Fake Love

Warning: This chapter contains depiction of assault. Please be advised when reading.

Gisa & Emma

Gisa squinted in the bright sunlight. Almost November, and the sun still seemed determined to melt her face off. But… It was nice to be outside again. Even if she was hobbling around on a pair of crutches.

She and Emma were walking, and stumbling, around the hospital's inner courtyard after Emma finished her last class.

"I brought the work you missed while you were out," Emma said, patting her shoulder bag. "In a few days they'll release you and I thought it would be nice for you to get some work done here and not stress too much when you get back."

"Wonderful," Gisa said as sarcastically as possible. She was grateful, but the idea of doing all of that work was not quite so thrilling as it seemed. "What about you? How is school going?"

"All "A"'s… except for a "B" in chemistry." She said Gisa noticed a demeanor change.

"Didn't you say that you had read the book before?" Gisa prodded. A "B" was not like Emma.

She reddened, "Yeah I— I know it's just…" She looked away, wringing her hands. Gisa took a deep breath. Time to not freak out. She could keep calm for Emma. "His name is Sean."

Gisa couldn't help her scowl, "A boy?"

"I couldn't get him to notice me, and well, he was a tutor so I—"

"So you pretended to flunk?" Gisa demanded, "Emma you are sixteen and smart enough to be the valedictorian of the senior class. Why would you do that?"

"I don't know!" she said back a little too loudly, drawing stares from the other people in the courtyard. "I don't know what came over me, I just— well it worked."

Gisa frowned, not looking at Emma, her crutches squeaking as she angrily shoved them down, flopping onto a bench. This was dumb. Both Emma, and the fact that a walk was winding her.

"He… he invited me out one day after one of our tutoring sessions." A tug on a stray ringlet, "We um, we kissed," she offered Gisa a smile.

Gisa fought the urge to roll her eyes, or shake Emma. "Em, I know—"

"You don't though Gisa," Emma swallowed hard, "You found your one. You have Camden. Guys don't want me to be their forever. They want a hot night or two and nothing else. Sean… Sean is different from the guys I met on the island. He isn't like them. You'd go every night to fight in the Pitts, earn your living… but for me? Fake love was my living. You know that. Now that I have the chance to have something real… shouldn't I try everything I can to hang onto that?"

Gisa couldn't meet her eyes, both of them staring off at the far wall, "Don't you remember what happened with—"

"All too well."

Emma had wandered around the Pitts one night almost a year before, waiting for Gisa to finish her last two fights. She was ending early today to celebrate Camden's birthday. They were going to head to the gang's meeting house afterwards so they could all use it as an excuse to let loose. But for now…

She wandered around, tugging on her hair, sending a wink over her shoulder. Just to tease. She knew everyone was watching her as she walked past in her little jean skirt and tight tee. Just part of how things went. She wandered around a booth someone had set up before finding a few hallways she hadn't seen before. She read the signs above it. Infirmary. She'd never been there before.

Inside she found rows upon rows of cots, a few people in a mismatched assortment of nurse's uniforms running to and fro. Most of the cots were filled, men and women laying down. Most Emma recognized as other pitt fighters. She stepped around a few cots, not sure what she was doing here. One of the nurses asked her if she needed something.

When Emma said no, the nurse replied, "Then get out before I find someone to remove you." Emma turned when she heard the woman call her a slut under her breath. Emma winced, but didn't turn around. Who was she kidding? She was only a step above that anyway.

"Hey, I recognize you,"

She whirled in the direction of the voice. A few rows over she locked eyes with a smirking young man. "I'm sorry, I can't say the same." She walked over in his direction.

"Yeah I figured. Gisa's little sister if I'm correct?"

Emma rolled her eyes. Of course. Known because of her sister. "Yeah. that would be me. But I still don't know you."

He chuckled. "Well, I'm nobody in particular. Call me Hardy. I've been out for a few days." he grimaced. "Three to be exact."

Emma sat at the foot of his cot, "You've been here for three days? You should be all rested." She curved her lips into a little smile, "You bored?"

"Ready to get out of here, that's for sure. I can pull the stitches out without their help." She slid her tiny hand into his, looking up at him with a smile, "Can I—" he laughed a little, "Can I buy you dinner?"

She and Hardy then met a few times a week at the Pitts.

She was curled up in his lap in the corner, nearly dozing off, his hands securely around her when her shifted and said, "Hey Emma."

She tilted her head up, giving him a lazy smile.

"You want to head back to my place?" a pause, "The alcove is nice," he took a minute to glance around one of the many mini rooms built into the Pitts, before looking back to her, "But I want to be somewhere you aren't afraid to… let loose." He grinned wickedly.

Emma tried not to frown. Of course he wanted that. She should have known he'd be no better than anyone else, "Actually I think it may be best for me to go now, thank you though Hardy."

She tried to push herself off of his lap, but he hugged her tighter, his hands playing with the hem of her shirt hanging right below her full chest, "No, I don't think that's really what you want."

"No really, I'm good, thank you." she had to keep herself from panicking. That was what got people hurt. Clear thoughts, clear mind…

"Not up to you anymore sweet." He grabbed both of her wrists securely in one of his big calloused hands. "You can't be this pretty and not expect me to want you."

Emma didn't say anything, her heart rate accelerating. She couldn't scream. The alcoves were a place where things like that… were common. She didn't think anyone would hear or even care. Gisa was currently fighting, Ron and Abrahm were on the other side of the Pitts confronting someone else…

"That's it. Come on now, don't be like that," his voice lowered. Her heart dropped as the sickening truth unfolded to her. Tears rose to her eyes.

"Hardy please let me go," she whispered as one of his hands wandered to her back, untying the lacy backing of her top. He didn't respond to her, he didn't slow his pace.

She tried to pull away from him, but he yanked on her wrists hard, her shirt falling to the floor. She wasn't shivering from the cold anymore.

Somewhere across the Pitt Gisa hopped over the side of a fighting pit almost colliding with Ron. "I got a tip that something is up and we need to go now." He said.

She bolted after him, not asking questions. They sprinted through the crowded place, slamming into a few strangers. "It's Emma." Ron gasped. "One of the bartenders saw Hardy shuffling her into one and later he heard her scream. He isn't allowed to intervene, but he was allowed to let me know."

Gisa didn't listen to the rest of the conversation, her heart pounding. Hang on hang on hang on, she chanted in her head. Please be okay.

It seemed to take forever for her to arrive. People got in the way, items and vendors moving positions throughout the indoor square.

"There!" Ron pointed to the center alcove in a cluster of three.

Gisa gave Ron a look who then chucked her a knife. She caught it by the handle and ripped the curtain off the door, flipping over the debris and slamming a foot into Hardy's jaw. "Get her out of here!" Gisa shouted at Ron as Hardy realized the fight about to ensue.

She ducked under his fist, slicing the side of him as deep as she could, hoping it cut to the ribs. He howled, unsheathing a blade of his own.

Emma blinked a few times, dragging herself back to the present. She looked over to Gisa who gripped the crutch so tightly she thought she might break her hand. "But I was okay. You were there."

Gisa shook her head, "I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be mad about you doing something like that. It's— it's not ideal but I understand. And I shouldn't overreact. I'm sorry."

Emma leaned on Gisa's shoulder, "It's… it's okay Gisa. I never did thank you for saving me."

Gisa's cheeks warmed, but instead she ground out, "I never did get to finish Hardy off."

"But you did put him out for four days, break his bones, and cut off—"

Gisa winced, "Not my proudest moment, I know." If Camden hadn't arrived soon after Hardy would probably have been dead. Gisa had done a lot of things, but murder was not one of them. She didn't want it to be.

"I really am sorry Emma. I didn't think of it like that. But if you really think Sean is someone who will care for you and not betray your trust like Hardy did, then I don't want to stand in the way of that. I'll try not to be so overprotective." She smiled a little. Emma returned it.

"Weak! You are a pathetic excuse for a human being," her mother spat when Gisa had returned that night after beating Hardy to a pulp. "You let that brute attack Emma first of all. You should nevere have let that happen. But then you didn't finish him off afterwards?"

"Someone stopped me from—"

"Camden stopped you, not just someone." She said, pacing back and forth, her eyes glowing in the dim study. "I raised you to be more like me. You become powerful by ensuing fear like I have. But you let him off easy."

"I cut off a finger!"

"Like I said, easy." Audenzitios stood in front of Gisa, staring down at her as she had forever. "I didn't instill fear by cutting off fingers. I instilled fear by torture and mutillation, not just of the physical, but also mental. Others don't want to risk themselves sharing the same fate, so they listen and obey me." She turned an eye over to Gisa. "Maybe it's time I showed you first hand."

Gisa sighed out loud, looking around the courtyard, down to her little finger on her left hand. No fingerprint, the knuckles knobby and crooked. A mirthless chuckle.

Emma caught her gaze. "I still can't believe she did that. And I saw it with my own eyes."

"You watched what she did to Hardy." Gisa said.

Emma's eyes twitched a moment, her lips hardening, face slightly ashen. "She didn't give me any other choice." She shivered, undoubtedly recalling the hours they stood down there watching their— watching Gisa's mother, carve pieces out of Hardy until he no longer could scream. Until he no longer could breathe. Until his heart stopped beating, and his body was dragged out of the little room…

Gisa swallowed hard. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Both having Hardy try to— hurt you, and watching Audenzitios torture him."

Emma didn't say anything, "We both were there. I don't see what difference it makes. But I'm glad you understand that Sean is different."

Gisa nodded, "Me too, let's get back to the hospital room. I'll have someone bring us some lunch."