{Warning}: this oneshot contains abuse, mentions of rape, suicidal thoughts, and cursing.
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"AGAIN?!" Tyler yelled at Katie. She only hanged her head down low, trying not to displease him more. "You stupid Bitch. If I knew you were gonna be so helpless I wouldn't have decided to date you."
Tear stains were on her face since last night. It was another memory she couldn't forget. She had just collapsed on the floor while washing the dishes. Tyler wasn't very happy with that.
"First you call off of work since your sick and now you won't clean up?!" He bought his face closer to hers. Grabbing her chin, he yanked her forward. Katie knew what was gonna happen, she turned her head away a bit. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He slapped her. "You think just cause you were some stupid ass paladin I'd treat you like royalty?" Her eyes were so cold, unable to feel emotion except sadness and fear.
He had work in a couple of minutes. He'd leave by then and she'd be free. If only it was for a couple of hours. So when he left, she finally left the floor and headed to the bathroom.
She felt disgusting, ashamed. How could she let this happen? She regretted that moment every day. How she didn't have the courage to ask Lance out. How she had yes when Tyler asked her out. How could she be so dumb.
She needed a shower.
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Katie walked up to Tyler while he sitting on the couch of their house. She knelt beside him and hanged her head low.
"What do you want now?" It wasn't in a rude tone, but it surely wasn't one of his kindest. In his mind he was probably thinking that she was interrupting his show.
Katie gave him a piece of paper. It was a letter sent from Coran, talking about how their annual meet up was tonight. She wanted to go, but couldn't think of the words to ask. She rarely uses her voice anyway since last time when she did she got a beaten because she was talking back to him. Not even at work would she talk. Tyler swings his arm back in a motion that had her flinching.
"No." He handed her the piece of paper.
"B- but." She tried to whisper.
"What?"
"I wanted to see them again since-." She immediately stopped stalking after seeing his face.
"Fine then. Go. But don't expect me to be in a happy mood once you're back." He growled.
She hesitated at first, of course, but she decided not to move in the end.
"I said go!" He stood up to kick her, but before he get the chance she scrambled to her feet, but to her luck she tripped right after. "Pathetic as always." He kicked her right in her stomach. She immediately gasped, it felt as if she was deprived of air. Her stomach started cramping and she felt nauseous. She tried to get on her knees to make it to the bathroom but she didn't get the chance, she was too weak to. So, she ended up throwing up on the floor. Tyler was sure as hell not pleased with this. "Disgusting!" He stepped back. She tried reaching out for him but he only walked away from her. "Don't touch me. Now go get ready for your stupid get together, I'll be out."
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"I know Allura, would be so proud of you guys. I know I am." Shiro smiled at the team. Coran was tearing up a bit with Hunk, Lance had the biggest grin, and Keith had a soft smile. But Katie? No, all she could think about was what was gonna happen when she returned home. He said he wasn't gonna be happy, is she ready for it?
"Pidggggeee!" Lance waved his hand in front of her face. She flinched when she saw his hand. She's been like that the whole time she's been with the group. "Oh, sorry." He quickly said after noticing her distress.
"Anyway, we had just asked you how you and that Tyler lad were going." Coran placed down a plate full of food in front of her.
Tyler.
"I uh- um h-he's doing fine. I mean we-we're doing fine!" She whispered. She wasn't used to talking this much in along time, no one really wanted to hear her voice at all during work.
"Is there something wrong number 5?" Coran frowned. "You haven't touched any of your food!"
She glanced back at the plate full of food she'd usually eat, but ever since Tyler told her it made her look fat she had stopped. "I-I'm on a diet with-with." Why couldn't she say his name? It had felt like she had never said it before.
"With?" Shiro questioned.
"Wi-with, with." Her voice started cracking and she was on the verge of crying. She closed her eyes, frustrated with herself for not being capable of saying his name cause if she did then it would be real.
"Pidge, is there something wrong?" Lance placed his hand on her back, but instead of Pidge's usual response, she froze.
"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have, it was an accident!" She cried. Lance took his hand away and looked back at the others.
"What's happening?" He looked worried.
"Maybe she's reliving a nightmare or something." Hunk looked at Shiro.
"That's possible, but when did this happen?" He answered. Shiro was going to speak again, but then Pidge had resumed talking.
"It's pretty, but I. I don't want to." Pidge started hugging her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up I swear. I'll do anything! Just don't." She paused. "Please don't do it." She started sobbing. "Please. Ty-." She stopped.
Suddenly, a phone started ringing. It was Pidge's, she recognized it.
She shot up from her chair and answered it. The other paladins were more than just confused now.
"Hello? This is Kat-." She didn't get to finish because whoever was on the other side of the phone cut her off. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left. I'm coming now."
Now that the group noticed it, Pidge was definitely skinner than before and her eyes, they were filled with fear at the moment.
"I- I'm sorry, but I have to go back home. Something came up." Katie grabbed her jacket and tried to take her leave, but Lance stopped her by grabbing her wrist. She winced in pain, screwing her eyes shut until he let go.
"I'm sorry Pidge, but I don't think it's best for you to go home now." Shiro stood up from his chair.
"Please. I'd like to go home now." Just as Shiro suspected, Pidge isn't herself anymore.
"Sit back down, and think about it for awhile."
"But I can't. He's waiting for me and he- he'll get worried soon."
"Then call whoever this guy is back." That got her eyes to widen. She couldn't do it, she's too scared to. If they just let her go home now without any problems then the punishment would be less harsh. She shook her head. "Why not?"
"I can't." She started backing away from Shiro, but then she tripped once again. From the events earlier that day, she had thought Shiro would do the same. Kick her. So she curled up, protecting her stomach, waiting for the blow, but it never came.
Keith was starting to connect the dots and it was getting him angry. "That bastard!"
"Keith what happened?" Shiro turned his head away from Pidge.
"He's been abusing her! That Tyler bitch! And what she doesn't want to happen isn't getting hit, it's because she doesn't want to do it anymore with him!"
Everyone's eyes widened including Pidge's. She couldn't let them know, then he'd find out and she'd definitely be in trouble now.
"I'm going to his house." Lance stood up and started walking towards the exit, but he was then stopped by Pidge.
"No! Please, don't do it!" She was crying once again. "Stop! Lance!"
"Pidge, I know you're scared, but we won't let him hurt you anymore." Hunk walked slowly towards her.
"He didn't do anything wrong! It- it was me!"
"What?" Lance stopped.
"It's my fault, so you don't need to go anymore."
"Fine." He huffed.
"What?!" Keith growled.
"I'm not going to Pidge's house anymore." He looked at the rest of them. "We're all going." He grinned. This cause Pidge's head to whip back up.
"What?" She whispered.
"We're going to your house, and I won't let you stop us now. I'm not gonna do anything to him, I just want to see how your boyfriend has been treating you." He smiled softly at her before walking past Pidge.
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"Uh. One thing before we go in." Katie whispered. "Don't call me Pidge."
The others were about to question her, but before they got the chance she already unlocked the door.
"Katie? Come here." Someone called from the living room. Katie hesitated for a second before looking back at the guys. Her eyes gave them the look. 'Wait here'.
Katie walked to the kitchen table and wrote something down on a piece of paper before entering the living room. She went to her usual spot and knelt down. Before Tyler could say anything she handed him the piece of paper. He took a moment to read it before standing up. "Get up." He summoned her to follow him as he left the couch.
The others looked around the house from where Katie had left them. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe they just jumped to conclusions?
"Hello." Tyler walked towards the door where the others were standing with Pidge following behind. "I'm Tyler, I believe we met around a year ago." He held his hand out.
"Yes. I'm Shiro, nice to meet you again." He shook is hand.
"Might I ask what this occasion is for? I thought Katie went to that annual dinner. If I had known guests were coming, I would've prepared something." He smiled and sheepishly rub the back of his neck. Now Katie was standing slightly behind him.
"Well we noticed some things were off with Katie." Shiro mentioned making her flinch. Katie's eyes looked up at her supposed lover. "And we wanted to come over and make sure everything's alright."
"What happened? Is something the matter?" Tyler's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes, there is definitely something wrong and you're the bastard who did it!" Lance stepped in front of Tyler. Katie's eyes widened and she started backing away.
"What are you accusing me of?" Tyler smirked.
"You know what you did! You abused and raped her, didn't you?!"
"And so what? She didn't stop me. It's not my fault." Tyler shrugged. Lance stared in his eyes for a moment before punching him in the face. "Hey, That kinda hurt." Tyler chuckled. "But that's not how you punch someone. Let me show you." Lance waited for a hit, but he soon realized it wasn't coming. "Hey! Where do you think your going?! You think you can just call your friends over and pretend to be innocent?!" He was yelling at Katie. "You little Bitch, get your ass over here!"
"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Lance yelled.
Once Katie made her way back to Tyler he ripped her jacket off of her and showed the paladins. "See those bruises? That's how you hit somebody." Katie was standing in the middle of them with her tank top on. She tried to cover her arms. "And look right here!" Her pulled her shirt a bit to show her stomach. "Kicked. For every time she didn't listen."
The other paladins were in shock. Hunk's eyes were watering, while Lance just got more enraged. "Keith, you call the cops. Hunk, I want you to step outside with him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Lance and I will deal with him."
"Deal with me? How are you gonna call the cops when Katie did most of this stuff herself?"
Lance and Shiro looked at Katie. "Is it true?" Shiro asked.
"For the amount of times she tried to kill herself, I've been harsher so she wouldn't leave. I'm doing this for her." He smiled. "Because otherwise, Katie would try to leave. Isn't that right, hun?" He turned Katie around. "She." He slapped her. "Just." Another slap. "Doesn't." Then again. "Understand." And again. "A worthless." He picked her up by her neck. "Piece of shit." Then he dropped her. "Doesn't deserve to live." He kicked her.
"Katie!" Lance and Shiro both yelled.
"Isn't that right, love?" Tyler smiled at her.
"That's right." She whimpered in response, though for most of the time her eyes were shut she did open them to glance at Lance for a moment. Her eyes showed so much pain and fear, he couldn't help, but punch Tyler again.
"You just don't know when to quit do you?" Tyler wiped his mouth of the blood with his hand. "What was your name again?" He snickered before crouching down to Katie. "Lance, right? Katie here, is very fond of you. She even told me she loved you." He smacked her. "But we couldn't have that."
"You're a sick bastard." Lance growled.
"Oh I know." He chuckled. "But who here has the girl?"
"She's not yours! She never was!"
"Are you saying you have feelings for my fiancé?"
That stopped Lance from all motions. "Fiancé?"
"That's right. Didn't she tell you?" He looked at Shiro who was in complete shock. "I guess she didn't. She didn't really accept it either."
Sirens could be heard from outside. Shiro took a moment to turn away from the situation and look through the window. He could see Hunk holding Keith down. If Keith didn't calm down soon, the police would've probably mistaken him as the culprit and arrest him instead.
Lance grinned. "It's too late for you now."
"Oh well." Tyler shrugged. "I did have fun." He beamed. "I'll see you when I get out, honey." He kicked Pidge to the wall.
The police busted through the doors, almost knocking Shiro down. "Move away from the young lady!"
Tyler raises his hands. "I'm moving. I'm moving."
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
"Yeah. Yeah. I already know. Just lock me up and some shit."
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After awhile the police gave Hunk handcuffs for Keith.
"Thanks." Hunk chuckled.
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Shiro and the others were outside talking to the officers, but Lance remained inside with Pidge.
He didn't know what to say to her. This whole time, she's been beaten down with no one to help her. After a minute of silence, he could hear soft sniffling.
She was crying.
Whether she was happy or upset, she couldn't tell. Her abuser had just been arrested, she should be ecstatic, but now what? What would she do now? Her job wasn't something she loved, her house bought haunting memories, and she just couldn't be alone with herself without the fear of him coming back. She needed someone.
"You can stay with me."
Her eyes widened to his voice.
"I mean, my apartment is big enough for the both of us. It's nothing big like this house, but it's pretty manageable. It's not that far from the Garrison, if you want to work there as well. Plus the others are close. My mom visits every other week and we could tell your parents where you are and what's happening."
She jumped up and hugged him. No one has every been this nice to her in a long time.
"It's no problem. Don't worry about paying the rent for the next months, you just need to get back on your feet." He hugged her back. "Don't now how much you'd like it, but we might have to sign you up for therapy since you are a bit suicidal. BUT not to worry, I'm here." He lifted her up a bit. "Dang you're light. I'm glad I know my mama's recipes. Oh god, who knows how many peanut butters jars I'd have to buy now." She chuckled a bit. "But as long as you're safe and happy, I'm happy."
"Thank you, Lance." She whispered, almost inaudible.
"Anything for you. Now come on, before one of those cops actually arrest Keith."
"C-Could we stay like this a bit?"
"Of course." He smiled.
"Anything for you."