The moment Trevor came through the doors, Erica ran up to him at full speed. Even though he probably didn't shower for a few days, there was blood on his shirt, and mud on his pants, she didn't care. She needed somebody who hadn't let her down. Since her mother failed to answer her call (she probably went to bed so she couldn't blame her- it was late), she knew she could count on him to pick up. She cried into his chest and she tried to get herself under control, but her body just kept shaking against her will. Even though she was aware that Amanda kept the letters away from her, why did it affect her this much to hear her admit it? Perhaps it was because Erica had a bit of doubt in her and she hoped that there was some kind of misunderstanding. "What the fuck is going on?" Trevor asked Michael and Amanda.

"Make sure she's all right tonight," Michael responded. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"What did you do to her?" Trevor asked, ignoring Michael completely. He held her against him protectively. She was pretty much all he really had. She knew Tracey and Jimmy would be there for him, but they didn't have that connection that she and Trevor had. Plus, Jimmy rarely got in touch with him and Tracey was distancing herself and focusing more on her marriage and whatnot. She knew he held onto her because she was it. His protégé, Edward, had been a great guy but he ended up going out and expanding Trevor Phillips Industries to Liberty City where he ran those operations.

"Nothing, T," Michael assured him.

"Doesn't look like nothing, M," Trevor emphasized the last syllable. "I blame this on poor parenting."

"Shut the fuck up!" Amanda yelled at him. Erica could feel Trevor tense up in a rage. She could hear his heartrate and breathing increase in anger.

"What the fuck did you say to me?" he roared.

"Just take her before I change my mind," Michael said to him.

"Let's just go," Erica persuaded.

"You're explaining everything to me later," Trevor said as he pushed her away from him to look into her eyes and grabbed her arm a little harder than she would have liked.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Be nice to her, T," Michael warned as Trevor went over and grabbed her duffel bag she packed. He rolled his eyes at Michael and reminded him that he was doing him a favor at three in the morning. Erica followed Trevor out the door and got into his truck. She explained everything to him on the ride as she calmed herself down. She told him about the letters and how Amanda didn't let her see them. She said she already knew about the letters through her mother, but hearing Amanda betray her in such a way felt as if someone stabbed her in the chest.

"Thank you for picking me up," she sniffed. "I just couldn't stay in that house tonight."

"Hey, whenever you're in trouble Uncle T is only a phone call away," Trevor replied nonchalantly. "But, I don't think sleeping in a strip joint is the best so I'm dropping you off at Jimmy's. And sorry, you know," he said awkwardly.

"Yeah," Erica sighed and looked out the window.

"Ya know, if I could, I'd take you in," he mumbled but she understood him perfectly.

"I don't know how you can be so scary when you're so nice to me," Erica smiled.

"That's because you're one of the few lucky ones," Trevor laughed.

"Oh please," Erica rolled her eyes. "You're lucky that you know me!"

"And there's a smile!" Trevor exclaimed when she smirked at him. "Be happy, kid. I know what she did to you was fucking awful, but remember that she's your mother and as much as I loathe her, Amanda's always been there for you."

"She's not my mother," Erica frowned. "And she hasn't been there for me. I mean, if she really cared, she would have let me read the letters and keep in contact with my mom. But she didn't. It's not right, Trevor. It's like me telling you that someone else is your mom, not the woman who had you."

"Don't you dare bring my mother into this," Trevor warned. "She didn't sign me over to other people to fucking take care of me." She knew he was getting angry and she should stop the conversation right then and there. However, she was feeling risky considering she was most likely exhausted and the alcohol she had consumed was affecting her.

"Maybe my mom did what was best for me at the time," Erica countered. "Maybe she needed me to go away for a little while to get better."

"What? Takes her seven years to give a shit?" Trevor spat.

"She did get better," Erica said with her head held high. "She's perfectly fine now."

"Yeah, if you say so," Trevor replied. "Well, here we are. Have fun at Jimmy's. Go on, get out."

"You don't need to be so mean," Erica glared at him before grabbing her bag and getting out of the truck.

"I'm so mean that I refused to come pick you up in the middle of the night!" Trevor called out to her before he drove off. Erica took in a deep breath and opened the door to the condo Jimmy lived in. He greeted her before asking what was wrong and why she looked as if she had been crying. Taking another deep breath, Erica explained to him what transpired that evening. What she liked about Jimmy was that he wasn't quick to judge her. He did listen to her when she needed it and talked only when she was ready to hear advice. He was the complete opposite with Tracey where Jimmy was quick to judge her and make an opinion without even sleeping on it. And usually that opinion was against the blonde. Erica didn't understand why he was this way with her but not with Tracey or the rest of his family for that matter.

"You can stay as long as you need to," Jimmy said to her after she broke down for the second time that night.

"Thanks," Erica sniffed. She headed to the second bedroom with her things and got ready for bed. She didn't know why she suddenly craved a hug from Amanda rather than her own mother. Perhaps it was just out of old habit and she was just getting used to her mother's affection. She sat in the bed and hugged herself, slowly rocking back and forth. She recalled doing this back when she lived in North Yankton when she felt lonely. She used to close her eyes and imagine Elizabeth slowly rocking her to sleep. Although she didn't imagine anything, the motions were still comforting to her.

Although she told herself to dislike her aunt, it wasn't possible to stop the pain in her heart from that feeling of betrayal. She wanted to just forget all of the good times she had because she had a feeling they weren't genuine. She wanted to forget how Amanda would hold her when she was sad or do her hair for the school dances. She wanted to pretend those horseback riding lessons never happened back when she was ten. The bad definitely outweighed everything that was good because she never wanted to keep Elizabeth out of her life. Amanda took it upon herself to blind Erica with opportunities and happiness so that she'd forget about her old life in North Yankton and the person she left behind.

"Why did you do this, Amanda?" she whispered in the dark. "Maybe my mom was right after all. You just wanted me because she had me. I hate that you did this. I hate that you were okay with doing this. But as much as I hate you, I want you. Well, screw you! Because you can't have me if you want to blind me." Erica laid down in bed and pulled the blankets up to her chin.

Over the next few days, Erica stayed with Jimmy and didn't speak to Michael or Amanda. She wished Dinusha hadn't gone away for the summer because she could have really used her best friend right about now. Sure, there was Jason, but it was different venting to a girl rather than a boy. She could give Tracey a call, but she was mad at Erica and claimed she was overreacting. It was easier to keep her distance from the blonde for a while until she cooled off. She didn't really want to talk to Trevor even though she pretty much told him everything.

Jimmy voiced his opinion and said that he knew that their parents were screwed up however she should just accept them for who they were and go back home. He said it would be the right thing to do and that she should forget about the letters because Elizabeth was in her life now and that she should focus on that. His words made sense, but he didn't know how hurt she was over all of this. She didn't think she could face going back to that mansion so she did the only thing she thought logical: she agreed to move in with her mother.

Erica really thought about it and it was the one thought that brought joy to her. She smiled just thinking about it! The only thing that she wasn't looking forward to was packing her things at the mansion. However, it had to be done and here she was. Tracey and Jimmy didn't agree with her decision so they refused to help her with the move. Therefore, Erica relied on Jason who was always there for her no matter what. She came at a time when she knew Amanda would be out and Michael would be at work. However, she didn't think it would take her this long to pack. She was running out of time but she decided not to panic and just go with the flow. If they came home, she'd deal with it. "I think that's enough," Erica decided.

"You gonna miss it here?" he questioned her. Erica merely shrugged because she didn't want to admit that she might. "You hear that?"

"I think someone's home. Shit," Erica said. "Come on, grab that suitcase and let's get out of here." As they were going down the stairs, of course Amanda and Michael both came home at the same time. What were the odds? It looked as if they had gone out to lunch, though. The two looked happy as they came through the door. Those smiles vanished when they saw her and Jason standing at the bottom of the stairs with suitcases.

"I'll wait in the car," Jason said and took her other suitcase from her. She nodded and bit her lower lip nervously.

"Erica…" Amanda whispered.

"What's up with the suitcases?" Michael asked her skeptically. "Stayin' with Jim for a while?" Erica had no idea how she was going to explain that she was going to move in with Elizabeth. She hadn't rehearsed this in her head so she had to come up with something on the spot. Why was it so hard to tell them that she was moving in with Elizabeth?

"I…" she trailed and looked down at her feet. It hurt even to look at the two. "I'm moving in…with my…mom," she said quietly but she knew they heard it when Amanda gasped.

"No, no, no," Amanda said repeatedly. Erica looked up and saw the older woman shaking her head. "You can't do that. We won't let you do that. Michael!" she looked up at him expectantly.

"Erica, it's great to see you. It's been quiet here. Why don't you go unpack those suitcases and we'll talk," he tried to reason.

"There's nothing to talk about," Erica replied.

"You can't move in with her," Amanda said quickly.

"I can't stay here anymore," she said. She didn't even know how to go about explaining this still and she wished they'd just let her go. Why do they want her to stay so badly?

"Erica, stop this. You had your fun at Jimmy's but it's time to get back to reality," Michael ordered.

"Look, all I do is hurt you guys and you hurt me. Maybe we're better off like this, you know?"

"Erica, moving in with your mother isn't a good idea. You need to stay here, finish school, and go to college," Michael put in.

"I'm still going to do all that, I promise. I just can't live here anymore. It hurts too much."

"Please stay," Amanda said to her. "We just need to talk things through."

"No. I'm leaving and that's that," Erica replied. "If you call the cops I'm not cooperating with them. If you try and keep me here, I'll kick and scream until you let me go. I don't want to live here anymore. I'm done. I want my mom in my life and I feel like if I stay here, it's…I just need to get out of here."

"Is that really what you want?" Michael asked her. Erica nodded. "Fine. Go. I give up," Michael said and threw his hands in the air.

"No, he doesn't mean that. Erica, please stay here. You belong in this house," Amanda cried.

"Amanda, if this is what she wants, let her go stay with her mother. She knows that she can always come back and that we'll always be here, right Erica?"

"Yeah," she lied. There was no way she could come back to this house. All it held was sadness for her now. It wasn't a place that she was comfortable calling home anymore. She felt as if everything was wrong and unbalanced; she needed to go stay with her mother to keep her sanity. She desperately wanted to go back to the way things were, but she knew that it wasn't possible. Deep down, she knew too much damage was done.

"Screw you, Michael. How could you just let her go like this?" Amanda asked him. It was obvious she was panicking and Erica knew it must be due to the fact that Elizabeth won the battle and she was getting her daughter back.

"We can't keep her away, Manda," he sighed.

"I'm not saying to keep her away!" she exclaimed. "She can see her whenever she wants. It's the fact that she's moving out."

"We'll talk later," Michael promised Amanda. "Besides, we both know she's going to do whatever she wants regardless of what we think is best." Erica watched as Amanda looked over at her with a look of longing and pain. She had tears in her eyes and the red head wished she didn't because she was beginning to feel a little bit bad. Maybe she overreacted? No, she told herself, there was no way she could be overreacting. Amanda hurt her in a way that she felt was irreparable; keeping those letters and contact away from her was just too much. "If you ever need us, give us a call," he said to her.

"Thanks," Erica replied. "Well, bye," she said before she left through the door. She dodged away from Amanda and Michael's hug goodbye because she felt that she'd be unable to handle it. Erica got into the car with Jason and he drove off towards Elizabeth's home.

Sorry I didn't upload last week. Hopefully that won't happen again. Thanks again for reading!