Chapter 37: Fare Thee Well

Batista entered Angel's room and she was lying face down on the bed sobbing. He sat down next to her and placed his hand lightly on the back of her head, running his fingers gently through her hair, "Shhh," he soothed softly.

"Why did you bring me back?" She turned around and he pulled her up into his arms.

Batista kissed the top of her head and held her for awhile, "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up," he said after awhile and led Angel into the bathroom and began to fill the tub with water. Angel clung to him as he sat on the edge of the tub and held her. She burrowed her head into his neck as the water cascaded down from the faucet into the tub. This routine was all too familiar to both of them. Batista was always the one to help put her back together whenever she was a wreck.

Batista put some bubbles in the water and then helped her into the tub, taking the wash cloth and lightly wringing water across her welted back as she sat in the tub with her knees tucked beneath her chin sobbing. Batista kept thinking of only one person as he tended to Angel and it wasn't Ethan, it was Wiley Bills. It was Wiley's fault that Angel had become trapped in a life of sin. Batista's relationship with Angel was purely platonic, much like an older brother and he had never had sex with her and did not have any desire to do so because he knew it would ruin his image of her.

"Bat," Angel sobbed, "H-he's gonna kill me."

Batista made a face, "No he won't," he attempted to soothe her, but he was finding it more difficult with each passing moment. He had never seen Angel this torn up. Both of them were employed by Ethan and although Batista was there to pick up the pieces whenever Angel was broken, he always got out of Ethan's way whenever he was instructed to do so.

Angel stood up with the water dripping everywhere and flung herself into Batista's arms, sobbing on his big broad shoulders. He pet her hair some more in an attempt to soothe her and calm her. He didn't care that she was ruining his suit with water. "You knew Ethan would eventually find you," Batista said quietly, and again his thoughts turned to Wiley Bills. If not for Bills' visit, they would have probably never found Angel and she would have been free. Batista gritted his teeth.

"Bat, I can't do this anymore." Angel sobbed.

"Shhhh," Batista said, and he became sterner with her because he knew she needed to stop her fussing. He pushed her back down into the tub, "You need to get cleaned up." And then he stood up and left her alone in the bathroom to finish bathing.

When Batista left Angel's room he locked her door securely. Collins was standing outside her room digging at his fingernails with his pocket knife, "how is she?'

Batista shook his head, "Not the same."

Collins raised his brows, "Ethan's not going to like that."

"Tell me about it," Batista grumbled.

Both of them walked down the hallway to Ethan's office. Ethan couldn't help but notice the wet splotches on Batista's suit when he entered. "Joe just called," Ethan informed them, "We'll need to find a replacement for Rico."

Collins snickered, "What was it Rico did for us again?"

Ethan chuckled and poured himself a glass of whiskey, "Has the doc examined Angel?"

Batista shook his head, "Not yet, she's still getting cleaned up."

Ethan turned and looked at Batista and Collins, both men had worked for him for a very long time and they knew things about Ethan that no one else knew. There was nothing he couldn't ask of them and they were extremely loyal to him. "She'll be OK," Ethan sighed, "She has to be."

Batista glanced sideways at Collins when Ethan wasn't looking. "So how's your son?"

"You mean Mr. Parker?" Ethan hissed, "He seems to be mending."

"What do you plan to do with him?" Collins asked.

Ethan sighed. He knew he should have sent Jordan back with Frank and Martin Pirelli, but something inside of him decided against it. "I don't know," Ethan said thoughtfully and he honestly didn't know.

"I'll go get the doc," Batista excused himself and went to find the doctor so he could take the doc to Angel's room to examine her. Batista wasn't sure he had ever seen more of a worm in his life than the doc, and he was including Rico in that tally. The doctor had sold his soul to Ethan a long time ago, just as so many others had, and as a result he performed all sorts of abortions and operations on Ethan's women that in Batista's mind were at the very least unethical. No one who worked for Ethan was all that stellar and Batista wondered what that said about him. Was he just as horrible?

Riley and his brothers were leaving the town of Cedar Springs. Jan Bills had finally reached her limit after Wiley's latest drunken binge. She was taking the kids away from Cedar Springs to go live in Ohio with her parents for awhile and she hoped the stigma of Wiley's misdeeds would not follow them. She intended to file for divorce and move on with her life. Despite all that had happened it had been a difficult decision for her to make.

Before he left town, Riley wanted to talk with Mia one more time. He borrowed the family car and left to go see her while his mother Jan was busy directing the movers what to take. Wiley was across town staying in a motel. He had been released from jail and because Jan had placed a restraining order against him, he wasn't allowed within 100 yards of the house while she was there.

At this point, Wiley didn't care anymore that Jan was leaving him and he didn't care that she was taking almost all their possessions. In addition to all the rape charges from Angel and the other women who had come forward, he had new charges of child abuse to contend with and plenty of evidence with Riley's black eye and the welts and bruises he had left on his son Carlton. He also had domestic violence charges pending from all the marks he had left on Jan. Wiley wasn't allowed to leave town because of the charges against him. After Jan vacated the house he would return to it and then figure out what to do. His actions had caused him to lose everything.

Jan gained support from their friends and neighbors and at the moment that was mostly what was buoying her up. She put her arm around her son Carl as he stood nearby, "What are you reading?" She asked softly.

Carlton looked up and showed her his book and began explaining it to her in an animated voice. She reached over and brushed the hair out of his eyes as he stuttered because of how eager he was to tell her about his book. Physically Carlton's welts would heal, but she knew he would always bear the emotional scars of what he had suffered at Wiley's hands, just as they all would.

Although she had felt she could stick by Wiley in the beginning, he was a mess now and she could no longer stand to stick by him after all he had done to her and the kids. She felt an odd sense of relief to be leaving Cedar Springs. She wasn't sure what would become of them, but Wiley had repeatedly betrayed her trust and mistreated her and although there was a part of her that still loved Wiley, she needed a fresh start and she fully intended never to return to Cedar Springs. She watched as her youngest son Derek played with his toy airplane nearby. Now her sons could become anything they wanted, and not necessarily football stars.

Riley pulled the car to a stop outside the Pirelli home and nervously approached the front door. He tentatively knocked. He was concerned about how well he would be received after his last encounter with Martin Pirelli at the ice cream parlor, but seeing Mia again was worth braving Martin's anger.

Martin opened the front door and was surprised to see Riley standing on the doorstep, "What can I do for you son?"

Riley swallowed, "I'd like to talk to Mia."

Martin sized up Riley. He had heard about the ruckus at Riley's house the other night and he saw that Riley's eye was severely bruised from where Coach Bills had punched him. A few short weeks ago Martin would have slammed the door in Riley's face, but things had changed since then. Martin opened the door wide and invited Riley inside and called for Mia.

Mia appeared in the living room and was shocked to see Riley, "Hi," she said quietly and looked wide eyed at her grandpa unable to believe he had allowed Riley to enter their home.

"Hey," Riley raised his hand nervously, and then he looked at Martin, "Would it be OK if I talked to her in private?"

Martin led them to his den. "Go ahead," he opened the door for them.

Mia and Riley entered Martin's Den and Riley nervously closed the door behind them. Now that he was alone with Mia, he wasn't sure what to say next. He had anticipated getting her alone would be much more difficult than it had turned out to be.

"I heard your dad freaked out the other night," Mia finally said after a long silence. Carly had told her all about it.

It was obvious to Riley when she said "your dad" that Mia didn't think of his father as her father. He looked at Mia uncomfortably, "Yeah, he's pretty messed up."

Mia nodded, "It sounds like it. I'm very sorry Riley."

"He wasn't always like this," Riley said quietly, "He used to be a great guy."