A/N: Thank you so much for your nice feedback on the last chapter! Like I've mentioned, this chapter starts the darker portion of this story. Writing about darker themes is new for me, so I hope you enjoy this. As always, thank you so much for reading!

So, if you're mad get mad

"You said you wanted to see me?" Izzie asked, as she walked into Addison's office.

Addison nodded, as Izzie sat down across from her at her office desk. "I spoke to Hannah last night," she began, sighing heavily.

"And…?" Izzie trailed off, slightly worried by her friend's serious expression.

Addison shook her head sadly.

"Oh," Izzie choked out, swallowing thickly. "I, uh…that's…that's okay…I guess. Thanks for asking."

"Izzie," Addison said sympathetically, reaching across her desk, and rubbing the top of her friend's hand reassuringly.

"No," Izzie sniffled. "It's fine, really. I'm fine."

"Izzie, you're not fine. And it's okay not to be fine."

Izzie nodded sadly. "Did she…did she say why?"

"Yeah," Addison said gently. "She did."

"And…?" Izzie trailed off hesitantly.

"She doesn't feel like she's in a place in her life where she's ready to meet you," Addison explained as delicately as she could. "From what she told me, it seems like she has a really good relationship with her parents. And she'll always be grateful to you for giving birth to her, and for giving her to parents who were able to give her a really good life, and for the blood marrow that you donated to her when she was sick. But she's gone so many years without knowing you. And while you've always existed to her in some capacity, it's always been more hypothetical than anything else. It's what she's used to, and it's how she wants things to stay."

Izzie nodded sadly. "I…I guess I have to respect that then."

Addison shook her head regretfully. "Still…it doesn't mean it doesn't suck."

"Yeah," Izzie agreed, finally giving into the tears that she'd been holding back.

"Izzie," Addison whispered sympathetically, as she stood up and walked over to where Izzie was sitting. "I'm sorry," she apologized, giving her friend a comforting hug. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Me too," Izzie choked out tearfully.

And as Izzie continued to sob in her arms, Addison felt as if her heart were literally breaking in two. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked, trying to feel less useless.

"Yeah," Izzie choked out through her tears. "Stay with me."

"Of course," Addison promised, rubbing Izzie's back sympathetically. "We can stay in here as long as you'd like."

xxxxx

"Where's Willa?" Addison asked in surprise, as she, Derek, Carter, and Colette walked into the living room to find Hannah sitting on the couch alone, without Willa.

"She's upstairs in her room," Hannah explained. "I, uh, I think she may have had a rough day. She came home from school, and said she wanted to be alone."

"That doesn't sound like Willa," Addison assessed, looking at her husband worriedly.

"Yeah," Hannah agreed. "Something seemed a little off."

"I'll go talk to her," Derek offered.

Addison nodded reluctantly. In all honesty, she wanted to be the one to talk to Willa. She and Willa had always had a close relationship, and the thought of her little girl being upset made her upset. She also knew that if Derek talked to Willa, she'd be the one downstairs with Hannah, Carter, and Colette. And as much as Addison liked Hannah, it was hard for her to forget that just hours earlier, she'd consoled a broken Izzie in her office.

"Let me know if you need anything," Addison told her husband.

"I will," Derek promised, before turning to make his way up the stairs towards Willa's bedroom.

"Willa," he said gently, tapping lightly on her closed bedroom door.

She didn't answer, so Derek cautiously opened the door. He saw Willa sitting on her bed, staring blankly into space, and looking so much like Addison when she was upset.

"Willa," he said gently, as he sat down next to her on her bed. "Is everything okay?"

Willa nodded, still refusing to look her father in the eye.

"It doesn't seem like everything's okay," Derek noted, wrapping an arm around his daughter, and swallowing hard when he felt her body tense up.

"Did something happen in school?" he asked.

Willa shook her head no, still staring blankly into space.

"Sweetheart, whatever it is…" Derek trailed off. "You can tell me. I'm not going to get mad."

"I'm fine," Willa said dully, breaking her silence.

"Willa," Derek said, unconvinced. He wracked his brain, trying to figure out what was bothering his daughter. "Did you get your math test back?" he asked, remembering that Willa had taken her first math test of the year a day earlier.

"Yeah."

"How'd it go?"

"Fine, I guess."

"Oh, yeah? Can I see it?"

Willa shrugged before getting off her bed, and retrieving her test from her backpack. "Here," she said, still refusing to meet her father's eyes.

"Willa," Derek grinned. "You got a hundred. That's a lot better than fine."

"I guess."

"Willa," Derek chided. "You did so well. I'm so proud of you. Mommy's going to be so proud of you."

"Don't tell her," Willa insisted, her voice growing urgent.

"What?" Derek asked in confusion. "Why not?"

"Please don't tell her," Willa begged.

"Why not, Willa? You're doing so well in school, and we're proud of you."

"Don't be proud of me."

"Sweetheart," Derek began gently, wrapping his arms around Willa, and once again, feeling her tense up. "Are you embarrassed because you're good at school? Are kids making fun of you because you're good at school?"

"I'm fine," Willa insisted. "I just want to be alone."

Derek sighed heavily. Willa was shutting him out, and it broke his heart. He knew that this might happen when she was a teenager; but she was seven-years-old – still his little girl.

"If you need anything," he began, swallowing thickly, "or if you want to talk, you know you can come to me, right?"

Willa nodded; her eyes glassy from unshed tears. "I know."

xxxxx

"Do you want to call Willa downstairs for dinner, or should I?" Derek asked, as he and Addison set the table for dinner.

"I'll get her," Addison offered. "I haven't seen her since we got home."

"Tread lightly with her," Derek cautioned. "Maybe you'll have more luck getting her to tell you what's wrong than I did."

Addison nodded, before making her way upstairs to Willa's room.

"Hey, Willa," she smiled, as she walked into her daughter's bedroom to find Willa sitting on her bed, staring blankly into space – nearly identical to the way that Derek had found her. "It's time for dinner."

"I'm not hungry," Willa said flatly.

"Why don't you just come downstairs and sit at the table," Addison reasoned. "You might get hungry."

"I won't," Willa insisted matter-of-factly.

"Sweetheart," Addison said gently, as she wrapped an arm around her daughter, immediately feeling Willa tense up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, Willa, I know it's not nothing. You can tell me."

"No," Willa said, shaking her head vehemently.

"Willa," Addison tried again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Willa insisted, refusing to meet her mother's eyes. "Let's go downstairs and have dinner," she said after a moment. She wasn't hungry, but she figured it was the easiest way to put an end to the conversation.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me what's wrong?" Addison asked her daughter gently.

Willa shook her head. "I'm fine."

Addison sighed. She knew that Willa wasn't fine. But Willa also wasn't talking. So Addison did the only thing that was left for her to do. "Okay," she said. "Let's go downstairs."

Five minutes later, the Shepherds were sitting around the dinner table. Carter and Colette were babbling happily, as they ate their tiny pieces of cut up grilled chicken. But Derek and Addison were focused on Willa, who wasn't eating, and whose eyes were focused on her spelling test, which was displayed proudly on the refrigerator.

"Is everything alright, Willa?" Derek asked his daughter gently.

But Willa ignored him. Her eyes were fixed on her spelling test – on that stupid, sparkly sticker Mr. Russell had given her.

"Willa," Addison tried. "Are you -"

But before she could get the words out, Willa let out a frustrated cry, and quickly stood up from the dinner table, and rushed towards the refrigerator. She angrily snatched her test off the refrigerator, and frantically began crumpling it and tearing it to shreds, her breath labored, tears streaming down her face.

"Willa," Addison breathed in horrified concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Willa screamed. "I told you already, nothing is wrong!"

"Willa, you know not to speak that way to your mother, or to anyone," Derek reprimanded.

"Fine, I'm sorry!" Willa shot back angrily.

"Willa, I don't like the way you're speaking to me and Daddy," Addison scolded.

"Just leave me alone!" Willa demanded.

"Fine, you want to be left alone," Addison retorted. "You can be alone. You can spend the rest of the night alone in your room."

"Fine!" Willa sobbed, before racing out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom.

The second she got to her room, she slammed the door hard behind her. She walked over to her bed, and saw her math test, just sitting there, taunting her. Initially, she had been so proud of that test. What a joke.

"Before you go to lunch and recess, I have your math tests to give back," Mr. Russell told the class; and Willa watched as her teacher handed tests back to everyone in the class but her.

Once everyone had cleared out of the classroom, Willa went to Mr. Russell's desk. "Um, I didn't get my test back," she told her teacher quietly.

"Oh," Mr. Russell smiled, reaching into his desk drawer. "It's right here. I'm sorry. I must have forgotten." He handed Willa her test, a wide smile on his face. "Very nice job," he complimented.

"Thank you," Willa beamed.

"Do you like the sticker I gave you?" Mr. Russell asked, pointing to the sparkly shooting star sticker on Willa's math test.

Willa nodded. "Yeah. I like stars and sparkles."

Mr. Russell chuckled. "I thought you would. You know, you're the only student I've given stickers to."

"You should give stickers to other kids too," Willa encouraged. "These stickers are pretty."

"I'm glad you think so, Willa," Mr. Russell grinned. You know," he continued, "you're very good at math, and you really seem to like it."

"I want to be a doctor like my mommy," Willa explained. "And you have to be good at math to be a doctor."

"You're right," Mr. Russell agreed. "I think you'll be a good doctor one day."

"Thank you," Willa blushed.

"And I'm very proud of you for doing so well on your tests," Mr. Russell smiled, reaching towards Willa, his hand finding the zipper on her little Burberry skirt. "That's why I've been giving you those pretty stickers."

"Uh, Mr. Russell," Willa began timidly. "What are you doing?"

Mr. Russell gave Willa a sly smile, before tugging at the zipper of her skirt; "I'm showing you just how proud I am."

Willa shuddered at the memory and everything that came after. She looked down at the test that she was holding in her trembling hands and immediately felt sick. Not even bothering to fight the tears that were streaming down her cheeks, Willa crumpled the test in her hands before ripping into tiny shreds.

"Willa," Carter's little voice rang out, ripping Willa from her thoughts. She looked towards the door of her bedroom to find her three-and-a-half-year-old brother entering her room.

"I sneaked you a cookie," Carter said, extending his little hand towards her, and offering her a chocolate chip cookie.

"Carter," Willa choked out, truly touched by her brother's thoughtfulness.

"Take it," Carter urged, holding his hand out to her. "Just don't tell Mommy."

Don't tell Mommy. The words stung like a slap in the face.

Don't tell Mommy. The words made her sick.

And in an instant, she went from appreciating her brother's actions to feeling completely and utterly betrayed by him.

"Get out," Willa told him angrily.

"What?" Carter asked in confusion, still holding his cookie out towards her.

"I said get out!" Willa screamed, pushing Carter for emphasis.

"Ouch!" Carter yelped, bursting into tears. "I'm telling Mommy," he blubbered, as he tearfully ran out of Willa's room. "I'm telling Mommy."

"Good!" Willa shot back angrily, before lowering her voice to a nearly inaudible whisper. "I wish I could."

Willa sniffled, doing her best not to cry, as Mr. Russell zipped up her skirt. She knew that what had just happened was wrong – that he shouldn't have touched her the way he had touched her. But he was her teacher, so what could she really say?

"You'll like it more next time," Mr. Russell promised, offering Willa a comforting smile. "I promise."

"I…" Willa stammered, feeling confused and violated and disgusted. Why was he talking about next time? There was going to be a next time? Involuntary tears welled up her eyes and began streaming down her cheeks.

"Shhhh," Mr. Russell whispered comfortingly, as he stroked her dark brown hair. "It's okay. It's okay. But, Willa, I need you to promise me something."

Willa looked up at her teacher, doing her best to blink back tears, as she fearfully waited to hear what he wanted from her.

"You need to promise me that you're not going to tell your mommy."

"But I-" Willa choked out. She told her mother everything. Especially bad things, like this.

"Willa," Mr. Russell interrupted. "You have to trust me. If you tell your mommy, she's going to get mad at you. And your daddy will get mad at you too. And so will I. And bad things will happen…because nobody will believe you. I'll make sure of it. And your mommy and your daddy will get mad at you for lying. Madder than you've ever seen them before. And bad things will happen…so bad that I can't even tell you. And you don't want that, do you?"

"Nn-no," Willa trembled.

"Yeah, I didn't think so," Mr. Russell nodded, patting Willa's shoulder. "So, we'll just keep this between us, okay?"

"I…"

"Willa."

"Okay," Willa choked out, shutting her eyes tightly to keep herself from crying.

"Good," Mr. Russell said with a satisfied smile. "Don't tell mommy."

xxxxx

"I can hear you worrying," Derek mumbled tiredly, as Addison tossed and turned in their bed.

"It's because I am worried," Addison admitted. "Derek, I punished Willa this evening. We've never had to punish her like this before. And she…she just doesn't seem like herself. I think something's going on."

"I know," Derek agreed softly. "Seeing her act the way she did today…it broke my heart. It felt like she wasn't even our daughter. The Willa we know would never rip her test off the refrigerator or raise her voice at us."

"Or push her brother," Addison added sadly.

"Or push her brother," Derek echoed.

"I'm telling you, Derek, I think something's wrong."

"Something's definitely wrong," Derek agreed. "The question is what."

Addison sighed heavily, as she and Derek lay together in silence.

"I'm going to go check on her," Addison said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Addison, it's after midnight," Derek pointed out. "She's going to be asleep."

"I know," Addison nodded. "I won't wake her. I just…I need to see my little girl."

Derek nodded, knowing that there was no point in trying to reason with his wife. "Okay," he nodded, as he watched Addison tiptoe out of their bedroom.

When Addison reached Willa's room, she quietly opened the door, only to hear the sound of muffled crying coming from Willa's bed.

"Willa," she said softly, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Willa choked out, as Addison sat down on the edge of Willa's bed.

"It doesn't sound like nothing," Addison whispered, as she gently rubbed her daughter's back, feeling Willa tense up at her touch. "You had kind of a rough day today, didn't you?" Addison asked gently.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well, if you want to talk about it," Addison offered.

"I don't."

"Okay," Addison nodded, as she moved to lie down next to her daughter.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Willa asked her mother hesitantly.

"I thought I'd lay here with you," Addison explained. "I thought I could lay with you until you fell asleep, the way that I always do when you're sad or sick or scared."

"I…you don't have to do that," Willa said quietly.

"I want to," Addison insisted softly.

"But I don't want you to," Willa said, burying her face in her pillow. It was a lie. A huge lie. She wanted her mother there; of course, she did. But after what had happened earlier in the day with Mr. Russell, she didn't think she deserved it. She didn't deserve her mother's love…her mother's hugs…her mother stroking her hair reassuringly, whispering that everything was going to be alright.

"You should go back to your room, Mommy."

"Oh," Addison choked out, tears stinging her eyes. "Okay." She got up off her daughter's bed, and made her way towards the door, feeling confused and helpless. "I, uh, I'll see you tomorrow, Willa."

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," Willa mumbled, biting her lip to keep her tears at bay.

Addison lingered in the doorway for a moment, watching her daughter. "You know I love you, right Willa?" she asked, her voice cracking, her cheeks moist with hot tears.

"I know," Willa choked out. "I love you too. Goodnight, Mommy."

Addison swallowed thickly, casting one last glance at her daughter, before leaving Willa's bedroom and gently closing the door.

"Goodnight, Willa."