My Father's Daughter

Fourteen

A/N: Wow! So that was intense... I can't wait to keep writing this like it's so much fun. Enjoy!

Vic's POV

"He raped her." I felt my throat close up. My jaw dropped and my eyes filled with tears. No not this! I begged. Not to her, she's already been through too much. I forced air down my lungs. This can't be happening.

"Oh my god. Oh my god! Audrey..." I whispered to myself. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to process everything. I felt dizzy. Some disgusting stranger took away my already depressed daughter's virginity by force. And to make it worse, a mere twenty feet away from me.

"I got worried when I realized she had been gone a while and went looking for her. I found her in the bathroom crying." Alex explained. I felt like throwing up. I should have been the one who noticed she was gone. It should have been me who found her. Hell, I should have noticed sooner and protected her. Alex put a hand on my shoulder.

"Oh god, Alex, I'm a horrible father!" I cried. He shook his head.

"No you're not, Vic, no one could have known what was happening. It's not your fault."

"What do I do!?" I bit my lip. How would Audrey ever get through this?

"You need to take her to the hospital." I looked up at him.

"What? Why?"

"They can do DNA tests there. They can figure out who it was and we can get him put in prison."

"Really? I didn't know they could do that..." He nodded.

"A friend of mine was raped and she went to the hospital for the injuries she got. They told her about it and we caught the bastard. Don't let Audrey shower until you do, though, or they can't get it." I nodded. "Also, take pictures of the cuts and bruises if you can. Vic, Audrey's going to feel like shit for a while. She'll probably feel really guilty and violated. You have to be the one to convince her otherwise. It's not going to help anything going on with her." I nodded.

"Alex, how do you know all this?" I asked. I had never been taught this much about rape. He shrugged.

"Like I said, a friend of mine went through this. I was with her every step of the way and learned what you're supposed to do." I nodded. The door to the bunk room opened and Audrey, still teary-eyed stood holding some clothes.

"I'm going to take a shower. She croaked. He voice was weak and broken.

"Wait! Audrey, you can't." I jumped. She gasped and stumbled back, away from me. Alex caught her and stood her back up. I sighed, I scared her. "I'm sorry, Hun'." She swallowed and looked up at me.

"W-Why can't I shower?" I took her over to the couch and we sat down. I pulled her closer to me and she rested her head on my chest.

"Audrey, I'm going to take you to the hospital, okay? There they can take a DNA test and we can figure out who hurt you." She snapped up.

"What!? No! You can't!" I cocked my head and looked to Alex for help. "I don't want anyone to know! I just want to forget about it!" Alex scooched closer on the other side of her.

"Audrey, I know you don't want this now, but in a week or so, you might change your mind and regret not doing this. It can't hurt to get the tests done, right?" He asked. She paused but then shook her head and jumped up.

"No! I don't want them!" Tears were falling down her face again and I just wanted to hold her. I stood up.

"Baby, why don't you want to find him? He'll go to jail." I insisted. She spun towards me and looked me in the eye.

"Because he's going to kill me! I told you so he's going to kill me!" She cried. I sighed and opened my arms for her. She walked to me and I wrapped my arms around her as she cried. I rubbed her back lightly and kissed the side my her head.

"Audrey, Hun', I won't let anyone hurt you ever again. I'm sorry I wasn't there, I should have realized what was going on. If you ever see that man again, it'll be in court. He's never going to touch you again. I promise." She nodded into my shoulder. "Okay?" She pulled away from me and I wiped her tears away.

"Okay..." I held her shoulders.

"So...you'll get the tests?" She sniffed and nodded. I gave her a reassuring smile and brushed the hair out of her face. "You can stop crying now. Everything's going to be okay. You're going to be okay, Audrey." I tilted her chin up so she would look at me. "I love you."

"I love you too." I took her hand.

"Are you okay to go now?" She nodded and a small forced smile played across her lips. "Okay. Alex?" I turned to him. He shrugged.

"Audrey, it's up to you if you want me to come or not. I'll gladly go but I don't want to make you uncomfortable." She looked up at Alex.

"Can you come?" He smiled and nodded.

"Of course." I led them outside and got in my car.

It was a silent drive the entire way. Audrey asked Alex to sit in back with her and she was curled up next to him. Her eyes were glued to the window, watching all the trees and buildings go bye. Alex held Audrey, and watched her intently; making sure she was okay and not crying again. I was thankful for Alex, he kept watch over Audrey when I couldn't. It seemed like whenever she was in trouble, or just needed a friend, he was always there.

Alex was a better father than I was.

I loved the kid and hated him at the same time. He could have quite possibly saved Audrey when she was having a panic attack. He knew what to do when I didn't. He saved my little girl and that meant more than the world to me; but I almost felt rejected by Audrey. She was starting to favor him over me. She could have asked that I stay in back with her, and Alex could drive. I sighed to myself and shrugged it off. Maybe I was looking too far into this. Alex was only six years older than Audrey; she couldn't want him as her father instead of me, it just wouldn't make sense.