing. She may not have a degree in business, but she knew someone who did.

“These are fantastic,” Daisy murmured as she flipped through pages.

Lyris’ blush deepened. “You’re just saying that.”

“No, sugar, I mean it.” Daisy sat next to her. “These are edgy, very fashion forward.”

“You think so?” Lyris asked shyly.

“Absolutely. When did you start doing this?”

Lyris shrugged. “School bored me. I did well in art, though.”

“I can see that. Lyris, do you mind if I take these into work tomorrow?” Daisy asked.

“Sure.” Lyris was working at an entry level position, mostly as a gopher for the fabric department. She had hoped at some point to maybe work under the designers.

“I have someone I want to see this.”

***

Daisy called her design team together. It was a small staff of 4. Daisy still did a majority of the designs herself but had slowly over the years added talent to her company. Each specialized in an area that had allowed Daisy Dukes Designs to expand from a small clothing store in Atlanta to a worldwide leader of fashion.

“Take a look at these,” she passed the copies around of the sketches she had made.

Faye hmmphed but Daisy noticed her eyebrows twitched a little with interest.

“Nice lines,” Ricky commented. “Edgy.”

Daisy nodded.

“There’s definitely some talent here,” Colum said. “A little rough but nothing some fine tuning couldn’t help.”

“Marnie?” Daisy asked. Marnie was their newest member, and was working intently on a high fashion line for teens. Which was exactly where Daisy thought Lyris would work out the best.

“Very nice. A little rough like Col said, but I could work with this kind of talent.”

“Good. I’d like to bring her on for a short term contract. See how she works with everyone, where her strengths may be. Say, six months, then reevaluate. I can have her up here in fifteen minutes. She’s working down in fabric.”

***

Lyris poked her head into Daisy’s office. She had only seen it once, but she loved it. Warm colors, rich furniture, and large, glossy posters everywhere of various Fashion Weeks, starring DDD models. Many of the pictures featured a stunning dark haired, violet eyed girl on the runway, whom Lyris knew was Rayma Belden. Tim’s cousin and the oldest daughter of one of Daisy’s partners.

“Have a seat, sugar,” Daisy smiled at her.

“Am I in trouble?” Lyris asked. Her face was mostly healed, but she was worried she had screwed up already.

“Not at all. Would you read this?” Daisy handed her a sheaf of papers.

Lyris skimmed it, then stopped, and started reading again, slower this time. “Is this- a job offer? Other than what I do now?”

Daisy nodded. “I want you to try out the design team, Lyris. I think you’ve got some real talent and so does my team. Now it’s low paying for six months as a trial run, but after six months, we’ll reevaluate and determine if it’s a good fit for you. You get credit and paid for designs we use that you create. I think you’ll find it’s a fair offer, and you can have anyone look it over. You don’t have to sign today. If you decide to accept it, you’ll be working with Marnie. She’s incredibly talented and easy to get along with. It will be hard work, and there will be criticism of course, but I think you can handle it.”

Lyris looked up from the contract, to Daisy’s smiling face. Tears poked at her eyes. “It’s amazing, of course I want to accept!”

Daisy laughed. “You can take a couple of days to think it over. There’s no rush. But I think you’re too talented to be a gopher to the fabric team.”

“Daisy, it’s, I just don’t have words!”

Daisy beamed.

***

Dana would be home in mid-August, but Tim had already volunteered his room for Lyris and he’d sleep on the couch. Lyris would be eighteen in just another week and Tim was determined to make it a special day for her.

Tim had spent a good deal of time hanging out with Dean Acklen as well, and by default, Cam Kent on occasion. Tim liked Cam, but the boy was a wreck over Aralyn leaving. Tim hoped the guy would meet someone this fall at school to take his mind off of his cousin. He knew Aralyn. She needed to be free to roam, and decide what she wanted to do with her life. Whether or not that involved Cam was anyone’s guess.

Both of the guys liked Lyris and were friendly with her. She was considered part of the Belden-Duke Clan quickly and accepted into the fold.

***

Lyris brushed her hair nervously. She had planned to buy a new dress but Daisy had taken care of it. At breakfast there had been a big box wrapped with a green bow, and in it, a new dress. Daisy had studied her style and color choices, and chosen well.

There was a big party for her tomorrow, but tonight, Tim was taking her out, and they had a hotel room reserved.

It was a hot August night, but the spaghetti strap sundress was a deep green with white lace edging that showed off her figure. Her new sandals were green as well, and she had painted her toenails red.

She wasn’t a virgin, but she couldn’t help feeling nervous about her first time with Tim. It was hard to stop their makeout sessions, especially when his dark green eyes were lit with desire for her. But they adhered to Dan and Daisy’s rules, and there were a lot of cold showers in the house. They had planned tonight for weeks.

She clasped the gold chain around her neck. She still wore the multiple ear and facial piercings most of the time but had removed them tonight. She didn’t have a lot of jewelry, but her grandmother had given her the gold necklace many years before, just a thin chain with a green stone that Lyris doubted was real, but always made her smile. The necklace was the most precious thing she owned.

She slipped her feet into the sandals, admiring the light tan she had gotten the last few weeks. When she wasn’t working, Rayma and Mabon Belden had invited her to join them for shopping and sunbathing, complete with heavy SPF. Lyris had enjoyed getting to know the Belden girls, and looked forward to meeting Aralyn and Tiffany this winter.

Leaning towards the mirror she touched up her lipstick, and then picked up her clutch purse and backpack, with her overnight stuff.

Tim was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, with a smile and an expression she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Well, don’t you look lovely,” Daisy smiled. Dan wasn’t home yet and Jesse was out with his girlfriend.

“The dress is gorgeous, Daisy, thank you again.” Lyrus smiled at her.

“It’s my pleasure. You two have fun, and be careful.” She gave her son a pointed look.

“Yes, Mom,” Tim grinned at her and held out his arm to Lyris, hoping his mother wouldn’t realize his insides were shaking with nerves. “Shall we?”

Heart fluttering in her throat, she slipped her arm through his. “Yes.”

Meet the cast in full & see the family tree!

Author’s Notes
- A huge yee-haa to the fabulous and lovely Ronda, for editing this and her suggestions which made it much better!
- Sorry it took so long, I had some rewriting that was really necessary. - Tim has gone quiet for a while while he ponders his future but there's another cousin coming up soon. Click Next to see who! - Word Count, 4,716

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