Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The blow to the side of her head came unexpectedly and knocked her to the ground. The pain was blinding. The vision in her right eye was now just a blinding white light. She gasped and held her head. His voice was loud and ear splitting. “Stand up!” He shouted as he reached down and grabbed her by the hair. She cried out as he yanked her from the concrete by her hair. He slammed her back against the wall. “Where the fuck is my money, slut!?” She looked at him. She tried to get her voice to work, but when she opened her mouth to speak he raised his hand again. She begged for him to stop but his iron like hand made contact with her face again. She felt her lip split open and the metallic taste of blood tainted her tongue. She couldn't hold back any longer. The tears poured and the sobs echoed through the alley. He wasn't happy with this reaction.

He grabbed her bag from her and tossed her to the ground. “Where is it?!” He shouted digging through her purse. He practically roared when he didn't find the money. He threw her purse at her and grabbed her arm. He pulled her to standing and he shoved her against the wall again. This time pressing her front to the rough brick surface. He held her face against it. “Guess I'll get what I want in other ways.” He growled out. He used his free hand to pull her skirt up to her waist. She whimpered and tried to push back against him to get him away from her, but this just pissed him off. He slammed her head into the wall. Her vision tunneled and wavered as blood immediately started to trickle from above her hairline. She knew if she passed out he would win. She closed her eyes and fought to stay awake. Her impending sense of doom was locked when she heard the distinct sound of zipper grind. Her fear grew even more. She tried to fight him off but her head was spinning and her arms didn't want to work.

She prepared for the worst. In her mind accepting her fate. He was much too strong for her and could over power her, in any attempt she had for escape. She tensed hard when his hand moved around her waist and down between her legs. The chuckle he let out made her cringe and whimper. Her tears mixed with the blood making its way down her face. All she could do was ball her fists and croak out for him to stop. She tried to cry out when his disgusting fingers hooked her tights and started to tear them. He leaned forward and bit her shoulder hard causing her to gasp and shout in pain. She just wanted all of this to stop. She just wanted to not be here. Why did she have to pass that corner? Why did she have to walk into that bar? Why did she have to accept his offer? She sobbed uncontrollably. She practically screamed when his hand jutted into her underwear. He covered her mouth. “Keep your stupid mouth shut, you disgusting, money stealing whore. Everything I do to you. You deserve.” He growled out low into her ear.

It was like her body just came to terms with the fact this was going to happen. She went numb. Her mind went blank. It almost felt like she lifted out of her own body. Like she was looking down on the scene from above. Yelling at herself to fight back as her body disobeyed. The crying continued but she no longer reacted to his touch. She forced all of his words and what he was doing to her into the deepest corners of her mind.

Teetering on the brink of darkness and numbness. She was ready to let go. “Hey! What the fuck?!” The shouting brought her back into reality. The pressure on her back was lifted away quickly. She fell to her knees from relief and lack of strength. She turned around quick enough to see her attacker being pulled down the empty alley. Her vision was blurred, shifting between seeing and darkness. She tried to stand but her legs shook. She tried to focus on the two figures at the end of the alley. One she knew was her attacker and the other a taller man. He had the asshole on the ground, shirt collar gripped tight and the look of fear in his eyes. Their voices were muffled and she tried hard to hear but couldn't. The tall guy stood up and her assailant took off running. She tried to hold her head up, but she was sinking fast. She felt a tight grip on her arm. She pulled against it. “Stop! Let go!” She pulled hard. A soft voice whispered in her ear. “It's okay. Calm down. I'm here to help.” He lifted her carefully to her feet. He let her lean on him. He wrapped an arm carefully under her arms supporting her. The feel of soft leather gripped tight in her hands and a slender frame held her up. She looked up. In the dim lighting of the alley all she could see was a mess of hair and a man that towered over her five foot five stance. Even though she stumbled he held her tight. “It’s going to be okay. I'll get you help and fixed up.” He said softly. His voice was quiet but had the hint of intense concern. She had no idea where he was taking her. She had no idea who this man was. Every time she stumbled he held her close supporting her. He would occasionally let her know he was there to help.

He sat her carefully on a stone step. She slumped back leaning against a wall. Her vision was starting to return, but her voice was still absent. He looked down at her and gave her a soft smile. “Just a little bit longer.” He pulled a set of keys from his leather jacket pocket. They jingle softly as he searched for the correct one. He got the door open and it creaked slightly, do to wear and tear on city doors. He carefully helped her back to her feet. She held on to him. “Its good to see your grip is returning.” He said quietly. She was lead through the doorway and her next challenge began. She was presented with a wide but steep set of stairs. She felt his hand plant on the small of her back. “Come on.” He said as he cleared his throat. And she gripped him tight as they made their way up. She took each step slowly and gingerly.

About half way her foot slipped as she stepped down causing her to fall. She pulled him with her. She fell hard to her knees and he caught himself with his hands. The jolt jostled her more awake. She saw the blood on her hands, the tears in her tights. And all the horror started to flood back. The pain, the disgust in his touch. And the tears just fell. She curled into a vulnerable ball on the stairs and just wept. Her sobs were uncontrollable and her breathing ragged. She felt him sit down beside her and rub her back comforting her. “Just let it out, baby girl. Just let it out.” She did exactly that. She stayed huddled on those stairs, crying in front of the stranger that saved her life. And he just let her. Adding small words of comfort. “It’s okay, you're safe now. “

Chapter Text

When she woke up, she didn't know where she was. She looked around the room. The couch below her groaned as she moved to sitting up. A dim soft hue was emitted from a fishtank in the corner. The bubbler giving off an oddly comforting hum. In the darkness she could see a small pile of rags and bandage wrappers on the table not far from her. She reached up and winced as her fingertips lightly grazed the bandage on her head. She whimpered softly. Her head was still pounding, like tribal drums in her cranium. She pushed the blanket covering her to one side and carefully swung her legs off the couch. She curled her toes when her feet hit dense thick carpet. Her legs were bare. She had bandages on her knees as well. She must have scrapped them up either when she was thrown down or when she fell on the stairs. She didn't remember much after her breakdown. She remembered a soft comforting voice and tender, gentle hands. She tried to stand up. Her knees wobbled dangerously, but she pushed herself erect. She looked around from her new vantage point. It was hard to see much but it looked like a normal living room. A couch, two easy chairs and a dinosaur of a TV.

She knew nothing about this apartment and what she needed the most right now was the bathroom. She baby stepped towards the three door hallway. She had a one in three shot of guessing right. She hoped it wouldn't take her all three chances.

She held the wall as she walked. Her hand knocked into the first knob, making it rattle. She jumped looking around. Not thinking she shushed the door knob. She gripped it lightly and pulled gently. She peeked in. Strike one. It was a linen slash broom closet. She groaned and did a small potty dance. Her legs felt a bit stronger, after getting a bit of blood flow to them. She moved to the next door across the hall. She felt for the handle and opened it slowly. Strike two. She knew right away this wasn't the right door when the soft glow of a digital clock peeked through the darkness and the ever so quiet sound of music from the radio in the corner.

She squinted into the dark. Everything had a red tint from the clock's numbers. She saw band posters lining the walls and clothes strewn around the floor. And the very distinct outline of a body lying under the covers. The rose and sunk slowly. She leaned in slightly. She whispered very quietly. A bit too quietly. "Are you sleeping?" Even she could barely hear herself. She stepped and tiptoed further into the room. She made her way to the edge of the bed. She moved to the head of the bed. She leaned down looking at the sleeping person. A mess of wild brown hair lay in destressed curls around their face. Their uncovered arm held the blanket tight against their chin. She reached down slowly and gently moved the hair from in front of his face. The red glow from the clock illuminated his face. She tilted her head slightly to get a better look. He had a broad jawbone and high cheek bones. A prominent nose and the slightest hint of smile lines at the corners of his mouth and eyes. His chin and jaw had a touch of the three day old stubble. She tenderly tucked his hair behind his ear. She just kind of looked at him. What stood out the most to her was the slice in his right eyebrow and the tiniest trace of a scar. She wondered how he got it.

She stook a soft step, just a bit too far. Her knee ran into the end table making the lamp wobble and something heavy fall over. It clammered against the pressboard top of the table. His eyes shot open and he sat up. She cursed to herself as he looked at her. "You're awake." He said in a scared, but tired tone. She looked at him and nodded. "Yeah, I was looking for the bathroom. I got lost. I didn't mean to wake you like that." He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Its okay. Its just good to see you up and moving. I was worried when you conked out on the stairs." He looked at her and gave a soft half smile in the red lighting, she could see his thin frame. Bones from his spine protruded ever so slightly from his bare back. He was a very lanky man. She bit her lip and messed with the hem of the T-shirt she was wearing. He just kind of looked at her. And watched her do a nonchalant potty dance. "Oh shit, the bathroom. End of the hall. Sorry, I zoned out there for a second." He pointed the way. She smiled and nodded. "Thank you." He nodded and ran his hands through his hair. She made her way back to the door. She heard him yawn again and the rustle of blankets. She assumed he had laid back down.

She headed to the door at the end of the hall. She opened the door a little and slipped in. She fumbled around around for the light switch. When she found it she flipped it on. The bright lights hurt her eyes. She groaned and squinted. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her face was splotchy and red. The bandage on her hairline already had a few spots of red seeping through. She sighed and shook her head. The skin around her eyes had a purple twinge and there was a large bruise on her jawline. She looked down. She was not wearing her clothes. She was in an over sized, a bit too long band t-shirt. And not much else. She lifted the shirt and gave a soft sigh of relief at the sight of her underpants. Her legs were bruised and cut up, her arms just the same. She looked around the bathroom. It looked like a typical bathroom. Shower, toilet, and sink, nothing special.

She picked up a bottle cologne off the counter and pulled the cap off. The soft musky scent of masculinity hit her nose. She gave a soft smile. She waved it under her nose and took a soft breath. She remembered this scent from last night. And it gave her a sense of safety. She put the cap back on and set it down. She reached over and put the seat down on the toilet. She pulled her panties down and sat down. She finished up her business and washed her hands. She left the bathroom. She headed back down the hallway. She peeked in his room. She couldn’t see very well now that her eyes were used to the light. She sighed and headed back to the couch.

As she walked out, the distinct rip of a lighter rang out and the flickering flame lit up the hair shrouded face. She looked at him and sat on the couch. He was sitting in one of the easy chairs. He was slouched slightly. His face was illuminated more when he took a pull of what he was lighting in his mouth. She watched him. “I’m sorry i woke you.” She said softly. He shook his head gently. “Don’t worry, babygirl. I’ll be tired again soon.” He inhaled deep from the item between his lips. He exhaled a large cloud of gray haze. The smell was distinct to her. She had experienced it many times before in the clubs she frequented. He was currently enjoying a moment with joint. The stink of pot was thick. He leaned back in the chair and looked at her. “I never got to ask your name before you passed out on my stairs.” He said as smoke escaped with every word. “My name is Silver.” She said softly, pulling the blanket across her lap. He shook his head. “I didn’t ask your street name, sweetheart.” His words were stern but still had a twill of softness. She groaned and looked down. “Maggie, my real name is Maggie.” She choked out. It had been a long time since she had even said her real name. It didn’t even sound like her anymore. He smiled and handed her the joint. “Maggie, I like that much better. It’s sweet. Suits you.” He gave her a goofy smile. She let out a quiet giggle and took the item from him. She put it to her lips and inhaled deep. The familiar burn was a surprise to her lungs at this moment. She coughed lightly. He motioned with his hand for her to try one more time. And she did. He reached over and took it back from her. His long fingers wrapped around her hand. She looked at him. His brown eyes shined in the dim lighting. “Maggie, what happened with that guy, isn’t going to happen again.” He said in a stern voice. She felt glimpse of fear. “I…” She stammered but he cut her off. “I’ve never done that before. And i want to make sure it never happens to you. And i am not going to let it.” She nodded softly. “I believe you. And I kind of owe you for helping me.” He let go of her hand. He took one last drag for before snuffing out the joint. He stood up and stretched. She looked up to him. He was really tall. “Go back to sleep.” He said softly. She nodded and laid back down. She pulled the covers up and snuggled in. She closed her eyes and yawned softly. He walked passed the couch. He stopped behind it and looked down at her. He let out a breathy chuckle. “Oh and by the way. I’m Danny.”

Chapter Text

Maggie was woken up when the light of morning shined brightly through the gaps in the curtains. She wiped her eyes and stretched. The couch creaked below her. She looked around and the wash of morning light gave the room an almost alive feeling. She sat up untangling herself from the twisted and coiled blanket. She swung her legs off the couch and sighed. Her legs felt much stronger now and the pain was exponentially less than what it was the night before. She stood herself up. She made her way slowly to the bathroom. She stopped long enough to take a peek into his bedroom. The room was still very dark, the red glow was gone. He must have turned the clock or covered it. The tiniest sliver of light from the living room windows pierced the darkness. It lay over the lump in the blankets. She gave a small smile and finished her journey to the bathroom.

She shut the light off and closed the door when she was finished. She stretched and yawned softly. She heard a soft groan and a rustling of sheets. She stopped and looked into his room. Maybe he was awake. She watched him turn over to his other side. She stepped into his room. She walked over and looked down at him. She reached out and pushed his hair back out of his face. His resting face was soft and peaceful. She smiled and let out a soft swoon sigh. She bit her lip and lifted the blankets that hung over the side of the bed. She climbed into the bed with him. She knew how to repay him for helping her and it was the only thing she truly had to offer him. She slid in close to him carefully as to not wake him.

She reached out and touched his cheek. His skin was soft but rough from his stubble. He stirred slightly and rolled away from her. His back was now facing her. She scooted up close to him and snaked her arm around his waist. She felt the light dusting of hair encircling his navel and leading below his boxer band. His body shivered softly in reaction to her touch. She smiled and trailed her fingertips down this trail of hair. She pressed a soft kiss to his spine. He murmured softly. She pulled on his side with a forceful but light touch. She suspected out of instinct he rolled back over towards her. She smiled pushed herself up. She kissed him.

This must have roused him because she felt his lips purse and press back against hers. Her hand moved to his bare side and squeezed softly. His long arms enveloped her in a groggy but alert kind of way. Her free hand wrapped around the back of his neck and held him in the kiss. His arm stiffened slightly pulling her tighter against him. She hummed out the quietest of moans. He grunted, as he tried to readjust his hips. And she could tell why. Something very distinct was pressing against her thigh. She placed her hand on his hip to stop his squirming. He looked into her eyes. His brown eyes had a shine in the dim lighting. She trailed her fingertips from his navel and into the waistband of his boxers. Her touch was greeted with a surprise. She bit her lip and looked at him as her fingers enclosed around his hardness. He closed his eyes and grunted softly. She used the lightest and softest touch on his sensitive skin. He let out a groan, like he wasn’t trying to enjoy it, but his grip on her sides gave him away. She kissed him again. He reciprocated, but she could tell he was distracted by how her hand was working him. She pulled back and let out a held breath.

He looked at her. “Maggie, why are you doing this?” He asked between his soft almost silent moans. She smiled. “I owed you for helping me. So I am paying you back.” She went to kiss him again but he pushed her back. He pulled her hand out of his waistband. “Maggie, Stop.” She looked at him. She went to say something but he cut her off. “Just stop, you don’t have to do that.” He sat up and climbed out of the bed. She sat up adjusting to her knees and watched him. He paced the room before sitting in a chair at his desk. She hurriedly climbed off the bed. She walked over to him. He looked away from her. She pulled her shirt up and off. She climbed onto his lap. He put his hands behind his head and refused to look at her. “Danny, this is all I have to offer. And this is how I want to show thanks.” He looked at her and shook his head as he carefully moved her off of his lap. He grabbed the shirt and handed it to her. “No, just go back to the living room, Maggie. Please.” She held the shirt to her chest as he pushed her out of his room. She turned quickly, but he closed the door in her face. “I’m sorry.” She said softly as tears welled up in her eyes. She walked back to the living room. She pulled the shirt back on and grabbed her skirt from the chair. She pulled it on. She felt terrible. She didn’t mean to make him mad. She found a piece of paper and pen by the door. She jotted down a quick note.

Danny,
I had to go.
I’m Sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you will never be enough.
Maggie.

She pulled her boots on as she hurried out the door. As she was closing it behind her, she heard his room door open and him call her name. She pretended not to hear as she rushed down the stairs and out onto the busy sidewalk. The city was busy at this early of an hour. She almost plowed through an elderly couple pushing a wheeled grocery basket. She apologized over and over. She turned and walked away. She heard her name again. She looked back and saw a tousled mess of brown hair peeking over the crowd. Two very agitated hands combed through it fervently. She wanted to turn back but couldn’t. Her body was finally letting her not do something. She ducked into an alley to wait it out, hidden behind a trash dumpster. Just in case he took chase.

She waited in that alley for a couple minutes. When she finally peeked out, it seemed the coast was clear. She looked around the alley. It was familiar. She saw her disheveled purse lying at the end of it. She ran up and grabbed it. Her things were all still here. She picked them all up shoving them back in the faux leather bag. She checked the secret pocket in the lining and let out a sigh of relief when the small roll of bills was still there. She hugged her purse close and left the alley. She needed to get home. Well at least wherever home was that night. She kept her head down and headed out of the alley, disappearing into the crowd.

Chapter Text

The look on her face when he closed that door, could have ripped even the meanest man’s heart in half. The pain and guilt that showed in her delicate eyes when he shut her out was like a blade to the gut. Danny walked over and sat on the end of his bed. He slumped forward putting his hands on his face. Everything in his body didn’t want to turn her down, to comfort her in this time of vulnerability. What she was offering was not the comforting she needed. When he had seen her the night before, crying and calling for help, that’s all he could see when she looked at him. He just wanted to help this girl, not be just another john to her.

He stood up and paced for a bit. He heard a commotion in the living room. He leaned out his door and called her name. “Maggie?” He asked. He saw her leaving. He cursed to himself and grabbed his jeans pulling them on as he tripped and stumbled down his hall. He pulled the door open as he watched the downstairs door slam close.

The stairs were cold on his bare feet and he could feel the chill from the street as he stepped out his door onto the hard concrete. “Maggie?!” He called out for her. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “I’m Sorry.” He said under his breath. “Please be careful.” He turned back and headed back up to his apartment. He closed the door upstairs and leaned against it. He looked around his now empty place. He found her note by the door. He picked it up and looked at her delicate but rushed handwriting. He groaned. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” He said to himself heading back to his room.

He tossed the letter down on his bed as he gathered up his clothes to take a shower. He rubbed his head disheveling his already messy hair even more. He headed to the bathroom. The light blinked on when he hit the switch. He tossed his stuff on the counter. He shook his head and looked in the mirror. Even he looked down trodden and wrecked. “Fuck!” He threw the curtain open and turned on the water. He felt a buzz from his back pocket. He reached back and pulled his phone out. He answered it.

“Yeah,man?”
“Dan,bro. we have practice today.”
“Shit, I totally forgot, man. I’m sorry. Let me finish my shower and i’ll be over.”
“Hurry, dude or there will be no time before my shift.”
“I know man. Twenty minutes. Bye.”

He hung up and took a quick shower, and got dressed. He brushed his untammable hair out and groaned giving up before he got half way. He looked around for his cologne. He opened the cabinet and the drawers. It wasn’t there. Had he forgotten to pick more up? Had he left it in his car? He didn’t have time to check. He trotted out of the bathroom and slid on his shoes. Snagging his keys of the table by the door. He locked up behind him and practically leapt down the stairs. This feat of strength was pretty easy with his abnormally long legs.

He kept his car in a parking lot behind the building. It was quite the walk either around the block or through an alley. The alley is the route he usually took. That’s how he stumbled upon the attack that night. He had been walking back from his car and heard her calling for help. He couldn’t just keep his eyes down and ignore what was going on. He had to help her. So he did and he didn’t he would have had any impact. His mother had always taught him that you look out for those weaker than you. You look out for those in need. And that poor girl, was in desperate need.

He pulled on his beanie as he turned down the alley. The air was brisk and chilly this morning. He huffed out a shiver under his jacket. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and hummed to himself. His eyes traveled the alley. The graffiti covered brick sky high walls. The not so safe fire escapes that creaked and groaned against the wind.

It was oddly cold this morning. Fall was setting in fast and New York knew how to let you know. Dan had to shield his face from the cold with his arm. The crunch of shoe sole on concrete and gravel was the only sound made. He looked into the corner where he had found her. He cringed seeing the small traces of blood still on the cement. He took a step back and he heard something scrape below his foot. He looked down and saw the corner of a photo poking out from below his trainers.

When he picked it up the faces hit him hard. One a man in clearly military related garb. And the young smiling face of a very recognizable girl. It was Maggie. She looked to be very young. He flipped the photo over and read the label. “2003. Maggie, seventeen. Jordan, twenty. Before his first tour in Iraq.” He looked into their smiling faces. In this picture she was seventeen. So young, so starry eyed. The ravages of the real world hadn’t taken their toll on her yet. He carefully slid the picture into his coat pocket and continued on his way.

He made it to practice only a couple minutes late. The rest of the guys had already set up. Practice was held in the makeshift garage studio of Peter, his best friend and fellow band mate. Peter helped him write the songs and compose the music. They had started this bands a couple years before. Success wasn’t really happening just yet but they were hoping.

He shrugged off his coat and tossed it onto a stack of boxes in the corner. He listened to the band tuning up as he plucked the joint from between the speaker slats in the electronic keyboard. He put it to his lips and inhaled deep. He let the gray haze escape out his nostrils slowly. He handed it back to the girl behind the keyboard. She took it and put it between her lip. He stretched. “Pete, did you let them know the newest song we worked up?” He nodded. “They loved it.” The others agreed. He smiled. “Good, the lyrics took forever.” He laughed. They set up and started practice. They played a few of their songs. Pete started playing the newest song. The others joined and Dan turned. He faced him as he counted himself into the song.

You never know if you could doubt it
I can't believe they're gone
You don't even know what side you're on
Don't want to joke or talk about it
Now it's been far too long
You don't even know what side you're on

I'll let you go

The night is growing overcrowded
You're out to prove me wrong
You don't even know what side you're on
Took all my life to run around it
And now it's so far gone
You don't even know what side you're on

Hey now, hey now
I'd have given all you see
If you could turn around your dream
And come back to me

Hey now, hey now
I'd have had to let you go
Chasing shadows but
Only catch an afterglow.

The music slowed to a stop and he looked at the floor. When he wrote those words. He never thought they would mean so much to him. All his songs meant a lot but right now this one hit home. He pulled over a crate and sat down. It was time for a break. Then back to work.

Practice usually lasted a couple hours, but their bassist had to get to work. So that day they cut it short. Dan invited Peter back to his place to just relax and chill. And he wanted to talk to him about his night. Maybe his friend would have some advice. They were headed back to Danny’s place.

It had warmed up a bit while they were at practice. So peter had the window open. Wind whipped around the inside of the car. They were jamming to the radio as they went. The photo Dan had stashed in his jacket pocket fluttered and flew out. Peter reached out quick and grabbed it. “Dude, you almost lost your,” he looked at it. “Picture of a young girl?” He gave him a strange look, tweaking an eyebrow slightly. Danny reached out and snatched it back. “That’s what I was wanting to talk to you about, man.” Peter looked at him. “You aren’t hooking up with an under age girl right, Dan?” Dan gave him a look of pure disgust. “Fuck no, bro! That picture is from ‘03, Pete. She would be at least 20 by now. Damn man, I’m not that way.” Peter looked at the picture. he flipped it reading the description. “Then why do you have it?” Danny sighed. “Last night on the way back after we partied, I was walking through that alley from the parking lot to my place. And I came across a girl getting attacked. “ He had to clear his throat to emphasize what he meant. Peter nodded in understanding. “There are some sick perverts in this city. Go on.” He motioned from him to continue the story. “Well, as I was walking up I watched him slam her head into the wall. I had to stop it. So, being a decent member of society I stopped it. The poor girl was dazed and confused. There was blood everywhere.” He gripped the wheel tight.

The anger was already churning in his stomach again. He could taste the bile in the back of his throat. “Man, she was fucked.” Peter looked at him his eyes were wide. “Dan, man. You did the right thing helping her. You called the cops right?” That’s when Dan frowned. Peter knew. “You didn’t, of course not.” He shook his head, combing his fingers through his hair. “Why didn’t you call the cops, man? What did you do?” Dan pulled into his parking lot. “Man, I was carrying. And I am pretty sure I was more alcohol than blood. I am not risking my ass with the cops, bro.” He shoved the picture back in his pocket and pulled his beanie on mashing his hair against his forehead.

“I took her to my apartment.” He said getting out of the car. Peter looked at him. “To your place man?” He groaned as he closed the car door behind him. “Is she there now? By now she probably robbed you blind.” Dan shook his head. “No, that’s where my tale gets exciting.” Peter muttered something about it already being pretty fucked. Dan recalled the events of that morning. He hated to admit it to himself, but he could still feel her soft touch lingering on him. “Well, she kind of ran off. After I got mad.” They trudged through the alley. Their feet shuffled loudly in the echo-y alley. “ You got mad at her?” Peter looked at him confused. Dan nodded. “She made a move on me, dude.” Peter stopped on the sidewalk outside his apartment door. “Whoa, whoa. You got mad because a woman tried to get on you? Isn’t that kind of a good thing?” Dan rolled his eyes. “No man, she was a victim. That’s not what she needed at that moment. What she needed was a hug and someone to just be nice to her.” He headed up his stairs. “Well, I kicked her out of my room and I think she took that as I wanted her to leave completely. So she left.”

He unlocked the door heading in. Peter followed suit. “Well if she is gone that means she is out of your hair. She isn’t your trouble anymore.” He walked over and flopped into one of the easy chairs. His face distorted in discomfort slightly when he reached under him and pulled out a rolled up stained women’s shirt. Dan walked over a sat in the other chair. “You would think so, but for some reason she left an impression. I helped her last night. I feel responsible for her now. Like I have to make sure she is okay.” Peter gave the shirt a look. He let it unroll and a black bra fell to the floor. “Did she leave topless? And that feeling is normal I think. What happened to her was pretty bad, man.You do have a sister. And you have protected her your whole life.” He asked. Dan groaned. “No, I helped patch her up and put her in one of my shirts. Which she seems to have run off with. So I am not going crazy.” Peter shook his head. “No man, if that had happened to your sister or even mine. We would have been crazier.” He laughed. “So what was her name?” He asked. He reached into a small cubby hidden on the coffee table. He pulled out a cigar box. He pulled a joint from in the box and lit it. Dan looked at him. “Maggie, but she goes by silver.” Peter looked up at him from the box. “She goes by silver?” He put the box back in the cubby. “She has a street name. Which means, Dan my man, she was either a dealer or a hooker. You interrupted either a bad drug deal or disgruntled john, bro.” He took a deep drag and passed to Dan. “Maybe it’s best she is gone. You don’t wanna mess around with that side of this city.”The smoke escaped his lungs as he spoke. He sat back and relaxed.

Dan looked at the floor as he took a hit. “Man, what if it’s just a nickname? What if her parents called her that or something? We don’t know.” He shook his head. Peter sat up and picked up the shirt again. He held it up unfurled. “Do you think a girl that’s called Silver by her parents wears clothes this scandalous? Hot, but scandalous.” Dan groaned and sat back after passing back to his friend. “Peter, man. I don’t know. When you see something like that happen, you intervene and then make sure the person is okay.” He pulled his beanie off and whipped it across the room to the couch. “Maybe, you’re right though. I didn’t know this girl from Adam. Maybe I did dodge a bullet.” Peter nodded. “Maybe you intervening, was all the fates had written for your part in her rescue.” Dan looked at him listening. “I still feel a small obligation to find out if she is okay.” Peter looked at the slowly shrinking joint. He took another deep inhale. “Well, how about this? If you see her again, take it as a sign to ask her if she is okay.” He passed back to Dan. “Don’t forget. Brooklyn has more than two million people. It’s one in a two million chance you’ll see her again. That’s less than a one percent chance.” Dan took a hit and chuckled. “Yeah, thanks bro. That makes me feel better.” His comment was oozing with sarcasm.

Chapter Text

It had been a week since the incident with Maggie and he had tried to push it out of his mind. And that meant more band practice, more video games and more pot.

When Dan woke up he was still in his easy chair and his apartment was dark, quiet and empty. His phone was laying on the table. The front screen flashed on and off indicating he had a message, as well as a small red light up near the hinge that repeated a pattern of three blinks. He groaned and rubbed his eyes. The TV flashed on the AV channel, and his super Nintendo made a soft humming noise. Yet again he must have fallen asleep while Peter and him were playing games. The strong scent of marijuana lingered in the air. He got up and stretched his arms high into the air. His head was still a bit fuzzy. Had they really done that much? Why was he still feeling it? He tried to shake off the hazy feeling clouding his mind.

He grabbed his phone and headed to the bathroom. He yawned softly, and caught a glimpse of his alarm clock. The red numbers read nine thirty. He had slept for most of the day. He wasn't getting back to sleep any time soon. He flipped the light on in the bathroom. The light stung his eyes and made him squint. He really needed to get a little lower wattage of bulb. Moving in front of the toilet he lifted the seat with his foot. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked his notifications as he did his business. The first was a voicemail from Peter. He clicked it open. The first thing he heard was badly distorted club music. His least favorite kind of music. Then Peter’s very loud voice.

“Hey man! Sorry I left, the guys invited us out to the bar. I know this isn’t really your scene so i let you sleep. Bro, you looked exhausted.” The music cut out abruptly, he must have went somewhere quiet. “Hey, if you are feeling up to it we are at some place on sixth. It’s hard to miss. Come on down. Give me a call back. Love ya, man.” The line clicked. He finished up going to the bathroom and washed his hands. He saw he had a few texts. One was from his mom, just checking in. One was from his boss at the store telling him his shift was changed to the afternoon. And one was a picture message from Peter. He raised an eyebrow. Only two things happened when you get a picture message from Peter, a stupid joke picture to make you laugh. Or it was yet another picture of some girl he thought was good looking. Dan had gotten so many of those kinds of texts. He was hoping for the latter.

He yawned softly as he clicked to download the message. He stretched and left the bathroom, checking the status on the message. The message itself read. "Man, does she look familiar?" Dan raised an eyebrow and scrolled down. The picture was dark, overly pixilated, but he knew exactly what it was. Right there in the middle of his phone screen was a picture of Maggie. She was dancing in a group of people. Her hands up to her shoulders and her eyes closed. He let out an audible breath. It had been a full week since he had thought about her. And here it was being brought up again. He texted back almost instantly. "Dude, this isn't funny." He hit send and went to his room.

Deep inside he wanted to rush out to the club, but his brain was telling him to stay home. To go to his room and finish the song he had been working on. He sat on his bed laying back, putting his hands over his face. The cold plastic of his phone pressed against his forehead. He let out a long exasperated breath before almost jumping out of his skin as his phone vibrated and chirped at him. He held it up over his face and flipped it open. The little envelope at the top of the screen had a small star on it. He groaned and opened it. The text was simple, all it said was, “One in two million.”

Dan sat up and shook his head as he dug out a t-shirt. Pete, was a dumb-ass, but he had his moments. Dan looked at himself in the mirror on the back of his door. He had a very slender frame, with a long torso, so t-shirts fit him weird. If his lifted his arms to enthusiastically the fabric with raise and expose his mid-drift, but it was his favorite old school Rush shirt. A little ratty, but well loved. He found the cleanest pair of black jeans he had and slipped them on. Before long he was heading out the door. His old brown leather jacket slung over his shoulder. He had no clue what he was going to do when he got to the club. And everything he thought of was terrible.

The club was loud and dark. He never got the appeal in these places. They always played that horrible electronic music and it felt like they never turned on the air. The air was hazy with the smell of sweat, booze and drug fog. He made his way through the crowd. Standing at a solid six foot, two inches tall he could see over most of the patrons. Pete was sitting at one of the tall stool chaired tables. A small group was with him, two more guys and a girl. It wasn’t the girl he was looking for. He made it to the table and planted his hands firmly on the shoulders of his band mate, causing him to jump and turn around. “Dan, man! You made it! I knew I could get you here.” He laughed as he scooted his chair over and pulled up another stool. Dan shook his head and sat down. “What do you want, bro? I’ll start you off.” Dan wasn’t much of a drinker. Alcohol just made him sick and stupid. LIke it did to most people, but to appease his friend. “Clear Rum and Coke.” He said as he ran his long fingers through his mess of twisted brown curls.

Pete got up with a nod and headed to the bar. In his absence, Dan gave a quick scan of the place. He hoped he would catch quick glimpse of the real reason he was here, but to his annoyance, he couldn’t find her. His mind started to wander. Why was he hung up on this? Why was he so fucking worried? Why was he letting this happen? She was just a girl from the streets. And most likely not the most straight and narrow of girls. Especially how she had acted that morning the week before. He was snapped out was his daydream when a clear plastic solo style cup was set in front of him. He rolled his eyes just a bit. You think this place, based on how busy it was, could afford provide high quality drink holders. Dan hated when people were walking and these cups get bumped, splitting up the side causing everyone is a four foot radius to be doused in foul smelling liquid. Dan picked up his drink and took a deep swig. He scoffed and shuttered at the taste of cheap but strong. Even if she wasn’t here anymore. At least it was going to be an okay night with his buddy.

By the end of the night the group was a little past its limit on the spirits. Dan had even gotten up and danced with a girl that had asked him. He was now on the dance floor, one of those sweaty, electronica enjoying club goers. The girl was pretty, but his mind even in the drunken haze he was feeling, he couldn’t stop himself from looking around the place. He squinted trying to see beyond the flashing lights and bouncing bodies. He shook his head when he came up short again. He thanked the girl for the dance and let Pete know he needed to head outside for some air. Pete nodded and told him to be careful.

When the cold air of the frigid night hit his person, And he could have sworn he sobered up almost instantly. He walked around the corner of the building and leaned against the wall. The brick was freezing against his sweat drenched back. He shivered softly and closed his eyes. He needed to sober up before he headed home, because he didn’t have a designated driver.

A moment passed when he heard a commotion from the front of the building. He leaned around and peeked at the situation. A very clearly drunk man was pulling a woman along. She was pulling against him. “Let go, man.” He kept pulling. “I’m a paying customer. I have this right.” She came into view. And Dan was almost floored. It was her. Right in front of him was his one in two million. And she looked distressed again, but this time he hung back just a bit. She had to be able to help herself at least once. She pulled her hand away from him. “Well I can’t walk with you yanking my arm, asshole.” She hissed at him. The guy froze and looked at her. Dan saw his fists clench. He knew what that meant. As the man was about to raise his hand to her, he ran out and got in between. “Now, dude, you weren’t about to hit this girl were you?” The guy looked up at him. “I fucking paid for her, I can do as i please.” Dan was a bit confused by this statement. From behind him he heard Maggie trying to get him to stop. He felt her hand on his arm. “It’s okay.” She stammered as she spoke. Dan looked back at her. “No, he shouldn’t be treating you this way. You are right he is an asshole.” The guy glared at Dan then to Maggie. “Next time you make a deal, Silver. Don’t bring your guard dog.’ He walked off. Dan crossed his arms watching him leave. He turned to check on her, but the look on her face was not what he was expecting. “What the fuck do you think you are doing?” She asked angrily. He was a bit taken aback. “I was helping you. He was going to hit you.” She shook her head. “He wasn’t going too. He never does. There goes dinner and rent.” She said rubbing her head stressed. “Fuck!” She groaned and bounced in place. Dan looked at her confused. “What the hell is going on? I was trying to help, damn. That’s what nice people do.” She looked at him. “Nice people? There is no such thing as nice people.” She paced. “What am I going to do?” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Yes there is. Family, and friends. People that care.” He watched something snap in her. “Family? Friends? In this life, you don’t have friends and family! If you haven’t noticed, Danny,” she showed him the track marks and scars on her arms. The tone in the way she said his name made him cringe. “I’m not a normal woman. I’m a fucking hooker. In my life I don’t have friends. I have dealers and clients.” She pointed at him. “And you just lost me my money to eat and live for the night. All because you have to keep playing handsome knight in shining armor. Thank you for before, but from now on. Just fucking keep you nose out of business that doesn’t belong to you.”

As Dan watched her turn and walk away from him, he felt like he had been hit with a Mack truck. Her words had knocked the wind right out of him. He couldn’t even muster the voice to try and retaliate. She had stricken him speechless. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Fuck.”

Chapter Text

The sun was starting to peek over the foggy skyline of the city. And Maggie was making her way home. Her shoes slung over her shoulder and her makeup was practically smudged off. After her confrontation with Danny her night had kind of gone downhill. She actually had started to feel bad. She knew he was just looking out for her but he didn’t know her life. He didn’t know what she had been through. Then again she didn’t know what he had been through either. He could be just another lost soul drifting through life just like her. She groaned and shook her head. She continued her trek home.

As she walked she watched the city slowly wake up. The newsstands opened their shutters and stores unlocked the doors. She loved this time of day. As she was getting ready to lay her head down. Everyone else was up ready for the hustle and bustle of the day. Her usual stops in the morning were a walk through the park and sometimes a cup of joe at the diner by her place.

Today the walk through the park was rushed and non-enjoyable. She just wanted to get home. She wanted to sleep and forget what had went on during the night. She had a couple c-notes in her pocket and she was ready for a shower then bed. The stench of stale alcohol and weed lingered on her clothes. And her hair had gone flat on one side. She stopped outside the diner outside her building. The man running the news stand smiled at her. “Mornin’, young miss. Another late night I see.” He gave his normal morning joke. She chuckled. “Sure was, John, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She laughed as he handed her a paper. “Well might as well keep up on what us day people have been up too.” She smiled and tucked it under her arm. “Thanks John.” He smiled and waved.

An echoing thunk thunk on the big diner window caught her attention and made her turn quick. She saw a familiar face smiling from behind the glass. She smiled big and waved. She headed inside. “Maggie, I was starting to think you weren’t gonna show up.” She smiled at the man. His name was Jeremy Doyle. He was an ex-marine. And he was one of the only people in this world Maggie truly cared for. He had been there since the very beginning. Since she first came to the city as a runaway at seventeen.

Jeremy used to be an officer in the Marines. He was deployed at eighteen and had continued to volunteer for tours after that. That was until his base overseas was ambushed and they took a bunch of the men hostage. Jeremy was one of them. From the stories he had told Maggie, the indescribable things they had done, had made Jeremy’s mind snap. And when he was rescued and returned back to the states, he was dishonorably discharged for mental instability, and sent packing. Now he was a practically homeless, belligerent alcoholic living on a government paycheck. And he still did what he had to to make sure the people he cared about were happy.

Maggie looked up to him. She considered him a very close friend, almost family. He was the only one she really had to talk to. Yeah, she had her bar and club friends. And she had her fellow night worker friends. They all looked out for each other, but Jeremy meant something to her. A couple times he had paid for her services. He was never mean to her. He was never cruel. He just needed companionship and someone to comfort him. Jeremy had very bad PTSD. And he had told her many times, that talking to her helped. So she liked to help whenever she could. Even when she refused his money, he would slip it to her somehow. He never kicked her out the moment after and he was never rough with her. Maggie and Jeremy looked out for each other. It was the closest thing to love and family either of them had.

As she climbed onto the stool next to him, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She smiled and wrapped an arm around his middle in a side by side hug. “Maggie May, I was worried.” The waitress set a cup of coffee in front of her. She smiled and thanked her. “I’m just running a little slow today, it’s okay. Sorry to make you worry.” She looked at him and gave him a sad smile. He reached over and pinched her cheek softly. “Stiffen that upper lip soldier, I’m here. Now what’s on your mind, love?” He smiled at her. She looked at him. “I hate sounding like a teenage girl, but you can call it boy troubles.” She chuckled dryly and grabbed the sugar holder and poured a bit into her cup. She ran a light finger over the rim gathering the missed granules. She put the tip of her finger in her mouth. She over sweet of the sugar sent a spark from her tongue to her brain.

Jeremy pulled a small metal flask from his boot and spun the cap off. He poured a bit of dark amber liquid into his coffee. Jeremy couldn’t function without a bit of the booze in his blood. He offered her the flask. She motioned to her cup. He poured a bit in and quickly stashed the flask away. “Boy troubles, huh? Another rowdy john or like a real boy?” He asked giving his coffee a quick stir and took a deep drink. She sighed stirring her coffee slowly she watched the liquid swirl and dance. “A real boy?” She laughed. “I don’t deal in Pinocchio’s, man.” He laughed. “You know what I mean, little girl.” He patted her back. She nodded. “I know. Well in that case, a real boy. His name is Danny something. A couple nights ago a junkie tried to rob and attack me. Well Danny came just in time to get rid of the asshole.” Jeremy choked a bit. “Mags, someone tried to attack you? That’s not cool. Why didn’t you tell me?” He looked at her. She shook her head. “I was fine, Doyle. Like I said, Danny helped me. He even took me to his place when I couldn’t make it and took care of me.” Jeremy nodded. “He seems like a pretty nice guy. What’s wrong with that?” He watched her with his sad eyes. She groaned. “Well last night I was leaving the bar with a client and he was a little drunk. Acting a bit boorish but had bills in large. Well we got in a tiff and it looked like he was going to hit me.” She took a sip of her drink. “Maggie may, he was going to hit you?” Jeremy had a deep sense of worry in his voice. She sighed and interrupted his chance to retort. “I don’t think he actually was going too, but that was when Danny came out of nowhere and got in the guy’s face. He yelled at him, making him leave.” Jeremy nodded. “He seems like a good guy. Good guys defend nice girls.” She was getting a little angry. “He lost me money that night, Jeremy. Money for food and shelter.” Jeremy turned quickly. He grabbed her chin making her look at him. “What have I told you, little girl? No, amount of money or other is worth your health and well being. What if that guy had taken you to his place and beat you up because you got in that small fight? “ He looked into her eyes and gave her his sternest voice. She was a bit taken aback. She stammered softly. “Exactly, Maggie. What that Danny guy did was the right thing. He saw you were in trouble and saved your dumb ass.” He flicked her forehead. She winced slightly. “Let me guess, Maggie. You yelled at him, didn’t you?” She nodded. He shook his head in disgust. “I’m disappointed in you, Maggie. You used to care about yourself. Prostitute or not. You were only given one body. Take care of it.”

He stood up and dropped a ten on the counter. He motioned to it for the waitress, who gave him a small wave. He walked up to Maggie, and wrapped a hand around the side of her head. He brought her in and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, Maggie May. You know that. Maybe it’s about time you let more than just a drunken soldier care about you.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. She almost felt like crying, she knew he was right about everything. “I know, Jeremy, I know.” She looked up at him and gave him a soft smile. “I love you too, Jer-bear.” He smiled and kissed her forehead. “You owe that boy an apology.” He said with a chuckle. She groaned and pushed him away. “Yeah, yeah, dad. I know.” He laughed and headed out pulling on his old uniform hat. She smiled watching him leave.

She finished her coffee and gathered her shoes to leave. She needed to head home and sleep. What Jeremy said ran through her head. “You were given one body take care of it. No amount of money or other is worth the risk.” She waved at the waitress. “Bye Tess.” The woman smiled and waved. “Take care, Maggie dear.” Maggie headed home. The walk wasn’t to long. She lived just around the block. That was why it was the perfect place to have breakfast.

Recently she had started living with a fellow night worker, named Tracy. Like Maggie, she also had a street name. A way to stay anonymous and to keep your real name off record in you ever got picked up by the cops. Tracy went by Diamond and she had been turning tricks since she was fifteen. And she stood at twenty-five now. She allowed Maggie to move in with her when she was evicted from the building she used to live in. Tracy had been like a mother to Maggie since she came to the city. Picked her up as a runaway and took care of her. Kind of like how Jeremy did, but Tracy condoned the prostitute lifestyle. In her own way she took care of Maggie.

Maggie came up on her building and hit the call buzzer near the front door. She waited just a bit and no one answered. Tracy must have not been home yet or she was knocked out from the night before. Maggie groaned and walked around the back of the building. they always left the window open just in case. Maggie slung her shoes over her shoulder and started climbing the fire escape. It wobbled dangerously. She gripped the metal rungs of the ladder tight. “Please don’t be the day this fucking thing falls.” She repeated to herself over and over. Their apartment was on the third floor. And had a great view of a brick wall and a trash can, but home is home. As per the norm the window was open. Maggie climbed through and sighed in relief when her feet hit carpeted floors. She was safe and not splattered on the concrete below. She closed the window, locked it, and headed to the bathroom for a shower. She needed to wash off the shame and regret from the night before. She couldn’t stand having it on her skin any longer.

She stripped as she walked down the short hall. She checked Tracy’s room. It was empty. She rubbed her head. She was never not home yet. Maybe she was out visiting her kids. Or just passed out at a friends house. Maggie was a worrier. Not usually for herself but for others. The thing was, she never really liked to show that side to people. She felt it made her seem small and weak. And when you lived the life they did, that is exactly the opposite of what you needed to be.

Her shower was a long and drawn out one. She always took a little extra time after a work night. Making sure to scour every inch to make sure she was clean. When she was happy with the cleanliness, she just stood back enjoying the water and thinking about the world. All the big things and all the little things. In these small moments of peace her life got, she made the best of every millisecond. When the water started to lose its heat was when she knew it was time to get out. She would dry off and pull on her over sized t-shirt, then head to bed. Today she stopped and looked in the mirror. Without all the makeup and hairspray, she looked completely different. Her eyes seemed a bit brighter and her skin prettier. She gave herself a small confident smile. “You are beautiful, Maggie Simms. And no one can change that.” She picked up a small bottle from the counter. It was a small clear bottle with a golden colored liquid in it. She unscrewed the cap. As soon as the cap came off the soft musk smell hit her nostrils. It made her think of him. And the night he saved her. She held the bottle tight in her small hands. Jeremy was right, she owed him an apology and she owed it to him soon. She set the recapped bottle back on the counter and headed to the living room. She grabbed her blanket from the end of the couch and laid down covering up. She smiled and snuggled down. It didn’t take her long to fall into a very comfortable sleep.

The pounding on the door was loud as hell. She sat up straight and almost fell off the couch. The knocking continued. She stood up untangling herself from the blanket. “I’m coming, damn calm down.” She stumbled groggily to the door. And opened it slowly. The police officer on the other side looked down at her. “Maggie Simms?” She nodded. “Yes?” He looked at her. “This is the residence of Tracy Lawrence?” She nodded again. “Yes.” She rubbed her eyes. “She isn’t here right now.” She told him, looking up at him. “That’s the reason we are here, Ms. Simms.” He had a grave look on his face. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news but something terrible happened to Ms. Lawrence.” Maggie looked at him wide-eyed. “What happened?” The officer cleared his throat. “Ms. Lawrence was found unresponsive in the bathroom of Club Nine last night. She did not make it.”

Chapter Text

As the dark mahogany box was being lowered into the dark pit in the dirt. The sounds of muffled sobs and poorly hidden sniffles. Maggie looked at the casket and held back the tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulders.The grip on her arm was a strong one. She looked over. Jeremy looked down at her. He gave her a sad and forced reassuring smile. She leaned against him. And the tears fell. Tracy had been like a mother to her. Caring for her when she needed it and just making sure she was alright.

In their line of work, you hear stories of this happening all the time. You just never suspect it would ever happen so close to home. And Maggie was not taking it very well. She left before the funeral even finished. She couldn’t be around the sadness anymore. She needed alone time. She walked her way back into town. She stretched her arms up above her head as she walked. The sequins on her dress made reflected stars of fading sunlight onto the cracked concrete of the sidewalk. The sun was falling slowly over the skyline of the city. She smiled and soaked it in. Her favorite time of day was sunlight just before twilight. The colors were beautiful and relaxing.

She didn’t need relaxation right now. She needed to float. She wanted to go so off the rails that she rose all the way to heaven to see Tracy. She clutched her purse to her chest and walked into the club. It didn’t take a second for the bass music to start beating her chest. She smiled. She was home. The bar was still quite vacant seeing as it was still early in the night. She sat down and smiled at the bartender. “Make me forget my day, baby.” She hummed seductively at him. He smiled and made her a drink. She pulled a bill from her purse. He waved it off. “It’s on me.” She gave him a dark smile and a wink. She walked away from the bar. She took a deep sip of her drink. The tartness of the alcohol teased her tongue and made her sigh in pleasure. The sweetness of the fruit juice took the bite away. This was a drink you could get drunk off of and not even realize it. She planned on doing exactly that.

The night sped by. With every sip of an increasingly strong drink and every close movement of a sweaty dance, it felt like seconds were minutes and minutes were hours. She felt amazing. She felt like a million dollars. And any man in that bar would pay that much to be with her. Alas that night was not about that. It was about forgetting, it was about not regretting. It was about clearing her mind, but there was still so much there. And that made her mad.

It wasn’t until that first needle pierced her arm that reality came rushing. The smell of lighter fluid. The smoke lingering in the air. The noise slowly dulling to a soft hum. She fell back onto the plush couch that was in the vip section of the club. It was like everything was moving in slow motion. She smiled. As the high lingered so did many thoughts. Death, love, music. She sat up and looked in her purse. She pulled out a small glass bottle. She carefully unscrewed the cap. Even through the mudgy stench of drunk, stoned club goers. The familiar musk of the cologne reached her nose. She smiled and held the bottle tight. She stood up and felt a hard hit to her side. A girl had fall back and slammed into her. The bottle slipped from her hand and plummeted from her hand. This action didn’t happen in slow motion. She felt her heart sink as it hit the floor and shattered into small pieces. Spraying amber liquid in a three foot radius around the crash site. She gasped and covered her mouth. She just stood there and stared at it.

Pulled back from her moment when someone grabbed her arm. “Hey Silver. You’re bleeding.” She slowly looked at the person examining her arm. She looked down at her arm. Blood streamed from the fresh puncture holes. She looked at it. It mesmerized her, watching it web its ways down her fair skin. She pulled her arm away from them. She picked up her purse and stumbled out of the crowd. She made her way to the bathroom. She almost tripped through the door. It slammed hard against the back wall. She moved up to the sink and looked in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and her makeup was smudged to all hell. She turned on the water and cleaned her arm off. She head started to spin. She held her head and stumbled back. She leaned against a closed stall door. She started breathing hard. She didn’t know what was happening. Her legs started to wobble. Her back slid down the cold metal of the door. She groaned when her bottom hit the floor. Was she coming down, did she have to much? She didn’t know.

People started crowding around her the longer she sat there. Someone pulled her to her feet and looked into her eyes with a bright light. Reality came rushing back. She looked around confused. The concerned looks on everyone’s faces. She got scared and pulled away from them. The paramedics called after her as she ran. She gasped loud as the cold air of the night hit her. Life was starting to speed back up. She started to speed walk away. She hugged herself as she walked. Her heels made her stumble. She stopped long enough to pull them off and keep walking.

The paper thin tights she was wearing did nothing to keep her legs warm. She wanted to get home, but the memories started to hurt. She couldn’t be in that apartment alone. She had nowhere else to go. She leaned against a wall and started to cry. She held her chest and let the pain call to the heavens. She stood up to walk again. She just walked. She didn’t think about it. She just let her feet take control and carry her.

It felt like hours. It felt like miles. It felt like she had walked out all the toxins from her mind. She looked around the street to see where she had ended up. She cursed her mind, when she looked across the street and saw a very familiar from stoop. She had brought herself back to his place. Subconsciously she knew a place she would have been safe. She crossed the road and looked at the door. She pressed her hand to it. She felt the cold of the wooden door against her overheated hand. She pushed hard and it popped open. She looked up the stairs. She started to climb them.

Would he accept her at the door? Would he turn her away? She made it to the top and had to sit down. She put her face in her hands and tried to catch her breath. She closed her eyes. She was so tired. Her body was so exhausted. She was just done. She laid on her side. The cold of the steps felt amazing. She closed her eyes and without warning she fell asleep.

Chapter Text

The heavy scent of strong black coffee filled her senses. She stretched and groaned as she woke up. Her hands bumped into something soft but solid. She looked up through a curtain of matted hair and groggy eyes. Sitting on the stair next to her was Dan. He had a cup of coffee raised to his lips. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Good morning. I was wondering if you were ever going to wake up or if i was going to have to call the EMTs to get you.” She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. She looked down at her hands. Silver and black makeup smeared the backs and sides. She groaned softly. He let out a soft chuckle. “Here, hair of the dog.” He picked up another mug from his other side. He handed it to her and smiled. She took the mug. “I don’t think i need anymore of what i had last night.” She felt the heat radiating through the porcelain. She took a deep sip. The strong, bitterness hit her tongue and made her flinch. He sighed. “It’s okay. It’s just coffee. Cheap, shitty, coffee.” She took another sip and let out a soft relief sigh.

Silence ensued for the next few minutes. They just stared at the bottom of the stairs where her shoes had landed and the door was slightly askew. Neither of them wanting to speak. It was just a lovely quiet moment. She was the first one to say something. She rolled the cup back and forth between her hands. “I didn’t know where else to go. I didn’t want to go home.” She said quietly looking over at him. He shook his head, his messy bed hair bounced as he did. “It’s all good. At least you tried to find somewhere safe. It was just a surprise opening the door for the mail and finding a sleeping woman.” He laughed softly. “So I thought coffee would do you good.” She nodded and hummed in agreement. “Yeah. I have found strong black coffee starts a day off good.” She looked into her mug seeing the last droplets clinging to the sides.

He stood up and stretched. “The chill is breaking the warmth wall, let’s get inside.” She stood up and followed him into the apartment. The warmth slowly sapped the cold from the night before from her body. It felt so good. He took the mug from her. “You know. This is the second time you’ve passed out on my stairs.” His kind smile sliced through her. She didn’t know why but it happened instantly. The tears started to fall. And soft sobs escaped her mouth. He hurried and set the mugs on the table. He came up to her and took her face in his hands. “What’s wrong, Maggie?” He asked concerned. She looked at him. Her vision distorted by tears. “I’m not strong enough to handle this anymore.” She coughed out. He looked at her. “Sometimes you don’t have to be strong. You don’t have to carry the entire world alone.” She pulled him into a tight hug. He wrapped his long arms around her petite frame. He let her cry it out. She had never had the chance to just let it all out. And for some reason being around him she felt she could open up, and be normal.

He held her close until she was ready to let go. When she did, he pulled back and smiled. ‘Come on.” He took her hand and lead her to the bathroom. She sniffled softly and wiped her eyes. He turned on the light and turned around. He took her by the sides and lifted her with ease onto the counter. She watched him and he pulled a washcloth from the shelf. He got it wet in the sink. “Come on let’s get you cleaned up.” He took her arms gently and ran the washcloth along them. remnants of dried blood and grime from the night before just wiped away. He looked at her arms. His eyes lingered on the fresh needle marks. His thumb slid over them tenderly. He looked up at her and lifted her chin gently. He ran the washcloth across her cheek. She could see the layers of makeup and sadness stain the white fabric. He smiled at her. “See how easy all that washes away?” She looked into his eyes. His kindness was genuine. Jeremy was right. He cared. She gave him a soft smile back.

The cloth made a soft thump when he tossed it into the hamper. He tenderly made her look at him. “Take a shower. Calm down. And I’ll keep you company.” She nodded softly. He helped her off the counter. “Ill bring you some clothes.” He left the bathroom. She sighed and looked in the mirror. She had never felt so cared about before. It was giving her mixed feelings. She turned on the water and did as she was told. She took a hot and relaxing shower. She only heard the door open once. She looked out and saw him setting a small pile of clothes on the counter. She smiled. “Thank you, Dan.” He smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry about it.” He left the room.

He was right, the shower made her feel so much better. She climbed out and dried off. She looked at the clothes he had laid out for her. Of course he wouldn’t have women’s clothes, but he tried his hardest. In the pile was a t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. She got dressed and looked in the mirror. She tried to tame her thick auburn hair. She sighed when it was a fruitless act. She put the dirty clothes in the basket and headed out. There was music playing from the living room as she walked in. She walked over and sat on the couch.

The music was soft but meaningful. She smiled and closed her eyes. She swayed softly. She felt a hand on the top of her head and tousle her hair up. She groaned and swatted the hand away. “Hey, I just brushed that.” She laughed. He smiled. “Like the music?” He walked over and sat in his usual easy chair. She smiled, “yeah. Its really good. I like the melodic tones and the singer has that kind of voice that just strums your heartstrings.” He laughed and sat back. “That’s me.” He said confidently. She looked at him. “For real? That’s you” She ran her fingers through her hair. “Well you are amazing.” She smiled softly and tucked her hair behind her ear. He gave her a big toothy grin. “That’s good to hear. We all try really hard.” She pulled her legs up under her on the couch. “Well it really shows through that you do.” She leaned back on the couch and looked at him. He smiled and got up turning the music off. He looked back at her, and she struck his eye differently sitting on the couch in his shirt. She looked so much different without the makeup and more revealing clothes. He got a little hung up on his words. “Do you play video games?” He asked with a subtle throat clear. She smiled and shook her head. “I used to back when Jordan was..” Her words caught in her throat. She huffed softly. “Back when i lived with my parents.” He noticed her pause. He sighed softly. “Well I have some old dumb games if you would like to play them with me.” She looked at him and nodded softly. “I would like to listen to the music a bit longer, if that’s okay.” She tucked a strand of hair nervously behind her ear. He gave her a sincere smile and nodded. “Okay, I don’t mind.” He sat back in his chair and just listened to the music. Maggie leaned on the arm of the couch. She did enjoy this music. Sometimes club mixes can all start to sound the same after a while, but this music was original, from the heart and every word meant so much.

Danny had called into work as soon as he had seen her on the stairs. Something told him that she was going to need him. And he needed to be there. He planned on doing just that. He was going to make sure she was okay and knew she had a friend.

As the day progressed things moved from music, to movies. Danny found out Maggie’s favorite movie was Rocky Horror Picture Show, and she had every song memorized. Maggie found out Danny had an affinity for The Last Unicorn. A beautiful animated movie. She fell instantly in love with the piece. And with every passing minute they opened themselves up more and more to the each other. By late afternoon the coffee table was littered with pizza boxes and soda cans. The stench of weed lingered in the air, the music from Super Mario World played loud from the TV. Danny had moved from his chair to the couch next to her. She was on her knees intensely playing the game. Her smile felt genuine, for the first time in a long time, she could actually smile. She groaned when she died for the tenth time and flopped back against the couch. She smiled looking over at him as he took his turn. She could not help but watch him. He still had that light in his eyes that meant he hadn’t given up yet. And his smile was always real never forced.

She set the controller down and climbed over. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight from the side hug, resting her head on his shoulder. The sound of game death could be heard as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “Thank you for being so nice to me, Danny.” She said softly. He chuckled. “That’s what friends do, Maggie. We take care of each other.” She gave him one good squeeze and he laughed. “Friends.” She said quietly. “Yep, Maggie. Friends. That means you are stuck with me.” She laughed and sat back. “I think I can deal with that. Only if you can deal with getting your ass kicked in this game.” He let out a dramatic evil laugh. “Bring it on, baby.” They went back to playing. And spending the rest of the day together.

This had been one of the best days in Maggie’s life. And she would never forget it.

Chapter Text

“Maggie, can I ask you something?”
She heard from the floor next to the couch she was laying on. She peeked over the edge. Danny was laying down his hands behind his head. His brown eyes glinted up at her in the dim lighting, from the TV’s blue auxiliary screen. She nodded softly. “Yeah, go ahead.” She rested her head on her arms looking down at him.

“Why do you do what you do?” His voice was low and almost embarrassed to be asking. She blinked slowly. “What do you mean?” She asked back just as quiet. “The drugs, the drinking.” His words kind of cut off abruptly after he said that. She sighed softly. “And the sex for money?” She asked straight out. He looked at her, his eyes wide. Like he was surprised she had just come out and said it. “It’s okay. It’s a normal question.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “It’s hard to explain. And a very long story.” She stretched and pulled her hair over one shoulder playing with the ends of it. He propped himself up on his elbows. “I mean we literally have all night.” He chuckled and dropped back down to the floor. She nodded. “That we do. That we do.” She let out a soft groan. “Well I think it all started when I was 15, my brother Jordan turned 18 and enlisted. He was dad’s little soldier boy. He had been dreaming of serving his country since he was just a kid. Jordan was also the world to me.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had to lay her head down. Just in case she cried again. She felt a hand on her arm. It gave her a small sense of confidence. “Well after a couple years of boot camps and training he was getting sent on his first tour overseas. We missed him that first year, but he loved it. Letter after letter mailed to us, fuzzy and short phone calls. It just wasn’t the same. I missed him so much.” She sniffled softly. “His second year was when things changed. I think I was 17 at that point. We went almost two months without hearing anything. No letters, no calls. We thought the worst.” She wiped her dampened eyes. His hand tightened on her arm a bit. “When those two officers showed up at our house. We knew our suspicions were right. Jordan was killed in a Humvee bombing.” She took a soft ragged breath. “It nearly killed my parents. They took it the hardest. They started fighting more and more. Lets just say I found other means of coping, I found booze and pills. One day I packed a small bag, left my parents a note, hopped in the backseat of my friend’s car and we drove away. We ended up here in New York and been here ever since. “ She looked at him. He looked up at her. “You didn’t explain how your life got so seedy.” He stretched and she rested her chin in the crook of her arm. “Well when life didn’t cater to two high school dropouts with baggage, I had to make ends meet.” She rubbed her head and finger combed her hair. “I met Tracy and she landed me my first client. It’s just been habit ever since.” He reached up and fiddled with a strand of her hair hanging over her arm. “Why, haven’t you tried to stop?” He asked focusing on her hair. “I kinda like eating.” She pulled her hair over one shoulder again taking away his fidget strand. “And I like having a place to live. Even if it is hard to be there right now.”

He laid back putting his hands back behind his head. “I think I understand. We’ve all done things we regret to make a living.” She nodded. “I don’t regret this life though. I’ve met my closest friends living this life. And I met you.” She looked down at him and gave him a cheesy smile. He laughed and shook his head. “Aren’t you scared wandering off and fucking strangers, I mean like diseases and what happened back in the alley.” She turned to her side and propped her head up on her hand. “Yeah, it’s scary sometimes, but we are very careful. We get tested and we use protection. I’ve never had a scare in three years. So I think I am okay for now.” She yawned softly. “It’s not as dirty and depraved as people think. We are just well paid company.” She peeked over the couch at him. “What about you, Danny? Mister video gaming, music playing, hooker saving, stoner with great hair.” She smiled. He looked at her. “You think I have great hair?” He patted his hair. She laughed and rolled back onto the couch. “Well that’s exactly what i am really.” He sighed. “Other than sometimes I work at a coffee shop. I came to New york to be a musician. And so far nothing.” He went quiet. She looked at him. “Don’t worry. I see big things for you, friend.” He smiled up at her. “Are you psychic now?” She laughed and nodded. “Yep, call it a sixth sense.” He laughed and laid back. She smiled and snuggled into the couch. She let her hand dangle over the edge and she felt his hand slip into it, his thumb running back and forth along her knuckles. “Goodnight, Danny.” She said softly. He smiled. “Sweet Dreams, Maggie.”

Maggie woke up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She stretched and yawned. She sat up slowly and looked over the edge of couch. She saw him laying there. His brown hair a wild mess of curls, and his face was relaxed with soft features. She smiled softly. She wanted to reach down and just gently brush the curl from his eyes, but she didn’t want to wake him up.

With grace and expert maneuvering, she climbed over the back of the couch. She yawned and headed to the bathroom. She rubbed her head, messing up her hair even more. She did her business and came back out. She grabbed her purse from by the door and pulled out her phone. She saw there was a blinking light. She flipped it open to check the message.

“Silver, I need to see you asap.
Don’t keep me waiting.
-R”

She groaned and texted back.

“Ten minutes.
Usual place.
You know the price.”