Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Bye, Mom, bye, Dad!” Meg yells as she hurries out the door. She runs all the way to school, something she hasn’t done in a long time. She’s somehow still late, but not by much. She heads to her locker, where Calvin is waiting. 

He smiles when he sees her. “Hey, Meg.” 

She frowns. His voice sound weird. 

“Hey, Cal,” she says, opening her locker. “Are you okay?” Meg looks him over. His body is tense, and he had dark circles under his eyes. “Something happen?” 

“No,” he says, eyes widening. “I’m fine. Nothing happened.” He puts an overly bright expression on his face. 

“Okay,” Meg says with a laugh. They star walking to their first class, but Meg drops her book as they walk. Calvin bends down to pick it up for her, and as he does, Meg catches a glimpse of something dark on the back of his neck. It’s hidden when he stands, and Meg doesn’t ask him about it, figuring that he won’t tell her anyway. 

In the boys locker room before gym, Calvin is dreading having to change. The dark bruises up his spine will definitely invite some questions that he doesn’t want to answer.

So he changes quickly, hoping no one saw. It’s hard to move around and run during, every step he takes sending pain through his body. 

Calvin desperately wants to tell Meg about his father, but he can’t draw her into this. 

What if he hits her too?

Later that day, when Meg is at home and reading, her phone rings. She doesn’t recognize the number, but she picks up anyway. 

“Hello?” a voice comes from the other end. 

“Calvin?” Meg says. “Why didn’t you use your phone? This isn’t your number.” 

“Meg, oh thank goodness. Sorry, just-I-well, could-I need help.” He sounds panicked, and Meg’s heart drops. Is he is trouble? 

“What?” Meg asks. “What’s happening?”

”It’s-” Calvin chokes on his words. “It’s my dad. He-he’s drunk-and-and he hit me-Meg, I’m scared-”

”Okay, Cal, where are you?” Meg says calmly. 

“I’m-I’m outside-I’m walking to the park-”

”Just keep going, okay?” 

Meg hangs up and runs down the stairs, almost slipping on the floor. “Mom!” she yells. “MOM!”

Mrs. Murry comes around the corner from the kitchen. “Meg? What’s going on?” 

“It’s Calvin-” she gasps, “he’s in trouble!”

Meg relates the story as they hurry out into the stormy weather. 

They jump into the car, and once they arrive at the park, they see Calvin immediately. 

Mrs. Murry tells Meg to stay in the car, and then she goes out into the rain. She takes Calvin by the shoulders and leads the shivering boy to the car. Meg opens the door, and he climbs in, eyes wide. 

Mrs. Murry puts the car into drive, and then only sounds are of the rain pattering on the roof of the car, Meg’s quiet reassurances, and Calvin’s sobs. 

He’s a mess when they reach the Murry household. Meg and her mom have to help him walk inside. 

Mr. Murry hurries down the stairs when he hears crying and sees a soaking wet Calvin sobbing on the couch. 

“Calvin?” he says. 

The boy takes no notice of him, just rocks back and forth, mumbling to himself. “He hit me, he hit me...”

Mrs. Murry sits beside him, rubbing his back, but none of it helps. Meg is holding his hand tightly, telling him it’ll be okay, but it won’t be, he knows it won’t be. 

Mr. Murry goes over to them and kneels in front of Calvin. “Son,” he begins. 

Calvin looks up at the word. 

“Do you know where you are?” Calvin nods. “You’re safe here, alright? No one can hurt you here. Look at me, breathe with me now, okay? In, out, in out.” 

Calvin is calm a few minutes later, and Mr. Murry helps him stand up. 

“Let’s go get you cleaned up, okay?”

In the bathroom, Calvin sits on the edge of the bathtub while Mr. Murry looks at the red spot forming on the side of his face. 

“Is that all?” he asks, hoping it is. This poor, kind boy doesn’t deserve this. 

Calvin sniffles and shakes his head. He stands up, turns around, and lifts his shirt to reveal his back, mottled with bruises and small cuts. 

“Is there blood on your shirt?” Mr. Murry asks gently. 

“I don’t know,” Calvin says numbly. 

“I’ll wash it anyway,” Mr. Murry offers. 

“Thank you,” Calvin says, pulling his shirt off and handing it to him. 

“I’m going to go put this in the washing machine, is it okay if I ask Meg to bring you some ice packs?” 

“That’s fine.” 

So, a minute or two later, Meg enters the bathroom, a few ice packs in hand. Calvin still faces away from her, head down. 

“Cal?” 

He raises his head to look at her, but doesn’t respond. 

Meg approaches, horrified at the sight of his back. She sits beside him, and puts the ice packs on his back.

She’s surprised when he pulls her in close for a hug. His skin is hot against the skin on her arms. 

“Thank you,” he mumbles. “So much.” 

“No problem.” 

Later, after Calvin’s been knocked out by the pain medicine, Mr. Murry lays the sleeping boy on the bed in the guest room.

Meg sits with him, not wanting him to be alone. 

Her heart breaks when he mumbles in his sleep. 

“I deserve this....this is all my fault...” 

Chapter Text

Hi, everyone! I'm home sick today and haven't been on Ao3 in literally two months, so I'm going through all my fanfics and either finishing that last chapter, writing a note like this one, or deleting (probably the case for a few). 

This was only really meant to be a one chapter sort of thing, so sorry if you were hoping for more! I don't see a lot of Wrinkle in Time fics so I feel bad for discontinuing, but I miiiiiight add another chapter, though it won't be anytime soon. 

Have a great day, all of you wonderful, wonderful people!

-imogen