I'd like to thank Peggy for agreeing to beta-read this story. Thanks!
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Daniel
By Megan Marie Irvin
3/30/98--4/26/98
Chapter One
Before entering the FX shop, Angie pulled her make-up mirror from her purse, and checked the cover-up job she did on her face to conceal a good batch of bruises.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw her reflection in the mirror. There were still faint signs of bruises, that could only be seen in the light.
Three weeks ago life was as perfect as it could be expected.
The current movie she and Rollie were working on was going good. For the first time in a long time it looked like the movie would be completed without any interruptions from the NYPD.
And Angie had met a wonderful man; at least he started off charming and wonderful.
Daniel Peterson, an old friend of Rollie's. Rollie and Daniel weren't the best of friends. Hadn't see in each other in years. Rollie met Daniel when he was a stunt man. They both worked on a few movies together.
Things were perfect between Angie and Daniel the first two weeks. They hit it off perfectly. Went out a couple times, then started dating steadily.
Earlier that week things changed. Daniel started becoming possessive and verbally and now physically abusive.
Daniel would explode at the littlest of things. He'd start yelling for no reason. He would get mad at Angie for being late. Even if it was just a minute or two late.
The previous night was the worse. Angie had stayed late at the shop working on a new program, canceling a date with Daniel. When she got home he was there waiting for her. He yelled. When Angie threatened to call the cops if he didn't leave, he threw the phone she was holding, it braking instantly. Daniel then hit her, and left. Just like that. Didn't say anything. Just hit her, then walked out the door.
Angie caught the tears before they fell, and ruined her make-up job. Putting the mirror away, and hoping Rollie wouldn't see the bruises, Angie entered the shop.
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Rollie came down stairs, just out of the shower, as Angie walked into the building.
"Good morning, love." He called out, as he went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.
"Hi Rol," She replied, avoiding eye contact with the man.
"Want some coffee?" Rollie asked, as he watched Angie walk to her workstation and sit down in front of her computer.
"No, thanks." she replied, not moving her gaze from the computer.
"Okay." He said looking at her. Something wasn't right. She looked nervous, and almost scared.
Angie could feel Rollie watching her. Oh, please, don't let him see the bruises, she silently prayed.
"Angie, is something wrong?" Rollie asked sitting down next to her.
"No." She said trying to keep her voice steady. "Why?"
"I don't know. You just look nervous. Are you sure everything's okay?" He asked again, concerned.
Angie started nodding her head yes. She didn't want to tell him the truth. She wanted to handle this on her own. She didn't need Rollie protecting her all the time. Looking up into his big brown eyes, that were pleading for her to tell him the truth, she decided she couldn't lie to him. Her yes turned into a no, and she started crying.
Rollie pulled her closer to him and held the crying woman, absolutely confused as to what was going on. He tried to calm her down but that didn't work, she just started crying harder.
Ten minutes later, after Angie's crying had subdued some, Rollie pulled her away and asked, "Angie, what happened?"
He didn't have to wait for an answer as to what happened. One look at her tear stained face and Rollie knew. The tears had washed away most of the make-up covering the bruises. The only thing that came out of his mouth was a muttered 'bloody hell' under his breath.
Chapter Two
"Who did this?" Rollie asked.
Angie averted her eyes down, not answering the man's question. How was she going to tell Rollie a friend of his was the one who hit her?
"Angie, please tell me." Rollie pleaded. Why didn't she want to tell him? Then Rollie suddenly realized why she didn't want tell him. "Was it Daniel? Did he hit you?"
Angie shook her head slowly and whispered a 'yes', trying not to start crying again.
Rollie pulled her into his embrace. He couldn't believe it. How could Daniel do that to Angie? His Angie. His precious Angie.
"How did it happen?" Rollie asked trying to stay calm.
"When I got home last night he was outside my apartment door waiting for me. Daniel looked mad so I told him to leave. He pushed his way in the apartment and started yelling. I'm not sure what about. He kept yelling over and over about me spending to much time with you. I told him again to leave, but he didn't listen. I threatened to call the cops if he didn't leave. Daniel got madder then, and threw the phone out of my hand. Then he....he...hit me. And left." Angie said between sobs.
"Shhhh. It's okay." He soothed as they moved over to the couch.
"I'm sorry," she said, once they sat down, leaning against Rollie's chest.
Rollie looked down at her. "Sorry about what?"
"About this. I didn't want to tell you." Angie told Rollie.
"Angie, you have nothing to be sorry about. Daniel hitting you wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything to prompt him to hit you." He assured the woman. "Why didn't you want to tell me?"
"Because Daniel's your friend. I didn't want to have to hurt you." Angie said.
"Angie, your more my friend than Daniel is. I hardly know him. You I've known for thirteen years. You mean everything to me, Ang. Daniel doesn't." Rollie told her.
"You mean everything to me too, Rol." Angie said.
"I know." The Aussie replied, holding her tight.
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Twenty minutes later, Angie had fallen asleep. Rollie slowly made his way off the couch, trying not to wake the sleeping woman. He took the blanket that was in a ball at the end of the couch and covered her up with it, and gave her a kiss on the temple.
Grabbing his jacket and car keys, Rollie left, to go talk to Daniel.
Chapter Three
Rollie pulled up on the set of the movie he and Angie were working on currently and Daniel was an actor in. He was playing the hero's sidekick.
Rollie and Angie didn't have to work that day, because no more action scenes were going to be shot till the following week. The Aussie knew that Daniel would be working at the set though.
Seeing Daniel over by a trailer drinking a cup of coffee, Rollie parked his car and walked over to Daniel.
"Hey Rollie. What are you doing here today? I thought you didn't....." Daniel started after seeing Rollie approach him, but was cut off as Rollie pushed him hard against the trailer. "What do you think your doing?"
"I could ask you the same question, Daniel." Rollie yelled at the man. "What were you thinking hitting Angie!?!
"She got me mad. She's always late or canceling our dates. It's always something for you! I'm sick of it!" Daniel shouted trying to push Rollie away from him, but that only made Rollie's grip on his sweater tighten.
"That's the bloody reason!?!" Rollie asked angrily. To Rollie it sounded like Daniel's problem was with him, not Angie. Why'd he take it out on her?
"Rollie, would you leave. Your making a scene." Daniel said. The shouting had attracted some attention from some of the movie crew, who were now beginning to stare at the two men.
"Oh, I haven't even begun to create a scene." Rollie told the man, then hit him in the nose.
Before any of the movie crew knew what happened, the two men they were watching shouting, were on the ground wrestling and hitting each other.
Five minutes after the fight started two camera men came and pulled Rollie and Daniel apart.
"You stay away from Angie! You here me Daniel!?!" Rollie yelled at Daniel, as he got ready to make his way to his car.
Daniel didn't say anything. He just walked away to his trailer.
When Rollie reached his car he was stopped by the director, Tim Hurton.
"Rollie, I was told you and Daniel Peterson were fighting. You want to tell me what it was about? " Tim Hurton asked
"No." Rollie told the director getting into his car. "But I will tell you one thing."
"What?"
"I QUIT." Rollie said before driving away.
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Thirty minutes later Rollie entered the shop. Walking into the lounge he saw Angie coming out of the kitchen area.
"Where've you been?" Angie asked. She already had a pretty good idea where he went to. She just hoped she was wrong.
"I went to go to talk to Daniel." Rollie told her, as he went into the kitchen to put some ice on the fist that was sore from hitting Daniel.
"Oh, Rollie. Didn't I tell you I didn't want you to do that? That I wanted to deal with this myself?" Angie asked.
"Yeah, you did. But Angie, I couldn't let him get a way with what he did to you. Hey at least I didn't call Leo."
"Well, you didn't kill him did you?" Angie asked the Aussie.
"No. Believe me, I wanted to though." Rollie told the woman.
"Well, at least you didn't kill him. Does Daniel look worse or better than you do?" Angie asked Rollie, as she took note of how messy his clothes were, how he kept rubbing his ribs, and the ice he put on his fist.
"Um...I think worse." Rollie said smiling, as he sat down next to Angie on the couch. He let out a sigh as he tried to figure out how to tell her that he quit the movie. "Angie, I need to tell you something."
Chapter Four
"You told the director what!?!" Angie asked loudly, after Rollie told her he told Tim Hurton that 'Tyler Fx' quit.
"That Tyler FX is no longer working on "Rasdan"." Rollie told the woman still holding the ice pack on his fist.
"Why'd you do that?"
"I didn't want to have to work with Daniel. And I didn't want him around you." Rollie explained.
Angie didn't know if she should be mad at him or not. She had told Rollie she didn't want him interfering. That she wanted to deal with this on her own. It was bad enough he went to talk with Daniel and ended up fighting with him, when she told him not to do that. Then he quits. Angie knew she really shouldn't be surprised by these actions. When Angie had told Rollie to let her deal with it, she knew it was no use, and he'd do the stuff she told him not to do any ways. Rollie was just being Rollie. Overprotective.
"Well, when you go to pick up our equipment you promise not to start any fights with Daniel?" Angie asked.
"I promise." Rollie told her, glad she wasn't going to be mad.
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Later that day Rollie went to get their equipment that was still at the set.
While loading the stuff into the FX van Tim Hurton came to talk to Rollie.
"Rollie before you leave I want you to take a look at the script. I had the writer do a rewrite earlier today. I hope after reading the changes you'll reconsider quitting." Tim persuaded, holding the script out for Rollie.
"Tim, there's nothing that's going to make me reconsider." Rollie told the director.
"Come on, Rollie just look the script." The director asked, nearly begging.
"Okay." Rollie gave in, taking the script and reading the page it was opened to. "You killed off the hero's sidekick? Daniel Peterson's role?"
"Yeah." The director confirmed, smiling. "Look, Rollie after what happened yesterday between you and Daniel, and then you quitting, I figured the reason for it was Daniel. I need you for this movie. No one else will do."
"So you got rid of Peterson in hopes of getting me back?" Rollie questioned.
"Exactly. Did it work?"
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"Angie, I'm back." Rollie called out as he exited the FX van, parked in it's usual spot in the shop.
"Hey Rol." Angie replied looking up from the computer she was at. "You get the equipment?"
"No."
"NO? What do you mean no? Did you get in a fight with Daniel again?" Angie asked walking over to Rollie, who was getting a beer from the fidge.
"No, I didn't get into a fight with Daniel again. He wasn't there. Didn't I promise you yesterday I wouldn't?" Rollie asked her.
"Yeah you did. But you also promised you wouldn't interfere, and look what you did. Now are you going to tell me why you didn't get the equipment?" She asked the Aussie, following him into the lounge.
"The director asked me to reconsider quitting. And I did."
"You mean we once again have a job? At the same movie where Daniel's working? Who you don't want near me? You want to explain that to me?" Angie questioned, confused.
"The director, sort of, killed Daniel's character off." Rollie told Angie.
"Oh. You didn't have a hand in this discussion of killing the hero's sidekick off, did you?"
"No. Of course not." Rollie insisted.
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Thirty minutes after dropping Angie off at her apartment that night, Rollie pulled up in front of Famous Ray's where he was meeting Leo.
"Hey Rollie. You're late." Leo called out when he saw Rollie approach the table he was sitting at.
"I know. I wanted to take Angie home first." Rollie told Leo, while taking his jacket off.
"Is something wrong?" Leo asked. Rollie looked concerned about something.
"Yeah." Rollie said, then started telling Leo about Daniel hitting Angie.
"Does she want to press charges?" Leo asked taking a sip of his beer.
"No. She wants to handle it herself." Rollie told Leo.
"Why do I get the feeling you didn't listen to her?" Leo questioned the Aussie.
"I didn't. I went over to the set this morning to talk with Daniel."
"You two just didn't talk did you?" Leo asked.
"No. We ended up fighting." Rollie told the detective taking a sip of his beer.
Their conversation was interrupted by Rollie's cell phone ringing.
"Hello?" Rollie said into the phone. "Angie?.... Calm down I can't understand what you're saying..... What's wrong?........ We'll be right there."
"What's wrong?" Leo asked as soon as Rollie hung up.
"Daniel just paid Angie a visit." Rollie told Leo anxiously, getting up to leave.
Chapter Five
Rollie sat impatient in the passenger seat of Leo's car, as Leo made his way to Angie's apartment.
Leo has suggested that they both go in his car and come back for Rollie's later. As upset as Rollie was, Leo didn't think it was a good idea that the Aussie drive.
Closing his eyes Rollie leaned his head back against the back of the seat.
He should've had Angie stay at the shop. Or he should've stayed at her apartment. Rollie had a feeling Daniel wasn't just going to go away easy. Why didn't he pay more heed to that concern?
The Aussie opened his eyes as he felt the car pull over and come to a stop.
Before Leo had a chance to turn the engine off, Rollie was out of the car and entering the apartment complex Angie lived in.
Getting out of his car Leo ran to catch up with the worried man.
After running up three flights of stairs the two men stopped breathlessly in front of Angie's apartment.
"Angie, open up! It's Rollie and Leo!" Rollie called out, knocking on the door.
A minute later (to Rollie it felt like a lifetime), Angie opened the door.
Rollie felt his anger towards Daniel rise when he saw Angie. She had a new batch of bruises on her face, some on her neck, and her right wrist.
"Rollie...." She started but broke down into tears instead.
Stepping into the apartment, Rollie pulled Angie to him and held her tight while she cried.
Rollie gave Leo a look that Leo interpreted as 'I'm going to kill Daniel'. Leo hoped that Angie would decide to press charges this time. This Daniel Peterson guy didn't deserve to go unpunished.
Chapter Six
"Come on, let's go sit down on the couch." Rollie told the upset woman.
"I'll get some ice." Leo told them, going into the kitchen.
When Leo came out of the kitchen, Rollie had gotten Angie to calm down a little.
"Angie, you want to tell us what happened?" Rollie asked gently, taking the two ice packs from Leo putting one on her wrist and the other on her left cheek where most the bruises were.
"About fifteen minutes after you left, Rollie, someone knocked at the door. I thought it might've been you. When I opened the door I found Daniel instead. I tried shutting the door, but he already had his foot jammed in there, so I couldn't shut it. I told him to leave but he didn't listen. He was upset about being fired, thought Rollie or I had something to do with the director's script rewrite. I told Daniel that it was all the director's decision. That we didn't ask him to do it. Daniel got more angry when I said that, and started hitting me. Then after awhile he just left." Angie told the two men, between sobs.
Rollie held her tighter. He was going to certainly kill Daniel this time. Again Daniel's problem seemed to be mostly directed at him. Not Angie.
"Angie, do you want to press charges?" Leo asked her, hoping she'd say yes.
"Yes." Angie answered.
Both men let out silent sighs of relief at her answer.
"Okay. It's better the charges are filed as soon as possible." Leo started but after looking at Rollie, Leo added, "If you want, we can do it tomorrow."
"No, I want to get it over with." She said, drying her tears away with Rollie's shirt.
"You sure?" Rollie asked. "Maybe you should wait till tomorrow? After you get some rest?"
"No. I want to do it now." Angie told him.
"Well, maybe you should see a doctor to make sure there's nothing broken or anything else." Rollie suggested.
"It's just bruises, Rollie. Nothing's broken." Angie insisted.
Leo watched the two amused. Rollie was acting like a mother hen. He couldn't blame the Aussie for acting like that though.
"Rollie, if it makes you happy, Angie'll have to have a doctor examine her anyway for the record." Leo told the younger man. "I think that can wait till tomorrow though."
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After two hours of filing charges against Daniel Peterson at Midtown South, Leo pulled up in the same spot he had earlier that night in front of Angie's apartment complex. Rollie tried getting Angie to stay at the shop but she said no.
Turning around to look in the back where Angie was sitting, Rollie found her sound asleep. Deciding not to wake her, Rollie carefully carried the sleeping woman up the three flights of stairs to her apartment.
After taking her into her bedroom, Rollie came out into the living room, finding Leo just getting off his cell phone.
"That was the station. They just bought Daniel in. He didn't even seem worried that Angie would bring up charges. He was at home sleeping." Leo told Rollie sitting down in a chair.
"Leo, why would Daniel hit Angie when both times his problem seemed to be mostly with me? " Rollie said staring off into the dark, sitting on the couch.
"Probably because he knows that you'd fight back. Or be able to fight back. So he just takes it out on the one who isn't as strong or big." Leo told Rollie. "But I'm just guessing. I don't think we'll ever know the exact reason."
Rollie just nodded his head in reply, involved in his own thoughts.
"Rollie, I know that you're thinking what Daniel did to Angie is your fault, but it isn't. Usually, the victim think it's there fault. They did something to prompt what happened to them. Or in some cases, the victims' friends or family think it's their fault. This is exactly what you're doing. Blaming yourself. No one is to blame except for Daniel." Leo told the Aussie, reading his thoughts.
Rollie looked at the detective. He knew Leo was right. It wasn't his fault, Angie's or anyone else's, except for Daniel's. Angie would probably be furious with him if she learned he was blaming himself for this. "Your right, Leo. Thanks."
"Don't mention it." Leo told Rollie. "You want me to take you to Famous Ray's to get your car now?"
"No, I think I'm going to stay here for awhile in case Angie needs something." Rollie told him.
"Okay. I guess I'll stay too." Leo replied. "Keep you company."
