A/N: I swear I was gonna get this out Sunday, but I didn't actually start the update until yesterday because I was kind of in a not wanting to write mood. But it's here! And hopefully the last half of the chapter makes up for the lateness.
I would just like to say, I know Mike is an asshole in this fic, and this chapter especially (a fair warning about that, but it gets better I promise!) but that in no way represents him in real life. Also, there's mentions of abuse, and even though it's not like explicit details, I figured I'd put in a warning.
Alrighty pups, read and enjoy! I think (hope) the second half is something a lot of you have been waiting for. :)
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"W-What are you d-doing here? Lauren stumbled out, fear creeping into her voice as she spoke.
She didn't need this right now. She wasn't ready; she didn't think she'd ever be ready.
Mike shrugged. "I can't check on my own daughter?" he questioned calmly, like it wasn't a big deal that he was only now doing so after a year and half after Lauren moved out.
"How did you even find me?"
"I know people who live in the building," the older man replied. "They've mentioned seeing you around."
"What do you want?"
There was no way he came just to check on her. If that was the case, he would have done so months ago. But she hadn't talked to him since that night.
"Is it really that hard to believe I want to make sure you're doing okay?"
"Yes," Lauren replied simply. "And, and I'm fine. Please, just leave."
Mike's calm demeanor darkened slightly, and Lauren immediately tensed.
"We need to talk, Lauren. Now."
The green eyed girl shook her head, growing nervous with each second that passed. "No, we don't. You need to leave." She attempted to close the door, but Mike slipped his foot in between the door and the frame.
"Lauren Michelle, do not disobey me."
The implied threat sent a chill down the girl's spine, and she flinched back, clenching her eyes closed tightly. "Just leave, please," she begged.
She wasn't ready. There was no way in hell she could make it through this. Spending time with Dinah, Ally, and Normani, she had finally come to terms with the fact that her childhood was not normal. Really, she already knew it, but everything the trio had shown had only proven it.
"Please, just leave," she repeated quietly. "I don't want to talk to you."
"I haven't seen in you in almost two years," Mike argued.
"And whose fault is that?" Lauren replied angrily, her fists clenching at her side. She didn't know where the sudden bout of confidence came from, but assumed it was probably from her building frustrations that he wouldn't just leave.
"Don't talk to me like that, Lauren."
"No, you don't get to talk to me like that," the green eyed girl shouted, tears forming in her eyes. She absolutely hated how scared she felt being around him, though she supposed she had good reason.
This was the man who made her life growing up hell. And now here he was, after almost two years of no contact, demanding she speak with him. Just being near him had her on edge, and she wanted nothing more than one of the three women, hell even Camila to come and help her. She felt so small, like a child afraid to sleep because of imaginary monsters under the bed.
Except hers wasn't imaginary. He was standing right in front of her.
And she felt so small and little compared to him, and there was a massive pounding in her head and she couldn't think; she could barely breathe there was a growing tightness in her chest.
"I want nothing to do with you," she heard herself say through the hammering of her skull.
"It's about the company, Lauren."
"I don't want anything to do with that, either!" the girl shouted viciously. "You made my life a living hell because of that fucking company, I want no part of it!"
"But you have no problem associating with the daughter of the owner of Hansen Industries?" Mike inquired, smirking when Lauren visibly paled. "I told you I know people in this building, Lauren. They've seen Ms. Hansen around here multiple times."
"So you just came here to what? Get me to convince her to make her dad partner with you?" Lauren accused, staring at the man in disbelief. "Well that sucks for you, because I won't."
Mike reached out and roughly grabbed Lauren's arm, causing the girl to cry out in fear and pain. "Do you think I'm playing?" he asked menacingly, and Lauren knew he wouldn't have any problem hurting her.
He'd done it before, there was no way she could stop him now.
"Dinah knows," Lauren said. "She knows about how you beat me as a kid. It's kind of hard to miss the whip marks on my back."
"And how would she know about them?" Mike questioned, his eyes narrowing in challenge.
Lauren breathed out shakily, knowing what she was about to say would piss him off. But she didn't care. She'd made it through the conversation a lot further than she thought, might as well not stop now.
"Because she's my caretaker when I'm little."
Honestly, Lauren realized it was probably a bad idea to admit that to him, but she found some satisfaction in seeing how furious it made him.
"You're what?" Mike asked, his voice a low growl.
"My caretaker. Because I'm a little. And at first, I despised the idea of being one, because I thought it would be just like living with you all over again," she explained, pulling her arm out of the vice-like grip Mike had on it. "But I've learned that everything I suffered through as a kid was fucked up, and it was all because of you. You made it hell."
"Lauren," the older man warned, but the green eyed girl just shook her head.
"No, you beat the shit out of me for nothing," Lauren replied furiously. "No one deserves that kind of abuse. I mean, fuck, you didn't even care that Brad wanted me to sleep with him when I was just out of sophomore year and I didn't want to! What kind of person beats their kid for not wanting to have sex?!" she asked. "I want nothing to do with you or your company. You can leave and go to fucking hell!" she screamed, shoving him back towards the still slightly ajar door, her chest heaving as she tried to settle her breathing.
The two stood in a stare down, and as Mike took a threatening step toward the green eyed girl, Normani stormed through the door. When she caught sight of Mike, she immediately grabbed the collar of his shirt and shoved him towards the door.
"Get the fuck out and stay the hell away from her," she growled. "Or I will make sure you pay for the shit you put your own daughter through, and watch your company and your reputation burn to the ground."
Mike looked between the dark skinned woman, who was glaring at him with fury in her eyes, and Lauren, who was stood behind the woman, frozen in fear. Finally, he pushed Normani away and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door as he went.
Just as the older woman turned to ask if she was okay, Lauren took off down the hall. Normani found her a few moments later in the bathroom, kneeling over the toilet as she vomited.
The dark skinned woman slowly made her way next to the girl, kneeling beside her and pulling her hair back, rubbing her back slowly. She hadn't seen it before, but there was a damp spot on Lauren's jeans, and she had a pretty good guess as to what it was.
Finally, the smaller girl flushed the toilet, and leaned back against the wall, loud sobs wracking her body.
Normani stood and walked out only to return a few minutes later with a towel, washcloth, and a small backpack in hand. They had started to keep a bag full of little supplies on hand a few months after Camila became their little; when Lauren came along, they just added her stuff to it. And when Normani heard Lauren drop her phone and didn't hear from her for a few minutes, after multiple unanswered calls, she decided to check on her, and thought the bag might come in handy.
She knelt in front of Lauren, gently taking one of the girl's hands in her own. "Do you think I could help you get cleaned up?" she asked softly. "Or do you want to do it yourself?"
Lauren shook her head profusely and whined, tears still quickly cascading down her cheeks and sobs still threatening to escape. She was little and the only thing she wanted was Normani to hold her.
Normani pulled the girl close, patting her back softly. "Shh, baby, it's alright. He's gone and I'm here now," she murmured reassuringly. "Let's get you cleaned up though, okay? I'm sure you'll feel tons better when you are."
She reached over to turn the water on to start filling the tub, then delicately helped the girl out of her dirty clothes and tossed them aside. Once the tub was filled enough, she shut the water off and slowly lifted the girl up, gingerly setting her in the water.
She gently ran the cloth across Lauren's body, being slow and deliberate, watching for any sign of a negative reaction from the green eyed girl. Lauren started to calm down, her fast, uneven breathing slowing down, and her sobs dissipating into sniffles.
Eventually, the water began to grow cold, and Lauren whined slightly and tried to get out, only to be stopped by the older woman.
"It's alright, we'll get you out," Normani promised when the girl just whined and tried to step out again. She nervously bit her lip, wondering if what she was about to say was too much. "But, babies shouldn't be trying to get out on their own, huh?" When Lauren didn't say anything, just looked up, green eyes staring in curiosity, she continued softly, "They might slip and fall, and Mommies hate when their babies are hurt."
The girl just nodded, and held her arms out to the older woman. The water wasn't warm anymore, she wanted out as soon as possible.
Normani smiled and wrapped the towel around the girl, carefully lifting her out of the tub. She dried Lauren off, then wrapped the towel around her again and grabbed the backpack, then picked Lauren up and set off for the girl's room.
The green eyed girl laid her head on the woman's shoulder, hiding her face in Normani's neck. She would be concerned with how little she felt, but she was still shaken up from the confrontation with her dad. Her Mommy was there now, though, and even though she might have to talk about what happened, she didn't want to worry about anything. She was safe and secure now, she'd let her Mommy worry about everything else for now.
"Alright bubs, is it alright if I put a pull up on you?" the older woman asked as she laid the girl on the bed, but frowned when Lauren shook her head, her fingers sneaking up to hook around her mouth. She was a little concerned Lauren had yet to say actual words, but she was a lot calmer than before, and figured she had slipped considerably into headspace.
That last thought gave her pause.
"Lauren, baby, do you want a diaper?"
The girl just nodded, slipping two fingers into her mouth.
Normani smiled, and reached into the backpack, pulling out a pacifier with Pooh Bear on it. "Here, bubs, use this," she encouraged, holding the item out to the girl, who accepted it happily.
The older woman pulled out a diaper, the front covered in little Eeyores and Tiggers, and a bottle of baby powder. She gently rubbed the powder onto the girl's legs, then slipped the diaper around Lauren's waist, making sure the sides were taped securely. She slipped a hoodie over the girl, but when she went to help Lauren into a pair of leggings, the green eyed girl just whined and scooted away.
"No pants, just a diaper?" she asked, putting the leggings and the baby powder back into the bag. She sat on the edge of the bed, and Lauren immediately climbed into her lap. Normani chuckled quietly, and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. She looked around the room, noticing a seat by the bedroom window. "How about we go sit over there, huh?" she cooed softly, noticing the sleepy look in the girl's eyes. She lifted Lauren up, walking over to the seat. She sat and adjusted Lauren so the girl's back was to her chest.
Gently, she pulled the girl's dark locks back, and hummed soothingly as she started braiding the girl's hair. She smiled when Lauren leaned back into her, a soft sigh of content escaping. "I think a certain little baby is sleepy, hmm?" she asked as she tied off the braid.
Lauren shifted to face sideways, snuggling into the woman's chest. She grabbed one of the woman's hands in one of her own, and with her other hand began running her fingers up the woman's arm, moving her index and middle finger as if they were walking.
Normani just sat and watched, content to let the girl let her fingers roam across her arm. Lauren was so far into headspace at this point, if it wasn't for the fact she knew what brought it on she would be concerned.
She was ready to punch Michael Jauregui when she saw him towering over Lauren. But the fear in the girl's green orbs told her that wasn't what was needed. Mike was gone now, and Lauren was safe.
She peered down at the girl, seeing her struggling to keep her eyes from drooping.
"Go to sleep, bubs," she urged softly.
Lauren shook her head, turning to lean her head into the woman's shoulder and gripped Normani's shirt tightly with one hand.
"I'll be here when you wake up, baby," the older woman promised. "And then we can go to the house and see Mama, Mila, and Momma, yeah?"
The girl let out a small huff, but settled as Normani patted her bottom soothingly. "'Ove, 'ommy," she lisped around the pacifier, letting herself drift off to sleep finally.
The older woman smiled, and pressed a tender kiss to the top of the girl's head. She moved over to the bed, allowing them both to stretch out. "Love you, too, baby. Sleep well."
She would text Dinah and Ally and tell them the events of the last hour, but for now, she was content to cuddle with Lauren and let the girl nap.
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A/N: Hopefully you enjoyed, let me know what you think! Thoughts, comments, questions, and concerns are welcomed.