A/N: I just wanted to say thank you to all my readers. I love you all. And I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update.

Warning: mentions of drug use.


Toris stared blankly into his coffee cup on the table. He sighed and closed his eyes trying to clear his mind. He hadn't been sleeping well since the trial. Every time he lay down to try and sleep, all he could hear was her voice, that shaking voice describing all the horrible things that happened. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He was doing it again. He needed to clear his mind. He took a few deep breaths and listened to the steady ticking of the clock on the wall.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Hey Tori! Open up its me, Al and I brought Mattie." Toris sighed again and cracked a small smile. Well it would take his mind off of everything for a while. He stood up from his chair and went to the door. As soon as he had opened it a crack, Alfred forced his way in.

"Thanks dude. Can I use your microwave? My Big Mac's not getting any warmer." The brunet just shook his head and laughed. Alfred always had a way of brightening up a room. Something about his happy-go-lucky attitude and bright smile was infectious.

"What the hell will I do with him?" Toris laughed again. He knew that Matthew was too polite to come in without being invited. As he turned to face his guest, he could have sworn his heart stopped. He had brought someone with him.


"I found her on the street. She was working a dealer trying to get her next hit." Matthew released a low sad breath and stared down into his coffee. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all it is something that's hard to give up. But I don't know. I just can't let this one go." Toris patted his friend on his shoulder but didn't say anything.

"It's going to be a long hard road. For all of us. We basically have to tear her down and build from the ground up. And even then she may never have a normal healthy relationship. Are you sure that you still want to do this?" Matthew nodded.

"Yes, now more than ever."

"WHAT THE FU-" they both jumped when they heard Alfred cry in the other room. Both of them were shocked to see Anya, on her knees with her arms wrapped tightly around Alfred's waist, crying in her desperately into his stomach while chocking out a few phrases in her native language. Alfred was trying to pry her off of him. "I can't understand you. Get the fuck off me." Toris rushed over to Anya and pried her off of the angry blond with speaking rapidly to her in Russian. Matthew went over to his brother.

"What happened?" Alfred just shrugged and shook his head.

"I dunno. I was just eating, and I noticed she was kinda shaking and bent over. So I asked her what was wrong. Next thing I know shes trying to tear my pants off and crying and saying who the fuck knows what." Matthew just sighed and looked towards Toris. The brunet was still holding the shaking girl.

"Toris?" the brown haired man looked up. "What is she saying?" he didn't say anything he just stared at the trembling foreigner that he was holding with great empathy in her green eyes. "Toris?"

"She saying 'I need it. I'll do anything.'" Matthew sighed again and closed his eyes. Something told him that this was going to be a long night.


The sound of water flowing through the tap was all that was heard through the apartment. Matthew and Alfred had to go back to their own home, but Matthew promised to be back later with some Methadone and Buprenorphine later this evening. But for now it was just him and Anya.

He tried to smile as he turned off the taps to the bathtub and turned to Anya. She was still shaking, sweating profusely and hunched over looking like she was in a lot of pain. He knew that the withdrawal would be tough; heroin is a very powerful drug. She didn't respond to his call. He slowly stood up and approached where she was sitting on the toilet. Anya was too delirious to notice as he carefully undressed her, lifted her thin body up and set her down in the bath.

The Lithuanian rolled up his sleeves and began to wash her. By the amount of grim and sweat on her skin, he estimated that it had probably been week since her last proper bath. He tried to be careful, her body was so thin it almost seemed like her bones were made of glass. Her skin was a sickly shade from years of drug use and lack of sun. The scars that criss crossed her back and chest only made him feel worse. Toris knew that if it were three years earlier, she would have any of these scars. She probably would look like a completely different person. He shook his head and tried to remind himself not to get off track.

Anya didn't say a word while he was bathing her, but she did whisper and mumble a few times. Most of it was inaudible. As he finished up, he wrapped her in a large towel and helped her out of the bathtub. "брат?" she said quietly. Toris froze and turned to look at her. She was obviously delirious but Toris didn't want to alarm her.

"да." He replied with a small smile. This night was going to be hell, but the least he could do was try and give her a little comfort.


"Sister!" the small house was illuminated by a few flickering candles that cast dancing shadows across the walls. The low light gave the entire scene a dim smoky appearance, yet the deep sapphire eyes that stared up at her were as clear as shining pools of water that seemed to brighten up the entire room. "Sister look. I got this for you." The boy said proudly as he handed a bouquet of sunflowers to her.

"For me?" the voice seemed so high and quiet, so strange to her own ears. The boy nodded. She could feel the velvety smooth petals brush her face as she took the flowers. "Thank you."

"Sister you won't leave will you?" the shining eyes started to reflect such deep pain in them. But all she could do was stare back confused. "Leave like mother did?"

"No I'll always be here. I'll always be with you and big brother." She chirped happily. She could see the eyes sparkle again with delight before they closed blocking out the rest of the light.

"Say you love me."

"What?" the voice was different. Like a horse grating on her ears, it made her feel pain in the depth of her stomach.

"I said," the horrible harsh voice repeated with harsh cold malice. She tried to move, but her hand and feet were bound to the wall. The voice was burning; it tore at her skin like sandpaper. "Say it!" the crack was defining and the pain blinding. She tried to shrink away tried to block it out, but it was impossible. Her breath was short and rapid, her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest and her insides were twisting in pain. She wanted it to end. "Then say it! And when you do," she could see the shine of the needle in the light. She knew that inside was what she needed, it would take the pain away, it would make her warm and numb, which was exactly what she wanted. "then you will get your reward."

"Я тебя люблю." She whispered. But that wasn't enough. It was never enough. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, look into his cold grey eyes and say it to his face. "Я тебя люблю!" she practically screamed. She wanted it now. She wanted to drift away from the world and forget.

Yet when she felt the needle break the skin, she knew that something was wrong. It wasn't the warm numbing bliss that she wanted. It was horrible, like liquid fire was spilling into her veins. It was blinding burning yet so cold that it seemed to freeze her to her bones. She twisted and writhed but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find any comfort, just more pain. 'Anya' the voices calling her burned her ears. The memories making her head pound and throb. 'Anya!' she tried to hide from them. She curled up in the darkness and prayed that she could escape. "Anya!" yet in the distance she could see a glow on the horizon. The light was almost blinding as it reflected off each golden strand of hair and radiated from that kind face and gentle smile. The man was so familiar, and his presence seemed to fill her with warmth. "Anya! Wake up!"

Anya jolted awake to see that she wasn't trapped in some horrible darkness, but instead in someone apartment. She looked up to see that Matthew was standing over her "oh thank god. I was worried for a second. Look I brought the medication over. Take two of these three times a day. Hopefully we'll be able to get you down to one a day soon and then have you completely off." Anya didn't understand a word he was saying but he held out a bottle of medication. As she tried to reach out and take it, she became aware that there was something lying on her stomach. It seemed that Toris had fallen asleep, a cloth was still in his one hand and his other was wrapped around her own. She realized that he must have fallen asleep while taking care of her during the night.


Again sorry about the delay. Also those of you that liked my other story Hockey Sticks, I'll have a new chapter out soon.