Hush little Sister 29

"Jo, please!" tears soaked up the five year old's face.

"Trust me, Katie," the blonde was crying just as hard, if not harder, "I've got this. I have come too to turn back. I will save you, I promise I'll come back."

"Just like Daddy promised he'd never hurt me again," she choked a little, "how do I know I can trust either of you?"

"Because we're family," she squeezed the young girl's hands and finally kicked open the vent she'd been prying on ever since she'd excused herself the past night from the table, "and family sticks together." With that, she wiggled herself into the vent and started to push herself.

When the blonde was gone, the five year old whimpered and rushed out of the room. She hated this plan, and she had a feeling this would end ugly. But she went to her father's room, clutching the gun.

"Jo tried to escape," she forced the words off her lips, "so…" She held up the gun and sobbed.

"Katie, violence isn't the answer!" he raised up his hand, as if to slap her, and she cowered. Suddenly, he dropped his hand and cursed himself, scratching his neck, as if punishing himself.

"I'm sorry!" she wept, feeling as she was just plunged headfirst into the past again.

"I taught you the wrong thing," he threw his arms around her, "don't be like me, Katilyn. Never be like your father."

XXXXXXXX

"Kendall?" Jo looked a lot like Kendall when he emerged first out of the home of Carson, minus abuse bruises, as she raced through the streets, nearly blinded by the light and confused, "Kendall!"

Suddenly, she crashed into someone, and she fell backwards, starting to bawl. She felt two hands lift her up and lead her somewhere dark, which eased the agony on her eyes. Struggling to regain her composure, she blinked and tried to figure out who the figure was.

"Jo? Oh my gosh, you're gross! What happened to you?" he spoke, starting to try and clean her up.

"Carlos," she threw her arms around his neck. Moments later, she felt Logan and James holding her tightly.

"What are you doing here?" James asked as the trio lead her into a public restroom to clean her up, ignoring the protesting women.

So she explained everything that had happened, causing them all to start crying and hugging. Then Logan described their plan to go and save Katie, and the emotionally bonded started all over again.

"I promised her I'd come back," the curly haired girl sniffed, "I've got to go with you."

"Look, no way," Logan told her firmly, "you've got to recover. Your undernourished, your beat up, your filthy, and your miserable. We can't allow you to hurt yourself anymore."

"But she's my family too," she got to her feet shakily, "and I will never leave her. Carson his trying to get her to trust him…I think she does. We have to save her, I just know he's going to murder her."

"You're really brave, but let us be the heroes for once. You've done all you can. You'll only hurt her worse if you go and get yourself killed," Carlos put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"But…if I don't help you…and show you…" she was crying hard, "…then you….will die…"

"We wouldn't do that to you and Katie," James pulled her into the hug, "a promise is a promise."

"Where…where is Kendall?" she suddenly asked.

"He went to get us food," Carlos suddenly knew how to assure her, "he's our leader, you know? If he could survive Carson abusing him every night for three long years…he can survive and save us all from him taking his little sister's life."

"I hope your right…" the girl cleaned up her face again and hugged them all in turn, "I have to go home."

"No," she suddenly was in her boyfriend's arms, "I lost you once. And I will never lose you again."

XXXXXXX

The bed felt so empty and cold without Jo around. Katie was curled up in a ball, weeping softly to herself. She missed her entire family, and she never felt so lost or confusion. She didn't have anybody to tell her what to do. For the first the first time, she was truly alone.

"Katie," Carson was suddenly beside her in the bed, stroking her hair and hands, "I'm sorry. You know I love you, right?"

She didn't respond, and he laid down, sighing and closing his eyes tired, old eyes.

"My appoint with death is coming," he murmured, "I wish you have the life you always deserved." When he'd finally left, she slipped out of bed and pulled a pocket knife out of a drawer and studied it.

She could always feel what Kendall was thinking now. He was coming, she just knew it by the tingling she got when she touched the blade. Sighing, she dropped the weapon and let out a sob.

"Violence isn't the answer…she murmured, "but that's not our answer."