Dirty

She was dirty and sick and everything hurt but that was normal, that was everyday now.
She made her way through the alley slowly, watching for any sign of movement, any sound that would tell her someone was there.
She scanned the trashcans and pulled out anything that looked like it might be edible and ducked behind a dumpster as she heard the creak that the single door always gave when someone was opening it.

She didn’t want to be seen, next came the questions or the offers. She pushed against the wall and moved against the dumpster almost disappearing against the filth.

The couple didn’t see her as they embraced and he slammed her roughly against the wall kissing down her chest. She didn’t seem to mind and she grabbed at the back of his head and pushed it where she wanted it to go.

She knew she shouldn’t be here but there was no way to escape without them knowing so she closed her eyes and tried to block out the sounds the couple was making.

She didn’t realize the sounds had changed until she heard the man cursing as the woman told him to leave. She listened to him stomp away talking nasty about his former companion but she couldn’t hear anything from the woman.

:Maybe she left first and that’s why he was mad.: She thought.

She started to move along the dumpster and the woman stepped in front of her and gasped, throwing her hands over her face. The woman looked like money but fear pushed her away from a possible handout.

She broke into a run heading down the alley, away from the woman as fast as she could but the sounds of cries behind her told her she was being chased.

She had never been one for physical exercise and her energy was quickly used up then her muscles betrayed her and lock themselves, sending her flying to the wet and dirty ground.

She cried out a the pain but still she tried to pull herself away, to get anywhere but this place.
Her head was spinning and head ached.

She saw the woman approach her and realized who she was looking at. That voice spoke into a cell phone calling for someone to come to the alley with a car, then the darkness overcame her.





She swam to the surface and heard the voices arguing.

“Call the police.” A man was saying.

“Put her in the car.” A woman’s voice said.

“No, it stinks to high heaven, I’d have to have the interior redone.” The man refused.

“Whose car is it?” The woman’s voice got cold.

“It’s your car Miss.” The man’s voice said, sounding different now.

“Then I suggest you remember that before you tell me what I can or can’t do, I don’t work for you.” The woman said calmly.

“Yes Ma’am.” The man said softly.

“Now help me get her into the car and don’t ever let me hear you call a person it again.” The woman said.

She felt hands lifting her and she tried to struggle but she was pulled under, back into the darkness.




She felt the car moving down the road and felt the warm air blowing against her.

“Look I can’t make it tonight and if you can’t understand that then I guess our conversation is over.” The now familiar woman’s voice said angrily.

“Damn bunch of self righteous pricks.” The woman’s voice growled.

“Problem Miss.” The man’s voice said.

“Just the party, I guess if you miss one party in LA it might kill you.” The woman chuckled.

She tried to open her eyes but as soon as light poured into her eyelids she blacked out again.




The next time she woke up, she felt the water against her body and knew she was undressed.
She whimpered and grabbed onto whoever was there with her and tried to beg but nothing worked right. Not her legs or arms or even her mouth that opened and closed soundless and her eyes kept out the blinding light behind her lids.

:Please don’t take that, you’ve taken everything else but not that too.: She thought before blacking out again.




She started to come awake and pressed her face into the cool, clean pillow and pulled the warm blanket tight against herself and sighed contently until her brain started to process the information and panic reared it’s head.

She managed to open her eyes and look around, everything was fuzzy. She was in a plain room with few furnishings. The bed she was lying in was large but seemed to have been made up for one. Flashes started coming to her from the night before and she gasped as she remembered the shower.

She saw the underwear that someone had place on her and tried to relax. She lay back onto the bed and tried to force more memories of the night but none would reveal themselves.

She thought back on her life for almost three years and through out it all she never felt so low as she did at this very moment.

:I turned down the porn offers and the sex for room and board and it happens like this.: She thought bitterly.

She looked at her hands and saw medicine and bandages that covered her injuries and sores. She reached up and felt her head and found another bandage on the side of her head and she looked around the room.

The mirror was what she wanted and she tried to get up but her legs failed her and she fell back onto the bed.

She heard sounds coming from beyond the single door in the room and knew that her attempts had been detected and soon someone would be coming. Like a child she pulled the blanket around herself as footsteps approached the door and it swung open.

The woman walked in and moved to the foot of the bed. She stared at her from under the blanket, watching every step in complete disbelief.

“You!” She gasped.

“Been awhile Quinn.” The woman said calmly.

“Jane.” Quinn Morgendorffer exclaimed.

“I won’t ask how you been.” Jane Lane said with a tired looking smirk.

Part 2

Jane sat with her as a woman in a maid's outfit brought in a tray of food and placed it on the bed, Quinn noticed the disapproving way she looked at her out of the corner of her eye.

Quinn looked at the collection of diced fruit and scrambled eggs and felt her mouth watering.

“Go on.” Jane said gently.

Quinn started eating and forgot she wasn’t alone until the constant pain in her belly was stilled. She looked at her grease and juice covered hands and blushed as she scanned for something to wipe them off on until Jane handed her a cloth napkin.

“I had a doctor check you out last night. You’re not doing great but you should live. The pill bottles on the nightstand are a collection of antibiotics and vitamins or supplements, I forget now, but you will need to take them and none of them have any ability to get you stoned or high.” Jane said firmly.

Quinn shook her head to show she understood.

“I don’t have much that might fit you but I put it in the dresser behind me. Can you talk?” Jane asked suddenly.

Quinn nodded before blushing. “Y..es.” She croaked out.

“Good, I don’t remember you ever going this long without talking before so I was getting worried.” Jane teased.

“Why?” Quinn waved with her hand at the room.

“Why did I bring you here, why do you think? I know you and maybe we weren’t friends or anything that doesn’t mean I could leave you laying in an alley.” Jane said harshly.

“I’m sorry.” Quinn said shrinking away.

She saw Jane flinch at that and felt guilty at once.

“What happened to you?” Jane asked softly.

“Life.” Quinn answered and tried again to stand up but again failed.

“I mean it.” Jane said as she grabbed a few clothing items out of the dresser and moved next to the bed and handed them to Quinn.

“We came out here to be movie stars and found out that being cute didn’t matter, having a little talent didn’t matter. Six months and the others headed back to Lawndale but not me, I had to keep trying.” Quinn said as Jane helped her into a pair on pajama pants.

“I kept going on auditions and even when the money ran out, I kept trying. Thrown out of my apartment, no big deal, haven’t eaten in two days, no big deal. I stopped going when I couldn’t even afford to wash my clothes anymore. It didn’t matter anymore at that point, all the places I was getting offers from were porn movies. I got offered parts in the beginning, real parts in real shows and movies but they always involved kissing or touching and I couldn’t do that, not pretend and certainly not for real. I couldn’t even keep a day job, the little spoiled brat couldn’t manage to get up on time or show up everyday.” Quinn said and tears ran down her cheek.

“Quinn.” Jane said sitting on the bed next to her.

“I couldn’t even pretend to kiss a guy I thought was hot. I broke down in the middle of an audition. Next thing I know I was living on the street and since that meant begging or selling yourself or living off garbage, I choose garbage.” Quinn said.

“How long?” Jane choked out.

“What year is it?” Quinn laughed through the tears.

Jane showed her the date and Quinn thought for a while before sighing.

“The last time I slept in a bed was over two years ago.” Quinn answered.

“Damn it Quinn why didn’t you call your folks or Daria?” Jane swore, getting up and pacing the room.

“So they could see me fail, no thank you and now why would they bother. I’m barely even human.” Quinn said hanging her head.

“That’s a load of self pitying crap and I won’t have it.” Jane retorted.

“Are you going to call her?” Quinn asked.

“I would but you see there’s a slight problem with that. We haven’t talked in almost a year and half.” Jane sighed.

“What happened?” Quinn said surprised.

“I was a complete ass.” Jane answered.

“Please.” Quinn asked.

“It started her third year, Quantum Physics 302. She ran into this girl from back in Lawndale and they were lab partners. Next thing I know she’s hanging around the apartment and I’m feeling left out. I thought she was trying to replace me as Daria’s friend.
Then Daria admits she’s gay and dating said girl. I throw a fit, completely showed just how much of a jerk I was but we managed to put a cork in it for another year. That’s when she told me she was getting married. I freaked out again.
This time I demanded that she make a choice this girl or me. She begged me to take it back but I wouldn’t, even after she choose her, I still wouldn’t. I called her every name in the book and told her to go to hell. By the time I came to my senses she had decided not to waste her time. She won’t return my calls or letters or email, anything. I can’t blame her.” Jane said crying as she finished.

“She just dumped you like that, of course you lashed out. You had a broken heart.” Quinn said reaching over to Jane’s shoulder.

“No.” Jane said shaking her head.

Quinn looked at her strangely.

“I’m not gay, I never was. I acted like a jealous girlfriend but we weren’t, ever.
It’s funny I had written all these speeches in high school, waiting for Daria to declare her love for me. I had a hundred different ways I worked out so I could let her down easy so we could still be friends.
In the end, I was jealous that it wasn’t me she fell for. How petty is that? I threw away the only real friend I had in my life because she didn’t fall in love with me and I didn’t even want her like that.” Jane said shaking her head.

“Oh.” Quinn said sadly.

“Enough with me creeping you out with my sob story. You need to rest. I’ll stop by around lunch time and we can chat some more. The phone works and I put your parents number next to it if you want to call them.” Jane said and hurried out of the room.




Quinn spent the next week sleeping and eating never venturing past the bathroom next to her door in the hall. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror as she prepared for dinner. Jane had decided it was time she made it out of the room and got a look at the rest of the house.

She walked slowly past the signs of idol richness, pottery and bronze works lined the hallway and she turned and found herself in a sitting room lined with books.

She moved among the shelves and saw that each book was a classic or by some great author.
The room didn’t fit Jane at all but she knew who it would.

“Get lost.” Jane smiled from the doorway.

“I was just looking.” Quinn said quickly holding her hands out.

“If I gave you a ton of money would you stop thinking I was worried you were going to steal something.” Jane said shaking her head.

“Couldn’t hurt.” She said almost child like. She got the grin she wanted from Jane.

“C’mon, dinner is going to get cold.” Jane said and offered her arm and Quinn took it.

The table was set for two and Quinn looked embarrassed at the different silverware that was laid out.

“I don’t know what any of it means but the kitchen staff likes putting it out I guess.” Jane said picking a fork at random.

“I assume you’re rich.” Quinn dropped casually.

“Yep, rule of three.” Jane smirked.

Quinn raised an eyebrow in question.

“I made a pretty big splash on the art scene and made some serious coin, next came an estate sale where I picked up this work by one of Van Gogh’s students. I get it appraised and they tell me there’s a Van Gogh underneath. The student had painted over one of his works, that sold for 4 million.” Jane laughed.

“And the third.” Quinn mused.

“I won the lottery, Powerball, 52 million after taxes.” Jane grinned.

“No!” Quinn gasped.

“Yah and here I am, the idle rich.” Jane said sadly pointing to the room.

Quinn got quite and ate before seeing that Jane seemed to be thinking about something.
“Penny for your thoughts, but you have to loan me a penny first.”

“I was just thinking about something you said the night I brought you here.” Jane said carefully.

“When?” Quinn asked.

“In the shower, when I was cleaning you up.” Jane said and blushed.

“What did I say?” Quinn asked looking down.

“You said please don’t take that from me too.” Jane said her voice shaking.

“Oh.” Quinn answered and with a trembling hand took a drink of water.

“You’re a virgin aren’t you, all those guys you dated and you didn’t ever put out. Weren’t you ever tempted?” Jane asked.

“Never.” Quinn replied.

“What happened to you and I don’t mean since I knew you, go back before.” Jane pressed.

“I guess you figured it out so here goes. When I was eight we lived in Highland and one summer the family next door had a teenage boy staying with them… he was always nice to the kids and then …” Quinn hesitated.

“He raped you.” Jane cursed under her breath.

“Everything but. He made me do things and did things to me but never that one thing, not even he took that. The whole summer he kept doing things and told me that no one would believe me and he would kill me afterwards if I told. I got an infection …back there and he had to stop and then he was sent away and I never saw him again. I like guys but I don’t feel safe with them, I’ve never let a guy get anywhere with me.” Quinn said wetly.

“I remember something about you being on stage with a guy and running off when they wanted you to touch him.” Jane said as a memory came to her.

“The modeling contract.” Quinn nodded.

“Quinn I have money like no tomorrow and nothing to do, I threw away one friend, I won’t do it again.” Jane said and grasped Quinn’s hand.

“Why?” Quinn asked and Jane knew she needed to be honest.

“At first it was just shock maybe, I knew you and I could help and then I started thinking that if I helped you Daria would talk to me and be my friend again but now it’s different. I like you, I want to help you and I’m lonely. I really could use a friend.” Jane cried honestly.

“Me too.” Quinn said her own tears falling as well.

“But I have to insist on one thing.” Jane said.

“What?” Quinn said looking slightly worried.

“Call your parents and talk to them.” Jane said softly and Quinn nodded.




Later the evening as she sat in bed Quinn pulled the phone over to her lap and thought.
It didn’t take long.

She dialed the number and it answered quickly.

“Jake, if it’s one of your clients I’ll tell them to call your cell, I'm on with Eric on the other line. Hello.” Her mother said.

“Hi Mom.” Quinn said trying to be strong.

“Hi Mom, is that the best I can get after you disappear for three years out there in LaLa land.” Helen groaned.

“I missed you.” Quinn added weakly.

“We missed you too sweetie, hold on and let me get rid of Eric on the other line.” Helen said and she was gone.

“I’m back, so are you famous yet?” Helen asked politely.

“No.” Quinn said and felt the tears come again.

“Quinn what’s wrong?” Helen said her tone switching to concern.

“I guess I should start with being homeless for the last two years or so.” Quinn said and she started telling her mother everything.




It took two hours to cover everything including Highland and her mother had gotten quiet.

“Mom.” Quinn said nervously.

“Daria’s Jane.” Helen said carefully.

“She told me what she did to Daria, how horrible she treated her but she feels really bad about it and she knows it was all her fault. She is taking care of me. She saved me.” Quinn said quickly.

“I don’t know what to say except that I wish I could remember the neighbor’s name so I could hunt the pervert down and spend a few hours getting him familiar with a claw hammer. I can arrange for a ticket to come back here in 15 minutes.” Helen offered.

“I’m not ready to yet but soon I hope. Can you give the number I gave you to Daria I would like to talk to her and I won’t bring up Jane if she doesn’t want to.” Quinn asked gently.

“I’ll call her just as soon as we get off, she’s been so worried about you. She even put a request for anyone who might have information about you in her last book to contact her publisher.” Helen said.

“Wow.” Quinn said surprised.

“Be careful, I know Jane is being nice but she burned a lot bridges with what she did.” Helen warned her.

“Bridges can be rebuilt if both sides are willing.” Quinn whispered.

Part 3.

Quinn was sitting on the sun porch looking out over the ocean as Jane argued with someone over the phone.

She saw the car coming up the winding driveway but didn’t pay much attention to it, it seemed that someone was always picking something up or dropping something off. She and Jane had spent two days intercepting packages just out of curiosity and discovered it was all boring household items and such.
The loud pounding at the door shocked her, and she felt herself try to revert back as the instinct to run kicked in powerfully.

“Stay.” Jane commanded and hung up the phone.

Quinn shook in her chair as Jane moved toward the front door as the pounding increased.

She heard the shouting people running around the house calling her name and she heard Jane telling them where she was.

Jane joined her on the sun porch and continued to inform the intruders they were out there. A redhead made her way out first and Quinn guessed this must be her sister’s wife from what Jane had told her.

“Hi Scarlett.” Jane said nicely and pointed to Quinn.

“Hello.” Quinn said nicely.

“It’s nice to see you again Jane and it’s about damn time you showed up Quinn.” Scarlett said and took a seat as Daria continued her rampage through Jane’s mansion.

“Just in case I don’t get a chance later, I’m really sorry for being a complete bitch and messing up your honeymoon.” Jane apologized.

“Thank you.” Scarlett said and sighed as Daria’s voice seem to get farther away.

“I didn’t mean any of the things I said about you or Daria I was just being stupid.” Jane sighed.

“I know and I hope you two can sit down and talk before we leave. I know she still cares a lot about you.” Scarlett sighed and looked depressed.

“Jane’s not gay.” Quinn said quickly.

Scarlett raised her head with a smirk ready to say something but Quinn continued.

“She wasn’t heart broken, she just spent so long thinking Daria was going to fall in love with her that she expected it and when it didn’t happen she got all CRAZY.” Quinn said and Jane liked the waving the hands part.

“You’re not gay.” Scarlett said turning to Jane.

“Never.” Jane said.

“But you accused me of stealing her from you and you tried to make her chose.” Scarlett said looking confused.

“I was jealous, I thought I was going to lose my friend and hey I was right. But it was my fault not yours.” Jane replied.

“So you weren’t in love with her and you don’t want her back and you haven’t been calling to try to steal her away.” Scarlett said and got pale.

“No, I just want another chance to be her friend.” Jane said sadly.

“We thought, oh no.” Scarlett said weakly.

“There you are.” Daria rushed in and pulled Quinn out of her chair and hugged her.

“Good to see you too Daria.” Quinn returned the hug.

“Ok, let’s get anything you got and we’re leaving.” Daria said after the hug ended.

“Um no.” Quinn answered. “I’m not ready yet.”

“Quinn trust me when I say this but you need to get away from here, I have money, maybe not as much as Jane but a lot.” Daria said.

“I don’t care. I’m not leaving yet.” Quinn said and hugged her sister again before retaking her seat.

“Quinn, I don’t know what she told you but …” Daria started and Quinn laughed.

“What she told me, may I.” She said looking over at Jane.

“Hit me.” Jane said and leaned back and put her feet up.

“Let’s start with the complete and total Bitch and let’s follow it up with clingy and needy and add in a dash of sexual confusion and sprinkle with abandonment issues and let simmer for 22 years or so and you get Jane.” Quinn said grinning.

“That was pretty accurate.” Jane said with a smile.

“She treated you like garbage and then acted surprised when you let her go and when she figured out just how screwed up she was, you didn’t trust her anymore.” Quinn finished.

“You really listen when I rant.” Jane said impressed.

Scarlett was covering her mouth to hide the smile as Daria looked between Quinn and Jane confused.

“What?” Daria managed.

“I’m sorry for screwing everything up. I miss you and would really like to try to be friends again or at least to be allowed to try to earn your trust.” Jane sighed.

“She’s not gay.” Scarlett said from behind Daria.

“WHAT?” Daria yelled.

“She was just scared I was trying to take away her only friend.” Scarlett replied.

“But, she said. And she wants to break us up. And she’s sleeping with Quinn to get to me.” Daria said looking at her wife.

“Get over yourself already.” Jane chuckled.

“I don’t think so, if I swung that way I could get way hotter girls than Jane.” Quinn said evilly.

“I think we have been reading the wrong things into Jane’s actions for a while.” Scarlett said wrapping an arm around Daria’s waist.

“Yes or No are you gay?” Daria said turning to Jane.

“Not gay.” Jane said smiling.

“And you’re not sleeping with Quinn?” Daria demanded.

“No or yes, which ever answer means I’m not doing that.” Jane replied.

“And you don’t want to break up my marriage?” Daria said looking tired.

“I hope you two are very happy, I just would like to be part of your life too.” Jane answered.

Daria pulled Quinn out of her chair and then sat down in it.

“You know if you would learn to communicate better this would have never happened.” Scarlett said to her wife.

“Hey I got this great idea. Scarlett how about you and me go get something for dinner and we leave these two here to talk.” Quinn said.

“Might work and if it doesn’t, they’ll kill each other and I collect the life insurance money on Daria.” Scarlett said as she kissed Daria’s check and followed Quinn toward the main door.

The two redheads left leaving the ex-friends trying not to stare at each other.

“Wait here, I got something I want you to read.” Jane said and got up and walked into the house.

Daria waited for her to return and accepted the loose notebook paper Jane held out to her.

“I love you like a sister. I truly believe we have moved past a physical relationship, C’mon that’s reaching. Oh I like this one, I think we would be to perfect for each other and it would ruin us for anyone else.” Daria laughed as she read.

“I started them when I was 16, cut me some slack.” Jane replied.

“You knew about me that far back.” Daria looked surprised.

“I had a pretty good idea, I almost threw it in your face over the whole Tom thing.” Jane shrugged.

“Thank you for not, I would have had a break down.” Daria said quietly.

“I was jealous, I had planned for years on what to do when you came out and fell in love with me and you came out but you weren’t in love with me and that hurt. I know it doesn’t make sense.” Jane said.

“I spent high school and half of college mooning over you but I knew you were straight.” Daria answered.

“Oh god my ego needed that.” Jane said with a grin.

“Please, gave me a chance. I want to be friends like we used to be.” Jane almost begged.

“No.” Daria answered.

“What?” Jane said and her face fell.

“To much has happened, we can never be like that again.” Daria said raising her face and looking Jane in the eyes.




Quinn and Scarlett climbed into the car after loading the takeout into the back seat.

“How long have you been gay?” Quinn asked.

“My whole life, I think you mean to ask how long have I known or how long have I been out?” Scarlett replied.

“Ok.” Quinn pressed.

“I’ve known since my freshman year, the year before I came to Lawndale. I’ve came out to my parents senior year and pretty much out to everyone since I started college.” Scarlett answered.

“How did you hook up with my sister?” Quinn asked.

“We were lab partners and after one late night of studying in her bedroom we both fell asleep on her bed. At some point, it’s still really hazy since we were both half asleep, we ended up making out. I thought I was going to have to pull her off the ledge. But we calmed down and I admitted I had a crush on her and went for it. I started kissing her and well here we are.” Scarlett laughed.

“That’s sort of romantic.” Quinn said with a smile.

“I thought so but to hear Daria tell it, I held her down and forced gay germs down her throat with my tongue until they took over her mind.” Scarlett replied shaking her hair.

“That would be Daria.” Quinn shrugged.

They arrived at the house and Quinn let them in and together they moved to the porch to find it empty and after a quick search turned up no sign of the two women Quinn put the food down on the table and thought for a moment.

“I guess we need to start checking the bedrooms, Jane may not be gay but there is still something between those two so it can’t be ruled out. Be mad Scar, Be mad.” Scarlett said before blushing at the weird look Quinn was giving her.

“I’m finding it really hard to get mad at the thought of them together, as long as Jane isn’t trying to steal Daria away. Let’s start the bed check, she is so sleeping on the couch tonight.” Scarlett sighed.

“Before we start walking in on the staff taking advantage of Jane’s good nature there’s a room we need to check first.” Quinn said.

The redheads moved down the hall and stopped at the room she found not that long ago and Quinn opened the door.

Daria and Jane were crying on the floor half way through a second bottle of some old scotch.

“I had chicken pox, that’s why we didn’t go to camp that summer.” Daria cried out and Jane hugged her.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Jane said comforting.

“What is going on here?” Scarlett said as she entered the room.

“Hi honey, meet my new friend. We just met tonight, she’s straight but still pretty cool.” Daria slurred drunkenly.

“Hi Daria’s honey, I’m Jane.” Jane said holding out her hand before falling over passed out.

“What?” Scarlett said.

“I had to tell old Jane that we couldn’t be friends again so she left and then I met new Jane and I think we’re going to be great friends. You’ll like her but I think she has a drinking problem.” Daria slurred before falling over.

“What?” Scarlett repeated.

“Bridges.” Quinn answered and pointed to Daria’s shoulders.

Scarlett picked up the top half and Quinn the bottom and they carried Daria to Quinn’s room and dropped her in bed.

As they picked up Jane, Quinn laughed to herself.

“It’s not funny and we’re putting them in different beds, in different rooms and locking at least one of the doors.” Scarlett countered.

“Don’t want another romantic encounter.” Quinn chuckled.

“Not with my wife or do you want to discuss the crush I had on you in high school.” Scarlett said batting her eyes at Quinn.

“You win.” Quinn sighed.