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 Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.  The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise.  No copyright infringement is intended.

 Special thanks to Ermintrude, you were invaluable in helping me put this all together. 

Shatter

 

4247 Maplewood Dr.

 January 31, 2001

 10:45 PM

 

Lee picked up the bottle of Brut Cologne, staring at it. The green glass shimmered in the fluorescent light as he slowly turned the bottle in his hands:

 “Do you like it, Dad?”  Jenna had asked him as he’d unwrapped the present. “I found it in the store—I thought it smelled nice.” 

 “It’s great, munchkin.” Lee had pulled his daughter into a brief hug, kissing the top of her forehead.  “Thank you very much—Merry Christmas.” 

 Jenna had smiled then—the expression lighting up her entire face. “Merry Christmas, Dad.”  

 ‘That was then,’ Lee thought to himself.  And now—the images raced through his mind: 

 Jenna, still half in her dream world, backing away from his touch, visibly trembling, reminding Lee of a frightened animal.  Her dark eyes had been unseeing, wide with fear, her breathing rapid and shallow…

 “Don’t hurt—my name is Marcie Ann Johnston—please don’t hurt me.” She’d told him.  Jenna’s voice had been a whisper as she curled up into a ball, repeating the same phrase over and over.  Horrified, Lee had backed away from his daughter, calling out  for Amanda…

 “Shhh…” Amanda had gathered Jenna in her arms, rocking her, making soothing sounds as she held her— “Gary’s not here. He’s far away, sweetheart—he’ll never hurt you again, I promise.”

 “No.”  Jenna had shaken her head emphatically. “He was here, I smelled the cologne.”  Lee and Amanda’s eyes had met as comprehension dawned…

 Again he looked down at the bottle.

 With a sudden vehemence Lee gathered all of his strength, throwing the bottle into the plastic wastepaper basket. 

 Glass shattered, cologne spilling, splattering the sides of the basket with the contents.  Lee stared down at the basket, breathing hard. A strong odor filled the room.

  “Lee?”  Amanda walked into the bathroom. “What are you doing—oh,” she said as her gaze followed his to the contents of the basket.  

  “Did that help you feel any better?” she asked him softly. 

 Lee looked up at his wife. “A little,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair..  “Not really, though. How’s Jenna?” 

 “She finally calmed down enough to go to sleep,” Amanda said. “At least for a little while.” 

 “Thank God for that.”  Walking back into their bedroom, Lee sat on the edge of the bed. Amanda sat down beside him.

 “I just can’t believe that all this didn’t wake Mother or the boys.”  

 “They’re probably exhausted after these last few days,” Lee said. “We all are.” 

 “That’s true,” Amanda said. “Was it really necessary to break the bottle?”

 Lee’s hand clenched. “It isn’t what I’d like to break, Amanda, believe me. Seeing Jenna like that—” He took a deep, shaky breath. “I don’t want her to ever be afraid of me again.” 

 “It’s not you she’s afraid of, believe me.” Amanda took his fist, unclenching it, her smaller hand wrapping around his.    “This wasn’t your fault. There’s no way you could’ve known.” 

 “Jenna bought me that cologne this last Christmas,” Lee said. “Remember?  Now she can’t even stand to smell it because it reminds her of Gary Johnston.  That bastard might be sitting in prison, Amanda— but he still has a hold on her. I hate that.” 

 “Believe me, I feel the same way.”  Amanda paused. “Lee, I really think she needs help—beyond the help that we can give her. I really do think she needs to talk to someone.” 

 “You mean Pfaff,” Lee said. Amanda nodded. “Would he be able to help her?  She isn’t an agent—Pfaff doesn’t exactly have extensive experience with children.” 

 “No he doesn’t,” Amanda said. “But I think for security reasons we need to stay within the Agency.  And Dr. Pfaff did complete a fellowship in child psychiatry during his residency.”  

 “Would he do it?”  Lee asked. 

 “Remember this morning when I said I was going to the grocery store?” Amanda asked. Lee nodded.  “I actually went to talk to Pfaff—he said he’d be willing to help.” Amanda hesitated.  “I didn’t mean to go behind your back, Lee, but I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about this—I mean, your opinion about Doctors isn’t always the greatest and I know how you feel about Pfaff. But Jenna hasn’t had a single night of uninterrupted sleep since we rescued her. Even when she’s awake she’s terrified—jumps at every noise—I know it’s early, but I really think we need to help her now before it gets worse—”

 “Amanda, look at me.” Lee broke into his wife’s ramble, putting a finger under her chin, lifting until her gaze met his.  “It’s really okay—I agree with you. Jenna needs more help than we can give her right now. Pfaff and I  might not have the greatest relationship, but he is very good at his job. Did you make an appointment?”

 “Yes, for Monday afternoon,” Amanda said. “There’s just one more thing—he needs to speak to you privately beforehand.” 

 “I guess I can do that— for Jenna’s sake,” Lee said. “And tomorrow morning we’ll sit Jenna down and talk to her about this. We will get her through this, Amanda—I promise you that.”   

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