Not So Sweet Sixteen

[Di]

Ahhh thanks Ashirr .

[Jackieleanne]

Brilliant chapter Ash, I can't wait to read more of this, the build up to the party etc is great.

[Ashirr-Leigh]

"Hey.. where's Findlay?"

"Aw, he's not well.. or so he says!"

The four girls laughed and continued on their walk to school together. Sooner or later, conversation turned to Dayna.

"What do you think she's doing this for?"

"I don't know, I really don't get it."

***

Coming from the other direction but aiming for the same destination, Dayna and Bethie walked to school.

"The party's tonight, Beth, and we've still not been invited. We've got to do something and we've got to do it today."

"I know, I know.. I just don't know what."

Dayna was beginning to panic that her plan wouldn't work. All week now she'd been nice to Imogin and her friends but still they'd received no invite. The party had to be where she told everyone about Kane.

***

She watched the sugar fall from the spoon into the mug and then repeated the action. Again. And again.

"Dani! That's enough! You know I only take one sugar!!"

Jade's voice snapped her back into reality and she immediately realised what she'd just done.

"Oh crap, I'm sorry, I was miles away."

"Yeah, so I noticed!"

"Here, you take mine and I'll take this one, I could do with the sugar kick."

Jade made room on the couch for her sister and began sipping her tea, waiting for Dani to say something.

"Dani?"

She didn't, so Jade decided to. There was obviously something going on, and she wanted to find out what it was.

"Yeah?"

"You ok?"

Dani nodded a little too enthusiastically for Jade's liking. People only ever over compensated when they were trying to hide the truth.

"Really?"

"I'm fine, Jade."

Jade noticed, however, that Dani's eyes didn't move from the blank tv when she was talking to her.

"Kane, right?"

"What?"

They way Dani jumped at the mention of his name told Jade everything she needed to know.

"You're thinking about Kane. I know you are so there's no point in denying it."

"So what if I was?"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with it, I just don't want you to bottle it up again."

When Kirsty had run away with Kane, Jade had been the one left to try and pick up the pieces. Of course, their parents were there but they had their own problems, mainly the break up of their marriage, to deal with.

"We talked in the Diner the other night."

"Oh yeah? What about?"

"He was apologising."

"Well, that's a start."

"Mm."

"Mm? What's that mean?"

"Nothing."

"Dani!"

"Nothing.. look, can we just leave it now, please?"

"If that's what you want."

"It is."

***

"Hey Imogin!"

"Dayna.. hey."

Just as Alexiah was about to sit down next to Imogin, Dayna took her place.

"Look, I was wondering, do you want to do something tonight? I'm not willing to take no for an answer!! I was thinking maybe the movies? All the girls can come, of course."

"I can't, Dayna."

Of course, Dayna knew she couldn't. It was just a last ditch attempt to get an invite to the party.

"Aww.. why not? Come on, Imogin. We only ever see each other at school and that sucks!"

"It's my party tonight."

"Ohhh!! Of course it is! I can't believe I forgot it was your birthday, I've not even gotten you a present. I'm so sorry. I'll get you one, drop it by at the party tonight, ok?"

Imogin looked over at Alexiah who in turn shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, ok, whatever."

***

The room was decorated with brightly coloured balloons, several banners and lots of food and drink. Kirsty and Kane had been working on it for the whole day, their sole aim being to please their eldest daughter.

As the door opened, Kirsty held her breath, waiting for Imogin's reaction.

"Aw, mum, did you do all this by yourself?"

"Well, your dad helped for a bit but then he had to go to work."

She scanned the room, taking in each and every balloon and banner. It looked great. The furniture had been moved into the garage, leaving space for everyone to stand and, if they wanted, to dance. Kane's massive speakers from the sound system in his and Kirsty's room had been connected to the cd player and all remotely embarrassing pictures had been removed.

"It's perfect!"

Kirsty grinned, feeling proud of her work. The party had been a great idea. It would allow Imogin to get to know her schoolmates a bit better and for Kirsty and Kane to find out who she was hanging around with. A win win situation, it seemed.

"Ok, well I'm going to start getting ready now."

"Imogin, it's only 4.30! The party doesn't start until 7."

"I know but I've still to finalise what I'm wearing! Plus, the girls are coming around at 5.30."

She rushed up the stairs, excitedly anticipating the arrival of her friends. She never thought her parents would agree to a party, now they had and they were even helping to set it up!!

***

"Mum, please!"

Sally was torn. She never liked making Pippa upset, what mother did enjoy seeing her child unhappy? However, she didn't want to do anything to risk her safety. Allowing her to go to this party seemed to be a potential risk to Sally.

"Mum, come on! I'll do anything to be able to go to this party. I'll tidy my room."

"Pippa, you should be doing that anyway."

"Alright.. I'll tidy your room."

"Excuse me? My room's tidy!"

"Whatever!"

"Pippa, if you really want to go to this party, you shouldn't be slagging off my room!"

"Ok, ok, sorry! Just please, mum. You don't understand. If I don't go to this party I'll be left out and not only for tonight. For like the next week!! Everyone will be talking about it and I won't be able to join in."

Seeing her daughter's eyes fill up finally made Sally cave in.

"Fine! You can go!"

"Yes!"

"But on one condition."

"Name it."

"You let your dad come pick you up. There's no way your walking home that late."

"Whatever you want."

***

Dani caught her in time, just before she was about to leave.

"Paige, weren't you even going to let me know that you're going?"

"I figured you'd realise when you saw I wasn't here."

Ever since their chat had ended sourly in the Diner, Paige had been in a mood with her mum. She didn't like how Dani would never talk about her uncle Kane. It seemed to her like she wouldn't even give him a chance. If she did, she would find out that he was a really cool guy.

"You look lovely."

"Thanks."

"Be careful, ok?"

"Mum, I'll be fine! Uncle Kane and aunt Kirsty are going to be at the neighbour's next door."

Little did Paige know that that was exactly what worried her.

"Bye."

It was too late, Paige didn't hear her, she was already out the door. Dani sighed, wondering if she'd ever be able to tell her daughter just what was bothering her.

***

"I can't believe you made me buy her a present."

"Well it would look suspicious if you didn't."

"Yeah, but still!! I could have used that money on something else."

Dayna and Bethie were also getting dressed for the party, preparing what they would say.

"We have to make sure he's there at the time."

"Who?"

"Kane, obviously!"

"Oh right, yeah."

Dayna added the finishing touches to her make up and then checked herself out in the mirror. Her hair was curled, as were her eye lashes, and her lipstick was on. She was ready for a showdown.

***

"I'm glad we gave dad and Beth the kids tonight."

"Yeah, me too. Lets us spend some time together."

For the first time in ages, Dani allowed herself to feel safe in her husband's arms. It had been wrong of her to push him out, especially when he was so eager to help. It had also been wrong of her to expect herself to immediately adjust to the massive changes that had just happened in her life. Of course it was going to take time.

"You seem much more relaxed tonight."

"I am."

"Good."

Tenderly, they kissed for the first time since Kirsty and Kane had returned to the Bay. Dani had been shying away from Scott everytime he had tried to get affectionate with her.

"I've missed you."

"What do you mean? I've been here the whole time."

"I know.. I just mean.. I've missed us, I've missed this. I'm sorry."

"Dani, you don't have to be sorry. I love you, ok? Just remember that."

"I know you do, and I love you too."

***

Kirsty looked at Imogin and a tear streamed down her face. She was so grown up. Sixteen. Her little girl was sixteen. For over seven years before Tierney was born, it had just been her, Kane and Imogin. They'd had the time of their lives. Kirsty and Kane hadn't been quite ready to settle down yet and they weren't going to let a baby force them into it. The baby had been unplanned, a total surprise, but, after a while, a pleasant one.

"Do you remember when I told you that I was pregnant with Imogin?"

"How could I forget? You wrote it down on the back of a magazine article because you were to scared to say it!"

"Oh yeah! God, I don't know why! She was the best thing that could have happened to us.. and now she's sixteen."

"Hey, hey, what are the tears for?"

"Don't worry, they're happy tears! I'm just ecstatic that everything has turned out so well."

They embraced each other in a hug, both of them feeling the same. Against all the odds, they'd come through everything that fate had dealt them and were stronger for it.

"Mum, dad.. you can go now!"

"Gee, thanks Imogin!"

"It's 6.30! People will be arriving soon, I don't want you guys to still be here."

"I think we know where we're not wanted, right Kane?"

"Right!"

"See you later, have fun.. we'll be back at midnight."

They left without a care in the world, knowing that Imogin was responsible enough, and bossy enough, to make sure that the party would run smoothly.

Two girls approaching the door were about to make sure that the exact opposite, however, would happen.

***

After everyone's initial shyness, people had started to flock to the newly named "dancefloor", formerly known as the living room. The newest tunes were pumping through the room and everyone was having a fantastic time.

"I can't believe how good this party is!!"

"You've never been to one of my party's before!!" Imogin joked.

She, herself, was relieved that everything was going to plan. Dayna and Bethie arriving had tested her for a while but they weren't causing any trouble. She now believed that they had just decided to cut their losses and become friends.

***

They'd talked all night. Talked about the kids, about Kirsty, about Kane. Mainly about Kane. They might not have sorted any of Dani's problems but they'd confided in each other and that had helped make things look not as bad.

"Damn, look at the time! It's 11.40. I better leave to go and get Paige."

"Yeah, I told her you'd be there at 12."

"Ok, I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Bye."

As he got up and walked away, she followed him with her eyes, thanking god that she had a husband like Scott whom she could rely on. Confiding in him had done her the world of good and she now realised that she should have done this from the beginning. He had been so understanding, he always had been a good listener. She decided to have a shower and then head to bed.

***

"Time for our little announcement, wouldn't you say so, Bethie?"

Bethie nodded excitedly, their plan about to come to a head.

Dayna cut the music and so immediately everyone turned to face the cd player, where she was standing. She couldn't help but smile because everyone was looking at her. This was the sort of attention that she relished, that she craved and longed for. Just as she was getting lost in the moment, Bethie tapped her arm, nudging her and telling her to do it.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make. Imogin, where are you?"

Imogin breathed in nervously as everyone in the crowd made way for her. She stepped anxiously towards Dayna, fearing what was about to be said.

"Dayna? What's going on? Turn the music back on."

"No. I told you, I have an announcement to make."

"About what?"

"It's about you, as it goes."

"What?"

"Well, about your family."

The niceness in her voice had gone, the niceness that Imogin now understood to be fake. At the mention of the word family, Paige immediately stepped forward. Despite being one of the youngest at the party, she was perhaps a little over confident and not afraid, like many of the others, to take on Dayna Smart.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, I'm glad you're here too."

Everyone in the room looked confused. Nowhere near as confused as Imogin and Paige, however.

"Look, Dayna, if you've got something to say, then say it."

"Oh, I do. I was just waiting for the guest of honour but it's ok, it looks like he's just arrived. Good timing!"

At that point, everyone's attention turned to Kane, who had just entered the front door. He'd promised to be back at midnight and there he was.

"What's going on?"

"You, me and Bethie are the only ones in this room that know."

"Huh?

He didn't understand what they were talking about, had no concept of what was to come.

"Oh, don't play the fool with me! You know."

"Imogin, what's going on?"

"I don't know, dad.."

He could hear the worry in her voice, something that she rarely ever let people hear. This frustrated him.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but I want you out of here, now."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Dayna. Dayna Smart."

Kane was none the wiser.

"That not ring any bells with you? How about Colleen Smart?"

This he remembered. Colleen Smart had been his hugest enemy, apart from the Sutherlands, back when he had lived in Summer Bay. She'd banned him from the Diner, campaigned for him to leave the Bay and shouted abuse at him whenever she saw him.

"What about her?"

"She's my gran.. and she told me some very interesting facts about you."

All the colour drained from his face as he began to contemplate what she was going to say.

"Dad? What's going on? What's she talking about? Who's Colleen?"

At the other end of the room, Dayna smiled smugly. This was what she had been waiting for.

"I gather that my gran wasn't your biggest fan, in fact, no one in Summer Bay was too keen on you."

"Dayna, what are you doing? Whatever your gran told you, I'm sure it was in confidence."

"Perhaps it was, but there are many young girls in this room and they need to be protected. They need to know just what you are."

He shook his head, giving in to his fate. There was nothing he could do now, Dayna's mind was made up.

"Dad.. what is she talking about? How does she know what people thought of you in Summer Bay?"

"Imogin, I'm so sorry.. I'm so, so sorry.."

"But sorry isn't good enough, is it, Mr Phillips?"

All the kids in the room were extremely confused but also equally intrigued. They looked from Dayna to Kane, eager to see what would be said next.

"Uncle Kane?"

Kane turned to face Paige, remembering that she was in the room.

"Dayna, please! This isn't how Imogin should find out, this isn't how Paige should find out."

"Find out what?" they both said.

"Oh, but it is, because you weren't going to tell them otherwise, were you?"

"I.."

"Dad, I'm getting really worried now.."

Dayna rubbed her hands, ready for the kill.

"You should be worried, living under the same roof as a rapist."

"A what?"

Imogin hadn't yet clicked that Dayna was talking about her dad.

"Yeah, that's right, a rapist. Your precious daddy is a rapist, Imogin."

She looked around to find everyone staring at her, waiting for her reaction.

"Shut up, you're wrong."

"Oh, I'm not. Why don't you ask your mum, Paige?"

"My mum? What has she got to do with it?"

"She's your beloved uncle's victim.. Kane raped your mum when she was 17, Paige."

Her eyes widened and immediately she backed away from Kane and Imogin. This couldn't be true, could it?

[Ashirr-Leigh]

This is the second part of the chapter that I posted before. I just felt that they should go together really. Ok, well, I'm quite nervous about these two parts.. not sure if I got the reactions right or whatever? Feedback will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

***

Paige furiously shook her head and ran towards the door leading outside, darting past the many people.

"Paige, wait..!!"

Imogin's cries were ignored as she continued to run, making for home, desperate to speak to her mother.

"I think everyone should leave now."

"Do you think any of us actually want to stay under the same roof as you?"

Kane looked at all the kids standing in his living room and a lump formed in his throat when he saw the disgust in their eyes. One by one, they began to leave, some making comments directed at Kane and Imogin, others doing there best to stay as far away as possible.

"I'm guessing you need some family time now? See you later!"

Bethie and Dayna were the last ones to leave, satisfied by what they'd done. Imogin had deserved it. No one messed with them and got away with it and besides that, they were doing the community a favour. Nobody was safe with Kane Phillips around.

***

She bounded through the door and screamed for her mum, just needing, desperately to talk to her. Agonisingly, however, she realised that she was in the shower, being able to hear the water running.

Paige sat down at the dining table, trying to find the words to say to her mum. She'd been so mean to her because the way she had been acting towards Kane, now it was all too clear why. Rape was the sort of thing that you read about in the papers that happened to people in big cities.. not in small towns like Summer Bay, not to her mum.

***

"Dad, tell me she's lying."

He couldn't lie to her, not now. All he could do was look down at his feet, praying that she would somehow understand. But how could she? How could anyone, let alone a 16 year old, even begin to understand that their father had been a rapist in the past. Even he couldn't understand that.

"Oh my god.."

His silence told her everything, it was more deafening than any words he could have said. She stepped away from him, her instincts taking control. This man was her dad, the man she'd grown up with, the man she thought she knew.

"Imogin, please, you must try and understand."

"Understand? What is there to understand? You are a rapist."

"No."

He felt like his daughter had just shot him through the heart. He knew he'd always be branded a rapist by the likes of Colleen Smart, the cause of the night's problems, but by his daughter? No, that was too much.

"So what Dayna said is lies? I want it to be lies."

"I was stupid and immature.."

"No, don't you dare try and justify this to me. You make me sick."

Kane wasn't the type to cry infront of people. Since his highly disturbed childhood where it seemed like every other moment had been spent crying, he'd mentally made a decision never to let people see him cry again. That had all changed when he'd met Kirsty, but even with her, he tried to keep his emotions out of things.

Now, however, he had no control. Kirsty had been right when she'd said that Imogin had been the best thing to happen to them. She was. They'd been having their doubts about whether or not running away had been the right thing to do and then she'd.. happened. That was like a sign to them. Imogin was their first born, their daughter. To hear her say that he made her sick brought tears to his eyes.

***

The water stopped running and Paige held her breath, knowing that she would soon have to face her mum. What must she be going through? Having to act like she was ok living in the same town as the man who had raped her, the man who was now her brother in law. The thought disgusted her.

The footsteps on the stairs got louder and louder but it seemed to Paige that Dani was taking forever to get down. When she finally appeared, she didn't even notice her daughter, on the count of the lights being out. Paige had saw no reason to put them on, everything was dark now.

"That's what happens to you, isn't it?"

Dani screamed, the sound of a voice in the darkened room being a total surprise.

"Paige! I didn't realise you were back already. Why are you sitting in the dark?"

"It is though, isn't it?"

She cautiously walked over to the lightswitch and brightened the room before attempting to understand what her daughter was talking about.

"Where's your dad?"

"I don't know."

"How can you not know?"

"I came home by myself."

"Paige! Why? I told you to wait for dad."

This isn't what she wanted to talk about. It wasn't important to her how she had gotten home, all that mattered was what she had been so cruelly told at the party.

"It is what happens to you though, isn't it?"

"Paige, I don't know what you're talking about."

"You have to shower all the time."

Dani screwed up her face, wondering what on earth had gotten into her daughter.

"You're going to have to break this down for me, Paige, because I'm not getting it."

"I read it."

"What? You read what?"

Paige scoured the table looking for one of her magazines and quickly found one. Her parents were always moaning at her to put them away in her room or throw them out but she never did.

"They have problem pages in the magazines, the ones like this."

"And..? What's wrong, Paige?"

"About a week or two ago, I read one and this girl, she wrote in, she was about 15, and she said that's what happens to you."

"Paige, you're scaring me now."

"She said she had to shower all the time because she couldn't get clean, she still felt dirty."

***

"Does mum know?"

He nodded his head, still too ashamed to say anything to Imogin. What could he possibly say that would make things better?

"How could she? How could she do that? You know, she stood here and lied to me only a few nights ago. Told me that the reason aunt Dani wasn't too keen on you was because the two of you had rowed in the past."

"That's not strictly untrue."

"What? So you thought it would just be clever to tell me part of the truth?"

Kane shook his head and wiped the tears off his face. He never imagined that his children would find out about his torrid past, he hadn't prepared himself for it at all. He'd been hit by a wave of mixed emotion and he couldn't deal with it, he wasn't cut out for it.

"We were trying to protect you?"

"Protect me? I would laugh if this wasn't so serious. You? Protect me? You're a rapist. People need protecting from you."

"I'm not anymore."

"Oh, come on, I'm not stupid. I know what a rapist is, I know what they do. You can't change from that, no one can."

"That's not true, Imogin. It was a long time ago."

"How long?"

"It'll be about 18 years ago now."

"You know what? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if it was 18 years ago or yesterday. The fact is that you raped someone, and not just anyone, you raped mum's sister. That's disgusting."

He opened his mouth but then thought against it. There was no point trying to get through to Imogin when she was like this. He needed Kirsty but he dreaded telling her what had happened. She was settling the kids down at the neighbours as they were to stay the night and he didn't want to go through and disturb her happiness, disturb their lives for good.

"How could you bring us back here? Back to the place where you raped her."

"Jade was sick. Your mum needed to be here for her sister."

"Oh really? I guess she wanted to be here for her in the same way that she was here for Dani when you raped her?"

"You don't know what happened, Imogin."

"I think it's pretty simple. Let me see if I can work it out, ok? You asked for sex, she said no. You didn't listen and made her do it anyway. I'm guessing there was maybe a bit of a struggle, maybe you held her down, but the main point is that she said no. I'm not stupid, I'm 16, I know what you people do to women."

As fast as he wiped the tears away, they kept pouring down his cheeks. He'd lost the trust of his daughter, lost her respect, lost everything.

"I'm your dad, Imogin."

"I can't even call you that. I'm ashamed to think of you as my dad."

"Don't say that, don't ever say that."

"Well, it's true. She was 17!! 17 years old!! That's only one year older than me. You and mum are forever telling me that I'm still a kid, so was she. A 17 year old girl and you raped her."

With that, she ran towards the door and fled the home that she'd grown to love since she moved to Summer Bay. She could never love it again, that much she was sure of.

"Imogin, no!!"

***

Dani had begun to shake, a mixture of her wet hair making her cold and her fear that Paige knew. But how could she know?

"Maybe you shouldn't read those magazines anymore, Paige. Half the people that write in only do it for a laugh."

"She said she couldn't get him off her. He was there and no matter how much she showered, it didn't make a difference."

"Paige, please, what's going on?"

Perhaps starting from the beginning was best, that way she could try and work it out. She didn't even know what had gone on.

"Dayna came to the party."

"Who's Dayna?"

"A girl from Imogin's year."

"Oh, ok. And..?"

"She was talking about you and uncle.. about you and Kane."

"Oh.. oh, really?"

Even now that she knew what was about to become, Dani still tried to deny it. She still didn't want her worst nightmare to be coming true.

"Her gran knew you and Kane when he lived here before. She told Dayna some stuff."

"What stuff?"

Paige stood up and for a moment just looked at her mother, the now quivering woman infront of her. She walked towards her and simply just hugged her.

"I'm so sorry, mum. I'm so, so sorry."

"No, you don't be sorry, Paige.. you don't be."

Through her tears she tried to speak but found it became harder with each word. By this time, Paige was crying too, the revelations of the night finally sinking in.

"He raped you. Uncle Kane, he raped you."

Dani closed her eyes tight shut, trying somehow to make all this go away. To stop her tears, stop Paige's tears, stop what she knew, stop everything. When she opened them again, however, she still saw Paige, standing infront of her, crying.

"I was angry with you for not trying to get along with Kirsty and Kane and now I know why.. I'm so sorry."

"You weren't to know."

"Dayna said you were 17, mum that's only three years older than me."

"I know, sweetheart, I know."

"I hate him, I hate him for what he did to you, mum."

Normally, Dani didn't encourage her children to use words such as hate. She often told them that it was too strong a word, only to be used in extreme situations. This, however, was a perfect example of one. And anyhow, how could she tell her daughter not to hate someone when she felt that way about him herself?

[dncllpyk]

Great chapters. I hope that Imogin forgives Kane. Man I hate Dayna

[I love music]

This is the second part of the chapter that I posted before. I just felt that they should go together really. Ok, well, I'm quite nervous about these two parts.. not sure if I got the reactions right or whatever? Feedback will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

You definitely don't have to worry, Ahirr-Leigh, this is very powerful writing, capturing everyone's emotions exceptionally well. I was on the edge of my seat reading both chapters!

[Holly]

Great Story....... I want more.

Post Soon

[wanda]

Love the fic ...and the two chapters were brilliant ,so no need to worry ...awww it's sooo sad though ...let's hope they get some family forgiveness/bonding soon!!Your writing is excellent ...can't wait for more!!

[Jackieleanne]

Brilliant chapters, that was great. Poor Kane and Imogin. I hate the bloody Smarts in this story lol grrr.

[Di]

Ashirr-Leigh you did it again you have captured everyones emotions perfect, there was nothing wrong with you chapters.keep up all the hard work.