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"Two Beds And A Coffee Machine"Written By: Ashkara Disclaimer: I sadly enough do not own them. Sigh. Rating: R Warnings: Major angst, death (not one of the boys),
violence - tissue warning! Pairings: None Summary: Inspired by the song of the same title
by Savage Garden. This story looks at the possible origins of one
Duo Maxwell. " Two Beds And A Coffee Machine"
Mary's hands shook as she peeked into the living room of her small house. She breathed a sigh of relief – Joshua was out cold. Finally. Her hands shook as she stared down at the comatose form of the man she called her husband, and she knew she would have hit him again if she wasn't already in almost too much pain to move. She bent like an old woman, grabbing the remnants of a table lamp and a smashed vase from the floor and stuffing them into a black plastic trash bag. He would sleep it off. Yes – he always did. Sleep it off and tomorrow morning they would pretend none of this had ever happened. Like they always did. She whimpered as she knelt and a shard of glass gashed her leg. "God damnit." As if she wasn't already in enough pain! As if her life wasn't bad *enough*… Mary froze as her… the man on the couch stirred and mumbled in his sleep. "Worthless bitch…" She stared at him, and then silently lowered her
head and began to sob. How many more times would it happen? Married to a man she didn't love because she'd been foolish enough to get pregnant… She'd had nowhere to go when her family disowned her, no one to turn to, and then Joshua had come along… Four long years. Four years of serving the womanising prick on bended knee while he brought other women home to their bed and forced her to sleep on the couch! Four years of enduring the beatings he gave her when he returned from the bar, yelling and accusing her of everything from witchcraft to adultery. And why? Mary's hands froze, and for the first time that evening a small smile graced her bruised face. Because somewhere, asleep in his small room upstairs, there was a little boy with bright blue eyes and a curly mop of brown hair. There was a soul that embodied everything she hoped and wished for. And there was nothing that was too much to do for her son! Mary never referred to him by his name – Joshua had insisted on calling him George, after his own father, though why *he* thought he should have the right to name a child that wasn't his… She called him Sunshine, and she thought that name was infinitely better. "Fucking bastard kid…" She turned to stare at Joshua, asleep in a pool of his own saliva. How long would it be until she couldn't protect her baby any longer? How long until the lecherous bastard put his hands on him and… She shuddered and stopped what she was doing. A single thought entered her mind. Flee. Get away. Find out what her life was supposed to be, and give her son the happiness he deserved. Mary abandoned the living room and ran up the stairs. She had no idea how long he'd be out, but she had no intentions of being there when he woke up! Another ditch in the road Tears streamed down her face as she pulled the car to a stop in front of a small but cosy-looking house. She'd grown up here, but she hadn't been back, not since her father… Worthless whore… For Sunshine – she'd take anything they gave her, endure every lecture, go back to high school… He was asleep, his long eyelashes brushed against a cheek that was flushed by crying. How frightened he must have been, hearing the noises downstairs! She could only imagine… Mary pulled down the visor mirror and nearly burst into tears again as she stared at her own reflection. "I wonder if mommy will even recognise me, anymore…" She applied makeup in a sickeningly familiar fashion – how many times had she done this over the past three years? Lifting Sunshine in her arms, she walked up the driveway and pressed the doorbell. She wasn't surprised that her parents were awake – it was almost dawn, and they had always been early risers. They started their day with prayers, paying lip service to a kind God they mocked when they threw their daughter out on the street… The door opened. "Mommy…" Her mother's eyes were wide with shock, and steady, capable hands began to tremble where they held the door for support. "Mary?" "Mommy, I… please, Mom, can I come in?" "Esther!" Both women jumped as a loud voice boomed from behind her mother, and her father's figure blocked the warm light of the hallway… "I thought I told you never to come back here." Tears filled Mary's eyes. "Please! You have to help me! I don't have anywhere to go. I don't have enough money, I don't have a place to stay…" "Esther, go inside. Now." Her mother gave her one last look before she followed her husband's order, leaving father and daughter staring at each other, and little Sunshine cradled fast asleep in his mother's arms. Mary trembled under her father's stare. She knew she was a failure. She was evil and full of sin, but surely he couldn't condemn her son, just because… "I'm only going to say thins once, Mary," he said in a low, heavy voice. "You've made your bed – you chose your life when you…" He stopped and grimaced, anger showing through in all his features. "You… you and your kid, will never be welcome here. Don't ever come back again." Mary sank onto the doorstep as he slammed the door in her face, cradling and hugging Sunshine when the loud noise woke him and he began to cry. Tears ran down her cheeks, but she murmured, "It's okay, baby. I promise, everything will be okay, you'll see." There are children to think of Sunshine was finally asleep again. Mary let her head fall forward onto the steering wheel and just breathed, her eyes fixed on everything and nothing, at once. How could she have let it get this bad? How could she have fucked up so completely? She winced as one of her bruises scraped roughly over the steering wheel. There hadn't been a choice, not when she was kicked out on her own. On L2, you either had money, or you were dead. There was no in-between. At least, there was no in-between that she could have possibly accepted, not pregnant. And Joshua had been charming, at first. And he said he didn't mind – he said he would love her baby, regardless of who the father was. Strange words coming from a man who now told her regularly that her son would be out the door once she bore *his* son. Mary was very careful not to get pregnant. Sunshine would never live like that, not if she could stop it! She groaned as she tried to move. Mary abruptly realised she'd fallen asleep, and now every muscle and bone in her body was aching from both the fight and then the strain and exertion of her escape. Whatever she was going to do, she had to find a place to stay and sleep. Sleep, and everything would be better in the morning. Her eyes were dead as she started the car and turned it towards the spaceport and the hotels located there. Anyone who believed that shit was living in a fairytale. Wonder how he'll ever make it through this living
nightmare Sunshine woke as she carried him into the only hotel room she could afford, even in a run-down colony such as this. "Mommy? Where are we?" She forced herself to smile into the three-year old's eyes. "We're taking a little trip, Sunshine. We'll stay here for a few days, won't that be nice?" He thought about it and nodded, his little face scowling. "Don' wanna go back there. Josha a bad man." She hugged him and sat them both down on the bed, resting her chin on his head. "Why d'you say that? He takes care of us…" "He made you cry." The boy's softly-spoken words nearly broke her heart. How much did this little one see? How much did he know? How could she possibly endanger such a precious, little soul around… him? Sunshine's pudgy arms wrapped around her neck. "Love oo, Mommy." She kissed his nose and lay back on the bed. Mary smiled as Sunshine automatically curled up against her side. "I love you, too, baby. I always will." Two beds and a coffee machine She woke up to an empty stomach. Sunshine was across the room. He'd managed to climb onto a chair and was avidly watching the world outside their dirty window, little hands pressed against the glass. Mary called to him, "Sunshine? Why didn't you wake me up?" He climbed back down off the chair and toddled over to her, each step looking like he'd fall over, only to right himself at the last possible moment. She smiled and lifted him onto the bed, trying not to wince as he bruises complained. He saw it, though. "Mommy hurt?" She shook her head. "I'm okay – just a little ouch…" "S'not true," Sunshine said clearly. Mary stared, but made herself smile again. "I'm fine, baby." Her stomach gurgled, though, and with a heavy heart, she knew what had to be done. She had no more money after paying for the room. They had to go home. Another ditch in the road He was waiting for her when Mary got in. It only took one look to know he'd been drinking again – his eyes were too bright, his face red, his breath, as he approached her, was fouler than the trash littering the streets outside. Mary set Sunshine down and wiped her palms on her jeans nervously. "I'm back." He sneered, "I can see that, bitch. You can't do anything right, can you? You can't even run away, you're so fucking pathetic! With your precious little brat…" Joshua advanced on the two, his eyes riveted to Sunshine's wide, frightened blue eyes. A manic gleam lit his face. Mary calmly stepped between them. "You leave him out of this. You're angry with me, fine, but you will not touch Sunshine…" Snarling, Joshua backhanded her roughly. Mary cried out as she flew across the small space, and screamed as she collided with the stairway banister and her arm cracked audibly. Joshua advanced on her again… "You stay away from my mommy!" Both adults stopped moving or even breathing in disbelief as a small voice piped up, trembling with fear, but also ringing with resolve. Mary's eyes filled with tears – Sunshine was standing next to her, tiny fists clenched as he did his best to glare up at Joshua. "Mean man – you go away!" "Stinking little bastard piece of shit…" Joshua grabbed the boy and shook him hard. Mary forced herself up and off the ground, hearing her son scream, watching his little hands beating at Joshua. So brave, such a spirit… She ran right into him, and Joshua dropped Sunshine in surprise. The boy began to cry again as he crawled away, his mother standing over him like a momma bear, bristling with rage. Joshua laughed at the picture they presented. "Look at you! You and your precious Sunshine! I named him George, and I'll make that stupid, worthless little shit into a man…" "He is not worthless…" Joshua laughed at her, laughing so hard he didn't notice it when Mary picked up the leg of a broken chair and held it tightly in her good hand, behind her back. "Really? He's the bastard son of an L2 whore. That's all you are and it's all he'll ever be!" He started forward at them again, and Sunshine screamed in terror- "NEVER!" Mary struck her husband with all the strength she had. Blood spurted from where she had smacked him with the chair's leg, and she repeated it over and over. "He is going to be great someday! He's going to get out of this place and make a difference! And he is not George! He will be whoever he wants to be!" Panting, she threw the wood in her hands far away and stared down at Joshua in shock. Blood was pouring from a gash on his head, though he still appeared to be breathing… Scared beyond belief, Mary grabbed her son under her good arm and ran out the door as fast as she could manage. He would wake up soon. And he would make her pay for what she'd done. Another bruise to try and hide She'd dropped the car keys in the scuffle, and she didn't dare go back to look for them. Wincing in pain, but feeling proud of herself for the first time in years, Mary set Sunshine down on his feet. She leaned down and spoke to him softly. "We need to go and hide for a while, okay? You have to promise me you'll obey what I tell you, Sunshine. It's very important." "Promise, Mommy." He held her hand and walked alongside her silently into the dark city. She'd been wrong, three years ago. There was worse out there than living on these streets. It was time to leave worse behind them. The way Mary saw it, they had no place to go but up from there. It wasn't far, though, before she felt herself getting dizzy with fatigue and pain, and she knew they would make it no farther… Mary continued walking, sticking to the shadows and tugging her three-year old along behind her… She froze – a car was prowling along the roads, headlights illuminating the dark alleyways. She recognised the sound of that muffler. Mary knelt down next to her son and set her good hand on his little shoulder. "Now I need you to listen to me, Sunshine. You are going to go over there," she said, pointing down the street to a dark space between two dumpsters, "and hide, okay? Don't come out – not until I tell you to, you understand?" "I love oo, Mommy." She kissed his forehead softly. "I love you, too. Go, now." They were just in time – the headlights found her only seconds after Sunshine disappeared. ~*~ Sunshine watched as the bright lights arrived, and he head a car door slam. A man was yelling – it was the bad man! He came after Mommy, and Mommy was hurt and sick… Small fists balled up as Sunshine watched the man arguing with his Mommy. She made him promise – The bad man hit her and kept hitting her over and over again. Sunshine stuffed his fist in his mouth, wide eyes staring at his Mommy, tears falling as she fell and didn't get up again… The man turned and walked away, and the lights vanished. Sunshine crawled from his spot and darted forward as fast as his little legs would take him. "Mommy…" "Sunshine…" There was a lot of red stuff, and Mommy wasn't moving. She looked hurt! "Mommy sick?" "Yes, Mommy is very sick, baby." He began to cry. Mommy was sick! He turned around and yelled, "Help! Help, someone…" "I love you, Sunshine…" She wasn't moving. She was staring at him, but Mommy didn't say anything when he talked to her, and she didn't seem to see him. She was so still, and Sunshine began to tremble… "Mom… mommy?" Another ditch in the road Sunshine woke up hours later as a hand came down on his shoulder. "Shit, kid, you shouldn't stay so close! Critters'll get ya, too." Hands pulled him back, and Sunshine cried out. He didn't want to leave Mommy… "Christ, kid, stop it!" A hand smacked him, and Sunshine reeled from it and stopped to look at the other person. It was another boy, an older boy, with a nice face and friendly eyes. Sunshine's own eyes strayed back to his mother. "That's my mommy…" The other boy shook his head sadly. "Come on, kid. She can't help you anymore." Sunshine shook his head. "No, I hafta stay with Mommy…" The older boy blew long bangs out of his eyes. "Listen, kid. Your mommy is… she isn't here, anymore. That isn't really her. She's in heaven now, okay?" Sunshine blinked tears. "H-heaven?" The other boy smiled. "Yeah, like one of those angels…" "Love mommy…" "I'm sure you do, kid." The other boy stood and wiped dirty hands on equally dirty and ragged clothes. "You hungry, kid?" Sunshine's eyes lit up. He was very hungry. He looked back over his shoulder at mommy, though… The other boy smiled and held out his hand. "Come on, kid. Hey – if she's an angel now, she can always be with you, right?" The smaller boy's lip trembled. "Can… can I come back to her?" "Sure. After I feed you." The other boy held out his hand again. "You coming?" Sunshine stared at the hand, and finally took it. The other boy smiled and tugged him along, absently shortening his stride so the smaller boy could keep up. "You got a name, kid? I'm Solo." Sunshine opened his mouth, but closed it again quickly. Mommy said he wasn't George – she said he was… Sunshine was her name for him, though. "Dunno. Guess not." Solo gave him a kind smile. "We'll call you kid, then. How's that?" "Good." Hand in hand, the two left the alley. Wonder how I ever made it
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