The memory remains

who: Alissa and Adrian
when: A week or so after the dinner out
where: Adrian's townhouse

This was the last place Alissa ever expected to find herself again. She hated the idea of it, she really did, but she knew that Adrian could do things that other people couldn't. She'd gone to the police, but they were pretty well useless, yet she knew that for whatever reason she'd been gifted this favor and now was the best time to use it.

She stared at the buzzer for a long time, debating on whether or not this was a good idea, but ultimately pressed it anyway. This had to feel like what Matthew had gone through that week she'd been gone and it was evident by how she looked that she hadn't been eating or sleeping much. As she waited for someone to answer the door, she toyed with the ring she wore, the one Matthew had in the box he'd given to her, as it was one of the things she had for comfort. And she needed all the comofort she could get right now.

What: Dinner Out...and Badness
Where: Out...and TBA
When: A couple of months after Adrian's reappearance

Alissa wrapped both arms around Matthew as they walked, her face all but glowing. it had been a while since they'd been able to do a proper night out, and she was almost too excited to breath by the prospect. "So where are we going?" she asked brightly, and leaned against him, "You still haven't told me." It felt like it was going to be the best night they'd had in a while, and she was all for that.

Work lately had indeed been less stressful, especially after her heping Adrian  with everything. Elaine had been thrilled with her, and it definitely made work that much easier to deal with. Coming home, though, things were still busy. And a night out just made her all but bounce with excitement.

Who: Adrian, Matthew, and Alissa later
When: 6 days after the surprise visit
Where: On the phone and in the hospital

God, Alissa really had won down his last nerve. She'd kept her promise to not fight him anymore, but it had him so angry by the end of the work week that he couldn't take it anymore. Why wasn't she enjoying everything he was giving her? She was was acting like a spoiled child and dinner the night before had been the last straw of her martyr-esque silence. Honestly, he couldn't even remember anything beyond telling Linus to take her to the hospital. And he was still too annoyed to deal with it. The little bitch needed to be shown a lesson, but the idea of having her in his home in her current state disgusted him. The fact that he'd let himself get too emotional and act that way worried him. And she would be a constant reminder. So saying, he waited until the following morning and picked the phone up, dialing the same number he'd used to get hold of that oaf the last time.

When someone answered, though Adrian didn't pay attention to who it was, he sighed and asked for Matthew again, "Yes, I need to speak with a Matthew McBride, please?" he asked, "I'm calling to inform him that his girlfriend is in the ER."

Who: Alissa and Adrian
Where: Adrian's townhouse
When: Three days after the surprise visit at home

This had been, quite possibly, the longest and shortest days of her life. How long it had actually been, Alissa really had no idea. All she knew was that when Adrian went to her that there were expectations that needed to be met lest she be punished, and already she bore the results of that. Everything hurt all the time. She was battered and bruised and more or less broken by then, even though the house staff had been as sweet and kind to her as her own family. When she begged for help, though, all they did was turn their gaze away and shake their heads.

Linus, Adrian's butler and manager of the house, had set her up in Adrian's room for the afternoon. He'd drawn her a long and luxurious bath filled with scent that she would have otherwise loved, but found the smell of it made her sick now. A silk bathrobe was draped across her shoulders as she lie in bed, TV on though she wasn't watching it. it hurt to think or breathe or even listen to whatever inane channel had been set on it.

"Lunch, Miss Waide?" asked a soft male voice, Linus, from the doorway. He was holding a tray that held a tall glass of water as well as a covered plate. Something did smell fantastic on it, but the thought of eating after it all made her want to throw up.
 
"No." she answered weakly, her voice essentially gone. "I'm not hungry."

"Mr. Mayfair insists, Miss." Linus argued, and went to put the tray down beside her, "I'll bring you some tea for your throat when you're finished."

"I said I'm not hungry." Alissa argued, and turned her gaze away.

"Starving yourself isn't going to make this any easier on anyone, Miss, if I can say so. And when you don't eat the rest of us suffer his temper." Linus chastised, "So please do us a favor and eat what you're given."

"Leave me alone." Alissa whispered angrily, "You're not going to make me feel any worse than I already do."

"Suit yourself, Miss." Linus told her, but left the tray and left the room.

When he was gone, Alissa shoved the tray off the bed so the food and drink spilled across the comforter and carpet. At this point there was little else she could be 'punished' for so what did it even matter?

Who: Alissa and Adrian
Where: Work
When: About a week after the Weekend of Badness

The talk with Jen that Alissa had a few days ago was still weighing on her mind. How could people treat something like that like it was nothing? It scared her, pretty badly, and she really wished she could go to someone else about it. But even Kim, who was higher up than Jen, had told her that it was for the best to let him do what he was going to do and go for it. It was, apparently, 'a good sign for your career' or some bullshit like that. To be beaten up and sexually abused by some guy who could only write if he got off to torturing women? And they allowed it?

Most everyone was in a meeting that morning, which left Alissa the task of answering phones. Since the conference, though she left early, it seemed that both Jen and Kim had taken an interest in giving her some extra responsibility. She was working harder, given more superior things to do, and vaguely Alissa wondered if the fact that Adrian had done that to her meant she'd end up like them. They kept saying she did good work, and she did, but it scared her that the way it was noticed was by him trying to have sex with her and almost putting her in the hospital.

She stood in one of the small conference rooms, a stack of papers to be shredded in hand. It was a Zen kind of thing, really. Things like this gave her time to think. After she'd fed a sheet into the shredder, Alissa lifted a hand to run over her face. Even with the makeup there was no denying the black eye she still bore and how her lip was still swollen from where Adrian had split it in a few places. It still hurt: all of it did. And what made it worse was the fact that people kept asking if it had been Matthew that did it.

Who: Alissa, Adrian, and Matthew
Where: Work
When: A few weeks after meeting Adrian

It was one of the first days in a while that Alissa was actually really excited to be at work. She loved the job, sure, but she also loved the fact that Matthew was coming to take her to lunch. They'd finished a pretty big project the day before and didn't start a new one until tomorrow, and he'd offered to take her out. It made her morning seem better, definitely.

She leaned back in her chair and pulled off her glasses, her fingers massaging her temples. The headaches hadn't really stopped, and her eyes ached all the time no matter what she did, but she was finally starting to feel at home there. The headaches were just going to have to be part of the job. Her eyes slid closed and she tipped her head back to help dull the pain that was gathering behind her eyes and the back of her neck.

Who: Matthew and Alissa (AC), and Olivia (God dammit)
Where: Matthew's Place
When: 4 months after Olivia's birth.

One of the things about New York in the winter was the fact that yes, it was cold, but it was also slushy and hard to move around in. Hauling yourself around was one thing, but having to haul around another tiny human alongside was just about enough to drive her fucking nuts. Or, really, it would have had she not been driven to that point already.

When Matthew's apartment building came closer, Alissa pulled the car seat she'd brought in the cab with her closer to her. She'd managed to get out with a bag of clothes and bottles and the things the baby and she would need for a few days until she could figure all this out. What she needed, though, was Matthew. he was the only person she could go to now, essentially. Just like he had been before.

Once out of the cab, Alissa bent down to tuck the several layers of blankets around the small bundle in the carseat, and made her way inside. Blessedly, it had been a quiet trip for how cold it was, but Alissa wasn't complaining. Wiping at her face, she pulled the key to Matthew's place out, and hopped the elevator to get up to his floor. Normally she would have braved the stairs, but between the duffle bag on her shoulder, and the bulky car seat in her arms, she wasn't going to risk it.

Amazingly, just the sight of his door calmed her. She'd spent a good chunk of the afternoon switching between tears and confusion before she finally made her choice. it was for the best for all parties, but mostly herself. And now she needed the one person she could count on most to keep telling her so. Carefully, she shifted the seat in her arms as she knocked, a fresh wave of tears coming up into her eyes as she did so.

What: Altercation or The End of Everything


Alissa had thankfully been smart enough to park her car around the corner of Matthew and Evie's apartment complex. Just that afternoon she'd handed over her key as well as a sizable payment of breaking her lease. The landlord, a quite sweet woman, had elected not to take it after hearing the story, which also meant that Alissa wasn't out an extra $200. Hooray for that.

When Matthew had said he'd forgotten something back at the old place, she'd been a little less than enthusiastic about stopping by. What was so important that he'd needed to go back? Surely anything they forgot other than letters to each other or pictures could be bought again somewhere else, right? In any case, she'd found a darkened parking spot and was holed up with a book while she waited for Matthew to come back. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long. Maybe she should have considered grinding up some sleeping pills for him to put in Evie's drink so she'd be at least somewhat calm. Ah well, hindsight.

What: Weekend Home
Where: Alissa's apartment.

Alissa had cleaned up a bit once she'd gotten home from class, and had spent the rest of the afternoon finishing off some cookies she'd been wanting to bake, and was stretched out on the couch. She was dressed in her favorite pair of jeans and a tank top, something comfortable, and aimed to enjoy this time as well as they could. It had meant so much to her that they'd decided to do this, and sadly it was blocking out the feelings of guilt for having Matthew over while Ian was gone. She worried at her lip, and turned the page in the book she was reading as she waited, and sighed. Hopefully this would go well. Things had been so horrible and a comforting and loving face wouldn't go unappreciated at all. All she could hope was that maybe Matthew didn't hate her for what Ian was doing.

What: Dinner of Doooooooooooom
Where: Fancy Schmancy Restaurant...of Doom

Ian had taken the time to really dress for this specific occasion. He'd donned his best suit, and made sure Alissa was dressed as elegantly as she'd ever been.  And she did look beautiful. Her hair was down, and styled so it fell in warm waves across her shoulders, which accentuated the dress she wore. It hugged her curves in all the right ways, and it seemed to him that maybe once they got home there would have to be more than small talk.

As the waiter sat them, Ian ordered a bottle of wine. There were in one of the best tables in the dining area, though it was set for four. Alissa regarded this with confusion, and looked up to look at him. Her eyes shone brightly under the bit of makeup she wore, and in that light they looked rounded and sexy. Were it a different kind of evening, Ian wouldn't be able to deny her a thing.

"Four?" she asked softly.

"You'll see in a bit, baby." he told her, and kissed her cheek as he ran a hand over her back. "You look astounding. Every eye is on you tonight. Remember that.

A blush coloured her face, and she turned away, "The things you say, sometimes." Alissa murmured, which earned her another kiss.

"I am the luckiest man to have you." he murmured, though there was a definite edge to the last few words. He did have her, and nothing was taking that away.

What: Talking
Where: Evie and Matthew's

Ian had stopped on his way over to Evie's to pick up a bottle of wine. He wasn't entirely sure what he was going over there to tell her, other than what had happened, but he couldn't just let her be in the dark about it all. Maybe they could come to some sort of agreement. Maybe. One never knew with women like her.

He knocked on the door, and scrubbed a hand over his face, wine bottle in his other hand.  Ian leaned against the doorframe and sighed. Thank God there were no classes the following day or he'd be dead. He was already exhausted.

What: Aftermath
Where: Out

Alissa sat, hunched over the little table she sat at, and wiped at her eyes. Once he'd finished, Ian had gotten dressed and left her. He didn't even say where he was going. All she knew was that he'd grabbed his keys and phone on the way out. Then again, she didn't notice much while she'd been lying there. Everything hurt from where he's grabbed at her, and she knew she was sporting some rather lovelt bruises on her hips from his hands. Her lip was split as well from where he'd slapped her to get her to stop screaming. He couldn't have thepolice coming around because of her.

She'd changed into a pair of jeans and long sleeved shirt, despite the heat, and was shivering though the bar was pretty warm and full. No one sat near her though. It was like she radiate despair for the moment. Alissa started to cry every so often, making her wip at her eyes or her nose with one from the stack of napkins she'd swiped. The bartender had tried to get her to talk, but she wouldn't. Though, if one looked hard enough, it wasn't hard to spot what was wrong.

What: Caught Again?
Where: Campus

It had been a long two weeks since the altercation at the cafe. Ian had all but ignored her since then, the only exception being the night before. He'd come to her, she'd apologized, and they'd made up. Well, made up as much as they ever did. They'd spent the evening watching movies and retired to the bedroom at his behest, even though she wasn't so into the idea. Alissa hated the idea of makeup sex, but Ian loved it. Afterward, though, he'd rubbed her back and pulled her close as they fell asleep. That much made her feel good. There were times that he really was sweet and wonderful.

She took a seat on one of the little half walls outside her building, and stretched her legs out in front of her. Since it was getting warm again, Alissa had opted for a skirt and a little tank top with her hair down. She felt pretty in it. The sun felt good and she tipped her head back as her mind spun. She needed to see Matthew again, but had no idea how to get in touch with him. They needed to talk and she really just needed a hug. She needed him, more than anything.

What: The Meeting
Where: On campus/ UPD

Alissa looked up as she turned a corner, one hand shoved deep in her bag. It had to be there. It just had to be. She struggled to fit her fingers under the folders and notebooks, cursing as she did so.

"The hell are you looking for?" one of Ian's friend's girlfriends, Lori, asked. "Come on. We're getting coffee."

Alissa tried to smile, and nodded. Maybe she'd left it at home. Her ring...she and Ian had fought about it again. Lately she'd stopped wearing it on her hand and took to having it on a chain either around her neck or around her wrist.  He didn't like it, and even though she didn't wear it on her hand, he always threw a fit when he saw it. He'd even go so far as ripping the chain off her neck once, but he'd given it back. But now it was missing.

"I'll be there in a minute. I just, I think I left my notebook." she answered, and tried digging again.

"Jesus, Alissa, it's always something. We'll be up in the cafe whenever you can find the time." Lori answered, and she and a few other girls walked off.

When they were gone, ALissa took the time to dump out her bag, but her ring wasn't there. It had to be home. It had to be. But she hadn't seen it in days. That made her heart sink and tears gathered in her eyes. It was all she had left of Matthew other than the letters she'd kept from when she was still getting them. It had been...God, a year or more now. It killed her, and now it was gone.

She got to her feet then, wiping at her face, and set off down the sidewalk. As she moved, she caught sight of a crew working on painting one of the buildings. Alissa put on a small smile, as she always liked to smile at the work crews. It seemed, most of the time, they needed it from the students.

Matthew,

I hope this package finds you well(and hungry!). I couldn't help myself with all that time on my hands, and the fact that I can kind of hobble around the kitchen, but to make you a bunch of stuff. I tried to put in a little of everything and I really hope you like it. If there's anything you don't really like, just let me know and I won't send it again.
Hopefully work has been going well. I know you said you were enjoying it more and I'm really glad. Things here have been okay, I suppose. My parents have been really hyper-vigilant with me since the surgery, which means that I don't get a lot of time alone. My mom has to help me shower since we don't have a bar or anything in there, which is annoying, and my dad's taken to checking in on me all the time. I know they care, but there are times that I just want to yell at them to leave me alone. I'm not a doll, you know?
I miss you so much. I know we've talked on the phone since you left, but...I just, I miss you a lot. Having you here meant so much to me and sometimes it's hard to sleep without you here. When my knee starts to hurt really bad and it's hard to do anything, I find that's when I start getting really weepy and I wish you were there more. The little bear you got me helps, but it's not the same. I can't wait until school's over so we can just spend a lot of time together. Sometimes I just feel so...alone, you know? I have the people at school, but it's not the same. I just miss you so much. I love you with all my heart.
Write me soon. Enclosed is a picture my dad helped me take. I hope you like it. He wants to know when you're coming back so he can grill you some more. I told him to be nice and he just laughed. I told you he likes you. I miss you and I love you so much. Enjoy the tasty things, I hope you like them!

Much love and hugs,
Alissa

( Picture )

What: Knee Surgery
When: About a month and a half from the Surprise Visit


Alissa was seated at her desk the night before she was set to go into surgery. She had to be at the hospital by nine the following morning, but was too freaked out to sleep. Her parents had done their best to try and quell her nerves, but she was almost sick from the worry and the fact that she could only eat lightly until after it was done. She was hungry, tired, stressed, and still in pain. For the last few weeks she'd been confined to her crutches again, and now had to wear a leg brace that spanned from her thigh down to her ankle to keep thing immobile. It was hell.

She leaned back against her chair as she attempted to work on some of the homework from the school she was going to have to miss the following week. From what the doctors said, she was going to be out for at least a week to recover. That, in itself, was scary. It was hard enough to get around now, but she was going to be pretty much stuck for a while after. Sighing, she decided to get up, hobble to the bed(in her room she refused to bother with the crutches) and sit down. All she wanted to do was sleep.