Ava stopped running, tears streaming down her face, and anger boiling in the pit of her stomach. She was tired of running away, tired of feeling as though she didn't belong, and yet she couldn't leave… she wouldn't leave them again. She clenched her fists by her side, closing her eyes tight and taking deep breaths to calm herself down, but the more she tried the more agitated she got.

Since being with her dad and Rex, Ava had found it increasingly hard to control her anger, but she had been getting better with it. Unlike when she was younger, her anger no longer slipped away, and sometimes it scared her.

Opening her eyes, Ava unclenched her fists and wiped away a stray tear that slid down her face. A hand on her shoulder made her jump, and she spun round to find the Barrett brothers standing behind her. Looking around, Ava quickly noticed that the beach around them was relatively quiet, and that no one would hear her if she shouted out.

"No-one will hear you shout," Andy said as he took a step closer, "All we want to know is where your dad is, and then we'll leave you alone."

"I already told you, I don't know where he is and I don't particularly care," Ava replied stepping back.

"I know that you were with him recently," Andy added.

"Yeah I was with him, just long enough for him to beat me up, and then take off when my brothers showed up… he left me nearly unconscious on the floor of some motel."

"Then why are you protecting him?" Josh asked.

"I don't know where he is," Ava shouted, "If I knew where he was I would tell you, but as I keep saying I don't."

"Where was he the last time you was with him?"

"The city, he and Rex were in some ratty motel…" Ava mumbled watching as the brothers walked away.

Falling onto the sand, Ava hugged her knees close to her chest, and involuntarily shivered as the sea breeze swept over her. It was starting to get dark when Ava decided to head home, and with one last glance out over the sea, she made her way up the beach.

As she walked she cautiously looked around, the feeling in her stomach telling her that she was being watched, but she couldn't see anything suspicious. Instead of going home, Ava decided to go to the diner rather than face her brothers, and found an empty table in the corner.

"What can I get you darl?" Irene asked smiling down at Ava.

"Can I have a strawberry milkshake and a muffin please?" Ava replied politely.

"Of course you can."

It wasn't long before Irene returned with her order, placing it on the table in front of her and smiling as she left Ava to eat. So much was running through her mind as she ate, but it was Charlie's words that echoed around her head, and brought fresh tears to her eyes. When she had finished, she paid and headed outside, where she bumped into Charlie.

"Everyone is looking for you."

"Ava, are you okay?" Brax asked as he appeared behind Charlie.

"I'm fine," Ava mumbled feeling her anger towards Charlie boiling up into her chest, "Can we go home?"

"Sure," Brax said frowning as Ava walked straight passed Charlie without a glance.

By the time they arrived home, Ava had calmed down and followed Brax inside, heading straight to Casey's room. Ava had been laying in silence for nearly an hour, when she heard Heath, Casey and Kyle arrive home. Sitting up, she moved towards the door and opened it a little, so that she could hear their conversation.

"Is she okay?" Heath asked.

"Physically she's fine, but I don't know what's going on in her head… she hasn't spoken to me since we got home," Brax replied.

"I'm going to go see if she's hungry," Casey stated causing Ava to scrabble away from the door just as it swung open, "Hey, are you hungry?"

"Not really," Ava mumbled, "can I have some hot chocolate though?"

"Of course you can, you should know by now that I am the hot chocolate god," Casey joked causing Ava to chuckle, "Why don't you come sit out here with us?"

Ava hesitated, before standing up and grabbing her sketchpad, following Casey into the kitchen. She sat down at the table, opening the pad to a clean page, and doodling while she waited.

Drawing had always been an escape for Ava, one way that she could express herself without having to use words, and it helped. Everything she drew from a full sketch to the tiniest doodle represented something she had been thinking about, and if you flipped through her sketchpad you could probably read her mind.

"Thanks," Ava said as Casey placed a steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of her.

"You're welcome," Casey replied taking a seat beside her and looking at what she had drawn, "Those are really good."

Ava smiled as Brax joined them, grabbing a beer from the fridge as Casey left and leaning against the counter, watching Ava closely.

"I'm really sorry about the way Charlie's been treating you."

"It's not your fault Brax."

Brax took a drink of his beer, before heading back into the other room, and leaving Ava alone. With a deep breath Ava finished her hot chocolate, and then joined her brothers in the living room, sitting on the floor in front of Brax beside Kyle who nudged her shoulder with his own.