White *Totally Revising*

Prologue

"Ashlynn," I get out before a warm tear runs down my cheek. I scoop her up in my arms, clinging on to her as she cries, her head resting on my shoulder.

My fingers run over the place on her temple where my brother-in-law just hit her, there's sure to be a bruise in a minute. "Daniel, you can't do that! She's just a child, she's eight!"

"She's stupid. She's a stupid kid. I told her we're not going to the store today," he replies back with a shrug. It disgusts me. You are not going to shrug for hitting a little kid like that. Especially my niece.

"She's eight. That's what little kids do - beg their dads to take them shopping, share stories about their day, kiss and hug you as you lie down watching TV together. She's a little kid, Dan! Keep this up and she'll really get hurt," I shout at him, stroking Ashlynn's hair, trying to calm her down. It's not working, considering I'm shouting next to her.

Dan waves his hand, dismissing the subject. Ashlynn brings her head up from my shoulder. In between sobs she says to me, "Lily," She gasps. "He hits me," Another gasp. "He pushes me and hits me. Look," She lifts up her shirt, reavealing a long cut on her belly. I can see the blood soaking through the two bandaids that she has laid over the cut.  "He pushed me and I fell.  I hit the table."

I caress Ashlynn's face, looking her in the eyes sternly. "Ash, does he do this a lot?" She doesn't answer right away, so I give her the look that I use when I know she's in trouble and she won't admit it. She cracks. "Yes."

I set her down in front of me, "Go sit in my car, we're going to my apartment. I'll be right there," I whisper in her ear. She walks out the front door. I move toward Dan who has now settled on the couch with a football game on the television. I grab the remote from the edge of the couch and turn the TV off.

"Hey! I'm watching that," Dan whines to me. Like a baby.

"Well now there are two things you aren't watching. The football game and your daughter." Dan looks at me with confusion, his brows furrowed. "I went through this. Kylie went through this. I was pretty sure that Ashlynn wouldn't have to go through this." I pause gathering my emotions, determined to stay strong, just as my niece has stayed strong for this long. "How long has this been going on, Dan? You hitting Ashlynn when something doesn't go your way? When you get annoyed with her?

"She loves you. At least she did. You may not think so, but I know so. How? Ever since Kilie died, " I pause again, my fist up to my mouth. Stay strong. "Ever since Kilie died, I've taken Ashlynn so many places, done so many things. I've tried to do the things that she can't anymore because her mom isn't here. When I would bring her home and see a cut or a bruise, I would ask her what happened and do you know what she'd tell me? That she fell. That she accidentally hit the table. She never once told me that you did it. Because she loved you." Looking at Dan's unchanged expression, his droopy-eyed stare, his lazy posture. He's bored. He doesn't care and it infuriates me. "Darnit, Dan!" I throw the remote at him, hitting his stomach. He sits unchanged, thankful for the remote. "Why couldn't you show her some love? Why couldn't you have been there for her?" Tears run down my face now, one after another. "I know what it's like going through that, I went through it for eleven years. I hated it!" I stare into Dan's eyes with utter disgust. "You can't raise her anymore. I won't let you. I won't let Ashlynn go through the same thing her mom and I went through." I run out the door, slamming it behind me.

I sort of fear that Dan is going to come storming behind me, demanding for his daughter back. Snatching her from my sight into another day of hurt. Another day of treating Ashlynn with no respect. But he doesn't come. I feel a pain in my chest. Is it for the pain that Ashlynn has been going through since her mom died? Is it because her dad hasn't tried to come take her back? I don't know. I do know that I've got to get her out of this house. Out of her dad's brutal fists. I start the car, buckle up and turn to Ashlynn, who sits in the seat behind me. "Hey, Ash. It's okay. Daddy won't hurt you anymore."

A/N

Credit to mialeecira for helping me with this story, and description!  She, also, made my cover!  You should go check out her stories, please!  Thanks!