DECEMBER 2016 HIS RORY III

Sean was by Aurora's side the whole time her stitches were being done.

"You're going to have to press charges Rory"

"I know"

"Hey" Sean said, "you'll be doing the right thing"

"I guess so"

Sean didn't like how small, weak, and scared Aurora sounded. What the hell did Mitch put in her head all of these years because he never heard her sound like that before.

"Aurora listen to me"

She looked up at him almost scared to do so. Aurora wasn't that much younger than him but her face was so youthful she still looked like the seventeen-year-old girl he grew apart from instead of a woman who was nearing thirty.

"I'm on your side"

"Sean" she whispered "I can't...it's...Mitch isn't going to like me leaving"

"Who fucking cares about what he likes" he said "this isn't about him Rory this is about you and you're well being he's killing you"

"I know...I know I'm just scared"

Sean realized that he had rose his voice a little bit and it startled her. He looked at the stitches on her face and he reached out to gently graze them with his fingers. One of her tears ended up rolling onto his fingers.

"I know you're scared" Sean said "but you don't have to be Rory I'm here with you"

"You don't have to---"

"Still just as stubborn like when we were kids" he chuckled gently "I'm here Rory and I don't plan on leaving you anytime soon"

Aurora simply nodded refusing to look Sean in the eye she felt ashamed that she had allowed herself to sink this low.

"Besides he'll have to go through me first"

When Aurora did look back up at Sean again to see him give her a little smile

"I've got you Rory" he promised, "I've got you"

"I...can't go back home"

"What do you mean you can't go back home?"

"I don't talk to my family anymore" she confessed "I never wanted them to be ashamed of me so I decided to cut ties with them"

"Rory you haven't talked to your parents or your brothers in seven years?"

"No" she whispered "Mitch has been my family he---"

"That bastard isn't your family Rory"

"I know but my family isn't going to want to see me again not like this"

"Maybe not like this" Sean agreed "but Rory they'll want to see you eventually"

 Aurora shook her head in denial "Sean you don't understand I'm not the same person that I used to be my parents didn't raise a stripper"

"Rory you're their daughter they love you no matter what"

"I don't know Sean..."

Sean hated seeing Rory this way and could not understand why she isolated herself from her family let alone him. It was probably Mitch who crawled in her head and fed her all that crap.

"It's late" Sean said, "we'll go back to my place and we'll figure out things from there okay?"

"Okay"

When they got back to his house Aurora wanted to take a shower and change into some fresh clothes for the evening. By fresh clothes that meant all of Sean's pajamas that would be too big for her.

An oversized long sleeved t-shirt, huge plaid pants that barely hung onto her hips, and a pair of his old boxers. Sean made a mental note that they would have to go to her place and get some of her clothes the next day.

Hell he was considering getting her on his lease and having her live with him for a while her behavior for the past few days concerned him and he was worried about her. Mitch was going to get these charges and he was going to permanently be removed from Aurora's life.

As Aurora showered Sean dug into a box of some of his old things and pulled out his old elementary school directory book with all of his classmates names and phone numbers in it.

Sean smirked when he saw the school year was printed as 1997-1998 almost twenty years ago. With the Internet and social media being the way it was now phonebooks like this one were obsolete; students now could have contact with their classmates at the touch of a button now.

1997-1998 they had been in 5th grade that year and Sean smiled at all of the memories that they had. It was a blast. Just him, Aurora, and Luther. Sean hadn't thought about Luther Jenkins in a long time and his eyes got a little misty seeing his name and phone number listed.

He couldn't call Luther it had been impossible for almost thirteen years now.

Sean found Aurora's name and phone number and took out his cell phone to dial that number.

It was a complete shot in the dark the Campbell probably didn't even live at this address anymore let alone have this number anymore. However Sean was going to at least try to get in contact with them again for Aurora's sake.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Hello?"

"Hello Mrs. Campbell?"

"This is she" Aurora's mother Jacquelyn said "who is this?"

"Mrs. Campbell you might not remember me but it's Sean"

"Sean?!?" she gasped "is that really you? Lord how many years as it been?"

"I'd say a little over a decade now; Rory and I graduated high school back in 2005" he chuckled at her excitement

Just as Sean feared Jacquelyn grew silent and there was a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Sean if you're calling for Aurora I won't be able to help you" she said sadly "I don't know where she is I haven't seen or spoke to my daughter in seven years"

"I may be able to change that Mrs. Campbell"

"What are you talking about?"

"I found Rory she's with me" he said, "she's safe"

Sean smiled a little when he heard Jacquelyn breathe a sigh of relief and shrieked with a cry of joy. This was probably better than any Christmas present she'd open under the tree in a few weeks.

"My baby girl....Thank God" Jacquelyn laughed and cried, "Bless you Sean. Bless You"