Chapter Fourteen

A/N: Thank you to Linneagb and xRachelxBrowniex for reviewing the last chapter.

The doorbell sounded, the chimes echoing through the house. To anyone else, the tune would be nothing more than a simple bell akin to the kind found in any church tower, but to Amethyst, it was something more. It was a call to arms, and this was a battle she could not afford to lose.

Smoothing down her shirt, Amethyst all but skipped down the staircase, knowing that she would not long be trapped here. The social workers were here and surely they would have to see that her mother was not capable of caring for her and her sister and they would take them both back to Elmtree House. Tee surely wouldn't mind if they shared their room with Ruby as well; there was more than enough space.

But as she saw the figures stood in the doorway, the young girl's heart sank so far she could almost hear it slipping through the cracks in the floorboards.

Instead of the smartly dressed social workers she had expected, there were three men dressed in jeans, well-worn shirts and scratched leather jackets. Their attire was so mismatched that, on any other day, Amethyst might have sniggered, but the jagged scar across the cheek of the largest man was nothing to joke of. A chill ran up her spine at the sight and somehow she could not stop herself from asking the horrifying question: Why are they here?

She had not seen men of that sort ever since that awful day, when she had woken in a hospital with Mike sat at her bedside, but she had seen them often enough before that to know that they meant trouble. When these type of men were near Jacinth, their plans always ended badly, most often for his family rather than the boy himself. 'That's what happens when you throw them in the firing line to cover your own back.' she thought, more bitterly than she had ever thought anything in her life; after all, there had never been anything more bitter to think of.

Not wanting to be involved in their plan, Amethyst decided to return to her bedroom, but before she had even laid a hand on the doorknob, her mother was calling her down. She paused for a moment, letting the woman call, but then realised that, if someone had to come up to get her, it was going to be Jacinth.

So she descended the stairs and walked into the living room. The rest of the family was gathered in there, as well as the men who had just arrived, most of whom were engulfed in whispered conversation with her brother. Ruby had been huddled on their mother's lap, but as soon as she saw Amie enter the room, she ran and clung to her instead. At least, she seemed to be the one clinging to her sister; if truth be told, Amethyst suspected that she was holding on tighter.

"What are they doing here, Amie?" Ruby asked, her inquisitive eyes reflected in her sister's. There was a fear in them that was difficult to see. A quick glance made sure that Jacinth was not listening and so the elder of them took the opportunity to whisper a response.

"They're just here to see Jacinth, that's all." Amethyst soothed, feeling the bitter tang of a lie on her tongue. There was no one to make things better for her, no one to convince her that everything would be alright; it had been a very long time since anyone had even tried. At least she could leave her little sister blissfully ignorant, in a way she could only wish to be.

Looking over Ruby's shoulder, Amethyst caught her mother's eye, to find terror reflected back at her. Immediately, the girl found herself grateful for her long sleeves, as they hid the goosebumps erupting across her skin. Through all they had been through, there had never been a moment where her mother had been visibly scared; now that the woman was as fearful as her daughters, it was clear that something was different this time.

"Mum." called Jacinth, his voice sharp. Olivia jumped a little, but quickly hid her nerves with a smile. "Did you get the bags packed for the girls?"

"Yes, sweetheart." she answered, her voice unwavering. There was the stoic mother they knew, who broke into tiny pieces then tied herself together again with a smile that did not quite meet her eyes.

"Why, are we going somewhere?" Amethyst asked, concealing a smirk at how strong her voice had sounded. She had expected a mouse-like squeak to escape, but it was closer to the hiss of a threatened cat. 'For once I'm the predator, not the prey.'

"Not that it's any of your business," Jacinth began, still seeming a little shocked that she had spoken. Amethyst had always been quiet and obedient, but life at Elmtree House had made her stronger. "But we're going to Germany."

"Germany?!" the blonde exclaimed, her neutral expression cracking with dismay. She should have known. If they were abroad, then the family would be able to stay together. Not that Jacinth cared about his sisters in the least, but he needed his mother on his side, and Olivia would never leave Britain while her daughters remained.

"Not got any plans, have you?" the boy asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Amethyst did not answer, as her burst of confidence had faded and nerves had left her tongue numb in her mouth once more. "We're going in half an hour."

Olivia made a move to protest, but her son had swept past her into the kitchen before she had a chance to speak, his 'henchmen' trailing behind him like dogs behind their master. The girls were left in their wake, silent in shock and fear.

"It'll be alright, girls." their mother told them, the hoarse whisper of her voice doing nothing to encourage even Ruby. "At least now we can all be together."

It was am awful thing to think, she knew, but Amethyst could not help but wish they were all apart once more. After all, they had been safer that way.

A/N: Please review!