Desdemona POV

Once daddy was inside the trailer, Jerome turned to me and frowned. "Great. Just what on earth am I supposed to do with you?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Me nu know."

"Well, we can't sit around here all day I have chores to do. How about I take you to see the animals. I have to clean their cages anyway." Jerome muttered.

"Well come on, let's go I don't have all day you know." I reached for Jerome to pick me up and he rolled his eyes at me. "You've got to be kidding me. I am not going to carry you, and I'm certainly not going to hold your hand the entire way. So keep up." With that, Jerome was off unfortunately, he walked too fast and I soon lost him.

"Jewome? Jewome?"

Sitting down in the middle of the circus I began to cry. I didn't know where Jerome was and I had no idea how to get back to where daddy was located. "Are you alright little one?" A sweet voice asked me and I looked up to see a very pretty young girl about a year younger then Jerome. "My name is Quinn what's yours?"

"Desdemona."

"Desdemona? That's an unusual name. If I remember correctly it means of the devil, ill-fated one and misery. And it's a name of a Shakespearean character. (For those unfamiliar with the story, Desdemona is pure and virtuous woman who in a drunken rage is brutally murdered by her husband because he believes she is cheating on him. Which turns out to be untrue.)

"Well Desdemona, what's a sweet little girl like you doing out here in the middle of the circus by yourself?" Quinn asked in concern.

I sniffled trying to hold back the tears that threatens to fall. "Me was supposed to stay wifth me cousin. Him was going to take me to see de animals but Me got lost."

"Sweetheart, what's your cousin's name?"

"Jewome." At this Quinn frowned how could Jerome be so irresponsible?

"Your Zachary's little girl?" I nodded and again the pretty lady frowned. "Desdemona, Zachary doesn't hurt you does he?" Quinn asked in concern.

"Huwt me?" I asked in confusion.

"Does he hit you?"

"Only when me desewbes to be punished..."

I could tell this answer bothered her but she remained silent taking my hand and leading me to where Jerome was located.

Jerome POV

Upon reaching the animal cages, I turned around and then cursed when I realized that my cousin was not behind me. "Great this is just great! I told her to keep up. Now she's gone and gotten herself lost. My Uncle is going to kill me." I muttered angrily to myself as I backtracked trying to locate where she had fallen behind.

"Did you loose someone?" Quinn asked with a smile as my cousin timidly peeked from behind her.

"There you are." I said irritatedly grabbing my cousin's arm. "I thought I told you to keep up. You are lucky that Quinn found you and not someone else. Come on, don't start that. Your a big girl now and big girls don't cry." I scolded my "cousin".

At this, Quinn shook her head and smacked Me upside the head causing Desdemona to giggle.

"Ouch! What was that for?" I asked rubbing the back of my head.

"You can be such an idiot sometimes you know that? You shouldn't have told her that." With that Quinn knelt down to my level and smiled at me. "Don't listen to him, it's ok to cry." I sighed and rolled his eyes in irritation.

"Your just encouraging her to act like a baby. She's seven she needs to grow up and realize
that the world is a cruel and dangerous place." I replied. Quinn sighed and shook her head.

My cousin frowned and looked confused, "Me nu seben. Me is thwee."

Quinn and I exchange a weird gaze before sighing.

Zachary POV

Meanwhile, back at Lila's trailer, I cleared my throat announcing my presence as I drew the curtain back. Just as Jerome had said she was in the middle of banging Mike.

Lila let out a startled yelp as the curtain drew back. "(Inscert swear wear word) Zachary, can't you see I'm busy? What the hell do you want?" Lila demanded angrily as she pulled the covers up over her and her lover.

"I need to have a discussion with your guest."

"Can't it wait? We are having fun." Lila whined taking a sip from the nearby whiskey bottle. I sighed frustratedly.

"You don't have any shame do you Lila? Banging every man that you see. Hell, I bet you'd bang me if we weren't related." I replied in disgust.

"Why? Do you want too? I don't care that we are siblings. If you are up to having some family bonding time, I'm more then willing to accommodate you." Lila replied with a smile.

"No thanks." I replied trying to hold back the vomit that was threatening to surface.

"Suit yourself." Lila replied with a shrug. "Why don't you come back in say ten minutes. We should be done our business exchange by then." Lila said with a slight giggle.

Based on her actions I knew that Lila was already drunk and probably high as a kite even though it was only eight in the morning. As I left the trailer in disgust I looked around and frowned.

Desdemona was nowhere to be seen. Where had they disappeared too? I specifically told her to remain close by the trailer and not to go wandering off. I stomped through the circus grounds searching for my no good nephew and that little brat. I'd teach her to the consequences of disobeying me. By the time I was done, she wouldn't be able to walk for a week.

Desdemona POV

When I saw daddy approaching I couldn't help but whimper. I could tell by the look of pure rage on his face that I was in for a major beating when we returned home.

Grabbing Jerome by the arm he whirled him around to face him. "I thought I told you not to take my little girl anywhere!" He growled at him.

"Technically, you told me not to leave the circus grounds with her." Jerome replied with a slight smile.

At this, Daddy punched Jerome in the face causing me to whimper again. "I specifically told you to stay near the trailer." He growled at him.

"Actually you didn't. You just asked me to watch her for a little while and as I said earlier, you said not to leave the circus grounds. I didn't think you'd mind if I took her with me while I fed the animals."

"After all, I do have chores to do. You didn't expect me to sit around by the trailer babysitting the kid all day did you? I do have responsibilities that I am required to fulfill you know." Jerome replied with a slight grumble.

"Are you talking back to me boy?" Daddy demanded angrily.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Jerome replied sarcastically as he wiped the blood from his mouth. At this, Daddy's gaze grew very dark and I knew that Jerome was in big trouble. So I tugged on daddy's pant leg.

"Daddy Me hungwy." I said as sweetly as I could in hopes of distracting him so that Jerome could escape.

At this, Daddy turned and faced me the anger flashing in his eyes causing me to whimper and draw back from him in fear. To my surprise Daddy smiled at me but it wasn't his normal loving smile. It was creepy and it made me shiver. "After everything that I've done for you, you have the audacity to run away the first chance you got. Perhaps my sister was right you are an ungrateful little brat."

I lowered my gaze to the ground and remained silent. I knew better then to argue with daddy when he was in one of his moods. "Look at me when I'm talking to you girl!" I glance up at him pleadingly but his gaze remained cold and unfeeling. "I think it's time I gave you and this boy a refresher course in what happens when you steal from me!" Daddy said darkly grabbing my hand and dragging Jerome and I towards the mess hall.

"Owie. Daddy you huwting me. Daddy Please don't hold on so tight." I begged trying to release my hand from his tight grasp.

"So you can try and run away again? I don't think so!" Daddy hissed at me his gaze still dark and scary.

Quinn POV

I saw Zachary pulling Jerome and Desdemona towards his stand and I knew something was wrong. He seemed extremely angry.

"I'll teach you to steal from me!" He snarled at the small child who's wrist he was holding tightly in his grasp. In he other hand he was dragging Jerome by his arm.

"Oh no, not again." I groaned. Wasting no time I rushed to the ringmaster's tent. "Sir, I need your help."

"What is it Quinn?"

"Mr. Trumble is about to hurt Jerome and his daughter . I saw him dragging them towards the kitchen. I could hear him telling them that he'd teach them a lesson about the consequences of stealing."

"They shouldn't have stolen from him Quinn or anyone else for that matter." The ringmaster replied starting to close his door.

"That's just it, they didn't steal anything from Mr. Trumble or anyone else. I'm afraid of what he is going to do to them. When he caught Jerome stealing a snickerdoodle a few years back he stuck Jerome's arm in boiling chicken stock."

At this, the Ringmaster frowned. "That's the first I've ever heard about it."

"Jerome made my mother and I promise never to say anything about what happened. The truth is, that Jerome's mother, her boyfriends/ lovers from the circus and Mr. Trumble all abuse Jerome continually. And when Jeremiah was here they abused him too just not as often since he was Lila's favorite child. Nothing is ever said because we know that the heads of the family's won't care."

"What makes you say that?"

"Most of her lovers are members of the families in charge of punishment. Considering they often beat Jerome themselves we doubted they'd be willing to admit their own guilt let alone Lila's."

"Fine, let's go, but this better not be a prank girl. I don't like my time wasted." The Ringmaster said with a frown.

Desdemona POV

As daddy pulled me into the kitchen his gaze was dark and scary. "The last person to steal from me had his arm dipped into a boiling hot pot of chicken stock. Now who was that again boy?" He asked with an amused and somewhat sinister chuckle.

"Me." Jerome replied through gritted teeth.

"It seems you didn't learn your lesson the last time though did you?" Daddy replies with a sadistic chuckle.

However, before he could do anything to either one of us the kitchen doors were thrown open and Quinn stood their with the Ringmaster as well. He didn't look happy. "Care to explain what's going on here Zachary?"

"I'm just teaching these two the consequences for stealing from others." Daddy replies with a shrug.

"Let me guess your going to shove Jerome's arm into another boiling pot of chicken stock?" Quinn demanded.

"Of course not. I'm not that cruel. I was just going to tell them about what happened to people throughout history who were caught stealing." Daddy replied with a slight smile.

The Ringmaster turned to Quinn and frowned. "Quinn I am very disappointed in you. You have have wasted my time making false accusations. I shall be speaking to your mother about this. Don't bother me with this issue again. Or I won't hesitate to punish you my dear." With that the Ringmaster turned and walked off.

Quinn however turned to daddy with a frown. "You might have fooled the Ringmaster, but you don't fool me. I know what your capable of Zachary. You put Jerome's arm in a cast after you severely burnt it by shoving it into boiling chicken stock."

"Why don't you prove it." Daddy replied with a smirk.

"One day soon both you and your sister are going to go too far. You'll get what's coming to
You." Quinn replied with a scowl before stomping off angrily.

"Ah now where were we? Oh yes, I was about to
teach you what happens to those who steal from me. In the olden days when someone stole something they would either cut off the person's finger or sometimes their whole hand."

"In fact, that still happens today in some countries." His eyes sparkling in amusement at the look of terror on my face. "Don't worry I'm not that cruel. I won't maime either one of you. Did You know that the punishment for stealing now a days in the US is being sent to jail?" Daddy asked and I looked at him in confusion.

"What's that?"

"It's a place where people who do bad things are sent. It's a place where you are locked up and can't leave. You only get to see your family if and when they come to visit and only for a few minutes behind a glass wall. It's not a very nice place." Daddy replied.

"Uncle, my cousin wasn't trying to run away and I wasn't trying to help her quote on quote "escape" from you. I know that you care about her and that you take good care of her. Why would I want to screw that up for her?" Jerome asked.

"Maybe because your jealous. Tell you what, I'll forget all about this little misunderstanding however, in doing so Desdemona will pay the price." Daddy replied.

"What do you mean she will pay the price? What are you going to do to her?" Jerome asked with a frown.

"For starters, she will no longer be allowed to call me daddy. She has lost that privilege for the time being. Secondly, Desdemona will be placed in her own makeshift prison."

"No." Jerome whispered realizing exactly what he meant.

"So do we have a deal?"

"No." Jerome replied through gritted teeth. "She doesn't deserve to be punished. I already told you, we weren't trying to run away. Desdemona did exactly as you told her too."

"I told her to stay near the trailer."

"I hate to keep arguing with you, especially since I know it means a beating, but technically, you told her to stay with me. I had to go do my chores, one of which is feeding the animals. So I brought her with me. You know how angry the Ringmaster gets if work isn't done according to schedule."

For a split second I saw daddy's gaze soften. Then he growled in irritation. "Say goodbye to Jerome girl. Your never going to see him again."

"Nu wanna."

"What have I told you about arguing with me girl? Your just asking for a beating aren't you?" Daddy snarls at me as he smacks me across the face.

I look up and him pleadingly and swallow before quietly replying "Jewome nu go bye bye. Bye bye means fowaebas..."

At this, daddy's eyes went wide with realization and he began to laugh. "I'm not going to harm your cousin. And I'm certainly not going to kill him. When I said to say bye bye, what I meant was that we are going to go away and we won't be coming back here. You won't see your cousin again. But he will remain alive at least for now."

"Oh. Otay. Me sowwy dat me nu undeastand what you meant."

"That's alright Desdemona. Come along now, we are going home."

"Home?" I replied pointing towards our trailer.

"No Desdemona, We are not going to be returning to trailer. We are leaving the circus for good. We are returning to Gotham and hopefully, we will never have to set foot on this God forsaken lands again."

"Oh. Otay." I replied sadly knowing that I'd miss my animal friends  especially mama.

WC 2653