A/N:Hi everyone, Venus here. For those who read my original Pain Is A Gift story, I decided it was terrible and wanted to rewrite it. I'm sorry if this ones shorter but my chapters will be much longer. Thank you in advance for supporting me by reading. I'm making a set schedule to write this fic every Tuesday and Friday so I really hope you enjoy it. Again thank you all so much and thank you for being so patient with me.

March 18th 2013

9:30 AM

The girl with ombre red and orange hair sat with a magazine in her hand, legs crossed. She wore a white baggy Arctic Monkey shirt, over it was a black, green and white plaid button down with black pants and white platform sandals. A black beanie was on her head and she lifted her sunglasses revealing her dark brown eyes to look at the girl next to her.

"Hey Han, where exactly are you getting it?" The eighteen year old girl asked with a grin. The girl with medium length short brown hair with glasses smiled. "You know, I'm not too sure Spencer. How about here?" The girl pointed at her back. "Hannah, not a tramp stamp. Come on, where else you got in mind, how big do you want it?" The girl known as Spencer asked. She ran a hand through her ombred hair. The sound of buzzing filled the air as Hannah shrugged. "How about on your arm right here? That'd be cute." She suggested as she touched Hannah's upper arm. Hannah nodded and grinned. "How about you? What are you getting?" Spencer shrugged and uncrossed her legs. "Maybe a few roses around my arm here with a little crescent moon. For Luna Rose, you know?" she whispered as she played with her fingers. "Your baby sister?" Hannah asked putting a hand on her friends shoulder. "Yeah, she may have been a stillborn, but she was still mine and Levi's baby sister." She felt Hannah's sympathetic stare burn into the side of her face. She looked up with a grin and grabbed Hannah's hand. "No sad faces okay?" The girl with glasses nodded with a smile but eyes filled with worry and concern. "Hannah Washington, you're up." a man who was covered in tattoo's called. Hannah gulped and looked at her friend as her friend grinned back at her and nodded.

A few hours later.

"Ugh! Who knew it would hurt so bad?" Hannah groaned looking at her new butterfly tattoo. "It's beautiful though Han, it really is! It didn't hurt too bad either ya big baby. Like cat scratches if anything." Spencer chuckled looking at her own. It was sore but she loved the way it looked and she was satisfied. "Want me to drive?" she asked as Hannah continued to groan. The girl nodded and got into the passenger seat of her own car while Spencer hopped in the drivers side and started the car. "So I guess I'll drive to your house then I'll walk home." Spencer had lived down the street from Hannah and had been practically neighbors since they were in the sixth grade. "You sure?" Hannah asked sounding unsure. Spencer gave her usual grin and simply kept driving. Soon enough they had reached Hannah's house and Spencer parked. "Alright Han, I'm gonna head on home. I'm suppose to cook dinner tonight for LJ's birthday. Your tattoo looks great and I'm glad Beth told me to go with you." Spencer smiled as she got out of Hannah's car. Hannah smiled back and looked down the street. Her mouth dropped as she quickly grabbed Spencer's uncovered arm. "Spencer.." she called. The girl looked down at the street to see what Hannah was freaked out about. Down the street was 4 police cars and an ambulance. Spencer dropped her bag and without a thought she broke free out of Hannah's grasp and ran as fast as her feet would allow her towards the police cars. "Levi! Mom, Dad!" She called as she ran inside the house. "Ma'am, Ma'am you can't go in there!" a police officer called as he grabbed hold of her. "Let me go! What's going on?!" she kicked and screamed. "Levi! Mom! Dad!" A young boy with curly dark brown hair was being carried out by a Hispanic man with short graying dark brown hair and hazel eyes. The boy had tears running down his face and a pained expression in his eyes. "Levi, Dad!" Spencer struggled as the officer continued to restrain her. She looked closely at the younger boy known as Levi and saw that blood had soaked his grey shirt in his stomach area. Their father quickly rushed the 16 year old to the ambulance as another one had arrived. Spencer finally broke free from the officer and ran after her brother and father. "Dad, where's mom?!" she cried frantically. All her brother could do was sob into his father's shirt. Spencer quickly turned her head as a stretcher rolled out of her house with a closed body bag on top. "No, no, no, no.." she began walking towards the stretcher, then sprinted towards it. "Spencer!" her father called. Tears began to run down her face as she ran and the same officer grabbed hold of her. "I just want to see her!" She screamed as she grabbed hold of the officers jacket, clenching it in her fist. He tightened his grip on her as another officer slowly zipped down the bag. Inside was a woman with long dark brown hair, eyes closed, and pale. She looked as if she were sleeping and as beautiful as ever. Tears continued to stream down Spencer's pale face. As rain began to fall Spencer collapsed in the officer's arms as he comforted her. The pain she felt was indescribable and it felt as though it was ripping her apart from the inside out. All she could do was sob as the rain went from a light drizzle to pouring. Her makeup ran down her face and her hair was soaked. "Spencer!" a voice called but she didn't dare turn around. She finally pushed the officer off of her and cradled herself as she rocked back and forth until the person made their way towards her. She felt a pair of strong arms pull her in. She looked up as the rain mixed with her tears to be met with a pair of big green eyes. His short dark brown hair was soaked and stuck to his forehead "J-Joshua." she choked as he stared back with worry and concern. "I'm here, okay? I'm here." he whispered as he pulled her closer with his hand around her waist and the other on the back of her head as she buried her face into his neck and continued to sob.

"Mr. Montgomery, this is now a crime scene and it will be under investigation for some time, your son needs to be transported to a hospital just to be looked over. After the hospital, is there anywhere else you and your family could stay?" an officer asked. "I-I will figure something out, thank you." The man put a hand to his mouth as he choked back on the tears as he gripped tightly onto his injured son. He let out a shaky sigh as he watched his daughter sob and cry into the arms of none other than Joshua Washington while all of her and Levi's other friends stared from behind the caution tape. It broke his heart to see his children in so much pain and to know that not only is his son in emotional pain but was physically shot in his abdomen. He clenched his eyes shut as tears began to stream down his leathery wrinkled face hoping to hear his wife would wake up and tell him that she was okay. He just wanted her to wake up, they all did. She couldn't be gone, could she? She was just asleep or this was all just a terrible dream, because how could this happen? How could this happen to their mother? His wife? "David," he could still here his wife's voice in his ear which made him cry even harder as he held his son. David finally opened his eyes to see his daughter and Joshua in front of him. Josh held Spencer tightly as she continued to cry. "Mr. Montgomery, is there anything I can do?" the boy spoke softly as he loosened his grip on the girl. David smiled behind tears and opened his mouth to speak but a sob escaped his lips. He covered his mouth once more and held up a finger signaling to give him a second. David swallowed the lump in his throat and opened his mouth to speak once more "Spencer and Levi, need a place to stay while I make arrangements for Mary-Anne. Could they stay with your family?" he asked shakily. "What about you Mr. Montgomery?" he simply shook his head and smiled. "No need, I have money for a motel, I just think it's best for them to stay close to friends." Josh pressed his lips together and looked back at the other ambulance as the paramedics boarded the stretcher. He finally turned back to the man and with a small smile he nodded. "Oh, thank you Joshua! I'll bring Levi over after he's been looked over. I want Spencer to go with you now." "No, I'm going with you and Levi!" Spencer objected. David wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his long jean button down and put a hand on her shoulder. "Spencer, Levi will be fine, I will be fine, okay?" she violently shook her head. "How am I supposed to know that?! Levi is my brother, I should be there!" she yelled as she squirmed out of Josh's grasp. David shook his head and got in the back of the ambulance with Levi and asked the paramedics to close the doors, making sure Spencer didn't board on. She stood there wide eyed as tears continued to stream down her face while she watched the two ambulances depart from her house. Josh grabbed hold of her again and escorted her away from the house. Their friends that stood behind the caution tape had already departed, not being able to watch their friends suffer any longer. The only people left standing, soaked from the rain was Hannah and her twin, Spencer's best friend, Beth. "Spence..."Beth called as she took her away from Josh and into her own arms. Spencer grabbed tightly onto Beth and began to sob uncontrollably once again. "Let's get you out of this rain and out of those clothes, your soaked." Beth whispered as she pulled apart from the embrace, rubbing her best friends arms. The girl said nothing but allowed the three siblings to guide her down the street. The numb feeling began to set in and she couldn't even shed anymore tears. Her stare was blank as she walked into the dark Washington household. The lights were out but at this point she didn't even care. All she wanted at that moment was to hold her brother and tell him everything was going to be okay, that she would never let anyone hurt him ever again, that she would be the one to protect him. The lights flickered on to reveal all of Spencer's friends who were soaking wet. Above them was a "happy birthday" banner and a boy with blonde spikey hair and glasses held a cake that read the same. "This is for Levi, when he gets out of the hospital." The red headed girl started with a smile. A blonde girl with tears in her eyes had walked over to Spencer and hugged her tightly and Spencer could feel the tears starting up again. "He's gonna be okay, Sam." Spencer whispered as she rubbed her friend's back. Sam was Levi's girlfriend so she could understand her concern well enough. The girl nodded and rubbed Spencer's arms before walking out the door. "I think we should all let Spencer settle at Josh's house so let's all get going guys." The blonde boy finally said as he set down Levi's cake. The group began to leave and deep down Spencer was grateful for that,

The numbness subsided and she wish she had felt empty, that way she didn't have to feel this pain anymore. Mary-Anne Montgomery was gone and there was nothing she could do to bring her back. She sat on the windowsill in one of the Washington's guest bedrooms and continued to stare out the window as the rain continued to pour down. Flashbacks of her mothers smile and laughter flooded her head and she tried her hardest to push it out. A familiar car pulled up in front of the Washington household and she stood up as she watched her father get out of the car and walk over to the passenger's side. He opened the door and helped her younger brother out of the car with his arm around his shoulder. The two men walked towards the front disappearing out of Spencer's sight. She sighed as she heard a knock on the front door and went to her new temporary bed, plopping herself down. She sat and waited and waited until there was a knock on her door. She shot up and answered it to be greeted by none other than her baby brother. He no longer showed that he was in physical pain but just continued to stare at the floor. He finally looked up at his older sister with bloodshot red eyes from crying. Without a thought the girl embraced the younger boy. Although she was older he was taller making her face bury into his chest. Levi dropped his head to rest on hers and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders as he let out a shaky breath. He had seen everything and at this point he didn't know if he could ever speak of it and relive it. He could never celebrate his birthday without thinking about the death of his mother. He tightened his grasp on his sister and let the tears run down his cheeks."I should have been there Lev. I'm so sorry. I should have been there.." she whispered, rubbing his back. He shook his head and let his grip loosen. He wanted desperately to break away from the conversation and she could see that. She pulled away from her brother and looked up at him with a smile. "How about some cake? Chris and the others were here to drop it off earlier while you were at the hospital. It's your favorite." He smiled back and nodded as he left to go to the kitchen. Spencer watched as he left and then closed her door when he was out of sight. She pressed her back against the door and slowly slid down on her knees. She clenched her hands into fists and shut her eyes tight as the waterworks started again. She whimpered as she stayed on the ground bringing her knees to her chest. Mary-Anne Montgomery was gone, and she was never coming back. And Spencer finally accepted that.

There's a ghost, she's wearin' my face At parties being introduced with my name Just a skeleton of bones, wearing nothing but clothes And she is paralyzing Oh, oh, oh There's a sound, it's haunting my dreams Like children laughing in the distance and I don't know what it means Am I afraid to be alone, that nobody will ever know this death I'm dying? Oh, oh, oh There's a heartbeat under my floorboards Charging me guilty and I don't know what for There's a black bird over my door singing nevermore Nevermore, nevermore, nevermore