Disclaimer: I own nothing...

A/N: Right, regardless of negativity, I am NOT changing what I've written. So if you believe this Ana to be in the wrong, pleased don't read and bash my work. The negativity isn't necessary. It's not going to remain this way forever but, appears those that have read my other work don't trust me with this. If you're still reading, I hope you enjoy and know how THANKFUL I am to you =)

As put in my previous chapter, I've started a Facebook author page – Author Kirsty- Anne Still. I would love for you to stop by and give me a like, possibly share! I'm trying to kick start a name for myself as a serious writer and would love for your support. So if you're interested, take a look on Facebook and give me a little like =)

Thanks, Kirsty

Beauty and the Beast – Chapter Twenty-Five

"Ana," Kate gasped, turning her attention from Christian's retreating figure to Ana who even though she looked devastated, she didn't look remorseful. "What the hell was that?"

"That was me doing the right thing," Ana told Kate, her tone low and carefully used. "He needed to leave. He needed to go and start a life without me. He needed to go away and realise what it is he needs!"

"He needs you!" Kate shouted back, still in disbelief that Ana had told Christian to leave and he had listened. "He only needs you!"

"Well he can't need something that doesn't want to be here!" Ana bellowed back, the ferocity of her voice igniting pain in her chest, neck and up into her left cheek reminding her of what made her into this person. "You all need to see that I don't want you hanging around waiting for me to just snap out of it and just accept surgeries to make me, me again!"

"We won't push for more surgeries, Ana, we're all here now to be whatever you need us to be," Kate tried to reasonable with Ana, tried to start feeding Ana what she needed to hear but, it seemed to not even start to have an effect.

"Oh, for fuck sake, Kate, you're only here out of guilt so face up to it!" Ana yelled at her best friend, "You left because you hate the fact that I kept a secret from you and you left because you couldn't face the fact that I had a man who loved me more than your precious Elliot had ever shown you!" Ana took a deep, domineering inhale, "You turned up and even then you made it all about you. How you had a pregnancy scare, how you and Elliot were failing at your relationship well for once, Kate, I didn't care. Not with a massive gash down my face and not with the type of future I am facing. I couldn't care less about your relationship problems when you probably drive him up the fucking wall!"

"That's not fair!" Kate said, her eyes watering with the verbal assault. "You do not get to throw that in my face. I was terrified that I had lost you but, it seems we have doesn't it?" Kate asked, willing to sharpen her claws. "I couldn't handle everything and maybe I should have shown my face sooner but, I was trying to get myself together and accept that you had lied and see the importance in all of that had happened. I was trying to be what you needed and when you were here being my best friend I unravelled and told you everything. I will forever regret not just being here in spite of that. I just want to make it right now."

Ana flashed a look to her friend and watched as Kate flinched under the power of it, "Well do the right thing now and fuck off!" Ana's words were literally spewing out from her lips without her meaning them to. She wasn't even thinking about them they were just falling out one after another. "You can now take my place, Kate. Why aren't you having a field day with that one?" Ana asked spitefully, "You can finally be the successful, beautiful, perfect one!"

"I don't want that," Kate cried, because she didn't. She wanted her best friend to come out of this but, slowly the realisation was dawning. Ana was beyond lost and it didn't matter what anyone said, she was sinking. "I don't want to take your place."

"Well you've got it," Ana continued to lash out, "I'm not going to be successful because let's face it, Kate, Kaitlyn was right. No one is going to want to buy, sell or even make my designs looking as heinous and hideous as I do. No one is going to love me properly with scars on my face without remembering the god awful day it happened and I am far from fucking perfect!"

"Please stop this," Kate sobbed and covered her mouth and looked to Ana's parents and she could see them trying to rationalise this behaviour. Looking back, Kate was desperate, "Please just stop this now. We can get Christian here and we can make this right."

"Nothing is going to make this right!" Ana screamed and put her hands to her head. "I hope he hates me. I hope he looks at every photo we have of one another and wants to burn it because he realises that I will never, ever be the girl in those photos. I hope he's at home throwing all of my things away and discarding me out of his life because he will be so much better off without me now."

"No he won't be," Kate tried to fight back. "That man doesn't function without you, Ana. Just stop doing this and open your eyes to that."

"I've opened my eyes," Ana began, "And I see the future as worthless and not something to strive for." She could see Kate try to not accept this fault in Ana but, Ana couldn't stop herself. "I wish I had died."

That seemed to finish Kate off entirely, "I can't believe you just said that."

"Well believe it," Ana muttered back, her voice becoming dangerously low again. "I wish I had bled out on that alleyway floor like I was before someone found me. I wish my last sight had been just staring at Christian's apartment. At least then I wouldn't have to deal with this right now. I wouldn't have to worry about keeping you happy, or keep my parents," she pointed at Carla and Ray, "from breaking down. If I had just died I would be dead and buried and forgotten! Christian and I's little secret wouldn't have come out. You wouldn't have to be living on guilt. My parents wouldn't have to look at me like they are right now. Grace and Carrick wouldn't see their son as a liar and Mia wouldn't be losing faith in her brother. Christ, Elliot would still be his normal self. I have changed everything. I have ruined everything for everyone."

"You are making yourself believe this," Carla jumped in. "You are doing this to yourself now. You are on self-destruct, Baby."

"And doesn't it finally feel good to get it all off my chest," Ana retorted fiercely. "Glad I got the surgery done now, mom? Aren't you glad I am more like me than ever?"

"Stop this," Carla begged Ana, she had nothing more to say than that. "I understand that we may have pressured you but, you don't get to say things like that and expect us to be okay with it," Carla put on a stern tone unable to allow her daughter to destroy her life more.

"Well don't be okay with it," Ana stated, her tone alien to anything she had used before. "Grab your things, and leave. Go and realise that this isn't something you can help with me anymore. Don't be okay with your daughter disappearing."

"You'll regret this," Carla warned, losing her ability to be here.

"And if I do, I deserve all that I get," Ana placed herself into the devil's hands and allowed herself to play advocate. She was so full of rage and anger that she needed to just get it all out. Damn, the consequences. "I deserve to be alone in this world so why don't you just leave me the hell alone and live a perfect life without me."

"Because you're my daughter," Carla fought back, unable to stand this much longer. She didn't even feel like she could wait for Ray to explode. For now she was in fight or flight mode and the latter was winning her over.

"I am not your daughter," Ana stated back and shook her head. "Not anymore so do me a favour and get out of my face and don't come back!"

Carla took a look at her daughter and hated herself for what she did. She regretted taking her bag and leaving but, she couldn't be subjected to the room. Tomorrow was a different day. Tomorrow she would come back for her daughter. Today she had to lick her wounds and remind herself that Ana was merely lashing out.

"That was uncalled for," Ray struck up, his tone stern like he used to use when Ana had misbehaved. "We came here the moment we got the call. We didn't even know if you were going to survive but, we had to be here. We had to believe you would survive. We had to wait and hear what had happened fully and what you were going through. Your mother and I have been so stressed over this and you treat us like this."

"Now's your time to go and relax," Ana authorised for him, and she was slowly coming down from her angered high but, now she had started she couldn't stop herself. She couldn't stop until every emotion was washed out and killed. "Call this your get out of jail free card. You and mom can go off into the sunset and forget about me."

"Annie," Ray began with a warning tone, "Do you really think we're going to leave you just like that?"

Ana looked out of the door, "Mom just did so yeah I do think you're going to leave just-like-that," she stated those words without much gap, they were staccato and said with the same bland tone. "You're not even my real dad so why do you care so much?" Ana asked Ray and narrowed her eyes. "Couldn't get your own kid so took over another man's, and now you realise that she's nothing but, a little ungrateful bitch!"

Ray looked mortified by her words at that point. "You really are turning into a little monster that's what you've become," Ray stated, not caring about hurting her. Their pain over the entire situation had meld and collided and this was the outcome.

"Halle-fucking-lujah!" Ana put her hands up a little, "Ray Steele finally understands what I've become. It only took him six days to hit the jackpot right there. I am a fucking monster and I will be one until I die. Can't you see that or do I need to rip the bandages from skin to show you again?" She watched Ray remain unmoved and silent, "Good old surrogate daddy finally see's what he's little Annie girl has become!"

"Don't push us all away now, Ana," Ray stood his ground, recovering from her callous words. "Don't you dare push us away when you need us most." He could see the defiance on her and he wondered if this was an in the moment reaction or if she was like this forever. "I know you'll regret this."

"I won't," Ana dared him to come back at him. "I won't regret realising that you aren't my real father and that you aren't really needed here. I won't regret realising that my best friend is only here out of guilt because she is selfish bitch and I won't regret pushing Christian to leave me earlier." He flicked her eyes from Ray to Kate and back again, trying to measure their reactions. "You know I'm right, Ray. You're not my dad, you're here by obligation so why don't you realise that you never had any kids and the one you thought you had doesn't really love you."

That finished Ray as he finally did leave the room with the utmost disappointment in Ana's behaviour. He, like Carla, would come back tomorrow and he would keep coming back until Ana snapped back into her old self – or as close as her as they could have.

Kate looked from the doorway and too Ana and shook her head sadly. "Well I think you deserve a round of applause there, Steele," Kate muttered as she too grabbed her things together. "You just alienated yourself from everyone that has stuck around and wanted to help." She shrugged her jacket on and then looked at her friend, wiping her face clear of her tears. "So have fun with this recovery alone. We might share an apartment but, when you're out of here, I'll make sure I'm selfish enough to keep to myself."

And just like that Kate left too and Ana just sat there suddenly quietened at long last. She sat there almost shell shocked at everything that had happened. Just like her dream she was now all alone but, this time it was all down to her will. Her actions had caused them to leave before and now her words had sealed the deal.

She got her wish – she was all alone now.

And she didn't feel any better for it.

If anything that dark cloud that clung to her was only becoming ever more suffocating.

Rock bottom was the loneliest place in the world.