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Realigning Destiny
by TT

Sometimes chance intervenes in our lives and causes destiny jumps the tracks. When this happens, fate steps in and realigns destiny’s course to bring us to where we need to be. But, as with the course of true love, the road of realignment doesn’t always run smooth.

Part 19 – On-Line

Stephanie stretched in her chair, glancing at the clock on the computer. “Three hours, fifty-two minutes,” she muttered, rising from her chair to look out the window.

It was a beautiful day outside, one of which she would like to partake, but she didn't have long to look for the answers she needed. Ranger had given her twenty-four hours and they were getting closer to expiring. She knew she was close to an answer, she could feel it.

Walking across the office, she picked up the mail that had been delivered a short time before. Flipping through the envelopes, fliers and magazines, she couldn't help but be amazed at the amount of junk mail the station got.

As she was flipping through the magazines, her eye was caught by the image on the front of one. It showed a father and his young son laughing together on a boat while fishing.

In her imagination, she replaced the faces in the picture with Ranger and Charlie. She imagined hearing their laughter as they joked with and teased each other.

Her smile faded, however, as she remembered the scene she had woken up to this morning.

Blowing out a breath, she realized she would need to call the psychologist again.

When Stephanie had first discovered she had been named Charlie's legal guardian, she had sought advice on what to do from Mandy. Her friend had recommended a child psychologist, Miss Merry, an old friend of Mandy' from college.

Not knowing what else to do, Stephanie had called. She could still remember the fear she'd felt at the start of their conversation.

A Little Over Three Years Ago

Stephanie fiddled with the cord of the phone while she waited for the call to be picked up on the other end. She closed her eyes to try and calm herself, but all that did was bring to mind the image of Charlie tossing and turning in bed, screaming for it to stop.

It had taken her ten minutes to wake him up and calm him.

It had taken another hour to soothe him back to sleep.

Even then, the boy had clung to her, his tiny fist maintaining a near death-grip on her shirt.

“Drs. Mitchell and Mitchell's office, Peggy speaking,” an efficient sounding receptionist had finally answered.

“Yes. My name is Stephanie Mazur. I recently was given custody of a four-year-old boy. Is there any chance I could talk to Dr. Merry Mitchell? Amanda Pierson recommended her,” Stephanie had babbled.

“The doctor is between patients right now, Mrs. Mazur,” the receptionist said.

“Ms. Mazur,” Stephanie absently corrected.

“Ms. Mazur,” the receptionist repeated. “May I give her some idea of the nature of the issue.”

Stephanie took a deep breath. She really didn't want to share the information with anyone but the doctor, but if it would get Charlie help faster, she would do it. “He came from a home where his mother was abused. He's having very... severe nightmares.”

“One moment, Ms. Mazur,” the polite and, now, worried-sounding Peggy assured.

A moment later a warm, comforting voice spoke. “This is Dr. Merry Mitchell, Ms. Mazur,” she introduced. “How are you today?'

Stephanie blew out a breath. “Worried, scared, clueless,” she rattled off. “I don't know what to do. Mandy Pierson said you'd be able to help.”

“I will do everything I can, Mrs. Mazur,” Merry assured. “Why don't you tell me just a bit about what's going on.”

“Alright,”Stephanie agreed, taking another deep breath. “Two months ago I took a job here as deputy. My first call-out was a domestic abuse call.

“When I showed up, the door was wide open, the place was trashed and I found the wife lying on the bed. Charlie was beside her holding her hand and looking terrified. It was obvious she had been beaten.”

“Was Charlie hurt,” Merry asked, concern evident in her voice.

“No,” Stephanie informed. “He was untouched, but in talking to his mother, it became apparent he had seen what had been done..”

“Was this when you were given custody?” the doctor asked.

“No. She refused to press charges, but did eventually let me call the ambulance to take her to the hospital. I figured that would get her away for a little while and the paramedics assured me that Charlie could stay with her.”

“What happened next?” Merry asked, when the silence stretched for several seconds.

“Three days ago we got a call from Charlie. His parents were fighting. We kept him on the phone and patched in while we drove to the house. Just before we got there, we heard a gunshot over the line and then a scream and a loud crash.

“When we got there...” Stephanie fell silent as the scene replayed in her head. “His mom had shot his dad in the gut. From the color of the blood it looked like the bullet had hit the liver. There wasn't much we could do for him; he'd already been bleeding for the ten minutes it took us to get there. The ambulance wouldn't show up for another twenty.

“Charlie was sitting next to his mom, holding her hand. She had fallen or been pushed. Her head hit their raised hearth. The fall had broken her neck. There was nothing to do for her either.

“I called Mandy to come over to help with Charlie. We were still working the scene when Jed found the papers.

“Charlie's mom had, apparently, seen a lawyer the day after I went out the first time. She had me named Charlie's legal guardian in the event of her and her husband's deaths.

“It was all legal...” she finished, her voice trailing off.

There were several seconds of silence before Dr. Mitchell said, “Ms. Mazur, I can see Charlie tomorrow at ten-thirty.”

“Thank you,” Stephanie sighed.

“I'd also like you to meet with my husband, Aaron. We normally deal with family therapy together, and I'm sure we'll get to that point, but each of you has very different needs right now,” Merry stated.

Squaring her shoulders and raising her chin, Stephanie had assured, “Whatever it takes.”

Present

It hadn't been an easy road. The torture Charlie had witnessed his mother suffering had broken Stephanie’s heart to hear. Charlie had been forced to watch the beatings and rape so he could “learn how to put a woman in her place”, according to his father.

It had taken four months before Charlie would even agree to a session with Aaron Mitchell in the room. The boy just couldn't trust a man.

About then, she had met Bob who, eventually, led her to her house. Between Bob and Dr. Mitchell, Charlie had learned that not all men were like his father.

Over the years, as he grew, Charlie had become very protective of her. She knew the fierce protectiveness was a reaction to his inability to protect his own mother, but it was under control.

The introduction of Ranger in a romantic role was a first for them. Between work and taking care of Charlie, Stephanie had had neither the time nor the desire to date.

Given his past, she could understand why Charlie was so angry this morning.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to get some professional advice on what to do with Charlie an what to tell Ranger.

Picking up the phone, she called the familiar number. Peggy answered, but both Merry and Aaron were busy. Stephanie left a message asking one of them to call her back.

Feeling better about the Charlie situation, she returned to her desk and checked her latest searches. They seemed to be humming along, so she decided to check the latest news on-line.

Clicking on one of the news sites she had linked, Stephanie picked up her coffee mug and leaned back in her chair.

When the page was fully loaded, she scanned the first headline, her eyes widening in horror as realization hit.

She skimmed the first few lines of the article and felt her horror grow.

Her hand went lax and her coffee mug crashed onto the floor, shattering.

“Oh, my God,” she whispered, taking in what details she could.

She may not know the why yet, but she now knew exactly what the terrorist group was going to do and how they were going to do it.

To Be Continued in Part 20 – 081. News

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