be discreet

[msmage]

It's not much later, in Isabella's room, that she asks:

"So... is Alex really a dom?"

Comments

[mrmage]

Sadde giggles. "Want my help with anything?" he asks Isabella.

[eclipsi]

"Sure, pet, come in." And she has him microwave Alex three slices of frozen pepperoni pizza while she pours him a bowl of soup and plates herself some tuna.

[mrmage]

He does all the things she asks, of course, now with a little bit more volition than right after leaving the restaurant.

[eclipsi]

And then they are all sitting around the kitchen table eating their food when the garage door opens again.

[mrmage]

"Guess your mom's home," he says between bites.

[kindestgarden]

Indeed she is. "My god, I am so sorry, I would never if I'd known," she exclaims as soon as she's in the house. "Oh good you're finishing off the soup - I'm so sorry, are you all right, Sadde?"

[mrmage]

"Yeah, I'm fine. You don't need to worry, you couldn't have known."

[kindestgarden]

"I'm still kicking myself. I didn't even check with Bella. I'm so sorry, dear, I wish we could have had a better first impression than that."

[mrmage]

"It's fine," he reassures her. "I was a bit worried about first impressions, but for the more mundane reason that I didn't leave Alex with a very good one."

[kindestgarden]

"Well, I heard only good things."

[mrmage]

"What did you hear?"

[kindestgarden]

"That you make Bella very happy and you're very cute. Mind, I did have to interpret some to come to the understanding that it was 'cute' he meant."

[mrmage]

He grins. "Well, thank you, Alex."

[catalexis]

"No problem."

[mrmage]

"Anyway, uh, we had a few, um, questions," he tells Renée.

[kindestgarden]

"Yes?"

[mrmage]

"Supposing my father wants to pull me out of school, and supposing I would rather set myself on fire than that, do you know if there's a way for me to not have to, given that he has had me heal every injury pretty thoroughly and it's only my word against his on the abuse?"

[kindestgarden]

"...The situation isn't what it should be. With a sufficiently rabid prosecutor you could get it to trial, and if you did you might win, but there's nothing guaranteeing you'd be able to employ one of those. I can put you in touch with a social worker if you want a more expert opinion."

[eclipsi]

"This is idiotic. They made me talk to a lie-detector to make sure you weren't hitting me, and Sadde can't get that?"

[kindestgarden]

"They have a particular interest in making sure kindergarten teachers aren't knocking around little children. It's very difficult to get a lie detector in for any more routine case."

[mrmage]

"...a teenager claiming their parent has physically and emotionally abused and role-pressured them for years is a routine case?" He looks at Isabella. "Can we take over the world faster?"

[eclipsi]

"Please tell me how if you think of a way to speed it up."

[kindestgarden]

"It's not uncommon," says Renée, shaking her head. "Not uncommon enough. Do you have grandparents or aunts or uncles who'd want to take you in, who'd do the legwork for you...?"

[mrmage]

"Mom's parents were in Tobias' congregation, but they're both dead now, and she was an only child. Tobias' family isn't any more likely to help," he sighs.

[kindestgarden]

"And your stepmother?"