AN: Just a couple ideas I had floating around in my head.

Please let me know if you'd like to see this explored further.

Ross

Erin (13)

Teddy (11)

Emma (6)

Wallflowers

A soft stream of light slipped through the crack in the open door, illuminating the darkened hallway.

Erin paused, hand on the open apartment door, lingering only a moment before swallowing a lump in her throat and pushing the door open. The apartment was cold, showing no signs of heat use in mid February.

Voices could be heard from the kitchen, where the sole light in the apartment remained on. Erin crept forward and peered into the door, two men and her mother sat at the kitchen table that was strewn with cash, several lines of cocaine, and a couple hash pipes.

The men glanced up, "Well look who's home," the older man announced.

Erin's mother didn't turn around.

"What are you staring at," the younger man snapped.

Erin watched as her mothers fingers lingered around at neck of the whiskey bottle, "Mom-" she began.

"Get out." Her mother hissed under her breath. Erin continued to linger in the hallway.

"You heard her," the older man snapped and this time, Erin turned on her toes and retreated to the bedroom.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she whispered, "Teddy?" Erin tip toed over the bed, and gently sat down as she removed the covers to find her younger siblings huddled together for warmth. Erin sighed and moved to tuck them back in before the young boys eyes flashed open, and immediately he pulled the younger girl closer to him, causing her to startle awake.

"It's okay." Erin raised her hands, "It's just me."

"Erin?" the little girl squeaked.

"Yeah Em, it's me." Erin replied as the little girl scudded into her arms, Teddy hung back.

"Where have you been?" Teddy asked apprehensively, "You've been gone for three days." He looked down as he nervously picked at his cuticles.

"I know." Erin reached out to give his hand a squeeze before readjusting the little girl in her arms. She looked down at the young child who had chestnut brown waves that mirrored her own. The tiny body shivered in Erin's arms "Are you okay?" she asked, returning her gaze to her little brother.

Teddy didn't meet her eye, only shrugged, steal a quick glance at the door, "We're cold." He replied quietly, "And hungry."

Lindsay frowned before pulling her backpack towards her, "I brought you something." She opened her backpack and began to dig through it, before finally pulling out a loaf of white bread and some peanut butter, "It's not much…" she began.

"Thank you." Teddy cut her off before hugging her around the neck.

Erin rubbed his back with her spare arm, as tears formed in the corners of her eyes, "Remember to keep it hidden in your room, okay?"

Teddy rocked back onto his heels to look at her, "You always take care of us."

Erin nodded, "Whatever it takes."

The morning came much too soon, as the sun came shinning in, awaking Erin from a restless sleep. Teddy slept soundly in the crook of one arm and Emma in the other. Shifting carefully, she maneuvered from beneath her siblings to slip from the room, grabbing her backpack as she went.

Erin headed quietly into her own room as she shoved clothes for the next few days into her backpack. Her mother wouldn't notice her absence, what with the high she had been riding lately.

As she shoved a last pair of jeans into her backpack she turned to leave, and was taken aback by the older man from last night blocking her path.

"Leaving so soon?" He asked with the quirk of an eyebrow.

Erin tried to push past him, but he grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her back in the room.

"Get on the bed." He told her.

"No." Erin replied.

"Get on the fucking bed!" He screamed.

Erin stood her ground defiantly.

"Get on the bed now." His voice was deadly calm as he approached her slowly, "Or I will take your little sister and fuck her instead." He shoved her back onto the bed and this time she didn't protest.

The man left the room doing up his belt as Erin quickly dressed, she grabbed her backpack off the ground and squeezed it hard against her chest, fighting the tears that threatened to spill over.

She took a deep breath and throwing her backpack over her shoulder she returned to Teddy's room.

Teddy and Emma were already up and dressed, "You guys almost ready? I'll walk you to school."

The two younger children nodded, Erin returned their smile, but gave Emma a once over, the six year old was dressed in a pair of overalls that had been handed down from both Erin and Teddy with a blue and green dinosaur on her long sleeve shirt underneath.

"Come here" Erin instructed, "Lets do something with that hair."

Emma bounded over to the bed as Erin dropped down her backpack, "Pass me a brush will you Teddy?" Teddy immediately retrieved the pink hairbrush he had taken from his moms bedroom.

"I tried to help her with her hair…" he trailed off as he scuffed his running shoe against the dirty carpet.

"That's okay." Erin gave him a sympathetic smile as she battled to get the brush through the knots forming in Emma's hair.

"There." Erin finished a French braid and patted Emma on the head.

"Thank-you." Emma said quietly, glancing at her reflection in a cracked mirror and smiling before looking back up at Erin.

"Anything for you sweet cheeks." Erin winked at Emma and used her thumb to wipe some of the remaining peanut butter from the corner of her mouth.

"Come on," Erin looked between the two of them, "Lets get out of here."

Erin propped the door open and led the way down the hall. As they passed the living room, Erin could see her Mom passed out on the couch wearing only her bra and underwear. The whole apartment smelled like marijuana and Erin ushered her younger siblings quickly to the front door.

Teddy grabbed his coat and Erin helped Emma with her coat that was much too thin for the Chicago winter. "Here Emma" Teddy handed his younger sister a pair of mittens, "You can wear the mitts today."

Emma smiled a little, "We can share," she offered, "you take one and I'll take one."

Teddy shook his head, "Nope!"

Emma looked up at Erin, "He does this all the time." She whispered.

Erin's heart broke at the interaction between her siblings, "Common" she managed, "You're going to be late."

The three siblings walked the eight blocks in silence. When they arrived in front of the school Erin pulled two twenty dollar bills out of her backpack and handed them to Teddy, clasping her hands over his small, cold fingers "I want you to use this for your lunches this week, okay?"

"Erin, where did you-"

"Don't worry about it." Erin assured him.

Teddy looked into his big sisters eyes, searching for answers.

"I said I'd take care of you" She looked between them, "and I will."

"But-" Teddy began.

"No buts." Erin stopped him, she took a deep breath and looked at the ground before meeting their eyes again, "It might be a couple days until I see you guys again."

"Erin…" Teddy looked worried.

"It's okay buddy." Erin pulled him into a tight hug. "It's going to be okay."

Teddy nodded into her and after a moment longer, they released one another. Teddy wiped away a stray tear as Erin turned to Emma and crouched down to her level.

Emma's lip quivered as she fought the tears that threatened to spill over, "Don't go Erin, please." She flung herself into Erins arms as sobs overtook her tiny body.

Erin closed her eyes and pursed her lip as she tried to soothe the little girl by rubbing calming circles on her back. "I have to go." She managed to get the words out before she detangled herself from her younger sister.

Erin straightened as she looked between her siblings. Teddy wrapped a comforting arm around Emma as she cuddled into his side, still sniffling as the tears rolled freely down her rosy cheeks.

"I'll see you soon." She told them as she turned on her heel and strode away. She crossed the street away from the school, slipping into a back alley where she sunk down against and old wooden fence. Her hand covered her mouth to keep the sobs from escaping and finally, the tears fell.