Kanna-sama: I’m not at fault for having so many ideas, am I? I think not! Don’t worry, though, this will be pretty short.

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Title: Things loved, things protected

Rating: M for some mature content

Genre: Drama

Summary: Amelia Yules and her children were beaten by her ex-husband, Dean Ingles. When he returns six months after their divorce from jail, he wants custody for his children and will do anything to get them. Amelia gets a lawyer that is the best in the county and will do anything to win a case. And, for Amelia, he’ll do anything to keep her children from getting in the clutches of their abusive father.

Notes/Warnings: Mild adult content; Partial romance

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Prologue

Life had been hard on Amelia Yules. She had thought when she was younger, that she might be successful and have a happy life to live. When she married Dean Ingles, she had been thinking of all the wonderful times she and he had when they were in high school and dating. Having assumed that life would be as joyous as that was so naïve and so very, very inaccurate. Halfway through the year, everything fell apart. Her husband lost his job and became a drunk and she was forced to get a better job than the one she so liked. And then, not long after that, she gave birth to two children, a year between them. The first child she had was a girl that she named Elli and the second child, a boy, she named Julian. Her children made things more difficult for her and her husband became worse than normal.

One lazy night in March, she returned from work late, exhausted. Her children ran to her as soon as she walked in, sobbing. Amelia’s brows furrowed in worry and she knelt to them, gently hugging them as they cried. As her fingers passed over Elli’s head, they came back with blood smeared on the tips of her olive skin. The room seemed to tilt and she stood up as Dean entered, swaying drunkenly. He glared at her, his eyes flickering to the frightened children. Amelia pushed her children behind her, backing against the front door, her eyes not leaving her husband’s face. It was cold, devoid of all emotion. A sudden smirk curled his lips upward and he chuckled.

“You’re home late.” His smirk dropped and he glared at her, halting only a few meters from her. “What were you doing? Fucking your boss on his desk?” The children whimpered and Amelia’s hand passed over the knob and she gripped it tight. “Well?” He demanded. Amelia opened the door a crack and straightened, moving a bit from her children.

“GO!” She turned to them, grabbing them and hurrying them out of the door. “Go to the neighbors! Get help!” When she slammed the door close after they ran out, crying in fear, Dean advanced upon her, grabbing her hair and slamming her face in the corner of a table. She grabbed the lamp and smashed into his head. He stumbled away from her. She discovered that her left eye was blurry and she couldn’t see out of it at that moment. He was holding his head in pain and anger, shards of glass stuck in it. She opened the door and hurried out of the house, her head swimming. She could see Daniel Hitchcock standing in his doorway with her children clinging to his legs. His wife, Karen, ushered the children in the house as Daniel ran to Amelia. For some reason, he passed her and tackled someone behind her to the ground. Amelia turned, her body swinging dizzily. Daniel was on top of her husband, beating him to a bloody pulp, swearing at him.

“You piece of shit! Beating your kids...!” Daniel was saying. Slumping to the ground, Amelia watched dispassionately as Dean was beat until unconscious. When he was, Dean stood up, breathing hard. He turned to Amelia and his face softened. “Are you alright, sweetheart?” He looked older than his forty-five years. He took her arm and led her away. “Karen is calling the police, alright? Everything’s going to be okay now...”

That night, Dean was arrested and the next day, Amelia filed for a divorce.

Chapter One

(Six months later)

Today’s the day that bastard is released, Amelia thought, chewing on the end of her pen, gazing at her computer. She glanced up at the clock. It was five fifty-one. Only nine more minutes and she could pick her children up from daycare and go home. Ever since that night in March, her life had been better than ever. Amelia had picked up the missing pieces in her life and her children, Elli and Julian, were never frightened again. Life could never be better.

It’s August now, she thought, shutting her computer down. It’ll be Julian’s birthday in October and Elli’s in February. She smiled to herself and collected her things from her desk. This year, they’ll have a good birthday with their friends and family – most of their family, she corrected herself, remembering their father in disgust. I’ll never let him get near them.

As Amelia moved out of her office, one of her colleagues, Nathaniel, waved at her. “Goin’ home now, Amelia?”

“As soon as I pick up Elli and Julian,” she replied. “Is Mr. Roberson having you stay late tonight?” Amelia asked, entering her time card on the computer.

“Yes, unfortunately.” He sighed, leaning his elbow on his desk and rested his chin in his hand. “I was hoping to have some time to myself tonight, but I’m not quite that lucky.”

“You mean with your boyfriend,” she teased, turning to smile at him. Nathaniel was a known homosexual in the workplace, but even though they knew it, they still liked him. He hadn’t changed simply because of his sexual category. They still continued to like him for his pleasant attitude and humorous jokes. He was often told to stay late from the manager, John Robinson, and many people wondered whether sometime was going on in Robinson’s often when everyone else was gone. Though, none of these speculations got to Nathaniel’s ears. No one wanted such a kind person to get attacked by rumors.

Nathaniel rolled his eyes at Amelia’s comment, a small smile on his lips. “You’d better get to your kids. They’re probably dying to see you.”

“See you on Monday, Nathaniel.”

“Yeah. Monday,” he said gloomily. She chuckled under her breath and stepped into an elevator that was crowded with other employees. Amelia watched the numbers light up above the doors, tense. She had been trapped in an elevator when she was a child and had been wary of them every since. The only reason she took elevators now was because they were quicker. The elevator stopped at the ground level floor, which was the garage. Everyone filed out, saying goodbyes, or sighing in relief. Friday had come and everyone was looking forward to the weekend – everyone except Amelia, that is. Her ex-husband would be released from jail and so she was sure that he would come to torment her as soon as he found out where she lived. Running a hand through her dark auburn hair, she came to her simple, silver Kia and opened the door, sliding in, setting her briefcase on the floor of the passenger seat and her purse on the seat. She pulled out and drove to the Panda Bear Daycare.

She arrived ten minutes after six and her children came running out to greet her. The daycare manager, Elizabeth Walker, stepped out, smiling at Amelia. “Hello, Miss Yules.”

“How were they today?” Amelia asked, as she often did everyday. Elizabeth glanced at the children who were scrambling into the car, dragging their bags with them. She had never asked questions about the Yules’ children’s lives, but today they had seemed particularly quiet and tense. It was as though they were waiting for some disastrous event to come. Elizabeth knew better than to ask their mother, who was reserved and a hard-working, exhausted mother. She didn’t want to worry Amelia Yules any more than she probably already was. She hadn’t ever seen the father, so she guessed there was no father. Now, as she deliberated on what she should tell Miss Yules, she decided she should be as honest as she could.

“They were unlike themselves today,” Elizabeth answered her carefully.

“I’d expect they are,” the younger woman said with a cold tone to her voice. Elizabeth looked surprised. “It’s a family matter, Mrs. Walker.”

“Oh...I see.”

“Well, thank you for taking care of them. I’ll see you Monday, then, I suppose?”

“Yes, I suppose so.” Amelia said goodbye to the elderly woman and got in the car, pulling out of the drive. Elizabeth watched her for a long, lingering moment, before turning and leaving, her mind wandering to the strange behavior of Amelia Yules.

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“Mommy?” The four-year-old daughter of Amelia’s spoke up as they stopped at a red light. She had been hugging her small doll for the whole day, hoping it would bring her comfort. Amelia had reminded her children the day before that their father would be released from jail today and that he might come to see them. They had been tense ever since the news was announced. “Mommy, will...he be home when we get there?”

“What?” Amelia gave her daughter a sharp look through the rearview mirror. “No, of course not, Elli. Why would your...Why would he be there?”

“Isn’t he coming home?” Elli asked with wide eyes, staring at her mother’s reflection in the rearview mirror. Julian declined to enter the conversation, staring at an old lady in the car beside them.

“No,” Amelia replied, releasing her foot on the brakes as the light turned green. “He’s not going to come back, darling. I’m not going to let him get anywhere near you and he’s not coming back into our lives – ever.” A hesitant smile spread on the young girl’s mouth. After a pause, she looked down at her doll and kissed her on the head with a loud ‘smack!’ Julian was still staring out the window, but his brows were furrowed. For a mere five-year-old, he was more perceptive and thoughtful than most. He finally looked from the window and as the car moved down the block in which they lived on, he demanded, “What if he comes to us?” Amelia glanced at him, but didn’t reply. As if that was answer enough, he returned his attention to the window. Elli looked to her brother, biting her lip nervously.

“If he comes to us,” Amelia said slowly, “I will still not let him get near you two or let him in our lives.” Julian didn’t answer and she hadn’t really expected him to. He was a highly cautious and suspicious young boy and that was probably why he only had two best friends. All the others he claimed were spies from the aliens or, one of his favorites, spies from his father. He would never forget the pain Dean Ingles had inflicted upon him.

Amelia stopped the car in their driveway and the two children jogged to the door, waiting for their mother, who took her time getting her briefcase, purse, and locking the car. As soon as she unlocked and opened the door, her children scrambled inside and hurried to the living room to watch TV. Amelia glanced behind her at the neighborhood. There were plenty of children in the neighborhood and it was full of life. Everyone was nice to each other and though some would view them as stuck-up rich people, it wasn’t true. Most people that lived in these nice houses were either foreigners that got such nice things from the money the government gave them or it was people who worked hard throughout life. Or, for Amelia and select others, it was women that escaped disappointing marriages and had finally been able to have a successful life.

I hope Dean doesn’t come for us, Amelia thought, shutting the door and glancing at her children that were watching cartoons. I could handle it – maybe a little – but Elli and Julian can’t.

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After they ate a pleasant dinner of Rice Roni and biscuits, Amelia got the children ready for bed around eight. Amelia set her daughter’s nightlight and kissed her goodnight. Elli held up her doll, saying, “Kiss her goodnight, too, mommy!” Amelia placed a kiss on the doll’s head and Elli snuggled up to the doll, rolling on her side. “I love you, mommy.”

“I love you too, Elli,” Amelia answered gently, leaving the room, keeping the door ajar.

Moving to her son’s bedroom, she saw that he had put his miniscule nightlight in the outlet and was staring up at the ceiling, awaiting her. Amelia moved his dark hair from his forehead and he turned to look at her. “He didn’t come,” he said slowly, hesitantly.

“He’s not going to, Julian,” she told him softly. He sat up and moved into his mother’s warm arms. Feeling his body shake with tears, she tightened her embrace, hushing him gently. “Everything will be fine, darling,” she whispered to him, kissing him on the head. She drew away, smiling warmly and wiping his tears with her thumb. “Okay?” He nodded, smiling shakily. Julian wriggled into the blankets and she kissed him on the forehead, saying softly, “Goodnight, Julian. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” he muttered, closing his eyes to sleep. Leaving his room, she kept the door open a crack, less than her daughter’s. Amelia stretched and went to her room. After taking a shower and getting in her pajamas, she went to the kitchen to wash the dishes from dinner. As she did, a knock came at the door. Amelia turned her head, frowning to herself. It was only nine, but she hadn’t been expecting anyone tonight. Turning the faucet off, she left to the door and opened it to be met by a scruffy man that had once been handsome.

“Dean,” she whispered in shock.